Caffeine?

Here’s a question to help us get back to the business of helping others.

I’ve been told by fellow members that caffeine can contribute to Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter. Since I’ve been experiencing bouts of atrial flutter recently, I’m attempting to rid caffeine from my diet to test this recommendation and hopefully feel better.

I know caffeine is in coffee, tea and cola drinks such as Coke and Pepsi. I just recently discovered that caffeine is even in diet cola! This gets to my question.

What other food items contain caffeine? Please help me rid my body of this stimulant. I’m already wired enough!

Blake

10 Comments

Caffeine?

by pacergirl - 2008-01-20 08:01:21

Excellent question Blake.
I was at the Cardiologist on Friday and he requested that before my visit I not have any caffeine drinks at all. Nothing! No coffee, not tea, nothing. When I asked him about his request he said that caffeine effects my heart rythym. Interesting I thought. I like my coffee in the morning. However I like feeling good better. I have been very, very sick with an awful flu this weekend and have had nothing to eat or drink for 2 days. Maybe it would be a good time to stop the coffee in exchange to feel better.

Yes, as the other post state. There is Caffeine in all sorts of power drinks, soda pop, teas, candy and medications. Many foods also are loaded with Caffeine. Power Bars, both reg. and organic. Choc. cake and cookies! It is a challenge to rid one's diet of Caffeine. I am very interested to know how it goes for you.

Thank you,
pacergirl

caffeine

by Shell - 2008-01-20 08:01:37

I know Chocolate has caffeine. (no way I'd give that up).
With soda unless it says caffeine free don't assume it is. I had an orange soda once (forget what brand) and it had caffeine in it. I had thought they all were caffeine free. Caffeine has never affected me (yet).(it won't even help keep me awake if I neede it but I do get headaches if I skip my morning coffee too many days in a row) The only time I cut back on my caffeine was when I was pregnant. (though my mother in law still thinks I do caffeine free. I was at her house recently and she had caffeine free Coke/Diet Coke. I figured if i was going caffeine free may as well go diet too)

Caffeine

by auntiesamm - 2008-01-20 08:01:48

Blake - you have stated the obvious for caffeine content. Caffeine is also found in dark & milk chocolate and all the energy-type drinks out there. Mountain Dew and Code Red contain caffeine though looking at the color one would not think so. Many OTC headache remedies, OTC stimulants, diet pills and NSAIDS contain caffeine. You just about have to read the label on everything you consider Hope this helps.
Sharon

wow

by jessie - 2008-01-20 09:01:20

a lot of info which is so useful. i don't have caffeine except for a small tim horton's coffe in the a.m. so far i can tolerate this. anybody should have really limited caffeine i think and for arrythmias none. i used to drink coffee++++when i worked i always had a cup on the go. i now after these posts will check everything altho i do have an interesting piece of chocolate that i took a bite of. i hid it in my room and after i lose 2 more pounds which will be ten in total to celebrate i am having another bite it is from france. it was yummy lol lol small amts should not hurt me too much. take care jessie

Caffeine

by SMITTY - 2008-01-20 09:01:31

Hi Blake,

Man years ago I was more or less forced to attend some healthy heart classes after bypass surgery. One of the foods they talked about was caffeine and how it can cause heart arrhythmia. We were all told to remove caffeine from our diet, which I did for a long time, but quite a number of years ago I went back to drinking beverages containing caffeine. I do limit the amount I consume and I can tell no difference in with or without, except without I get a headache for a few hours. I do recall being told that caffeine is the most widely used stimulant in the world and has been for centuries. It is the reason for the popularity of many beverages. If the beverage contains cola or chocolate then it probably also contains caffeine unless the beverage is labeled caffeine free.

On of the things I learned was that the body sees caffeine the same as it sees sugar. In other words, caffeine causes an increase in the production of adrenalin which I guess is what causes the increase in energy. Another thing I recall from these sessions that there was a connection between the increase in adrenalin production and the arrhythmia. I have off and on bouts with arrhythmia and one of the first questions i will hear is do you drink beverages containing caffeine? I tell them the truth and I will hear again you should stop the caffeine intake.

Anyway if a person has arrhythmia and the doctor says get off caffeine I think that person has no choice to but to stop the caffeine intake. At least stop it until it can be proved or disapproved that caffeine is the culprit.

Good luck,

Smitty

Heart Stimulants

by Meadowlark - 2008-01-20 10:01:08

I, too, was told by my doctor no caffeine, chocolate, or alcohol as these are all heart stimulants. Also, be careful of "white chocolate" since is contains cacao just like the regular chocolate; I look for vanilla flavors only, like White Tootsie Rolls. I read all labels in detail, but will now also be careful of "out-to-dinner" BBQ sauce!

Many common food/drink substances and OTC supplements are also heart stimulants so I googled "heart stimulant" to get an idea of what other things I need to watch out for.

It was after I was hospitalized with a heart rate of 155bpm (just before Christmas 2007) that the doctor gave me the "don't eat/drink, etc." orders.

Since I never want to feel that weird again I decided I could endure the dreaded "caffeine headache"; the headache lasted for 3 days, but I feel quite well now and as caffeine free as possible. The good thing is I really don't miss it. I probably miss having a beer on Friday night more than I miss caffeine :-) Oh, well.

I had no idea...

by dward - 2008-01-20 10:01:09

I had no idea how much caffeine affected my body.
That was until I too was forced to "lay off" caffeine.
My doctor said I would probably suffer headaches a day or two after deleting caffeine from my diet.
I thought he was being a bit dramatic... BOY WAS I WRONG!!!
Anyhow - I figure, if it has THAT much affect on my body, that's probably not a good thing.
Then - just to drive it home (I suppose) God (or who what ever power you believe in) made me have MAJOR PVCs any time I have caffeine. . . swell.
On the positive side... BEER doesn't have caffeine. YAY!
My point (geez I ramble!!!) - I think it's a good thing to reduce or remove caffeine as much as we can.

D. Ward

Caffiene etc.

by janetinak - 2008-01-21 01:01:10

Green tea has a lot of caffiene in it too according to Google.

Janet

Good info., pacers!

by ela-girl - 2008-01-21 02:01:07

I, like Pawgles, love the A&W because it's caffeine free. I just recently started eliminating caffeine from my diet--it is HARD. I was doing great before Christmas and then we had company who went out and bought their favorites for around the house--chocolate, Mt. Dew, you name it! So, now I'm trying to wean myself again. I do feel better when all that sugar and caffeine is out of my system. Besides, most foods with caffeine also have sugar and it's all so bad for you. And it most of it doesn't help peoples' weight.

I'm glad there are others of you dealing with this issue as well. It helps to hear experiences and all about the foods/meds to be wary of. I've never had a doctor say anything to me about this--scary because I have some serious heart rhythm issues.

Thanks!
ela-girl

Another experience

by bionic_laura - 2008-01-21 10:01:26

I used to drink lots of coffee and tea before I got my pacemaker. Then afterwards I found I didn't need it as much. I got my pacemaker for bradycardia (heart rate too slow). The doctors reckoned my body was craving caffeine as it stimulates the heart to go faster. So in a way I was self medicating :-)

It must be quite scary to have your heart race after unknowingly eating something with caffeine in it. Manufacturers should label their foods more honestly.

Bionic Laura

You know you're wired when...

The dog’s invisible fence prevents you from leaving the backyard.

Member Quotes

You'll come to peace with it in time.