Many coffee lovers out there have an intolerance to the beverage. The development of this intolerance leads many to ask, “why does coffee make me nauseous?”
If you are one of these people, this is the article that you need to read. Read below as we detail the reasons why coffee can make you sick. We’ll also list methods of how to get rid of coffee nausea.
Can Coffee Make You Nauseous?
Before we get into why coffee makes you nauseous, we must ask, can coffee cause nausea? Yes, coffee can cause sickness in a person for many reasons that we’ll detail below.
Can Caffeine Cause Nausea?
Along with people asking if coffee can make you nauseous, they also ask, can caffeine make you nauseous? The answer to this question is also yes. Both coffee and caffeine can trigger nausea or a sick feeling in a person if the conditions are right.
Why Does Coffee Make Me Nauseous?
If you’re in the group that says coffee makes me nauseous, the cause could be for various reasons. Here are the main reasons why coffee is making you nauseous.
Drinking Coffee on an Empty Stomach
Different types of coffee (especially black coffee) can be quite acidic. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach first thing in the morning can make you nauseous.
Although it isn’t just the acidic coffee that could be the culprit, but also the caffeine in the coffee, caffeine is a stimulant that triggers your body into secreting gastric acid.
If there’s nothing in your stomach for the acid to break down, you may develop nausea with an upset stomach.
Drinking Too Much Coffee
The coffee nausea could have more to do with the quantity of coffee you’re drinking. A standard daily average of coffee consumption is around two to three cups.
If you’re someone that likes their coffee and drinks over five cups per day, you’re more likely to develop stomach problems. Mainly due to coffee being an acidic drink, and a higher quantity means more acid in your stomach.
Even the strongest stomach can be upset and make you nauseous if you’re overdoing it with the coffee.
Acid Reflux
Your coffee could negatively affect you because you already have a pre-existing stomach ailment. One, in particular, that doesn’t mix well with coffee is acid reflux.
Coffee can trigger acid reflux, cause excess stomach acid to flow, and get stuck in your esophagus. You may have to watch it with coffee if you deal with this chronic stomach ailment.
Dehydration
You may be the type of person that drinks coffee first thing in the morning. More than likely, you probably aren’t drinking any water with your coffee.
This is a bad practice because your body may already feel dehydration effects from going hours without water. When you’re dehydrated and drink coffee on an empty stomach, this will enhance the effects of nausea.
New Medication and Coffee Mixing Badly
If you’re wondering why coffee is making me nauseous when it didn’t before, you may have to do some investigating. When you dig a little deeper, most people will find that nausea often coincides with new meds they’re taking.
Some medications mix poorly with coffee, such as antidepressants, antibacterial drugs, or asthma medication. These types of meds don’t mix well with drinks containing caffeine, so this may be the cause of your problem.
How to Get Rid of Coffee Nausea
Suffering from coffee-related nausea can be annoying, but the good news is that there are many ways to fix this problem. Here are six different methods you can implement to eliminate coffee nausea.
Eat Something With Your Coffee
If your nausea from coffee coincides with you drinking a cup on an empty stomach, start eating something with it. Something in your stomach will help dilute some of the acids from the coffee.
Helping you negate the effects of the excess acid in your stomach. Even if you don’t like breakfast, try eating something small, like a piece of toast, to prevent feeling nauseous.
Drink Less Coffee
Feel like you’re overdoing it with the coffee, causing you to feel nauseous? Well, there’s a quick and easy fix to help you feel better. Drink less coffee!
Drinking high volumes of coffee will dramatically increase the acid in your stomach, which causes nausea. Once you lower your intake of coffee, you will no longer feel nauseous and feel normal again.
Drink Weaker Coffee
Being a lover of strong coffee can have its downsides, especially if you’re prone to stomach issues. If you’re feeling nausea from the coffee you’re drinking; it would be a good idea to switch to a weaker coffee.
Weaker coffee has a lower acidic rate than the intense types of coffee. But don’t be down about giving up strong coffee. Many types of coffee have lower acidic levels but still have great flavor.
Drink Coffee With Milk or Cream
To prevent your coffee from giving you nausea, you may need to dilute it a bit if you like it black. Adding milk or cream to your coffee will help cut the acid and ease the effects on your stomach.
If you’re lactose intolerant, don’t fret! There are plenty of milk and creamer substitutes out there that don’t contain any dairy.
Switch to Decaf
Have you just started taking a medication that doesn’t mix well with coffee or caffeine? Then your best bet to avoid nausea is to switch to decaf coffee.
Decaf is far less acidic than regular coffee and won’t create an acid build-up in your stomach. You’ll be able to go about your day pain-free.
Drink Plenty of Water
Having a good hydration level is a great way to keep the effects of nausea from coffee away. When you meet your recommended water intake daily, it can keep the acid in your stomach in check. You’ll feel less nauseous and go about your day without any interruptions.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that coffee and caffeine can make you nauseous for various reasons. But the good news is that it’s easily treatable. If you follow the steps above, you will never ask the question, why does coffee make me feel sick again?