Drank Too Much Coffee? How To Get Rid Of Coffee Jitters!

Tara Williams

Food Writer & Editor For KitchenSanity

Tara Williams is a seasoned food writer and editor who's been with KitchenSanity since its beginning. With a knack for experimenting with food and creating delicious recipes, she's your go-to for straightforward kitchen advice and practical tips from personal experiences. As a mom of two, Tara understands the value of time. She crafts articles that enhance your cooking skills and free up time for what matters most—like family moments.

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Coffee is the fuel that gets much of the world moving, but too much can leave you feeling edgy and irritable. If you’ve had an extreme jolt of caffeine, it may affect your physical well-being (See Coffee and Diarrhea).

You can beat caffeine jitters by eating a hearty meal, and you can avoid them next time by monitoring exactly how much caffeine is in each of your beverages.

Being Alert Vs. Feeling Jittery

For many of us, caffeine not only wakes up our brains but gets our thoughts flying in proper formation.

However, if you’ve been hitting the energy drinks or espresso and find yourself feeling anxious or worried, or if your stomach is upset, or if you notice that your heart is banging especially loud, you’ve had way too much caffeine.

Getting off the coffee shakes expressway and back on solid ground can be pretty quick if you’re able to focus your mind and ingest something that will settle your stomach.

A hearty sandwich loaded with whole grains and protein is a good start. It won’t take long to fix, and you will probably get relief from your stomach upset once those acids actually have something to work on.

Beating The Jitters

If you’re unsure or suffering with discomfort, seek professional medical advice immediately.

Below is a list of simple remedies that might help you get past the sense of agitation caused by caffeine overload.

  1. Get a glass of water and drink it down slowly. This will help your cleansing organs, particularly your kidneys, flush the caffeine out of your system.
  2. Get moving. You’re jumpy already, so grab another container of water and go move. It may help you focus.
  3. Eat something. Avoid sugar. Go for hearty whole grains, some dense protein, and some citrus fruits. The Vitamin C in the fruit will be your friend as you detox, and natural sugars will give you energy once you crash as the caffeine leaves your system.
  4. Monitor your intake.

How To Counteract Caffeine

Once you’re all coffee’d up, you need to protect your physical systems. As noted above, you should be drinking water.

If possible, sit down and force yourself to do some deep breathing exercise between each sip. Get your brain under control, and you can do what’s needed to protect your body.

Some stimulants can only leave the body over time, and caffeine is one of them.

If your stomach is extremely upset, you might try some plain applesauce to reduce the discomfort and nausea as it can neutralize the hyperacidity coffee can cause.

There are some Low Acid Coffee Brands that may be easier on your stomach, but once your stomach is upset it’s already too late.

Whole grains and protein-rich dairy products can also help to calm the stomach.

If possible, fix yourself a turkey sandwich and let the L-Tryptophan help you calm down physically.

Caffeine Toxicity

It takes a lot of caffeine to poison yourself. Technically, you need to drink 1 cup of coffee for every kilo of body weight, or about 2 pounds.

If you weigh 150 pounds, you need to consume 75 cups of coffee to put your life in jeopardy. However, a heavy overdose of caffeine via energy drinks can kill you.

However, if you struggle at all with anxiety or depression, overuse of this stimulant is not a good idea.

Anxiety disorder sufferers are extremely sensitive to risks (real or perceived) in their environment, and adding caffeine can be enough to push them into a panic attack.

Too Much Coffee Symptoms FAQ

How long does it take for caffeine to wear off?

Per experts with Caffeine Informer, caffeine can hang around in your body for nearly 6 hours.

Can too much caffeine make you tired?

Absolutely! Caffeine acts on your adrenal glands, and once it leaves your system, your adrenaline level will drop back to normal.

However, if you’re used to being hyper-caffeinated, “normal” adrenaline levels will leave you feeling tired.

Why do I feel sick after drinking coffee?

Coffee is highly acidic, so if you drink coffee on an empty stomach and experience nausea, consider combining it with food to avoid hyper-acidity.

What to do when you drink too much coffee?

Drink some water, eat something hearty that contains no sugar, go somewhere you can move your body, and consider giving up highly caffeinated sodas, energy drinks, and coffee.

Caffeine In Moderation

Caffeine is highly addictive. If you’ve ever suffered a caffeine withdrawal headache, you’ll know that your morning cup of joe is not just a tradition, it’s a crutch.

If you enjoy your coffee, drink it in moderation and stop at noon, so your body gets a break. This should lessen the risk of jitters and let you sleep at night.

Be aware that as you age, caffeine may have more of an impact. If you’re lying awake because you drank too much coffee, you’ll need to adjust your coffee schedule.

Final Thoughts

Your body needs rest more than it needs coffee. If your coffee habit is helping you stay awake for 20 hours at a time, it’s unhealthy.

If, however, you can wake up easily, enjoy a cup of coffee and face your day, your habit is not an unhealthy one.

Highly caffeinated sodas and energy drinks can put you at risk for caffeine jitters, stomach problems, anxiety and panic attacks.

Consider adjusting your caffeine habits if you suffer from the shakes or any edginess after drinking a caffeinated beverage.

Written By Tara Williams

Tara Williams is a seasoned food writer and editor who's been with KitchenSanity since its beginning. With a knack for experimenting with food and creating delicious recipes, she's your go-to for straightforward kitchen advice and practical tips from personal experiences. As a mom of two, Tara understands the value of time. She crafts articles that enhance your cooking skills and free up time for what matters most—like family moments.

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