Adverse Side Effects of Drinking Too Much Coffee

People drink coffee every day for staying alert but consuming too much coffee can lead to potentially serious side effects.

For most healthy adults, up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day (about 4 cups of brewed coffee) is generally considered safe. Exceeding this amount increases the risk of adverse effects. Besides of coffee some other drinks like tea, cocoa, cola drinks and energy drinks contain caffeine. For example there is 43–80 mg caffeine per cup (250 ml) of black tea or 5–12 mg caffeine per cup (250 ml) of hot chocolate. On the other hand actual levels of caffeine can vary significantly based on the specific brand, brewing strength, and serving size of the drinks.

Common Side Effects of Drinking Excess Coffee

If you regularly consume more than four cups of caffeinated coffee a day, you may experience side effects. These side effects may consists of headache, trouble sleeping (insomnia) or disrupted sleep, nervousness, irrational thoughts of suspicion (paranoia), sudden anger attacks, restlessness, or irritability, a fast or irregular heartbeat (tashycardia or arythmia), shakiness of muscles (tremors), stomach upset and other gastrointestinal issues, frequent urination or inability to control urination.

Very high caffeine intake, especially from concentrated sources like powders or supplements, can lead to more severe consequences, a condition sometimes called “caffeine intoxicity”. Symptoms of caffeine intoxicity can include severe agitation, confusion or delirium, loss of conciousness (seizures), life-threatening heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias). Caffeine intoxicity can cause even death in the extreme cases of overdose.

Risks of the Inappropriate or Excess Caffeine Intake

Certain people and situations increase the risk of negative effects of caffeine. Caffeine can interfere with medications, including some stimulants for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), antidepressants, and thyroid medications. It can also increase the effects of drugs like ephedrine, raising the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, or stroke. Caffeine may worsen symptoms of anxiety, panic disorders, and seizure disorders.

High caffeine intake has been linked to potential risks for fetal growth, anger attacks and fetal or maternal palpitation in pregnancy. It’s recommended to stop drinking coffee (preferred way) or at least limit intake to less than 200 mg per day (about 2 cups) in pregnancy. Children’s bodies process caffeine differently, and it’s advised to limit or avoid it.

Mixing caffeine (especially in energy drinks) with alcohol can mask the effects of alcohol and put extra strain on the cardiovascular system. Consuming that kind of cocktails introduces high concentrations of caffeine into the body and it can trigger a fatal cardiac arrhytmia or sudden cardiac arrest even in the healthy individuals.

Too Much Coffee Consumption and High Blood Pressure

The relationship between caffeine and high blood pressure (hypertension) is complex. Research shows that while caffeine causes temporarily high blood pressure, habitual consumption is often safe and may even have a neutral or slightly protective effect on long-term high blood pressure risk. On the other hand some specific genetic differences may explain why some individuals experience a higher blood pressure response to caffeine intake than others.

Caffeine Withdrawal and Dependence

Regular caffeine users can easily become dependent. If you suddenly stop, you may experience withdrawal symptoms like headaches, tiredness, crankiness, and difficulty focusing, usually starting 12-24 hours after your last dose and lasting up to a few days.