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Caffeine can be used to treat some headaches, however if overused, in certain cases caffeine may actually lead to headaches or increase their frequency.
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About caffeine
Caffeine is found naturally in foods and considered a drug, which may cause addiction. Caffeine acts quickly, many people feel the effects of it in a half hour. Caffeine is a stimulant and is used very often throughout the world. In North America, more than 80% of adults use caffeine regularly, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Caffeine is most often consumed in coffee and tea, while young people tend to drink sodas, soft drinks containing caffeine.
How caffeine can cause headaches
Many migraine medicines contain caffeine, which increases effectiveness of the drugs. When caffeine is used over a long time period, the body can become dependent on it. The brain expects an additional dose of caffeine and when the caffeine is stopped, the body often has withdrawal.
Caffeine is believed to interfere with the way the brain operates and with the size of blood vessels in the brain. Taking the caffeine away is thought to increase the brain’s blood flow.
Symptoms of caffeine withdrawal include:
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty sleeping
- Flu-like symptoms
- Nausea/vomiting
- Muscle pain
- Depression
- Irritability
- Stiffness
- Abdominal pain
- Abnormal heart rhythms/palpitations
- Excessive urination
- Restlessness
- Indigestion
Caffeine can also be a migraine trigger for some people, meaning it can launch a migraine attack when consumed. Some studies have shown there may be fewer migraine attacks when migraine sufferers cut out caffeine.
Written by: Otesa Miles / Reviewed by: John-Claude Krusz, PhD, MD | Last review date: November 2010. Click the References Link below for a complete list of references.
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"I had my first migraine when I was 12. I thought I was going blind, the spots in my vision all grouped together and everything went black. The pain was intense and felt like my head would crack open above my right eye." 
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