Caffeine & Muscle Aches

Caffeine is a legal drug consumed regularly by millions of Americans in drinks and foods. For example, CBS News reports that over half of the adults in the United States drink at least three cups of coffee per day. Caffeine is quickly absorbed by brain cells and blocks a chemical called adenosine that make you feel tired, producing its familiar alertness effect. The drug also has some benefits for people suffering from muscle aches.

Definition

Caffeine is a drug, even though it comes from natural sources, and it is readily available in foods that contain chocolate and drinks like cola-flavored soft drinks, coffee and tea. Caffeine is present in tea leaves, coffee beans, cola nuts and cocoa. The drug is sometimes added to products where it is not present naturally, like energy shots, stimulant pills, energy drinks and pain relievers.

Purpose

Caffeine is best known for its ability to help you stay awake and mentally alert, but the chemical is also a mild pain killer. The drug is not powerful enough on its own to relieve muscle aches and other discomfort, but it enhances the effects of common over-the-counter pain medications like acetaminophen and aspirin. Caffeine also increases your body's ability to absorb pain killing medication. Many manufacturers add it to pain relievers, so you can readily buy caffeine-enhanced pills to ease your muscle aches.

Warning

Caffeine may make over-the-counter drugs better at easing your muscle aches, but the chemical sometimes produces counterproductive side effects. For example, you may want to rest because of the muscle pain, but caffeine interferes with sleep and makes some people restless and jittery. These effects are especially likely if you drink coffee, cola, or other caffeinated drinks while also taking caffeine-enhanced pain pills, since that increases your dose. Avoid chocolate and caffeinated beverages while using pain relievers that include caffeine.

Considerations

Caffeine helps pain relievers fight muscle aches, but the drug can also cause aches if you are a heavy caffeine user and you suddenly stop your intake. The chemical causes distinct withdrawal symptoms in people who regularly consume large amounts. Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine documented muscle aches as a common caffeine withdrawal effect, along with stiffness, headaches, tiredness, depression and nausea. The pain and other symptoms is worse if you were accustomed to very heavy doses of caffeine before stopping. You suffer the worst effects one to two days after your caffeine consumption ends, and the muscle aches and other problems ease up completely within two to nine days.