Many people notice a link between caffeine and vertigo. For some people, caffeine can be a vertigo trigger. Other people may feel that caffeine is a relieving factor. This blog discusses some links between caffeine and vertigo.
Aggravating Factors for Dizziness or Vertigo
Caffeine can sometimes be an aggravating factor for certain conditions that cause vertigo. I will share four specific examples.
For people with true Meniere’s disease, caffeine can trigger a vertigo attack. People who are diagnosed with Meniere’s disease usually cut down on salt and caffeine to reduce attacks.
For some people with vestibular migraines, caffeine can be a migraine trigger. Click here to learn more about vestibular migraines.
A chronic mild daily vestibular migraine can be triggered by BPPV or upper cervical dizziness, and can be exacerbated by caffeine. In that case, treating the deepest root cause is key for lasting relief.
So these episodes may be linked to people with chronic recurrent medical diagnoses that cause episodes of vertigo, like Meniere’s disease and vestibular migraines. However, there are a few other possibilities.
If someone has anxiety-related dizziness, caffeine can heighten anxiety and worsen baseline dizziness. Caffeine can heighten the fight-or-flight response triggered by vestibular vertigo.
Caffeine is also a diuretic, so it can cause dehydration. In turn, dehydration can cause dizziness or even precede vertigo. For someone with low blood pressure, dehydration may be a cause of worse dizzy spells with standing up.
So caffeine and dizziness may be linked for people with anxiety-related dizziness, exacerbated fight-or-flight response, or dehydration.
If you think that caffeine is making your dizziness or vertigo worse, then caffeine may be an aggravating factor for you.
Relieving Factors for Dizziness or Vertigo
For other types of migraines, caffeine may provide relief from a headache. For some migraine patients, caffeine can even stop a migraine attack in advance. So caffeine can both trigger and relieve a migraine, depending on the patient.
You are Unique
Whether your body has a connection between caffeine and vertigo depends on your unique vertigo triggers. It may have absolutely no connection at all for some patients who suffer.
You can discuss your situation with your doctor or a nutritionist to decide how much caffeine is appropriate for you to consume on a daily basis, if any.
For more information on the link between the gut and vertigo, click here.
For an article on the link between reflux and vertigo, click here.
Disclaimer
This blog is provided for informational and educational purposes only. The content and any comments by Dr. Kim Bell, DPT are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The details of any case mentioned in this post represent a typical patient that Dr. Bell might see and do not describe the circumstances of a specific individual.
Had a brainstem stroke about 8 months ago. I am dizzy much of the time, but I also drink lots of coffee. It seems that after about my third cup I am dizzy for the next six hours. I will try to cut back and see what happens.
Hi Mike, thanks for dropping the info. I’m struggling with caffeine related dizziness. I stopped consuming a gallon every morning and have to replace it with herbal tea for hydration. Your experience is like mine so it was helpful to read. Thanks.
Thank you for sharing. Experiencing this now after 10-12 oz of coffee. In process of testing of cause of the dizziness. Thank you.
I am just reading this about caffeine. I have had several bouts of dizziness (resulting in a BPPV diagnosis) over a couple of years. These last two were different because I tested negative for BPPV. My physical therapist suggested a thorough ENT evaluation and followup with a neurologist. She suspects that I am having vestibular migraines. I am investigating triggers now. It looks like I may have to try giving up coffee.
Any update?
I’ve just turned 47 and starting Peri-menopause. 3 times over the last few months I’ve gone out for a coffee with a friend (I don’t usually drink coffee) and within 20 minutes have had a major bout of Vertigo thinking I was going to faint plus nausea. Really horrible sitting in a Cafe but couldn’t stand up. Caffeine definitely is a trigger for me.
I recently lost consciousness and fell down breaking my nose. I was on spring break week which means I generally drink more than usual coffee in the mornings. Preceding the fall I had about 3 cups of coffee and a 32 ounce cup of soda. The doctors could not pinpoint the reason for me passing out…but all I could come up with is the amount of caffeine.
I have a history of mild vertigo or vestibular imbalance, but for the past 3 months, I had no such experience, and my blood chemistry tests were all within reference range. This morning, upon getting up, I experienced light vertigo, and after 10 min. or so, only trouble walking steadilly, and the vertigo was gone. My question is what caused this all of a sudden. Last night I watched an opera on Youtube for two hours or so with Earpods on my ears. Also, about 4 oz of Moscato wine. I am 91 years old female, and fine cognitively. Can someone suggest what I should do or not do?
I only get Vertigo when I try to get out of bed in the morning or when I want to sleep on my left side — the room spins for about 5 secs then it’s gone. It could be because I drink Brandy and Coke lite.
Hi Anthony,
You may be interested in this article.
That sounds like it might be BPPV. Go to a Vestibular physical therapist and they can usually help with that.
Anthony this is exactly how my vertigo symptoms are. I’m noticing it’s much worse in the winter. I’m in a very cold climate.
I had a bout of vertigo this week. So bad I threw up. I had 2 cups of coffee that morning. I did Epley Manuever and it ended up going away by afternoon. Next 2 days I didn’t drink any coffee, only 1 cup of tea and 1 Diet Coke. No symptoms. Today I had 2 cups of coffee and the symptoms are back. Along with a headache.
I am a chronic vertigo, meniere’s disease and tinnitus sufferer. Last week, I added dark chocolate to my daily intake of two cups of coffee. The result has been dizziness and bouts of debilitating vertigo. I had made no other dietary or lifestyle changes prior to the addition of dark chocolate to my coffee.
I am 87- years-old, and a cancer survivor.
Lesson learned.
I have been suffering with vertigo/dizziness for several years now with no help from my GP except medication that didn’t work. A friend suggested BPPV treatment that helped a lot but didn’t totally eliminate the daily milder dizziness. I tried diet things like eliminating gluten and cutting back on coffee. It wasn’t till I totally quit drinking coffee that I noticed a big difference. I have also learned that acupuncture can help so I am looking into that.
I am a 72 year old female. I experienced very bad vertigo and I just decided that I had enough coffee drinking. Since I stopped, the vertigo stopped. Interesting that I saw a YouTube video comment about coffee, tea and chocolate triggering vertigo. Since I only drink red tea now, it stopped.
Good for you, its a blessing. I believe I need to stop Coffee drinking. I experience umbalance feeling all the time. Do you also take any meds for the condition ?
This is really interesting. About 18 months ago I was diagnosed as being in an anxiety state. I was not worried about anything so it is a bit of a mystery. I recovered but still feel a bit light headed and have slight tinnitus, neither which bothers me too much. However it would be nice to get rid of these issues. I drink black coffee when I wake up and usually have another one a bit later. I will give the coffee a miss and see what happens. I feel fine in all other aspects. I exercise quite a bit and am active and 75 years old (female).
This year I started having episodes of vertigo even when sitting, it felt like I was going cross eyed and had blurred vision (closing my eyes would help) sometimes I had a geo patterned ring in my vision. The doctors diagnosed as possible vasovagal Syncope or Migraine, although I didn’t really have any headache, but an episode would often leave me feeling off balance and shaky for hours afterwards. Some days I just generally felt slightly dizzy but it seemed constant. I recently just wondered whether it was coffee that was doing it, as the episodes always occured in the morning and after caffeine. I’ve drank coffee for years, I don’t drink a lot of, 2 cups of ground per morning and a couple of cups of tea, but at this point I’ll try anything so I’ve cut out all caffeine and so far no issues!!
Great Detective work! Well done.
I had been having episodes of vertigo, but I thought it was gone.
Then I went in to have cataract surgery and could not lay flat.
So the surgery was canceled! 😞
Now I’m going to physical therapy, to try to eliminate this vertigo problem.
So I can have the cataract surgery.
It’s hell getting old!