Caffeine Intoxication

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:

Signs and Symptoms

Caffeine is a stimulant that can cause the following side-effects:

• rapid, irregular heartbeats and palpitations
• restlessness, nervousness and irritability
• tremors (the shakes)
• headache
• abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
• diuresis (increased urination)

Another negative effect of caffeine is its potential for addiction.  We all know people who cannot function without their "caffeine fix" and many individuals are clearly addicted to tea, coffee, cola drinks and chocolate.

Caffeine also increases blood pressure, even in healthy individuals, but particularly in the elderly.  Persons who already suffer from high blood pressure may find that ingesting large quantities of caffeine pushes their blood pressure up to unacceptable levels.

Excessive intakes of caffeine contribute to osteoporosis and may interact negatively with prescription medications.

Research indicates that women who ingest excessive quantities of caffeine, do not conceive as fast as women who drink moderate quantities of this stimulant.

The birth weight of babies born to pregnant women who drink or eat too much caffeine may be low, which exposes the newborn to a number of risks.

In addition, caffeine passes into breast milk and can transfer all the negative effects listed above to the infant.  So, if a baby is irritable, restless or exhibits any of the other side-effects of caffeine excess, this may be due to the mother ingesting too much caffeine.