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Biotech Science

Caffeine Withdrawal Recognized As Real 137

Posted by timothy from the after-adhd-I-lost-respect dept.
Ben Sullivan writes "What many Slashdotters have long known looks set to become official: Caffeine withdrawal is for real. New research at Johns Hopkins should result in it being included in the next edition of the DSM, and recognized by the World Health Organization."
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Caffeine Withdrawal Recognized As Real More

Caffeine Withdrawal Recognized As Real

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  • In other news.... (Score:5, Funny)

    by foistboinder ( 99286 ) on Wednesday September 29, 2004 @11:57AM (#10385006) Homepage Journal
    Water is wet.

  • as I sip my coffee.. (Score:5, Informative)

    by hitchhacker ( 122525 ) on Wednesday September 29, 2004 @12:04PM (#10385096) Homepage
    HOW CAN I QUIT OR REDUCE MY CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION?
    • Cut back gradually. Eliminate a cup or glassful a day rather than going "cold turkey."
    • Keep a log to see how much caffeine you consume. Remember to count medications and supplements. Experiment with your intake to see how you feel both physically and psychologically
    • Limit your intake to 200-300 mg of caffeine per day.
    • Substitute herbal tea, hot or cider or decaf coffee for caffeinated drinks.
    • Be active or be still - run, walk, bike ride, swim, do yoga or meditate.
    • Eat regular meals
    • Stop smoking - caffeine and cigarettes often go together.
    • Ask others in your house or office to decrease their caffeine with you. There is strength in numbers.
    • Remember that coffee does NOT help you to sober up after drinking alcohol.

    I didn't write these. [uiuc.edu]
    -metric
    • I feel withdrawal if I don't have my espresso in the morning. I only take this one dose per day.

      Cutting back is where? To dishwasher-tasting infused coffee?

    • Also Remember (Score:5, Informative)

      by temojen ( 678985 ) on Wednesday September 29, 2004 @01:56PM (#10386344) Journal
      There a LOT of bottled drinks on the market now that add caffeine, but don't mark it on the label as such. Watch out for:
      • Gauranna
      • Yerba Mate
      • Cola Nut
      • Winterberry
      • Cocoa extract
      • Black Tea Extract
      • Green Tea Extract
    • Why would I want to reduce caffeine!?

      Caffeine and endorphines are the only drugs I trust.

      Work on stopping your serious problems instead, like sugar intake.

      What I do is limit my intake to every other hour during the day. Any more just make me jumpy.

      Note to Moderators: Do not mod Funny. I've seldom been more serious. No jokes about propaganda from Brazil either; I'm Swedish.

      • Re:Why would I *WANT* to?! (Score:1, Informative)

        by Anonymous Coward
        Because Caffeine works by stimulating your pituitary to think there's an emergency. This high level of chemically induced stress can have long-lasting health effects.

        Also note that the pituitary is the "master gland" that controls your endocrine system. Knock it off kilter and you may cause all kinds of bizarre hard to track symptoms like insomnia, gynecomastia, etc.

        It does take a LOT of caffeine over a long period of time to mess up your pituitary.
      • Damn straight.

        I swear, when I give up caffeine for long periods (6 months or so, so I know I'm not still in withdrawal) I am in much poorer health than when I have it in moderation, regularly. Mostly, caffeine staves off migraines for me.

        Caffeine is an excellent and useful drug for me. Other people's mileage may vary.

        • I would hope it would be beneficial for everyone taking it, otherwise, why take it? :P

          If used properly (small doses, not before going to bed, not because your drained from the previous huge dose, etc), I think it's a great drug. Personally, it seems to benefit my life. I'm the "Green" type personality, like most nerds probably are, so I thrive off of success and accomplishments. This drug helps me get those done, which in turn makes me a happier person.

          I make sure to not get addicted to caffeine since tha
    • Stop smoking - caffeine and cigarettes often go together.

      Actually, the human body metabolizes caffeine at about twice the rate in the presence of nicotine. [msnusers.com] So if you quit smoking, you should cut your caffeine consumption in half at the same time.
    • Cut back gradually. Eliminate a cup or glassful a day rather than going "cold turkey."

      On the other hand, I had pretty good luck sequestering myself in the wilderness of Isle Royale, with no cola, coffee, tea, or even penguin mints within a 1-3 days' hike. No caffeine, no ethanol, no slashdot... just me and the meese. I slept great, woke up easily, and got to go a whole week with no personal grooming to speak of.

    • HOW CAN I QUIT OR REDUCE MY CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION?

      WHY WOULD I WANT TO QUIT OR REDUCE MY CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION?

      From what I have read ane experienced, caffeine is just abotu as wonder drug as you can get. Helps cure cancer, makes you smarter, faster stronger, live longer, even can help defend against radioactive fallout. Wht are the drawbacks again?

    • Cut back gradually. Eliminate a cup or glassful a day rather than going "cold turkey."

      When I was addicted to Coca-Cola (1-2 liters/day), I tried many times to quit by cutting back gradually.
      It never worked, because I would find that, after a while, I had gradually (and quite unconsiously) increased my consumption until I was at my former level.
      Finally, I decided to just quit Cold Turkey.
      That meant that I would not have to keep track of how much I was drinking, which meant no unconsious increase.
      I had a tr

    • limit to 200mg - 300mg per day ??????
      Thats what i drink in a week .....
      no wait ... there was only when i drank about 400mg in a day.
    • looks like I forgot the </ul> and screwed all the other unsorted lists. slashdot bug?

  • It isn't a joke (Score:5, Funny)

    by tod_miller ( 792541 ) on Wednesday September 29, 2004 @12:05PM (#10385103) Journal
    I don't actually enjoy drinking coke (TM) that much - however some days I just feel the need for one you know...

    Coffee usually requires a bit more effort (filter coffee at work, no funky coffee machine) and coke is so readily avilable.

    There was a half witty documentary that showed what happened to four office females when deprived of coffee, coke, and chocolate (all caffeine and comfort, too many C's). They became ultra-hyper-bitches.

    Which is only shy above thier usual office bitchyness (you know the types).

    Anyway, yes it is real - we have all experienced it I am sure. even cats were rumoured to be subject to it after Whiskas (cat food) was rumoured to contain caffeine.

    Why is caffeine in coke?

    according to Coca Cola [slashdot.org]

    Rumor: Caffeine in soft drinks is addictive
    Our Response: Caffeine is not addictive. Caffeine has had a long history in the food supply, consumed as long ago as 2700 B.C. Scientific evaluation of caffeine's physiological effects in light of the criteria for drug dependence clearly shows that caffeine is not similar to the use of drugs of abuse or dependence. It is true that some symptoms of withdrawal can be experienced by some people if caffeine consumption is stopped abruptly.

    So they do cover this, I wonder how new this is, or if they will update this, they used ot have a bit about WHY they put it in there, like for flavour.

    My caffeine addicted ass.
    • http://www2.coca-cola.com/contactus/faq/ingredien t s.html#5

      (beware erroneous spaces and formatting issues)

      The caffeine that is added to Coca-Cola classic, diet Coke and the other products in which it is used is for flavor purposes only. We use only the amount necessary to achieve the appropriate optimum flavor profile for the particular product sold.

      (and last link was buggered)

      http://www2.coca-cola.com/contactus/myths_rumors /i ngredients_addictive_include.html

      forget linking.
    • Dear Coke:

      It is true that some symptoms of withdrawal

      Isn't this the definition of "addiction"?

      Caffeine does indeed add flavor, and I prefer the flavor of caffeinated drinks to non-, but quinine is bitter too (hence we have tonic water).

      • There are plenty of cases of people suffering withdrawl symptoms without any actual physical addiction behind it.

        What Coke is denying is that caffeine is physically addictive.

        • Which is just stupid. Psychological addiction is real, although it gets used in cases where there is no actual addiction.

          But people don't get psychologically addicted to foods, at least nowhere near the levels of people with caffiene addiction.

          But not that's not what Coke said at all. First they said caffeine is not addictive, which, I'm sorry, is just flat out wrong. But the rest of what they say doesn't support that.

          Next they mention that it's been used for thousands of years, which has to be the stupi

          • I basically agree with almost everything you've said, except that people don't get psychologically addicted to food. People get psychologically addicted to anything.

            Also, while I don't dispute that psychological addiction is "real", it is not "real" in the same way that physical addiction is. If it were, we wouldn't make the distinction.

            Coke claims that caffiene is not physically addictive, despite the fact that some people might show signs of being addicted to it. The implication is that psychological ad
            • Also, while I don't dispute that psychological addiction is "real", it is not "real" in the same way that physical addiction is. If it were, we wouldn't make the distinction.

              To be honest, I often wonder why we make the distinction between body and mind in the first place.
        • Addiction happens every time you each anything. When you eat an apple, your body makes a corelation to the net effect - vitamins etc. When if needs those again, it will say, hey why not eat an apple.

          This is why people get queezy just thinking about vodka after thier first night on the piss.

          Their body is saying, hey you don't want to do that again, you remember who you woke up next to? (hence the upset feeling)

          I am not sure how addictives such as nicotine work, I guess it is the same principle though, you
      • It is true that some symptoms of withdrawal

        Isn't this the definition of "addiction"?

        This is actually the definition of dependence. Addiction also requires a psychological component.

        But, as I understand it, they denied dependence as well, so your point stands.

    • so the bitch at the office has been making my life miserable because she has started drinking diet coke
      • Diet coke contains the same ammount of caffeine.

        Probbaly she is making your life miserable because she has internal issues with her weight, and is drinking diet coke.

        Suggest an after work tipple (business of course)get her drunk, and polaroid her ass, then pin it to eh notice board at work.

        Helping people on /. since 1873.
    • If you don't like coke or caffee, use the pills!

      That's what I did for a while. Don't like soda, didn't like coffee, so I'd just bite off a quarter of a 200mg caffeine pill. MUCH cheaper than buying drinks just for the caffeine. $2.00 for a Starbucks doubleshot, or $4.00 for a 20 count of 200mg pills.

      You just gotta be carefull to not pop the whole pill cause it's there. The big doses will drain you too much.
      • I'd preffer not to have caffeine at all. I just had a 'morning coke' (in some richer more hip societies that has a completely different meaning see: Sniffing Accountant)

        I bought it because today is a belter at work (hence I am recouperating on /.!) and I thought, the last thing I want is to get a headache (not that I ever get any, but this thread sparked me off)

        So, yes, if you want your caffein, the pills are to go (I used to down packets of pro plus in my finals, or when we wanted to club until 7am... or

  • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 )
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • Bi-annual withdrawl (Score:3, Interesting)

    by linuxwrangler ( 582055 ) on Wednesday September 29, 2004 @12:20PM (#10385257)
    I generally stop drinking coffee every two years. That's I when I race from San Francisco to Hawaii in the Pacific Cup [pacificcup.org]. Our watch schedules generally resemble something like 4 hours on, 4 hours off 24x7 for 10-12 days (depending on type of boat, wind, etc.)

    Fumbling around to brew coffee just cuts into sleep time and drinking coffee on watch just makes it harder to get back to sleep. As one tactician commented about staying as rested as possible to be able to make good decisions and keep pushing, "sleep is a weapon".

    Since I don't want to combine a massive headache with the inevitable seasickness that hits during the first 1-2 days I slowly cut back on the coffee so I'm off of it completely a week or two before the race.

    Of course I start back up as soon as I get back from Hawaii.

  • This is a medical CONDITION, not a mental illness, and should be treated as such.
    • The fscked up way that the DSM is reviewed and updated is most definitely ON topic! The psychiatric profession has been telling statistics about the prevalence of SRS, (that's "sex reassignment surgery" for you cis-gendered types) for decades now, with no real or valid reason for doing so. <URL:http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS/TSp revalence.html> What makes anybody think they would resort to similar shit involving the prevalence of caffeine abuse?
  • ...how Google's 'targeted ads' include:
    • Penguin Caffinated Mints
    • Buy Pure Caffeine Pills
    • Seriously Caffinated
    And now I have to quit caffeine. No more soda, no more coffee, no more caffinated mints. I don't want to be chained to any sort of non-critical substance (oxygen, hydrogen, and meat proteins. You know, those unavoidable things).
    • I admire your position on avoiding dependence on non-critical substances; I'm the same way.

      I was wondering, though: why do you think 'meat proteins' are unavoidable?

      • Re:Anyone else find it funny... (Score:5, Interesting)

        by BrodyVess ( 455213 ) on Wednesday September 29, 2004 @02:51PM (#10386975)
        Perhaps its because the human body is tied essentially to them?

        Spare me the vegan propoganda. No, really, just spare me. I have sharp pointy teeth for a reason. Our most closely related cousins, chimpanzees, regularly eat meat. They hunt small mammals, they steal eggs, they eat insects. Australopithicines are estimated to have needed around 35% animal protien in their diet.

        And yes, it is possible to substitute in things like beans and legumes to get the same protiens, fats, lipids, and other nutrients that are found in meat. But please recognize that it is a substitution.

        Only in western countries are we so priveleged that we can decide to exclude whole classes of food from our diets for reasons of weight managment or conscience. Being vegan makes no more biological sense than being atkin.

        Oh, and to stave off the rebuke- yes, I know where my meat comes from. I've lived on a farm, I've seen the cows, I know how they're killed, processed and used. I can point to a living cow and show you where my steak comes from. Yes, hormones are put in cows. Your soybeans may just be GM. Even if they're "certified organic" (a term for which the FDA assigns no meaning whatsoever) the field directly beside them probably isn't.
        • I have sharp pointy teeth for a reason.

          Yeah we have pointy teeth. We are able to eat meat. We can does not imply that we should. We're able to to lots of nasty stuff that's against the civilised conduct of the last few 100 years.

          And yes, it is possible to substitute in things like beans and legumes ... But please recognize that it is a substitution.

          A is a substitute for B, and B is a substitute for A. *shrug*.

          Only in western countries are we so priveleged that we can decide to exclude whole classes
        • Your response does nothing to bolster the parent's statement that 'meat proteins' are unavoidable.

          In fact, your post agrees with mine that it is possible to 'substitute'. Did you intend this response for another post?

          Kudos to you for knowing where your food comes from.
        • We have sharp pointy teeth because we had to eat meat to survive. As you point out, we are now lucky enough to have the choice.
          • We do have a choice, and I choose meat. I could possibly survive on a vegetarian diet, but why would I?
            Sure I could substitute some mix of various non-animals to replace the animal protiens, and I could even find some vegetarian recipes which were pretty tasty. However I am lazy enough to not want to have to exert that much extra effort to have a meal that I'd consider eating.

      • Because they're already in me. Anything I eat or otherwise consume will, probably, contribute to meaty proteins and such that currently exist in the biome that is me. What I take in, even if vegetable, is a meaty benefit in one way or another.

  • I quit (Score:4, Interesting)

    by alexjohns ( 53323 ) <almuric.gmail@com> on Wednesday September 29, 2004 @12:37PM (#10385454) Journal
    I quit in April of this year. I don't really have an addictive personality, so it wasn't that hard. I do get cravings. I first cut my intake to one (big) cup in the morning. That was for about a year. Then I quit cold turkey. No coffee. No tea. No coke. Nada.

    I didn't really have headaches, I had aches in my bones. It's hard to describe, but for at least a week I had this deep ache in all my bones. I assume this is the 'muscle ache' that the study talked about, but to me, it was really deep inside, like it was in my... bones. Very weird. I work out occasionally, so I know what sore muscles feel like. This was different.

    Read a few websites and found other people who had felt the same thing. After a few days it went away and I've been caffeine free since. Sometimes I still really, really want that morning cup. It's not that difficult to say no. Like I said, I guess I don't have an addictive personality. Yay me!

    • I didn't really have headaches, I had aches in my bones. It's hard to describe, but for at least a week I had this deep ache in all my bones. I assume this is the 'muscle ache' that the study talked about, but to me, it was really deep inside, like it was in my... bones. Very weird.

      You're not alone. I just started to quit about two weeks ago. It feels kind of like growing pains almost right? Not fun, but if its going to go away, eventually, then its worth quitting.

      • Yes, growing pains. I barely remember those. (I'm old.) It was really weird. The only thing that kept me from seeing a doctor was reading stuff online where others had written about the same thing. It was almost like the caffeine was leeching out of my bones or something.

        It was about a week that it lasted for me. Of course, I had already cut way down - just one big (24 oz or so) cup in the morning. No other caffeine during the day.

        The funny thing is that I never used to eat chocolate before. I would occ

    • [Folger's lawyer]

      It's obvious that you are suffering from Terminal Bonitis, rather than caffine withdrawl.

      Have a nice day.

      [/Foldger's lawyer]

  • As a student.... (Score:2, Insightful)

    by El Icaro ( 816679 )
    I only take coffee the days I REALLY have to study EXCEPT the day before, a good rest the day before can do miracles. I haven't been put under the stress you guys have suffered from ... yet. Strangely enough I haven't developed a dependency to that magical beverage ;). It also seems to have less of an effect on my body. Maybe I should try heroin ;)
  • If it becomes listed in the DSM, doesn't this really just mean that it will be "legally legitimate" so insurance companies can determine if or if not "treatment" (whatever that might be) should be covered?

    • Re:Really just a "legality"? (Score:1, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      The DSM is nonsense, and the idea of putting caffeine dependence in there is nonsense too (I'm a research psychologist who specializes in psychiatric classification, so I do a fair amount of research on the topic).

      The problem is that withdrawal by itself is not a disorder by any means--it's an indicator of a problem. You really need a lot more things to claim that someone has a substance use problem than just withdrawal. For one, use of the substance has to cause significant impairment in functioning, whic

  • That reminds me, I've got a big test this Friday and I need to study.

    When does the patch and the gum come out?

    • Jolt makes gum now. It's something like 45mg of caffeine per piece. I got some from Thingeek a while ago and it really works, especially when you're in a computer lab or somewhere else where you can't have a bottle of Mountain Dew lying around.

  • To heck with that (Score:3, Funny)

    by Julian Morrison ( 5575 ) on Wednesday September 29, 2004 @03:18PM (#10387368)
    The cure for caffiene withdrawal is coffee.

  • Pop (Score:2)

    by Kizzle ( 555439 )
    I used to drink nothing but pop (or soda whatever you want to call it) for years. Then I quit cold turkey. The secret is to start drinking water instead and drinking some juice whenever you get the craving for that caffeinated sugar water. Have a pop every few days but think of it as candy. Would you want to eat nothing but candy all day?

    After a few months you get addicted to water and NEED it. I feel half sick if I go without it for a couple days. Your body really loves water but has gotten used
    • I disagree. The first coke after a few month's absense is heavenly. Almost worth the break.
    • Word. Pop is a terrible thing. I quit drinking it because of all the high-fructose crap and all the weird chemicals years ago. Now if I drink it I became dizzy and confused and I can't focus on anything. If I haven't slept that much I'll have a panic attack. Then about half an hour later I'll have the sugar crash and feel extremely tired. It's weird stuff. I'm living in Germany now and they just use plain sugar in their pop. It actually has much less of an effect on me that the American stuff, but I

  • Natural decaf coffee plant [newscientist.com] is not genetically modified (as opposed to this other decaf [bbc.co.uk] evil plant) and is great news since it will be much tastier than today's decaf but also much cheaper to produce, maybe even opening a new market for the strugling third world countries [maxhavelaarfrance.org] producing your coffee.

  • Am I the only one that drinks caffeinated beverages (specifically coffee) as a source of entertainment? Yes, I am so intelligent that I consume as much as seven or eight cups of coffee in a couple of hours. I've also had ten of the caffeinated mints (the specific brand escapes me, 1 cup per mint is all I remember) in roughly an hour, and kept eating them. The experience is rather interesting. The gastrointestinal side effects can be irritating, but I still reccomend this to anyone...smart...enough to

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