Taking caffeine pills without food may cause upset stomach for some people. Caffeine is a stimulant drug that may cause nausea, stomach bloating and diarrhea in some. Everyone has a different level of tolerance for the drug and it will not cause the same side effects in each person. Caffeine pills are not intended for long-term use and you should discuss them with your doctor beforehand. In rare instances, caffeine may cause an allergic reaction or could lead to an overdose.
Caffeine Pills
Caffeine pills are sold over the counter to help with mental alertness, to help you stay awake longer and to increase the absorption rate of certain pain relievers. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that enters the bloodstream quickly and affects the brain. The stimulant effects of caffeine are the source of its tendency to raise mental awareness, but at the same time it may overstimulate different parts of your body. For example, caffeine may make you feel nervous, jittery and unable to sleep, while providing you with the ability to stay awake longer. The stimulant effects may cause irritation to the lining of your stomach, leading to nausea, diarrhea and abdominal discomfort.
Taking Them With Food
If taking caffeine pills causes unwanted upset stomach and other digestive symptoms to develop, you may want to take the pills with food. Taking medications with food may help coat the stomach, decreasing your chances of developing digestive symptoms. Drinking milk may substitute for eating a meal because milk curdles in the stomach and coats the lining of the digestive system. If you continue to experience adverse reactions from taking caffeine pills with food, discontinue use and call your doctor. You may have a more serious medical condition, such as caffeine allergy or caffeine hypersensitivity.
Complications
Caffeine hypersensitivity or an allergic reaction can cause various symptoms to develop that cannot be prevented by eating food when taking the pills. Caffeine hypersensitivity means that your digestive system and central nervous system overreact to the substance, causing exaggerated effects on your body. Caffeine allergy occurs when your immune system misidentifies the substance as an intruder and attacks it with antibodies and other disease-fighting chemicals, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
Overdose Consideration
You may develop caffeine overdose if you take more than is recommended on the product label or if you ingest other sources of caffeine while taking caffeine pills. Drugs.com states that you should not take more than 1,000 mg of caffeine within a 24-hour period. Overdose symptoms include stomach pain, confusion, convulsions, dehydration, fast heartbeat, fever, headache, muscle twitching, nausea, vomiting with blood and swelling in the abdomen. Call poison control immediately if you develop one or more of these symptoms, or if you suspect that you've taken too much caffeine.
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