Caffeine withdrawal

It is added to pain relievers because it enhances the effects of aspirin and because many headaches are caused by caffeine withdrawal. Caffeine closes down blood vessels by competing with adenosine, and helps alleviate the vascular headaches caused by withdrawal. 

Glassification of Substance-Related Disorders. The DSM-IV classification system (1) divides substance-related disorders into two categories (/) substance use disorders, ie, abuse and dependence and (2) substance-induced disorders, intoxication, withdrawal, delirium, persisting dementia, persisting amnestic disorder, psychotic disorder, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, sexual dysfunction, and sleep disorder. The different classes of substances addressed herein are alcohol, amphetamines, caffeine, caimabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants, nicotine, opioids, phencyclidine, sedatives, hypnotics or anxiolytics, polysubstance, and others. On the basis of their significant socioeconomic impact, alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, and opioids have been selected for discussion herein. 

The often severe headaches, common in caffeine withdrawal, appear to be caused by vasodilation of cerebral blood vessels. This action is probably mediated by the action of the methylxanthines on adenosine receptors. 

A formal diagnosis of substance dependence requires a maladaptive pattern of abuse that leads to clinically significant impairment or distress. More detailed criteria revolve around the development of tolerance, the experience of withdrawal when abstinence is required, the inability to stop using the drug, and continued use over a protracted period of time. The question is whether or not these criteria, clearly applicable to cocaine, heroin, and other drugs, are met by caffeine. 

Confirming that the observed withdrawal is physiological are studies in which a placebo is substituted for caffeine in dependent users. Withdrawal symptoms appear even under these conditions.289 In addition, the placebo substitution results in higher scores on depression scales.160-296... 

Rizzo, A. A., Stamps, L. E., Fehr, L. A., Effects of caffeine withdrawal on motor performance and heart rate changes. International Journal of Psychophysiology 6(l), 9-14, 1988. 

Swanson, J. A., Lee, J. W., Hopp, J. W., Caffeine and nicotine A review of their joint use and possible interactive effects in tobacco withdrawal. Addictive Behaviors 19(3), 229-256, 1994. 

Mitchell, S. H., de-Wit, H., Zacny, J. P., Caffeine withdrawal symptoms and self-administration following caffeine deprivation. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 51(4), 941-945, 1995. 

Bruce, M., Scott, N., Shine, P., Lader, M., Caffeine withdrawal A contrast of withdrawal symptoms in normal subjects who have abstained from caffeine for 24 hours and for 7 days. Journal of Psychopharmacology Vol 5(2), 129-134, 1991. 

Mathew, R. J., and Wilson, W. H., Caffeine consumption, withdrawal and cerebral blood flow. Headache 25 305-309, 1985. 

Wilkin, J. K., The caffeine withdrawal flush Report of a case of tweekend flushing. Milit. Med 151 123-124, 1986. 

Minton, J. P., Foecking, M. K., Webster, D. J. T., Matthews, R. H., Response of fibrocystic disease to caffeine withdrawal and correlation of cyclic nucleotides with breast disease, Am J Obstet Gynecol, 135, 157, 1979. 

James, J. E., Gregg, M. E., Kane, M. Harte, F. (2005). Dietary caffeine, performance and mood enhancing and restorative effects after controlling for withdrawal reversal. Neuropsychobiology 52 (1), 1-10. 

Rogers, P. J., Heatherley, S. V., Hayward, R. C. et al. (2005). Effects of caffeine and caffeine withdrawal on mood and cognitive performance degraded by sleep restriction. Psychopharmacology 179 (4), 742-52. 

Caffeinism A dependence on caffeine characterised by an abstinence syndrome on withdrawal. 

Although caffeine increases response speed in some visual attention taste, it is apparently not due to decreased distractibility or suppression of irrelevant responses (Kenemans and Verbaten 1998). Cognitive decline is evident during withdrawal from caffeine, primarily on measures of response time and sustained attention (Bernstein et al. 1998). The degree of habitual caffeine use is the strongest variable predicting the response to caffeine in a visual attention task (Loke and Meliska 1984). 

Cohen C, Pickworth WB, Bunker EB, Flenningfield JE. (1994). Caffeine antagonizes EEG effects of tobacco withdrawal. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 47(4) 919-36. 

Reeves RR, Struve FA, Patrick G. (1999). The effects of caffeine withdrawal on cognitive P300 auditory and visual evoked potentials. Clin Electroencephalogr. 30(1) 24-27. 

Couturier EG, Hering R, Steiner TJ. (1992). Weekend attacks in migraine patients caused by caffeine withdrawal Cephalalgia. 12(2) 99-100. 

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