INTRODUCTION
In medicine, there is talk of withdrawal symptoms to indicate a set of signs and symptoms that occurs when the intake of a substance previously taken at high doses for a long period of time is suddenly suspended or severely reduced.
Withdrawal crises can be observed in subjects suffering from some form of drug addiction, deriving from the chronic and compulsive use of addictive substances (alcohol and hard drugs such as morphine, heroin and cocaine, but also nicotine and some prescription drugs) ).
Dependency - defined as the pathological need to take certain substances that leads to an impulsive-compulsive intake of the same - can be linked to metabolic and / or psychological factors. In the first case, abstention creates very precise symptoms (withdrawal symptoms), such as vomiting, itching, sweating and tremors, whereas when the dependence is only psychological, special suspension does not appear in the suspension.
CAFFEINE DEPENDENCE
Caffeine has a stimulating action on the central nervous system, due to the reversible block of adenosine receptors. The interaction of these receptors with adenosine produces a feeling of tiredness and need to sleep; therefore, the blocking of these receptors by caffeine helps to counteract sleepiness and increases energy levels (thanks also to other mechanisms of action that go beyond the treatment).
Prolonged consumption of important amounts of caffeine leads to a form of mild psycho-physical dependence, also known as caffeinism . The risk seems concrete in the case of massive daily hiring, in the order of 400 mg per day (the equivalent of about 5 cups of espresso coffee), but could also arise in the case of habitual intake of smaller quantities (even a single coffee per day). On the other hand, a marked interindividual difference is known about the perception of the stimulatory effects of caffeine and its related side effects.
Symptoms of caffeine withdrawal syndrome include headaches, muscle aches, lethargy, depressed mood, nervousness, irritability and agitation. The duration of these symptoms could range from 12-24 hours to nine days in the most severe cases of addiction.
Withdrawal syndrome could be explained by the increase in receptors for adenosine in response to continuous caffeine intake. This adaptation, in addition to creating tolerance towards the substance (from which derives the need to increase the doses of intake to obtain the same effects), makes the organism more susceptible to the effects of adenosine. As a result, when caffeine intake is suspended, adenosine is found to have many receptors available to perform its biological function, which will evidently come out amplified.
