That first cup of coffee is part of the morning ritual for many people. Whether it's a quick drive through the local espresso place or just a home-brewed mug with sugar and cream, coffee is a favorite beverage. But once you get used to a daily dose of coffee and have had to miss it for some reason, you may find you have developed a headache.
About Caffeine
Caffeine can be found in many foods besides coffee; chocolate, tea, soft drinks, energy drinks and cocoa all contain caffeine. While we don't often think of it that way, caffeine is a drug---and it's an addictive drug. If you drink coffee regularly, or ingest caffeine from any other source, you become habituated to its effects. According to Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins, 80 to 90 percent of Americans ingest caffeine in some form every day. Griffiths points out that it's cheap and readily available, so it's easy to take in a daily dose. But if you don't get your usual dose, you can go into withdrawal, with symptoms ranging from headache and fatigue to feeling like you're coming down with the flu. He notes that in the studies he reviewed, over 50 percent of people in caffeine withdrawal complained of headache.
Caffeine Withdrawal
Griffiths and Laura Juliano, Ph.D., of American University, published the results of their study in the October 2004 issue of the journal "Psychopharmacology"; their work has resulted in caffeine withdrawal being classified as an actual disorder. Griffiths and Julian reported that 13 percent of people in caffeine withdrawal experienced headaches so severe they could not work. Symptoms began within 12 to 24 hours after the last dose of caffeine, and lasted two to nine days. Even a single cup of coffee a day could produce withdrawal symptoms, and generally, the higher the usual caffeine intake was, the more severe the symptoms were.
So Why the Headache?
According to E. G. Couturier et al., changes in blood flow seem to be the primary cause of the headaches. The team measured cerebral blood flow after the study participants---who regularly ingested caffeine---had been caffeine-free for 24 hours. Blood flow was markedly increased in a number of arteries in the head; a dose of caffeine brought the blood flow back to normal and relieved the headache within one hour after it was given. Their research was reported in the May 1997 issue of "Cephalgia."
Considerations and Warnings
If you think you may be addicted to caffeine, Griffiths says you can get off the drug without experiencing withdrawal symptoms by gradually substituting decaffeinated forms of your favorite beverage over a period of time. If you are experiencing headaches even after getting off caffeine, it would be wise to consult with a health care professional.
References
- Science Daily; Caffeine Withdrawal Headache Explained: Your Brain On -- And Off -- Caffeine; May 2009
- Johns Hopkins Medicine News and Information Services; Caffeine Withdrawal Recognized as A Disorder; Trent Stockton; September 2004
- "Cephalgia"; Influence of Caffeine and Caffeine Withdrawal on Headache and Cerebral Blood Flow Velocities; E.G. Couturier, et al.; May 1997
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