Caffeine: How much is too much?
You're not getting enough sleep
You're taking medications or supplements
Curbing your caffeine habit
Content
How much is too much?
You drink more than 4 cups of coffee a day
Even a little makes you shaky
You don't get enough sleep
You take medicines or supplements or have certain conditions
Cutting back on caffeine
The bottom line
You take medicines or supplements or have certain conditions
Caffeine can have effects on medicines or supplements you take. It also may increase symptoms of some conditions such as anxiety, urinary incontinence or seizure disorders.
When a healthcare professional gives you a prescription for a new medicine, talk about how much coffee or tea you drink. Ask if that could be a problem with that medicine. Ask a pharmacist about medicines you get without a prescription.
It's safe to drink some caffeine with most medicines. But you should not have caffeine if you take medicine that has ephedrine. The mix could raise the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke or seizures in some people.
For that reason, use herbal supplements, such as ma huang, with care. Some supplements have a natural source of ephedra. For your safety, tell your healthcare professional about any medicine or supplements you take.
