Caffeine is a commonly sought-after drug to enhance mental performance and help you stay awake longer, but for some people, caffeine can trigger adverse reactions. Food allergy symptoms are commonly confused with other gastrointestinal disorders because they cause similar symptoms, such as IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome. If you've been diagnosed with IBS and a caffeine allergy, ingesting the chemical could cause your body to experience severe symptoms. Talk with your gastroenterologist about getting testing for a caffeine allergy.
Caffeine Allergies
You can develop an allergic reaction to anything you put in your body. If your immune system doesn't recognize the substance as safe, it will unleash a chain-reaction of chemicals that will cause various symptoms to develop throughout your body, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. When caffeine enters your body, your body reacts as if the caffeine is a harmful substance, such as a virus or parasite, and attacks it. This reaction in the body can develop minor to severe allergic reactions.
IBS
IBS is a chronic condition that causes irregular movements in your large intestines, which affects the rest of your digestive system. Although this condition does not cause any damage to your gastrointestinal system, it can produce severe symptoms that could interfere with your daily tasks. The relationship between food allergies and IBS is still unclear, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. If you and your doctor notice that every time you ingest caffeine your IBS systems develop, your doctor will recommend eliminating caffeine.
Symptom Confusion
If you're allergic to caffeine, you may develop similar symptoms to IBS. IBS symptoms typically include bloating, gas, cramping, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation. A caffeine allergy can cause these symptoms to develop as well, but will be accompanied by other symptoms in the body. For example, with a caffeine allergy, you may develop diarrhea and stomach pain along with hives, shortness of breath, a headache and sinus congestion. If you don't talk with your doctor, you may diagnose yourself with IBS when in fact you have a caffeine allergy.
Caffeine Allergy With IBS
If you've been diagnosed with both conditions, you will need to eliminate caffeine from your diet. The most common triggers for IBS are ingested items and stress. If you consume caffeine and you're allergic to it, it will most likely trigger your IBS symptoms, as well. Caffeine may be found in not-so-obvious places, such as in decaffeinated coffee, decaffeinated tea and chocolate products. Most energy drinks, diet pills and work-out enhancers contain some caffeine. Read the product label before consuming anything.
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