Mar 8, 2009 10:50 pm US/Eastern
Caffeine Is A Real Addiction For Some
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Whether you brew it at home, or get it on the run, many of us need coffee – lots of coffee, just to get the day started.
But for some people, it can get out of control.
Sarah Kamsheh is currently on treatment as part of a study tracking caffeine withdrawal symptoms. "As long as I can remember, I would start my day with caffeine."
Dr. Chad Riessig is one of the researchers. He says caffeine, which is in everything from gum to soda, is extremely potent. "Even though it's widely available and it's legal, it's a very real drug."
That's why there's a push to make caffeine addiction and withdrawal an official clinical diagnosis. Although most of us will never experience anything like that, there are indications when we're having too much.
"The most telling sign is if they try to quit or decrease their consumption and they're not able to, or they feel that their use of caffeine is disrupting some aspect of their life," said Dr. Riessig.
Going cold turkey can be intense. "The classic hallmark of caffeine withdrawal is headache, general confusion, fatigue, lethargy."
If you're drinking decaf to cut down, listen up. That only means the caffeine has been reduced – not completely eliminated. There are new products that let you determine how much caffeine is present.
WBZ tookÂ
"D+Caf" strips to a lab at Boston University to see if they really work. Professor Scott Schauss tested their accuracy on four coffee samples – two regular and two decaf. "The strips, in fact do work. They will indicate whether or not your cup of coffee is decaffeinated," said Schauss.
That's information Sarah needs. She's cut her caffeine by 75 percent and wants to keep it that way. "I usually have about a serving a day."
That is just enough to get a jump on the day, without later falling off a cliff.
Here's how Sarah's treatment worked. She had to maintain a daily diary of everything she ate and drank. Then she went through what's called "caffeine fading." That means slowly, over a number of weeks, her caffeine intake was reduced.
She also learned coping strategies to curb her cravings.
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