Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms: Top Ten

If you are an avid coffee or energy drink consumer then you are aware of how addicting caffeinated beverages can be.

A few hours after missing your scheduled dose the caffeine withdrawal symptoms start to set in. Last year I did a caffeine detox and it wasn’t pretty for me nor the people I live with and it seems like the more caffeine a person consumes, the greater the intensity and duration of the withdrawal.

We decided to put together a list of the most common caffeine withdrawal symptoms so when you’re experiencing them, you’ll be comforted to know that you aren’t really dying but just detoxing from the caffeine. Also, for those who aren’t normally caffeine drinkers, these symptoms can be noticed after quitting caffeine even if it was only consumed for a few days in a row.

Top 10 Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms

1. Headache- A caffeine headache usually starts behind the eyes and then moves up the front of the head.
2. Sleepiness- This just isn’t your normal tiredness, this is sitting up straight but still can’t keep your eyes open tiredness.
3. Irritability- Everyone and everything gets on your last nerve. It’s best just to lock yourself in your room during this stage.
4. Lethargy- Forget about productivity at this stage because you’ll be unmotivated to do anything.
5. Constipation- Caffeine stimulates the bowel, so without its daily does the colon gets a little cranky too.
6. Depression- Caffeine withdrawal can take away all hope for living. Temporary blues are one thing, but if you already struggle with depression this could be a big issue.
7. Muscle Pain/Stiffness- If you normally have some caffeine prior to exercise then during caffeine withdrawal you could feel as though your muscles have weights strapped to them.
8. Lack of Concentration- Forget school, studying, brain surgery, or jet engine repair during this stage of withdrawal.
9. Flu-like symptoms- Stuffy nose, blocked sinuses and even vomiting have been reported by people withdrawing from caffeine.
10. Insomnia- Some people are strange and actually can’t sleep when going through caffeine withdrawal.

Conclusions

Caffeine withdrawal isn’t a laughing matter and it, for sure, is a very unpleasant experience. Luckily these symptoms only last a few days to a week so there’s light at the end of the tunnel. However, even after the withdrawal period is over, I personally still never feel quite as good as I do when I’m drinking caffeine all of the time. This is most likely due to the changes that occur with the dopamine receptors in the brain because of caffeine. I guess mine might be forever altered.

Giving up Caffeine isn’t easy and the withdrawal symptoms aren’t pretty, but unless you’re giving up caffeine for medical reasons why would you ever want to?

How addicted to caffeine are/were you? You can take our Caffeine Addiction Diagnosis Quiz to see where you clocked in at. This may explain why the caffeine withdrawal has been so rough.

Have you experienced caffeine withdrawal symptoms that aren’t on the list above? Share them in the comments below.