The Medications You Should Never Take With Coffee



It’s a key part of most Americans’ morning routine: Wake up, take your meds, and make a cup of coffee. However, taking certain drugs alongside your morning cup of Joe could lead to disastrous side effects and severe complications, including high blood pressure and uncontrolled bleeding. Pharmacists have revealed the commonly taken drugs that could interact with coffee and other caffeinated beverages. These medications include: 

  • Antipsychotics like Clozapine and Olanzapine — Coffee reduces the amount of the medication is absorbed by the body. 
  • Antidepressants like Nardil, Lubox, and Fluvoxamine — Coffee can cause a dangerous increase in blood pressure and prevent the body from properly metabolizing the caffeine. 
  • Antibiotics like Levofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin (also called Cipro) — Coffee can cause these medications to increase the caffeine levels in the blood. 
  • Diabetes medications like Insulin and Metformin — Coffee can increase blood sugar, making the medication less effective. 
  • Blood pressure medications like Propranolol, Dilatrend and Metoprolol — Coffee increases your heart rate and ultimately increases your blood pressure. These medications should not be taken for 2 hours before having coffee or 4 hours after. 
  • Blood thinners like Warfarin and Plavix — The caffeine in coffee can inhibit the breakdown of blood thinners, leaving to more of the drug lingering in the body and putting you at risk of excessive bleeding. 
  • Alzheimers drugs like Rivastigmine and Donepezil — Coffee tightens the blood-brain barrier, making it more difficult for the medication to reach the brain, ultimately reducing its effectiveness. 
  • Thyroid medications like Levothyroxine — Coffee can reduce the amount of the drug that is absorbed by the body by as much as 50%. 
  • Osteoporosis medications like Actonel and Ibandronate — Taking these drugs with coffee can cause them to not be properly absorbed by the body, making them less effective. 
  • Asthma medications like Aminophylline and Theophylline — Coffee can exacerbate the drugs’ side effects like irritability and restlessness. 
  • Over-the-counter cold medications like Sudafed, Mucinex and Sinex — Coffee stimulates cells in the brain that are responsible for the “fight or flight” response, making you feel jittery and anxious. 
  • ADHD medications like Vyvanse, Ritalin and Adderall — Coffee makes these drugs less effective and can lead to increased hyperactivity.