Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, tea and many popular soft drinks. Caffeine stimulates blood flow to the brain and body and also speeds the path of sensory messages through the nervous system, and it temporarily aids in mental acuity. However, caffeine also raises blood pressure, causes irritation of the stomach lining and has the potential to affect your quality of sleep. For these final reasons, some regular users want to cut back on or completely stop consuming caffeine, but as with any stimulant drug, withdrawal symptoms often occur when consumption abruptly stops.
Headaches
According to Roland Griffiths, PhD, who studies caffeine and its affects on users at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, headaches are the most common symptom of caffeine withdrawal, affecting more than 50 percent of people who stop drinking caffeinated beverages. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology explain that the headache itself is caused by a heightened sensitivity to the neurotransmitter adenosine, which is brought about by the abrupt decrease of caffeine in the body. Adenosine stimulates blood vessel dilation, which triggers headaches. Caffeine is a natural vasodilator, or blood vessel constrictor, which is why caffeine is a popular additive in pain reliever medications.
Fatigue
Caffeine is a popular stimulant because it aids in alertness and increases wakefulness. When cutting back on caffeine consumption, you may feel sluggish and tired. This is a temporary sensation. Once your body adjusts to the absence of the stimulant, this feeling disappears.
Flu-Like Symptoms
The central nervous system effects of caffeine reach beyond simple sensory signal transmission. When abruptly stopped, withdrawal sufferers report flu-like symptoms including muscles aches, nausea and inability to control body temperature.
Other Common Symptoms
Caffeine withdrawal varies from person to person. Other symptoms are common, though not experienced by a majority of sufferers. Moodiness, irritability, and other depression-like symptoms are commonly reported by those suffering from caffeine withdrawal. Shakiness and an inability to concentrate are also commonly experienced.
Reducing the Affects of Caffeine Withdrawal
Dr. Roland Griffiths states that the average American consumes approximately 280 mg of caffeine each day, which is the equivalent of two mugs of coffee or three cans of caffeinated soft drinks. To minimize the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal, slowly decrease caffeine consumption over one to two weeks. You may still feel some withdrawal symptoms, but the severity and duration will be limited.
