Are you wondering exactly much caffeine is in your cup of coffee. Trying to cut down a bit, or at least know how much caffeine you are ingesting each day with your morning cup of java or afternoon pick-me-up triple espresso Latte?
A typical cup of coffee contains approximately one hundred and twelve milligrams of caffeine. There is a bit less caffeine in a shot of espresso - a typical espresso shot includes about ninety milligrams of caffeine.
How much caffeine in coffee?
This is important to keep in mind when making any espresso drinks.
While these numbers are typical, the amount of caffeine in coffee can vary considerably based upon multiple factors. The primary factors affecting caffeine content of coffee and espresso include the genetics of the coffee bean varietal, the particular roasting given to the coffee beans and how the coffee is brewed.
If the coffee beans being used are Arabica coffee beans then one cup of coffee that is approximately one hundred and twenty milliliters of coffee, if it is drip-brewed, will have about 112 milligrams of caffeine.
A 30 milliliter Espresso shot using Arabica coffee will have an estimated ninety milligrams of caffeine.
How Does Roasting Affect Coffee Caffeine Content?
When coffee is roasted it decreases the overall amount of caffeine in the coffee, but not significantly enough for it to be a serious way to reduce your caffeine intake.
Caffeine did not undergo significant degradation with only 5.4% being lost under severe roasting.
Source
Choose your roast based on your personal preferences, not based on caffeine content.
Roasting does have an effect on chlorogenic acid content - possibly what contributes to many of coffee's purported health effects, but another study also shows that caffeine is relatively unaffected by roast level.
On the other hand the Robusta coffee plant varietal has significantly more caffeine than the Arabica varietal. Robusta coffee beans are used primarily for espresso blends and to make instant coffee.
How Caffeine Metabolizes in the Human Body
Once a person consumes caffeine the body starts to metabolize it and this takes place in the person's liver. The result is three different metabolites. These three metabolites include paraxanthine (84%), theobromine (12%) and theophylline (4%).
In the first 45 minutes after consumption of the caffeine it is likely absorbed by the stomach and small intestine and begins to spread throughout the tissues of the human body.
Caffeine's Classification by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Considered safe for human consumption by the FDA, caffeine is classified as a food substance with multiple uses.
All About Caffeine in Coffee - Investigating the Side Effects of Caffeine and the Symptoms of Withdrawal from Caffeine continued:
Caffeine is a stimulant and is known scientifically as a xanthine alkaloid. When it is isolated from its source it is a crystalline white substance and is very bitter.
How does caffeine affect the human body?
Caffeine affects the human body by creating chemical changes in the human brain with a whole variety of effects including an enhanced alertness and energy level.
The way this is enhanced energy and alertness is achieved by the chemical caffeine is that the caffeine pretends, or mimics, another compound which is called adenosine.
The caffeine then binds on to the adenosine receptors in the brain with the effect of halting the true adenosine from doing its job which normally would be to slow down the body's nerve impulses and bring a very sleepy feeling to the person, a natural drowsiness that is warded off by the effects of caffeine.
Yes, some drugs may have an enhanced effectiveness when affected by caffeine. For example, some headache drugs include caffeine in their contents in order to help the effectiveness. This may be related to the vasodilating effects of caffeine.
Caffeine may be used in combination with ergotamine to treat cluster headaches and migraines. Some people prefer to use caffeine to overcome the sleepy qualities they feel when taking antihistamines.
Caffeine doesn't specifically, but coffee does.
However, some people who have shown to be at high risk for liver disease have been shown to have less severe liver injury associated with increasing caffeine consumption. This may include people with obesity, hemochromatosis and alcoholisms. [source]
Because of this, people who drink coffee but want to quit caffeine may want to look into decaf coffee instead of cutting out coffee entirely, so that they can continue to benefit from its health protecting properties.
Yes, some studies completed on ex vivo hair follicles have shown that caffeine may decrease hair growth suppression in vitro due to testosterone. In this regard caffeine may be a potential therapeutic agent in Androgenic alopecia, and caffeine has been added by some companies to their soap and shampoos.
Caffeine is found in nature in a wide array of plants, and it is found in plant fruits as well as plant leaves. This includes: cocoa beans, tea leaves, coffee beans and kola nuts. Less common sources are yaupon holly, guaryusa, yerba mate and guarana berries.
Caffeine often serves to help the plant by working as a natural pesticide against harmful predators on the plant such as insects.
What Products Contain Caffeine, and How Much?
A tablet of Excedrin contains about sixty-five milligrams of caffeine while a regular strength caffeine tablet has about one hundred milligrams of caffeine. There are two hundred milligrams of caffeine in an extra-strength caffeine tablet.
Another example of a common product with plenty of caffeine in it is chocolate. There are about ten milligrams of caffeine in an average milk chocolate bar. Dark chocolate, by comparison, may have about 30 milligrams of caffeine.
There are some dark chocolate bars that have as much as 160 milligrams of caffeine so it can vary considerably by the type and the quality of the chocolate.
Six ounces of a typical green tea will contain about thirty milligrams of caffeine while the very same amount of black tea will have about fifty milligrams of caffeine.
Amount of Caffeine in Coffee continued: You will get about thirty-four milligrams of caffeine from 12 ounces of Coke while a Mountain Dew will give you a whopping 54 milligrams of caffeine. A Red Bull energy drink has about eighty milligrams of caffeine while a Monster energy drink has about 160 milligrams of caffeine.
Withdrawal from Caffeine and Human Tolerance To Caffeine
People who consistently consume caffeine will gradually adapt to the continuous presence of the chemical in their body by increasing their overall number of adenosine receptors in their central nervous system. This occurs since caffeine functions as an antagonist to the receptors in the central nervous system for the neurotransmitter adenosine.
Tolerance adaptation to caffeine has the effect over time of reducing the chemical's stimulatory effects. These adaptive responses to caffeine also have the effect of making the person more sensitive to adenosine, and thus when the intake of caffeine is reduced then the adenosine's natural physiological effects will create withdrawal symptoms.
Of 49 symptom categories identified, the following 10 fulfilled validity criteria: headache, fatigue, decreased energy/activeness, decreased alertness, drowsiness, decreased contentedness, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and foggy/not clearheaded. In addition, flu-like symptoms, nausea/vomiting, and muscle pain/stiffness were judged likely to represent valid symptom categories.
In experimental studies, the incidence of headache was 50% and the incidence of clinically significant distress or functional impairment was 13%. Typically, onset of symptoms occurred 12-24 h after abstinence, with peak intensity at 20-51 h, and for a duration of 2-9 days. In general, the incidence or severity of symptoms increased with increases in daily dose; abstinence from doses as low as 100 mg/day produced symptoms.
Research is reviewed indicating that expectancies are not a prime determinant of caffeine withdrawal and that avoidance of withdrawal symptoms plays a central role in habitual caffeine consumption.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15448977
Debate Over Adenosine Receptors, Tolerance and Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms
There is some debate in scientific circles about the increase in adenosine receptors being the main cause of building up tolerance to caffeine's stimulating effects, with some evidence pointing toward a conclusion that there are also other causes at work which help to explain people developing a tolerance to large doses of caffeine.
The Discoverer of Caffeine
The evidence is a bit fuzzy but some say that the stimulating effects of caffeine are mentioned in Chinese legends dating to about 3,000 years ago.
Firmer evidence comes from 600 BCE as a Mayan pot dating to this time contains the first clear evidence of a cocoa bean, so we know caffeine was around by this time for sure.
Who First Isolated Caffeine from Coffee?
In 1819 the German chemist Friedlieb Runge became the first scientist to successfully isolate the chemical caffeine from coffee beans. Less than one year later the French chemist Pelletier and another scientist named Caventou also isolated the chemical caffeine, and Pelletier was the one to coin the word “cafeine” which he derived from the word “cafe” meaning coffee.
Who Opened the First Coffee House?
As early as 1530 there were coffeehouses in Damascus, Syria and Istanbul.
What began the spread of coffee all around the world?
In the 1600s the Dutch became the first people to carry coffee from the ancient port of Mocha. This movement of coffee by the Dutch began the rapid spread of coffee beans around the globe and it is still spreading, most recently growing rapidly in consumption in China and other emerging markets.
The Dutch were also industrious in cultivating coffee in other locations, first in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1658.
Caffeine withdrawal
Regular caffeine consumption reduces sensitivity to caffeine. When caffeine intake is reduced, the body becomes oversensitive to adenosine. In response to this oversensitiveness, blood pressure drops dramatically, causing an excess of blood in the head (though not necessarily on the brain), leading to a caffeine withdrawal headache.
This headache, well known among coffee drinkers, usually lasts from one to five days, and can be alleviated with analgesics such as aspirin. It is also alleviated with caffeine intake (in fact several analgesics contain caffeine dosages).
Even small amounts of caffeine (such as a green tea, compared to a full coffee) can do wonders to alleviate a withdrawal-induced headache.
The source of caffeine is important to consider as well. Coffee is generally considered to be healthy, due in part to its anti-oxidant properties. However, energy drinks and unregulated supplements may contain any number of other compounds that can have a negative impact, often working synergistically with caffeine.
Caffeine on its own, particularly coffee, is associated with an overall decrease in all-cause-mortality [4]. Simply put, this means that people who drink coffee are less likely to die from all causes.
Caffeine withdrawal symptoms
Often, people who are reducing caffeine intake report being irritable, unable to work, nervous, restless, and feeling sleepy, as well as having a headache. Many of these symptoms mirror having the cold or flu.
- Headache
- Sleepiness
- Irritability
- Fatigue, lethargy
- Constipation
- Depression
- Muscle stiffness, cramping
- Brain fog, Inability to focus
- Cold-like symptoms
- Anxiety
In extreme cases, nausea and vomiting has also been reported. These are very real experiences [1], and despite recurring jokes, can cause problems with normal functioning. If you experience severe symptoms, seek medical advice.
Is Caffeine Withdrawal Real?
In short: Yes. Negative effects from quitting caffeine have been scientifically documented in clinical studies.
Of 49 symptom categories identified, the following 10 fulfilled validity criteria: headache, fatigue, decreased energy/activeness, decreased alertness, drowsiness, decreased contentedness, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and foggy/not clearheaded. In addition, flu-like symptoms, nausea/vomiting, and muscle pain/stiffness were judged likely to represent valid symptom categories. [1]
Additionally, caffeine withdrawal is recognized by psychiatrists as a real disorder.
Caffeine withdrawal is a recognized disorder and is listed in the DSM-5. (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)
How Long Does Caffeine Withdrawal Last?
The answer to this will depend on your level of consumption and the level you reduce your caffeine consumption to.
In experimental studies, the incidence of headache was 50% and the incidence of clinically significant distress or functional impairment was 13%. Typically, onset of symptoms occurred 12-24 h after abstinence, with peak intensity at 20-51 h, and for a duration of 2-9 days. [1]
That means you'll probably notice the start within 12-24 hours with the worst being the second day you after you quit. From there, it gradually gets better over the course of a week to a week and a half.
Your brain is miraculously resilient and adapts to life without caffeine in just 2 short weeks. The psychological habit of drinking caffeine can take 3 to 4 weeks to break, but can also be replaced with decaf coffee or another low-caffeine drink (eg. tea).
Reports of people having withdrawal symptoms months or years after quitting coffee or caffeine are more typically confused with general health maladies or other more drugs.
Unrelated Symptoms
Caffeine cessation is often associated with major lifestyle changes, and as such, it can be difficult to associated symptoms directly with caffeine withdrawal. As a best practice, you should isolate factors by making changes slowly, over time, unless under the advice and guidance of a medical professional.
Compounding factors such as other medications, and major health events that lead to discontinuing caffeine, can have a misleading association with caffeine withdrawals.
If symptoms such as kidney pain appears, seek immediate medical attention.
Tingling
There are no known mechanisms through which caffeine withdrawal may cause tingling. On the other hand, caffeine consumption can sometimes cause tingling due to restriction of blood flow to extremities.
Back pain
While back pain is not a symptom of caffeine withdrawal, symptoms may (re)appear when caffeine use is discontinued.
This may be due to caffeine's reported analgesic affect on pain [3] - in english, caffeine might help alleviate (back) pain by amplifying the effect of pain killers. The re-ocurring presence of back pain may be due to synergistic effect being lost, but is unrelated to the temporary effects of withdrawal itself.
Dealing with Caffeine Withdrawal
The severity of caffeine withdrawal symptoms vary with how extreme the restriction, and a gradual reduction can do wonders in avoiding symptoms. Simply starting by replacing one cup of coffee with a decaf coffee or tea will provide a much smaller dose of caffeine, allowing your receptors to re-acclimate to lower levels. Drinking coffee (decaf) or other warm beverage (tea) instead of regular coffee helps psychologically with the well established habit.
Timing large reductions in caffeine consumption is also a useful tool. Picking a time of rest and relaxation such as a weekend or vacation can lessen the burden of symptoms like brain fog and a lack of motivation.
Hydration is also key - while coffee is a diuretic it's also mostly water, and cutting back on coffee may also inadvertently cut back on your fluid intake. Many symptoms of dehydration overlap with caffeine withdrawal including headaches, muscle soreness and leg cramping, irritability and lethargy.
Without caffeine blocking your adenoseine receptors, your body's built up levels of adenosine will lead to a lot of sleepiness. Get lots of rest! Scientists are still puzzled by why humans need sleep, aside from getting tired. According to some research from the NIH (National Institutes of Health) has indicated that sleep enables your brain to drain built-up chemical by products of working so hard (you little genius), which is good for you!
Advil or Tylenol can be an effective method of dealing with the coffee withdrawal headache and muscle pain. Other natural pain relievers such as running / exercise and even an orgasm can provide temporary relief by dilating blood vessels in the brain.
The best solution may not be totally ceasing caffeine consumption though. Coffee does have health benefits, as it contains over 1000 known compounds, with many associated with lowering blood pressure and improving cardiac function, as well as liver protection [2]. Generally, the best coffees are grown at higher elevations will develop more healthy chlorogenic acids that are present in higher concentrations in light roasts than dark roasts. If you're a dark roast lover however, darker roasts cause less stomach acid production. A decaffeinated coffee with just 5-25 mg of caffeine will still retain a lot of its healthy chemicals and will provide health benefits in medium and dark roasts.
With these tips you can reduce the caffeine in your body and avoid the rebound of a caffeine withdrawal.
References
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15448977
[2] Coffee Consumption Decreases Risks for Hepatic Fibrosis and Cirrhosis: A Meta-Analysis
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0142457
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22419343
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28697850
Caffeine and Health. J. E. James, Academic Press, 1991. Progress in Clinical and Biological Research Volume 158. G. A. Spiller, Ed. Alan R. Liss Inc, 1984.
Xie et al “Sleep initiated fluid flux drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain.” Science, October 18, 2013. DOI: 10.1126/science.1241224
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User
re: Keep in mind that Sugar
Keep in mind that Sugar withdrawl will give you similar symptoms and they can be MUCH worse and last LONGER! With all that Mountain Dew removed from your system you may have gone thru a pretty massive sugar withdrawl. Google it. Your best off to eliminate most caffeine and Sugar from your diet. : (
User
re: Panic attacks / anxiety / heart racing
Hey I have drank approcimately 10 - 20 12oz caffeinated diet drinks per day for at least 8 years.
I am so addicted that often I wake up in the middle of the night, and have this massive craving for caffiene. I cant get back to sleep unless I drink more caffeine.
About a year ago, I started waking up quite often from a deep sleep, with my heart racing, for no apparant reason. These episodes would typically last 10-15 minutes before I fell back asleep.
A friend gave me some Xanax (Alprazolam) pills which I started taking in VERY small dosages (less than 0.5 mg per day) and this seemed to completely fix the problem. I talked to my doctor who specializes in Endocrinology, Metabolsim, and Internal Medicine. He said that Xanax is very hard to get off of, once you are on it, and causes severe complications from withdrwals. He said that he would prefer only to prescribe Xanax as a last-resort. So he prescribed me a different drug that is in the same family as Xanax. It is called Lorazepam. Like Xanax, it is a benzodiazepine, which is a family of drugs that inhibits the bonding of something called GABA to your nueral receptors. These are 1mg pills which I break in half and take approximately 0.5 mg per day.
This has completely eliminated my anxiety attacks, and I have even stopped taking them for weeks at a time, when I could not get my prescription filled, with no apparent withdrawals..
I'm not saying that this will work for everyone. But it worked for me, and It can't hurt to ASK your doctor's oppinion.
Also PLEASE UNDERSTAND that I purposfully limit my intake of this drug to the absolute minimum amount that is effective for me. I think this is generally a good policy when trying to minimize dependancy on a medication, and the possibility of side effects or potential withdrawals.
I'm not a doctor, have no medical training or experience, and am simply providing this information on an AS-IS basis, based on my own personal experiences. Xanaz (aplrazolam) and Lorazepam are both prescription medications (and controlled substances in most countries.) Do not ever begin taking such a medication without first consulting a doctor.
User
re: Actually, if you drink water
Actually, if you drink water consistently throughout the day, you should have no problem absorbing vitamins and minerals. But stop drinking water about 30 minutes before each meal, and don't drink much water during the meal and for 30 minutes following. This is also beneficial for digestive enzymes.
The standard rule of thumb for healthy people is one oz. for every two pounds of body weight. So if you weigh 160, you should drink 80 oz (10 glasses) of water, daily. If you eat a lot of fruits and veggies you don't need to worry about drinking as much.
Dehydration can cause flu-like symptoms, headaches, irritability, fatigue, cramping, etc.
Rachel
re: panic attacks
Hi Richard,
I think I a suffering from panic attacks - either that or I'm constantly on the verge of a heart attack - my heart will just start racing - my throat feels tight, I start to shake and I feel horrible - I do have a mitral valve prolapse - and I've had echos and ekgs and nothing major shows up. I feel like I am losing my mind, all I can do is focus on these symptoms. I decided about a week ago to give up coffee, I had one cup in the morning and one in the afternoon, about two days into it - I had the dreaded headache - I'm still not feeling "good" - my head feels heavy - my question is do you know if one symptom of withdrawal could be a rise in blood pressure ? I am usually very low - but today I took my blood pressure, (because I always think I'm dying) and it was higher than normal - 126/64 - and now I don't know if I'm having heart failure, caffeine withdrawal or panic attacks. Thanks !!! Rachel
Richard
re: panic attacks
A few years ago I had a boring job and started drinking coffee to stay awake. Then I started getting heart palpitations, so I quit the coffee. I ended up developing terrible migraines and panic attacks for the next few months, along with some heart palpitations. It was a rough time for a while, and it certainly wasn't all due to caffeine, but a variety of factors. The best thing I can suggest is try to control the panic attacks. I know how the heart palpitations can cause them, but you're not going to die, it's just an extra beat.
User
re: Erm...
while dehydration is a serious concern (coffee being diuretic), 10 glasses of water a day will cause your body to cease absorbing vital nutrients from food in order to pass the water through your system. more than 5 or 6 glasses is excessive.
Daniel
re: stomach hurts
This could be the caffeine or it may be something else in the coffee. Either way if it makes you feel bad I would consider a different morning pick up. Coffee does not agree with some people. There are a number of things that can cause this.
Sarah
re: I dont know if what Im experiencing is a symptom.
Im 19yrs old, partime college student and full time worker and well Im not addicted to coffee but when im really sleepy when i drive to work, I have to stop by 7 eleven to get hot chocolate or Starbucks.
And Im not doing this every single day. An its weird because every time I finish drinking coffee, my stomach hurts, i feel nausea or bloated up and I have to go to the restroom frequently - about every half hour and it lasts the whole day! Is caffeine bad for the kidneys or bladder?
I also get pains down the lower abdomen. My moms tells me to stop drinking coffee but I cant help it if Im sleepy, she says its too much work for the kidneys to handle and I might get really sick. Is it true?
Tres
re: caffeine
sounds like caffeine withdrawal to me (I'm experiencing it right now, and I only drank 3 cups of tea a day)
Yes, tapering off will reduce or eliminate your discomfort.
User
re: Cola
Cola has lots of Citric Acid and if you drink Coke or other Citric acid containig drinks like Coffee and Ctrus drinks can cause you to have Diarrhea...
Citric acid is like Vitamin C and to much Vitamin C can Cause Diarrhea..
BUT! Most common is Gastritis that Cola and onther dirks cause inflamation to the lining of your Stomach and Intestine and you will have horrible Diarrhea, Belching and stomach pain and not alway but heart burn...
Best theing to do is cut way down or go off for a couple of days..
Drink Gateraide...
But always see you doctor to make sure for their cuold be an underlying serious condition and I am not a Md and you should always alert you MD..
Teresa
re: A frightening experiencce but just caffeine withdrawal
I have just spent five days in Virginia staying with friends. After one day I had a terrible blinding headache which seemed to travel round my head. Extra strength painkillers gave little relief. I couldn't read or bother with anything. I slept a lot in a darkened room. After three days it went away but then came back with a vengeance the next day. I nearly passed out, I thought my number was up. I was out with their married daughter who suggested caffeine withdrawal as her parents were Mormons and they weren't allowed caffeine. I hadn't known that. She gave me a large coca cola and in one hour I was back to normal. Three days later I am still headache free. I cannot believe the terrible pain I experienced over this and now I know will never let this happen again. I am back in England - and at one stage I never thought I would get home again. I really think there should be more publicity over this issue as my experience was very frightening.
Mohammad
re: Caffeine withdrawal.
Even though this reply is late, but I used beta blockers (propanol) precribed by a health care professional.
If you really like soda, you can use sparkling water (natural, like perrier or st. pelligrino or artificial, like any club soda) with fruit juice concentrate, or concentrare with artificial sweetner.
Anonymous
re: had like 3 cups of coca cola today....
i was at a friends house and her mom like loves coca cola, and at my house we dont drink that kind of stuff we drink water and health shakes so i decided to drink some soda since i havent had it in awhile..and i came home and found myself having servere diarrhea, i was wondering since i dont drink coca cola if drinking so much at one time coulsve caused my diarrhea? thank you
Anonymous
re: Caffeine and generalized anxiety or panic attacks
I have a friend whose frequent and very severe anxiety attacks stopped permanently when he stopped "doing" caffeine altogether. I've no information on the migraines but you're probably aware that headaches are commonplace with caffeine withdrawl. We have different physiologies with individual sensitivities. Anyway, It's certainly worth experimenting to find out, right?
Anonymous
re: I'm also not a doctor but as
I'm not a doctor but as a rule for detoxing you can cut quantities by 3/4 at a time, quite a bit more than the fitness trainer recommends. The intervals too can be much shorter. Just pay attention to your body. If you feel physical distress, think in terms of ingesting just enough to quiet that: the smallest amount possible. You are returning balance to your body, continuing any amount of a substance that has it out of balance is just to allow it to adjust in gradations. I'd also recommend just dropping it as soon as that's tolerable. Why start up another substance such as coffee?
Anonymous
re: Help
Hello there. It seems to me like you have quite a serious problem. First, allow me to say that I am not a Doctor, but I do own a Health Club and am a certified Physical Fitness / Personal Trainer. My friend, you can not stop cold turkey. Especially knowing the fact that you blacked out! Ease off it slowly. Start drinking 2 20 oz bottles, then drop to 1 after a couple weeks. If it's gradual, your Brain won't register the change. After that, start drinking Coffee instead of MD. At least then you don't have to worry about all the sugars, chemicals, and carbonation... just the caffeine. Once you are on Coffee, at least one cup a day, start mixing half decaf and half regular. Eventually switch to just decaf then if you need to, stop all together. Make sure there are a couple weeks between your modifications, and I highly recommend a strong work-out routine with a high fiber and high protein diet. Good luck.
Anonymous
re: one solution
I have tried this, they say alot of migraine and regular headache pain is due to dehydration. It would be really relieving for you to drink like 10 glasses of water a day if you can, and a massage therapist told me that you should stand in ice cold water to help pull the blood away from your head and slow the blood flowing in your head, which causes the headache. I really hope this helps. -Sincerely, Chris
alley-oop
re: is this possible?
I had been a really heavy coffee drinker for years and years and quit cold turkey without any major problems. After being off coffee for close to 10 years, I decided to try it again, and, over the course of about 2 weeks, had about 6 or so cups a day. I was getting heart palps and feeling quite nauseas and then got the flu as well so I stopped the coffee. Problem is that the flu is hanging on, or so is it? Is it possible to experience caffeine withdrawals after 2 weeks of heavy coffee drinking, along with quite a bit of chocolate (PMS you know :-))? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
Anonymous
re: diet coke/pepsi
I am trying very hard to stop drinking diet soda, up until 9/1/06 I was drinking at least 2 20 0z. fountain sodas a day. I realized one day that I have been doing this 7 days a week for more then 5 years. I was driving and became very dizzy, sick to my stomache, I was unable to go to work one day this week. I feel very shakey I have been getting strange pains in my head, or I have terrible headaches. I asked a friend of mine her opion and she mentioned caffine withdrawal. I came to this web sight and the person who wrote in sounded as if they felt the same way I do. I was wondering should I not go cold turkey and maybe have one a day then everyother and so forth? Thanks for any help you may have. Debbie
Anonymous
re: i have been drinking coffee
i have been drinking coffee for years. i quit last year for a while then had a bunch in one day and had heart palpitations. i started again and have gradually drank more and more until recently when i was up to like two double shots and a coffee a day. i started drinking one cup a day to "taper" off. i feel super tired, have a skip a beat feeling in my heart sometimes, feel dizzy kinda here and there and generally weird. withdrawl?
Anonymous
re: My caffieine addiction
I was wondering if i should go see my docter. I am a 17 year old male, that has been drinking Mountain dew for the last 11 years. I started drinking one a week, I felt great drinking it as a pick me up, but it soon stopped working as well so i increased my consumption and it gradually incresed over the years to 3 20 oz. bottles, to 1 2 liter a day, but recently i have been trying to overcome my addiction. I started with the commonly know headache, the came and went, then it became soo severe one day that i about blacked out while i was driving! so i've been trying to ease myself off of the pop, but just as of Today (9/12/06) I've been getting chest pains, and it's been getting worse!!! I don't know what to do??? My heart beats have been illregular! I can't sleep at all! My stomach hurts? i just need some advice!!!
Anonymous
re: Can caffeine cause heart
Can caffeine cause heart palpatations and feelings of faint? Because that is what I was feeling and it even once lead to a panic attack because one night my heart was racing and I had shortness of breath, I was afraid to fall asleep thinking that if I did, I would not wake up.
I took all kinds of tests for the heart, ekg, echocardiogram etc. My heart was fine. My doctor mentioned nothing to me about caffiene, I stopped drinking caffeine and all those symptoms went away. Could this be in my head? one cup of coffee a day can cause these symptoms?
Daniel
re: This could be caffeine
This could be caffeine related. Try giving up coffee (and ideally other caffeine) for a week or so and see if the symptoms go away. A dip in caffeine levels can cause headaches once a physical dependence is established. As a warning if this is the issue for you I can promise you that you have a headache for a day or two while your body removes the caffeine from your system.
I suppose a similar experiment would be to drink a cup of coffee a couple of hours before you normally get the headaches and see if they fail to come on the days you have afternoon coffee.
Anonymous
re: Quitting coffee
I can't believe it would take weeks to rid the system of dependence on caffeine. I am a very heavy coffee drinker, but I stopped once years ago, just to see if I felt any different. After about a day of no coffee, I did get a nasty headache, unlike any I had previously. It seemed to center at the back of the head at the base of the skull.
I theorized it was coffee withdrawal, so I brewed some coffee and drank only a half cup. Within minutes the headache was gone. But I drank no more coffeee after that and did not experience any further headaches.
After about a month and a half, I felt no difference whatsoever in my daily energy levels. I replaced my coffee-drinking with drinking hot water heated in the microwave. It seemed to give me the same habitual relaxation as sipping coffee. After seeing no difference for several months, I went back to coffee, and again saw no difference in my daily routine or my energy levels.
I guess it just depends on the individual. Some people have a lower tolerance to caffeine.
Anonymous
re: symptoms and caffeine
I started drinking espresso about five years ago. I drink a double espresso (size of a coffee) first thing in the morning. Every single day in the late afternoon I get horrible migraines and stomach aches. I have a generalized anxiety disorder so I do have anxiety most of the time but since the coffee intake very severe. I was wondering if this one espresso in the morning could be causing these symptoms every afternoon?
KC
Anonymous
re: Optibolic Optidrene
Hi- I have question in regards to Optibolic Optidrene. Around 2 months ago i was going out for the night with a friend and was feeling tired etc and i friend had optidrene tablets and advised me to take them as they give you energy & keep you awake. Not knowing how many i was meant to take i took 8 tablets over a period of 3 hours. Which i now know is way too many. Ever since taking these i have been suffering one of the worst symptoms i have every experienced. Everyday- all day i feel dizzy, i have blurry vision, not being able to consentrate. I feel as if im going crazy. I have ssen a doctor and he has advised me that i am now suffering from a severe case of anxiety? could i have done some kind of brain damage or any type of damage to my body?
Anonymous
re: User
i'm sixteen i drink about two cups of a day. i've been drinking coffee for almost a year. Alot of days i notice that when i stand up i get really light headed. also i get headaches half way through the day. could this be from coffee?
Daniel
re: re: Question
Unfortunate answer is that time will make the symptoms go away. I'm not aware of any other cure. As long as we are talking about the symptoms in the main article and not something more serious it should be mostly an annoyance. Admittedly, the withdrawal symptoms are nasty but probably better than most physical addictions. If the symptoms get worse or do not go away you may want to talk to a doctor. From anecdotal evidence it seems that the heavier the dose and the longer the use the worse the symptoms will be.
If it is an option, you may want to consider tapering off slowly. That seems to help some people. This is especially helpful if you are a heavy user. If you have been drinking a pot or two of strong coffee every day for years going cold turkey is going to be extremely unpleasant.
Anonymous
re: Question
I have these symptoms. what can i do to stop the withdrawal symptoms
Daniel
re: RE: Optibolic Optidrene
Some people are hyper sensitive to caffeine. Unfortunately, to the best of my
knowledge, there is not a way to determine if a person is caffeine sensitive
before they experience the side effects. Many people also forget caffeine is a
drug. Specifically it is a relatively mild stimulant. Caffeine should be treated
with care in the same way that any drug is.
As for the headaches, I have personally experienced headaches and migraines
when deprived of caffeine either voluntarily or by circumstances outside of my
control. For me it usually happens starting on day two and I'm relatively
headache free after a week or so. Headaches and migraines the most common side
effect of caffeine withdrawal but far from the only one. Over a month later
seems unusual but if you have spoken to a doctor and they have ruled out other
possible sources then I will not claim it is impossible.
I looked up Optibolic Optidrene since I was not familiar with the product. It
contains 75 mgs of caffeine per capsule (2 sources 37.5 mgs each) and the recommended
dosage is 4
capsules per day. That is a total of about 300 mgs of caffeine spread between 2
doses. This is not what
I would call a huge dose of caffeine. Each 150 mg dose is the equivalent of
one
strong cup of coffee, two
glasses of iced tea or about three
12 oz Mountain Dews. Having said that there is a definite difference in how
fast caffeine hits the blood when taken in different forms so there may be a
more spiky caffeine jolt with this type of product.
You may want to talk to your doctor about the possibility of caffeine sensitivity and how you should handle this in your diet.
A very large number of foods and drinks contain varying
amounts of caffeine so if you are sensitive you need to know which foods to
avoid.
I hope you get to feeling better soon. I also hope others will use you source
as one of many examples of why caffeine should be used in moderation if at all.
As an aside, nutritional supplement companies are starting to turn to caffeine
as a stimulant replacement for ephedra now that ephedra is banned from
supplements in the USA. If you are planning to use supplement products check the
caffeine levels they can be quire high and don't over dose. As an aside to the
aside ephedra is still legal in some forms such as herbal teas so watch what you
are getting in those products if you want to avoid ephedra.
Anonymous
re: Could be normal.
I was a coffee drinker for about 15 years and quit cold turkey. I had severe headaches for about a week and a half. Then about three weeks out my heart started skipping beats and I got very dizzy and numb arms. I went to the emergency room and everything checked out okay. Talking to the on-call doctor I found out that caffeine withdrawal was the likely culprit. Symptoms can last weeks or months. You should get checked out regularly, but it's possible you're still in withdrawal.
Anonymous
re: Optibolic Optidrene
I started taking Optibolic Optidrene to aid in fat burning for a new fitness routine I started 6 weeks ago. One of the key ingredients is Caffeine (37.5mg) in quite a strong concentration. For the first week I was feeling VERY energetic and my running times were quite good considering I haven't run for a long time. Of concern was my heart rate which was hovering around 195bpm and peaking at over 208 towards the end.
After 1 week I started having severe palpitations several times throughout the day. I do have a slightly ectopic heartbeat which is hereditary, but typically it would only occur once or twice a month. Now it was happening nearly constantly so I immediately stopped taking the drug and ceased all consumption of Caffeine.
It took over 2 weeks for the palpitations to fully subside, but then I started having immense headaches every couple of days. They are extremely painful and even the strongest pain killers fail to do much at all, and I typically have to weather them.
5 Weeks on, and the headaches are starting to become less frequent, and more responsive to pain medication thank goodness. But the experience has turned me off Caffeine for good, and I'm concerned about all the others whom may suffer from the same withdrawals I have, whether from taking similar supplements as I did, or simply are heavy coffee drinkers.
Anonymous
re: Light Headed-Ness
I have the same sypmtoms sometimes , and i think that caffiene can increase the chance of light headedness after standing up too qucikly
(called a head-rush), but everyone can get these , if u dont belive me... stay off the caffine for a week and sit on the couch for a good 30 minutes
then stand up very quickly and begin walking
you should get the same results
you should be okay
about the headaches ... people on caffiene can get them due to a slitght withdrawl
no biggie
Anonymous
re: good for you
great loose the weight and get into shape.
Anonymous
re: fifteen year old
hi --- i'm not a doctor but i had a cousin who , for a time, would wake up every morning with chest pains so severe she thought she was having a heart attack. it turned out to be a severe case of acid reflux --- where her stomach acids were going back up. because of the numbness in your arms ,low potassium (this can cause irregular heartbeats) and extra heartbeats you'd do well to see the cardiologist but just in case it doesn't turn out to be your heart you might want to have your stomach checked. it would help if you can remember what you ate before those attacks you had. are you a regular coke/coffee drinker (you mentioned chugging coke and coffee before one of your attacks)? knowing stuff like that will be helpful to the doctor. good luck!
Anonymous
re: Hey this is the Fifteen yr
Hey this is the Fifteen yr old yeah I went to the doctor and he said that i have a small extra heartbeat between regular heartbeats. And I have very low potassium. So next week Ihave been instructed to see a cardioligist. And the doctor said that panic attacks were highly unlikely.
Anonymous
re: caffeine withdrawals
It sounds to me like you don't have a caffeine problem so much as you have a panic problem. It's possible that you are having even mild caffeine withdrawal, which can lead to panic. Caffeine withdrawal is usually very mild and not even the slightest bit life threatening. What you're describing relates more to panic attacks. Panic attacks are driven solely by panic and can give you false symptoms that make you think there's something seriously wrong, but in reality it's all just in your head. Given that you have already seen a physician, I'd advise that next time you feel like you're having erradic heart beat or shortness of breathe just remind yourself, you're okay. The more you panic, the worse you'll have these false symptoms. However, I'd avoid the caffeine as much as possible for right now as it can make your panic worse.
Daniel
re: reply
After this much time I would think that the caffeine should mostly be clear if you have not had any additional caffeine but all the same I'd keep pestering the doctors until they find the problem. Of course you could have a really odd metabolism.
Just a hunch but you might be better with your GP since he will see the progression where the hospital or a walk in clinic will see this as a one shot with no history.
Anonymous
re: caffeine withdrawals
Hi, i'm fifteen and a pretty active guy. Last Sunday I drank a 2 liter of Coca Colawithin afew hours and Monday I drank a mug of strong coffee. And later on that day at school i was having chest pain and numbness in my arms. So iwent tothe nurse and she said my blood pressure was 130/80 and said that it was high. LAter on that day iwent to a urgent care place and the doctor there saiddrink plenty of fluids and stay away from caffeine. Then on Tuesday i stayed
home and was pretty much okay.Wednesday iwent to school in the morning i felt like i was having aheart attack. So Iwent to a family doctor he said it was a cold. later on that day we ate chinese food, and I started to hav severe chest pains and shortness of breath so I went to the hospitaland they said my heart was fine and that to stay away from caffeine and cigerettes,but i don't smoke so my chest x-ray and blood work said i was healthy. but on Thursday I was having a erradic heart beat and shortness of breath, and severe muscle weakness, lightheadedness, and stomach pain. Friday the same thing. saturday, yesterday same thing. Today it's a little better.but i still have a erradic heartbeat shortness of breath, muscle weakness, lightheadedness, little bit of stomach pain. So i was wondering if i should go to school or stay home or maybe goto the hospital thanks David
Anonymous
re: me too
Like you I have the same feelings and sensations. Did it finally pass? I like to here back from you! Dan
Anonymous
re: caffine withdrawal
If I were you I would go to the emergency room ASAP. Women have heart attacks and don't even know it. You should deffinitely see a doctor. Tell the doctor all about the caffine consumption and going cold turkey.
You did consume so much coffee in one day, you built up to it. You might want to do some tapperring off. But hey, I'm not a doctor. But, you really need to see the doctor. I wish you the best.
Sheree
Anonymous
re: Caffeine Withdrawal
I'm 35 yrs. old and I cut caffeine out of my diet completely. I used to be a heavy coca cola drinker but for the last 3 days I haven't had one. I've been drinking soda since I could remember. For the past few days since I stopped drinking any soda, i've had a splitting headache. Does anyone know how long this lasts? Keep in mind that i'm trying to get healthy now so no soda or sugar. I'm diabetic and i'm losing weight to get healthy. I've cut out soda and sugar from my diet completely.
Thank You,
C. Abdelwahab
Anonymous
re: Coming off caffine
I have just give up 8 cans of red bull and 6 cups of coffee a day. I had a panic attack. The feeling I wasn't awake. Sweats. dizziness, depresion etc. the list goes on.
Anonymous
re: caffeine withdrawls
i'm sixteen i drink about two cups of a day. i've been drinking coffee for almost a year. Alot of days i notice that when i stand up i get really light headed. also i get headaches half way through the day. could this be from coffee?
Anonymous
re: Boots caffeine stripts
Boots pharmacys have released a minty caffeine strip that contains phenlyalanine. It says on the pack to only take 4 a day... i've taken 4 in one go and starting to feel a little dizzy and sleepy... so if anyone thinks of doing this... dont lol. What are the dangers of this? please email me [email protected]
Anonymous
re: If you havent already
go to the hospital. You are describing signs of extrememly high blood pressure. I had these signs when I had high bp when pregnant. It is critical and I hope you are ok.
Anonymous
re: caffiene withdrawal
you are luck to be alive. re-read your letter and look closely at what you are doing to yourself.
Anonymous
re: Caffeine Withdrawal
If withdrawal from caffeine can have this powerful effect, isn't it reasonable to suggest that it could be a major cause for hypertension in some 'caffeine sensitive' people?
Daniel
re: medical advice
As stated numerous times on the web site I do not give medical advice. I highly recommend talking to a competent medical professional if you have health concerns caffeine related or otherwise.
Anonymous
re: Caffiene withdrawl or something more to worry about?
Hi I have ben drinking about 12 to 14 cups of cooffee a day Mugs so probobly more. For about 70 days I went on a clensing fast restricting solids and just lived day and night on Caffene . It never interefrd with my sleep and I actually felt better. Last week I was havimng a echocardiagram for fluid retention i my right legs and elevated top number of blood pressue I usually run about 111over 67 It went up t 188 over 150 so I wa shospitalized and monitered a few hours, They gave me bloood pressure pills and checked my electrilites which were god. The BP eventually came down as well as I lost 10 pounds in fluid but since I have been home I have had a rushing aweful headache and extreme plapatations in my chest and it is almsot impossable to walk I feel weak and extramely dizzy with shortmess of breathe . They told me to come back if that got worse. But I forgot to tell them Ihad stopped cpold turkey drinking the 12 to 14 mugs of coffee. I am wondering if this is normal with caffiene withdrawl and if I should add some coffee to my diet again and taper down. I dont understand the BP going up since it says here caffene withdrawl lowers BP. I just feel its hard to get a breathe and when I move I get fatiuged and dizzy and spots and wobbly and feel faint with the thundering palpitations It feels like my heart is twitching . Is this normal or should I fgo back to Emergency.? They did not ask me about caffiene consumption at all I am aslo on l,meds with caffiene so I would think that would hold me over and am wondring if I should be seen I feel very uncomfortableBut I sleep fine at night and dont have the palpatations unless I try to move at all or am sitting up Thanks Maria