Ordinarily I work 8-hour day shifts. But this week was horrible and hard. I had to work 11-hour graveyard shifts. After the first night of that I decided to try using coffee. I have been out of the church for quite awhile, but really haven't used caffeine much.

So right before work started at 10:00 PM, I drank two cups of coffee and ate some toast.

I think the caffeine might have helped me a little bit as far as staying awake, but I am not totally sure. I was still sleepy and tired and slow.

But on the second, third, and fourth day of this, I noticed that I was feeling sort of sick. Nausea, frequent belching, and bad heartburn. Now it is possible that working long hours, staying awake when I am used to sleeping, and having too much stressful work may have had something to do with it, but I don't remember these exact symptoms from other times I have had to work nights. Perhaps a lack of appetite/mild nausea other times, but I do not remember any belching and bad heartburn.

Does coffee effect anyone else this way? Is it the coffee that is making me feel sick or is it something else?

Coffee can be hard on your stomach. It could also be a coincidence. It could also be milk in the coffee if you are lactose intolerant. Do some experimenting. If it is coffee,using milk or some other creamer might help.

To a nocturnal one. Switching your schedule that drastically and without doing it in increments can affect your mood, sleep quality, digestive system, etc...

I've noticed that when I have had my sleep schedule off too.

Coffee with protein and a meal keeps me from indigestion.

Even DST (in the Spring) messes me up for a couple of weeks. Having multiple parasomnias will do that to a person, but even those without sleep issues can find themselves feeling really off when switching to an opposite schedule.

I worked Graveyards for years and I noticed that I went almost a whole month without seeing the sun and it was depressing, even for a goth chick.

You could also not drink coffee on an empty stomach.Even a slice of toast will help.

Caffeine affects people differently.

Toast may not be enough for 2 cups of coffee. Eat protein/carbs for sustained energy.

Ask the pharmacist about vitamin B drops under the tongue and energy/staying alert alternatives. Night work is tough for some people to adapt to.

It might be the acidity.

It might also be really poor quality coffee that is super high acidic.

It actually sounds like acidity to me.

You could take an antacid. You could try cold coffee concentrate drinks. You should probably eat a sensible meal before your shift.

Coffee is not cocaine. You are trying to flip flop your circadian rhythms and that alone could make you feel like you have the flu. Coffee is not a magic bullet that's going to make you all wired and peppy. It takes about three weeks to adjust your circadian rhythms to working nights/sleeping days (I worked graveyard shift for about a year). Your eating habits get all screwed up as well, and this also affects your metabolism.

I remember when I first started working nights, the thought of having "lunch" at 3 in the damn morning was just the most ridiculous notion to me. After a couple months, the lunch break would hit around 3 am and I'd be all "What's open 24 hours? I need a sammich!"

It also sounds like maybe you are having way too much coffee. There's nearly as much caffeine in a Red bull (if not more) or a Mt. Dew, so you could always go that route. Green tea is full of caffeine and isn't as acidic -- you might switch to tea, iced or hot. There's many ways to get some caffeine in your system, but remember, you mostly just need time to adjust to the night shift.

Yeah, I react to it like that too. I've always wondered if I might be allergic to it, or at least sensitive to it.

Over the years I've noticed that I can't tolerate certain food like I use to.

Sugar is not so appealing anymore.
Milk is now affecting me.
Carbonization now affects me.
I can't tolerate caffeine like I use to.
and alcohol doesn't agree with me. (The better I feel at the moment I can count on feeling the same in remorse after.)
Even red meat isn't as appetizing, but bacon has grown stronger in desire.

I've done both the late shift thing and the coffee thing. Both made me feel equally sick and sluggish (after the caffeine wore off). You have had a double dose of this!

If you put sugar in your coffee--make that a triple dose! I gave up sugar altogether, because I didn't like "crashing" when the sugar high wore off.

Caffeine irritates the bowels, and makes me jittery. Decaf tastes just as good.

I swear by vitamin B12 sublingual tablets, lots of water, and a quick 2 minute walk, preferable outdoors.

It's better to stay on the same shift, night after night, than it is to switch back and forth between day and night. I don't know how nurses and doctors survive it!

I got heartburn really bad when I first started drinking coffee. Starbucks seemed to be the worst, and any of the darker roasts were bad too. The darker roasts usually have less caffeine, and I was already pretty acclimated to caffeine before then, so I don't think that's what causes it. It might just be something your stomach isn't used to yet.

I should add that sugar made it worse and milk made it better. Maybe try a caffe au lait and see how that works for you. after a little while it went away.

Coffee can do it. Too much water and not enough solid food can do it. Too much sugar can do it.

My father and I both had bad stomach reactions to coffee because of the high acidity. My sister and mother don't have the problem and we all drink it black.

I now drink tea without any bad reaction and it seems to give me a nice little boost but nothing dramatic. I'm a person who needs eight hours of sleep no matter what.

You may have GERD bad enough to warrant a visit to the doctor. Had similar experience with drinking coffee and the doctor's report is inflammation of several organs. I have had to radically change my diet, take meds, reduce stress, etc.

Too much coffee makes me feel nauseous. I would guess that you are drinking too much of it or putting too much sugar in it. Sugar and coffee creamers are not good. Try just putting whole milk or half and half in it.

Flavorwise, for me, a shot of mint coffee (Irish Coffee) really sets off some hot chocolate, but even that tiny amount of coffee also really sets off my stomach. My taste buds says that it is great. My stomach claims that it is has been punched from the inside. what a shame, otherwise, I would really enjoy the mixture.

I drink light roast, sweet fresh coffee. American coffee is super acid.

I like the way a couple mugs caf and one decaf in a morning takes my appetite away, so I can go all day w/o eating.

Coffee is so good it can only make you feel like you're on top of the world.

Certain brands might hit you the wrong way -- for me, Folger's is too acidic. You might be drinking too much coffee or not eating enough food with it. Too much caffeine can make you jittery. If you drink coffee too late in the day, the caffeine might keep you awake that night.

You just have to experiment and find what's right for you.

Could be. I love vanilla cappuccino, but get that sick feeling if I drink very much. I'm also lactose intolerant. Regular coffee I just don't like. So I drink Tang, decaf Pepsi, and water.

My advice would be to try Green Tea before you continue experimenting with coffee. Green Tea is easy to make. Just run the hot water out of the coffee maker then dip the tea bag in it. Green Tea will not make you feel sick.

It sounds like the acidity in the coffee has made you have reflux.

Try adding milk or dairy creamer, as that neutralizes the acid content of the coffee before drinking it.

I like mine with skim milk, and either Stevia, Splenda or Agave.

Don't overdrink it, as that can also lead to stomach upset, plus caffeine overload.

There's some good half-caffeinated blends out so that if you like drinking several cups, you can tone down the caffeine intake. Some prefer less caffeine for health reasons also.

I worked 12 hour days, 60 hour weeks, for twelve years straight. Before then, I didn't drink caffeine. As a result of those long days (up at 7 or 8 each morning, and worked until midnight or later each night five days a week takes its toll!) I became hooked on caffeine.

Haven't had to work 60 hour weeks now for more than two years. And I'm still hooked on the stuff.

I try to limit my intake to "moderate" use. Usually no more than two cups of straight coffee a day, if that, at most.

And someone mentioned green tea. That is a wonderful exchange if you need a metabolic boost and it's loaded with anti-oxidants that are super healthy for you. I use skim milk and same sweeteners with my green tea as do with coffee. There's something in the green tea that makes you feel good, my doctor mentioned it helps with the brain receptors like seratonin and such.

The very best green tea I've found for home use is Japanese Sencha, and sold under Harney's label. Here's a link if you're interested (I can find it in my local grocer's. So haven't had to order it online yet. Although this price is about the same as what I pay in the store, maybe slightly less.) http://www.amazon.com/Harney-Sons-Japanese-Sencha-Green/dp/B001714V1U/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1440992040&sr=1-1&keywords=japanese+sencha+tea

I love coffee but have the same issues - even if I put milk in it. Just a sip.of coffee and in the worst case I get sick. Nausea, diarrhea, bad reflux. Some people react on ot that way (which is pretty sad because I really love the taste) - My mom and sis can drink gallons of it without any problems.
So I stick to my diet coke - or red bull if I need a boost.

I don't overdo coffee. I drink one strong cup a day, in the morning with breakfast. It helps clear the cobwebs away and get me going. In the evening, I have one glass of red wine. That makes me snooze very well.