Coffee doesn't work on me

[Peter_Gabriel]

Dear all,
I have a question.
If I want to say that coffee doesn’t have any effect on me. Could I use both or just one maybe you have other more natural proposals?
1. Coffee doesn’t work on me
2. Coffee doesn’t work for me

 

[LVRBC]

You may have to have some context to define what it is you want the coffee to do besides taste good. Are you referring to your alertness, your GI tract, your aerobic endurance, or what?

 

[Peter_Gabriel]

You may have to have some context to define what it is you want the coffee to do besides taste good. Are you referring to your alertness, your GI tract, your aerobic endurance, or what?

I meant alertness, aerobic endurance.

 

[dojibear]

I don't know anything about aerobic endurance. But many people (world-wide, for centuries) use a beverage with caffeine in it, because the caffeine makes them alert. Some people use coffee for this. Some people use tea. Some people use coca-cola. In Peru they chew coca leaves.

In this context, the two sentences have almost identical meanings (both sentences are natural in AmE):

1. Coffee doesn’t work on me. ==> Coffee has no effect on me. I don't get alertness from it.

2. Coffee doesn’t work for me. ==> I want alertness. I have repeatedly tried using coffee. That never worked.