Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Sudden sensitivity to caffeine

20 replies

liftlight · 26/06/2023 21:32

Has anyone else had this ?

I've been a big coffee and Coke Zero drinker for years.

Usually I have two cappuninos in the morning and a couple of coke zeros a day. Sometimes, I only have one.

Anyway, is this just ageing? I had a massive reaction recently where I had heart palpitations and muscle twitches all over my body. I had much more coffee that day than usual, so that explains it.

However today I had my usual two coffees during the morning - so from 8-11 or so I have two coffees..

Then I had a Coke Zero at perhaps 4-5..

My thumb started having a tremor when I bent it. It's stopped now, so I'm assuming it was the coffee- Coke Zero.

Am I just getting old ??

OP posts:
Moopsi · 26/06/2023 21:34

I don't know why it would happen suddenly but I have similar effects from caffeine so don't have any now. It's known that your body can't process alcohol so well as you get older so I suppose the same principle can apply to caffeine?

DustyLee123 · 26/06/2023 21:36

I suddenly got a reaction to alcohol, burning red face

TeamSleep · 26/06/2023 21:38

This happened to my mum in her mid 40s and she had to switch to decaf coffee and tea

Mayhemmumma · 26/06/2023 21:49

Oh yes me! Similar caffeine intake as you but suddenly started having shaking dizzy spells - causing panic attacks as well (I'm 39) I didn't link it to caffeine immediately but as soon as I quit caffeine symptoms went..
I'm never going back to coffee something I never thought I'd say!

XenoBitch · 26/06/2023 21:53

I have this too (early 40s). I recently spent about 6 hours in a cafe with someone and had 8 teas (large take away Costa cup). On the way home, I thought I was going to die!
After about 3 now, I have to switch to decaff or I feel ill.

Original poster
liftlight · 26/06/2023 21:54

Mayhemmumma · 26/06/2023 21:49

Oh yes me! Similar caffeine intake as you but suddenly started having shaking dizzy spells - causing panic attacks as well (I'm 39) I didn't link it to caffeine immediately but as soon as I quit caffeine symptoms went..
I'm never going back to coffee something I never thought I'd say!

Oh no !!! I'm 37. Have you worked out a safe level ??

I can't quit coffee ! I am italian !!!

Talking of panic. Last week I had bad anxiety and I couldn't work out why.. it was probably caused by caffeine.

OP posts:
Original poster
liftlight · 26/06/2023 21:55

XenoBitch · 26/06/2023 21:53

I have this too (early 40s). I recently spent about 6 hours in a cafe with someone and had 8 teas (large take away Costa cup). On the way home, I thought I was going to die!
After about 3 now, I have to switch to decaff or I feel ill.

Do you know why this happens ??

It's a horrible feeling when you've really had too much.....

OP posts:
TinySaltLick · 26/06/2023 21:57

As I get older I do find that if I drink too much, rather than just feel a bit agitated I actually start to feel quite unwell and get minor but quite worrying chest palpitation feelings!

Defo seems to have more effect and I can't just double up on coffees for a free energy boost without any side effects like I could when younger

GulfCoastBeachGirl · 26/06/2023 22:03

Your body metabolizes drugs (and caffeine is a drug) differently as you age, so it makes sense that you might feel the effects of caffeine differently. (Though 37 seems a bit young for this.)

I've always loved coffee but once I got to menopause age I had to cut back to two cups a day (at the most). A third cup has me jittery, anxious and likely to have a crap night's sleep.

I don't know what the heck I was thinking on Saturday, but I had a latte at 3:00 pm and got a whopping two hours sleep that night!😬

Sad times for a coffee lover!

Mayhemmumma · 26/06/2023 22:06

I've tested a teeny milky coffee and still felt awful, so it's not worth it for me - and I've relied on coffee for years, I didn't know what to drink when I quit to begin with.
Tea and Pepsi max have been ok but not drinking every day, more like once a week. Huge change for me, I'm all herbal tea and sparkling water now.

ithinkifeelaliveagain · 26/06/2023 22:09

I’m 37 and can’t drink coffee after 12 or I will be awake with heart palpitations all night never used to be a problem though.

carkerpartridge · 26/06/2023 22:17

I've never been a big coffee drinker but I have had to give up my daily morning coffee as I was getting palpitations, awful anxiety and sleeplessness. I never had these issues before perimenopause.

VelvetUndergrounds · 26/06/2023 22:23

Yes, me, since being in perimenopause coffee and coke give me heart palpitations. I have had to start taking beta blockers so I guess it's all related.

justrude · 26/06/2023 22:40

Me!!! I am four years older than you, but I shake and have heart palpitations with caffeine in any form.

This is recent (last 6 months) and totally shit!

Barleysugar86 · 26/06/2023 22:43

My dad had to switch to decaf coffee and tea in later life so I think this is a thing.

Honestly I switched to decaf myself when pregnant and quickly stopped noticing the difference. You still get some caffeine from them obviously and I felt like once my body was used to the lower levels it was still giving me a pick me up from decaf coffee particularly.

When I was weaning myself down I would mix caffeine and decaf half at half at home so I didn't get any caffeine withdrawal headaches.

Housenoob · 26/06/2023 22:45

This is starting to happen to me and I'm only 34. I'm similar to you with my 2 morning coffees and then I usually have another in the afternoon. But recently that second morning coffee has me very jittery and buzzy so I'm going to just stick to one.

It's definitely worse when I've not had a decent night's sleep, which is quite often tbf.

Twittens · 26/06/2023 22:50

Is there any chance you could be pregnant OP? I had this when TTC with my first pregnancy… (I know you are supposed to reduce/ avoid caffeine in pregnancy) but this was when I was literally just pregnant… the tests were still showing negative…(so I thought I wasn’t pregnant) but I became intolerant to caffeine overnight… (sweats, twitches, palpitations) also alcohol… had one glass of wine…(because test was negative) projectile vomited… my body’s very OTT way of protecting itself… positive tests 5 days later…

collywobble · 26/06/2023 22:51

I was the same way with caffeine and completely jittery and irritable with it but love the alertness it gave me first thing. I have recently started taking L-theanine supplements to counteract the caffeine jitters with each cup and it has taken it away completely.

angelikacpickles · 26/06/2023 23:55

This happened to me shortly after I had DD. Suddenly couldn't drink coffee at all without jitters, anxiety, palpitations. Had to switch to decaf for year but am gradually back at the point where I can have a couple of coffees a day. Would still feel it if I have more than that though.

Aquamarine1029 · 27/06/2023 02:22

Welcome to peri-menopause.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page