Stomach hurts after coffee: possible causes of discomfort

Only lazy people don’t talk about the dangers of coffee, and such warnings are justified: caffeine has a powerful effect on all systems of the body. In particular, stomach pain after coffee is a very common problem. True, such complaints rarely go to the doctor if the pain is not accompanied by any other alarming symptoms.

Usually in such a situation, people simply stop drinking the drink, or turn their attention to other varieties of it, for example, they start drinking coffee with milk rather than strong black coffee.

Read on to find out why coffee can cause stomach pain and what ways to cope with this problem.

Inappropriate time to drink the drink

The first and most common reason why your stomach hurts from coffee is carelessness in choosing the time for a coffee break. Everyone knows that caffeine has a very strong effect on the body, and coffee beans contain, among other things, a large amount of acids. This “explosive” composition causes discomfort if it is consumed on an empty stomach - when mixed with gastric juice, the substances form an acid-base environment that is extremely dangerous for the gastric mucosa.

This leads to unpleasant sensations and pain, like gastritis. However, frequent drinking of coffee on an empty stomach is one of the most common causes of gastritis these days.

In addition, people with sensitive stomachs are not recommended to drink coffee in the morning, even after meals, since in this case the drink will be harmful to health.

Features of symptoms

Patients with this problem complain of aching, excruciating pain in the stomach that occurs every 5-10 minutes after drinking coffee in the morning on an empty stomach . The pain in nature resembles the symptoms of gastritis and goes away on its own within 20 minutes to half an hour. There are usually no other symptoms, but in rare cases nausea and vomiting may occur.

Treatment methods

If you are faced with a similar problem, then, of course, you should not drink coffee on an empty stomach in the future. It is also worth consulting with your doctor to determine, taking into account your age, weight and individual characteristics, an acceptable dose of coffee for you.

In order to relieve existing pain, you should not take medications - this will only harm your stomach . Medicines by themselves should not be taken on an empty stomach, and in combination with coffee they can even lead to unpleasant consequences.

It's best to have breakfast - prepare a light and healthy breakfast that will relieve pain. For example, eat a bowl of oatmeal - due to its consistency, it gently envelops the walls of the stomach, preventing them from being irritated by gastric juice, and also restores the acid-base balance.

Why does my stomach hurt after coffee?

When drinking a drink, a person experiences benefits for the body. For example, obtaining energy, replenishing strength, strengthening reflexes, the effect of vigor, raising blood pressure in hypotensive patients. The drink is allowed to be drunk only in the morning, prohibited 3-4 hours before bedtime.

But there are many negative sides:

strong effect on the nervous, cardiovascular, and digestive systems;
dyspeptic disorders in the form of nausea, abdominal pain, impaired stool formation, heartburn;
development of dependence - without drinking fluids, apathy and depression gradually develop.

Abdominal pain occurs when drinking a large number of cups per day.

The following diseases may develop:

gastritis – inflammation of gastric tissue;
gastroesophageal reflux - the return of a bolus of food into the esophagus;
increased acidity - the appearance of hydrochloric acid with a high acid-base state, which leads to damage to the mucous membrane;
irritable bowel syndrome - constant spasm of the smooth muscles of the lower gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by diarrhea;
disruption of liver function and increased intoxication in patients at risk (hepatitis, fibrosis, postoperative condition).

The pain is caused by the pyrocatechol contained in the grains. It is a chemical that has restorative properties. Because of it, the secretion of enzymes and gastric juice increases. If the patient has gastritis, the pathology will intensify. Gradually it will develop into a peptic ulcer.

Individual intolerance to the type of coffee

Another reason why your stomach hurts after coffee is the wrong choice of drink type. A group of specialists experimentally found that some varieties and methods of frying them release more acids during cooking than others. They most often lead to stomach pain.

These varieties, in particular, include the popular and high-quality Arabica, as well as any light-roasted beans, that is, those that have not been subjected to intensive heat treatment.

Features of symptoms

Pain in the stomach, aching, occurring 5-10 minutes after drinking coffee . They go away on their own within half an hour, but resume at the next similar case. You can find out that the reason is the wrong type of coffee by trying another caffeine-containing drink, for example, a portion of instant coffee.

Treatment methods

If this problem arises, it would be rational to stop drinking the wrong type of coffee and find a similar replacement for it. You can also experiment with the quantity and strength of the drink - perhaps the coffee variety is not suitable for you, but a lower concentration will not cause stomach pain.

Tips for every coffee lover

To minimize the negative impact of coffee drink on the body, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

before drinking coffee, make it a rule to have breakfast;
Do not drink the drink “alone”. Be sure to combine it with goodies: cookies, chocolate or dried fruits;
give preference to coffee beans (it is more natural and has a gentler effect on the walls of the stomach);
don’t be afraid to add various ingredients: milk, condensed milk, cream. But remember two rules: dairy products must be of high quality and fresh.

If discomfort does not leave you within one hour, it makes sense to seek help from a medical facility. If you are sure that it was the coffee drink that caused the pain, take an antacid.

Well, we figured out why your stomach hurts after coffee. However, you should remember that if pain accompanies you every time you drink coffee, then it may make sense to make a visit to a specialist. The human body is a thoughtful mechanism. He won’t fail in vain!

Source: 2tea.pro

Exceeding the recommended amount of drink

Another common reason why abdominal pain occurs after coffee is non-compliance with recommendations regarding the amount of drink and its strength. In this matter, of course, everything is very individual and depends on the functioning of your stomach, but general advice should be taken into account.

So, you should not drink more than three servings a day. At the same time, in the mornings and evenings it is better to limit yourself to just one, and in the lunchtime and afternoon it is permissible to drink two.

Features of symptoms

The symptoms in this case will be similar to the previous ones: stomach pain that goes away on its own within half an hour. However, if the recommended dose is exceeded, other manifestations of the problem may appear : rapid heartbeat and breathing, sweating of the feet and palms, anxiety or agitation, rapid speech and “running” eyes. If the recommended dose is significantly exceeded, an obsessive state or panic attack may occur.

Treatment methods

If the recommended dose is slightly exceeded, you should wait out the condition - a hearty lunch and some time spent at rest will help relieve it. If the dose is significantly exceeded, it is recommended to rinse the stomach.

Consequences of frequent coffee consumption in adults and adolescents

For those who drink coffee for several years in a row, the speed of food passage through the gastrointestinal tract increases. Good motor skills are extremely beneficial for health, but moderation is important in everything. If you drink strong coffee drinks on a daily basis for several years in a row, your motor skills can speed up to such an extent that quite noticeable spasms occur.

It is dangerous to drink too much coffee during menstruation, as well as during exacerbations of various diseases. A weakened body becomes dehydrated faster, and adding a strong drink to your diet will only worsen the situation. In addition to an increase in the amount of urine produced, heavy coffee drinkers may notice the appearance of cramps. Against the background of dehydration, headache and nausea may develop. As a result, regular menstruation or a cold will be much more difficult to bear.

Advice for coffee lovers! If giving up your favorite drink is too difficult, you can try inhaling the vapors of coffee essential oil during your illness.

Teenagers who habitually drink coffee during school are more likely to suffer from acid reflux. During stressful moments, a series of involuntary muscle movements may develop that cause stomach acid to flow into the esophagus.

Gastritis and peptic ulcer

Another reason why stomach pain may occur after coffee is gastrointestinal diseases such as gastritis and peptic ulcers. They are formed due to long-term adverse effects on the body: most often the cause is either systematic poor nutrition or a person being under constant stress. In such cases, gastritis develops, and then, if the patient does not take any measures to treat the disease, an ulcer occurs.

Features of symptoms

With gastritis and ulcers, pain occurs not only after coffee, but also after any meal, even a minor one.

Treatment methods

Both of these diseases require observation by a doctor, as well as adherence to a special diet. Coffee in small quantities is allowed only in mild forms of gastritis , however, in more complex cases, as well as in case of peptic ulcer disease, the drink is completely excluded from the patient’s diet.

What does dull, pulling, pinpoint or cutting pain in the stomach indicate?

Dull pain syndrome indicates the following conditions:

slight spasms of the muscle wall;
hunger due to lack of contents in the stomach;
gastritis – inflammation of the mucous membrane of the gastric wall;
peptic ulcer – deep tissue ulceration due to the proliferation of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori;
development and reproduction of other bacteria, viruses;
damage to surface layers under the action of mechanical, physical, chemical, toxic factors;
allergic reaction, individual intolerance to foods, medications, and other components that penetrate the digestive tract;
food poisoning, chemicals;
frequent stress, nervous tension, nervousness;
benign neoplasms, leading to pain due to proliferation and compression of surrounding tissues;
flatulence with the formation of gas bubbles that pass through the tract, causing irritation of the walls;
cancer is a malignant neoplasm that grows and causes metastases in neighboring organs when atypical cells penetrate the systemic bloodstream.

Reasons for the formation of nagging uncomfortable sensations:

minor injuries without bleeding;
excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages;
unhealthy diet with consumption of fatty, spicy, fried, smoked, salty foods;
long-term drug therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that cause damage to the epithelial surface;
the initial phase of gastritis development.

Point pain syndrome is formed under the influence of the following factors:

focal damage to different parts of the stomach, pain appears in the area of their localization;
the initial formation of an injury that extends only to one part of the organ.

Cases of cutting sensations:

perforation of an ulcer with the formation of bleeding into the abdominal cavity;
wall rupture due to excessive growth of the tumor;
exacerbation of gastritis, gastrointestinal tract;
acute intestinal infection;
dysfunction of the gastric region;
heartburn when stomach contents backflow into the esophagus (can develop with a single reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease).

All types of negative sensations are formed in the stomach not only with its disease, but also with pathologies of neighboring organs. For example, the pancreas, small or large intestine, cardiovascular system.

Spasms of any abdominal organs may occur. Often stomach pain is confused with appendicitis. It is necessary to promptly determine the root cause using diagnostic tests.

Which doctor should I contact?

We looked at the harm caused by coffee, the causes of stomach pain, and now it’s time to tell you which specialist you should go to in this case. So:

If your stomach hurts after coffee, you should visit a gastroenterologist.
If this is not possible, or you are not sure of the causes of pain, visit a general practitioner - therapist.
If you want to know how much coffee you should drink, as well as advice on other nutrition-related issues, consult a nutritionist.

Note to coffee lovers: how to drink coffee correctly?

If after drinking a cup of coffee your pain is activated, then first you should make sure that the cause of the discomfort is hidden in this particular food product. Use the method of elimination. For example, if you drink a hot drink with milk, cream or condensed milk, then omit the ingredient.

If the pain continues to annoy you, then perhaps the coffee drink is the culprit. In any case, you should not feel sharp and severe pain after breakfast. Otherwise, it is more advisable to seek help from a qualified specialist.

Pain is the body's reaction to an irritant. In the vast majority of cases, discomfort in the stomach area may indicate the development of an ulcer or gastritis.

Degree of roasting and variety of Arabica - effect on the stomach

After coffee, your stomach hurts if the beans are heavily roasted. In Italy and Spain, it is customary to fry them until black and shiny. From a health point of view, this method is not very good. Many substances oxidize and are no longer beneficial; most vitamins and minerals disappear with strong heat treatment. Roasted essential oils also undergo a lot of changes and are no longer as beneficial.

Arabica is considered a more acidic variety, especially highland ones. The cost of such coffee reaches 300 dollars or more per kilogram. People suffering from gastrointestinal diseases do not make sense to spend that kind of money to get an attack of gastritis, ulcers or pancreatitis. A regular, inexpensive, light-roasted Arabica will do.

Natural or soluble - when, how and in what quantity can you use

When choosing between natural and instant coffee, you should understand that unprocessed products are always preferable for the body. A high-quality instant drink must consist of at least 80% natural cocoa beans . Accordingly, the effect on the stomach of two different types of drinks will be almost identical.

Unfortunately, in pursuit of profit, manufacturers make instant coffee according to the formula: 15% real cocoa beans + 85% ground barley and oats. Such a rough mixture negatively affects the walls of the stomach, and can even cause an exacerbation of ulcers. The so-called “3 in 1”, “5 in 1” drinks, etc. are especially dangerous to health. Moreover, complications are caused not by caffeine itself, but by additives in the form of flavor enhancers, dry cream, and synthetic sugar.

But only those who have been diagnosed with serious stomach diseases in the acute stage should refuse this tasty drink. The rest can drink 200-400 ml of natural drink per day. The best time to drink coffee is after lunch.