Who put the Seize in my Coffee
Hello! I'm Katrina, and you've found the Living with Disabilities advocacy website.
Our primary goal is to foster a deeper understanding of the disabled community within society. We work to achieve this by striving for greater acknowledgment of the wide variety of disabilities and conditions that exist.
Here at Living with Disabilities, we are dedicated to educating, advocating, and raising awareness about disability-related topics. Through meaningful conversations and shared experiences, we aim to promote understanding, inclusion, and recognition of the abilities of people with disabilities.
Join me as we explore important topics, share knowledge, and work together toward a more inclusive society.
Coffee has become part of many people’s daily routine. For some, it is the first thing they reach for in the morning. For others, it is something they enjoy throughout the day.
Recently, I came across information about caffeine and seizures that made me stop and think about one particular experience from my own life.
So, let’s talk about coffee, caffeine, seizures, and one experience that I have never forgotten.
Living with Disabilities Hands Over the Keyboard
Living with Disabilities wants to hand over the keyboard to Katrina, as she has something to share about her own experience with today’s topic.
Thank you so very much, Living with Disabilities. I would gladly place my fingers on the keyboard and share this experience with many readers here.
Katrina’s Story
Let’s go back to the fall semester of 2016.
I was sitting in class working on a group assignment. Even my professor wasn't feeling well that day.
Then came a four-day weekend.
Instead of simply relaxing, I was working on redoing some of my classwork because I wanted to get a better grade. I also had homework due the next day.
Then something happened.
I started having a coughing fit.
My throat was irritated, and I was trying everything I could think of to calm the coughing down. I was gargling with salt water, dealing with mucus, and coughing what seemed like nonstop.
The coughing eventually became a trigger for my breathing problems and asthma.
I tried using my nebulizer and my Albuterol inhaler.
I was trying to breathe.
Whatever this was, it was trying its hardest to take me down.
All right, Western medicine wasn’t doing its job—or at least, that’s how it felt to me at the time.
Then came another approach.
A relative made me some black coffee with no sugar.
I waited.
It didn't work.
Instead, I became jittery.
I was going back and forth between what I thought of as Western and Eastern approaches while still trying to complete my assignments.
I felt like I had stepped into a battle zone with my health while trying to complete all of my assignments.
After four visits to the emergency room, I finally found out what was going on.
It turned out to be subcutaneous emphysema.
And there is one part of those emergency room visits that I will never forget.
The same receptionist greeted me each time.
During my last visit, she looked at me and shouted:
“Hey, I remember you!”
My response?
“Please don’t; this is my last time coming in here.”
I was being rolled through the automatic doors when I said it.
And I meant it.
Now you may be wondering:
“Okay, Katrina, where do seizures come into this story?”
Well, this is where the story gets a little more personal.
A wise woman—who the host lovingly calls Mom—shared something with me that sparked this entire article.
She said that people with seizures shouldn’t drink coffee.
That statement immediately got my attention.
Could there be something to what she was saying?
Was there something about caffeine that I needed to understand better?
And that simple conversation became the spark behind:
“Who Put the Seize in My Coffee?”
Mom’s statement made me want to dig deeper—not simply accept something I heard, but actually look into the information and understand what is known about caffeine, coffee, and seizures.
And while my own experience does not prove that coffee causes seizures, Mom’s words gave me a reason to start asking questions.
Sometimes, that’s how a story begins.
So, with that said, Katrina is handing the keyboard back over to Living with Disabilities to finish this conversation.
Back to Living with Disabilities
Thank you, Katrina.
And thank you, Mom, for giving us something to think about.
There is an important part of this conversation that we need to clarify.
The statement that people with seizures shouldn’t drink coffee is not a universal medical rule.
According to the Epilepsy Foundation, usual or normal amounts of caffeine do not appear to affect seizure control for most people with epilepsy. However, some people may be more sensitive to caffeine, especially when consuming larger amounts. Caffeine may also affect seizures indirectly by interfering with sleep.
So, can people with seizures drink coffee?
The answer isn't necessarily the same for everyone.
A better question may be:
How does caffeine affect me?
My Cup Isn’t Necessarily Your Cup
We are all different.
Two people can have the same disability or the same diagnosis and still have completely different experiences.
One person may drink coffee and notice no problems.
Another person may feel jittery after drinking caffeine.
Someone else may notice that caffeine interferes with their sleep.
And another person may notice no connection between caffeine and their seizures at all.
The Epilepsy Foundation explains that not everyone with epilepsy has seizure triggers, and triggers can vary from person to person.
That is something important to remember.
My experience is my experience. Your experience is your experience.
Mom Knows Best
Katrina has not had a seizure from drinking coffee.
That is important for me to say.
I try to avoid things that I believe could potentially contribute to seizure activity. At the same time, I don't always know what my individual triggers are.
I know that certain things can contribute to seizure activity for some people, but that doesn't mean every possible trigger affects every person in the same way.
Mom's statement wasn't necessarily a medical rule.
Instead, it became a reason for me to ask questions.
So, Was Mom Right?
Well...
Mom may have been onto something.
At least when it comes to being cautious about caffeine and her daughter.
The research does not establish that everyone with seizures needs to avoid coffee. What it does show is that caffeine can affect people differently and that paying attention to patterns can be useful.
And as they say:
Mom knows best.
At least sometimes.
And in this case, Mom certainly got Katrina thinking.
One Person’s Trigger May Not Be Another Person’s Trigger
We’re not all wired the same way.
One person may find that caffeine bothers them.
Another person may not.
One person may have sleep problems that affect their seizures.
Another person may have stress, illness, dehydration, missed medication, or another factor that seems to play a role.
The important thing is learning your own patterns.
The Epilepsy Foundation recommends tracking possible triggers and looking for patterns rather than assuming that something is a trigger based on only one or two experiences.
Triggers Can Show Up in Everyday Things
Sometimes, triggers can be connected to everyday parts of life.
Food.
Drinks.
Sleep.
Stress.
Illness.
Not getting enough fluids.
Missing medication.
And yes...
Even coffee can be something worth paying attention to.
That does not mean coffee is automatically a problem for everyone.
It means that if you notice a consistent connection between caffeine, sleep, and your seizures, it may be worth paying attention to that pattern and discussing it with your healthcare professional.
So...
There isn't a simple answer.
For Katrina, avoiding something she believes could potentially contribute to seizure activity is part of being cautious—even though she has never personally had a seizure from drinking coffee.
For someone else, coffee may not have the same effect.
And that's really the point.
We shouldn't assume that one person's experience automatically becomes everyone else's experience.
Instead, we can learn.
We can ask questions.
We can pay attention to our own bodies and patterns.
And we can have conversations with our healthcare professionals when we have concerns.
Because here at Living with Disabilities, we're not just talking about disabilities.
We're talking about living with them.
So, I'll leave you with one final question:
Is this just coffee—or could there be more to the story?
Epilepsy Foundation — “Is There a Relationship Between Coffee and Seizures?”
This source discusses the different experiences people report with coffee and caffeine and explains that the evidence in humans is less clear. It also discusses possible indirect effects, including sleep disruption.
Read: Epilepsy Foundation — Is There a Relationship Between Coffee and Seizures?
Epilepsy Foundation — “Seizure Triggers”
This source explains that seizure triggers vary from person to person and includes lack of sleep, stress, illness, dehydration, missed medications, and excess caffeine among commonly reported factors. It also explains why tracking patterns can help identify possible triggers.
Read: Epilepsy Foundation — Seizure Triggers
Epilepsy Foundation — “Drug Abuse as a Seizure Trigger”
This source specifically addresses caffeine and states that usual or normal amounts do not appear to affect seizure control for most people with epilepsy, while noting that some susceptible people may experience effects, particularly with larger amounts. It also notes that caffeine may affect seizures indirectly through sleep disruption.
Read: Epilepsy Foundation — Drug Abuse as a Seizure Trigger
Epilepsy Foundation — “Lack of Sleep and Epilepsy”
This source explains the relationship between sleep deprivation and seizures and discusses how caffeine can interfere with sleep.
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