# Tea-induced headaches **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 30, 2002, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-induced-headaches/106539 "2002-04-30T19:58:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-induced-headaches/106539/1 "2002-04-30T19:58:58Z")
Occasionally, while drinking very bitter tea, I get a headache. It only lasts a brief while (until about five minutes after I finish the cup), but it’s intermittent. I can drink the same tea the next day, but steep it a little less so it’s not as bitter, and it’s fine. Now I know that I should monitor my steeping time, but sometimes I throw the leaves in there and get called away from my desk, or I leave 'em a little too long, or I got lazy and never washed out my mug. (Although I got one today, and I _had_ washed out my mug beforehand. If the type of tea matters, it’s Imperial Earl Grey. Any idea what’s causing this? Normally I’m pretty headache immune… ---
**Author:** ![johncole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@johncole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johncole)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2002, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-induced-headaches/106539/2 "2002-05-01T00:17:23Z")
There is a reference to headaches caused “caused by dilation of blood vessels in the head that had been constricted by the consumption of caffeine” [here](http://www.enteract.com/~robchr/tea/new.html). Have you tried decaffeinated tea? Not really on topic, but I commend to your attention [The evils of tea (and the virtues of beer)](http://www.quite.com/misc/tea1.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2002, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-induced-headaches/106539/3 "2002-05-01T20:32:59Z")
Oh I’m familiar with the virtues of beer, being intimately involved with homebrewing. Thanks for the site. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2002, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-induced-headaches/106539/4 "2002-05-01T20:36:02Z")
Unfortunately, it completely fails to deal with my particular problem. A closer reading indicates that caffeine _withdrawal_ and dilate blood vessels and cause a headache. I don’t think anyone, no matter how fast their metabolism, can go withdrawal that fast 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2002, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-induced-headaches/106539/5 "2002-05-01T20:41:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Barbarian \* > \*\*Unfortunately, it completely fails to deal with my particular problem. > A closer reading indicates that caffeine _withdrawal_ and dilate blood vessels and cause a headache. > > I don’t think anyone, no matter how fast their metabolism, can go withdrawal that fast 😉 \*\* All the same, I suspect caffeine is the culprit, as the strength/bitterness of the tea is related to its caffeine content. Perhaps your headache is being caused by the sudden _constriction_ of blood vessels caused by the caffeine. Migraine sufferers, such as myself, are advised to stay away from caffeine as it often leads to headaches. ---
**Author:** ![audient](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@audient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audient)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-induced-headaches/106539/6 "2002-05-02T05:32:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lamia \* > \*\* > Migraine sufferers, such as myself, are advised to stay away from caffeine as it often leads to headaches. \*\* unless they’re a migraine sufferer such as myself who finds that caffeine is very effective in _relieving_ headaches. Earl Grey & Coke are two of my weapons of choice in the migraine wars… ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-induced-headaches/106539/7 "2002-05-02T13:49:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by audient \* > \*\* > unless they’re a migraine sufferer such as myself who finds that caffeine is very effective in _relieving_ headaches. > > Earl Grey & Coke are two of my weapons of choice in the migraine wars… \*\* I almost mentioned this in my earlier post but decided not to, as I feared it might be confusing – once a migraine has already come on, some people do fine caffeine helpful as it constricts the pulsating blood vessels and helps relieve the throbbing. But if you don’t already have a headache, caffeine can bring it on. ---
**Author:** ![Kanaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Kanaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kanaya)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2018, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-induced-headaches/106539/8 "2018-12-07T13:10:35Z")
I can drink any tea, except Earl Grey. I recently tried a decaf version of it. (At least that I s what the Tea Store told me…it was a Roobi tea.)