A GP has reacted to a video of a man who has given up coffee, describing how he feels as “hell”. Urging people to never go “cold turkey” she warns that symptoms can be intense and you could be making things worse.
Dr Raj Arora aka @drrajarora who is a GP and skin expert, explains that “caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant which means it tricks the brain into feeling more alert. And so withdrawal symptoms occur because the brain is trying to adjust without the caffeine.”
Noting that “coffee has benefits”, she adds if you have a lot of the drink, you may notice that your symptoms are “intense”. In their latest advice warning, the British Heart Foundation cautions: “While there is often concern about the links between caffeine and heart health, a moderate amount of tea or coffee (four or five cups a day) should be fine for most people.
“Research shows that this level of caffeine intake shouldn’t be detrimental to your heart health, affect your cholesterol levels or heart rhythm.”
What are the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal?
If you do have these withdrawal symptoms when you stop, the GP says: “The symptoms can vary depending on how much coffee you’ve been drinking and how strong you have your coffee.”
Dr Raj also reveals it can vary depending on each person meaning you could have symptoms “normally lasting 9 to 10 days. You normally start to feel on day 2 after stopping coffee altogether.”
The GP note the symptoms you could experience include:
- headaches
- dizziness
- increased alertness
- low levels of energy
- feeling irritable
- feeling shaky
- fatigue
- insomnia
- constipation
Can I stop coffee immediately or do will I get caffeine withdrawal?
Warning that symptoms are likely to last longer than a week, but just shy of two weeks, the doctor warns never to go “cold turkey.” This is because it could make you feel worse.
Instead she suggests: “It might be helpful to taper off the amount of caffeine you are consuming. So if, for example, you’re having 4 cups a day, maybe start with slowly going down to 3 cups, then 2, then one.
“Also a really good tip is to try and drink decaf in between so you’re also tapering the caffeine consumption without actually feeling the loss of a hot beverage.”
Because your body is adjusting to these changes, she warns you may feel more tired than usual, urging people to get eight hours of sleep per night.
Do I need to be worried about any other drinks or foods?
Caffeine isn’t just found in coffee – it can be found in the drinks you have daily such as fizzy drinks. There may even be caffeine in some foods you need to be aware of.
One of the major ways to help remove caffeine is to stay hydrated. “So you drink lots of water”, she says, adding: “This can not only help keep your fluids up, but it can help with withdrawal symptoms such as headaches.”
Other ways to help according to the doctor is to take a “simple pain relief like paracetamol, over the counter or ibruprofen.” So the next time you want to cut down on caffeine, do it step by step.