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
gatokat says
re: caffeine withdrawal symptoms
i am very glad i found this blog! i have been experiencing panic attacks, with anxiety just about daily for the last couple of years. i knew coffee was somehow making me sick (about 3 cups plus a couple of cokes daily). so after quitting cold turkey 4 weeks ago, i thought this symptoms would go away, right? wrong! although the symptoms are lessening now, i still have anxiety, panic attacks with body aches that i did not realize my quitting caffeine would bring them on. I wish all of you suffering like i am perseverance, im sure they well eventually go away. thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences and making me feel understood.
User says
re: I haven't had soda in a while
I haven't had soda in a while and i've had a headache and havent been able to sleep, and im irritable, i still really want some soda, but my stupid parents havent bought any, now i've taken to eating sugar but that doesnt help much
User says
re: day 2
I decided to quit drinking coke cold turkey yesterday morning (I do not drink coffee). Yesterday, I was okay until about 6:30 pm and couldn't keep my eyes open. I slept about 10 hrs last night (way more than normal) and I am still exhausted. Luckily, tiredness is my only symptom--I plan on giving up soft drinks for good.
User says
re: Suffering from The Caffeine Aches
Thanks Phil!
User says
re: 500oz really
Are you sure you weren't drinking 'diet coke' ? BTW, any seizures?
airjordan_8 says
re: caffeine withdrawal Day 24
I have drank about 3-4 cans of pop everyday since my freshman year of highschool. I am now 21 years old and decided enough was enough. I recently quit cold turkey 24 days ago from all pop, and all caffeine. I'm just wondering how long the headaches and tiredness last?? I have headaches everyday it seems like yet, im tired all the time and have small paranoia attacks every once in awile. Is this normal for caffeine withdrawal, am I going to get back too feeling normal ever?
User says
re: Hang in there
I gave up chocolate, tea and coffee (I only had one cup of the latter two each day) at the beginning of the week as I had been finding their affect on my PMT was severe. I am still suffering cramps all over the body but the headaches have stopped now. HOpefully the cramps will diminish in the next couple of days. All the best.
User says
re: Returning Anxiety - Environmental
Hi, I believe that there are many triggers to anxiety. I myself am going through cold turkey as I gave up all chocolate, tea and coffee as well as alcohol. It has been 4 days and the headaches have stopped but I am still suffering from cramps all over the body and irritability. The reason I gave up was due to PMT and the above just exacerbated the symptoms. Have you thought about your home environment, for example do you know if you live near a mobile phone mast or do you have a digital landline. I work as an environmental consultant in the field of electromagnetic radiation and there are many biological affects associated with this pollution. Hope you feel better soon.
User says
re: No more caffeine 🙂
So im 16 years old and my family is born and raised on soft drinks. So of course that's all I've ever really drank. Mostly 7 cans or more a day. But I just went to church camp for a week during the hottest part so we needed as much water as we could get. So a week of about 10 water bottles a day really made a difference. When I drank a soda when I got home I was experiencing horrible stomach pains, feeling more tired, and cramps. And I just I was getting really sick until I saw this. It really helped and I've quit cold turkey with the sodas and im hoping for the symptoms to go away but it's only been a few days.
User says
re: 500 oz. per day? Come on...
500 oz. per day is just under 42 - 12 0z. cans. I doubt that is accurate, but I'm sure you drink a lot and I agree that you should wean yourself off instead of quitting cold turkey.
User says
re: Not too long
I found this sight at about day two of going cold turkey. When the backache and muscle cramps started I thought, "surely this can't be from the caffeine withdrawl!!!" Well, thanks to this sight I became educated so wanted to return the favor and relate my experience. The main thing is, I got over the symptoms in about 5 days! I started with a mild headache which, as mentioned earlier, became one of the worst back/muscle aches I've ever experienced! I almost threw in the towel but then woke up yesterday and . . . no pain. I guess the point I want to relate is this: It may take 2 or 3 weeks to get over this, or, you may be "lucky" like me and only have a few days. And I can tell you, now that I've come out the other side, I feel so much better, more energetic, more alert, it would've been worth doing even if the pain had lasted 3 weeks! Hang in there. - Phil
User says
re: well i dont drink coffee but
well i dont drink coffee but i normaly have 4-6 cups of tea a day! i came back from the doctors after apparent appendicitis (unrelated to caffeine withdrawl) and i was informed that i needed to reduce my caffeine intake (roughly tea and sport drinks containing caffeine). i am a very active athlete (training 2-3 hours daily) so along with my reduction in caffeine to about 1 cup a day i began experiencing chills, headaches, a slight fever, dizziness, weakness and a lage urge to sleep in the afternoon. from reading about caffeine withdrawl symptoms im hoping this is it but my love for tea was established when i was about 7-8 years old so the real question is, should i continue reducing my consumption to none or just set a base of 2 cups a day. hope this helps other people experiencing similar symptoms!
User says
re: If I were you I'd wean myself
If I were you I'd wean myself off of it.
Drink one less each day.
When you get down to one a day slowly switch to half a serving until you feel completely confident to stop.
Quitting cold turkey is miserable. It's good that you want to quit so why make yourself miserable in the process? Even if it takes a little longer, you won't have to suffer headaches and nausea.
User says
re: thank you
Thanks for saying that you are better. I am on day two and I am reading all these posts thinking it is good to know that I am not alone. But I really need to know that these symptoms will go away. I wish I had never seen caffeine. If anyone out there can tell me there is an end to this-- I need to hear it. Today I have a migraine, body aches and general lack of motivation. If I get thru this I hope I never have another drop of caffeine.
Bob says
re: Reply
I'm a 47 year old male who is 5 days caffeing free (cold turkey). On day 3, I developed an intense pain in my right hip and lower back. I hope it is from the caffeing withdrawl and not something more sinister, something I never suspected until I stumbled across this site by chance. Today I am conducting an experiment on myself and am returning to caffeine consumption just to see if the symptoms go away. If they do, I will have confirmed to myself that I was indeed addicted to caffeine and did not even know it. I will then go cold turkey again never to touch caffeine again.
User says
re: Thank you
Thank you for this post (the first paragraph because I am ignoring the one who said we were all over-reacting). I stopped drinking my regular 9 a.m. Diet Dr. Pepper that I have consumed for over 12 years about 2 weeks ago. I have thought I was losing my mind. I want to cry all the time, I get irritated at the stupist things and I am more anxious. My husband today thought of the possible link between my emotional/hormone behaviour and the withdrawal of caffeine, and I think he may be right.
Lord Help Us says
re: Reply to holly cow
I totally understand what you have written. I too have been in the hospital. I did something totally stupid. I decided to quit smoking and caffeine at the stame time. I was drinking about a pot and a half of coffee along with soft drinks. I was also a pack a day or more smoker. I ended up in the hospital because of working out in the heat to much. My BP was a little high. I am not the type that runs to the doctor. It has been years since I saw one. but I would check my BP every now and then. It was always normal. After being released from the hosipital I thought I could attempt to keep my BP in line by giving up smoking and caffeine. I know I have been able to stop the two together because I have prayed long and hard. To tell you the truth I have not missed the smoking much at all. I have smoked for 30 years and tried to quit several times on my own. I have prayed so hard and asked God what is wrong with me. Why am I feeling the way I do. I felt that I was being led to ask.com and put in what are the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal. I know we can do all things through Christ. I am not attempting to preach. Thank you for your article. I will accomplish this one step at a time with God's Help. I will pray for you as well.
User says
re: Quit cold turkey
Been a coffee drinker for quite a long time, not heavy drinker though, just a cup or two every day. However one day i didn't drink and it gave me such a terrible headache that subsided only when i had a shot of coffee. That's when i realised i should probably quit drinking coffee or consume it so less like once a month or in few months. I decided to go cold turkey and probably in the 3rd week (or 4th, don't remember clearly, another aspect of quitting coffee 🙂 ).
During this time i had so many bouts of headache, lightheadedness, dizziness, lack of concentration, slow mind, weakness in legs, cramps etc. Have substituted my daily cuppa with organic chai which seem to be helping me out to resist the temptation of having another shot of caffeine.
Whilst headache, cramps still exist, its slightly manageable, the only thing that still baffles me is the sleep, i tend to fall asleep the moment i sit/lie down anywhere :-), was finding it tough to believe inspite of sleeping so much i still fell asleep at night, that's when i found this website and read in one of the posts that sleep debt takes about a month.
So i've probably another 9-10 days more before the debt clears off, hopefully. Hoping things would be better afterwards.
Birdy says
re: pain
I am a 20 yr old mother and i drink well over 500oz of coke a day. I had decided to stop yesterday so i went cold turkey and didnt drink any AT ALL! Last night i started getting a major headache like my head was in a compactor. I was nauseous and began vomiting. Aspirins didnt help at all. This morning i woke up and the headache is still there and im still nauseous. I dont want to drink a coke but i feel like its the only way to make the pain recede.
I used to suffer from migraines but this pain is nothing compared to it. Is there any alternative to stop the pain so i dont have to drink coke anymore???
stefan995 says
re: Hi you all.I'm 16 years old
Hi you all.
I'm 16 years old and recently I have gone to a summer school in Eton, where I wasn't getting enough sleep; so, in order to make up for it, I used to dring about 3-4 coffees a day (white, black, latte, double-expresos) which went on for about a week.
And since I got back home I just stopped drinking coffee because I wasn't bothered to make any (back at Eton there was a coffee making machine which made a coffee in less than 5 seconds).
Now, I have this massive headache, like my head is being squished from all sides and my brain is getting tighter and tighter....and you know how you get a little head rush when you stand up too fast? Well, when I just simply stand up I feel like I'm about to faint (its that bad). It hurts even when i laugh. Its worse than being tortured.
Is there anything i can do to ease the pain? I really feel like I wanna drink some coffee now ONLY to make the pain stop. But i don't want to be one of those coffee addicts. I even tried some pills (like aspirin) but i don't feel any better.
User says
re: Aleeve
A friend of mine just went through a kidney transplant. He had taken aleeve for hip pain for a couple of years. Docs said that was the only thing that could have caused his kidney failure. READ the small print! Better yet, try natural remedies. They may take longer, but you will be healthier in the end. The pain is telling you something. Why not ask the question.....What does it mean?
User says
re: Returning anxiety
Never taken cofee or tea or much energy drinks. I've improved from when I gave up my high caffeine diet pills in May. The physical effects of lack of sleep and fatigue have pretty much gone. Yet I struggle from anxiety and worrying still, no way near as bad as at first. I understand that it gets better over time. I however got rid of this anxiety and then it started to return, this has happened twice. The first time I did start taking caffeine again in the form of diet bars. The second time I gave up all chocolate I was getting better then it returned. I don't understand what is happening? Is there anyway the anxiety and paranoia can be triggered off? I'm starting to worry a bit now and not think it's the caffine.
User says
re: i actually feel fine its been
i actually feel fine its been 4 days for me i did really tired eariler but thats about it is it because im younger and havent been drinking soda as long
User says
re: Nonsense
I stopped drinking coffee because it was so hot out and I don't have air conditioning. I was swamped with an overwhelming wave of depression and anxiety and had no idea what was happening. Just by chance I got an iced coffee with a friend and started feeling a million times better. I had no idea I was going through caffeine withdrawal.
You are not a doctor or a researcher. Keep your boring limited opinions to yourself. Do not dismiss others pain just because you have it easy in one aspect of life where others might suffer greatly. Your individual experience does not make you an expert on anything other than how you react to caffeine withdrawal.
User says
re: When I gave up caffeine in my
When I gave up caffeine in my 20s I handled the withdrawal very well. No headache or anything. I started drinking it again after several months of being caffeine free and am now in my mid-40s. Caffeine has started to affect me in very different ways - jittery, insomnia, sweating - so I decided to give it up again. I thought I'd experience the same easy withdrawal. Today, day two, I awoke with a mild headache and severe nausea and chills. I feel like I have the flu. And maybe I do - perhaps this is coincidental - but if not, this is not something I ever want to experience again. I wonder if there is a correlation between how caffeine impacts me now and how much worse my withdrawal symptoms are this time around.
User says
re: About sex drive
Regular
About sex drive
Regular exercise will fix that problem. I am not talking about running 50 million marathons a day, BUT I am talking about 3 days a week with even spacing between them run on a treadmill with a “program†inside the treadmill that is 24-30mins and has different levels where level 1 is the first level 2 is the next and so on. And you increase the levle the better you get.
Regular exercise will fix many problems, and don't forget to eat after training 🙂
User says
re: Did your sex drive slow down?
Remember that Caffeine causes rushes of homones and dopamine. This is the same stuff your sex drive uses. Try avoiding masterbation and porn for a while until your body reaches a new equilibrium.
User says
re: Give it about a week
In a week, most of your symptoms will go away. You will still be tired until you pay up your sleep debt.
User says
re: It depends
I think it is different for everybody. If you have more time to sleep, then quitting will be easier. Also, some people (like myself) are prone to depression and have been using caffeine to stay happy. Thus, when I quit for 21 days cold turkey, I thought that the world was so full of evil and the life was not worth living. I got over that in about a week, but I was still tired at day 21 (because my sleep schedule was not that good). Caffeine withdraw is actually two issues:
1. The chemical withdraw that most people know about
2. The sleep debt that caffeine has caused you to build up.
If you don't get the sleep debt paid back up (it takes about 30 days according to a military study), then you will still feel very tired.
Finally, your fitness level will determine a lot of this in regards to how well you get back to normal.
User says
re: It is not that bad at all
I have been drinking well over 1000 mg a day (mainly through redlines) for atleast three years now. I stopped a couple days ago and I have a headache and feel a little tired but it is not bad at all. All of you seem to be overreacting very much. If you read some of these peoples stories you will find yourself withdrwaling harder and longer just because you will make your mind believe it is much worse than it is. Please, none of you ever become addicted to heroin or benzos because if you are thinking cofee withdrwals are bad, then I think most of you might commit suicide having to endure those by the looks of some of your posts. Just realize your not gonna be at 100% for probably a week. Trying to do all the things you are used to doing will just frustrate you because you will be so used to caffeine. Just kick back for a couple days, and if it means maybe missing some work or not studying as much, then so be it. You were the one who got yourself into it in the first place, and now you are responsible for getting yourself out. The energy you will have down the road without any type of drug in you at all is far superior to the little 'boost" caffeine gives you.
Joey says
re: Tried to quit Coffee
I quit (or tried to) drinking coffee last week and by the 3rd day I was soooooo sick. I thought something was seriously wrong; I had terrible back/neck/joint/muscle pain, I felt like there was a bomb exploding in my head, I was confused, fatigued, getting sick to my stomach, etc. etc. I was a mess. Went to the Dr. ( I just knew I was dying).. I couldn't even drive I was so sick. Anyway, after 3 days of no coffee I couldn't take it anymore, I forced myself to drink coffee and it took 2 days before all the symptoms went away. I read how someone gradually quit drinking coffee instead of going cold turkey like I did with great results; maybe I'll try that but not yet, I'm too afraid because I've never been so sick. Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone else went through what I did and how did you finally quit.. Have a great day everyone!
User says
re: Don't know if I can take it any longer
I went cold Turkey about 3 days ago and the withdrawl symptoms are horrible. Headaches, irritabilty, fatigue, insomnia, pressure in head, foggy mind, can't concentrate, motivation totally gone, aching back. I was a two cup a-day drinker and an occasional Starbucks. These feelings are driving me crazy but I do not want to get back on the caffeine, I refuse to but some days I feel like I cannot take it anymore. The comments on this site have been helping me allot. They are starting to motivate me to stay focused. I just want to be myself again. I hate that I even started drinking coffee. I pray that it does not take long for my symptoms to go away.
User says
re: stopped 6 weeks ago
I stopped drinking coffee about six weeks ago and have noticed an extreme change in my sex drive. Is this possible or just my imagination? As a male, I am thinking of returning to drinking it.
User says
re: I verified that Aleve
I verified that Aleve actually doesn't contain any caffeine at all... it's stated on the Aleve web site. Do you still suffer any side affects from being off caffeine? I'm still having issues with headaches, intense dreams, and anxieties. Some days are better than others... just hoping this wares off once and for all.
User says
re: Help please!
My doctor seems to think I have an overactive thyroid too! The last day I had coffee was Friday, and then I got blood work done the following Tuesday; and the results seemed to show I might have hyperthyroidism. But I stupidly forgot to tell the endocrinologist I saw that I had stopped drinking coffee for four days before I got my blood work done and six days before I saw the endocrinologist. By any chance can you tell me some of the symptoms you had that led the doctor to think you had an overactive thyroid?
Say No To Joe says
re: Congrats on quitting! I too
Congrats on quitting! I too quit caffeine cold turkey, but I did it 10 months ago. I just wanted to give you a heads up that there is some caffeine in Aleve, which may be why it's helping so much with your withdrawal symptoms. It'd probably be a good idea to switch over to ibuprofen for the headaches. Just thought I'd share. Keep your head up! All of this will pass!
User says
re: Help has arrived
Vitamin B should help with the anxiety, get a shot from the doctor, it will last about 1 week. Also take Calcium, magnesium and potassium. Drink lots of fluid (water).
User says
re: Thanks for that input really
Thanks for that input really appreciate it. Defo improved from the start when I would get horrific panic attacks from my anxiety that started by issues merely from watching soaps etc on TV and overthinking and worrying about them and how they could happen to me. I still have these worries now after almost a couple of weeks of giving up all caeffine, but not so bad. I just slightly worry that they might never go away these worries. Get a few unwanted thoughts but not as much. So I gave up drinking for 6 weeks until I go away with the lads, as I found anxiety is awful when hungover. Defo getting there thanks. I don't know if by giving up chocolate which I usually eat lots of, as well as my diet supplements caused a relapse in the anxiety attacks to begin again?
User says
re: That's a great idea!
That's a great idea!
User says
re: I had been drinking between
I had been drinking between 400 and 600mg a day. In tea. Which, is about 20 cups a day. I also have really bad headaches from withdrawal, I expect, though I notice not many people here are just going off of tea. I drank about 2 coffees a week two but I never really was that bothered about them.
I'm on a detox now, so just eating fruit and veg, to try to sort my system out a bit.
I can deal with headaches, I just have really bad back pain and joint pain too. I'm not really hungry either but I'm not nauseus. This is day two cold turkey for me. Is this normal?
User says
re: Coffee Addiction Challenges
Its encouraging to read other people are in the same boat of trying to quit something society has deemed part of life. Its everywhere! Its part of routines, parties, socializing everything! For someone trying to quit that is the hardest part. For me at least, is trying to say no in those situations. Although I have told myself why say no in those situations maybe that could be a reward?? I am enjoying reading everyones challenges on quitting. I have been trying to quit coffee for years now. I have finally transitioned into decaf and have two cups every morning. Although that can be tricky simply because I notice my body waiting for the caffeine part to kick in and it doesn't and I almost crave the caffeine more than anything by that point. So all in all for me quitting coffee all together has been a huge challenge. I love love love it and its so hard for me to quit something I love. But I know the symptoms it carries is far worse than me loving the smell taste and just the plain old coffee. Thanks for sharing your coffee addiction challenges! Its encouraging.
IRDD says
re: A couple weeks ago i think i
A couple weeks ago i think i went a lil over bord with the caffiene and the after affects sort of scared me so i stopped drinking it and ive had most of the symptoms that have been said on this thread anxiety, heart palpatations. And now im going threw withdrawls cuz ima afraid of that happening againg ( even though it does anyway) But here the thing, i dont wanna give up caffiene, im a teenager, soda should be running though my veins!! And ive read that this is all due to the fact that my body has become sensitive to adenosine, is there a possibility that if i go back to my regualr coffee and soda intake these symptoms will go away?
User says
re: 🙁
I am not a coffee drinker, however, I am a 16 year old female, and as most teenagers do, I do drink soda on a regular basis, with the occasional cup of tea. (green) For about the past 2 or 3 months, I've had at least a 20 oz bottle of Diet Pepsi EVERY DAY. On some occasions, I would buy a 2 liter bottle and drink all of it within a few hours, plus drink a few cups of tea later in the day. My mood is constantly changing, and I feel absolutely terrible in the evening. Depressed, it seems. Before I drink caffeine, I'm really lightheaded and dizzy a lot. I shake pretty bad too. I haven't had any caffeine for two days, and I just feel weak and hopeless, and it's hard to type this because my fingers feel so stiff and are shaking. I don't feel like exercising, like I normally do, and I just woke up from a 3-hour nap. I NEVER take naps. I drink caffeine later in the day, then I'm awake all night, and I finally get to sleep, and wake up every few hours. During the day, I'm always tired, so I drink more caffeine. It's like I'm stuck in a cycle. I want to quit, but I can't find the willpower. :/ I plan on getting another Pepsi today to stop this madness. I can't quit going back for more... 🙁
flurfy says
re: going on 6 days...
day 6 no caffeine. No energy. Pain in lower back. Managed to exercise for about an hour and a half - very low performance with that. For those trying to kick the habit - remember that caffeine causes weight gain and in many instances high blood pressure. Coffee and tea also darken and make your complexion murky. Get off this stuff! I quit black coffee 4months ago after severe migraine - they went away. I drank strong black tea in its place - though more healthful it was about the same amount of caffeine.
rwcremer says
re: Trust me it gets better...
Trust me it gets better... it's different for everybody though. I would quit and then start up again only to make things worse. My anxiety was HORRIBLE, but it slowly diminishes. I took Aleve, which really helped me for some reason. The worse part though, is not knowing what the heck is going on with your body and mind. Just stick it out and everything will diminish each day...
rwcremer says
re: Finaly!
I've now been off caffeine now for 19 days now... I feel SO much better now!
Here's my story... out of the blue, I began to suffer panic attacks and heart palpitations. I only drank maybe 12oz of coffee each morning with an occational soda here and there. I've had heart palpitations in the past and know (for me) they are related to excessive sugar intake over a long period of time. I cut out the sugar, the heart palpitations went away, but the panic attacks kept coming on intermittently. I then began to ween myself off caffeine, but after daily headaches and nausea for two weeks, I started back on coffee.
Then I had another panic attack, and quit caffeine cold turkey. I have to say, the headaches and nausea weren't all that bad this time around... but two weeks later, I took a road trip and had extreme anxiey and panic attacks for four days straight. Accompanied with the anxiety were symptoms of nausea, light headedness, heavy arms and legs, trouble concentrating, shakes, hot and cold sweats, no apppetite, and sporatic headaches. I then tried to have a cup of coffee one morning and the next, which only made things worse... I was a mess! I decided to go off caffeine once again and stay off.
Once I got back home I found this blog... and found all of you with the same symptoms. The worry of not knowing was just horrible. So... here I am... 19 days and running and as time goes by, my symptoms seem to diminish a little each day. Mostly everything is gone now, but not totally... I'm still struggling with nightmares and mild anxiety, but the symptoms are now manageable. I also started taking Aleve, which really seemed to take the edge off both the headaches and the anxieties... not sure why. My advice is to stay the course... and DON'T think having caffeine is going to make things better.
Oh, forgot to mention... I went to my doctor and he seemed to refuse the notion that my symptoms were from caffeine withdrawal... he thought I may have an overactive thyroid. He ran a myriad of tests and they all came back negative.
User says
re: I hate it!
I hate what coffee has made me into, or rather, what has happened to me since i stopped.
I used to pound 4-6 cups every week day (black) + 3-4 iced coffees on the weekend. My pain is hard to explain, like being wide awake but tired at the same time! I always felt unusually anxious too.
Now that ive quit (almost a week) im sooo tired, i hate it. I can wake up after 8hrs of sleep and still feel exhausted.
After lunch, its an uphill battle trying to stay awake.
The temptation is always there.
Im not sure if i'll quit %100 as a long drive usually requires coffee and those iced coffee on the weekend are a blessing..lol
User says
re: strategies
Strategies to help transition to a caffeine free lifestyle:
1) during the transition, exercise. The headaches are caused by excess blood flow to the brain -- if you lift weights, walk or run, you will move the blood around in your body, lessening the impact.
2) 12-16 hour fasts-- if you choose to slowly reduce the amount of caffeine per day, fasting will greatly help. When you fast, caffeine effects are amplified. So as an example -- have a light breafast -- then don't eat all day, using minimal amounts of caffeine during the day -- then a solid dinner in the evening.
3) Related to #2 above -- don't use any caffeine on a full stomach during your transition. You can use less caffenie and get more "bang for your buck"
4) Find a project to work on -- The more you think about not using caffeine, the more you will suffer
Charlotte Chiropractor says
re: headache
Great info, but I would add instead of using anelgesics to ease the pain, I would try to get off caffeine gradually preventing your body to react in such a way as to have a headache.
newlad2011 says
re: Worse time of my life. I want to be happy again.
Hi I'm usually an outgoing person who knows who he is. I'm not a cofee drinker or tea man I have never been. I'm a bit of an exercise freak, I would never do anything illegal or cheat in my sport, I love it too much. I however became too obsessed with trying to get a beach body so tried Maximuscle diet pills it turned out I was taking 500mg of caffeine a day for 5 days, I felt bad so I stopped. The worse effects were serious paranoia and anxiety also drowsiness and fatigue. Depression as well, almost bipolar at times. It got worse as I stopped. A few weeks later I was much better again. I decided to just take the diet bars after that but that turned out they had shed loads of caffeine in too almost as much as 500mg a day, so realised this and stopped after a few days. The effects came back, if not WORSE! I have good days and bad days. I exercie loads but feel bad after it as I feel drowsy. This is about my 10th day after quitting all caffeine including chocolate. I didn't quit chocolate before, maybe I'm worse this time as I quit all caffeine? Most of the time I feel I know I have withdrawal symptoms. Other times I feel I am lying to myself and my paranoia and anxiety are going to become true. I want it to go away! Anybody else had this problem?