COFFEE ALLERGY & INTOLERANCE

A caffeine allergy is an adverse reaction by the body's immune system to caffeine or caffeine-containing products The type and severity of symptoms can vary amongst patients.

A person becomes allergic to caffeine when his caffeine intake increases and so does his tolerance to caffeine. As a result, excessive caffeine in the body can bring about allergic reactions to caffeine. When this happens even a small amount of caffeine is rapidly absorbed by the nerves and organs in the body and trigger the disorder.

Caffeine allergy or intolerance to caffeine affects many people worldwide. However, many are not aware of this condition and may blame the symptoms of caffeine allergy to other factors.

Symptoms of Coffee Allergies

Common Symptoms

Allergic responses to coffee may vary considerably in nature and intensity, depending upon the extent of the person's allergy and the amount of caffeine consumed. When people are exposed to caffeine repeatedly over a period of time, they may simultaneously develop a tolerance and an allergy to it. The stimulating effects of the caffeine mask the allergic symptoms, so people often continue to drink coffee, not attributing their symptoms to the caffeine.

Symptoms include a tingling or itchiness in the mouth or throat, the development of lesions on the roof or cheeks of the mouth and tongue, skin rash or sensitivity to bright light. Those with caffeine toxicity may have a whitish or grayish coat on their tongues. Mood symptoms such as restlessness, agitation, excitement, chattiness, nervousness, mood swings or anger are also common.

Caffeine poisoning can cause rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which tissue and muscle fibers break down, releasing toxic matter into the blood stream. Symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include general muscle weakness or cramping; however, symptoms may be masked by caffeine which, when it accumulates in the bloodstream, acts like morphine and alleviates muscle pain and stiffness.

Anaphylactic Symptoms

A very severe allergic reaction to coffee can result in anaphylactic shock. Anaphylactic symptoms usually come on very suddenly. Symptoms of anaphylactic shock include hyperventilation, chest pains, heart palpitations, a tightness or "closing up" of the throat and problems breathing. One of the byproducts of caffeine (called theophylline) acts to keep the bronchial tubes open. Consequently, allergic individuals having an anaphylactic response are unlikely to suffer a respiratory collapse. Nonetheless, anaphylactic shock can be deadly, so if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, call 911 for emergency medical help immediately.

Mental Symptoms

A coffee allergy can produce such severe mental symptoms that they are mistaken for psychological disorders. For example, it can create symptoms that mimic panic disorder such as parasthesia (pins and needle sensations), a feeling of choking, hyperactivity, chest pains and hyperventilation. It can also create psychotic symptoms (including delusions, hallucinations, and paranoia) that could be confused with schizophrenia; repetitive thought and action that resembles obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD); and an inattention and inability to concentrate that may be mistaken for attention deficient disorder (ADD). Coffee allergy has also been known to mimic symptoms of mania (such as those seen in bipolar disorder), including impulsiveness, impaired judgment, aggression, omnipotence, delirium, buying sprees, lack of sexual inhibition and loss of values. Symptoms of depression and anxiety can also occur at levels so severe that there are records of individuals being erroneously admitted into a psychiatric hospital for treatment.

Haaaa mesti korang pelik kan mende la yg mak enon dok melalut kat atas tuh...tu semua tu sy copy dari google je...sbg panduan..hurm sy pasti korang mesti xpenah dgr psl coffee allergy kan? pada mulanya sy pun mcm korang jugak, xtau and xpenah dgr pun psl penyakit ni...sampai la di suatu hari...meh2 sy citer...pastikan korang fokus supaya korang paham and sy xperlu nak ulang 2 kali...siaran ni berbayar ye...*xnak kalah ngan ASTRO...haha

hurm mcm pelikkan ade gak org allergik ngan caffein...kalo allergik ngan seafood ke, antibiotik ke...mcm make sense la jugak...okla sbenarnye penyakit ni da lama da discovered kat negara2 barat, cuma negara kita je doctor blum aware lg...sampaikan sy tpaksa wat research sendiri utk tau apakah sebenarnye coffee allergies ni...but until now medical experts pun still xleh nak dptkan penawar or ubat utk penyakit ni...nak tau camne sy bleh dpt penyakit sebegini? gini ceritanya....

dulu sy ni adalah penggemar sejati kopi+nescafe+teh dan segala jenis minuman & makanan berkaffein...kalo breakfast mesti nak pekena nescafe 3 in 1...lunch nescafe ais....petang kopi ais....malam kalo x teh ais mesti minum kopi 'o' ais...haaa nampak x betapa cinta dan kasihnya sy kepada caffein....sehinggalah suatu hari...seingat sy hujung tahun lepas....sy diserang demam....dan lepas demam tu mcm biasa la sy nak hilangkan ketagih punya psl...order nescafe ais utk minum petang...sambil2 pekena roti canai...yg peliknya lepas balik umah sy terus rasa sesak nafas *bkn sesak mcm asthma tu tau...die rasa mcm saluran pernafasan kita ni sempit je....so oleh kerana sy ni mmg ade asthma @ lelah...so sy anggap bende tu biasa je la...sy amik pil asthma...tp yg peliknya keesokan harinya rasa sesak tu xgak hilang2....selalunya asthma sy xkan melarat lpas mkn ubat...oleh kerana still xsihat...sy pi klinik and mcm biasa la kalo dah ke klinik konpem kene amik nebuliser...rupa nebuliser tu lebih kurang mcm kat bwh ni haa...

Ni lah rutin sy setiap kali kene asthma teruk...mmg konpem kene amik gas...ari tu 3 kali sy amik gas, setiap 4jam...pastu balik umah....ingatkan dah ok....esoknya still mcm tu gak...sy da xtahan....masa tu sy amik kptsn nak ke hospital je...so pagi2 lg sy da siap2 ke hospital serdang...tunggu turn punya la lama, standard la hospital kerajaan...apatah lg serdang...*kalo bkn kecemasan xnak sy menunggu bagai nak rak mcm tu...then bile jumpe doctor bende yg sama gak die bgtau...sbb asthma...suruh sy amik nebuliser lg...bg ubat batuk, asthma and suruh balik...

2minggu lepas tu, sy da ok sket...rasa happy la kan sbb da ok...ingatkan episod sakit ni da berakhir...dlm tempoh sakit ari tu byk kali gak tpaksa MC...sampai lah part paling teruk...seingat sy mlm tu kuar ngan hubby *masa tu masih tunang lg...pegi IOI beli barang sket, then lepak JCo Donut...mcm biasa la sy order hazelnut coffee and donuts...balik umah lebih kurang kul 1pg sy diserang hyperventilation...yg ni paling teruk sy rasa...jantung kita jadi berdegup laju sgt...pastu kaki tangan rasa kebas...masa tu sy ingat mcm nak mati dah...so sy dikejarkan ke hospital serdang...bile check pulse and blood pressure...mmg xnormal...sy da cuak masa tu...ingatkan sakit jantung ke hape....masa tu terkilan gak la ngan staff hospital yg check sy kat 1st stage tu...sgt2 xfriendly and garang...standard la...hospital SERDANG kan...pastu kene tunggu giliran mcm biasa...masa tgh menunggu sy terdengar pak cik kat sebelah sy cakap yg die dah tunggu sejak kul 10mlm masih xdpt masuk bilik doctor...bayangkan masa tu dah kul 1pagi! dah la anak die demam panas...kecik lak tu, still baby lg...so sy da xthn trus ajak hubby ke hospital PUTRAJAYA...kat sana service a lot better! walaupun masih xmencapai satisfaction but still acceptable....dan jauh lebih cepat...xyah nak menunggu berjam-jam...kat sana doctor siap wat ECG (Electrocardiogram) utk tgk kot2 ade masalah jantung...Alhamdulillah jantung ok...then doctor sahkan sy kene hyperventilation...bile tanya mcm mana bleh dpt penyakit tu...doctor kata maybe sbb STRESS....hah? sy garu kepala....amik ubat and trus balik...mls nak ckp banyak masa tu...

Erm lepas beberapa hari masih lagi ade rasa masalah nak bernafas...rasa sempit and kene tarik nafas panjang2...sy try gi poliklinik...private clinic...Poliklinik Medi-Nur kat Puchong...memang klinik favorite sy since sy penah jd staff sementara kat situ...kat situ doctor pun still xleh nak diagnose penyakit sy....tp doctor suggest sy mkn ubat gastrik + ubat penenang.... Fortunately, sy rasa kembali sihat lepas beberapa hari...erm so sy fikir maybe sbb gastrik...then satu hari masa lunch sy amik kopi ais...xsampai 10 minit pastu sy kembali rasa xleh nak bernafas...masa tu sy still xperasan and x terfikir yg coffee tu adalah punca penyakit sy...so sy mkn ubat and lama2 sakit tu hilang...

Sampai la satu hari sy saje je google pasal coffee allergy...tetiba rasa mcm curious sbbnya sy perasan setiap kali sy minum kopi or nescafe...masalah ni berulang...then sy dapat la makluma2 di atas...sy print out and bwk jumpe doctor utk pengesahan...and doctor nasihatkan sy lupakan kopi buat selama-lamanya...sbb bende tu lah punca sy sakit selama ni...caffein ni bukan saje ade dlm kopi or nescafe, tp jugak teh, soda, coklat, energy drinks, ribena, sesetengah ubat selsema dan batuk (syrup) dan byk lagi...so memandangkan penyakit ni mmg xde cure sampai skrang, cara terbaik hanya lah mengelak utk minum or makan makanan2 seperti di atas...agak leceh la bg org Malaysia mcm sy ni nak elakkan semua tu tp tpaksa nak buat camne...kdg2 sy segan gak especially bile bertandang ke umah kwn or sedara, sy terpaksa menolak utk minum kalau diorang hidang minuman or makanan berkafein....sy lebih selesa minum air putih....mmg agak perit, lagi2 bile kdg2 org mcm pelik bile sy ckp sy allergik ngan kopi, teh, nescafe dan milo....kedengaran agak mengada2 tp itu la HAKIKATnya....;)

"....Symptoms of anaphylactic shock include hyperventilation, chest pains, heart palpitations, a tightness or "closing up" of the throat and problems breathing. One of the byproducts of caffeine (called theophylline) acts to keep the bronchial tubes open. Consequently, allergic individuals having an anaphylactic response are unlikely to suffer a respiratory collapse. Nonetheless, anaphylactic shock can be deadly, so if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, call 911 for emergency medical help immediately...."