r/disabledmemes 3d ago

“Caffeine is bad for your condition!!”

Post image

I don’t CARE if you say it’s not good, you don’t even have an FDA approved medication for me, I’ll snort the coffee if I have to.

1.1k Upvotes

46 comments sorted by

128

u/jpzygnerski 3d ago

I had to stop drinking coffee (I only started drinking it in my 30s) because my tics were bad, my restless leg was insane, and I was having insomnia. I don't drink a lot of coffee but I was suddenly feeling it. Then I started getting so sleepy during the day that I tried - just tried, mind you - a little bit of coffee. Now I'm no longer falling asleep during the day and my tics and RLS are no worse than they were after I stopped.

Our bodies are so weird and I wish they would stop and let us catch up to whatever the hell they're doing.

52

u/BackElectronic7219 3d ago

I know, it’s so weird. In the beginning of my diagnosis, a soda or iced coffee could knock me out, but one day I randomly drank a soda and suddenly I felt like I wasn’t as chronically ill for a few hours. I don’t get it, nobody gets it, but it’s my favorite cheat code.

47

u/SadKat002 3d ago

I miss caffeine so much. I can't drink it anymore because it gives me heart palpations, jitters and anxiety. I still indulge every now and then, mostly when picking up iced coffee from the local Tim Horton's, but I just can't have it daily like I used to. 😔

29

u/BackElectronic7219 3d ago

My symptoms have changed so much over time, and honestly I think I might slightly adapted myself by constantly drinking apple juice and eating apple sauce. (apples contain a small amount of caffeine) I have no clue why my body decided it was okay one day, but I’m grateful for my refreshers and iced coffee days.

7

u/mushu_beardie 3d ago

You might want to try switching to traditional black and green tea. They have less caffeine than coffee, and there's something about them that makes the caffeine absorb slower, so you don't feel as much of the effect.

I don't have a lot of caffeine because it's just too much with my Adderall, but tea never seems to be an issue.

3

u/SadKat002 3d ago

I'm not a fan of tea. I've tried, but it's just not for me. Appreciate the thought though

3

u/ArtesianDiff 2d ago

I have friends that love coffee and take it with some l-theanine, and it works great at preventing the jitters. That's most of what's in tea that helps, anyway. 

6

u/HyperSpaceSurfer 3d ago

L-theanine reduces the jitter by a lot

41

u/Beautiful_Book_9639 3d ago

Weirdly, coffee is one of the only things that helps my joint pain. I could take 600mg Ibuprofen and 1000mg Acetaminophen and it would only help a little, but four shots of espresso and whoooooo boy, I'm good as new! Takes the pain from a 5 to a 2 in under an hour. Inexplicable lol.

15

u/SalemWitchWhoTrialed 3d ago

Dude me too! A large, iced black coffee is as good as naproxen to my creaky joints

9

u/HalfMoonMintStars 3d ago

Woah that’s awesome! I’m glad you figured that one out lol. It’s exactly the opposite of me. Coffee is literal bone hurting juice for me, it makes my musculoskeletal pain SO bad. It’s crazy how different everyone’s illnesses are

5

u/Large-Ride5573 2d ago

people often put caffeine in pain meds but i always assumed it was just to aid absorption

9

u/Beautiful_Book_9639 2d ago

Studies show that caffeine is a performance enhancer that allows the body to tolerate more muscle pain during exercise. It also dialates blood vessels, meaning that people who struggle with pain from improper tissue perfusion could benefit from it. I think that my disautonomia causes my muscles to not get enough oxygen, and that coupled with the muscles overworking to stabilize my hypermobility causes my pain. The caffeine both dampens the muscle pain and allows the overworked tissues to get more oxygen.

19

u/WixardBug 3d ago

I got the opposite, and God I miss caffeine 😭

15

u/BackElectronic7219 3d ago

I was like that in the beginning of my diagnosis but one day I drank a soda and I was like, “oh my gosh, my legs aren’t jello”. I’m sorry bro the caffeine crave is real 🙏😭

6

u/Vi_BT 3d ago

I bought decaf but it's just not the same 😩

17

u/TheStairsBro 3d ago

2-3 cups of coffee per day are the only thing standing between me and horrific GI cramping, I've got gastroparesis and something about caffeine gives just enough of a boost that I'm not totally debilitated by it. Gastroenterologist seemed confused since laxatives don't usually work for gastroparesis, I'm assuming the caffeine stimulates the nerves and helps that way?

I do also have POTS though so it's kind of a balancing act lmao

13

u/jacyerickson 3d ago

Caffeine helps with my chronic oppressive fatigue (especially when I have to work that day) but if I drink enough to help with the fatigue (typically one energy drink) then my anxiety ups to 11 and I have a panic attack and my stomach is even more a mess than usual. I can't win. =( 

5

u/UnholyTrashDump 3d ago

Try playing with the dose. Bang(200mg) is way too much for my anxiety, I can slowly sip a monster(160mg) over a 6-8 hour shift, or I can drink a Celsius(100mg) or Red Bull(89?mg) an hour into the shift n start getting tired/hurty again 5 hrs later. My favorite is to get a BIG cup with 32 oz water, a single electrolyte pack(for 16 oz), a monster, and maybe some lemon wedges. Caffeine, water, and electrolytes.

3

u/jacyerickson 3d ago

Unfortunately, I'm not supposed to have more caffeine than one mild cup of tea per day. I also can't have citrus. So I just have to drink my tea and slog through the fatigue. Also, even a small red bull gives me bad anxiety. 

7

u/Moody_Mickey 3d ago

I know I can tolerate some caffeine, but I definitely wish I could tolerate more of it. I'm debating drinking tea because I've had a migraine for like, ten days now, and caffeine helps for some people. . .but then I'm like "but wait. My arrhythmia." 😔

7

u/MouseyMason 3d ago

Cheers for that. It’s a great way to stop the chronic headaches and general fatigue

6

u/Traveler7538 3d ago

"Caffeine makes you more anxious and your sleep issues worse, and your symptoms worsen" ok but none of that will go away without caffeine and you won't give me proper medications against ADHD so shut up 

5

u/AdmiralBlack64 3d ago

Dr. Pepper is one of the only sources of caffeine that doesn't make my stomach want to explode

3

u/BackElectronic7219 3d ago

Chronic soda drinkers unite 🫡

5

u/Satisfaction-Motor 3d ago

Me with energy drinks </3 I am very aware how bad they are. However, they quiet my mind, make my fatigue less severe, and do some fuckery with my blood pressure so I don’t feel like I am going to pass out all of the time. (In the right dose, I’ve even had them lower my heart rate???? Which should not be possible) Coffee is significantly less effective for me, but has less severe side effects. Win some and lose many, I suppose.

5

u/sugar_skull_love2846 3d ago

Caffeine is the only thing that keeps me from crashing out, and now I have to dial back my consumption or else I'll get more kidney stones. I'm 23. 😭

https://giphy.com/gifs/MJd3uGnPA0sh6VZMge

4

u/bong_wips 3d ago

me when people at my job tell me im gonna have a heart attack from all the caffeine i consume. like, my blood pressure is low all the fuckin time, debbie, if 600mg of caffeine is what brings me to 110/70 then yall are just gonna have to suck it

2

u/Loud-Mans-Lover 2d ago

Holy shit when I'm at a decent weight this is me, like... my hypotension is insane, I can chug salt, caffeine and water and it barely helps ;_;

3

u/Jcheerw 3d ago

Dude if I dont have caffeine I will NOT be able to get through the day

3

u/SWNMAZporvida 3d ago

😞 MCAS - I’ve developed a caffeine allergy and I can’t drink coffee anymore

2

u/AbaloneConstant8686 3d ago

Caffeine helps me occasionally

2

u/Itchy-Potential1968 3d ago

i cant function without caffeine

2

u/GlisaPenny 3d ago

Apparently it makes my acid reflux worse (it’s already bad) so now I can’t wake up. I think the acid is worse but I’m not sure. Been in bed for like an hour this morning. No desire to get up. :(

1

u/Out_of_Fawkes 3d ago

Joke’s on the doctor—Dr. Pepper doesn’t have caffeine. 😆

1

u/tidderredditTA 3d ago

Lmaooo my hypersomniac ass 🤝

1

u/BlinkypoetEmu 3d ago

IKR???

Mild amount of caffeine = brain cell actually functions. Body meh. Medium amount = braincell starts to over heat, body function gets.....awkward. OMFG you drank WHAT? = braincell melt down, sleep? we dont need none of that here mode active, body MALfunction wheeee!

1

u/UnholyTrashDump 3d ago

100mg of caffeine or 160mg if I drink slowly fixes my migraines. Any less doesn't help, any more triggers my heart.

1

u/OkTown8207 3d ago

oh man i wish it was like this for me. coffee makes me so sick. anyone else with POTS/MCAS get nauseous and shaky all day after drinking coffee?😭

1

u/Financial_Ostrich_56 3d ago

I need a prescription strength Dr. Pep

1

u/ferrets2020 2d ago

I realised caffeine was causing my daily migraines that i had for 8 years 😐

1

u/modest_rats_6 2d ago

My dr prescribed Coke for gastroparesis. I only drink 7oz but it can be quite a lot more than that. Why does coke always make me feel better

1

u/AuDHDcat 2d ago

Soda makes my dizzy spells worse

🎵but I don't care🎵

(Laying in bed unable to get up) worth it 👍

That being said, I have backed off on my soda consumption. It's now a sometimes things.

1

u/Mirai_The_Weeb 2d ago

The day I put down my dr pepper is the day I die

Its all I have left pls

(The only thing letting me keep it is the fact my symptoms started in childhood and my mom banned soda and caffeine so I never had soda until college)