10 Medications That Don’t Mix Well With Coffee

Many people begin their day with a cup of coffee. It offers a number of potential health benefits, but doesn’t mix well with many medications. Coffee can change how your body absorbs certain drugs, reducing their effectiveness and causing unpleasant side effects. Read on to learn more about what to avoid taking with your morning cup of joe.

1. Asthma Medications

Certain asthma medications work by relaxing the muscles in the airway to make breathing easier. Drinking too much coffee or other caffeinated beverages can increase the risk of side effects from these medications, including headache, nausea, restlessness and irritability.

2. Cold & Allergy Medications

Many cold and allergy medications contain central nervous system stimulants such as pseudoephedrine. Because coffee is also a stimulant, mixing it with cold and allergy medications can cause restlessness, jitteriness and sleep issues. Also, people with diabetes should be extra careful when consuming pseudoephedrine and caffeine together, because studies show the combination can raise blood sugar and increase body temperature.

3. Thyroid Medications

Many people take levothyroxine or other medications to manage hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone. Drinking coffee when you take your thyroid medication can reduce your body’s ability to absorb the medication, making it significantly less effective. Patients are usually told to wait 30 to 60 minutes after taking thyroid medicine to drink coffee.

4. Blood Thinners

Blood thinners help blood flow smoothly through the arteries and veins. They’re often prescribed to reduce the risk of blood clots after surgery or to treat certain heart or blood conditions. Since they stop blood from clotting, a common side effect of blood thinners is bleeding. Caffeine can also slow blood clotting. Drinking coffee around the time you take a blood thinner increases your risk of bleeding and bruising.

5. Blood Pressure Medicine

High blood pressure (hypertension) increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Millions of people take blood pressure medications, which slow the heart rate so it doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood. Drinking coffee close to when you take your blood pressure medication can decrease its absorption, making it less effective.

6. Antidepressants

Antidepressants are prescribed to help treat depression and certain other mental health conditions. Drinking coffee, especially in large amounts, can reduce the amount of antidepressant the body can absorb, lessening its benefits. Other antidepressants, including clomipramine and imipramine, are broken down by the same enzyme that breaks down caffeine. As a result, these medications may stay in the blood for a longer period of time, while increasing the effects of caffeine, including restlessness and jitters.

7. Antipsychotic Medications

Antipsychotic drugs help people who have schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, mania and certain other mental health conditions. If you drink coffee too close to taking these medications, the caffeine may impair the body’s metabolism of the drug so you don’t get the full benefit.

8. Osteoporosis Medications

Osteoporosis is a common condition that causes bones to become weak and brittle. Medications used to prevent and treat osteoporosis include risedronate and alendronate. These medications should only be taken with water. If they’re taken with coffee or any other beverage or food, their effectiveness can be greatly reduced.

9. Melatonin

Nightfall and darkness naturally trigger the release of melatonin, a hormone that helps you feel sleepy at night. Melatonin is also sold as an over-the-counter sleep aid. In addition to interfering with the body’s natural production of melatonin, drinking coffee can reduce the effectiveness of melatonin supplements.

10. Alzheimer's Medicine

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of progressive dementia. The caffeine in coffee tightens the blood-brain barrier and can limit how much Alzheimer's medication reaches the brain. One type of Alzheimer’s medications work by protecting the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Consuming large amounts of coffee has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of these medications.

Timing Is Key

If you’re on one or more of the medications listed above and you love your coffee, don’t panic. You probably don’t have to give it up completely. However, you may need to adjust the timing of when you take your medications and when you enjoy that cup of joe. If you haven’t done so already, talk to your doctor about how to time your medications and your morning coffee.

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