So yeah anyone who knows me knows I like my coffee…

I do an office job most of the time staring at these stupid screens and as I plod on I have my trusty cup beside me, same as most people in the office tbh. So what’s the problem, well I went for my pre-employment medical for my new job which I passed but my blood pressure was 185/115 that’s a bit high ,my wife when she was pregnant with both our kids was in hospital for weeks due to high blood pressure and it was lower than that!

So what gives? Well it seems to be the coffee. I estimate I have a coffee once every hour at work, 1 in the morning and maybe 2 in the evening so say 10 a day, wonder how much caffeine that is in total? According to the Tetley's own website Q&A... (I’ll get to why Tetley in a moment)

“The amount of caffeine in a typical cup of regular brewed coffee is between 80 and 120 milligrams.”


So let’s be optimistic and pretend it’s only its 80mg… well that’s 800mg of caffeine per day I’m consuming, that’s sounds bad already but let’s compare that to Redbull! Oh oh that’s 80mg of caffeine per 250 can… blimey I’m doing 10 cans a day how am I even still alive!!

So what about switching to tea?? Again according to the Tetley's own website Q&A...

“There are between 40 and 50 milligrams of caffeine in a typical eight ounce cup of brewed black tea or green tea steeped for three to five minutes”

FFS! I like my tea super strong using two tea bags!!

I’ve now realised the only solution for me is to switch to water which I have been managing for 5 days now . First 3 days I felt like death… fell asleep almost as soon as I put the kids to bed a 7pm..., yesterday slightly better but today, man I feel great! I might need a water cooler at my desk… but yeah I could get use to this

Going to go to my GP in a couple of weeks to get it tested again but confident it will be fine...

Will give you an update when I do...




[Edited on 4/7/19 by Mr Whippy]

That's interesting, I consume tea at an alarming rate but I also drink a lot of water but only with a my meals - a couple of pints with lunch and evening meal.

Last time I had my blood pressure checked it was exactly where it should be, but what you've said has made me think perhaps I should ease off on the tea. and get my BP checked.

Do you smoke? Exercise regularly? Out of interest do you mind me asking your age?

I switched to decaffeinated, I have one full caffeine first thing though.
I drink around 8-10 mugs a day, my blood pressure has dropped considerably.
We have a Senseo machine, and I can honestly say that I can't tell the difference between caf and decaf,but I
can in instant coffee (but can't stand instant anyway)

Or it may not be bad for you anyway, if you believe the British Heart Foundation......

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190603084144.htm

I'm guessing its been a while since you had a OGUK medical

Been through this, there is no scientific evidence that coffee effects your blood pressure especially if you drink it all the time.

I have got my blood pressure down by following the dash diet - I have changed nothing but introduced large quantities of blue berrys, natural yogurt, banana etc into my diet its dropped from over 150 down to the 120's ie a safe level.

Or it may not be bad for you anyway, if you believe the British Heart Foundation......

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190603084144.htm

I never bothered with tea or coffee, always seemed like too much effort for something that tasted awful.

Some good points raised there. Funnily enough this is the second time this has happened, 6 years ago at my last medical... You'd have thought I'd have learnt something, at that time I also gave up coffee and went back after changing nothing else and my blood pressure had again dropped back down to normal so this is why this time I'm not running off to my GP... Cos he'll just say Stop Drinking So Much Coffee!

Apart from that I'm quite healthy, walk and cycle regularly and eat chicken stir frys most off the time, don't drink or smoke....


Yeah i know my life is very boring but I have kids so don't get to do anything interesting these days




[Edited on 4/7/19 by Mr Whippy]

Many years ago I worked in an office right next to the coffee machine... I used to wonder why I had the shakes when I went home in the evening!

Nowadays I know better, and still enjoy good strong coffee occasionally - usually with a big glass of water on the side, like they do in Europe's coffee shops.

Hmm I drink a lot of coffee, all bean to cup machine based double shots. Probably 6 or 7 a day plus a couple at home. Never seem to get the shakes, it never affects my sleep when drunk before bed, my BP is normal. 🤷‍♂️

I once drove from Coventry to Dunns (Scottish borders) did about 8 hours work and drove home. I was a little tired so had a red bull or two, a coke, a few cups of tea .... you get the idea. Found myself shouting at the radio (listening to radio 4 to help stay awake) on the drive home. Got back to the office in the evening, sent an email and noticed i was shaking. From someone who never drank anything with caffiene in i'd drank twice the legal limit. That wasn't fun........ i now drink tea by the pint and brew it for at least 5 minutes. Luckily my last heart check I had lowish blood pressure

I recently had a seizure completely out of the blue and ended up being looked after our amazing NHS for a week, while in hospital you get your cup of dish water coffee every 4 hours all fine. When back home started drinking my stronger coffee more frequently and started feeling crap, I then twigged it was when drinking a coffee I was feeling worse so took the decision to stop for a few weeks to see if any improvement. The first week was hell constant sore head and drinking this weird stuff called water, after week one started feeling better so took the decision to go for four weeks without to give myself a fair chance. After four weeks decided to try a decaf coffee and hated it so tried another the next day and the same hated it. So for four months now never had a coffee and I feel like brand new, I always had a small judder running through me which I only noticed after coming of it.

My wife's Aunt found a coffee substitute in Holland and Barrett which I can drink when I feel I need a coffee, it's not "coffee" but it does have a flavour that I remember coffee tasting off.

Not to long now for my medical driving ban to be over and it has been a long haul non existent bus services and daughters taxi service.

We do have some fantastic threads on this site, and this one is quite interesting, but I only drink Tea, and Beer !
If I drink one cup of coffee, it goes through me like greased lightning, and I will be on the toilet for hours, a nice good clearout!

I do however relay like the smell of coffee

steve

I'd sooner go without coffee than drink decaff - I don't like the taste (even the good stuff just isn't the same) and, once I've finished it, I want a cup of coffee! I was told to go decaff after my prostate cancer diagnosis and also to drink a lot of water during the day. Now I drink the occasional full-strength coffee but always have a big glass of water to follow to dilute the effects.

Over the past year I've tried to give up as much sugar and artificial sweeteners as I could - part of my weight-loss regime - this means that when I drink coffee black, unsweetened, it has to be good-quality stuff otherwise it's simply disgusting.

I like the way a few people have said that they drink tea rather than coffee - tea has almost the same amount of caffeine as coffee, especially builder's tea.

I like coffee (filter not instant) myself. Just got to work and sat down with a large mug to kick the day off. As a keen cyclist I've long been into drinking a lot of water too and I coffee for me is a morning drink not after midday. Epilepsy and the associated medication meant I stopped drinking any booze about 3 years ago. I don't miss the booze and my pocket certainly feels better not paying for it. Epilepsy has also called for regular blood tests and blood pressure checks, which are all come back fine for me. Not being allowed to drive means I walk 2.5 miles from work to the train station on weekdays, which is good exercise too. Don't smoke either!

Mr Whippy - sounds like you're making a change away from coffee to water, which can only be good, keep it up! Also don't rule out ever having coffee again! A decent mug of coffee now and again (maybe rinsed down with some water) can't be a bad thing.

Why not do what I did and go camp! No, not living under canvas or dressing like "whatsisname" Biggins, I'm referring to Camp Coffee.
Those of you of a certain age might remember it from your childhood. A few of you might still imbibe it.
I have a heart condition which, like the OP, can be exacerbated by caffeine. The good news is that Camp coffee doesn't contain any.
Try it. You probably won't like it but you just might. I'm drinking a cup right now and delicious it is, let me tell you.
One teaspoonful per mug.
You can thank me later. Or curse my name forever. It could go either way.

The label itself has an interesting history. Legend has it that Camp was created for military use, hence the Gordon Highlander (allegedly Major General Sir Hector MacDonald). On the original label he was being waited on by a sikh manservant. Various incarnations later and the latest "pc" label depicts the sikh soldier sitting with his own cup.

My grandad used to drink that. never realised it didn't have caffeine in it, might have to give it a go

paul

My grandad used to drink that. never realised it didn't have caffeine in it, might have to give it a go

paul

Ah Champ I used to drink that too, with coffee... it tastes quite nice tbh didn't notice it had no caffeine. I'm doing well, haven't touched a drop of coffee but have drunk my body weight in water