Celiac, Caffeine And Sweating

[Greg Rappaport]

Hey there folks,

In addition to some other problems I have been having recently with joint/bone inflamation & pain (very prounounced in my right foot and palms of my hands) as well as dryness/soreness in my eyes I am left wondering about caffeine.

I am 41, have been gluten-free now for about 15 years, and believe I have been managing my gluten-free diet relatively well. Of course it's hard to be 100% certain! I have increasingly noticed over the past 5 years or so that I seem to react very strongly to caffeine, even very little amounts - causing me to get very energized (sometimes anxious) and perspire heavily (underarms & chest especially). I eventually crash and burn, becoming very tired when the buzz wears off. It's more an issue of being uncomfortable sweating so much (i.e., at the office or a meeting). I pride myself knowing that caffeine is my only real vice , but can't afford to sweat so much. Alas, I do love coffee, and hate the thought of eliminating it altogether.

Does anybody else have any caffeine related thoughts or issues which tie into their celiac diagnosis you might be interested in sharing? Is there any rationale for celiacs to aviod caffeine, especially in those celiaces whose diet appears to be under control?

Thanks a bunch!!

[YoloGx]

I honestly don't really know--except I don't seem to handle any stimulants at all--including chocolate and lately raw garlic (cooked is just fine!). I had to quit first coffee and later black and green caffeinated teas.

We already have an overactive immune system. Could that be part of it?? We just don't need it??

Now without all that, nor much herbs at all either due to a low salicylate diet, homeopathics work for me, whereas in the past they didn't (the little pill kind). A trade off perhaps??

It seems I am much more sensitive to various things than I was in the past, that is for certain. I used to love my coffee, and then my tea etc. so I know how hard it is to want to quit. But life continues and you will find other pleasures.

[Greg Rappaport]

Thanks for the encouraging thoughts and advice. I appreciate your feedback.

[PainfulSpaghetti]

Greg, Caffiene works in mysterious ways with me. Some days I feel as if I could climb Mt. Everest after 1 cup, and sometimes, I feel like I could fall over and die from stomach pain, etc., after 1/2 a cup. Your symptoms though sound alot like sjogrens. Open Original Shared Link I was tested for that as well, and had a weird partial positive reading. Celiac is an autoimmune disorder, and many of us have mulitiple auto immmune diseases, that show up like bad pennies. I hope you feel better!

[lynnelise]

Do you have these issues with all caffine or just coffee? You could have a mild coffee allergy or intolerance. I have occasional issues with coffee but can drink tons of tea without problems.

Also people with Celiac are prone to other autoimmune issues. You may want a check up just to be sure you aren't dealing with RA, Lupus, or Sjogren's (commonly causes dry eyes).

[Greg Rappaport]

  On 8/17/2011 at 2:56 PM, lynnelise said:

Do you have these issues with all caffine or just coffee? You could have a mild coffee allergy or intolerance. I have occasional issues with coffee but can drink tons of tea without problems.

Also people with Celiac are prone to other autoimmune issues. You may want a check up just to be sure you aren't dealing with RA, Lupus, or Sjogren's (commonly causes dry eyes).

I'm guessing it is all caffeine. Sometimes when I drink a soda I get a rash on the back of my hand. Anyway, definitly ruled out RA via blood-test. I am asking my doctor about Sjogren's Syndrome next visit. Not sure about Lupus yet. My sister-in-law has Lupus... I'll ask her some questions first. Not sure if you've seen any of my other posts, but I'm really focused right now on being able to resume normal walking and movement free of joint-pain.

Thanks for your feedback.

[GFinDC]

I gave up coffee and tea a couple years ago. I can drink soda with caffeine but not much of it, and not for 2 days in a row. Or it starts causing bad effects. So I don't really drink caffeine in soda much any more. Or soda at all for that matter.

It makes me crash hard, almost to the point of passing out. Just isn't a positive any more. I think it causes low blood pressure for me, and that's the cause of the weakness. There are several older threads about caffeine causing problems, so it is not an extremely rare issue for us. You could try another hot beverage with caffeine, like yerba mata and see if it works better.

Or you could take a No-Doz pill (caffeine) and see how it affects you.

Nightshades are one food group that seem to cause joint pain for people, and soy also.

[Greg Rappaport]

  On 8/20/2011 at 1:30 AM, GFinDC said:

I gave up coffee and tea a couple years ago. I can drink soda with caffeine but not much of it, and not for 2 days in a row. Or it starts causing bad effects. So I don't really drink caffeine in soda much any more. Or soda at all for that matter.

It makes me crash hard, almost to the point of passing out. Just isn't a positive any more. I think it causes low blood pressure for me, and that's the cause of the weakness. There are several older threads about caffeine causing problems, so it is not an extremely rare issue for us. You could try another hot beverage with caffeine, like yerba mata and see if it works better.

Or you could take a No-Doz pill (caffeine) and see how it affects you.

Nightshades are one food group that seem to cause joint pain for people, and soy also.

Thanks for the response. What are "nightshades"? Not sure I have ever heard of this as a food group. I am going to discuss soy with my doctor - going to see a rheumatologist next week, and will reconnect with a GI doctor soon.

[YoloGx]

  On 8/20/2011 at 5:37 PM, Greg Rappaport said:

Thanks for the response. What are "nightshades"? Not sure I have ever heard of this as a food group. I am going to discuss soy with my doctor - going to see a rheumatologist next week, and will reconnect with a GI doctor soon.

NIghtshades are potatoes, tomatoes, peppers.

I react negatively to salicylates--which are in many foods, especially the skins, as well as in most herbs and most fruit. Salicylates are really the same thing as asperin. One can get leaky gut just from salicylate sensitivity, and it often creates joint and nerve pain etc..

So there are many possibilities.

Just one word of caution with your AMA docs. Most are not into preventive medicine. They just want to cover up the symptoms rather than overcome or better deal with the cause. If you saw an integrative medicine specialist it might help you out a lot more. Another alternative is seeing a good homeopath.

Bea

[GFinDC]

  On 8/20/2011 at 5:37 PM, Greg Rappaport said:

Thanks for the response. What are "nightshades"? Not sure I have ever heard of this as a food group. I am going to discuss soy with my doctor - going to see a rheumatologist next week, and will reconnect with a GI doctor soon.

Hi Greg,

There are actually thousands of plants in the nightshade family. most aren't used for food though. The food ones that bother me are tomatoes, peppers and potatoes. Sweet potatoes are ok though, they are a different plant family. And sweet potatoes are better for you than regular white potatoes anyway, they have more nutrients and antioxidants.

[Greg Rappaport]

Had been off caffeine now for nearly two weeks (no soda or coffee) and broke down today and got a small diet coke at Wawa. Stomach felt horrible all evening until I came home and ate an Udi's gluten-free bagel.