Caffeine withdrawal

Withdrawal symptoms of caffeine

See also: Caffeine dependence

Medical condition

Caffeine withdrawal

Molecular structure of caffeine
Specialty| Psychiatry
Symptoms| Headache, fatigue or drowsiness, depression, irritability, difficulty concentrating, nausea or vomiting[1][2]
Usual onset| 12–48 hours after the last use[2]
Duration| Up to 7 days[2]

Caffeine withdrawal is a set of symptoms, behaviors, and physiological changes that can occur when an individual significantly reduces or stops consuming caffeine. This condition typically arises in individuals who have regularly consumed caffeine over an extended period or in substantial amounts. Common sources of caffeine include coffee, tea, energy drinks, and certain over-the-counter medications.

## Signs and symptoms

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Caffeine withdrawal can present with a variety of symptoms, which may range from mild to severe. Common symptoms include:[3][2][1]

* Headache
* Irritability
* Depressed or low mood
* Fatigue or drowsiness
* Nausea or vomiting
* Difficulty concentrating

In some cases, withdrawal symptoms can cause significant distress or impair daily activities. While rare, extreme cases may be temporarily incapacitating.[4]

## Causes

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Prolonged caffeine use leads to physical dependence.[3] When caffeine intake is suddenly reduced or halted, the body may respond with withdrawal symptoms. For habitual users, caffeine's reinforcing effects are often linked to its ability to suppress mild withdrawal symptoms that emerge after short periods without caffeine, such as overnight abstinence. This cyclical pattern may contribute to ongoing caffeine consumption.[5]

## Diagnosis

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Caffeine withdrawal is recognised as a clinical diagnosis in major diagnostic manuals, including the DSM-5-TR, ICD-10, and ICD-11.[5] Diagnosis is based on the presence of characteristic symptoms following a reduction in caffeine intake.

### Differential diagnosis

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The symptoms of caffeine withdrawal can resemble those of other medical and neurological conditions. Common conditions that may be mistaken for caffeine withdrawal include migraine and other headache disorders, tension, viral infections, sinus conditions, medication side effects, and other drug withdrawal syndromes.[1]

### Comorbidity

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Caffeine withdrawal is sometimes associated with other mental disorders. Conditions that may co-occur with caffeine withdrawal include generalized anxiety disorder, antisocial personality disorder, major depressive disorder, panic disorder, alcohol use disorder (moderate to severe), and cocaine and cannabis use.[1]

## Management

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For those experiencing caffeine withdrawal, headaches may respond to common pain relievers such as aspirin or other analgesics.[5] If withdrawal occurs as part of a planned reduction in caffeine intake, gradually tapering consumption is generally recommended to minimize symptom severity.[5]

## References

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1. ^ a b c d Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5-TR™. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association Publishing. 2022. pp. 571–574\. ISBN 978-0-89042-575-6.
2. ^ a b c d "ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics: 6C48.3 Caffeine withdrawal". World Health Organization. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
3. ^ a b Malenka RC, Nestler EJ, Hyman SE (2009). "Chapter 15: Reinforcement and Addictive Disorders". In Sydor A, Brown RY (eds.). Molecular Neuropharmacology: A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Medical. p. 375\. ISBN 978-0-07-148127-4.
4. ^ First, Michael B.; Tasman, Allan (2010-02-08). Clinical Guide to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Disorders. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. p. 176\. ISBN 978-0-470-74520-5.
5. ^ a b c d "11.4 Caffeine-Related Disorders". Kaplan & Sadock's comprehensive textbook of psychiatry. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer. 2025. ISBN 978-1-9751-7573-3.

## Sources

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* Juliano, Laura M.; Griffiths, Roland R. (2004). "A critical review of caffeine withdrawal: empirical validation of symptoms and signs, incidence, severity, and associated features". Psychopharmacology. 176 (1): 1–29\. doi:10.1007/s00213-004-2000-x. ISSN 0033-3158.
* Heatherley, Susan V. (2011). "Caffeine withdrawal, sleepiness, and driving performance: What does the research really tell us?". Nutritional Neuroscience. 14 (3): 89–95\. doi:10.1179/147683011X13019262348785. ISSN 1028-415X.
* Satel, Sally (2006-01-01). "Is Caffeine Addictive?—A Review of the Literature". The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 32 (4): 493–502\. doi:10.1080/00952990600918965. ISSN 0095-2990.

## External links

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Classification|

* ICD-10: F15.3

|

* Sajadi-Ernazarova, Karima R.; Hamilton, Richard J. (2023-08-08). "Caffeine Withdrawal". StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved 2025-03-13.

* v
* t
* e

Psychoactive substance-related disorders

General|

* SID
* Substance intoxication / Drug overdose
* Substance-induced psychosis
* Withdrawal:
* Neonatal withdrawal
* Post-acute-withdrawal syndrome (PAWS)
* SUD
* Substance abuse / Substance-related disorders
* Physical dependence / Psychological dependence / Substance dependence

Combined
substance use|

* SUD
* Polysubstance dependence
* SID
* Combined drug intoxication (CDI)

Alcohol|

| SID|

| Cardiovascular diseases|

* Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM)
* Alcohol flush reaction (AFR)

|

Gastrointestinal diseases|

* Alcoholic liver disease (ALD):
* Alcoholic hepatitis
* Zieve's syndrome
* Auto-brewery syndrome (ABS)

Endocrine diseases|

* Alcoholic ketoacidosis (AKA)

Nervous
system diseases|

* Alcohol-related dementia (ARD)
* Alcohol intoxication
* Hangover

Neurological
disorders|

* Alcoholic hallucinosis
* Alcoholic polyneuropathy

* Alcohol-related brain damage (ARDB)
* Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS):
* Alcoholic hallucinosis
* Delirium tremens (DTs)
* Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)
* Korsakoff syndrome (KS)
* Marchiafava–Bignami disease (MBD)
* Positional alcohol nystagmus (PAN)
* Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome (WKS)
* Wernicke encephalopathy (WE)

Respiratory tract diseases|

* Alcohol-induced respiratory reactions
* Alcoholic lung disease

SUD|

* Alcoholism (alcohol use disorder (AUD))
* Binge drinking

Caffeine|

* SID
* Caffeine-induced anxiety disorder
* Caffeine-induced psychosis
* Caffeine-induced sleep disorder
* Caffeinism
* Caffeine withdrawal
* SUD
* Caffeine dependence

Cannabis|

* SID
* Cannabis arteritis
* Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS)
* Intravenous marijuana syndrome
* SUD
* Cannabis use disorder (CUD)
* Synthetic cannabinoid use disorder

Cocaine|

* SID
* Cocaine intoxication
* Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE)
* SUD
* Cocaine dependence

Hallucinogen|

* SID
* Acute intoxication from hallucinogens (bad trip)
* Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD)

Nicotine|

* SID
* Nicotine poisoning
* Green Tobacco Sickness (GTS)
* Nicotine withdrawal
* SUD
* Nicotine dependence

Opioids|

* SID
* Opioid overdose
* Opioid withdrawal
* Opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH)
* Opioid-induced endocrinopathy (OIE)
* Opioid-induced constipation (OIC)
* SUD
* Opioid use disorder (OUD)

Sedative /
hypnotic|

* SID
* Kindling (sedative–hypnotic withdrawal)
* benzodiazepine: SID
* Benzodiazepine overdose
* Benzodiazepine withdrawal
* SUD
* Benzodiazepine use disorder (BUD)
* Benzodiazepine dependence
* barbiturate: SID
* Barbiturate overdose
* SUD
* Barbiturate dependence

Stimulants|

* SID
* Stimulant psychosis
* amphetamine: SUD
* Amphetamine dependence

Volatile
solvent|

* SID
* Sudden sniffing death syndrome (SSDS)
* Toluene toxicity
* Inhalant withdrawal
* SUD
* Chronic solvent-induced encephalopathy
* Inhalant abuse

Related|

* Anabolic-androgenic steroids
* SUD
* Anabolic-androgenic steroids abuse
* Cannabis
* Amotivational syndrome
* Chocolate
* Chocoholic
* Cocaine
* Cocaine-induced midline destructive lesions
* Levamisole induced necrosis syndrome
* Methamphetamine
* Meth mouth

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