Caffeine Addiction, Can You Quit?

Medical Author: Melissa Stoppler, M.D.
Medical Editor: Barbara K. Hecht, Ph.D.

Up to 90% of adult Americans consume caffeine every day. Most commonly, the caffeine is in coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate. This adds up to about 280 mg of caffeine per day, or the equivalent of about two cups of coffee. People who consume caffeine on a regular basis report that they experience a variety of unpleasant symptoms when this popular stimulant is withdrawn, similar to the symptoms felt with the withdrawal of other addictive substances.

Doctors at Johns Hopkins University have confirmed that true caffeine addiction can occur even when small amounts (corresponding to about one cup of coffee per day) of caffeine are consumed. In a review of 170 years of caffeine research, the Hopkins team examined 57 separate studies and found that the features of caffeine withdrawal can vary from mild mood changes to systemic, flu-like symptoms. The major types of caffeine withdrawal reactions were identified as:

• headache, fatigue or drowsiness
• depressed, irritable mood
• difficulty concentrating
• flu-like symptoms of nausea and/or vomiting
• muscle pain or stiffness

The withdrawal symptoms typically began 12 to 24 hours after the last dose of caffeine, became most severe after one to two days, and lasted for two to nine days.

If you want to cut down on caffeine, experts advise doing so slowly. Decrease your consumption gradually over a period of days (or weeks, if you're a heavy consumer) to avoid being plagued by withdrawal symptoms.

Reference: Juliano LM, Griffiths RR. A critical review of caffeine withdrawal: empirical validation of symptoms and signs, incidence, severity, and associated features. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2004 Sept 21.