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Understanding Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms and How to Minimize Them

Understanding Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms and How to Minimize Them

Admit it: giving up caffeine is a drag. Because why would anybody give this up? Nothing has ever roused our senses like the scent of freshly brewed coffee or a frosty energy drink.

Caffeine, the greatest source of caffeine, has been an integral part of our lives for centuries, and many of us can’t imagine living without it.

In fact, sipping coffee and experiencing the “good feeling” that comes with it are two of the most irresistible qualities of this beverage.

Unfortunately like all good things, drinking too much caffeine might have a negative impact on your overall health.

Thus, withdrawing from caffeine might make it difficult for your body to concentrate on your task because of anxiety, insomnia, and loss of concentration.

Caffeine withdrawal symptoms may be debilitating if not addressed properly. Luckily for you, I made this complete guide about caffeine withdrawal symptoms and how to overcome them. You can thank me later!

What is caffeine?

Caffeine has become the world’s most consumed stimulant. It is commonly found in natural sources such as coffee, tea, and cocoa beans.

For most of us, caffeine is normally used to improve alertness and to feel more energetic. 

Caffeine is primarily used in beverages such as coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks, but it’s also found in a variety of other products, including chocolate.

If you’re a regular caffeine drinker, you may experience caffeine withdrawal symptoms after quitting abruptly.

For the record, here’s a brief table of the FDA’s recommended intake of caffeine per day.

AgeRecommended Daily Amount
Kids60-80 mg
Teenagers 100 mg
18 and above400 mg
FDA’s Recommended Daily Intake

What is caffeine withdrawal?

Caffeine withdrawal is what you experience when you quit caffeine abruptly after your body has developed a dependence on it.

If you’ve been consuming caffeine for some time, quitting abruptly can cause some physical, psychological and emotional side effects.

You may experience caffeine withdrawal symptoms by abruptly stopping daily doses of caffeine of 100mg or higher.

Common symptoms are headaches, anxiety, fatigue, mood changes, difficulty concentrating, constipation, and tremors. These symptoms can last between 2 and 21 days before disappearing. 

However, the severity of those symptoms is highly dependent on your caffeine intake and tolerance to the stimulant. The higher your tolerance level, the less severe the symptoms. 

How to recognize caffeine withdrawal symptoms?

The most common signs and symptoms of caffeine withdrawal are:

Headache

Headaches are the most common symptom of caffeine withdrawal.

Reducing or eliminating caffeine from your diet after regular consumption can cause intense, migraine-like headaches for some people. 

Reducing or quitting caffeine can cause your blood vessels to suddenly open up and increase blood flow which results in painful, throbbing-like headaches similar to migraines.

Anxiety

Anxiety is also a common symptom of caffeine withdrawal.

If you consume caffeine on a daily basis, over time your body will get used to its effects. Your body will become mentally and physiologically dependent on it causing you to develop feelings of anxiety if it is suddenly removed from your diet. 

Furthermore, if your caffeine mainly comes from energy drinks or sodas that are high in sugar, the sudden removal of sugar can make your feelings of anxiety even more pronounced.

Fatigue

Most of us consume caffeine in order to improve our alertness.

Caffeine works by blocking the adenosine receptors in our brain, preventing fatigue, and increasing our alertness.

Over time, your body will get used to these effects and become dependent on caffeine to feel alert and awake.

However, when you suddenly stop or reduce caffeine from your diet, it produces the opposite effect on your body.

You’ll generally feel more tired during the day than you did before because your body no longer has the energy-boosting effects of caffeine.

Changes in mood

Caffeine in low doses can help you to improve your mood. These mood changes occur mainly because caffeine has an effect on the various neurotransmitters in your brain, including glutamate and dopamine.

Dopamine is mainly in charge of regulating your emotions and behaviour. Reducing or stopping your intake of caffeine can cause a considerable change in the chemicals present in your brain. This may then cause you to develop feelings of anxiety, depression, or irritability.

Difficulty Concentrating

Because caffeine interacts with the chemicals in your brain it can affect your ability to concentrate and memorise things if you suddenly take it away.

Glutamate is important for communication between your nerve cells. It plays a crucial role in your learning and memory processes. 

Quitting caffeine abruptly can cause a sudden change in the chemical composition of your brain. This can affect your ability to concentrate as your body struggles to get used to the new environment.

Constipation

Caffeine stimulates the contractions of your colon and intestines which help to move food and waste through your body.

If you regularly consume caffeine you might experience constipation and the same as when you reduce your intake suddenly.

Tremors

Although not as common as the other symptoms, tremors are another possible symptom of caffeine withdrawal.

Tremors caused by caffeine withdrawal generally occur in your hands and last for between two and nine days.

Nausea

You might also experience nausea and vomiting when you’re going through caffeine withdrawal symptoms.

When does caffeine withdrawal begin and how long does it last?

You may start to notice symptoms of caffeine withdrawal within just 12 to 24 hours of stopping your regular consumption of caffeine.

The effects are at their highest one or two days after reducing or quitting caffeine.

Most caffeine withdrawal symptoms generally last between two and nine days. However, headaches may last up to 21 days.

Watch this detailed video explaining the effects of caffeine withdrawal.

How do you prepare for caffeine withdrawal?

To prepare for caffeine withdrawal, alternate your consumption between decaf and regular caffeine. After a couple of times, make a slow switch to decaf.

Keep using decaf for a period of 2 weeks while gradually reducing your consumption. This means that you should also reduce your intake of energy drinks.

If you follow such a method, the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal that you’d feel will be less.

Is caffeine withdrawal serious?

Caffeine withdrawal is serious.

We should all take any conditions seriously just to be safe and prepared.

When the body goes through caffeine withdrawal, its mechanism changes resulting in symptoms like migraines, dizziness, vomiting, insomnia, and so on.

If you feel like your caffeine withdrawal symptoms are getting worst or out of control, seek medical help right away!

What happens to your body when you reduce caffeine?

Despite being safe when consumed in moderation, there are many potential benefits to reducing your daily intake of caffeine.

Lower Blood Pressure

For some people, caffeine can raise their blood pressure to unsafe levels. Reducing caffeine intake may help to lower your blood pressure.

Better Sleep Quality

Caffeine can no doubt affect the quality of your sleep.

Drinking caffeinated drinks like coffee and energy drinks late in the evening can interfere with your getting a good night’s sleep.

Reducing your caffeine intake, especially after lunchtime, can help you get better quality sleep at night.

Decreased Anxiety

If you’re prone to anxiety issues, reducing your intake of caffeine can help you feel less anxious.

However, you may need to make it through the initial week or so of caffeine withdrawal symptoms, which may include increased anxiety, before enjoying the benefits of lower overall anxiety. 

Weight Loss

Unless you drink your coffee black, caffeinated beverages often contain tons of sugar and unnecessary calories. This is true of coffee and many energy drinks.

Energy drinks like Monster contain tons of sugar, which can cause you to gain weight or get other illnesses if consumed in excess.

Reducing your consumption of sugary beverages can help you to lose a few pounds.

Reduced Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Because of the high sugar content in many coffees and energy drinks, regular consumption of these sugary drinks can lead to type 2 diabetes. 

There are so many positives that come from reducing unnecessary sugar from your diet, and reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes is just one of them.

How to avoid caffeine withdrawal symptoms?

Fortunately, there are a few ways that can help you reduce your chances of experiencing any of the above-mentioned caffeine withdrawal symptoms:

Cut back on caffeine slowly.

Quitting caffeine abruptly can shock your body and make your withdrawal symptoms worse.

If you’re thinking about reducing your daily intake of caffeine, do it little by little. You can start off by drinking half-decaf or low-caffeinated beverages to slowly reduce your dependence on caffeine.

That way, you’ll reduce your chances of experiencing the dreadful side effects of caffeine withdrawal and if you do still encounter any of the symptoms they will be less severe than if you just quit cold turkey.

Drink lots of water and stay hydrated.

Drinking lots of water and staying hydrated is important when you’re in the process of cutting out caffeine.

Caffeine withdrawal may cause you to become dehydrated. This can worsen the symptoms of withdrawal such as headaches and fatigue.

Therefore, drink lots of water to reduce the withdrawal effects.

Get enough rest.

When you’re trying to cut down on caffeine, it’s important to get enough rest.

To prevent yourself from feeling extremely fatigued in the morning make sure you have a good rest and get to sleep at a reasonable time the night before.

It’s recommended that you get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.

Is caffeine withdrawal dangerous?

When you stop taking caffeine, there is some kind of chemical imbalance that happens in your brain resulting in anxiety, depression, and irritability.

That said, it could be dangerous. For that reason, it is advised that you quit caffeine slowly to avoid any significant discomfort.

How to Boost Your Energy Naturally

Exercise daily.

If you’re looking for a quick fix for your energy needs, there are many alternatives to caffeine for getting a boost. 

Try setting aside some time in your daily routine for exercise. According to many articles, exercise can have a positive impact on your energy levels and boost your fitness levels while maintaining overall health.

So, next time you’re feeling a bit sluggish, just go and do some light exercise for a few minutes and you’ll feel much more energetic than you did before.

Eat a more balanced diet.

Our body needs fuel to get through the day. If you’re always low on energy, maybe it’s time to take a look at what your diet consists of.

Eating more natural food can help provide your body with the nutrients it needs to perform at its best.

You can start off by eating more vegetables and less processed foods. Try it out for a couple of days and you might just see an improvement in your energy levels.

If you stick with it, eventually you won’t even miss the old processed junk that you used to eat and you’ll genuinely prefer the healthier and more natural alternatives.

Lower Caffeinated Energy Drinks

There are lots of great energy drinks available that contain a low amount of caffeine. These energy drinks can be a smart way to wean yourself off caffeine without going cold turkey.

If you’re looking for ready-to-drink energy drinks that contain a sensible amount of caffeine, have a look at:

If you are looking for something a bit different than conventional caffeinated beverages, you can try Mio Water drops which are droplets that you add to water to change the flavour and add some caffeine.

Powdered energy drinks are a great option too.

They’re more versatile and convenient and they also tend to be more affordable than most of the well-known energy drink brands.

Powdered energy drinks typically come with much lower price tags than their ready-to-drink counterparts:

If you’re interested in getting yourself a powdered energy drink, I highly recommend REIZE.

REIZE (10 out of 10)

REIZE is nothing like your conventional ready-to-drink energy drink.

It comes in conveniently packed sachets and is easy to make – all you need to do is just add water or your favourite beverage.

It’s a lot more versatile than most other energy drinks out there because you can mix it with almost any drink and it tastes great.

REIZE Energy Drink is very convenient.
REIZE contains a sensible amount of caffeine and is home delivered for your convenience. Overall, it’s perfect as a daily lower-caffeinated energy drink.

At 50mg of caffeine, REIZE contains a more sensible amount of caffeine than most energy drinks, but it doesn’t compromise on the energy boost. Thanks to having taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins alongside the caffeine!

Did I mention that REIZE is also sugar-free?

Yes, REIZE is completely sugar-free. So if you’re looking for a low-caffeinated energy drink, REIZE is absolutely ideal for daily use because of the low levels of caffeine and also the very affordable price tag.

REIZE ships right to your door for around $1 per drink.

You can choose the option of monthly deliveries or one-time purchases to suit your energy needs, giving you the utmost flexibility when it comes to choosing what works best for you.

So what are you waiting for?

Try REIZE today, and you might just find that REIZE quickly becomes your favourite energy drink too.

It’s also a great stepping stone to quitting caffeine completely if you’ve previously been drinking one of the stronger energy drinks

Wink wink.

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