Like most Americans, you start your day with a hot cup of coffee and use the restroom. This is a typical side effect of coffee.

According to a study, coffee may stimulate your stomach, accelerating digestion.1 Drugs and coffee may combine and slow your body’s absorption of the latter.

That means that consuming coffee together with a prescription can reduce its effectiveness. Researchers looked into the impact of coffee on various drugs in 2020. The “absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of many drugs are significantly influenced by coffee.”

Not all medicines are affected by coffee. Discover which drugs should not be combined with coffee and what to look out for.

thyroid medication

When your butterfly-shaped thyroid gland at the front of your neck doesn’t generate enough thyroid hormone, hypothyroidism sets in. Weight gain, dry skin, joint pain, hair loss, and irregular menstruation are all effects of this.

Levothyroxine and other thyroid medications assist many people in balancing their hormones. Studies show that taking thyroid medication with coffee decreases absorption, decreasing its effectiveness.

L-thyroxine absorption in the gut is changed by coffee. (2008) Thyroid 18(3):293–301.

Patient case reports suggest that drinking coffee can reduce the absorption of thyroid medications by more than half.

allergy or cold medication

Numerous people take cold and allergy drugs that contain stimulants of the central nervous system like pseudoephedrine.

Rinsing your allergy medication with coffee could make restlessness and insomnia worse because coffee is a stimulant.

Coffee may cause your central nervous system to become overstimulated, causing allergy drugs like fexofenadine to become uneasy.

Never combine coffee with cold or allergy medications without first consulting your doctor.

Diabetes medications

Coffee with milk or sugar may cause blood sugar to rise and interfere with diabetic medication. Studies also suggest that caffeine may make diabetes symptoms worse.

Caffeine-containing beverages like coffee, according to a research by the American Diabetes Association, can raise insulin and blood sugar levels.

The study cautioned that caffeine can make blood sugar management more difficult and raise the risk of diabetes complications, but further research is required.

Diabetes and prediabetes are prevalent in the United States and other Western nations. According to the CDC, approximately 100 million Americans have prediabetes and over 37 million have diabetes.

Almost no one is aware they possess it. With those numbers, millions take medication for diabetes every day.

The Alzheimer’s drug

In America, Alzheimer’s disease is the seventh leading cause of mortality and often affects people over 65. Because the brain disease affects cognitive function, it is challenging to think, remember, and carry out daily chores. Numerous Americans take medication for Alzheimer’s.

The Alzheimer’s medications donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine are all affected by coffee. Caffeine in coffee thickens the blood-brain barrier, which hinders the absorption of drugs. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which Alzheimer’s medications protect, is decreased by heavy coffee use.

Asthma medications

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that aggravates and inflames the airways. Breathing issues, coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness result from this. Children and adults in the US consume asthma medications in the millions.

Many asthmatics take theophylline or aminophylline during asthma attacks. Breathing becomes easier thanks to bronchodilators’ relaxation of the airways, but they may also result in headaches, agitation, nausea, and discomfort.

These negative effects can be exacerbated by coffee and other caffeinated beverages.

Coffee can impact the effectiveness and absorption of medications.

pharmacologic treatment for osteoporosis

Osteoporosis makes your bones more brittle and weak, which raises your chance of breaking them. Millions of women, particularly postmenopausal women, suffer from osteoporosis.

Coffee should not be consumed with osteoporosis medications like risedronate and ibandronate because coffee decreases their effectiveness. Take these medications with water and before consuming food or liquids. Your body will thus absorb drugs as fully as possible. Some medications’ effectiveness can be reduced by more than half by coffee.

Antidepressants

According to the CDC, one in ten adults and children take antidepressants daily. They are the drugs that doctors most frequently give to 20- and 30-year-olds, and their use has increased dramatically in recent years. They are able to treat depression, a mental illness that impairs both mood and function.

The way your body processes antidepressants is impacted by coffee. Coffee can affect how fluvoxamine, amitriptyline, escitalopram, and imipramine are metabolized, especially at high doses. Drug absorption is decreased by coffee.

For instance, research show that fluvoxamine amplifies the negative effects of coffee. Heart palpitations and difficulty sleeping may result from this. Take your medication, and refrain from coffee for a while.

Antipsychotic Medicine

Major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and other mental health problems can all benefit from antipsychotic medication. Each year, four million Americans use these medications. Neurotransmitters or brain receptors are blocked by antipsychotic drugs.

Phenothiazine, clozapine, haloperidol, and olanzapine are antipsychotic drugs. Your body absorbs less medications if you wait until the morning to drink coffee. According to research, coffee changes how several of these medicines are metabolized. For the best effect, take your medication with water rather than coffee.

Drug for Blood Pressure

According to the CDC, uncontrolled hypertension affects tens of millions of Americans. Heart disease and stroke risk are increased by hypertension. It is a common, quiet condition that hardly ever exhibits symptoms.

Many individuals take heart-rate-lowering blood pressure medications such as verapamil or propranolol. Your heart has to work less to pump blood to all of your cells as a result.

Coffee consumption while taking blood pressure medications like felodipine, however, may cause less absorption. The medicine might not function as well. Consult your doctor about the best time for your morning cup and medication.

Melatonin

Sleep is brought on by the hormone melatonin, which the body produces. When the sun goes down, the hormone instructs your brain to unwind. As a sleep aid, melatonin supplements are offered over the counter.

However, coffee makes you awake. Like caffeine in coffee, melatonin has the opposite effect. You can have trouble falling asleep and staying awake as a result. Coffee lowers the effectiveness and synthesis of melatonin. Coffee and melatonin might counteract one other.

When to Visit a Physician

Wait until after you’ve had your first cup of coffee if you take any of these medications, especially if they’re meant to be taken in the morning.

Consult your doctor about balancing coffee and medications if you take a lot of prescription drugs. Restlessness, jitteriness, and insomnia are side symptoms that your doctor can assist you in managing.