Drinking too much coffee can cause various bowel problems, such as diarrhea, gas and abdominal pain. If you notice that even drinking a small amount of coffee causes bowel problems, you need to talk with your doctor about considering a coffee or caffeine allergy. If your symptoms include blood in you stool, you need to call your doctor right away because this may be a sign of a more serious condition. Stop drinking coffee until an evaluation is complete by your physician.
Bowel Side Effects
Coffee contains caffeine, a naturally occurring stimulant drug that can affect your central nervous system and digestive tract. Common side effects of consuming too much coffee include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, stomach cramping, pain, gas and indigestion. These symptoms should last for an hour or less and then subside. If your symptoms progress or do not improve, call your doctor. If you notice other symptoms that develop along with bowel problems, you may be experiencing an allergic reaction.
Lactose Intolerance Consideration
If you drink milk in your coffee and experience these symptoms, you may be lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance is a common digestive disorder that affects your digestive system and bowel movements. Lactose is a sugar in milk that needs to be broken down by lactase, a digestive enzyme. If you lack enough lactase in your small intestines, you will not be able to digest and absorb the lactose into your body. This causes gas, bloating and diarrhea once the lactose enters the large intestine. Symptoms can range in severity and typically develop within 30 minutes and up to two hours after consuming dairy.
Allergic Reactions
It is possible that you're allergic to one or more ingredients found in your coffee. The most common allergens in your coffee include milk, caffeine, nuts and the coffee itself. An allergic reaction occurs when your immune system overreacts to certain substances. Instead of properly identifying the substance as safe, it reacts to it as if the substance were dangerous, notes the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. This causes the body to fight off the substance with various chemicals. It is possible to be allergic to caffeine and coffee beans. Coffee beans are a legume, in the same family as peanuts, peas and soybeans. Some flavored coffees contain tree nut oils, which could trigger an allergic reaction.
Intolerance Consideration
Bowel problems after you drink a cup of coffee may be the result of caffeine intolerance. Not everyone can tolerate the same amount of caffeine in their system. If you are hypersensitive to the stimulant effects of caffeine, you may experience loose stools from ingesting a minimal amount of coffee.
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