Caffeine withdrawal considered a disorder

BALTIMORE, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- As little as a single cup of coffee a day can produce an addiction severe enough to produce withdrawal symptoms, U.S. researchers said Wednesday.

Results of a study at Johns Hopkins University should result in caffeine withdrawal being included in the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, considered the bible of mental disorders, researchers said.

Likewise, they added, the diagnosis should be updated in the World Health Organization's International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems.

"Caffeine is the world's most commonly used stimulant, and it's cheap and readily available so people can maintain their use of caffeine quite easily," said researcher Roland Griffiths, professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins. "The latest research demonstrates, however, that when people don't get their usual dose they can suffer a range of withdrawal symptoms, including headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating. They may even feel like they have the flu with nausea and muscle pain."