Quitting caffeine: how long does withdrawal last?
Usually 2 to 9 days. Symptoms usually start 12 to 24 hours after you stop. But in one study of people used to 300 mg a day, cutting to 200 mg caused no clear withdrawal.
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How long does caffeine withdrawal last?
Usually 2 to 9 days. A review of 66 studies found symptoms typically start 12 to 24 hours after you stop. They are usually worst between 20 and 51 hours.
So if your last coffee is on Monday morning, the worst is likely to land on Tuesday or early Wednesday.
How caffeine withdrawal usually runs
- 1
12 to 24 hours
Symptoms usually start. Headache is common: half of people in lab studies got one.
- 2
20 to 51 hours
Symptoms are usually at their worst.
- 3
2 to 9 days
How long symptoms typically last in total.
- 4
Back on it?
In one study, 3 days of 300 mg a day was enough for withdrawal to show again.
Sources: Juliano 2004; Evans 1999
More caffeine tends to mean more symptoms. The review found withdrawal grew with the daily dose. Even stopping 100 mg a day, about one mug of coffee, caused symptoms.
Pick a quiet week for your last caffeine-free step, not the week of a big deadline.
What are the symptoms of quitting caffeine?
| Symptom | What it can feel like |
|---|---|
| Headache | Half of people in the lab studies got one. |
| Tiredness | Low energy, less alert, drowsy. |
| Mood | Low mood, less content, irritable. |
| Focus | Hard to concentrate, foggy, not clear-headed. |
| Likely too | Flu-like feelings, feeling or being sick, aching or stiff muscles. |
Source: Juliano 2004
In the lab studies, 13%, about 1 in 8, had symptoms bad enough to cause real distress or get in the way of daily life.
Feel foggy and flat on day 2? That fits withdrawal. Keep that day clear of anything that needs sharp focus, like a long drive.
How much caffeine do you have now?
Count before you cut. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) says a mug of coffee has about 100 to 140 mg, though this can vary widely.
| Drink or food | Caffeine |
|---|---|
| Mug of coffee | About 100 to 140 mg |
| Mug of tea | About 75 mg |
| Energy drink (250 ml can) | Often 80 mg |
| Can of soft drink, like cola | About 40 mg |
| Plain dark chocolate (50 g) | Around 25 mg |
| Decaf coffee (US coffee shops, about 470 ml) | 0 to 13.9 mg |
Sources: FSA; McCusker 2006
Add up a normal day. Three mugs of coffee and a can of cola come to about 340 to 460 mg.
Tea counts too, and so do some health or fitness supplements. For café drinks, see caffeine in coffee.
Write your total down. It’s your starting point.
How to quit caffeine in steps
Cut in steps. In a Johns Hopkins study, people used to 300 mg a day showed no clear withdrawal when cut to 200 mg. Symptoms only showed once they dropped to 100 mg or less.
That smaller first cut is about one mug of coffee less. The study didn’t compare it with stopping at once, but it’s an easy way to start.
A step-down plan for quitting caffeine
- Write down every caffeine drink for 3 normal days, with the time.
- Cut about one mug of coffee, or 100 mg, from your day.
- Hold each step for a few days before you cut again.
- Swap the drink, not the break: decaf, herbal tea or hot water with lemon.
- Have no tea or coffee for at least 6 hours before bed.
- Save the last step, from about 100 mg to none, for a quiet couple of days.
Sources: Evans 1999; NHS: insomnia
Watching each drop closely may make it feel worse. In a five-day taper, coffee drinkers told about every cut reported more withdrawal than those who weren’t, though both groups had some. Mixing decaf into your usual coffee keeps the cup the same.
Want ideas with no caffeine at all? See caffeine-free drinks.
How to ease a caffeine withdrawal headache
Treat it like any headache. The NHS says to drink plenty of water and take paracetamol or ibuprofen.
It also says don’t skip meals, and don’t sleep more than you usually would. Both can make a headache worse.
Go easy on painkillers. The NHS lists taking too many painkillers as a cause of headaches, so stick to the dose on the pack.
Check the leaflet or ask a pharmacist if you’re not sure they suit you. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
Slipped back? Restart from your current step. In the same Johns Hopkins work, 3 days of 300 mg a day was enough for withdrawal to return.
When to speak to a GP
Withdrawal symptoms typically last 2 to 9 days. See a GP if:
- You’ve treated a headache yourself and it’s not getting better, or it’s getting worse. NHS: see a GP.
- You regularly get headaches.
- You have a headache with vision or eye problems, or with being sick. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111.
- Your headache is made worse by coughing, sneezing, bending down or exercising. Ask for an urgent appointment or call 111.
- You have a headache and jaw pain when eating, or a sore or tender scalp. Ask for an urgent appointment or call 111.
Call 999 or go to A&E if a headache started suddenly and is extremely painful. Do the same if it comes with a seizure, loss of vision, or numbness or weakness in the body or face.
It’s also an emergency with trouble speaking, balancing, walking or remembering, drowsiness or confusion, or a rash that doesn’t fade under a glass. Also with a very high temperature, a stiff neck or bright lights bothering you, or after a head injury in the last 3 months.
More on headaches and blood tests and caffeine and sleep.