COFFEE, good or bad?

Hello all,

I just heard something very interesting. An acquaintance of mine had been admitted to hospital with a severe crohns flare up where she couldn't even keep in fluids. The drs couldn't figure out why she was in such severe pain until they finally did a multitude of tests including an MRI. It showed that her the linings of her intestines were "burned" from stomach acid ?  The dr asked her how much coffee she drank and she replied 5-6 cups a day. He then asked if she drank coffee first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Again she replied yes 2 cups before I eat breakfast. He said that is the worse thing you can do because the acid in the coffee stimulates your gastric juices and all this gets flushed into your intestines essentially burning them from acid??? She has not had any caffeine for a few days and is already beginning to feel better. Apparently decaf coffee is no better as its acid content is still pretty high.

I am in the midst of a severe crohns flare and 2 weeks ago was also hospitalized because I could not keep fluids in and got dehydrated. I love  my 1.5 cups of coffee before breakfast and have for years. Like my friend I eat breakfast a couple hours later. Now I am wondering if that is such a good idea?

Has anyone else heard of this? Can you tolerate coffee at all, in or out of a flare? Would love to hear your experiences with coffee/tea/herbals coffee substitutes.

I tend toward constipation, and I also drink coffee before eating in the AM. It doesn't seem to bother me, but who knows. I suspect that like all things Crohn's, what bothers one person doesn't necessarily bother another. Maybe it isn't even the same disease mechanism causing flares for each one of us, which is why some of us respond to certain medications, while the same medication doesn't help others at all. Frustrating , isn't it???

Coffee does upset my stomach, and decaf too - so sounds valid to me. I still drank it for years and loved my morning ritual. Am currently in week 3 of "no coffee" and I see a big difference in urgency, pain, etc. It's STILL hard though - I miss it and don't find the peppermint or herbal tea as satisfying. Just the smell isn't the same at all.

(Am also giving up diet coke, which I was using as an energy boost in the afternoon -- something else really bad for you. And, though I also miss that I do see a difference in how I feel. Tired but fewer stomach / CD problems so I guess it's worth it.

I like my coffee. I have been drinking it for about 50 years now. Several cups early, and a pot during the day. No problems here. Everyone is different, I enjoy it.

T

huckleberry, I'm so sorry about the coffee....I love tea, and if anyone suggested I needed to stop drinking it, I'd probably shrivel up and die.
What herbal teas have you tried? It may be worth looking for a more "fullbodied" tea, for lack of a better word. Maybe something with carob or star anise?
My husband's a big fan of this one in particular:http://www.celestialseasonings.com/products/herbal-teas/roastaroma and it seems to be an adequate coffee substitute, at least theoretically. We stumbled across it at a local healthfood store, but you can order online and there may be a tea shop in your area that's worth exploring.

If there's a secret to not getting the moon face or putting on weight with prednisone, please let me know, too! I was on it for 10 months and blew up like a balloon, even thought I wasn't eating much and exercising a bit.

Oh coffee, how I miss you... I was a daily coffee drinker, but this DD took coffee away from me. I could potentially drink it but I would be in the fetal position on the bathroom floor in no time. Sometimes I joke about drinking a cup while sitting on the toilet because the speed at which it puts my bowels into motion, but it also causes pretty severe abdominal pain. My husband lets me smell his coffee, which is kind of good/kind of evil. Luckily, I love tea, so I've replaced my coffee addiction with tea over the last eight years. I agree caffeine probably isn't the best for you (I've even read Caffeine Blues (www.amazon.com/Caffeine-Blues-Hidden-Dangers-Americas/dp/0446673919), so I know the science), but tea doesn't seem to affect my Crohn's.

Someone mentioned alcohol. I certainly notice that I feel worse the morning after now than I did pre-illness. The bigger concern with drinking and IBD IMO is with the medications you're taking, as many do not really place nice with alcohol. I do still drink and will have a glass of wine with dinner every now and then, but I do not drink now like I used to when I was healthier.

brenda2262
Your friend has other problems. Burns just don't show overnight. Acid stomach damage as well as intestinal damage would have been painful and she would have noticed that. OTC meds cover but when it's long term, she should have seen a doctor.

T

Starry Eyed:

Thanks for the tea selection! I'm going to try it...

Coffee. I drink 1 cup I pee 10. I drink 3-4 cups it cleans out my other pipe as well (poop, poop .....)

I wish you luck on this....

I radically changed my diet and gave up beer for a better gut. Doc assures me I can enjoy a glass of wine... once in a while.... did not say how big. LOL. That and the meds have helped greatly. When I am craving the beer, I just remember how much better I feel. I told the Doc that I could not give up the coffee, too. I have anywhere from six to eight a day. It does make the bowels move sometimes.... just know my family would quake in fear if I told them I had to give up my coffee.