TeaChat

My mother loves hot tea, but it gives her headaches. Weirdly, iced sweet tea doesn't. Does anyone know if there's a scientific reason? So far it's been blacks and an oolong that have given her problems. We're going to try some green tea next week and see what happens.

Ouch! How does she do with hot coffee or cocoa?

She hates coffee. Cocoa doesn't cause any problems, and she drinks that about once a week.

I should find Mom a good herbal or something. Her office at work is freezing, and she'd be much warmer if she could drink hot tea. She didn't like the rooibos I brewed for her, sadly...

All teas? I wonder if something was wrong with the one she had hot? Or if it is flavored, maybe, maybe she is more sensitive to something extracted by hot water. Flavors are frequently not extracted very well when cold brewed.

An herbal is a good idea. It might be the caffeine that bothers her. Some of the fruit tisanes are popular choices and maybe a honeybush. What a nice daughter she has!

Chip: It's not just one kind of tea that gives her a headache. She's had fruity black teas, several brands of English breakfast and Irish breakfast, black chai, a couple of Earl Greys, plus the oolong I mentioned before. And other teas. Mom loves tea and tries different kinds whenever she can.

Cyn: I don't think it's the caffeine, though. She can drink the same tea over ice and it doesn't hurt her head. Strange, eh?

Maybe Mom's just a freak.

caligatia wrote: Cyn: I don't think it's the caffeine, though. She can drink the same tea over ice and it doesn't hurt her head. Strange, eh?

Maybe Mom's just a freak.

Haha! Maybe! And no problem with other hot beverages if she likes them like cocoa...?
Well, hope you find a nice non-painful alternative for her.

It could be completely psycological. Maybe she drank a nasty hot tea once that gave her a headache and comtinues to associate hot tea with headache. The mind can be a cruel cruel trickster!

cheaton wrote:It could be completely psycological. Maybe she drank a nasty hot tea once that gave her a headache and comtinues to associate hot tea with headache. The mind can be a cruel cruel trickster!

I have this type of thing but with milk. A long long time ago I was babysitting and got a glass of milk out of the refrigerator, and not really paying too much attention while I poured it and immediately picked it up and began drinking it. As you might have guessed it was quite sour (and slightly warm? it wasn't really cold). Now I can only drink it if it's very cold and fresh. Luckily my refrigerator has a milk section that I can adjust the temp on to make it very cold (it freezes sometimes...lol)

She might have an issue with tea strength, after all iced tea by nature gets diluted while you drink it. Maybe making hot tea slightly weaker could help.

Carnelian, you might be on to something. When I fix Mom tea this weekend I'll make it a little weak and see what it does to her head.

Thanks, everybody!

One of the first things they have you watch for with migraine headaches is fermented items like pickles ,olives, etc, it's quite possible tea is a trigger for your Mom.