by Sandra Piddock

Created on: March 18, 2010

Not many people can get by without their regular 'caffeine fix,' me included, although I don't do coffee, so I get my caffeine from several cups of weak tea every day. I can make three cups of tea at the strength I like it from one Tetley teabag, so I don't suppose I take in that much caffeine, anyway. Which is just as well, as there a number of rather nasty side effects associated with caffeine ingestion.

The side effect we're probably most familiar with is caffeine's ability to keep us awake. People such as night workers sip coffee to keep them attentive through their shift, but too much caffeine will stop them sleeping later. Excess caffeine taken over a long period, such as a twelve hour night shift, can even cause panic attacks. Sufferers get the shakes, sweat profusely and experience a sense of dread, which can be rather frightening, and even dangerous if experienced by care workers or people operating machinery.

Last year, a friend stayed with us in Spain. She doesn't drink alcohol, and as it was very hot, she was drinking a lot of Diet Coke. For three nights, she had hardly any sleep, and we wondered why, as she went to bed worn out from sightseeing and sunbathing every day. Then the penny dropped - it was all the Diet Coke! She changed to Fanta Zero, and for the rest of the holiday, she slept soundly every night. This year, she chose caffeine free coke and there were no sleepless nights at all.

Coffee is also a diuretic, so instead of hydrating the body, as a normal drink does, it causes excessive urination. At the very least, you could waste time and effort having the causes of your problem investigated, when all the time it's just too much caffeine. And it could be masking more serious problems, such as problems with the prostate, kidneys or diabetes.

Women who drink lots of coffee and eat chocolate may experience headaches, bloating and cramps during menstruation, and as sufferers from PMS will tell you, that 'that time of the month' is bad enough, without added complications.

However, the most worrying side effect of caffeine is that it is addictive. If caffeine is suddenly withdrawn, or the usual 10 cups are reduced to 5, caffeine addicts become irritable, tired and depressed. Caffeine addiction is like any other addiction - it's a very hard habit to break, and you could well have to go 'cold turkey,' with all the attendant unpleasantness, to recover from it. Now, do you really want another cup of coffee?

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