Limit caffeine intake as much as you can if you have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
Developing bad caffeine habits will not help you feel better. The short bump in energy has disastrous after-effects as caffeine is a diuretic and fatigues the adrenal system further in the long run.
Gastrointestinal issues in POTS and EDS patients are extremely common and very disabling, and not understood or recognized well by most doctors, but there is a definitive link between connective tissue disorders such as EDS and digestive system GI symptoms.
EDS is a connective tissue disorder; Connective tissue is present all through the digestive tract, and therefore is usually directly affected by connective tissue abnormalities.
Due to the nature of the disorder, you want to avoid any added stress or inflammation to your body if you have EDS or POTS.
In general, drinking coffee can increase the acid levels in your stomach or gastrointestinal tract, which can lead to inflammation of the stomach, which conflicts with our overall goal of decreasing inflammation.
The caffeine in coffee has diuretic effects, which cause your body to urinate more, which conflicts with the recommendation we give our EDS & POTS patients: to increase hydration.
Dehydrated cells cannot properly function, cannot produce energy, and cannot eliminate waste. We recommend aiming to drink about two liters of water a day.
Start your patient journey with the Spero Clinic's neurologic rehabilitation program.
