Coffee and Neuropathy

I had bacterial spinal meningitis and ended up with nerve damage. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia secondary to the bacterial spinal meningitis. Then comes all three types of neuropathy. My neurologist told me the worst thing you can do is drink caffeine when you have nerve pain. I stopped driving coffee and all caffeine. I drink coffee my nerves feel like they are running a marathon and it literally fries my nerves. I can’t use Tens Unit in physical therapy because it feels like it is electrocuting my nerves. No caffeine for me. I am glad it works for you. Coffee is a stimulant and makes your nerves more active.

The talk about coffee and caffeine is interesting because coffee constricts your blood vessels. Constricting the blood vessels is supposed to increase the body’s pain receptors therefore increasing your nerve pain.

No one has mentioned decaf as an option. I love my coffee, am 81 years old, don't change habits easily. Has anyone changed to decaf? If so, what were the results?

Welcome @jerryinalaska, I'm 81 myself. I haven't given up my morning coffee but I now only have a cup in the morning when I get up and that's about it. My only exception is for Friday mornings when I meet with some ex-coworker friends and enjoy spinning yarns about yesteryear. I'm guessing you live in Alaska, beautiful state.

I don't think the coffee with caffeine has affected my neuropathy either way but then I only have numbness and some tingling for symptoms which I've had for going on 30 years.

Can you share a little more about your diagnosis? What kind of symptoms do you have with your neuropathy?

Has anyone tried decaf as an alternative? is so, what were the results?

Awaiting full results of diagnosis, but switched to decaf two days ago. my body doesn't seem to know the difference.

Has anyone tried decaf? results?

At the suggestion from my primary doc due to high blood pressure, I was told that I needed to decrease my caffeine. So, about 5 years ago, I went to half caffeine coffee. It has helped decrease the BP and no impact on my peripheral neuropathy. About a year ago, I decreased the caffeine intake even more, I use about 50% decaf and the other 50% is the half caffeine. Still, no impact on my PN but blood pressure is good and enough caffeine to help me going in the morning.

I'm approaching a week on decaf only. I seem to sleep a little better, but sleep doesn't come easy. I am scrutinizing my diet to see it there are other sources of caffeine of which I am not aware.

When I dug into this caffeine situation, I found out that it is in various sodas, tea including green tea and, believe it or not, decaffeinated coffee. There remains a small amount of caffeine in decaf coffee. I scratched my head on that one!