While coffee may get many people through the day, it can cause an allergic reaction in others that sends them to the hospital. It’s important to note that most people who have a physical reaction when drinking coffee have an intolerance to caffeine or something else in their drink rather than an allergy to coffee itself. Coffee allergies are rare, but because some people’s immune systems reject coffee beans, they can occur.

Coffee Allergy vs. Coffee Intolerance

The factors that separate a food allergy and a food intolerance are how life-threatening each condition is and which bodily systems they affect. A food allergy triggers a response from the immune system and can be life-threatening. A food intolerance, or sensitivity, does not trigger an immune system response.

The immune systems of people with food allergies mistakenly identify the proteins of offending foods as harmful. As a result, even consuming a small amount of coffee can cause an adverse reaction for someone with a coffee bean allergy.

A coffee sensitivity, on the other hand, typically affects only the digestive system. It causes less serious symptoms than a coffee allergy. Some people with a coffee intolerance can even consume small amounts of coffee without any health issues.

Coffee Allergy Symptoms

People often confuse a coffee intolerance with a coffee allergy because they share some symptoms. Common coffee allergy and intolerance symptoms include:

• Stomach pain and cramps
• Bloating
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Skin rashes or hives
• Difficulty breathing
• Heart palpitations
• Headaches or migraines
• Anxiety
• Difficulty sleeping

For example, one MyFoodAllergyTeam member with a coffee allergy reported, “I can’t even go into a coffee shop because of my coffee allergy. This is especially true if the coffee shop grinds their beans. Whenever I go near coffee, coffee beans, or a coffee shop, my eyes water, my throat closes up, and I feel dizzy.”

A MyFoodAllergyTeam member with a coffee intolerance stated, “I found that coffee was causing a lot of inflammation in my upper abdomen. It also causes me to become nauseous.”

A coffee allergy can even cause people to experience the life-threatening condition of anaphylaxis. In anaphylaxis, the immune system releases chemicals to fight off something that it mistakenly thinks is harmful to the body. Symptoms of anaphylaxis include:

• Shock
• A drop in blood pressure
• Breathing issues
• A sudden faster or slower heart rate
• Rashes
• Gastrointestinal issues such as nausea and vomiting that begin within seconds or minutes of exposure to an allergen

The typical treatment for anaphylaxis is an immediate injection of epinephrine. After receiving a shot of epinephrine, a person in anaphylaxis should go to the emergency room to receive additional care. If a person is experiencing anaphylaxis and there is no epinephrine available, get them to the emergency room immediately.

Coffee Allergy Diagnosis

If you think you have a coffee allergy or intolerance, talk to your health care provider. They may refer you to an allergist for allergy testing. There are a few tests an allergist may conduct to diagnose a food allergy.

Blood Tests

One common way to diagnose a coffee allergy is through blood testing. Doctors can also use blood tests to diagnose a caffeine allergy. Allergy blood tests measure immunoglobulin E (IgE) in blood. IgE is the antibody that the immune system creates in response to a specific allergen. Therefore, the detection of IgE in a coffee allergy blood test indicates a coffee allergy.

Skin Tests

During a skin prick test, a health care professional drops liquid with the potential allergen on your skin. They poke the skin with a small needle so your skin absorbs the substance. They can then watch how your skin responds to being exposed to the allergen. If the pricked area becomes raised, swollen, or changes color — such as becoming red or darker — this may indicate an allergic reaction.

Food Diaries

A doctor may also recommend keeping a food diary if you have a suspected coffee allergy. In a food diary, you write what you eat and drink each day, as well as any physical symptoms you experience. A food diary can help diagnose a coffee allergy by tracking how your body reacts to drinking coffee.

Food Elimination Test

Another test a doctor may recommend when diagnosing a coffee allergy is a food elimination test. This at-home test typically requires you to gradually, one by one, remove and add back a suspected allergen food from your diet.

Typically, you remove a suspected food from your diet for approximately two weeks. After a couple of weeks, you add the food back. By doing this, you can notice any bodily changes that occur simply from the removal or addition of a specific food.

If you do a food elimination test to detect coffee allergies, follow your allergist’s instructions. They may suggest first eliminating different ingredients within coffee for a couple of weeks. After monitoring for any bodily changes from this change, your allergist will likely suggest eliminating coffee itself from your diet for about two weeks. That way, it’s easier to distinguish between a coffee allergy and some other type of allergic reaction.

Oral Food Allergy Test

Another type of allergy test is the oral food allergy test. To conduct this test for a coffee allergy, you consume gradually increasing amounts of coffee under medical supervision. The test typically takes several hours to a full day. Your doctor monitors any allergic reactions that occur. If consuming more coffee causes an increase in allergic reactions, you may have a coffee allergy.

Coffee Allergy Management and Treatment

To manage or treat a coffee intolerance or allergy, it’s best to not drink coffee and avoid coming into contact with coffee beans. While antihistamines or corticosteroids may improve mild allergy and intolerance symptoms, allergic reactions can be life-threatening. They require epinephrine injections and emergency medical care for treatment.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyFoodAllergyTeam is a social network for people with food allergies and their loved ones. On MyFoodAllergyTeam.com, more than 41,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with food allergies.

Are you living with coffee allergies or intolerances? Are you searching for tips and tricks on how to get through your day without coffee? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.