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Caffeine and Headache
Caffeine and headache do not necessarily go together. Lots of times my patients will say to me "But if I have some caffeine, my headache goes away. Why is that?"
There are two parts to this answer. First of all, a small amount of caffeine may stop an acute headache. This is why all the Excedrin products contain 60mg of caffeine. The danger arises in using this to stop headaches several times a week OR if you have chronic headaches, drinking lots of caffeine daily is not good for your headaches.
Effect of Caffeine on Headaches
Chronic use of caffeine can over time, irritates nerve tissue. Now if you do not have chronic headaches, well then several cups of coffee a day may do no more than keep you awake at night. BUT! If you have chronic headaches, more than 1-2 cups of coffee a day will IRRITATE nerve endings and over time your headaches begin to increase in frequency. So you have more coffee thinking this will treat the headache. And you get more headaches...sort of goes around and around doesn't it? (Caffeine and headache..caffeine and headache.) Abruptly stopping your caffeine will cause a caffeine withdrawl headache that may last a few days and precipitate a migraine, so cut back slowly. Many people will combine decaf with caffinated to cut down on the intake. Researchers at Johns Hopkings are now calling Caffeine Withdrawl a disorder which means it has predictable symptoms: "five clusters of common withdrawal symptoms: headache; fatigue or drowsiness; dysphoric mood including depression and irritability; difficulty concentrating; and flu-like symptoms of nausea, vomiting and muscle pain or stiffness. In experimental studies, 50 percent of people experienced headache and 13 percent had clinically significant distress or functional impairment -- for example, severe headache and other symptoms incompatible with working. Typically, onset of symptoms occurred 12 to 24 hours after stopping caffeine,"
Then there is the whole issue of sleep. If you have headaches and drink caffeine this disrupts your sleep and can cause more headaches.
The Lowdown On StarbucksMany people are unaware of just how much caffeine they consume on a regular basis. Many products contain caffeine, and as I mentioned all Excedrine products have 60 mg of caffeine per dose.The table below lists some of the more popular brands, but the link provided is to a tool where you can add up your own daily caffeine intake. Each serving is the standard produced such as a 12 oz can. Coffee is based on an 8oz cup. You might be surprised at your own intake!!
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