Caffeine Side Effects

By: Jeni Carr

Break Studios Contributing Writer

There are some caffeine side effects that may shock you and cause you to quit drinking coffee forever. Caffeine is in more products than just coffee. Caffeine is in coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, energy drinks and medicines.  Caffeine is used in headache medicines to calm migraines. According to WebMD caffeine may not be all that bad for you if you use it in limited amounts. Some illnesses are helped by caffeine such as: gallbladder disease, asthma, type 2 diabetes, ADHD, low blood pressure and even breathing problems in newborns. So when you are looking at the side effects of caffeine, also look at the benefits.

  1. Insomnia may be a side effect of caffeine. Many drink coffee hoping to be wide awake and alert to take care of daily work activities or simply to work late at night.  Drinking several cups of coffee after 4pm may cause you to have insomnia. You may find it more and more difficult to fall asleep at your regular times. People with immune problems should avoid caffeine all together as this may cause severe insomnia.
  2. Caffeine consumption may cause nervousness and restlessness. Some have reported having jitters or nervousness with too much consumption of caffeine. Coffee has the highest amount of caffeine of any drink. Any change in normal body activity should be a sign to change your lifestyle. Caffeine side effects also include bone and muscle pains.
  3. Caffeine is a natural diuretic. Having any diuretic medicine will cause you to go to the bathroom often and to lose fluids. You will have dry mouth and a tendency to dehydrate more than usual. Sometimes diuretics are used to lose weight with, but then again sometimes diuretics can cause health problems that need to be attended to.
  4. Caffeine side effects may include stomach irritation. Does caffeine really cause upset tummy? To understand fully, you must look at the type of coffee you are drinking and the additives you are using. There are very good Brazilian coffees that are top quality and then there is the local grocery store brand that cost one dollar or less. Although stomach irritation may come from consuming too much coffee, it will benefit you to look at the quality of your coffee also.
  5. Nausea and vomiting are side effects of caffeine. Have you ever woke up early in the morning to have to work and you just can’t seem to wake up. The first thing you do is grab a cup of coffee and then find out you have severe nausea and vomiting. Is it the coffee or is it the fact you haven’t eaten in hours? Either way reduce your consumption of caffeine to alleviate this problem.
  6. Mood swings and depression may be caused by excessive caffeine usage. Another side effect of excessive caffeine is mood swings and depression. Mood swings are where you are happy one day and angry the next. Maybe you become angry quickly and then go into a depressive state thinking everyone hates you.
  7. Increased heart rate and respiration may be associated with caffeine. Something to be aware of is increased heart rate and respiration. If you notice that your heart is racing faster than normal after drinking a cup of java, then have your doctor check you out. This may be a side effect of caffeine or something more serious.
  8. Warnings about the use of caffeine in pregnant mothers. Most medicines offer warnings to pregnant mothers to avoid, but caffeine appears to be safe if no more than two cups of coffee is drunk daily. Excessive coffee drinking can cause miscarriages, irregular heartbeats and even death to you and your unborn child. You should also limit caffeine consumption when breastfeeding as this can be passed to your infant and cause sleep problems, irritability and cause the baby to go to the bathroom more often.
  9. Warnings to those who drink coffee with certain diseases. There are caffeine side effects for certain ailments and diseases to be aware of. These diseases are: anxiety disease, bi-polar disease, any bleeding disease, heart conditions, diabetes, eye disease, high blood pressure and osteoporosis. Either limit or eliminate caffeine altogether to avoid problems.
Posted on: Apr. 17, 2011