Caffeine And Brain Surgery: The Good And The Bad
You're used to having your delicious coffee or tea every day, but now you're about to undergo neurosurgery, and you need to know what you can and can't have after the surgery is done. You'll get a list of instructions and good foods when you discuss the surgery with your doctor, but can you have caffeine?
Given that it has an apparent effect on your mental alertness, it might seem like something that could affect the surgery results. There's no real research specifically looking at caffeine and brain surgery, but there are some common-sense steps you can take to better deal with your post-surgery wish for those large coffee drinks.
Reduce Your Intake Gradually Pre-Surgery
Caffeine can have one definitely unpleasant side effect after surgery: If you're used to having a lot, and your body is used to a specific caffeine intake (the word "addicted" doesn't really describe it accurately, even though that's how most people think of it), you could notice an increase in headaches after surgery because there might be a bit of withdrawal going on.
You have a couple of options. One is to reduce your intake of caffeine before your surgery. This can take a few weeks depending on how much you crave the stuff, so start now. Taper gradually so you have a much better chance of success. You want to get to the point where you can go a couple of days without caffeine.
The other option is to speak to your surgeon about caffeine intake after your surgery. The University of Utah has reported that giving women some coffee after they had undergone surgery that was not neurological helped them feel a bit better. Whether or not your surgeon will agree with that for your brain surgery is unknown, but it's better to ask outright. You could get a positive answer.
Finding the Right Amount
There's no specific amount of caffeine that you can or can't have in general because recovery from brain surgery is so individual. That's frustrating, of course, but unless you've been forbidden from having any caffeine, then your guideline is the vague "not too much." Double-check with your surgeon about variations you can't have (for example, no double-shots of espresso, but plain black coffee might be fine), and start slow with one small cup. This is when you really want to savor that drink, rather than downing it in a few minutes like you might before you head out to work.
Do not continue to drink caffeinated beverages if you start to feel worse -- contact your doctor right away. Neurosurgery is such an individual procedure that you should follow what your surgeon wants you to do, even if that means not having caffeine for the time being. For more information, check out a website like http://www.billingsclinic.com.
