suddenly seem to have a problem with caffeine

[Tiggeroo]

I'm not a big caffeine person. Rarely drink coffee. But in the summer i like to sip on iced tea all day. Suddenly it seems to bother me. My head gets buzzy feeling, I get jittery and sometimes it feels like my heart races. Why at 40 would this suddenly become a problem. Could there be something wrong with me?
It's homemade iced tea with a bit of sugar.

 

[mickeyboat]

I would guess that your blood sugar levels are plumeting. I feel that way when I eat a lot of carbs for both breakfast and lunch. By mid-afternoon, I feel all shaky and light-headed. If I make sure I eat some protein for both breakfast and lunch, this doesn't happen to me.

Denae

 

[auntpolly]

I'm not a big caffeine person. Rarely drink coffee. But in the summer i like to sip on iced tea all day. Suddenly it seems to bother me. My head gets buzzy feeling, I get jittery and sometimes it feels like my heart races. Why at 40 would this suddenly become a problem. Could there be something wrong with me?
It's homemade iced tea with a bit of sugar.

I hate to use the "M" word, but this was one of my happy little changes!

 

[Figment22]

I hate to use the "M" word, but this was one of my happy little changes!

I was just about to post the same thing! I used to be a BIG iced tea drinker but I can't do it anymore.

 

[Alicia87]

Tiggeroo,

This same thing happened to me last month!!! I never drink coffee, however, I do drink LOTS of Crystal Light lemonade. Out of nowhere, I started having rapid heartbeats, heart palpitations, could barely finish my two mile walks in the evening. I honestly thought I was on the verge of a massive heart problem (my mom's side of the family has serious heart issues). After a couple weeks of this, I finally went to the dr. Well, he ran lots of bloodwork, did an EKG, and physical. Results all came back fine (cholesterol was a little high though).

My mom had mentioned to me that I needed to try to cut back on the Crystal Light since that and water was the only thing I ever drink. I did, and would you believe that within a day, all of my heart palpitations and rapid heartbeats disappeared? I've not had another incident in four weeks!!! Now, I only drink water, decaffeinated iced tea, and Diet Rite.

Hope everything goes well with you!

 

[Tiggeroo]

It clearly has something to do with the tea. Also I'm busy and skip meals alot. So I'm drinking all this tea on an empty stomach. It's just odd that I have done this all my life and never had a problem.
I had been feeling like this off and on. Then I realized that every time I did I had been drinking the ice tea all day.

 

[Christine]

Well what do you think was in the Diet Crystal Light Lemonade? There is no caffeine, no sugar. It is just Nutrasweet, right? That's odd.

Too the OP--I used to be able to drink coffee. Two cups a day. Now, I can no longer drink it without getting the shakes. That happened in my mid-30s. Never did figure it out. I do drink hot tea thought with no problem.

As you get older, you can become more sensitive to caffeine.

 

[Mysteria]

Well what do you think was in the Diet Crystal Light Lemonade? There is no caffeine, no sugar. It is just Nutrasweet, right? That's odd.

Not too odd. My sister has strange reactions to some artificial sweeteners.


I can't have a lot of caffeine anymore either. I drink decaf tea and pop.

Myst

 

[Christine]

Not too odd. My sister has strange reactions to some artificial sweeteners.



Myst

I know, but she's drinking Diet Rite now.

 

[Nancy]

Well, unfortunately as we get older the foods we used to eat or drink might all of the sudden bother us. Now I certainly don't think of 40 as being old (especially since I am over that age) but i know that I can't eat or drink all the same things I did in my 20's or 30's. I used to be able to indulge in junk food all the time. Now last week I was away from home and ate out for 2 meals and by day 3 I was feeling the effects of not eating the correct way. Sick to my stomach and horrible headache. I flet hung over.

As for nutrasweet, some people just can't tolerate it. I don't have a problem with it myself, but I know people that have a sensitivity to it.

 

[Tiggeroo]

I can't take artificial sweetener either. I get a similar reaction minus the palpatations. It also tends to make me feel gassy and bloated and a bit nauseous.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It sounds like a blood sugar crash. I have to eat light, frequent watch the sugar and fat intake.

Right now I am on a reflux stint I cannot shake. I have to give up even more types of food and eat oatmeal or cereal and fruit for breakfast.

Yea for 40, right? I love it but my eating and drinking is not the same.

 

[Aidensmom]

I started having the same problem a couple of years ago. I had all kinds of tests run, including an echocardiogram and stress test as my heart would start racing at about 140 beats per minute just out of the blue. I was only drinking about 2 cups of coffee a day at the time, and rarely do I ever drink soda, so that was the only caffiene I was getting. My doctor suggested I cut it out completely, and the problem went away. I now drink caffiene again on occassion, but if more than one cup, I will get the heart racing and dizziness episodes for days.