Coffee is My Favorite Trigger

First off, I should start by saying that coffee is my favorite IBS trigger because it’s the only trigger that I deem necessary for me to function. In fact, I might be just showing a little too much love to coffee by saying it’s my favorite, but nonetheless, it’s the only trigger I am willing to tolerate for the sake of being productive when I need to be. By the way, I only drink at most 2 cups a day, and I never really drink coffee on the weekends unless I plan on working.

Coffee toleration

We all know that coffee-drinking is a big “no-no” for people that suffer from digestive issues. Caffeine is a well-known and highly-addictive bowel stimulant, which is why many prefer not to consume it. I never used to drink coffee before I started working from home for obvious IBS-related reasons. As expected, it would instantly or very shortly after send me running to the toilet with bouts of diarrhea, thereby interrupting my productivity at work, which is why I rarely drink coffee outside of my home. My IBS is extremely sensitive, especially in stressful environments like work, so drinking coffee back then would have been like being a daredevil for no reason at all. At the time, it just wasn’t worth the pain or risk of having an accident.

The reason why I am willing to tolerate coffee now, despite how bad it makes me feel, is because there aren’t any other alternatives that provide me with the proper energy I need to be productive. I’ve tried caffeinated tea, energy drinks, energy shots, energy capsules, etc., and unfortunately none of them work for me as well as coffee. And not just that, the side effects from the other substances are a lot worse to deal with than coffee, which is even more reason why I am willing to tolerate it. The main negative side effect I get from the other energy-boosting drinks or pills is usually intense constipation, which, personally for me, is a lot worse than having diarrhea. I much rather be able to go to the bathroom and somehow relieve some pain, as opposed to not being able to go at all and having the pain stuck in my body. Maybe I can say that because I’ve been dealing with IBS for so long, and therefore I’ve trained myself over time to get adjusted to certain symptoms. I just know when I suffer from constipation, I tend to deal with the worst pain ever, and I much rather avoid that type of agony. It’s almost like choosing between the lesser of two evils, which kind of sucks.

Worth the distruption

I’m sure a lot of you IBS sufferers might be wondering why I would even put myself through that kind of torture at all. Hess, why even drink coffee knowing that it can easily and negatively trigger your symptoms? Well, unfortunately, because of my IBS, I have trouble sleeping and the frequent bowel movements I experience (whether drinking coffee or not) drain so much of my energy throughout the day, making it tough to focus on work. Therefore, I feel I have no choice but to depend on a caffeinated substance to help me get through my to-do list, even though it may add disruptions to my day at the same time.

Do any of you have a “favorite” IBS trigger that you’re willing to tolerate for any specific reason? Please feel free to comment below and thank you for reading my article.