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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Sinusitis / April 2007Sinusitis and Caffeine
All, Perhaps others have already observed this but I noticed some similarities between migraines, caffeine withdrawal and my sinus symptoms. I did some research this week and have come to the conclusion that after an inflammation reaction due to allergies, viri or bacteria that drinking caffeine can inhibit the feedback mechanism that would normally suppress the immune response. Caffeine is a adenosine-receptor antagonist that blocks action of the adenosine which is part of the feedback system to limit inflammation. Paradoxically, adenosine also stimulates mast-cell function which is protective against bacteria. So by drinking caffeine, one can cause the sinuses to remain inflammed (chronic pressure and pain) and limit mast-cell function thus leaving one open to a bacterial infection in the future. Do a Google search for the article "Adenosine: an endogenous regulator of innate immunity" by Hasko and Cronstein for a description of Adenosine's role in immune response. Also, I found this site helpful www.caffeineandmigraine.com though I don't agree with of all his arguments. I am going to start tapering off caffeine this weekend and quit as soon as I can. *** Non-scientific poll -- how many here are regular caffeine users? Regards, David I myself rarely intake caffeine, and since my sinus flare-up beginning 6 months ago have eliminated it pretty much totally. Unfortunately for me, it has not done much good. If I have a flare up of sinus or allergy reaction. I do not want nor need the caffeine from coffee. I drink hot tea then until I feel like I want coffee again. We drink half and half decafe coffee in our house in the morning. shirleyann. Shirley ann wrote... > If I have a flare up of sinus or allergy reaction. > I do not want nor need the caffeine from coffee. > I drink hot tea then until I feel like I want coffee again. > We drink half and half decafe coffee in our house in > the morning. Please see my reply to Dr. Grossan in this thread. If my theory is correct then it might take 30 or 60 or more days of total caffeine abstinence to clear your sinus symptoms. I just don't know. Regards, David On 3/23/07 8:04 PM, in article A5WdnXXDgtupCJnbnZ2dnUVZWhednZ2d@inreach.com, > All, > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > Regards, > David Caffeine withdrawal headache can be severe and the pain is like migraine. You don't need to have a sinus inflammation to experience this pain. Usuallyl this headache comes on weekends - you sleep late and skip the morning coffee and usually about 4 or so the headache begins and is often mistaken for migraine or sinus pain. In some patients the pain responds better to aspirin than to codeine. >On 3/23/07 8:04 PM, in article A5WdnXXDgtupCJnbnZ2dnUVZWhednZ2d@inreach.com, > [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] >mistaken for migraine or sinus pain. In some patients the pain responds >better to aspirin than to codeine. I like caffeine, as long as it's in good, strong coffee. Or diet colas. I see no bad effects for me. There's lots of good and bad studies on coffee, one saying that there are a lot of good antioxidants in coffee. It keeps me alert, warm on a cold morning, and the right blend of coffee is like heaven. Switching to decaf or half/half or getting rid of it entirely is not something I'm going to do in the near future. Rick rick@spamgmail.com wrote.... > I like caffeine, as long as it's in good, strong coffee. Or > diet colas. I see no bad effects for me. There's lots of [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Switching to decaf or half/half or getting rid of it entirely is > not something I'm going to do in the near future. I like my coffee too but I want my life back from sinus problems. It is possible that chronic caffeine usage is preventing your immune system from returning to normal. I don't know if decaf is low enough. I am going for total caffeine abstinence to see if it works. See my reply to Dr. Grossan in this thread. Regards, David >rick@spamgmail.com wrote.... >> I like caffeine, as long as it's in good, strong coffee. Or [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >Regards, >David Good luck to you. When I wake up in the morning, I'm turning on the coffee pot,drinking 2 or 4 cups, reading the Sunday newspaper, and enjoying the hell out of the combination. I've already had my enormously successful stint with immunotherapy (read my posts), and I'm not going deprive myself of this great pleasure, just because you can come up with a theory. Come up with good solid proof for your theory and you might have my attention. But, please, not before my first cup. Rick rick@spamgmail.com wrote... > Good luck to you. Thanks. > When I wake up in the morning, I'm turning on the > coffee pot,drinking 2 or 4 cups, reading the Sunday > newspaper, and enjoying the hell out of the combination. One of my favorite things to do too... but this Sunday I drank OJ instead -- I admit, it just wasn't the same. > I've already had my enormously successful stint with > immunotherapy (read my posts), and I'm not going > deprive myself of this great pleasure, just because you > can come up with a theory. Come up with good solid > proof for your theory and you might have my attention. Suit your self. And you are correct, until it is proved my idea is really an hypothesis. Nevertheless, I'm just sharing what I discovered and thought maybe other's might benefit The proof is in the pudding, as they say, so my idea could not really be proved until people try it and see if it helps. For me the risk to reward ratio is there since its not dangerous or expensive to quit drinking coffee. Like most people here, I've been sick for years and would really like to shake this thing -- get off the antibiotics, irrigation, sinus pain, brain fog, fatigue, etc. And who knows, since according to my idea coffee is not causing the sinus inflammation (just preventing its immunological denouement), its possible that after a few months of no caffeine one can restart coffee without effect. > But, please, not before my first cup. I totally understand ;-) Regards, David Murray Grossan wrote... > Caffeine withdrawal headache can be severe and the pain is like migraine. > You don't need to have a sinus inflammation to experience this pain. > Usuallyl this headache comes on weekends - you sleep late and skip the > morning coffee and usually about 4 or so the headache begins and is often > mistaken for migraine or sinus pain. In some patients the pain responds > better to aspirin than to codeine. You are missing the point. Caffeine interferes with adenosine which plays a critical role in limiting inflammation. My theory is that it is possible that some cases of chronic sinusitis can be *cured* if caffeine is removed and the adenosine is allowed to do its job. (assuming no permanent physiological damage or anatomical blockages, etc). My case and many others that I have read online seem to follow a mysterious pattern whereby some one gets an acute sinus infection or has allergies and then their sinuses hurt and they get serial infection after rounds of antibiotics, nasal irrigation, steroids, etc but have totally normal sinus structure as shown in scans. This is a pattern consistent with caffeine interfering with the normal immune reaction mediated by adenosine. You should read the paper by Hasko and Cronstein and I would be happy to email it to you if you are interested. Regards, David > All, > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > I am going to start tapering off caffeine this weekend and quit > as soon as I can. I'm all for "your body, your science experiment" but I'd rather croak from sinus related causes than give up my coffee. I already blend good organic Ethiopian 80/20 with a great organic decaf so I can drink a whole pot, I'm not going lower than that. And I've got my sinusitis under much better control even without abx right now, by greatly reducing immunosuppressive meds, topical and inhaled, from my life. Caffeine, if I'm not mistaken, also stimulates adrenal function, which is anti inflammatory, and only immunosuppressive in excess. There's more than one thing to consider in your equation. Susan I actually did a no caffine thing for about 6 months. Did not help my sinuses. Maybe will help you. But I experienced a week or two of most unpleasent jangled nerve symptoms when I started to drink coffee again. "And I've got my sinusitis under much better control even without abx right now, by greatly reducing immunosuppressive meds, topical and inhaled, from my life. " Caffine undoubtedly has some effect, but from my experience it is not very strong. I absolutely agree Susan. Systemic immunosuppressive meds have made my condition worse every time I have diligently and cooperateively taken them as prescribed right up to the point of a stiff neck and double vision when I decided that I could not do much worse for myself by myself. I could kill myself quite as effectively if that is what I wanted, so I stopped taking them. And patched myself up with peppermint, mustard, and licorice until I could find a doctor that was not going to aim predisone at me. One of the greatest disservices that was ever done to sinus sufferers was the paradigm that the problem was due to the immune response to the bacteria and fungi in the mucus, not the fact that one has a mat of bacteria and fungi there producing digestive enzymes that disolve the human cells that they are moored to. In 2003 or so so, Jens Ponikau at Mayo reported fungi in nasal mucus. Then they found fungal spores in the nasal mucus of healthy controls Then they decided that eosinophiles were destroying the nasal epthielium on their way to attack fungi in the nasal mucus, so the problem was "allergy" as they thought all along. OH brother. How twisted the story becomes if they are trying to intergrate discoveries without changing anything. If a person has normally functioning nasal cilia and goblet cells, the fungal spores would be swept away long before they could germinate and grow. In order for chronic sinusitis to evolve, first something has to incapacitate or kill off the cilia, and then something has to produce a bed of mucus upon which fungal spores can germinate. In other words, viral infection kills the cilia and goblet cells, because the nasopharnyx is an air filter exposed to 1800 germs per cc in most areas, it does not take long to acquire a suite of pathogens to exploit the dead epithelium, even if the person did not have the pathogens as "normal flora". The pathogens such as staph, strep, and e-coli reproduce fast enough to exploit the newly killed field behind a viral invasion and produce a polysacride/amyloid matrix which catches fungal spores and in which they can grow. I would aver that you can not prove that the colonization is due to the inflammatory response, because if the cilia are intact and active there is not stagnant mucus pool for fungi to develop in weather there is inflammation or not. Thus I would aver the inflammation is the bodies proper defense to prevent the penetration of bacteria into the underlying tissue, the colonization is not due to the inflammatory response. truehawk wrote... >I actually did a no caffine thing for about 6 months. > Did not help my sinuses. Why did you quit? Also, how long did you have sinus problems before you tried nixing the caffeine? > Maybe will help you. I am hopeful... some of the symptoms are similar to migraine and caffeine withdrawal headache so I think there is a connection. If sinusitis were simple then the docs would have already found a cure. Its complex like cancer and so there may be different types or causes that respond to different treatments. > But I experienced a week or two of most unpleasent > jangled nerve symptoms when > I started to drink coffee again. Caffeine withdrawal is no picnic either... my last cup of coffee was Friday and I could not quit cold turkey so I've been taking Excedrin Migraine instead of drinking coffee. The caffeine content of coffee is so variable its hard to estimate but I was drinking anywhere from 300 to 550 mg of caffeine per day. I am down to one Excedrin in the AM and one in the PM for a total of 130mg/day. Eventually I will go to zero when I stop sleeping so much and feeling like crap. Thanks for your reply. Regards, David Susan wrote... > I'm all for "your body, your science experiment" but > I'd rather croak from sinus related causes than give > up my coffee. Believe me, I totally understand. As I stated in my reply to Rick -- that my experiment isn't too risky so it has a good risk to (potential) reward ratio, for me. I am just sharing my idea with others and don't have a gadget or potion to sell. > And I've got my sinusitis under much better control even > without abx right now, by greatly reducing immunosuppressive > meds, topical and inhaled, from my life. Good for you. > Caffeine, if I'm not mistaken, also stimulates adrenal function, > which is anti inflammatory, and only immunosuppressive in > excess. There's more than one thing to consider in your > equation. Yes, its effects are quite complex and not thoroughly studied which makes it rather surprising when doctors say (with confidence) that caffeine has few or no side-effects. I am finding out otherwise. Thanks for your reply. Regards, David I went back to drinking caffinated tea and coffee basically because I need the extra alertness as tax time approaches. As far as I can tell, for me the effects of caffine elimation on the sinuses are about a wash. But for me green or black tea with honey and lemon helps more than it hurts. Come to think of it, I was drinking quite a bit of tea along with Artemisinin and Galantamine. when I got it back under control without abx. You might want to look into are Artemisinin and Galantamine. > *** Non-scientific poll -- how many here are regular caffeine users? 1) it's as scientific as some of the clinical studies that have brought us a few prescription drugs over the years ;-) 2) Caffeine and I have a long and complex past, dating back about 35 years. It's been an on-again, off-again relationship, but ... I've never found any substantive reason to stay off of it, even when the separation has lasted for a year or more. 3) About every year, I tend to do a "fast" (fresh veggie juices, pure water, herbal tea) for 4-7 days. Nothing ever seems to resolve, but ... I still feel like it's good for me. 4) Coffee, for me, is pretty much a morning thing. I switch to green, or herbal, tea (or water) during the day. I'd love for what you say to be correct ... at least for me. Much as I'd miss my coffee--as you say--I'd miss my sinusitis a whole lot less. <neil0502@yahoo.com> wrote... >> *** Non-scientific poll -- how many here are regular caffeine users? > > 1) it's as scientific as some of the clinical studies that have > brought us a few prescription drugs over the years ;-) But my study has the merit of being much cheaper ;-) > 2) Caffeine and I have a long and complex past, dating back about 35 > years. It's been an on-again, off-again relationship, but ... I've > never found any substantive reason to stay off of it, even when the > separation has lasted for a year or more. I quit for a full year about ten years ago in my mid-thirties. The only effect that I recall is that the frequency of my migraines went up. > 3) About every year, I tend to do a "fast" (fresh veggie juices, > pure water, herbal tea) for 4-7 days. Nothing ever seems to > resolve, but ... I still feel like it's good for me. I've read about occasional fasting as a health benefit. I did fast once last year for about 4 days. I did feel pretty good. I'm not sure if I'm going to try that again. > 4) Coffee, for me, is pretty much a morning thing. I switch to > green, or herbal, tea (or water) during the day. Yep, morning coffee with the newspaper. I wonder if reading the newspaper can cause sinusitis? > I'd love for what you say to be correct ... at least for me. Much > as I'd miss my coffee--as you say--I'd miss my sinusitis a whole > lot less. Me too. I really want to get off this train and unsubscribe from this newsgroup so I am trying many things in addition to no caffeine. Unfortunately, if I get rid of my sinusitis I've got the confounding problem of all the things that I am doing but I am not a clinical researcher so I don't care, as long as I get better. Regards, David Caffeine inhibits the Adenosine A2A receptor. Sometimes when the body is exposed to enough of a receptor blocker, it actually increases production of the receptor to compensate [PMID 2812514]. For instance in androgen-driven prostate cancer, androgen receptor antagonists eventually have the opposite effect of that intended and instead of blocking the receptor, they cause the number of receptors to multiply. In habitual coffee drinkers, one can see an increase in adenosine receptor levels because of the constant inhibition (low-dose naltrexone works the same way). Some have speculated that the enhanced anti-inflammatory adenosine signaling in coffee drinkers accounts for their protection from Parkinson's - although there are plenty of flavonoids and other active ingredients in the coffee bean which could also bear some responsibility. You are generally right to point out that coffee interferes with the body's stress resolution system - and in some rather complicated ways, too. Caffeine increases ACTH and increases cortisol production. Theophylline, which is found abundantly in coffee, has numerous phamacological effects. Caffeine is also metabolized differently in various people <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060308084523.htm>. Like a lot of beans, coffee blocks magnesium absorption, which itself can aggravate allergies. But as I combed through my notes, I came upon the most interesting two items specifically with regards to allergies. 1) Neutral endopeptidase is a major beta-amyloid-degrading enzyme in the brain. Caffeine>theophylline/theobromine/theanine in green tea increases cellular NEP activity. The combination of epicatechin, epigallocatechin and EGCG with caffeine, theobromine or theophylline induces cellular NEP perhaps because of elevated cAMP [PMID 16597367]. Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide is an important 'on' signal for regulatory T-cells (Tregs), which are already underfunctional in allergies. NEP blocks VIP. Although I've never seen a study on the effects of caffeine in the gut of autoimmune patients, judging from this short metabolic chain I've just outlined, I'd assume that caffeine in some way interferes with Treg function via NEP - at least until somebody did an experiment to prove otherwise. Of course, as with most experiments on caffeine, the effects will probably be highly dose-specific whatever they find. 2) Caffeine signficiantly lowers the amount of lymph flow in the intestines of ovariectomized rats reducing cholesterol uptake in e GI tract [PMID 17056802]. Patients with Crohn's disease already have abnormally low blood flow in the area. >Caffeine inhibits the Adenosine A2A receptor. Sometimes when the body >is exposed to enough of a receptor blocker, it actually increases [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] >tract [PMID 17056802]. Patients with Crohn's disease already have >abnormally low blood flow in the area. Excuse me, but could you possibly state #1 and #2 again in plain English? I had to grab a second cup of French Roast after spilling the remains of my first as I tried to digest the "ovariectomized rats" line. And are you saying not to eat beans? Seriously, though, the audience here are commoners . There are a few doctors, but even they usually speak plainly. If you have a point, I'm sure folks like me would benefit from what you have to say, although I have to tell you no ENT has ever told me to quit coffee and/or caffeine. The only doc who asked me about coffee use was my gastro. I told him I gave up cigarettes some time ago, getting rid of coffee is just something I can't do. I could tell he was also a coffee drinker and said, "I know what you mean." But while I'm at it, a recent study said that coffee has the highest amount of antioxidents of any beverage. Has any study been done to refute that? And (to keep it on topic) are the increase of said antioxidents related in anyway to sinus health? I need to stop now and pour another cup. ;-) Rick > But while I'm at it, a recent study said that coffee has the highest > amount of antioxidents of any beverage. Has any study been done to > refute that? And (to keep it on topic) are the increase of said > antioxidents related in anyway to sinus health? I thought dark cocoa was highest? I've been, um, er, having medicinal doses of very dark chocolate every night just about. In the name of science and all. > I need to stop now and pour another cup. ;-) Rick, I'm a coffeeholic, but I had to cut caffeine due to adrenal issues. I make an incredibly rich, smooth pot of coffee (and I drink the whole thing myself) out of 20% Jim's organic Ethiopian and 80% Jim's organic Together decaf. Together is a blend of dark and medium roasts, and it is incredibly rich tasting. Some nights, I can't wait to fall asleep just so I can smell and drink that first cup of coffee in the a.m. Really. Susan >x-no-archive: yes > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >doses of very dark chocolate every night just about. In the name of >science and all. Hey, I love dark chocolate, and I eat that as well. It's good for you. The hell with which is highest - they're both damn good. Enjoy. :-) >Some nights, I can't wait to fall asleep just so I can smell and drink >that first cup of coffee in the a.m. Really. Susan, I understand completely. The reverse of that is having good coffee at home knowing it will be an hour and a half to get to work, and there's just going to be crappy coffee. Rick > I understand completely. The reverse of that is having good coffee at > home knowing it will be an hour and a half to get to work, and there's > just going to be crappy coffee. > > Rick My husband takes our good coffee to work; we can't stand coffee out of the house anymore. We travel with our own, too. Only place to ever measure up was Jury's hotel in Boston. Susan >x-no-archive: yes > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >Susan Hey, I take my own neck pillow when I travel, so I understand. Rick > Hey, I take my own neck pillow when I travel, so I understand. Neck pillow??? I take my 100% natural latex full sized bed pillow everywhere I go. Susan You guys need a coffee support group Mel > x-no-archive: yes > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Susan > You guys need a coffee support group All I need is coffee beans/grounds and some hot water. Susan > Excuse me, but could you possibly state #1 and #2 again in plain > English? I had to grab a second cup of French Roast after spilling > the remains of my first as I tried to digest the "ovariectomized rats" > line. Coffee has complex effects which act on your adrenal system and can theoretically interfere with the cells responsible for suppressing autoimmune reactions (Tregs - this includes allergies). It doesn't have nutritional benefit and it could be screwing you up. > And are you saying not to eat beans? If you have zinc or magnesium deficiency. Have you ever been tested for it? > But while I'm at it, a recent study said that coffee has the highest > amount of antioxidents of any beverage. Has any study been done to > refute that? And (to keep it on topic) are the increase of said > antioxidents related in anyway to sinus health? Why would it matter? Pomegranate juice has a lot of antioxidants and it's a problem for those same classes of cells. These antioxidants can have complex effects on your body's inflammation. Normally they're very healthy for you unless they're upsetting your immune system or digestion. You really can't sort out allergies and intolerances without an allergy elimination diet. Theoretically speaking, you could have some sort of allergy to the lectins in the coffee beans and it's aggravating your sinusitis. >You really can't sort out allergies and intolerances without an allergy >elimination diet. Theoretically speaking, you could have some sort of >allergy to the lectins in the coffee beans and it's aggravating your >sinusitis. No, Kofi, coffee isn't aggravating my sinusitis. Mold is awful for me. That's why I went through testing, and 7 months of immunotherapy (I get my once a month maintenance injections(2) tomorrow.) I haven't been sick but twice in that time, compared to being sick nearly every day for 2 years previous. Show me a study that eliminating coffee beans will do the same thing and I'll consider giving up the glorious bean. I gave up a 25-year 2-pack a day smoking habit 13 years ago. I substitute coffee, Kofi, in its place. Copious cups of steaming coffee. Watch the scene called "The Bonnie Situation" from Pulp Fiction and you'll see how I feel about coffee, Kofi. But please, don't make people who enjoy coffee, Kofi, suffer for months thinking stopping drinking it is going to clear up their sinuses. Unless there's medical proof. Which there isn't. Rick > >You really can't sort out allergies and intolerances without an allergy > >elimination diet. Theoretically speaking, you could have some sort of [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > beans will do the same thing and I'll consider giving up the glorious > bean. It's not a matter of general population studies. It's a matter of individual antibodies. If you're asymptomatic and drinking coffee regularly, they why are you concerned about coffee? On the other hand, if you're symptomatic and drinking coffee or something with caffeine, you ought to put whatever you're eating on the list of suspects. I don't care one way or another about coffee. It's not like I make money either way. If you've got symptoms, you should consider everything in your diet suspect until you can rule it out. I only suggest that because there's no perfect lab test for rooting out allergies and food intolerances. Kofi wrote... > On the other hand, if you're symptomatic and drinking coffee or > something with caffeine, you ought to put whatever you're eating [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > until you can rule it out. I only suggest that because there's no > perfect lab test for rooting out allergies and food intolerances. I don't think that coffee is causing allergies but that it *could be* interferring in the resolution of the inflamation *process* based on the article that I posted regarding caffeine's effect on the adenosine receptors. When I read this I very quickly decided to quit drinking coffee even though I love it. Since we don't know the cause of chronic sinusitis, I agree with Kofi -- anyone with this disease is stuck with trial and error in finding relief. Regards, David >Kofi wrote... >> On the other hand, if you're symptomatic and drinking coffee or [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >Regards, >David I agree with both of you - within limits. I just see no reason to deprive oneself of life's luxuries for months at a time. Wouldn't one month be enough? Or better yet, why not do without any food you think could possibly cause a reaction for a month, and then add the potential offenders back once a week until the symptoms occurred. I can't believe a study of this sort hasn't already been tried. Anyone? Rick > Kofi wrote... >> On the other hand, if you're symptomatic and drinking coffee or [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > adenosine receptors. When I read this I very quickly decided > to quit drinking coffee even though I love it. You extrapolated from one scientific study on adenosine receptors to making a dietary change? Given how many steps any medication has to go through from laboratory experiment to clinical trials, I think you made a leap of faith that was much too big. I know of no study of human beings in vivo suggesting that using caffeine worsens sinusitis. In fact, caffeine has *decongestant* properties, and it used to be prescribed by doctors as a decongestant and asthma remedy before the invention of more modern drugs like Sudafed and Afrin. There is the *pseudo-scientific* theory of naturopathy, which teaches that most disease (including sinusitis) is actually caused by a violation of "natural, organic, healthful" ways of living. And they suggest that if your lifestyle is made healthier, your various chronic diseases will diminish or even disappear. Of course, this takes them off the hook for having to identify any specific cause of any given disease. They can attribute any disease to "lifestyle," and claim that your sinusitis will improve if you change your lifestyle, your diabetes will improve, your lower back pain will improve, etc. Thus no matter what chronic disease you present to them, they will hand you a standard set of recommendations like a vegan diet, exercise, no recreational drugs such as alcohol or caffeine. This naturopathic doctrine ("natural," "organic", etc.) has sort of filtered into the consciousness of modern society, mostly as part of this "New Age" idealism that took off during the 1960's. But scientifically it's worthless. If you have heart disease, reducing your caffeine intake isn't a bad idea. But if you have sinusitis or lower back pain, it probably won't matter.  SignatureSteven D. Litvintchouk Email: sdlitvin@earthlinkNOSPAM.net Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me. > I don't think that coffee is causing allergies but that it *could be* > interferring in the resolution of the inflamation *process* based [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Regards, > David I was combing over my notes for another purpose and I noticed that theophylline - which is abundant in coffee - induces HDAC2, making it helpful in COPD. Some papers even suggest it might be effective for allergic diseases, however this was before HDAC inhibitors like butyrate were found to activate regulatory T-cells. Tregs are known to suppress autoimmune reactions. I would speculate that theophylline could interfere with Treg activation through its activities on histones. There are, of course, multiple pathways affected by theophylline and other components of coffee and multiple ways for Tregs to be affected. At the very least, it should send up a red flag to consider until somebody can do a broader, quite specific test. If we can't extrapolate from scientific studies to point out potential dangers, what should we extrapolate from? Voodoo? It may not be easy, but there's real value to this kind of approach. >> I don't think that coffee is causing allergies but that it *could be* >> interferring in the resolution of the inflamation *process* based [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >At the very least, it should send up a red flag to consider until >somebody can do a broader, quite specific test. So you're still saying (in not so plain English) is to stop the coffee drinking until some test is done. Who's going to do the test? You? When will it start and end? Sorry, I am just not going to support telling people who may be reading this for the first time trying to find answers to stop drinking coffee (or anything else) based on what you consider a *red flag*. >If we can't extrapolate from scientific studies to point out potential >dangers, what should we extrapolate from? Voodoo? > >It may not be easy, but there's real value to this kind of approach. If you look hard enough there's a potential danger in everything. Everyone knows the air's polluted, but you can't make people stop breathing to avoid it. And there's real value to an actual study with actual people. Theory only gets you so far. The more accurate call would be to use a common sense approach. Go without a week or two without coffee (or whatever is the supposed offense du jour), and see if that helps. Rick > If you look hard enough there's a potential danger in everything. > Everyone knows the air's polluted, but you can't make people stop [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Rick I stopped coffee for two weeks but I did tea instead. There was no difference but the tea has caffeine in it and I drink it strong. Maybe there is somebody out there that stopped coffee and tea. Jamffer >> If you look hard enough there's a potential danger in everything. >> Everyone knows the air's polluted, but you can't make people stop [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >Maybe there is somebody out there that stopped coffee and tea. >Jamffer Maybe. And I bet along with still having sinusitis they're probably cranky and irritable, too. ;-) Rick >. So by drinking > caffeine, one can cause the sinuses to remain inflammed (chronic > pressure and pain) and limit mast-cell function thus leaving one > open to a bacterial infection in the future. . > I am going to start tapering off caffeine this weekend and quit > as soon as I can. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Regards, > David Let us know if stopping caffeine has any real positive results. I know that it can dehydrate , which can thicken mucus. I like my coffee but would give it up if I knew it would clear up my sinusitis. Jamffer |
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