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
Anonymous says
re: Is coffee really worth this amount of anxiety!!
hi, l also suffer from panic attacks and 2 weeks ago quit 6-8 espresso coffees a day, unfortunately l went cold turkey not realising how bad it would be. Since then l have had what feels like a panic attack that has lasted the whole time, l cant seem to get on top of my anxiety like l have been able to in the past, what would you recommend? l have gone back to 2 instants in the morning and then sip diet coke for the caffeine for the rest of the day, which seems to help but l feel like l have done a big step back in the wrong direction for my anxiety progress. l also have really bad hot flushes all day and at night it prevents me from sleeping. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated..
Katie says
re: Day 9 Caffeine Withdrawal
It doesn't help that I already have anxiety and depression. So 9 days ago I quit (cold turkey) caffeine, after drinking about 5 (12 oz. cans) per day. It has been hell. I've had 0 energy, muscle/leg aches, so sleepy, increased anxiety and depression, and mild /dull headaches. I am SO tempted to drink a little caffeine. I have 5 kids and a husband, it's making it extremely hard to function. When will this end????
User says
re: decaff coffee
i became really sensitive to caffeine last year.i started drinking decaff coffee recently but apparently i am really sensitive to that also.I have been experiencing backaches,headaches,chest aches and pains and high blood pressure.unfortunatly decaff will not be a poart of my life.good luck to those who try decaff.
Shaun Sweeney says
re: 12 days no coffe
So far I havn't drank a sip of coffee or tea for 12 day today is my 13th. The first few days were ok, but the past few days I have had headaches I feel sick and my test grades in school are lower than they were befor. I have felt depressed and withdrawn. I am determined not to be a slave to coffe so I am hoping all of this will pass. I feel tired and distant most of the day and I am not eating as much as usual. I hope that the chemical levels in my brain get back to normal soon and my theory (that our natural energy is stronger than coffe)is true. Now is a good time to stimulate myself threw excersise and cardio workouts.
Positive outlook
One positive thing about cutting off the caffine is that I am not so uptight. I listen more and talk less, I feel so calm now and peacefull. Caffine was making me rude and obnoxious. I was always worried and full of anxiety,now I am calm with a headache and a little depression. I am happier now than before and the people around me notice it.
User says
re: What does this mean, exactly?
I became a coffee addict about 4 years ago, and since, Ive definitely
noticed a drop off in my overall excitement in life. If Im understanding
the above correctly, then serotonin is induced by caffeine consumption, so the body produces less of it naturally (i know im taking some scientific liberties, here), so in this way caffeine works sort of like the opposite of a SRUI? Any light anybody could shed on this would be
appreciated.
tan says
re: caffeine withdrawal
hi, 10 days ago l had a virus and felt really sick so l decided that l was going to stop drinking so much espresso coffee and quit smoking.(the smoking lasted a day). l found that palpitations were also part of my withdrawal from coffee. l also had severe anxiety, hot flushes, nausea, sleeplessness, sweating and worst of all was my depression. Day 4 l ended up in outpatients thinking l was losing my mind with all these side effects. l finally only felt normal when l sipped diet coke on the 7th day in. I honestly had no idea that caffeine could be so toxic to our bodies, l wish l had of know before l started having so much. So day 10 (today) l had 2 instant coffees before nine this morming and l finally feel half normal. l'm going to switch to decaf for a while. Now that l know about this caffeine withdrawal l can do it so gradually that l can minimise side effects. I don't think switching to decaf is a bad idea, nobody says you have to completely quit immediatly. go with as close to normal as possible whilst cutting back. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!
jag says
re: I have had symptoms like that
I tend to get mild palpitations after months of coffee use especially if combined with alcohol. Nothing major, just annoying and sometimes causes sleeping difficulties. I've quit coffee a few times, the symptoms go away in a week or two. A week of achy legs and drowsiness is also normal.
I got myself checked by a doctor after the first time I noticed the palpitations. I was told everything's ok, it's nothing dangerous, and the doctor recommended cutting caffeine and alcohol usage.
User says
re: This Awful Headache
I also want to know how long before this headache is over. It's truly the most wretched feeling in the world. I am blown away by how bad I am feeling just because I decided to stop drinking coffee, alcohol and am avoiding sugar. I quit smoking 8 months ago and I don't remember feeling this crap. I am so drowsy, I just want to sleep, and my head is pounding incessantly. I'm going to stick it out though because I never want to have to go through this AGAIN. I was told that I would feel absolutely wonderful once the withdrawal period is over. I can't wait.
User says
re: Drinking decaf is NOT the
Drinking decaf is NOT the same as caffeine free. You still get about 6-8 grams of caffeine by drinking decaf. Therefore, you will not be caffeine free and the days you do not drink your de-caf coffee, you may be subject to withdrawal.
User says
re: i have the same problem. not
i have the same problem. not with caffiene but when i try to sit down and relax or try to go to sleep i feel like i cant breathe. sometimes i go to the hospital and have my blood pressure and oxygen checked and the say im fine. if i get on my bike and ride for a while i feel great but when i try to relax i start feeling like i cant breathe. and then i have to tell my self that earlier i rode 10 miles without a problem and that i can breathe otherwise i wouldnt be able to exercise like that.
loz says
re: I am going through exactly
I am going through exactly the same symptoms as you. this is my 6th day and it still is bad. I also ended up at the ER, how are you now and what day are you into
User says
re: For me, Advil Liquigels
For me, Advil Liquigels seemed to do the trick for my headache.
User says
re: Caffeine and breathing
I have a dilemma. I had previously quit caffeine but got back on it because it felt harder to breath. I've read of caffeine's stimulatory effects on the lungs but never hear anything about a possible rebound effect. After a cup of coffee I can breath fine but a few hours later, it becomes uncomfortable. After quitting it seemed the labored breathing had become permanent. I also suffer from anxiety and hear that this breathing difficulty may just be in my head as I never really feel like I'm lacking oxygen or anything. It just feels uncomfortable.
Jo Lo says
re: Caffeine withdrawls and leg pain
I'm really glad you posted this. I was in the hospital a couple of days ago regarding bad side effects to a medicine I've been taking for over a decade. As a result I had to stop taking my med and caffeine as well. I was a heavy drinker but I've been off of it for 3 days. I've had excruciating headaches, but I expected them. Ever since yesterday my legs, especially my hamstrings have been hurting a lot. I have not exercised in over a week, so it can't be that. It seems it could be attributed to the lack of caffeine. Does anyone know how long the leg pain lasts?
Anonymous says
re: Palpitations and Caffeine Withdrawal
On day 4, hour 3 of no-caffeine after a palpitations scare put me in the ER. I'm 29, generally healthy but down to zero from a 3+ 20oz pop-a-day habit. Is it normal to keep getting the palpitations, in addition to the withdrawal symptoms? Anyone else go through that?
Anonymous says
re: Palpitations and Caffeine Withdrawal
I'm really glad I found this site.
I'm a 29y/o WM, generally healthy, good BP, cholesterol, the whole deal. About 12-14 days ago I started getting mild palpitations at night when I went to go to sleep. They didn't really affect me too much. A couple nights they weren't there at all. About 5 days ago I couldn't sleep, my heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest, kept feeling like it was stopping. I thought I was on the verge of a heart attack. After (finally) sleeping that night, I ended up in the ER after the palps continued the next day.
The ER doctor (and my own GP, after visiting him the next day) suggested I cut out caffeine (I was a 3+ 20oz pop drinker a day for a LOONG time) from my diet. I've done so. But since then, the palps have continued, and additionally I've gotten stomachaches, more gas, achy legs (hard to tell if they're achy or just need to move), very drowsy (yawning a lot) and needing more sleep than I can remember needing in years.
I'm still concerned about the palps, even though all my tests came back fine and the docs say there's nothing wrong, just an ectopic HB that I'm apparently feeling but which is essentially idiopathic.
Any of you continue to have palps after cutting the coffee? How long did they last? What do you do to help yourself sleep?
4 days, 3 hrs since my last caffeine.
Cai says
re: Caffeine and Depression
Depression.
Neurochemical findings. Adenosine receptor activity changes are not the only neurochemical changes that occur due to caffeine use. Serotonergic changes also occur as a result of regular caffeine consumption. Changes in serotonergic neurons are made manifest during caffeine deprivation. Caffeine mediated changes in the serotonergic system were demonstrated in a study done by Haleem et al (1995).
Haleem et al. injected rats with either saline or caffeine on a daily basis for 5 days. On the sixth day the mice were injected with saline or caffeine. Thus, there were four conditions: 5 days saline injection plus saline or caffeine injection on the sixth day; 5 days caffeine injection with either saline or caffeine injected on the sixth day. The rats were sacrificed and brain samples were taken one hour after the injection on the sixth day of treatment. Biochemical techniques were applied to the samples to detect the level of tryptophan, serotonin, and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA, a metabolic product of serotonin). The results of the study revealed a startling affect of caffeine use on serotonergic neurons.
The experimenters found that levels of serotonin and 5-HIAA were decreased in rat brain samples after five days of caffeine and a saline injection on the sixth day. Clearly, regular caffeine EspressoCoffeeGuideistration was associated with a decrease in serotonin levels. Depression is associated with low serotonin levels (Rosenzweig et al. 1996). Thus, the study executed by Haleem et al. has provided a link between the occurrence of depression as a withdrawal syndrome and neurochemical changes that are caused by extended caffeine use.
User says
re: Headaches
how did your headaches feel? I am trying not to have pop with caffeine or ciggarettes anymore, and my headaches feel terrible. Do you think that this could be caused by withdrawal from not having these things anymore? Let me know what you think!
Bex says
re: Caffine Withdrawl
It's so nice to find this page. I am on day 2 of no caffine after a life time of a pot a morning coffee habit.
Day 1: Headache about 3pm got worse by the hour
Day 2: Headache, lingering, exhausted, forced to take a nap in afternoon.
I suppose ever person is different, but I think we all want to know just how soon this will be over. I am tempted to have a cup of coffee to try to get rid of the headache but I know I will just have to start all over again. I will now have more compassion for drug/alcohol addicts. If this is what caffine withdrawl feels like, I can't even imagine a stronger drug. It's also pretty frightening to learn just how addictive caffine is. I'll be glad to be rid of it.
sleepy says
re: aching muscles
I decided to stop diet sodas for two reasons. Too expensive.....and I know it can't be good for my health. I have fibromyalgia and stay away from sweets because it triggers my attacks, so sodas really help with this. When I stopped I didn't have one headache. The problem was I started getting terrible muscle pain. I was so tired I was afraid to drive. I went to the store and hurt so bad and was so tired that by the time I came back to my car I was crying. I didn't relate this to the sodas, I thought it was my fibro. This was two weeks after I stopped sodas. Every day for two weeks I was this way. My house was a disaster. I broke and had a soda to get a semblance of order in my house and guess what? The pain went away. What a drag to be rewarded for something you want to quit. The soda did what my very strong pain pills and other medications for pain couldn't do. Now I'm in limbo on what to do. You would think two weeks out that it would be out of my system. I think pain pills would be worse than sodas, but who knows. I may try again in a month. I think It's going to take that long to dig myself out of the neglect of my house cleaning and wash.
User says
re: exactly!!
"The headaches are not normal headaches, there more in the back of your head"
I was gonna go to the doctor!! Exact same area of my headache. Thanks for confirming.
Caffeine Free says
re: I've quited successfully!
Finally, I'm not dependent on caffeine anymore. I started cold turkey style on Fri, knowing from the postings here that the second day would be the worst. True enough, I've a very bad headache on Sat and Sun, followed by muscle aches especially on my legs. On Mon, the headache gets better and by Tues, I'm almost back to normal. And today, Wed, I'm fine! In the morning, I don't have the urge to have a cup of coffee to get things started. Maybe this may be due to having a better sleep at night.
So for those quitting caffiene, you can do it too! Don't know whether it helped, but during this period, I drank camomile tea and manuka honey, and took vitamin B-complex.
User says
re: caffeine headache
I usually drink one cup of coffee in the morning. On days that I miss, it never fails that I end up getting a really bad headache by the late afternoon. I can totally relate to the comment below that it feels like someone is trying to drill out of your head! The pain is so excruciating that it makes me nauseous. Trying to sleep it off never helps. I still wake up with a headache the next morning. The only thing that I found that takes the pain away is Excedrin. So it's like a vicious caffeine cycle for me.
Lyndsey says
re: Perhaps it isn't my circulation!
I am so glad to see that others have had leg pain also. I saw a nutritionist on Saturday as I have had trouble losing weight since I quit smoking last year. One of the things which she told me to do is to quit drinking my 4-5 cups of strong coffee per day.
Day 1-2: Headache (like a thunder headache, if you know what I mean)
Day 2: Shooting pains in buttocks and thighs
Night 2: Waking up with severe aching legs
Day 3: Aching persisted, spoke with Mum who suggested I try and raise them when I sleep
Night 3: Slept with pillow under legs, no difference.. still had a terrible night's sleep
Day 4: Considered going to see GP about possible bad circulation, then found your wonderful comments! Hooray, I am healthy! (I hope!)
I never realised just how addicted I was... this sucks! I can't wait til it passes. Good luck everyone!
User says
re: Has anyone had similar
Has anyone had similar experiences related to an addiction to Excedrin, in particular?
I have not been a regular soda drinker, but I have regulary taken aspirin for headaches, and have found that I am addicted to it. does anyone know the equivalent of the amount of caffeine in Excedrin, compared to a cup of coffee?
Adam says
re: Caffeine withdrawal combined with the flu
I'm in Melbourne, Australia, where we've just entered into flu season. It had been extremely cold (for Melbourne, about 2-3 degree celsius) and then it warmed up slightly, which screwed everyone up. Almost everyone I know started getting the flu, including my sister. I visited her to check on her progress, and 6 hours later I was showing symptoms.
Last night was day 2, and I started getting the shakes, numbness and severe muscle cramps. I couldn't eat and I could only drink water. I started hallucinating, imagining myself to be at an institute which was responsible for discovering the cure for fevers. I started rambling and speaking in tongues, and rolling around in my sleep frantically. It was horrific. But after 8 hours or so, the fever broke and the muscle cramps subsided. But I had a massive headache that wouldn't go away.
The headache was brutal, like no headache I've experienced before. At about 11 pm, I started asking other people at the institute (we're talking serious hallucinations here) to get me a coke. Everyone thought I was nuts, but I was convinced it was caffeine withdrawal. The whole institute was in danger of having it's funding pulled. I was becoming a pariah.
Finally, around 2am, I'd had enough. Somehow, I got to my car and drove to a BP, where I picked up a 1.25l diet coke. I'm currently on my second glass, and the headache is starting to ebb.
I'm not happy about the situation. I'm going to try and kick caffeine all together once this flu is gone.
Elisabyth says
re: I quit caffeine 2 days ago...
This is my story: I have GERD badly and the doc told me to give up my one can of diet Pepsi a day. He told me caffeine could make the GERD worse so I quit it all - well sort of. I'll come back to that in a minute. Ten years ago, I worked in an office that ran on brewed coffee. I would have three maybe four cups a day with maybe a six pack of diet Mt. Dew in between just to break things up. Way too much caffeine and I quit cold turkey and it was horrible. Every since then, I have been very conscious about my caffeine intake and very very sensitive to the least little bits of caffeine - for instance in chocolate.
So keep in mind I'm, I didn't take huge quantities of caffeine every day but if I didn't get the exact amount I had the day before my head was screaming with a headache about 24 hours after my last "dose." And not just any headache - the headache from Hades. It is like a little person in right behind my right eyebrow with a drill trying to drill his way out. Nothing helps this pain but narcotics and complete unconsciousness. I am not kidding. Oh I forgot. There is one thing that will make it go away almost instantly. Caffeine. Pop some M&Ms, half a Pepsi, some sweet tea. Instant relief! I hate being a slave to caffeine. I so want to be free.
So back to my last dose... Two days ago, I had half; I repeat half, of one little, dark chocolate, cocoa yumminess of a truffle. I had this morsel about 3:00 in the afternoon and here is it after five two days later and that little guy is trying to drill out of my head again. I was fine until yesterday afternoon and I had to go home and try to sleep it off and just get through it without feeding the beast. And today I am in the same spot. The pain makes my nauseous.
Anyways, it seems my need for caffeine dosing comes on a 24 hour schedule. Have any of you had these same experiences? Are any of you as sensitive to caffeine as I seem to be?
Thanks for anything you have to offer! Elisabyth
User says
re: Symptoms of withdrawal
Thank you for mentioning that you had diarrhea. I am trying to "wean" myself off of caffeine -- i was have a cup of coffee in the morning and about 5-8 diet sodas a day. I am now having one mt. dew every morning this week and will then try none next week and see how that goes. I have the headaches, nauseau, and diarrhea - I had read that the first 2 symptoms could occur but did not know about the latter. I am irritable as all get out too, but that is to be expected! The headaches are KILLING me! Anyway, thanks for listing your symptoms -- I cannot wait until I can be caffeine free!
Anonymous says
re: Hang in there!
Thanks, all, for the comments on this site. I quit coffee cold turkey 6 days ago, having had a 6 cup/day habit for a few years. I expected headaches for a few days, and actually was lucky, my headaches weren't bad and stopped on day 5. What did surprise and scare me was the leg aches. They started about 48 hours after my last "dose' of coffee. At first it was stiff muscles and a dull ache, but it progressed to a painful low backache and leg pain bad enough to keep me awake two nights. The posts on this board gave me hope of getting through it, and today , day 6, I felt great, no aches, headaches or fatigue.
I did find that heat helped the muscle aches. A hot bath helped (only for about 15 minutes though), but I had GREAT relief from one of those pain relief patches that last 8 hours--that helped me sleep one night.
Hope that info helps someone else get through this, good luck all!
User says
re: Caffeine
I am on day 4 today. Day 1 virtually no effects. Day 2 headache and day 3 headache. Not too much of a headache today and actually on no day has it been a very bad headache. Didn't need painkillers. This is total withdrawal. I've done it once before. I never drank tea or coffee but for the last 6 months I was drinking 8 cans or more of diet coke a day which is a waste of money and not good for my health. I wanted to be rid of aspartame and all sugar substitutes too. It's going find so far and I remember from last time I gave it up, I just lost the desire for it once I was over the withdrawal. I have had no muscle aches at all but I have felt more tired than usual.
Margaret says
re: Caffeine Withdrawal
This is my third day without caffeine. I was just about to ring the doctors to see if there was a virus or flue going around. My whole body is hurting, it started this morning. Especially my lower back and upper legs. I had headaches for the first two days but these have subsided. Also, I have just yelled at my 9 yr old for being a typical nine year old, this is worse than PMT.
Hopefully, this is as bad as it gets.
Apparently people who cold turkey from class A drugs and alcohol feel a hundred times worse than this.
Yours
Margaret
Mudy Curve says
re: Caffeine
I stopped drinking coffee just over a week ago and substituded it with
Tart Cherry juice. I had head aches after couple of days, but it was not bad at all. My joints are not hurting as bad as they were when coffee was on my menu and my stomach feels much better.
I was wondering if anyone else has had same symptoms as I after dropping coffee?
John says
re: Could be the Vicodin...
You, User, may have cleared your caffeine addiction and gotten into Vicodin addiction. Those dizzying headaches are the reason people get addicted to it in the first place. Taking one of those every 4 hours is not teaching your body to do it's own pain relieving work. If you don't take measures soon to ease off the Vicodin, you may be looking a far uglier addiction in the eye.
User says
re: Leg pain and 4th day withdrawal
I too am on my 4th day of cold-turkey caffeine withdrawal and experiencing the same pains that you did earlier this month. My last 'dose' was sweet tea on Wednesday, and it is now Sunday. I was exhausted Thursday, Saturday and today - very exhausted. When I awoke this morning (4th day) for Church, my lower left calf was aching. By the time I got to Church, I was aching in both lower calves and the upper leg muscles (all the pain was on the backmost side of my leg muscles). Tylenol did not help. By 1 or 2 the pain was bearable, and now it is just a dull ache.
I officially stopped caffeine in 1999, although I have been lax here lately and started drinking caffeinated tea (the local Picadilly restaurant has great tea, and I could not resist). Be warned that it does not take much caffeine to put you right back in the 'user' category and once that happens, the withdrawal symptoms will come back when you stop. In 1999, I dropped all caffeine after I realized that I was way too caffeinated. I was drinking Turkish coffee and this excellent coffee (Yaucono, Cafe Crema, etc.) that I had brought back from San Juan. I went through about 12 days of pain (body aches, fatigue, etc.) Once the 12 day period was over, I was fine. I got lax and starting drinking tea again in 2003 or so, and went through the same withdrawal pattern, although with less intensity (Turkish coffee and sweet tea are not the same, no?) Even so, it was painful.
This is the price you pay when you get lax. Caffeine (for me) has to be an all or nothing experience. Even a small amount is asking for trouble.
Your message was helpful, especially the notes on when this happened (4th day)... I am right there too. Based on your posting date, you should be okay now. I have a few more days to tolerate. Cheers! DM
Katy says
re: Thank you
Thank you so much for your comments! I had no idea what was wrong with me until I read all your posts! For two months I have been taking Hydroxycut to help me lose weight. I just stopped taking it and I have been SOOO SICK! The unbearable headaches, full body headaches, no concentration and walking around in a fog. I could hardly make my body move around or even function. My doctor prescribed several medications and nothing is working. After reading your posts, I now know what is wrong.....simple caffeine withdrawl! THANK YOU!!!
Annonymous says
re: Cannot Believe it!
I have been experiencing some of the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal that you mentioned this past week. I am absolutely amazed since for the last week I've trying to figure out why I feel so restless, nervous and sleepy without an explanation. Yesterday at work I drank cofee and after that I gained back my good mood and I was able to concentrate.
I had read about the negative effects of cofee but never really believed it. I thought I was probably getting some kind of anxiety disorder. For the past few months, I have been drinking starbucks every morning, then green tea in large amounts and red bulls to be able to workout at the gym after work.
Honestly Im still wondering if this is it, any thoughts?
User says
re: Caffine withdrawl is worth it!
I have been caffine free for four years, and I am so happy! I used to drink a six pack of TAB a day, and wasted a lot of money.
Going through withdrawl was 6 days of a headache, diarrhea, nervirousness, bad moods, and a sense of loss needing but not getting caffine.
Up to about a year ago when I went out to dinner with my husband he would order a coke, I would stare at the little bubbles and condinsation on the glass, and all I wanted for dinner was that coke. Caffine like any other addictive substance is misery to give up.
Today I watch to the girls at the office every morning standing in line to get their dose of this drug, they say they can't work without it. Star Bucks is making a killing. But not off of me, I'm free from the addiction and that is an accomplishment!
User says
re: caffeine headaches
IM 26 FROM NEY YORK IVE BEEN DRINKING PEPSI FOR 15 YEARS OR SO BUT LATELY IVE BEEN GOING THROUGH A CASE A DAY JUST TO MYSELF AND 7 DAYS AGO JUST DECIDED TO STOP BECAUSE SO MANY CASES OF DIABETES ARE OCCURING FROM TAKING IN TOO MUCH SUGAR, AND ALSO IT JUST ISNT HEALTHY, DAY 1 WAS OK DIDNT MIND MUCH, NO REAL CRAVING OR SIDE AFFECT BUT BY THE END OF DAY 2 AND INTO DAY 3 IM GETTING AWFUL HEADACHES THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE PAID FOR EMEMRGENCY VISIT, CHECKUPS, AND A CAT SCAN BUT NOTHING SHOWED UP NOW IM ON DAY 7 AND STILL NO SIGN OF RELIEF IM TAKING VICODIN EVERY FOUR HOURS HAVENT HAD A DROP OF CAFFEINE IN SEVEN DAYS, AS SOON AS VICODIN WEARS OFF HEADACHE IS BACK IF I STAND UP TOO FAST I GET DIZZY AND HEAD IS JUST PULSING, AND IM JUST WONDERING IF ANYONE KNOWS THE TIME PERIOD ON THIS OR WHEN THE BODY ADJUSTS ITSELF BACK TO NORMAL, CAUSE THIS IS JUST TERRIBLE BUT I DONT WANNA GO BACK TO DRINKING PEPSI AGAIN, JUST TOO MANY LONGTERM HEALTH EFFECTS THAT IT WILL CAUSE OR MAY CAUSE, THANX TO ANYONE WHO CAN GIVE ME HELP ON THE ANSWER TO THIS. J IN THE N.Y.
User says
re: Aspirin
Aspirin is Aspirin. It does not contain caffeine. Exedrine is a combination of three things, one of them being caffeine.
User says
re: reply
I started with this exact same problem after I finished my finals about a month and a half ago. It seems as if you are telling my story. I was drinking about 2 cups of coffee,1-2 energy drinks, and 1-3 caffeine pills a day and sleeping about 3-5 hours a day for about 5 months during the spring and fall semester but these feelings started right after the spring semester ended. I have never really drank or enjoyed drinking coffee prior to this past year . The extreme hot sweats, nauseated, depressed feelings and an extreme overall anxiety was felt 2-3 days after. I completley stopped taking all caffeine products as soon as my finals were over and about 2-3 days later, all of these symptoms started occuring. I went to see the Doc and he perscribed me some antidepesent/anxiety meds and they have realy helped. He perscribed me some Wellbutrin, which is actually a drug for people who are trying to quite someking but is also used as an antidepresent. I dont know what actually triggered these symptoms but I know the caffiene had a lot to do with it; that and of course stress. Let me tell you that I have been feeling a whole lot better with this drug and a couple of vitamines. I hope you get through it because I know and understand what you are going through. It is by far the worst feelings I have ever felt in my life but am glad to say that they are gradually going away. You'll pull through it.
Paula Coraggio says
re: caffeine
I decided last Wed to cut the caffeine. This is day 6. Day 1 was not bad at all, I throught I would breeze through it with no side effects. Day 2 and on I have had terrible headaches and nothing touches the pain, they come and go, some lasting hours some lasting 30 min. I have been so tired I can barely stay awake. I've managed to keep working, but the house is a mess. I've had dierriah from Thrus to Sunday. Yesterday was the worst, no dierriah but terrible muscle aches, I was sure I had the flu, between the muscle aches and the headache it was horrible. Today, day 6, I got up feeling great, best in a week, but after lunch I developed a small headache. I was ready to call my Dr today thinkg it must be something else, after reading your review, I think it is caffeine. It reminds me of when tobacco company's glorified smoking, its what star bucks etc is now doing with caffeine. How are these people ever going to get off of it? I drank 2-6 sodas a day, depending on the day, usually diet pepsi, sometimes diet mountain dew. I'm 50 yrs old and cannot beleive how hard this is, and how much time I spend thinking about drinking a diet pepsi! I could eat the can and all, but WILL NOT, I'm not going through this again. Your review helped me. Thanks. Paula Coraggio
Brenda says
re: back ache
I'm day 3 of quitting coffee... and like you I have serious back ache!! The muscle pain started on day two. Spasm like, serious tension. It's the second time I quite.. and this happened both times. The fist time, the pain left after good week. Keep with it and good luck!
Coffee Divorce says
re: Cold turkey is working for me too
Ok, I am following up too. I am on day 4 and things are finally looking up for me. I am really starting to feel better. And I remembered my doctor mentioning magnesium when I had headaches during pregnancy, and now I googled some helpful info on magesium and caffeine:
1. Magnesium Deficiency - One cause of headaches and migraine headaches can be a magnesium deficiency.
Caffeine and Magnesium Loss
Caffeine consumption can lead to magnesium loss. Most of the people I know who suffer from migraine headaches consume high amounts of either, tea, coffee or caffeinated soda
Effect of caffeine on calcium and magnesium excretion - adapted from J American College Nutrition, October 1994 issue
Magnesium is responsible for hundreds of different functions in the human body, so a deficiency of this one important mineral can lead to a wide range of seemingly unrelated maladies. Other conditions often linked to magnesium deficiency may include anxiety, depression, migraines, nystagmus (shaky eyes), asthma, heart palpitations, TMJ, muscles cramps, mitral valve prolapse, rickets (sunken or barrel chests, scoliosis, bow legs, etc.), noise sensitivity and chemical sensitivity.
Migraines are often treated with medications containing magnesium sulphate, but yet most doctors fail to ask patients about magnesium intake in their daily diets. Studies show that most people in the U.S. and other industrialized countries often do not consume the recommended daily amounts of magnesium, so eating a diet high in magnesium rich foods foods would be a simple, inexpensive and logical treatment for many migraine sufferers to try.
Good Luck!!
Eaamon says
re: Caffeine & Sugar
Gigi. I am on my 5th day of quitting caffeine and sugar and experiencing lower back pain and constipation. I was drinking about 6 or 7 Dr. Peppers a day (I JUST LOVE THE STUFF, LOL). I stopped cold turkey and about the 3rd day started experiencing lower back pain. It seems to be intermittent now but it was painful enough a couple nights to wake me several times. My good friends' son-in-law is a MD and i put a call into him today, 7/12, to see if he had heard of these symptoms associated with either caffeine or sugar withdrawls. I'll post his answer when he calls me. Hang in there.
Eamon
Coffee Divorce says
re: Sayonara caffeine, hello happy life
It's comforting to read your experiences, this has been very life changing for me lately. Well, I have loved coffee most all my adult life, as well as wine and sodium laden food. In the past few years, I have become very healthy with my eating...but still had coffee, wine, and salt. At 39, my genetics have caught up with me and my blood pressure entered hypertension stage. I am not over weight, walk daily, and am fairly relaxed person. But I also began to experience more and more headaches and migraines. My doctor's response was that given my family history, blood pressure medicine was inevitable. Besides excedrin for migraines, I am a non medicine person, and feel good and happy most of the time. Well let me tell you, after a month of being on 3 different kinds of blood pressure medicine, I experienced a myriad of side effects like anxiety, upset stomach, insomnia, etc. All very slight...but completely new and disturbing to me. So I had a choice to make. Do I want to begin taking medicines to start treating symptoms or do I want to remedy the problem? My doctor thinks I can't, I think he's wrong.
So, I am taking drastic steps to try and reduce my blood pressure by eliminating caffeine (switching to decaf tea), cutting sodium, and starting a work out regime. Oh this will all suck for awhile, but feeling good as opposed to depression, anxiety, coughing are not things I am prepared to live with. So yes, I am going through the same withdrawal symptoms you all are, and as I type with a headache, I want to encourage you to hang in there and let your body rid the toxins. It will ultimately feel better in the end once your system is back to its normal state. I have purchased these hot/cool pads for my head, and that helps, as well as a "migraine stick" that is a cool mixture of herbs you can rub on your temple. I found that if I started taking headache medicine, I would get rebound headaches...so I am drinking a lot of mint tea (suppose to help, not sure if it is). I just want to feel good every day, that's my goal. Good Luck.
Keiichi says
re: energy supplement?
On top of the near-migraine intensity and down feelings, I got really really bad nausea. I couldn't stomach anything for almost 2 days. I'm in transition, I forced myself to take a caffeine pill cause I could not sleep the 2nd day. My vice was alternating starbucks or redbulls. I wanted to ask, have your vitamin supplements done anything in terms of an energy boost?
The world seems so slow in "regular" motion w/o caffeine.
someone in one of the following posts said keeping busy? That TOTALLY works! My only problem came when I ran out of energy to keep moving, and I sat down to relax, it wasn't happening.
User says
re: No caffeine ever again.
I was taking excedrin for cramps and such and drinking regular pepsi. I started having pain in my arms, so I stopped the excedrin. I found out that the caffeine shrinks your musles and once you stop all caffeine your musles start to grow back to normal size and it hurts. It will hurt in your face, arms, hands, chest and back. The headaches are not normal headaches, there more in the back of your head and you will fill like your having hot flashes. I just know once this is all over I will never touch caffeine again. This kinda pain is not something you forget anytime soon. I havent felt like doing much of anything because I get tired easy. The headaches are about gone, but the musle pain is still there.
User says
re: I stopped smoking weed and
I stopped smoking weed and drinking pepsi at the same time. I would drink about six 12 ounce sodas a day, and smoke about five grams of weed a day. It went very smooth for the first five days and then i began to have horrible symptoms. I would feel a lot of pain in my chest, light headed, and very anxious. I went to the emergency room four different times in less than 5 days, because my heart would start to race and i would feel pain in my chest. Every time i went they would run tests on my heart and all blood work, and everytime it would come back normal. But i just didn't feel normal. I couldn't sleep at night and at any time my heart would just start beating out of my chest so i went to the clinic where they ended up prescribing me a low dose of paxil. It's been a total of about three weeks and i am feeling better but i don't know if it is the medicine or just me getting through the withdrawals naturally.
Anonymous says
re: Thanks
I just wanted to thank you for sharing your experience. I too suffered from very similar withdrawal symptoms and having read about your experience made me feel much better. I have been off the caffeine for over a month now and am feeling much better. I am not back to my old self yet but I hope I am on the way.
User says
re: Withdrawl Pains
Thank god, someone else is having the same pains, last night was terrible, this morning I have taken two aspirin, but that only works for 1 hour.
Have you taken anything
Andee