gardngrl

Author: gardngrl
Date: 08/26/2007, 09:45 pm
I am in the unfortunate minority who can neither drink alcohol nor coffee because of headaches. This puts a damper on dinner and tends to rattle waiters when you ask for a decaffeinated morning drink. Anyone with experiences to share?

nanabee

This may sound weird, but my husband has suffered from severe headaches too for 20 plus years. His doctor told him to stick to decaf coffee, but lately he has noticed (for the past 8 months now) when he drinks regular coffee in the morning he has had fewer headaches.

Ann1

Hi gardngrl: I share your pain. I don't drink coffee and only de-caff tea. De-Caff anything isn't popular in Europe. I just bring my own tea and hope they will give me hot water. If not, I do without.

We have had this discussion with my friends. They ask what happens if I ask for de-caff tea in Europe. They have asked for it and received weird looks. I tell them that get the same and it isn't received very well.

My aunt owns a hotel and restaurant in Italy. When we started staying there they didn't carry it. Now they keep it just for me.

sunsurfsand

One of the drugs prescribed for my migraine headaches contains cafeine. Unfortunately it did not work for me.
This works for my sister; when she feels a migraine coming on, she drinks black coffee as strong as she can tolerate, as the cafeine dilates the blood vessels in the brain which can prevent a migraine if you catch it in time.
Doesn't work for everyone though and it takes courage to NOT take drugs and to rely on the coffee only.
Best ask your doctor's opinion.

ggreen

gardngrl, you can always ask for a "tisane", which is herbal tea. I'd suggest hot chocolate, but assume you can't drink that either because of the caffeine? I agree that you may get a quizzical look or reaction from the waiter at breakfast, if only because a French breakfast isn't much more than a hot drink and a little something to eat! (At lunch or dinner it shouldn't be an issue).

At dinner when asked what you want to drink, ask for something non-alcoholic and I'm sure the waiter will be fine. "L'eau minerale" is mineral water. "Sans gaz" is flat, or without carbonation. If you want regular (tap) water, you could order "un carafe d'eau, s'il vous plait". Not very exciting, but not painful, either!

kerouac

Plenty of people drink decaf in France. Just order a "déca" instead of a "café". If you look at the receipt they give you in cafés, you will see that it is often marked "café/déca" or "espresso/déca" because those items cost the same price and are grouped together for accounting purposes.

hypatia

Never had to worry in Paris..you can have what you like even no wine. I usually see American young people drinking Coke with dinner and waiters are used to it.The bigger problem is Italy as decaf is instant only and I love cappuccino!

ira

Hi G,

We always ask for déca in Paris.

kenderina

In Spain, "cafe descafeinado" is as readily available as other kinds of coffee.
Decaf tea is available at supermarkets, not so on cafes (people rarely has tea on cafes here).

timsmom

Here in Canada, I usually get migraines from red wine, chocolate, cheese, cigarette smoke etc., but when I am in Paris, I find that after drinking LOTS of red wine with Brie or Camembert cheese in a cafe with people smoking French cigarettes or espresso with a "pain au chocolat" - "nada" - no headache!

I have ordered "un decaf" in Paris and in Italy without any discussion from waiters.


I had a discussion about the triggers of migraines with other people in my Rick Steves tour group and found out similar reactions from others. Maybe being on vacation with less stress or the wine with no sulphites or ??? is the reason.

I also take Ibuprofen and Naproxen with me just in case, but after 3 trips to Paris, personally, I haven't had to use them for migraines - just for the aches and pains from too much walking and climbing stairs.

I usually need "un grand creme" with a croissant for breakfast in the morning to get going

annhig

hi gargngirl,

one brand of decaf coffee very popular in europe is "Cafe Hag".

you could buy a jar then ask for a jug of hot water at breakfast, to make your own.

regards, ann

RM67

Decaf is fairly easy to come by, and every hotel/cafe in Paris has tea (for the Brits) which usually has less caffeine than coffee (unless you drink it builders strength dark orange - yuk).

In terms of painkillers, a good tip is choose one with an anti-emetic in it. Gut motility slows down quite considerably during a migraine, so absorbance of any type of painkiller is compromised. Anti-emetics help gee up absorption so they're more effective than bog-standard NSAIDS alone. Migraleve (Pfizer) is my recommendation. Check with your GP first etc etc - I don't want anyone dropping dead, then blaming me! 8-)

gardngrl

Thanks everyone. I will definitely ask for deca and plan to try a bit of wine at some point. Re: treatment, I have years of advice under my belt, or chapeau.

di2315

Hi Gardngrl
I overcome this same problem by carrying my own sachets of Decaf coffee. When ordering drinks, I then ask for a cup of hot water, and use my sachet once the waiter has left the table.
Only times ordering hot water has been when I give this order first - the waiters then throw up their hands in horror! Perhaps they think that's all anyone in my group is going to order; if I place my order last, then no problems! Sometimes it takes a bit of explaining - probably because of my lack of local language skills. Next time I may try writing my request in French, German etc so I can show this to the waiter, for easier communication.
Hope this helps, happy travels, Di