As anyone with arthritis knows, the pain, stiffness and inflammation of your joints can make it difficult to engage in everyday activities. While a variety of treatment options, including medication and exercise, can make it easier to live with arthritis pain, you can also keep your symptoms under control with diet. For example, limiting your caffeine intake can help keep your arthritis symptoms from getting worse.
Sleep Issues
Arthritis is commonly associated with insomnia and sleep problems, which are exacerbated by excess caffeine intake. Pain from arthritis disrupts the sleep cycle. Art Spielman, Ph.D., a researcher at The City College at the City University of New York noted in "Arthritis Today" that your mind can register pain even when you are asleep. If you take medication for your arthritis, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids, they, too, can cause insomnia. Combine these factors with the sleep-interrupting effects of caffeine, and you can experience even more arthritis pain. A study at the Johns Hopkins University, reported in the journal "SLEEP" in 2007, indicated that sleep deprivation in women increases sensitivity to pain as well as incidents of spontaneous pain.
Drug Interaction
Several studies have investigated the link between caffeine consumption and the anti-inflammatory drug methotrexate, with mixed results. In one study reported in the February 2003 issue of the journal "Arthritis and Rheumatism," arthritis patients taking methotrexate who consumed more than 180 mg of caffeine each day did not respond to the treatment as well as those who avoided caffeine. In another study reported in "The Journal of Rheumatology" in July 2006, however, patients consumed higher amounts of caffeine on average and did not show a lower response to the drug. Because of the conflicting results and differences in the study designs, physicians recommend that arthritis patients taking methotrexate limit their caffeine consumption to ensure the drug works appropriately and keeps symptoms in check.
Gout
At the 2010 American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting, researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine revealed the results of a study indicating that excess caffeine consumption in a short period increases the chance of a gout attack. Gout, a painful and debilitating form of arthritis, generally includes swelling, pain and tingling in a single joint, often the big toe. While low to moderate caffeine consumption over the long term does appear to reduce uric acid levels and the chance of recurring gout attacks, a rapid increase in caffeine consumption in a short period of time increases the likelihood of an attack. In other words, the more caffeine you consume in a 24-hour period, the greater your chance of experiencing a gout attack.
General Caffeine Side Effects
According to the National Institutes of Health, 250 mg of caffeine per day, equivalent to about 3 cups of coffee, is a moderate amount of caffeine and should not lead to any serious side effects. Any more than that, though, and you increase your chance of side effects including increased heart rate, restlessness, anxiety, tremors, depression and stomach issues. While these effects may not directly affect your arthritis, they make you feel uncomfortable, increasing the sensation of pain and stiffness in your joints.
References
- "Arthritis Today"; Can't Sleep? Here Are Some Sleep Treatments That Work; Charlotte Huff
- "Arthritis Today"; General Medication Questions Part 3; Don Miller, Pharm.D.
- American College of Rheumatology; Big Project? Counting on Caffeine to Stay Awake? It Can Also Wake Up Your Gout; 2010
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: Arthritis
- "The Journal of Rheumatology"; Caffeine Intake Does Not Affect Methotrexate Efficacy in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis; E. Benito-Garcia, et al.; July 2006
- "Arthritis and Rheumatism"; Effect of Caffeine Consumption on Efficacy of Methotrexate in Rheumatoid Arthritis; G. Nesher, et al.; February 2003
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