Looks familiar?

Caffeine withdrawal

Caffeine is widely portrayed as an healthy drink. It is supposed to boost energy levels, help to concentrate and improve mood of its drinkers. But is it really the case? On this site I will try to look at caffeine from the other angle – I will analyse the negative effects which many people still don’t know about.

As of modern day, coffee is considered to be the most widely used psychoactive substance. It is especially true when it comes to the most developed countries. It is estimated that 9 in 10 Americans drink caffeine containing drinks on a daily basis.
Users report that the morning coffee helps them to stay alert through the day and also makes it easier for them to wake up.

But is it really true?

Various scientific studies show that reality is vastly different. What people experience when they go to sleep is a caffeine withdrawal. Overnight, caffeine concentration in the blood falls rapidly and it leads to negative symptoms. In the morning, instead of being rested and energetic, people feel lethargic – up until the moment when they sip their coffee. This whole situation is extremely similiar to nicotine addiction. After some time, smokers light their cigarretes to prevent withdrawal from happening – not for any positive effects – it is all about preventing negative symptoms.
When addict is deprived of caffeine sources, his mental abilities will rapidly decline.

He won’t be able to concentrate or perform attention-demanding tasks. This mind-state is reversed to ‘normal’ when that person intakes his supposedly safe drug.
Using any drug for a long time will teach our body how to fight its effects. We develope so called tolerance. Our bodies will try to counter caffeine effects. So, while at first caffeine boosts your energy levels, after a while it will only make them normal. If you abstain from coffee, your body will still try to counter its effects (because it has learned so) so it will lower your energy levels. But if there is no caffeine there is no energy boost – so you will end extremely weak physically and mentally.

Thankfully it is only temporary. Caffeine withdrawals pose a great threat to people operating dangerous machinery or having important jobs requiring constant alertness.

The symptoms

So what can you do?
Quitting caffeine is not so easy. Caffeine withdrawal is experienced mainly as an extreme, migraine-like, pulsating headache. There are no remedies for this symptom. Common analgesics do almost nothing in relieving withdrawal pains. Interestingly, caffeine withdrawal induced headache cannot be reversed if it already started – Caffeine psychoactive effects are attributed mainly to its ability to block adenosine. If enough adenosine is produced, even great amounts of caffeine cannot fight it. Some folks experiencing coffee withdrawal compare it to their worst hangover which lasts for 2 weeks.

The only cure is time. After first few days of agonizing pain, migraines should greatly decrease in their intensity. Some people postulate that sudden release of endorphins can also do the trick. It was suggested to use hot chilli sauce or hot peppers around your lips. The burning sensation is supposed to release hormones in your brain which will fight caffeine withdrawal symptoms. Quitting cold turkey is not recommended. It is always better to slowly decrease caffeine intake, making doses smaller every day. It will shorten the withdrawal period and lessen headaches. Change will not be as drastic and should make the whole process easier.