Caffeine can make you dizzy, but typically not by itself. Adverse reactions in caffeine-sensitive individuals often trigger or exacerbate circulatory and heart conditions, which cause dizziness. If you experience dizziness and it seems to be related to caffeine consumption, especially if it accompanies the symptoms of a more serious condition, curb your caffeine habit and talk to your doctor about the steps you can take to reduce your dizziness.
Heart Palpitations
Caffeine may cause or aggravate heart palpitations, which are characterized by a pounding or throbbing sensation in your chest, and may leave you feeling disoriented and dizzy. The effect on your heart depends on several factors, which include your size and your tolerance, as well as genetics. Heart palpitations are not only discomfiting and concerning, they may also indicate a more serious condition, and reactions among severely caffeine-sensitive individuals can even include cardiac arrest.
Circulation
A lack of blood flow to your brain will leave you feeling lightheaded and dizzy. Dizziness due to poor circulation often occurs when you stand up too quickly or you overexert yourself. Stimulants, such as caffeine and nicotine, diminish circulatory activity and can lead to this condition. If you get dizzy from standing up frequently or chronically, your caffeine intake may not be solely responsible. High blood pressure and high cholesterol, anemia and diabetes may be underlying factors, so ask your doctor to test for these conditions and assess your overall circulatory health.
Dehydration
Dehydration occurs when your body lacks sufficient fluids to function. Dizziness, lightheadedness, lethargy and confusion are all signs of severe dehydration. Caffeine can contribute to dehydration, but the role it plays is smaller than researchers once believed. Under typical conditions, you would have to consume five to seven cups of coffee before you experienced mild dehydration. If some other factor is dehydrating you, your caffeine consumption may worsen your condition. Other common causes of dehydration include vomiting or diarrhea, or simply failing to drink enough fluids. Dehydration typically only causes dizziness when it becomes dangerously severe and can lead to permanent brain damage or death, so seek immediate medical attention if you experience the symptoms of severe dehydration.
Medication
Some medications interact badly with caffeine. Tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors commonly react with caffeine to cause dizziness. Low blood pressure is one of these medications' side effects, so the dizziness you experience after combining them with caffeine often accompanies other symptoms of a circulation problem. Ask your doctor for advice about caffeine and other drugs when you are prescribed a new medication, and tell her right away if you notice any dizziness or other signs for concern.
References
- American Academy of Otolaryngology; Dizziness and Motion Sickness; December 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Antidepressants: Get Tips to Cope with Side Effects; December 2010
- “New York Times” Health Guide: Dehydration
- KidsHealth.org: Caffeine
- MSNBC; Some Coffee Drinkers Risk a Real Jolt; March 2006
- Cleveland Clinic: Arrhythmia: Heart Palpitations
- MayoClinic.com; Caffeine: Is It Dehydrating or Not?; Katherine Zeratsky; April 2011
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