Week 6- Caffeine Flashcards
what is caffeine?
Caffeine is a stimulant that affects the brain.
Caffeine is present in coffee, tea and cola drinks,
some energy drinks and cold treatments, some
chocolate, and a few headache tablets.
how much caffeine is safe?
250mg-500mg per day is safe and wont have an effect on a healthy adult
how many cups of coffee and tea is safe?
about 3 as there is around 55-85mg per cup of coffee and 25-55mg in a cup of tea
what is caffeinism? when does it occur? toxicity?
-“Caffeinism” is the term used for people who are
dependent upon caffeine
- occurs when they are having around 600mg-750mg daily
-becomes toxic at 1000mg per day
-considered a drug addicted
what are some symptoms of caffeinism?
- Anxiety and nervousness
- Restlessness
- Sleep disruption, especially getting off to sleep• Pass a lot of urine
- Stomach complaints
- Tremors
- Fast heart rate and Palpitations
why should you withdrawal from caffeine suddenly and what are the symptoms?
You should not stop caffeine suddenly, withdrawal
symptoms include
• Headaches (52%),anxiety (10%) and fatigue, as
well as many other reported effects
does caffeine interact with medication?
• Caffeine can increase or decrease the levels of
some prescribed medication
• Clozapine -Caffeine can increase plasma levels
by as much as 60-70% but if suddenly stopped
can decrease by 50%
what can you do if your caffeine intake is too high?
• Use decaffeinated (or at least instant) coffee and/or tea sometimes
• Avoid brewed coffee or strong tea
• Mix decaffeinated coffee powder with ordinary coffee powder to make a
lower-caffeine drink
• Either drink smaller volumes of coffee or tea or make the drinks weaker
• Drink caffeine drinks less often
• Cut out energy drinks with caffeine in them
• Do not drink too many cola drinks e.g. Coca-Cola, Pepsi etc
what kind of other advice can be given to someone with caffeinism?
• Alternate decaffeinated drinks with ordinary
caffeine-containing drinks
• Avoid taking caffeine drinks within 2 of hours of going to bed
