{"id":460360,"date":"2025-09-29T12:07:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T12:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/460360\/"},"modified":"2025-09-29T12:07:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T12:07:14","slug":"common-medications-you-should-never-mix-with-coffee-according-to-doctors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/460360\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Medications You Should Never Mix With Coffee, According to Doctors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two-thirds<\/a> of Americans drink coffee every day, making it the go-to drink of choice for many. But while kicking back with a cup seems harmless enough, there are potential medication and coffee interactions to be aware of. <\/p>\n

This is unfortunately a real thing. \u201cSome medications are not good when they are consumed with coffee or other caffeine sources,\u201d says Jamie Alan, Ph.D.<\/a>, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University. Of course, there are a lot of nuances here. How much coffee you drink matters, as well as when you sip it. <\/p>\n

While doctors say it\u2019s important to be aware of potential interactions between coffee and certain medications if you\u2019re on any prescription drugs, that doesn\u2019t mean you need to give up on coffee entirely. \u201cFor some drugs, caffeine-related drug interactions can be mitigated by lengthening the duration of time between caffeine consumption and medication use,\u201d says Kelly Johnson-Arbor, M.D.<\/a>,<\/a> a toxicologist at MedStar Health. <\/p>\n

Meet the experts<\/strong>: Kelly Johnson-Arbor, M.D.<\/a>,<\/a> a toxicologist at MedStar Health; Jamie Alan, Ph.D.<\/a>, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University.<\/p>\n

Of course, medications and coffee interactions aren\u2019t something that comes up a lot, making it understandable to have questions. Here\u2019s what doctors want you to keep in mind before having your next cup of coffee.
<\/strong><\/p>\n

Which medications may interact with coffee?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not sure if a medication you\u2019re taking may interact with coffee, it\u2019s important to check in with your prescribing doctor or pharmacist. But these are some of the biggest drug categories to consider. <\/p>\n

Antidepressants<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some antidepressant medications may interact with caffeine. \u201cFluvoxamine (Luvox) blocks the metabolism of caffeine, resulting in higher levels of caffeine in the human body as well as the potential for prolonged caffeine-related side effects like heart palpitations and anxiety,\u201d Dr. Johnson-Arbor says. <\/p>\n

But other antidepressants, like tricyclic antidepressants and SNRI drugs (like venlafaxine), have not been found to have significant interactions with caffeine in people, Dr. Johnson-Arbor says. <\/p>\n

Anti-coagulants<\/strong><\/p>\n

This class of medication, which is also known as blood-thinners, is used to prevent blood clots from forming. \u201cThe one to worry about is warfarin (Coumadin),\u201d Alan says. \u201cTaking a significant amount of caffeine with warfarin may increase bleeding and bruising.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the rest of the medications in this class don\u2019t have significant interactions with coffee, Alan says. <\/p>\n

Anti-psychotics<\/strong><\/p>\n

These medications are used to treat conditions like schizophrenia and major depressive disorder (MDD). \u201cThere are two in this class that could have significant interactions with caffeine: Clozapine (Clozaril) and Olanzapine (Zyprexa),\u201d Alan says. \u201cClozapine is very rare and is only given after a monthly blood test. Olanzapine is pretty common.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caffeine messes with the body\u2019s ability to break down clozapine, and this can lead to excessively high levels of the medication in the body, Dr. Johnson-Arbor says. <\/p>\n

Bronchodilators<\/strong><\/p>\n

These medications are often used to treat symptoms of asthma and work by opening up and relaxing the airways in the lungs. \u201cCaffeine and its chemical cousin theophylline have bronchodilator activity, and theophylline was used for decades as a preferred treatment agent for asthma,\u201d Dr. Johnson-Arbor says. \u201cWhile caffeine causes bronchodilation, it can also cause similar side effects as other bronchodilator agents, including heart palpitations, tremors, and anxiety. \u201c<\/p>\n

Blood pressure medication<\/strong><\/p>\n

The caffeine in coffee acts as a stimulant and cause cause your blood pressure to rise for hours after you drink it, Dr. Johnson-Arbor says. \u201cFor people who take blood pressure medications like beta-blockers or diuretics, caffeine can reduce the anti-hypertensive effect of those medications,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

Something else to consider, per Alan: \u201cPeople with high blood pressure should monitor their caffeine intake in general. \u201c<\/p>\n

Cholinesterase inhibitors <\/strong><\/p>\n

These medications are used to treat conditions like Alzheimer\u2019s disease and dementia. \u201cThis has a potential interaction with cholinesterase inhibitors that act in the brain,\u201d Alan says. \u201cThe theory is that caffeine \u2018tightens\u2019 the blood brain barrier, and less of the drug gets across the blood brain barrier.\u201d <\/p>\n

She flags these three drugs as having potential issues with caffeine: rivastigmine (Exelon), galantamine (Razadyne), and donepezil (Aricept). <\/p>\n

Pseudoephedrine <\/strong><\/p>\n

This medication is used to relieve nasal and sinus congestion. <\/p>\n

\u201cPseudoephedrine and caffeine are both stimulant drugs,\u201d Dr. Johnson-Arbor says. \u201cTaking these drugs simultaneously can result in an increased risk of unwanted stimulant-related side effects, including anxiety, tremors, and heart palpitations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some diabetes medications<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alan points out that the data is \u201cmixed\u201d on this one. But caffeine is linked with reduced insulin sensitivity and higher blood glucose levels, Dr. Johnson-Arbor says. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe effectiveness of anti-diabetic medications that work primarily by increasing insulin sensitivity, like metformin and GLP-1 agents, may be inhibited by caffeine intake,\u201d Dr. Johnson-Arbor says. <\/p>\n

M<\/strong>ethotrexate<\/strong><\/p>\n

The data is evolving around coffee and this medication, which is used to treat cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn some studies, caffeine was found to inhibit the anti-inflammatory effects of methotrexate,\u201d Dr. Johnson-Arbor says. But she points out that the data on this has been mixed. <\/p>\n

Some osteoporosis medications<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oral bisphosphonate medications like alendronate (Fosamax), may not be absorbed well by the body when they\u2019re taken with coffee, Dr. Johnson-Arbor says. \u201cFor this reason, alendronate and other oral bisphosphonate drugs should only be taken with water and should never be taken with caffeine-containing beverages,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

Quinolone antibiotics<\/strong><\/p>\n

This class of antibiotics treats a wide range of bacterial infections, including some UTIs and pneumonia. (It includes medications like ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin.) \u201cCaffeine could inhibit breakdown of these antibiotics, leading to potentially increased levels and toxicity,\u201d Alan says. <\/p>\n

Thyroid medications<\/strong><\/p>\n

Caffeine can interfere with the effectiveness of levothyroxine (Synthroid), Alan says. <\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean you have to skip your coffee, though. \u201cYou can still have the coffee, but drink it one hour before or two hours after any of these medications,\u201d Alan says. <\/p>\n

Again, if you\u2019re on a prescription medication and you\u2019re not sure if it\u2019s OK to have coffee with it, check in with your healthcare provider. They should be able to provide personalized guidance. <\/p>\n

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