Sipping on that rich-tasting Joe is a feeling all coffee lovers look forward to. And sometimes, nausea is the price you pay. But you shouldn’t have to pass up on that feeling to avoid nausea. Instead, you can take preventive measures to avoid feeling sick.
Various factors could be behind your caffeine-induced nausea. Most likely, you’re consuming high-acid coffees, on medication, drinking coffee on an empty stomach, or experiencing acid reflux. And all of these causes have solutions.
The last thing any coffee lover wants to feel is sick from their favorite drink. But whatever the case is, nausea can be avoided or minimized with the proper steps. So now, let’s dive in and see what you can do to help with this annoyance.
Why am I Nauseous After Drinking Coffee?

Feeling nauseous after drinking coffee may be nerve-wracking, but you might find comfort in the fact that you’re not the only one experiencing this. Caffeine-induced nausea is quite common; one in every 5 Americans feels queasy after drinking coffee.
The stomach is filled with nerve endings, and when these endings are irritated, signals are sent to the brain to stimulate the part of the brain that controls nausea.
Various foods and ingredients can trigger this phenomenon. Caffeine is especially known to irritate the stomach lining in people with sensitive digestive systems.
Factors for Feeling Nauseous After Coffee
Feeling sick after your morning joe could be down to the caffeine or the add-ons in your cup of coffee. For one, caffeine can potentially wreak havoc on your stomach, which could be the reason for your morning sickness.
Also, your system could react to your drink’s additional ingredients. For example, sugar, milk, and creamer are common ingredients known to trigger nausea.
Acid Reflux
Your stomach constantly produces acid to aid in the digestion of foods. The stomach entrance has a ring of muscle that closes to prevent the acid from floating back to your mouth. However, in some cases, the muscle doesn’t fully close, allowing the acid to creep into the esophagus.
This is known as acid reflux. Aside from heartburn, acid reflux also causes nausea as it irritates the stomach lining, which then triggers the nausea receptors in your brain.
Caffeine mainly brings on acid reflux in two ways; it increases acid secretion and loosens the stomach muscle separating the stomach from the esophagus. When that occurs, your stomach overproduces acid that travels upwards in your digestive system, causing nausea in its wake.
You’re Drinking High-Acidity Coffee
Coffee grounds contain acid that’s extracted in the brewing process. Some coffees have higher acidity levels than others, depending on numerous factors. High-acidity coffee contributes to more stomach acid. The acid can cause irritation, which your brain reads as nausea.
If your jitter juice’s acidity level is behind your nausea, opting for a less acidic brew would be the best solution. Cold brewed coffee is generally less acidic because cold water mostly extracts the flavor and oils. Alternatively, you can try cutting your brew time. This will, however, leave you with a relatively dull coffee.
Here are other low acids coffee options you can try to counteract nausea:
- Chicory coffee blends
- Espresso
- Coffee made from dark roasts
- Specific low-acid brands like this one (on Amazon)
You’re Drinking Coffee on an Empty Stomach
Everyone is somewhat sensitive to coffee regardless of age, weight, and genetic makeup. On an empty stomach, caffeine sensitivity intensifies. The result is that not only will the effects of the coffee kick in faster, but the caffeine will upset your stomach.
Sipping on your cuppa joe on an empty stomach makes you more susceptible to experiencing vomiting, bloating, severe heartburn, and indigestion, all of which contribute to morning sickness.
You’re Taking Medication
Medical professionals strongly warn against taking coffee and medication as the combination can have serious and sometimes life-threatening side effects. On a lighter note, Caffeine interferes with medication in several ways. Consequently, you experience several symptoms, including nausea.
The idea is not to eliminate coffee from your diet altogether when you’re on medication but to time your caffeine consumption in a way that doesn’t interfere with your meds. Ideally, you want to stop caffeine intake one hour before and two hours after taking medications that interact with caffeine.
Additionally, reducing your daily java intake goes a long way in preventing nausea. Sometimes, your body doesn’t metabolize the caffeine long enough, resulting in prolonged side effects. Medications that generally clash with coffee are:
- Asthma medication
- Aspirin
- Contraceptive pills
- Antidiabetic medication
Tips for Avoiding Nausea After Drinking Coffee

Caffeine-induced nausea can affect just about anyone, but the good news is you can tweak a few things in your routine to avoid it.
Try Adding Milk
Because of its alkaline nature, Milk can neutralize stomach acid. Therefore, adding milk can significantly lower your coffee’s acidity, reducing its likeliness of provoking acid reflux and heartburn.
Reduce Your Consumption
Another possible reason you feel nauseous is that you’re simply ingesting way more coffee than your system can handle. Cutting back on your daily intake may be an effective stopgap to the problem.
Opt for Decaf
As mentioned previously, two things are responsible for triggering nausea; Caffeine and acid. It, therefore, stands to reason that eliminating one of both factors might help reduce the adverse effects. In addition, given that decaf contains significantly less coffee, it may just be what you need to avoid feeling nauseous after drinking coffee.
Conclusion
Coffee nausea is a prevalent symptom of coffee consumption, mainly because of caffeine and acid. The two elements stimulate the digestive system, which may provoke nausea. It’s, however, not a sign that you’re overdoing it on caffeine consumption.