Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Some answers to your questions (based on my own experience):

1. I have never experienced diarrhea from coffee, but it would cause an unsettled stomach with cramping and/or gas.

2. If I drank several cups of coffee, like at a restaurant with free refills, I would leave completely bloated. One cup occasionally did not make me bloated.

3. I can handle a small amount and was drinking one cup a day up until recently. Now if I really need the boost I'll have a weak cup, but I try not to have any on bad tummy days.

4. I found the side effects do accumulate with time. One of the big reasons I gave up the cup a day habit was because it will make me sweat uncontrollably when I drink it, even if I'm freezing. After I "detox" for awhile this effect goes away again.

Unfortunately detoxing isn't that easy, by the time I get to the sweating stage I am horribly addicted and suffer withdrawal headaches for a week or two. Best way to deal with this is to try to slowly increase the time between doses. For example, if you normally have one in the morning, try to put it off for a few extra hours, so you may have one around lunch, then maybe around supper a few days later, etc.

I hope this helps!

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