Caffeine is used more than any other psychotropic drug. It’s a CNS stimulant, thus it promotes alertness and decreases weariness by influencing neuronal processes in the brain. If you cut it out of your diet after your body has become dependent on it, you may experience withdrawal symptoms anywhere from 12 to 24 hours later. Everyone who drinks caffeine daily runs the risk of experiencing caffeine withdrawal, which is a diagnosable medical condition. It is a stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and soft drinks, helping you feel less sleepy and more awake. If you’re not careful, it can also lead to sleeplessness, migraines, thirst, and high blood pressure. It is used by many as a stimulant to aid in waking up, perking up, and focusing. You can exploit its usefulness and use it to get through the day.
Coffee beans, tea leaves, and the cacao pods used to produce chocolate all contain caffeine, a white, bitter chemical naturally present in over 60 plants. Caffeine levels in the foods and beverages you consume can change. The caffeine content of a cup of coffee or tea varies with factors such as the brand, the kind of beans or plants used, the method of preparation, and the length of time the beverage is allowed to steep. Depending on the variety and preparation method, a single cup of coffee can contain anywhere from zero to 200 milligrams of it. Caffeine content varies widely across different types of tea, with the average being around 40 milligrams but ranging from 9 to 110 milligrams. Thirty to sixty mg of caffeine can be found in the typical twelve-ounce can of soda pop/soft drink. A typical energy drink includes 50-160 calories per 8-ounce serving.
Caffeine addicts may experience withdrawal when they suddenly stop consuming the stimulant.
What are the caffeine withdrawal symptoms?
There are a number of valid arguments against continuing caffeine consumption. It may be too expensive to regularly buy specialized coffee from cafes, or it may be giving you unwanted side effects. But if you suddenly cut back or stop drinking coffee, you might feel a variety of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Stopping habitual caffeine consumption causes withdrawal symptoms. Regular coffee or tea drinkers would likely be aware of some of the symptoms of its withdrawal. Several of these negative consequences may begin just a few hours after skipping your daily coffee. Depending on how often you consume this, they can vary from quite minor to more severe. Those experiencing these signs and symptoms frequently reach for a caffeinated beverage. However, you may deal with the discomfort of caffeine withdrawal in various ways.
Following are the caffeine withdrawal indicators
Pain in the head
Caffeine withdrawal can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, one of the most prevalent being headaches. It reduces cerebral blood flow by narrowing blood arteries. Researchers have discovered that as little as 250 mg (less than 3 cups of coffee) might have a 27% negative impact on cerebral blood flow. It causes blood vessels to constrict, therefore cutting back or quitting improves brain blood flow by widening the blood vessels. Severe withdrawal migraines can result from this abrupt change in blood flow, and their duration and intensity can change as the brain adjusts to the new levels of blood. As the brain gets used to the additional oxygen and nutrients, the headaches should go away. It is prescribed to treat symptoms such as migraines, despite the fact that caffeine withdrawal can produce headaches. When taken alone, caffeine eases headache discomfort and also boosts the effectiveness of pain relievers.
Tiredness
It’s common practice for several people to rely on their morning coffee for a quick burst of energy. Its ability to inhibit adenosine receptors, which are responsible for the drowsy effects of this neurotransmitter, is what allows it to boost alertness and decrease fatigue. Because of this, it has been demonstrated to be effective in boosting athletic performance, increasing energy, and decreasing chronic weariness. However, the contrary is true; withdrawal from caffeine can lead to sleepiness and weariness. For instance, one study including 213 regular coffee drinkers found that being without caffeine for 16 hours led to greater weariness. Those who used it regularly experienced more intense withdrawal symptoms, such as weariness than those who used it less frequently.
Its stimulating effects only endure for around 4 to 6 hours, which may encourage you to take extra cups of coffee or caffeinated drinks throughout the day.
Nervousness or tension
Heart rate, hypertension, and the stress chemicals cortisol and epinephrine are all boosted by caffeine. Sensitive individuals may experience jitters and nervousness after consuming as little as one cup of coffee. Its withdrawal symptoms are similar to those brought on by caffeine consumption. People who suddenly stop drinking coffee often report feeling anxious. Anxiety is caused by the mind and body becoming dependent on it. Additionally, if you get most of your caffeine from sugary drinks like soda or sweetened coffee, the abrupt cut in sugar may amplify the anxiety brought on by caffeine withdrawal. Anxiety-like behaviors have been observed in animal experiments when subjects were abruptly removed from a high-sugar diet. Caffeine addiction manifests itself in the form of physiological and psychological tolerance and dependence. As a result, cutting back or stopping altogether can cause anxiety.
Unable to concentrate
Caffeine in the way of coffee, tea, or energy beverages is commonly used to improve focus. Before important events like tests, games, or presentations, many people drink caffeinated beverages to help them concentrate. Adrenaline is a hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to stress and it elevates adrenaline levels.
Excitatory neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine have their activity increased. This chain of events increases blood circulation and heart rate and activates the brain, making one more awake and able to concentrate better. Cutting back on caffeine gradually can have an adverse effect on focus as your body adjusts to operating on less caffeine. It boosts focus by elevating hormone and neurotransmitter levels. Focus issues are a common side effect of stopping or reducing your consumption.
Feeling low all the time or always feeling sad
Many people consume caffeine because of its well-documented mood-boosting effects. Because of its capacity to inhibit adenosine, it not only enhances wakefulness but also lifts spirits. One study indicated that habitual caffeine consumers experienced an improvement in their mood when given 0.68 milligrams per pound of body weight (1.5 milligrams per kilogram). In addition, numerous studies have discovered that frequent use is associated with a decreased risk of depression. Those who consume 4 or more cups of coffee daily have a 20% decreased risk of depression, according to one study involving more than 50,000 women. Its stimulating effects can boost your mood and give you more energy, but these effects wear off quickly. Because of this, cutting back or eliminating it could have a negative effect on your mood.
Impatience or irritation
Regular coffee consumers often experience irritability in the mornings before they’ve had their first cup. It’s possible that the irritability is due to the caffeine in coffee. A night’s sleep might bring on withdrawal symptoms like irritation from coffee because it only stays in the body for 4 to 6 hours. It boosts energy and mood, and regular coffee consumers are accustomed to both. Weaning off caffeine-containing drinks like coffee might bring on irritability and mood swings for some people. In reality, it may be challenging for regular caffeine consumers to reduce their intake without experiencing mood changes. Overwhelmingly (89%) of caffeine-dependent adults in one study said they wanted to reduce their intake but couldn’t because they experienced unpleasant withdrawal symptoms including irritation and rage. Anger and irritability are common withdrawal symptoms for those who are emotionally or physically reliant on caffeine but want to cut back or quit.
Tremors
Among the withdrawal symptoms associated with caffeine addiction, tremors are very uncommon yet nonetheless present in some people.
As caffeine is a CNS stimulant, consuming too much of it often results in trembling hands and a tense disposition. It is typically recommended for persons who suffer from anxiety disorders because it might amplify anxious thoughts and feelings. Deciding to quit suddenly might cause tremors, especially for heavy coffee drinkers. Caffeine withdrawal can cause tremors in the hands, although they shouldn’t last more than a week. Talk to your doctor if your hand tremors have persisted for more than a week.
Low Strength
Caffeine-containing drinks and foods are used by the vast majority of the population because their consumers want an instant and noticeable boost to their flagging energy levels. Some people find that they need to rely on caffeine and other artificial stimulants in order to function due to sleep deprivation, stress, and an unhealthy diet. To get through the day or make up for sleep deprivation, many people rely on caffeinated beverages. A coffee beverage or a sports drink can give you a physical and psychological boost by improving your focus, elevating your heart rate, and spiking your blood sugar. These benefits can be achieved by consuming coffee, but over time, your body will become dependent on the drug and require increasingly large doses to get the same level of alertness. Because of this, people who try to cut back or give up caffeine often report feeling tired and lethargic.
The Bottom Line
Commonly used as a stimulant, caffeine can trigger withdrawal symptoms in some people. Caffeine withdrawal can affect anyone who has developed a habit of routinely consuming caffeine but suddenly stops. Headaches, low energy, anger, anxiety, difficulty focusing, depression, and tremors are typical, and they can persist anywhere from 2 to 9 days. Fortunately, these symptoms can be mitigated in a variety of ways, such as by progressively decreasing caffeine intake, maintaining a healthy fluid intake, getting enough sleep, and discovering other methods to increase energy without resorting to synthetic supplements. Despite caffeine withdrawal may appear painful at first, this brief reaction is only a bump in the road to minimizing your reliance. Withdrawal symptoms tend to be more intense the longer and more often someone has been dependent on coffee. Caffeine can be helpful for adults who have trouble getting up and staying focused.
However, it has the potential to become a source of trouble if used carelessly. Caffeine can cause dependence, sleeplessness, and headaches if used excessively. If not, have fun with your beverage of choice. In order to alleviate the discomfort of caffeine withdrawal, you will probably return to your regular coffee or soda routine or take caffeine-containing headache medicine. This begins the cycle of dependence once more. One of the primary reasons people keep drinking caffeine is to avoid the unpleasant effects of withdrawal. Successfully cutting back on caffeine use requires a steady reduction in daily consumption of caffeinated beverages such as coffee, and energy drinks. Start replacing cold caffeinated drinks with water. If you feel like you need to quench your thirst, water is a good option because it’s both safe and filling. Caffeine is flushed out of the system and the body is kept hydrated by drinking water.
Sirisha B