The Effects of Caffeine Pills

Caffeine pills are nutritional or pharmaceutical versions of the naturally occurring stimulant caffeine. Doctors use them to treat certain medical conditions and athletes have used them to enhance performance. But the use of caffeine pills can cause detrimental side effects.

Identification

• Caffeine pills (usually found as caffeine citrate) are over-the-counter or prescription drugs classified as central nervous system (CNS) stimulants. The pharmaceutical information website Rxlist.com states that caffeine is "an odorless white crystalline powder or granule, with a bitter taste." Caffeine occurs naturally and is found in common products like coffee, tea, soda, kola nuts and guarana berries.

Function

• Drugs.com reports that caffeine pills are indicated for use in treating a number of medical conditions. Certain medications combine caffeine with ergotamine, aspirin or acetaminophen, and these pills can be used to treat migraine and cluster headaches and headaches that occur after surgery. According to the National Headache Foundation, migraines occur when blood vessels in and around the brain enlarge. Caffeine alleviates headaches by causing these blood vessels to constrict.

  Caffeine appears in a number of antihistamine and cold medicines to help patients who suffer from the drowsiness these medications can cause. Rxlist.com reports that caffeine has also shown success in treating dizziness and postponing the onset of Parkinson's disease in the elderly, as well as treating asthma and preventing the formation of gallstones.

  Drugs.com indicates dosages for adults and children older than 12 as 100 to 200mg caffeine every three to four hours, though not to exceed 1,000mg daily.

Benefits

• Caffeine helps combat fatigue and restores mental alertness. Bodybuilding.com reports that athletes use caffeine pills to lose weight and enhance performance, as caffeine makes them more alert and improves concentration, endurance, alertness, motor reflexes and coordination. Athletes taking caffeine pills may also experience an increase in mental function that leads to enhanced performance on cognitive, memory and spatial tasks. Additionally, caffeine breaks down into paraxanthine, which increases the body's ability to use stored fat as energy during workouts.

Warnings

• Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant should avoid using caffeine pills in dosages greater than 300mg a day, as they can cause miscarriage or slow the development of a fetus, Drugs.com reports.

  Additionally, nursing mothers may want to avoid caffeine, as breast milk will transmit it to the infant, where caffeine will build up and cause jitteriness and difficulty sleeping.

  If you take any other stimulant, you should avoid taking caffeine pills because they will adversely affect the activity of certain medications, including Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. If you take these drugs or suffer from sleeping disorders, agoraphobia, high blood pressure or heart disease, consult a doctor before taking caffeine pills.

Dangers

• Caffeine pills can cause a number of side effects that range from diarrhea, increased urination, hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), stomach pain and vomiting to cold sweats, dizziness, fast heartbeat, dry mouth, blurred vision, insomnia, irritability and nervousness.

  People who overdose on caffeine pills may experience symptoms such as stomach pain, anxiety, excitement, confusion, delirium or restlessness. Serious complications may also result from overdose and include seizures, dehydration, increased respiratory function, irregular heartbeat, fever, twitching and vomiting blood.