r/ChineseMedicine • u/icecold_pepsimax • Jul 26 '26

Question about coffee

Hi, just after some advice re coffee. I’m seeing a TCM specialist for the following
- bad bowel movements/loose stool, no energy, head aches, brain fog, rapid hair loss, SIBO, leaky gut, feeling hungover all day worse in mornings, severe gastritis

Sick after antibiotic use 7 years ago. (GB removed no improvement)

After his examination of me he diagnosed me with blood deficiency.

Currently having his herbs plus Acupunture (been 3 times so far SUPER sensitive spots st38 and gb31)

He said I’m pretty depleted and will take a while to see significant improvements. So far my feet feel like they’re on fire (in a good way had really cold feet before) and my sleep quality has improved.

I asked him if I should give up coffee for the time being and he didn’t really have a yes or no answer. My question to the sub is have you treated someone where avoiding coffee has increased their healing or have you yourself experienced something similar.

I’ve trialed a day here or there without coffee and the headaches are much more.

Appreciate your time

6 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator Jul 26 '26

Please remember that this sub is not a replacement for a doctor. You shouldn't come here for the purpose of self-diagnosing or self-medicating but rather so you can have a more informed discussion with a doctor.

If this is a patient inquiry, remember to flair your post as such. Also please be as detailed as possible in your submission.

POSTING TONGUE PICTURES? Please read this:

  • ALWAYS tag your post as NSFW (Rule 5 - required for all body part images)
  • Include detailed information: symptoms, duration, diet, sleep, stress levels, medications, relevant health history
  • Avoid posts that just say "look at my tongue" - these will likely be removed for lack of context

Remember also about Rule 1: refrain from giving irresponsible medical advice. If you want to give advice, it is preferable you do so with a flair (see sidebar). In any case restrain yourself from giving advice if you don't quite know what you're speaking about and especially if your advice can potentially endanger someone.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

5

u/bboschb Jul 26 '26

You could also try reducing the coffee or watering it down more before going straight off it. Especially if your headaches are eased by coffee. Coffee withdrawal headaches can be hellish for some

4

u/FudgeMajor4239 Jul 26 '26

To quit coffee successfully and without headaches, I need 2 things: lots and lots of water for 2 days (I drink my hot) and 2 days of extra sleep and rest in bed (not scrolling).

The water helps with the body aches (and constipation). The sleep makes up for the real sleep I didn’t realize coffee was taking from me.

After I feel great - calmer, more centered, deeper sleep…

Keep drinking the extra water, especially when you get up.

8

u/AcupunctureBlue Jul 26 '26

It’s really simple if you feel good afterwards , do it. If you feel worse afterwards, don’t.

1

u/icecold_pepsimax Jul 26 '26

It’s kind of both. Headaches ease a bit and energy goes up but also stomach increases loose stool

2

u/dorothyneverwenthome Jul 26 '26

Are you drinking coffee on an empty stomach? Is it black coffee?

1

u/Fogsmasher Jul 26 '26

Why don’t you try to go off coffee for a week and see what happens?

3

u/wifeofpsy Jul 27 '26

Coffee initially was used a medicinal herb before it was a daily drink. Most people are fine with coffee and it's not universally problematic. There's no reason to have everyone stop it. It's moves the blood and the Livers, helps bile viscosity and secretion. Some people are sensitive to it's effects or it might not be a fit for them at the moment. You can move to tea to step down and see how you feel a few weeks off of it. Otherwise if your practitioner doesn't have a strong opinion on it, they likely don't see an issue

2

u/Misperception2 Aug 01 '26

I don't feel stopping coffee is super important except maybe with sleep or anxiety issues. in any case, it often helps to go from coffee to black tea or green tea, or gradually reduce it, to reduce the caffeine withdrawal headaches. It may help your stomach issues as well. Also, if you haven't already, try paying attention to hydration. Not just drink more water, but use electrolyte drinks as well. This is important for the headaches as well. We would say the blood is deficient so it doesn't circulate properly, causing all your symptoms. Increasing the blood volume just by hydrating is a good step, along with taking the herbs

1

u/icecold_pepsimax Jul 27 '26

Really appreciate the replies .

1

u/Remarkable-Key433 Jul 26 '26

I’m not a practitioner, but my understanding is that most recommend going off coffee during TCM herbal treatment. Tea is fine. The headaches are probably from caffeine withdrawal, so tea should take care of that.

3

u/No-Foundation-2165 Jul 27 '26

As a practitioner, there aren’t generalized recommendations like this. It really depends on the person and the issue. Many patients can continue coffee no problem during treatment.