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Caffeine-Induced Headache in Children and Adolescents
Hering-Hanit R, Gadoth N.
Posted: April 2004  
Cephalalgia 2003;23:332-335

Caffeine is the most widely used behaviorally active substance. Excessive caffeine consumption, mostly in the form of coffee and tea, is a well-recognized cause of headache or migraine, and withdrawal can cause headache. Nevertheless, caffeine abuse headache is not listed as a separate category in the International Headache Society classification. We report our experience with children and adolescents with daily or near-daily headache and excessive consumption of caffeine in the form of cola drinks. Over a period of 5 years we have encountered, in a tertiary headache clinic in a general hospital, 36 children and adolescents (17 girls and 19 boys) with daily or near-daily headache related to excessive caffeine intake in the form of cola drinks. The mean age of the subjects as 9.2 years and mean headache duration was 1.8 years. All were heavy cola drink consumers; at least 1.5 liter of cola drinks per day and an average of 11 liters of cola drinks a week, which amounts to 1415 mg. of caffeine. Patients were encouraged to achieve gradual withdrawal from cola drinks, which led to complete cessation of all headaches in 33 subjects, whereas one boy and two adolescent girls continued to suffer from migraine without aura not frequent enough to justify prophylactic medication. Children and adolescents with high daily caffeine consumption in the form of cola drinks may suffer from caffeine-induced daily headache. Gradual withdrawal can be achieved without withdrawal headache and with complete disappearance of the induced chronic daily headache.