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Caffeine intoxication usually occurs with consumption above 250mg (equivalent to about 2 1/2 cups of coffee). Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and may be taken to help restore mental alertness when unusual tiredness, weakness or drowsiness occurs. Caffeine's use as an alertness aid should be only occasional. It is not intended to replace sleep and should not be used regularly for this purpose.
The amount of caffeine in some common foods and beverages is as follows: - Coffee, brewed - 40 to 180mg per cup
- Coffee, instant - 30 to 120mg per cup
- Coffee, decaffeinated - 3 to 5mg per cup
- Tea, brewed American - 20 to 90mg per cup
- Tea, brewed imported - 25 to 110mg per cup
- Tea, instant - 28mg per cup
- Tea, canned iced - 22 to 36mg per 12 ounces
- Cola and other soft drinks, caffeine-containing - 36 to 90mg per 12 ounces
- Cola and other soft drinks, decaffeinated - 0mg per 12 ounces
- Cocoa - 4mg per cup
- Chocolate, milk - 3 to 6mg per ounce
- Chocolate, bittersweet - 25mg per ounce
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Signs, symptoms & indicators of Caffeine Intoxication:
Conditions that suggest Caffeine Intoxication: | | | | | Diet |  Dehydration | Dehydration may result from the increased urinary frequency brought on by caffeine. |
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Habits |
Lack of Sleep| | It almost goes without saying that coffee decreases the quality of sleep and is one of the leading causes of sleep disturbance. Coffee drinkers are sleepier and groggier than non-coffee drinkers when they get up in the morning, causing them to depend on coffee to get them going. This grogginess may be the result of their entering caffeine withdrawal during the night, or that drinking coffee kept them from sleeping well in the first place, or both. |
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Musculo-Skeletal |
Muscle Cramps / Twitching
Restless Leg Syndrome| | Excess caffeine levels cause restlessness. Caffeine has been shown to increase subjects’ proneness to develop RLS at lower levels of blood glucose. It is therefore no surprise that a xanthine-free diet (no coffee, tea, cola beverages, cocoa) has been reported to be another effective dietary measure RLS sometimes following a short period of caffeine withdrawal. [J Clin Psychiatry 39: pp.693-8, 1978; Ann Intern Med 119: pp.799-804, 1993] |
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Uro-Genital |
Increased Urinary Frequency| | Caffeine is a diuretic, causing increased urination. |
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Risk factors for Caffeine Intoxication:
Caffeine Intoxication can lead to: | | | | | Diet |  Dehydration| | Dehydration may result from the increased urinary frequency brought on by caffeine. |
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Recommendations and treatments for Caffeine Intoxication:
KEY | | Weak or unproven link | | | Strong or generally accepted link |  | | Proven definite or direct link |  | | Highly recommended |
GLOSSARY
Central Nervous System (CNS)
A collective term for the brain, spinal cord, their nerves, and the sensory end organs. More broadly, this can even include the
neurotransmitting hormones instigated by the CNS that control the chemical nervous system, the endocrine glands.
Cup (Cups)
A unit of volume measurement equal to 8 fluid oz, or roughly 250ml. It also equals 1/2 pint, 1/4 quart and 1/16 gallon.
Diuretic (Diuretics)
An agent increasing urine flow, causing the kidneys to excrete more than the usual amount of sodium, potassium and water.
Glucose
A sugar that is the simplest form of carbohydrate. It is commonly referred to as blood sugar. The body breaks down carbohydrates in foods into glucose, which serves as the primary fuel for the muscles and the brain.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Ounce (Ounces, oz)
Approximately 28 grams.
Last updated: May 11, 2008
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