Posts Tagged ‘caffeine’
March 8, 2012 | 
Author Whether in coffee, caffeine pills, or combination analgesics, its important to limit your total caffeine intake. The maximum amount of daily caffeine varies from person to person, depending on sleep patterns, the presence of anxiety, and sensitivity to possible rebound headaches.
While caffeine can help headaches, its overuse may increase headaches due to rebound mechanisms. Some patients do not suffer from rebound headaches despite the ingestion of as much as 500 mg. of caffeine per day. Others develop rebound headaches with as little as 30 mg. of caffeine per day. In general, try to limit caffeine to 150 or 200 mg. a day at most.
The average 8 ounce cup of coffee has between 75 and 125 mg. of caffeine. Drip coffee is stronger than percolated, and instant coffee is the weakest form. Depending on the size of the cup, and its strength, instant coffee may contain from 40 to 150 mg., but is usually closer to 40. Decaffeinated coffee contains from 2 to 5 mg. per cup, but the caffeine levels may be much higher at restaurants and coffeehouses. These calculations all depend upon the strength of the product, and the brew. Specialty coffeehouses like Starbucks and Caribou often contain twice the usual amount of caffeine per cup.
Keep in mind that drinking a “grande” coffee Monday through Friday, and holding off on the weekend, may set you up for “caffeine withdrawal.” You may feel tired, or depressed with a headache… common side effects to caffeine withdrawal. Consider having a cup of coffee on the weekends as well for consistency. For comments, doclarryrobbins@aol.com
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An article published online in the June 7, 2010 journal HEADACHE reported high consumption of alcohol, smoking, and lack of exercise were significantly associated with tension-type headaches and migraine in high school students. Questionnaires filled out by 1,260 adolescents regarding food and beverage intake, smoking habits and physical activity were submitted.
The study found that students who drank more alcohol were 3.4 times more likely to have headaches than the students who did not. The students who drank coffee had 2.4 times higher likelihood of headaches, and those who smoked cigarettes were 2.7 times more likely to have headaches.
“Diet and lifestyle are seen as factors which influence headache in adults.” “However, population-based studies on this issue in adolescents are rare,” the researchers noted. From Neurology Reviews, Volume 18
Caffeine is a ‘double-edged‘ sword. Too much (or in some very sensitive individuals, any) will cause headaches, while some will help headaches. Caffeine is used as an ‘adjunct’ to certain analgesics (65mg of caffeine in Excedrin, 32mg in Anacin), enhancing the effect of the nsaids. Studies have shown that adding small amounts of caffeine to ibuprofen renders it more effective than ibuprofen alone.
I try and keep people below 150mg daily of caffeine. Of course, sensitivity to caffeine varies widely; some experience rebound headaches from a little, while others may consume large amounts and not suffer rebound.
The caffeine content of the various substances is listed elsewhere on this site; a typical cup of brewed coffee has 150mg, while instant has 50 to 75mg. Starbucks is much stronger. tea (if it has caffeine) has about 30mg per cup, while a can of coke has 40mg. It is very important to regulate, or consider eliminating, your caffeine consumption.
