caffeine intoxicated

Because adenosine, in part, serves to regulate blood pressure by causing vasodilation, the increased effects of adenosine due to caffeine withdrawal cause the blood vessels of the head to dilate, leading to an excess of blood in the head and causing a headache and nausea. Reduced catecholamine activity may cause feelings of fatigue and drowsiness. A reduction in serotonin levels when caffeine use is stopped can cause anxiety, irritability, inability to concentrate and diminished motivation to initiate or to complete daily tasks; in extreme cases it may cause mild depression. Together, these effects have come to be known as a "crash".^{[citation needed]}Withdrawal symptoms—possibly including headache, irritability, an inability to concentrate, and stomach aches^[50]—may appear within 12 to 24 hours after discontinuation of caffeine intake, peak at roughly 48 hours, and usually last from one to five days, representing the time required for the number of adenosine receptors in the brain to revert to "normal" levels, uninfluenced by caffeine consumption.

The paragraph above is quoted from Wikipedia. I wonder if I am going through the withdrawal phase as I am having headaches these few days. They are all painful and just by even turning my head, the pain struck me like hell. And I feel unmotivated, tired and even mild depression. I am also irritated and I feel sorry for mom for tolerating with me as all the phone calls are cut short.

In large amounts, and especially over extended periods of time, caffeine can lead to a condition known as caffeinism.^[54][55] Caffeinism usually combines caffeine dependency with a wide range of unpleasant physical and mental conditions including nervousness, irritability, anxiety, tremulousness, muscle twitching (hyperreflexia), insomnia, headaches, respiratory alkalosis^[56] and heart palpitations.^[57] Furthermore, because caffeine increases the production of stomach acid, high usage over time can lead to peptic ulcers, erosive esophagitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.^[58] However, since both "regular" and decaffeinated coffees have been shown to stimulate the gastric mucosa and increase stomach acid secretion, caffeine is probably not the sole component of coffee responsible.^[59]

There are four caffeine-induced psychiatric disorders recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition: caffeine intoxication, caffeine-induced anxiety disorder, caffeine-induced sleep disorder, and caffeine-related disorder not otherwise specified (NOS).

Other side effects of caffeine overuse include: dizziness, tachycardia, blurred vision, drowsiness, dry mouth, flushed dry skin, diuresis, loss of appetite, nausea and stomachaches.

Luckily till now I haven't got all the side effects yet, not that I wish to though. I didn't know that caffeine can cause peptic ulcers. I guess I will just have to be more careful from now on. I hope I don't go into caffeinism.

An array of studies found that caffeine could induce certain changes in memory and learning. In one study, caffeine was added to rat neurons in vitro. The dendritic spines (a part of the brain cell used in forming connections between neurons) taken from the hippocampus (a part of the brain associated with memory), grew by 33% and new spines formed. After an hour or two, however, these cells returned to their original shape.^[69]

Another study showed that subjects—after receiving 100 milligrams of caffeine—had increased activity in brain regions located in the frontal lobe, where a part of the working memory network is located, and the anterior cingulum, a part of the brain that controls attention. The caffeinated subjects also performed better on the memory tasks.^[70]

However, a different study showed that caffeine could impair short term memory and increase the likelihood of the tip of the tongue phenomenon. The study allowed the researchers to suggest that caffeine could aid short-term memory when the information to be recalled is related to the current train of thought, but also to hypothesize that caffeine hinders short-term memory when the train of thought is unrelated.^[71] In essence, focused thought coupled with caffeine consumption increases mental performance.

But then how come my memory is still not good? The tip of tongue phenomenon is common for me especially when I blog and I just hate it. So, now I know all my pains are thanks to the caffeine. But I still need it and can't remove it from my life, can I?