10 signs you're drinking way too much caffeine - Insider

"When people use the term caffeine addiction, that is incorrect. Technically, caffeine use can result in a physical dependence, ... 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Health 10signsyou'redrinkingwaytoomuchcaffeine By AshleyLaderer Mar18,2022 SaveArticleIcon Abookmark FacebookIcon TheletterF. Emailicon Anenvelope.Itindicatestheabilitytosendanemail. Shareicon Ancurvedarrowpointingright. FacebookIcon TheletterF. Facebook Emailicon Anenvelope.Itindicatestheabilitytosendanemail. Email Twittericon Astylizedbirdwithanopenmouth,tweeting. Twitter Snapchaticon Aghost. Snapchat Fliboardicon AstylizedletterF. Flipboard Pinteresticon Theletter"P"styledtolooklikeathumbtackpin. Pinterest Linkicon Animageofachainlink.Itsymobilizesawebsitelinkurl. CopyLink Downloadtheapp Thisarticlewas medicallyreviewed by JasonR.McKnight,MD,MS,afamilymedicinephysicianandclinicalassistantprofessorat TexasA&MCollegeofMedicine.  MedicallyReviewed ReviewedByCheckMarkIcon Acheckmark.Itindicatesthattherelevantcontenthasbeenreviewedandverifiedbyanexpert Ourstoriesarereviewedbymedicalprofessionalstoensureyougetthemostaccurateandusefulinformationaboutyourhealthandwellness.Formoreinformation,visitourmedicalreviewboard. Caffeineisthemostcommonlyuseddrugintheworld. picturealliance/GettyImages Redeemnow Coffeeisn'taddictiveinthemedicalsenseoftheword,butitdoescauseadependency. Youshouldlimityourselftoabout400mgofcaffeineaday,whichisaboutfourcupsofcoffee. Drinkingtoomuchcaffeinecanleadtobrainfog,headaches,nausea,irritability,andmore.  Whilewemaynotviewcaffeineasadrug,ittechnicallyis,sinceit'sastimulantthataffectsthecentralnervoussystem.Infact,it'sthemostcommonlyuseddrugintheworld,andit'sestimatedthataround90%ofadultsinNorthAmericaconsumesomeamountofcaffeinedaily. Caffeineisgenerallyconsideredsafewhenyoulimitittonomorethan400milligramsperday—whichisaboutfourcupsofcoffee.Butifyoufindyourselfconsumingmuchmorethanthat,orfeelingunabletoproperlyfunctionwithoutlargeamountsofcaffeine,youmayhaveadependenceonit.But,tobeclear,youarenotaddictedtoitinthephysiologicaluseoftheterm.Here'swhatyouneedtoknowaboutcaffeinedependenceandhowtocutbackoncaffeine. Whatiscaffeinedependence?"Whenpeopleusethetermcaffeineaddiction,thatisincorrect.Technically,caffeineusecanresultinaphysicaldependence,butnotanaddiction,"saysCherian.Thedifferenceisasfollows:Dependence:Physicaldependenceonadrugmeansthatyouneedmoreofittogainthesameeffects,butyoucanstopusingitifyouwantto. Addiction:Anaddictionisuncontrolledsubstanceusethatresultsinnegativeconsequences.Inotherwords,youcannotstopusingthedrugdespitehowit'snegativelyimpactingyourlife.Drugdependencecanaccompanyaddiction,butitisnotaddictivebecauseitdoesnottriggerneurologicalchangesspecifictodrugaddicts. Inparticular,caffeinedoesnotdamagetheorbitofrontalcortex—partofthebrainthathelpsyouthinkrationally—likewhatresearchershaveseenincocaine,heroin,ormethamphetaminedrugaddicts.Thatsaid,caffeinedoesaffectthebrain,justinadifferent,lesssevereway.Itworksby blockingadenosinereceptorsinthebrainthatmakeyoutired.Asaresult,youfeelmoreawakeandenergized,saysVivekCherian,MD,aninternalmedicinephysicianwithaprivatepractice. Peoplebecomedependentoncaffeinewhentheydrinkitonadailybasisanddevelopatolerance,saysCarrieLamMD,FAAMFM,co-founderandmedicaldirectoroftheLamClinic "Asthebraingetsacclimatedtothehigheramounteachday,thosewhostopdrinkingcaffeineabruptlywillstarttohavewithdrawalsymptomsandcravings,"saysLam.  WhycaffeineisnotaddictivePerhapswheretheconfusionbetweencaffeinedependenceandaddictioncomesinisbecauseofhowcaffeinecanleadtoanincreaseindopaminelevelssimilartoaddictivedrugslikecocaine. Byblockingadenosinereceptors,caffeineallows,"othernaturalstimulantsinourbody,suchasdopamine,tobemoreeffective,"saysCherian.However,theamountofdopaminereleasedisnotnearlylargeenoughtocausethesametypesofsurgesasaddictivedrugs.Therefore,caffeinecan'tactivate thesamerewardcircuitsinthebrainlinkedtotrueaddiction. Moreover,caffeinewithdrawalsymptomscanbeuncomfortablebuttheyarenotlife-threateningthewaywithdrawalcanbeifyou'readdictedtoalcohol,MDMA,Xanax,orjustaboutanyotheraddictivedrugoutthere.  SignsofacaffeinedependencyThemainsignofcaffeinedependencyisthatyouareunabletoperformdailyactivitieswithoutcaffeine. "Ifyou'reunabletofunctionwithoutyourdailycupofcoffeeinthemorningthere'sadecentchanceyouaredependentoncaffeine,"saysCherian. Additionally,ifyoudon'thaveyourcaffeinefix,Cheriansaysyoumayhavewithdrawalsymptomsthatstartasearlyas12hoursafteryourlastcaffeinedose,suchas:HeadachesFatigueIrritabilityBrainfogDifficultyconcentratingNauseaTheremaybebehavioralaspectsofcaffeinedependencytoo,Lamsays.Theseinclude:Wantingtocutdownorcontrolcaffeineuse,buthavedifficultydoingsoConsumingmorecaffeineovertimethanyou'dliketoContinuingcaffeineusedespiteexperiencingnegativesideeffectsofcaffeineCaffeineinterferingwithyourdailylife HowtocutbackoncaffeineIfyou'vedecidedit'stimetocutbackoncaffeineuse,therearevariousmethodsthatcanhelpyou.1.KeepacaffeinediaryWhenyou'reconsuminglargequantitiesofcaffeinedaily,itcanbeusefultokeepalogofhowmuchyouareactuallyconsuming,saysLam.Thishelpsyoutobeconsciousofhowmuchyouconsumeandcanallowyoutounderstandtriggersthatmakeyouspringforcaffeine. A2016studyfoundthatexcessivecaffeinedrinkers(over600milligramsaday)wereabletosignificantlycutbackonconsumptionbykeepingacaffeinediary,alongsidecounseling.  2.Decreasecaffeinegradually Toavoidharshwithdrawalsymptoms,decreaseyourconsumptiongraduallyratherthanstoppingcoldturkey. Forexample,Lamsaysyoucandecreasebyonecupadayoreverycoupleofdays,reducingyourintakelittlebylittle.Youstillmayexperiencewithdrawal,butitcanbelessseverethisway. 3.Replacehigh-caffeinedrinkswithalternativesOptingforbeverageswithalowercaffeinecontentcanhelpyoudecreaseyourintakewhilestillprovidingaboost.Forexample,Lamsaysyoucandrinkblackteaorgreentea,whichstillhascaffeine,butlessthancoffeeorenergydrinks.4.Getenoughsleep"Coffeeisn'tthebestweapontofightlowenergy––it'ssleep,"saysLam.Therefore,sherecommendsgettingqualitysleep,avoidingnaps,andgoingtobedatthesametimeeverynightsoyouwon'tbeastiredinthefirstplace,leadingyoutoconsumemorecaffeine. 5.StayhydratedDrinkingenoughwatercanhelpdilutethestrengthofthecaffeine,andalsohelpthekidneysdetoxifycaffeineanditsmetabolitesquicker,saysLam.Plus,drinkingsomethingelselikewateralsogivesyourmouthandhandssomethingtostaybusywhenyouditchyourcoffeemugorothercaffeinateddrinkofchoice,saysLam. Insider'stakeawayCaffeinedependencecancauseyoutofeellikeyouneedcaffeinetofunction,andyoumayexperiencewithdrawalsymptomsrangingfromheadachestonauseaifyoudon'tgetyourdailycaffeinefix. Withpersistenceanddedication,however,cuttingbackoncaffeineandbreakingthecycleofdependenceispossible.  AshleyLaderer AshleyLadererisafreelancewriterfromNewYorkwhospecializesinhealthandwellness.FollowheronTwitter @ashladerer Readmore Readless Relatedarticles HEALTH Redflagsthatyou'vehadtoomuchcaffeineandquicktipsonhowtocutback HEALTH Greenteamayhelpyouloseweightbyboostingyourmetabolism,poweringyourworkout,andmore HEALTH Shouldyoudrinkteaorcoffee?Coffeegivesyouaquickerbuzz,butteaprovidesmoresustainedenergy NEWS Thebestteasforeverytimeoftheday More: Health Caffeine Coffee HealthExplainers Symptoms ReferenceLibrary Conditions&Symptoms Chevronicon Itindicatesanexpandablesectionormenu,orsometimesprevious/nextnavigationoptions. 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