Withdrawal symptoms can make it hard to wean yourself off caffeine or even just get through a single day without coffee or other caffeinated beverages. Fortunately, there are things you can do to handle caffeine withdrawal headaches. Among them are drinking peppermint tea, which serves as a natural headache reliever, or taking over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. Some people also find that taking a nap helps them to get through the worst of caffeine withdrawal headaches, and drinking water may prove helpful for treating a headache or preventing it from getting worse. Additionally, treatments that aid relaxation, such as massage and acupuncture, may help as well.
When you’re trying to deal with caffeine withdrawal headaches, you may not always want to turn to traditional medicines. Fortunately, some people have success with natural remedies, such as peppermint. If you drink a cup or two of peppermint tea, you may experience relief from your caffeine headache. At the very least, your symptoms may become more bearable.
If you don’t mind taking medication, you may also find OTC pain relievers helpful for dealing with caffeine withdrawal headaches. For example, ibuprofen and acetaminophen may work for beating a caffeine headache. Additionally, you may find medications that have a small amount of caffeine in them helpful for relieving a caffeine headache. Often, the amount of caffeine included is low enough that it won’t interfere with efforts to wean yourself off caffeine.
Sometimes something as simple as a nap can help when you are trying to deal with a caffeine headache. You may be able to sleep through the worst of the pain in some cases. Often, people find this remedy particularly helpful when combined with natural or OTC pain relievers.
Water may also prove helpful for relieving a caffeine headache. Often, a caffeine withdrawal headache is worsened by slight levels of dehydration. Staying hydrated may help to relieve your headache and protect your overall health.
When home remedies fail to help you deal with a caffeine headache, you may consider seeking alternative methods for pain relief. For example, some people find massages helpful for relaxing and relieving headache pain. You may also find acupuncture helpful for this purpose.
If you are having great difficulty giving up caffeine, you may also consider cutting back on your caffeine intake rather than giving it up altogether. For example, you may add half a cup of caffeinated coffee to your cup and make the rest decaffeinated coffee. In time, you may be able to reduce the amount of caffeinated coffee in your cup by more and more.