Coffee drinks give you a boost of energy and help eliminate depression. Therefore, many people cannot imagine even a day without them. Sometimes negative changes are noted and hands shake after drinking coffee. It is necessary to promptly determine what caused the appearance of these symptoms. It is possible that it is not the espresso that is to blame, but serious health problems.
Why does caffeine cause hand tremors?
Caffeine is a natural stimulant and alkaloid. It affects almost all systems of the body, including the cardiovascular and nervous. In some cases, there may be an imbalance in the nervous system, the wrong signals are sent or their processing is disrupted. As a rule, this occurs in those who drink a lot of coffee. The mechanism is similar to the effects of alcohol - after long-term use on an ongoing basis, the functions of the nervous system are also disrupted and hands shake after drinking coffee. Such tremors are only possible if you drink a lot of coffee every day.
Another factor is the release of adrenaline, accelerating the heart rate. The vessels narrow, tachycardia may appear, pulsation in the temples, and hands begin to tremble. It can feel the same way if you feel anxious in a stressful situation. This most often occurs in those who received a large dose of caffeine at one time, or simply drank coffee during times of stress, illness, lack of sleep, etc.
Hands often shake after coffee for those who love the combination of coffee and cigarettes. Nicotine and caffeine together quite actively constrict blood vessels, this is a sharp blow to the nervous and vascular systems, just like drinking the drink on an empty stomach. Most people can feel tremors in such a situation.
Is there any cause for concern?
When women with hand tremors were examined after drinking coffee, it became clear that the body signals in a similar way about possible pathologies or diseases. The degree of reactions depends on the age of the person, the amount of drink drunk, the individual reaction to caffeine, and the type of higher nervous activity. For an absolutely healthy person, such a dose will not cause harm. Trembling hands are often the first manifestation of a disease or a sign of excessive caffeine consumption.
Among the symptoms that are revealed during the examination are the following:
- hypertension, in which drinking coffee can lead to a crisis;
- diseases of the autonomic nervous system;
- diseases of the endocrine system, in particular the thyroid gland;
- coronary heart disease, including heart rhythm disturbances.
Thus, any symptoms after drinking coffee require consultation with a doctor and examination.
Scientists' research on hand tremors after coffee
American scientists conducted a study in which about 150 women from 23 to 60 years old participated. The subjects drank 3 cups of coffee daily and otherwise led a normal lifestyle. After a couple of weeks, almost everyone’s hands began to shake after drinking coffee: more than 140 women noted that when they drank a cup of their favorite drink in the morning or when they were sleep-deprived, their hands began to tremble, even mildly.
Stronger tremor was observed in those who already had problems with high blood pressure and vegetative-vascular dystonia. By the end of the study, women in this group complained not only that their hands were shaking after coffee, but also chest pain, weakness, and shortness of breath.
The trembling of hands after the first morning cup of coffee was always noticeably stronger in a state of stress, lack of sleep, or illness.
Common causes of hand tremors when drinking coffee
The natural drink contains caffeine. This substance is a powerful energy stimulant; it also activates heart contractions and increases blood pressure. If a hypertensive person drinks a double espresso, a hypertensive crisis may occur. The patient's pulse will increase, blood pressure will instantly rise, and tremors will appear.
The same external signs occur with VSD. Diseases of the vegetative-vascular nervous system are now quite common. At its first manifestations, you need to find a good psychotherapist who
Hands also shake after strong coffee, when there are problems with the endocrine system - with fluctuations in blood glucose levels. If, as a result of fasting or other reasons, sugar decreases, then the following symptoms can be observed:
- tremor of the hands and some parts of the body;
- increased sweating on the palms;
- dizziness, weakness.
In such cases, it is enough to eat something, after which the level will normalize and the symptoms will disappear.
Drinking an invigorating drink with high blood pressure or diabetes can lead to a hypertensive crisis and other dangerous consequences.
Should you be afraid of hand tremors after coffee?
In general, doctors do not consider this symptom to be terrible: there is no point in calling a doctor or going to the hospital unless it is a critical overdose of caffeine (usually the face turns blue). It's important to reduce the dosage, skip the extra cup, or switch to a weaker drink if you can't give it up completely.
The concept of “drink less coffee” in this case is quite abstract, since for some, tremors may begin after the sixth cup, and for others, after the first. Doctors do not recommend that even healthy, physically strong people drink more than 3-4 cups a day, but those who have problems with the heart or blood vessels should be more careful and reduce the amount of drink if this causes hand tremors.
To understand how serious it is, give up coffee for a week or significantly reduce its amount and dosage. If your hands do not shake less, you should consult a doctor. If you notice an improvement in the situation, then it’s solely due to caffeine.
Abrupt caffeine withdrawal can also lead to hand tremors. Therefore, if you decide to take care of your health, reduce your caffeine dose gradually.
What to do if you overdose on caffeine: tips from a barista
Rapid heartbeat, trembling hands, wet palms - all these are not very pleasant consequences of a caffeine overdose.
I really love coffee. I like its taste and smell. I love trying different coffee blends and hearing about coffee from people who are passionate about it and their work. But with all my love for this drink and having a coffee machine at home, I try to control myself and limit myself to a few cups of coffee a day (1 espresso and 1 cappuccino or latte). If I couldn’t resist and I dropped by my favorite Coffee House to see my friends, where it’s always cozy, warm and smells delicious, the result doesn’t take long to arrive. Rapid heartbeat, trembling hands, wet palms - all these are not very pleasant consequences of a caffeine overdose.
But sometimes drinking large quantities of coffee is necessary (for example, during a long flight). How to get rid of these unpleasant consequences? The answer to this question is well known to those for whom coffee is work and life. Baristas share their ways to combat the unpleasant effects of a coffee overdose.
I usually eat bananas and drink a ton of water. If the condition is very severe, similar to a hangover, I eat potatoes and a burger. And, of course, sleep! Alexandra Liltjohn, Verve Coffee Roasters
Eating a large meal and walking the dog outside helps quite a lot. Michael Harwood, Carrboro Coffee Roasters
Croissant and a cup of water! Amanda Witt, Everyman Espresso
After drinking a few cups of coffee, you need to replenish your fluid reserves by drinking plenty of water. Tony Riefel, Octane Coffee
Bananas! Folks, science has already proven that bananas help stop nervous tremors in your hands and remove ripples in your eyes after too much espresso. We always bring a bunch of bananas to our Advanced Espresso class and I recommend this for every cuptasting class. Eat bananas! Simon Ouderkirk, Spot Coffee
Usually I just need a good night's sleep, like after a wild party. Charrow, Joe
When I feel like I'm overdoing it on caffeine, it's time for water, vitamin B, and a banana. Maybe for a bike ride too. The second coffee roaster I worked for always kept fresh bee pollen in the cuptasting room. This also helped. Trevor Greun, Johnson Public
Water. Much water. Dehydration is bad. Leila Gambari, Caffe Ladro
I have known for a long time that one cup of espresso is equal to 1 cup of water. That is, when drinking one cup of coffee, you need to drink 1 glass of water to restore water balance. I think that a glass of water served with a cup of espresso or Turkish coffee is not only for the sake of refreshing your taste buds and tasting all the nuances of taste again and again.
But this is the first time I’ve read about bananas. Bananas contain a large amount of potassium, and coffee flushes it out of the body. In addition to banana, there are other foods that contain potassium (like milk or cheese), but banana not only helps restore potassium reserves, but is also a cheap and high-calorie option for a quick and easy snack, as it contains a large amount of sugar .
I tried to find scientific sources that said that bananas actually help cope with caffeine overdose due to their high potassium and sugar content. But I never found anything. Therefore, for now we can trust the barista and try, in case of excessive coffee consumption (abuse), eat at least one banana and see if it really helps. This will definitely not make anyone worse.
What to do if your hands shake after coffee?
Usually it is enough to wait 20-30 minutes for the symptoms to noticeably weaken or go away altogether. You can help yourself in other ways:
- Drink pure still water, a glass or two.
- Drink milk, it neutralizes the effects of caffeine.
- Some baristas recommend eating a banana, as it contains many beneficial vitamins, especially B vitamins.
- A walk in the fresh air helps a lot, or, as an option, some physical exercise to speed up your metabolism so that the caffeine is processed faster.
- You need to calm down, perhaps lie down for a while or even take a nap.
If your hands are shaking a lot, you can take a sedative or a medicine for the heart and blood vessels, if you sometimes use it in other situations. But it’s better to wait a while, usually everything goes away on its own. If the tremor does not go away within half an hour, and other symptoms are added - dizziness, chest pain, tachycardia - it may be worth calling an ambulance.
Tremor from caffeine in hypertension
The coffee drink is invigorating, so if hypertension is diagnosed, it should not be consumed. In practice, there are cases when the health of patients with high blood pressure does not worsen, so there is no clear explanation from specialists. If you have low blood pressure, you can drink the drink, but in reasonable quantities.
With increased intracranial pressure, coffee helps relieve spasms in blood vessels, resulting in a decrease in pressure. This happens because it contains the substance ergotamine, which stimulates brain function.
Taking the drink for heart and vascular diseases can cause the following:
- Spasm in blood vessels.
- Increase in systolic pressure.
Recommendations from specialists for hypertensive patients:
- Replace the coffee drink with chicory.
- Drink instant coffee with cream or milk.
- Avoid drinking strong coffee.
- Use only natural varieties.
- Drink at least 4 hours before bedtime.
- Monitor blood pressure readings.
It is not recommended to take the drink early in the morning, as the blood pressure doubles.
Blood pressure indicators depend on the frequency of consumption and concentration of coffee. For example, when drinking two cups of green tea, blood circulation is normalized and blood vessels dilate, while caffeine has the opposite effect.
Conclusions:
- Caffeine is a stimulant and has an active effect on the cardiovascular system.
- Caffeine is an alkaloid and affects the nervous system.
- The likelihood of hand tremors is higher in those who have cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure or vegetative-vascular dystonia.
- The tremor usually goes away on its own within 20-30 minutes, and this is not a reason to see a doctor if there are no other signs of worsening the condition.
- To cope with hand tremors after coffee, drink water or milk, eat a banana, and do some exercise in the fresh air.
Recommendations for getting rid of trembling limbs
Coffee tremors disappear after about 30 minutes. To make unpleasant symptoms disappear faster, it is recommended to get rid of them in the following ways:
- Drink one to two glasses of water, but it should not be carbonated.
- Drink a glass of milk. It has been proven to have a neutralizing effect on caffeine.
- Eat a banana. It contains B vitamins that calm tremors.
- Take a walk in the fresh air. This helps speed up your metabolism to absorb caffeine.
- Performing simple physical exercises can help you cope with the negative effects of coffee.
- Lie down for a while so your heart can calm down.
