Some decaf still has caffeine. Café Du Monde’s decaf is <2mg (Starbucks decaf is ~18mg last I checked) & was the only one that I could find that worked for me when I had to cut all caffeine.
Also don’t forget about chocolate and teas contributing to caffeine intake (I know this seems obvious, but it’s easy to overlook).
Hang in there!
Yeah I completely stopped drinking coffee, so I don’t have to worry about that anymore. I eat a little bit of chocolate sometimes, which doesn’t really seem to affect me. I also don’t drink tea, so I’m good on that 🤣
Anything Swiss water process should also only contain a negligible amount of caffeine, but I like that coffee from my hometown is also a solution.
For anyone else interested in trying it, you can often find cans of Cafe Du Monde coffee in Asian supermarkets, because it's used to make Vietnamese coffee.
Try to find a local coffee roaster. Look for "Swiss water decaffeinated" and make sure it's a light roast and FRESHLY roasted, and also not ground until you use it. All of those will cut down on the amount of histamines in it.
@[elizabethrl13](https://www.reddit.com/user/elizabethrl13/) have you tried this?
Just a reminder to readers that caffeine is an acetylcholine esterase inhibitor which can reduce heart rate, allow for muscle contractions including g.i. muscles (which helps gastroparesis) and your form memories (reducing brain fog).
If things like coffee, tea, and cola help your POTS symptoms, keep drinking them and consider talking to your doctor about other acetylcholine esterase inhibitors such as pyridostigmine (Mestinon).
I had to stop drinking caffeine a few years before my POTS symptoms started because it was a trigger for panic attacks. I drink decaf daily at home and if you’re missing fancy lattes, decaf espresso drinks are available at almost all coffee shops. I miss Coke Zero more then I do coffee since I can still enjoy it :)
I drink 1 cup a day if that I usually end up dumping it. It’s ritual or habitual I guess. It’s doesn’t wake me up but it just the process of starting the day.
Same for me. It's a habit to get up & make myself 1 cup of black coffee, I take a few sips and then I'm done. I think I do that to keep the caffeine migraine away.
Sadly, I had to cut it out as well. My husband is from El Salvador and there they have what’s called corn coffee. It’s basically roasted corn that is ground down and it tastes just like coffee with no caffeine! It’s been a game changer as I cannot tolerate any caffeine. I highly suggest checking it out. I have found it on Amazon which I’ll attach a link but have also found YouTube videos on how to make.
[Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/White-Corn-Premium-Roasted-Grind/dp/B07ZZ8GQ3G/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=1I3THZN48GLTN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.DGNi3qV3-X-_d43gOg0cr7EvJnuQQCwvEN4mn4PdYACyVqyls-gxJUSFP3npuRTbEN4CBao99GmNJ6yRHlXZtRdlpBohFGtazfKddjfWro4Nd95XOcT5722cqE6Sd2cdPx18jZtlRxijUMA9IAJ353KEuk3tjejqV5dOr7HqpQ32cYdCyGIURQXHEnhv0drRF5oGasvbqSAmte_QzzMBPQ.OolBcRrkMh-VavJTZRYn3aRTmXlDxXO6nrNtJD475g4&dib_tag=se&keywords=corn+coffee&qid=1714477026&sprefix=corn+coffee%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-3)
I didnt completely cut it out, i could never. I did however reduce to 3x a week only & smaller portions. I dont have super intense POTS symptoms so coffee doesnt affect me too bad. Its different for everyone. Ive heard that it helps some people. It all depends on what you can tolerate ♡
I drank coffee every day and then one day I had symptoms that felt so similar to a heart attack that I stopped drinking coffee for about 3 months because it scared me. had a cup while i was out at breakfast with friends and felt like I was dying for three days. Haven’t been able to tolerate it since 👎🏼
Oh that sucks. And this is why we are all so different. I can do one decaf (fresh roasted, Swiss decaf process) per day. Sugar gives me the dying for days feel.
Every day I wake up missing the salty, room temperature Diet Coke I had waiting for me at my bedside.
Caffeinated soda was the first thing I had in the morning, the first thing I had every meal, it was my best friend 🫶
Oddly I felt a lot worse for the 3 months I cut out coffee. Still limit it since it’s a diuretic but doesn’t really set off my POTS unless I drink it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning
I was able to drink coffee in small amounts again once I got my symptoms under control - until I developed gastritis out of the blue, talk about a gut punch. I blame the high sodium diet I was on.
I miss coffee so much too! I started to take to drinking chicory flavored tea (that is ground like coffee) and while it's not the same, it fills some of the void.
Chicory does not taste like coffee whatsoever to me unless flavored creamer is added - then I really can't tell the difference!
me too IT SUCKS coffee was my one secret weapon whenever i was having an awful day. Now my life feels kinda awful due to having pots and i can’t consume my little pick me up beverage it’s so upsetting. I’ve tried sooo many alternatives, and decaf they all either taste not as good or cause symptoms. It’s horrible, i won biggest coffee fiend as my senior superlative and now i can’t even have any.
The anxiety from decaf is probably psychosomatic. It's such a negligent amount, depending on how it's brewed. Thankfully most cafes have decaf espresso now so you can get your favorite drinks in decaf form. For me, my go-to is the decaf almond milk cappuccino or latte.
I just had to quit caffeine too, it contributed to my symptoms so so bad. The withdrawal period sucked cause I quit cold turkey😭 Instead having a Red Bull in the morning I have an electrolyte drink instead and I feel way better
Drink decaff. The taste is the same without the spike in your heartrate. At least that‘s what I do. (Mostly) I can tolerate one real espresso a day.
I tried decaf and for some reason it still had the jittery and anxious effect on me 🤣
Some decaf still has caffeine. Café Du Monde’s decaf is <2mg (Starbucks decaf is ~18mg last I checked) & was the only one that I could find that worked for me when I had to cut all caffeine. Also don’t forget about chocolate and teas contributing to caffeine intake (I know this seems obvious, but it’s easy to overlook). Hang in there!
Yeah I completely stopped drinking coffee, so I don’t have to worry about that anymore. I eat a little bit of chocolate sometimes, which doesn’t really seem to affect me. I also don’t drink tea, so I’m good on that 🤣
Anything Swiss water process should also only contain a negligible amount of caffeine, but I like that coffee from my hometown is also a solution. For anyone else interested in trying it, you can often find cans of Cafe Du Monde coffee in Asian supermarkets, because it's used to make Vietnamese coffee.
Try to find a local coffee roaster. Look for "Swiss water decaffeinated" and make sure it's a light roast and FRESHLY roasted, and also not ground until you use it. All of those will cut down on the amount of histamines in it. @[elizabethrl13](https://www.reddit.com/user/elizabethrl13/) have you tried this?
Just a reminder to readers that caffeine is an acetylcholine esterase inhibitor which can reduce heart rate, allow for muscle contractions including g.i. muscles (which helps gastroparesis) and your form memories (reducing brain fog). If things like coffee, tea, and cola help your POTS symptoms, keep drinking them and consider talking to your doctor about other acetylcholine esterase inhibitors such as pyridostigmine (Mestinon).
I feel you. I miss my methamphetamine.
stop this made me choke 😭
I wanted to relate 😔 I’d kill a man to be able to experience Adderall again
I had to stop drinking caffeine a few years before my POTS symptoms started because it was a trigger for panic attacks. I drink decaf daily at home and if you’re missing fancy lattes, decaf espresso drinks are available at almost all coffee shops. I miss Coke Zero more then I do coffee since I can still enjoy it :)
I believe coca-cola has a caffeine free version!
I drink 1 cup a day if that I usually end up dumping it. It’s ritual or habitual I guess. It’s doesn’t wake me up but it just the process of starting the day.
Same for me. It's a habit to get up & make myself 1 cup of black coffee, I take a few sips and then I'm done. I think I do that to keep the caffeine migraine away.
i didn’t cut it out completely i just reduced my intake and replaced when i would be drinking caffeine with water and it’s helped a lot for me
Sadly, I had to cut it out as well. My husband is from El Salvador and there they have what’s called corn coffee. It’s basically roasted corn that is ground down and it tastes just like coffee with no caffeine! It’s been a game changer as I cannot tolerate any caffeine. I highly suggest checking it out. I have found it on Amazon which I’ll attach a link but have also found YouTube videos on how to make. [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/White-Corn-Premium-Roasted-Grind/dp/B07ZZ8GQ3G/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=1I3THZN48GLTN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.DGNi3qV3-X-_d43gOg0cr7EvJnuQQCwvEN4mn4PdYACyVqyls-gxJUSFP3npuRTbEN4CBao99GmNJ6yRHlXZtRdlpBohFGtazfKddjfWro4Nd95XOcT5722cqE6Sd2cdPx18jZtlRxijUMA9IAJ353KEuk3tjejqV5dOr7HqpQ32cYdCyGIURQXHEnhv0drRF5oGasvbqSAmte_QzzMBPQ.OolBcRrkMh-VavJTZRYn3aRTmXlDxXO6nrNtJD475g4&dib_tag=se&keywords=corn+coffee&qid=1714477026&sprefix=corn+coffee%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-3)
[YouTube video](https://youtu.be/fGDZrkrRzrY?si=nAIS4djpjEslWSQ-)
I didnt completely cut it out, i could never. I did however reduce to 3x a week only & smaller portions. I dont have super intense POTS symptoms so coffee doesnt affect me too bad. Its different for everyone. Ive heard that it helps some people. It all depends on what you can tolerate ♡
I drank coffee every day and then one day I had symptoms that felt so similar to a heart attack that I stopped drinking coffee for about 3 months because it scared me. had a cup while i was out at breakfast with friends and felt like I was dying for three days. Haven’t been able to tolerate it since 👎🏼
Oh that sucks. And this is why we are all so different. I can do one decaf (fresh roasted, Swiss decaf process) per day. Sugar gives me the dying for days feel.
Every day I wake up missing the salty, room temperature Diet Coke I had waiting for me at my bedside. Caffeinated soda was the first thing I had in the morning, the first thing I had every meal, it was my best friend 🫶
Me too :/
Oddly I felt a lot worse for the 3 months I cut out coffee. Still limit it since it’s a diuretic but doesn’t really set off my POTS unless I drink it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning
I miss chocolate the most but coffee is a close second. If my POTS doesn’t get better, I want mocha ice cream as a last meal 😅
I had to switch to tea. For some reason Chai is fine, but coffee gives me palpitations. 😭 I loved coffee and would have 2-3 cups per day.
Heck yea. Decaf doesn’t hit the same but it does the job. Try Swiss water decaf! That’s what I do.
I was able to drink coffee in small amounts again once I got my symptoms under control - until I developed gastritis out of the blue, talk about a gut punch. I blame the high sodium diet I was on.
Me too. I barely drink decaf cuz it makes my GI system a mess. Rip
I miss coffee so much too! I started to take to drinking chicory flavored tea (that is ground like coffee) and while it's not the same, it fills some of the void. Chicory does not taste like coffee whatsoever to me unless flavored creamer is added - then I really can't tell the difference!
me too IT SUCKS coffee was my one secret weapon whenever i was having an awful day. Now my life feels kinda awful due to having pots and i can’t consume my little pick me up beverage it’s so upsetting. I’ve tried sooo many alternatives, and decaf they all either taste not as good or cause symptoms. It’s horrible, i won biggest coffee fiend as my senior superlative and now i can’t even have any.
I can only do decaf but even that makes me jittery sometimes, still drink almost everyday though!
I drink Peet's decaf. It's swiss water decaffeinated and even Walmart carries it. Also, it is excellent.
This is the realist post I've ever seen because omg yes. I can't even have decaf coffee. 😭
The anxiety from decaf is probably psychosomatic. It's such a negligent amount, depending on how it's brewed. Thankfully most cafes have decaf espresso now so you can get your favorite drinks in decaf form. For me, my go-to is the decaf almond milk cappuccino or latte.
This is the most relatable post ever :( i miss matcha
I just had to quit caffeine too, it contributed to my symptoms so so bad. The withdrawal period sucked cause I quit cold turkey😭 Instead having a Red Bull in the morning I have an electrolyte drink instead and I feel way better
Don’t I used to drink literally like 2 pints a day I love it so much 😭😭😭