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Posted 7/25/2012 11:28 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all!

Today is my birthday :-)

Since my Crohn is doing not-so-bad, my girlfriend decided to give me a Nespresso coffee machine, a little something I was about to buy 2 years ago just before I was diagnosed. I must admit I love coffee (good ones!) but I can not drink it any longer because it makes my stomach go crazy.

Do you have any experience with decaf? Is the caffeine or the coffee per-se the one bad for the stomach? Any ideas?

In the meantime I have 16 coffee capsules and 4 Humira shots to try ;-)

Thanks in advance!
Posted 7/25/2012 12:59 PM (GMT 0)
Well... after being in Nexium daily, I can take my 2 expressos/day (morning and lunch) without many problems. Never tried a decaf...

Coffee in the right time of the day is a dream.
Posted 7/25/2012 1:26 PM (GMT 0)
Happy Birthday!
Not sure about the caffeine, but I wonder if it would help to dilute the coffee with a little rice milk or something. I love coffee too!
Posted 7/25/2012 10:18 PM (GMT 0)
It's the caffeine that's the problem. The reason they tell Crohnnies to avoid it is that the caffeine in coffee (and in tea--and in many soft drinks) causes a "dumping reflex." (That's why so many people--the ones without CD--regularly hit the bathroom after their morning coffee.) Sugar does the same thing. In addition to the caffeine, some coffee varieties may be more acidic than others and may mess up your stomach.

When they decaffeinate coffee, traces of caffeine are still left. But there's a lot less caffeine in it than there is in regular coffee. So it might be worth it to you to try some decaf--and to try varieties of coffee advertised as less acidic.

Happy Birthday! Here's hoping that you have a great year!
Posted 7/25/2012 10:46 PM (GMT 0)
Happy Birthday!

I have the problem with both regular and decaf coffee. (It might also be the milk I put in it.) But I still have a coffee each morning - you have to choose what you are willing to deal with and what's not worth it!
Posted 7/25/2012 11:51 PM (GMT 0)
My intestines clearly haven't got the memo on caffeine, as they seem quite indifferent to black coffee going through them. I would wager the main reason why non-CD folk hit the bathroom after their morning cup of coffee is that the simple act of drinking a hot drink shortly after waking up has stimulated peristalsis, which prompts the colon to evacuate its contents.

Hasty edit: Oh sorry! Happy birthday, btw! :p
Posted 7/26/2012 12:36 AM (GMT 0)
Happy Birthday! I drink coffee with caffeine every morning and it doesn't bother me a bit. I tend more toward constipation though, so it may be more of a problem for others.
Posted 7/26/2012 9:19 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the replies and good wishes! :-)

I had a great day yesterday together with friends, eating cake and then I just realized ... I drink coca-cola *all the time* (which has caffeine in it). Then I don't understand why is coffee bad for me. Maybe it's due to the milk as huckleberry said.

I've found milk and egg usually make me bloat, but I always though that a few milk drops on the coffee were harmless. Maybe not :-S
Posted 7/26/2012 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
Happy Birthday! I don't know if this works for everyone but I used to think I couldn't drink coffee either. It used to tear my stomach up but I finally decided to go gluten free and cut carageenan out of my diet and now I have no problems with coffee at all. I can't explain what else it could be. If you try gluten free, be patient. It took about 3 months for me to notice the effects. It's amazing and I recommend you giving it a try. Carageenan was in my coffee creamer so I do organic creamer now and I believe that helps too. Something to consider. I wish you the best.
Posted 7/27/2012 1:16 PM (GMT 0)
I agree. Use real milk or cream rather than something with carrageenan. If you have problems with dairy then use lactose free milk.

Also a little sugar is probably OK but artificial sweeteners have been known to alter the PH balance in the gut and kill off beneficial flora that help protect against IBD. I use stevia which is very safe. You can mix stevia with a little sugar until you get used to it.

BTW happy birthday.
Posted 7/27/2012 2:26 PM (GMT 0)
For a lot of people it's the acid level in the coffee. You can call Nespresso and find out which type has the lowest amount of acid.
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