# Can you develop a caffeine sensitivity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 30, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-develop-a-caffeine-sensitivity/386148 "2006-12-30T22:12:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-develop-a-caffeine-sensitivity/386148/1 "2006-12-30T22:12:02Z")
I worked in a coffee shop for the past year and drank a lot of coffee with no adverse side effects. But lately, I’ve found that drinking a regular cup gives me a sort of headachey feeling that persists for hours, and today I had espresso, which was even worse - it made me feel lightheaded and sort of light in my limbs for an hour or two, which was quite unpleasant. Have I developed a caffeine sensitivity? Is this possible or probable? ---
**Author:** ![Grits\_and\_Hard\_Toast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Grits\_and\_Hard\_Toast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grits_and_Hard_Toast)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-develop-a-caffeine-sensitivity/386148/2 "2006-12-31T18:05:48Z")
[QUOTE=VCO3] I worked in a coffee shop for the past year and drank a lot of coffee with no adverse side effects. But lately, I’ve found that drinking a regular cup gives me a sort of headachey feeling that persists for hours, and today I had espresso, which was even worse - it made me feel lightheaded and sort of light in my limbs for an hour or two, which was quite unpleasant. Have I developed a caffeine sensitivity? Is this possible or probable? [/QUOTE] That happens to me on a regular basis. Without realizing it, I drink more and more coffee in the morning. When I start to notice a certain light headedness, sort of shaky feeling, I go cold turkey on the coffee for a week. Then after the week, I start back with just one cup, then it eventually moves up to two. Then again without realizing it, I am drinking a pot a day. Time to cut it out again. The whole process takes about three months, so four times a year I will go a week without coffee. So you might try just cutting it out for a while and see how you feel when you start up again. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-develop-a-caffeine-sensitivity/386148/3 "2006-12-31T18:22:27Z")
I get this from time to time, too. Usually accompanied by a rapid pulse (or rapid feeling, anyway). Cutting back on the caffine, including soda and tea, does the trick. Until I get stressed out by classes again and I’m up to 4 Starbucks a day. Expensive! But I’ve got an addiction to it, too, so if I don’t have some sort of caffinanted drink before late afternoon, I’ll get a migrane. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-develop-a-caffeine-sensitivity/386148/4 "2006-12-31T21:02:59Z")
I found that a lot of people who claim to have a “sensitivity” to caffeine are reacting the same way I do, except I don’t really care about the shakiness. If I go cold turkey, one cup (or even a couple of sodas) will do it, after a few months I’m up to 7-8 espressos a day to get the same effect.