Was wondering if anyone else had a sudden onset of "arthritis" after drinking large quanities of Chi Tea (Starbucks especially)? I am 40 with no family history of arthritis, risk factors, etc and I suddenly developed joint stiffness, pain and inflammation 4 months ago. Am still in process of getting type diagnosed. Anyway, prior to the onset.. I was drinking large quanities of chi and when I was in the doctors office, another lady told me she had a sudden onset and also drank ALOT of it. Just stumbled upon this possible connection and thought I'd check it out. Please let me know if you drink it, how much and if it seems to affect you. Thanks!!!!! :confused:

I love chai tea from Starbucks. However, when I had sudden onset of knee swelling, I was drinking one Frappucino (in the bottle) per day, approx. I'd say on average 4-5 per week. Hmmmmm. The combination of the sugar and caffeine made my reflux really bad, so I had to stop (not to mention the calories). I stopped them while taking prednisone, 4 months after the onset, so didn't feel like I needed the kick so much. LOL. My first rheumy also put me on Diclofenac which gave me terrible intestinal problems, 6 weeks to be exact. I found that the chai tea helped a little during this time...although for a while I thought I was lactose intolerant. Anyway, I am still drinking Chai Teas now, about 2-3 per week, and not sure if I have increased problems or not...as I am still on prednisone. Not sure if that helps! I have enjoyed Chai tea for years ...so who knows.