In the morning, what is the first thing you crave? 83 percent of Americans drink coffee now. Are you in that 83 percent? Do you drink a lot of tea, pop, or anything that has caffeine? Welcome to most of the world.
I admit to being a caffeine addict. In a day working at a coffee shop (2&7 coffeebar, 9261 E 109th Ave. Crown Point, IN 46307, gotta get us some advertising) I can drink two cups of coffee, and take multiple espresso shots. So now, I am addicted to caffeine. What are the symptoms though?
One symptom that I regularly run into, is headaches. It starts with dull pain behind the eyes and spreads to be a much more powerful headache in the middle of your forehead. Light and temperature usually make the headache worse. Due to it being a caffeine problem for me, Excedrin can be a great way to relieve caffeine withdrawal headaches due to its 65mg of caffeine. One thing I also get is random bouts of dizziness. Most of the time it is from headaches, but dizziness is also a symptom of withdrawal. Hopefully, you are already a sure-footed person! Do you get irritable after a long period without period without caffeine? That is the usual behavior of a caffeine addict! Maybe some people won’t take to that excuse well, but at least you may have an excuse. Your headache may also make you irritable as well.
Now something caffeine is used to combat is tiredness. Yet, caffeine withdrawal can amplify sleepiness. Are you sitting straight up and falling asleep? Do you randomly keep dozing off? Well, extreme tiredness is another symptom of caffeine withdrawal. If a few hours have passed since you have had caffeine, you may be a caffeine addict. A related symptom is insomnia. People going through withdrawal can experience sleep deprivation, which will ultimately probably make your dependence on caffeine stronger.
Lack of concentration? Brain fog? Lethargy? The average college student’s downfall are these three symptoms. And caffeine withdrawal amplifies these symptoms. You can move slower, your motivation is suffering, your mind can’t focus on a single thing, or maybe you cannot think of almost anything and make any coherent thoughts at all! All of these are normal with caffeine withdrawal.
Are you suddenly depressed? More anxious than before you started drinking coffee regularly? Well, as you can guess, caffeine withdrawal is behind it! Maybe the anxiety attack you are having is partially from an upcoming exam or large project that needs to be complete, but keep in mind, have you had caffeine recently? Depression is an extreme symptom of caffeine withdrawal that should be taken very seriously and if this happens to you, please make sure to reach out to people no matter how hard it seems.
Muscle pain, stiffness and cramping can be quite normal with caffeine withdrawal. Especially if you drink caffeine before you exercise. A normal withdrawal symptom for any substance is nausea and vomiting. Caffeine has this effect through withdrawal too. Coffee or a sugary drink may not sound appetizing when you are nauseous but it may help if you are a caffeine addict. A severe symptom of withdrawal is heart rhythm abnormalities. Since caffeine is a stimulant that affects heart rate, one’s heart rate during withdrawal can change. Blood pressure and heart palpitations have also been reported and noted.
Flu symptoms like, stuffy nose, problems with one’s sinuses and even a fever have been reported with caffeine withdrawals. Fevers are an extreme symptom and are a result of long-term caffeine addiction. Constipation is also common, especially since caffeine stimulates the bowels. So when your body does not receive the caffeine it is used to regularly working with, you may get backed up.
Now, I can count how many of these symptoms I experience in a day. This further proves I am a caffeine addict. Are you one of the 21 million Americans who drink over six cups of coffee? How about one of the 68 million Americans who drink at least one cup of coffee a day? If so, you may want to evaluate these symptoms to determine how severe your addiction may be, and if it is a problem that should be handled.
