Caffeine consumption can quickly add up if you like coffee, tea, cola-flavored soft drinks, chocolate and other drinks and foods that are natural sources of the chemical. You take in more caffeine if you use certain over-the-counter pain killers, take stimulant aids to stay awake or drink energy shots. Caffeine is not unhealthy in moderation but can cause some problems if you take in too much of the drug.
Healthy Amounts
Caffeine is generally healthy if you do not exceed 200 to 300 milligrams in one day, according to MayoClinic.com. This is roughly equal to two to four cups of regular brewed coffee. You usually start having problems if your consumption jumps up to 500 milligrams a day or more, which means drinking more than four cups of coffee or consuming excessive amounts of tea, cola or energy drinks or combining several caffeine sources, like drinks and medication. Kids under 12 should not have any caffeine, and teenagers should limit consumption to amounts that do not interfere with their sleep.
Effects
You get some positive effects from caffeine when you keep your daily consumption within healthy limits. The drug stimulates your nervous system, makes you feel more alert and improves your mental concentration. Exceeding a healthy amount makes you restless, nervous and irritable. Too much caffeine can upset your stomach, make you tremble, increase your heartbeat and keep you awake, MayoClinic.com warns. The negative effects usually wear off within a few hours without permanent physical harm.
Considerations
Certain people are more susceptible to caffeine's effects, meaning that they have problems after consuming an amount that would not be problematic to most other caffeine consumers. Sensitive individuals may react to just one cup of tea or coffee in the same way that others react to four or more cups. Men tend to be more caffeine sensitive than women, according to MayoClinic.com, and age and body mass play a role. You are also usually more sensitive to caffeine if you have an anxiety disorder.
Withdrawal
You make yourself prone to withdrawal symptoms if you drink too much caffeine on a regular basis. Your system gets used to the drug's effects and goes through physical withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking in caffeine. Typical effects are fatigue, stiffness, sore muscles, nausea and a feeling like you have the flu, reports Lloyd de Vries of CBS News Healthwatch. You also experience mental effects like irritability, depression and difficulty focusing your mind. These symptoms start within one to two days if you stop using caffeine and eventually go away in nine days or less if you do not restart your consumption. Using caffeine wards them off immediately.
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