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Various symptoms have been reported after caffeine withdrawal, but their clinical importance has been disputed. This double-blind crossover study recruited 62 normal adults who consumed the equivalent of 2.5 cups of coffee per day and randomized them to receive capsules containing either their usual amount of caffeine or placebo. The regimens were given for two days each, in random order. (For blinding purposes, subjects were told that the capsules contained various compounds found in foods and beverages.)
During the placebo phase, as compared with both the caffeine phase and the baseline period, subjects reported significantly more headaches, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms, had slower motor function, were less alert, and scored higher on sc…