To reduce the effect of caffeine, your best bet is to wait it out and avoid drinking more coffee. You can also help the process along by staying hydrated or exercising.

Caffeine is a natural stimulant that millions of people rely on each day. Yet, consuming too much of it may cause side effects like:

  • difficulty sleeping
  • an increased heart rate
  • jitters
  • shakiness

If you’ve had one too many cups of coffee and are feeling jittery, you may wonder if there’s a way to flush the excess caffeine from your system. Continue reading to discover whether you can flush out caffeine, as well as tips for mitigating jitters and other uncomfortable side effects.

Caffeine’s effects are known to last for several hours, and you may experience jitters if you have consumed a large amount of coffee, soda, energy drinks, or other caffeinated beverages.

In fact, once it has entered your body, there’s not much you can do to flush caffeine out. The only way to get rid of it is to wait for the effects to naturally pass.

Nonetheless, you can take a few steps to minimize its side effects:

Stop caffeinating as soon as you notice adverse effects

If you notice uncomfortable symptoms like shakiness, stop consuming caffeine immediately.

Foods and beverages with caffeine include:

  • coffee
  • tea
  • energy drinks
  • some sodas
  • dark chocolate
  • some ice creams and desserts

Decaf coffee is a good option if you still want to enjoy the flavor of coffee. Still, it contains very low amounts of caffeine, at 7 mg per cup (200 mL).

Additionally, be aware of medications, supplements, and personal care products that may contain caffeine. For example, over-the-counter pain relievers like Excedrin (often contains acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine) can pack upward of 40–60 mg in a single tablet.

Finally, certain performance-enhancing formulas, such as pre-workout supplements, may contain high amounts of caffeine, with 91 to 387 mg per serving.

Wait it out

Caffeine’s stimulatory effects are usually noticeable within the first 45 minutes of intake and can last 3–5 hours.

Moreover, the half-life of caffeine is approximately 5 hours, meaning that the amount of caffeine in your system will be reduced by half in 5 hours. It will then take another 5 hours to reduce the amount in your blood to 25%.

If you’re worried about sleep, it’s best to stop consuming caffeine at least 6 hours before bedtime.

Stay hydrated

Drinking water is important for staying hydrated throughout the day.

Although limited research is available, many anecdotal reports suggest that drinking water helps alleviate caffeine-induced jitters. This could be because dehydration may exacerbate symptoms.

Therefore, it may help to increase your water intake while you wait for the caffeine to leave your system.

Get moving

Exercise, such as taking a walk, can help alleviate anxiety and jitters.

Practice deep breathing

If you’re feeling anxious, take slow, deep breaths for 5 minutes. Alternatively, practice meditation to calm your mind and nervous system.

Most people can safely consume 400 mg of caffeine per day — the equivalent of about 2 to 3, 12-fluid-oz cups of coffee.

However, caffeine tolerance varies based on age, genetics, weight, and your liver’s ability to process caffeine.

Moreover, certain medications, such as oral contraceptives and heart medications, may increase caffeine’s circulation time in the body.

Pregnant women should limit themselves to 200 mg per day, as excessive caffeine intake may raise the risk of:

  • preterm birth
  • miscarriage
  • low birth weight

Children should avoid caffeine altogether, and teenagers should limit their intake.

Though caffeine is recognized as safe, everyone tolerates it differently.

It’s essential to be aware of any potential side effects, including headaches, jitteriness, sleep disturbances, and an increased heart rate. If you experience any of these symptoms, reduce your intake.

Though rare, caffeine overdose can occur and is almost always due to the overconsumption of energy drinks and energy shots.

Symptoms include:

  • chest pain
  • fever
  • irregular heartbeat
  • severe dehydration
  • trouble breathing
  • uncontrollable muscle movement
  • vomiting

If you experience any of these symptoms after consuming lots of caffeine, seek medical attention immediately.

Lower caffeine alternatives

If coffee has too much caffeine for you, consider the following recipes:

Caffeine is an effective, natural way to boost your energy levels, but you may find that you occasionally consume too much.

Besides waiting it out and avoiding caffeine, there isn’t any effective home remedy to clear caffeine from your system. Nevertheless, you can mitigate its side effects by employing strategies such as staying hydrated, taking a walk, and practicing deep breathing.

Most people can safely tolerate 400 mg of caffeine per day — about 2 to 3 cups of coffee — though your personal limits may vary. Be sure to listen to your body and only consume what feels comfortable.