Caffeine withdrawal headache: how long it lasts and what helps

Key takeaways

• Headache is the best-known caffeine withdrawal symptom: about 50% of people in experimental studies got one.
• Withdrawal symptoms typically start 12–24 hours after the last caffeine, peak at 20–51 hours and last 2–9 days.
• Cutting down, not only stopping, can trigger it, and a habit of about 100 mg a day is enough.
• Some caffeine is likely to ease it; cutting back gradually is what the FDA and MedlinePlus advise to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
• A sudden, extremely painful headache, or one with a very high temperature, weakness, confusion or loss of vision, needs emergency care whatever your caffeine habits.

How common the caffeine withdrawal headache is

Headache heads the list of caffeine withdrawal symptoms. In a 2004 review of 57 experimental and 9 survey studies, Juliano and Griffiths found that headache met their validity criteria as a genuine withdrawal symptom, and that about 50% of people in the experimental studies developed one after stopping caffeine. About 13% had withdrawal distress or impairment that was clinically significant, meaning it disrupted work or daily life.

You don’t need a big habit to get it. The same review found that stopping doses as low as 100 mg a day produced symptoms, and that symptoms became more frequent or more severe as the usual daily dose went up. For scale, the NHS estimates about 100 mg in a mug of instant coffee.

The headache may not come alone. Fatigue, drowsiness, low mood, irritability, difficulty concentrating and a foggy head are also validated withdrawal symptoms, so a headache that arrives with several of these after a cut in caffeine fits the pattern well. Our caffeine withdrawal guide covers the full set.

When a caffeine withdrawal headache starts and how many days it lasts

The review gives a typical timeline for withdrawal symptoms as a whole: onset 12 to 24 hours after the last caffeine, peak intensity at 20 to 51 hours, and a total duration of 2 to 9 days. The review does not give a separate timeline for headache, so expect it to follow roughly the same arc, while your own course may be shorter or longer.

Early onset is well documented. In a trial of regular caffeine users who had gone 16 hours without caffeine, those given a placebo instead of caffeine reported more headache and lower alertness than before. Counting from your last cup, a headache the next morning or the next afternoon fits the pattern.

MedlinePlus says withdrawal symptoms usually go away after a couple of days, which matches the short end of the research range. If your headache is still going after about 9 days, it is outside the typical window and worth checking with a doctor.

What helps a caffeine withdrawal headache

Some caffeine is likely to ease it, because the headache comes from going without caffeine your body is used to. In the trial above, the rise in headache and drop in alertness were seen with the placebo, and caffeine (100 mg, then 150 mg) brought alertness back to baseline; the trial did not test caffeine as a treatment for a headache that had already started. If you were trying to quit and the headache is more than you can manage, a smaller dose than before, followed by a slower cut, is a sensible middle path.

Pain relievers are a common next thought. Ask a pharmacist or your doctor which one suits you, especially if you take other medicines or have a health condition. Also check the label: MedlinePlus notes that some pain relievers and cold medicines contain caffeine, which matters if your goal is to stop caffeine altogether.

We found no trials of water, magnesium, specific foods or other home remedies for the withdrawal headache itself, so we can’t tell you they help. Rest and an easier schedule during the 20–51 hour peak are reasonable comfort measures, not tested treatments.

• Have a small amount of caffeine if you need to function, then cut more slowly.
• Ask a pharmacist before taking a painkiller, and check whether it contains caffeine.
• Plan the hardest stretch (typically 20–51 hours after your last caffeine) for a lighter day.

How to wean off caffeine without headaches

The FDA says that if you drink caffeine every day and want to cut back, it is best to do so gradually, and MedlinePlus advises reducing slowly to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Note that a cut is enough to trigger symptoms: a clinical review in StatPearls describes withdrawal after stopping or reducing habitual caffeine.

No study has worked out the ideal speed. A 2016 trial by Evatt and colleagues helped heavy users (averaging 666 mg a day) cut down with one counselling session, a booklet and 5 weeks of progressively lower intake, and the reductions held for up to a year. It tested that whole package, though, not one taper speed against another.

In practice, smaller steps mean less caffeine missing each day. Swapping one cup at a time for decaf or half-caf keeps the ritual; the FDA says an 8-oz cup of decaf typically has 2 to 15 mg. Our decaf coffee page and caffeine chart help you find where your milligrams come from, including hidden sources such as energy drinks and supplements.

When a withdrawal-type headache needs a doctor, not more coffee

A headache after cutting caffeine is not automatically withdrawal. The StatPearls review warns that withdrawal symptoms, headache included, can be mistaken for other neurological or psychiatric problems, and the opposite mistake is just as easy to make. See a doctor if the headache started without any change in your caffeine, keeps getting worse after the first few days, is unlike your usual headaches, or lasts well beyond 9 days.

If you have migraines or other chronic headaches, MedlinePlus advises checking with your health care provider about whether to limit or avoid caffeine, so involve them before a big change.

The NHS advises emergency care (call 999 in the UK, or your local emergency number) for a headache that:

• started suddenly and is extremely painful
• comes with numbness or weakness in the face or body, or difficulty speaking, balancing, walking or remembering things
• comes with confusion, drowsiness, a seizure or loss of vision
• comes with a very high temperature, a stiff neck, bright light bothering you, or a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it
• follows a head injury in the last 3 months

Common questions