---
title: "Caffeine Withdrawal: What 66 Studies Confirm"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/6a589dee-3a13-43bc-a938-000745ef218e
source_url: "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15448977/"
stack: https://stacklist.com/c/wellness/stack/4dffb12a-725e-4048-883c-4782b5959050
summary: "Caffeine Withdrawal: What 66 Studies Confirm is a comprehensive meta-analysis of 57 experimental and 9 survey studies that empirically validates caffeine withdrawal as a clinical syndrome with 10 primary symptoms including headache, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. The analysis confirms that withdrawal symptoms typically onset 12-24 hours after abstinence, peak at 20-51 hours, and warrant inclusion as a disorder in the DSM and ICD diagnostic manuals."
tags: "caffeine-withdrawal, meta-analysis, symptom-validation, substance-withdrawal, clinical-research, pharmacology, diagnostic-criteria"
key_entities: "caffeine-withdrawal-syndrome (concept), substance-withdrawal (concept), DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) (organization), ICD (International Classification of Diseases) (organization), headache (concept), fatigue (concept), NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) (organization), NIH (National Institutes of Health) (organization)"
classification: "analysis"
content_hash: "sha256:00a4fefac0af90e3007651296e175bff2fbfdeccb9e0b856ca505be74e1595af"
acp_version: "0.2"
token_counts_approximate: 976
visibility: public
agent_accessible: true
status: "final"
---

# Caffeine Withdrawal: What 66 Studies Confirm

Full text links Cite Display options Display options Format Abstract PubMed PMID Linked Discoveries Abstract Rationale: Although reports of caffeine withdrawal in the medical literature date back more than 170 years, the most rigorous experimental investigations of the phenomenon have been conducted only recently. Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review and analysis of the literature regarding human caffeine withdrawal to empirically validate specific symptoms and signs, and to appraise important features of the syndrome. Methods: A literature search identified 57 experimental and 9 survey studies on caffeine withdrawal that met inclusion criteria. The methodological features of each study were examined to assess the validity of the effects. Results: Of 49 symptom categories identified, the following 10 fulfilled validity criteria: headache, fatigue, decreased energy/activeness, decreased alertness, drowsiness, decreased contentedness, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and foggy/not clearheaded. In addition, flu-like symptoms, nausea/vomiting, and muscle pain/stiffness were judged likely to represent valid symptom categories. In experimental studies, the incidence of headache was 50% and the incidence of clinically significant distress or functional impairment was 13%. Typically, onset of symptoms occurred 12-24 h after abstinence, with peak intensity at 20-51 h, and for a duration of 2-9 days. In general, the incidence or severity of symptoms increased with increases in daily dose; abstinence from doses as low as 100 mg/day produced symptoms. Research is reviewed indicating that expectancies are not a prime determinant of caffeine withdrawal and that avoidance of withdrawal symptoms plays a central role in habitual caffeine consumption. Conclusions: The caffeine-withdrawal syndrome has been well characterized and there is sufficient empirical evidence to warrant inclusion of caffeine withdrawal as a disorder in the DSM and revision of diagnostic criteria in the ICD. PubMed Disclaimer References Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 1997 Nov;5(4):399-403 - PubMed Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2000 May;66(1):15-8 - PubMed J Psychopharmacol. 1996 Jan;10(2):110-8 - PubMed J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1986 Nov;239(2):416-25 - PubMed Food Chem Toxicol. 1996 Jan;34(1):119-29 - PubMed Show all 113 references Publication types Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Review Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search MeSH terms Caffeine / administration & dosage Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Caffeine / adverse effects* Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Caffeine / pharmacokinetics Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Humans Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Incidence Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Meta-Analysis as Topic Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Severity of Illness Index Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / classification Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / physiopathology* Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / psychology Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Time Factors Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Substances Caffeine Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Grants and funding R01 DA03890/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States LinkOut - more resources Full Text Sources Springer Other Literature Sources The Lens - Patent Citations Database Medical MedlinePlus Health Information Miscellaneous NCI CPTAC Assay Portal