Caffeine and headaches

Abstract

Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychostimulant drug in the world. With intermittent exposures, caffeine may act as a mild analgesic for headache or as an adjuvant for the actions of other analgesics. Chronic repetitive exposures to caffeine increase the risks for development of analgesic-overuse headache, chronic daily headache, and physical dependency. Cessation of caffeine use after chronic exposures leads to a withdrawal syndrome with headache as a dominant symptom. At dosages achieved by common dietary intake, caffeine acts as a potent antagonist of central and peripheral nervous system adenosine receptors. The complex effects of caffeine on headache disorders suggest important roles for adenosine in these disorders and in the induction of caffeine dependency.

Potential Therapeutic Interest of Adenosine A2A Receptors in Psychiatric Disorders

“…Another situation where there is a strong link between caffeine intake and modifications of mood is upon withdrawal of caffeine [106,107]. Apart from headache, fatigue and decreased alertness [108][109], withdrawal from regular consumption of caffeine triggers a variety of anxiety-like symptoms, such as irritability, sleepiness, dysphoria, nervousness or restlessness [106,107,[110][111][112]. It is interesting to note that some of these same withdrawal symptoms are similar to those described to occur upon 'caffeinism'.…”

Purinergic Signaling and Blood Vessels in Health and Disease

“…For example, during migraine, biosynthesis of ATP is elevated and, after release, degrades to adenosine and the blood level of adenosine increased by 47% (Guieu et al, 1994). Infusion of adenosine causes migraine-like symptoms; and withdrawal from caffeine and theophylline (adenosine receptor antagonists) addiction also causes migraine-like symptoms (Spencer 1996;Shapiro, 2007). Early clinical trials with dipyridamole, an adenosine uptake inhibitor that increases extracellular adenosine, had to be stopped because of increased migraine attacks in all patients (Hawkes, 1978).…”

Identifying experimental methods to determine the effect of pain on attention: a review of pain, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine studies

“…Importantly, each of these daily substances have mild analgesic effects when used in daily doses (i.e. Lane et al, 1995;Shapiro, 2007;Woodrow and Eltherington, 1988). As these substances have been thoroughly researched and discussed, the results of such studies may provide relevant and useful information that can be used to guide investigations into the effect pain has on attention (e.g.…”