How to Quit Energy Drinks: Caffeine, Sugar and Cash

You don’t have to be a gamer, a night-shift nurse or a student mid-exams to end up with a can in your hand every day. It starts as a Tuesday fix and becomes a rule: no can, no start. If you’ve typed “how to quit energy drinks” into a search box at 2 pm with an empty can on the desk, you’re in good company.

Here’s the plan I’d follow, with the sourced facts that matter, a tally you can do in five minutes, and a taper you can adjust as you go.

Quick answer: To quit energy drinks, tally your daily caffeine and sugar, then either stop all at once or taper down. The FDA advises cutting back gradually if you drink caffeine daily. Expect possible headache or tiredness that typically starts 12 to 24 hours after your last can and lasts 2 to 9 days.

Key takeaways

• The FDA says energy drinks generally contain 54 to 328 mg of caffeine per 16 oz.
• The FDA cites 400 mg a day as not generally associated with negative effects in healthy adults.
• Withdrawal is documented: headache, tiredness and low mood are among the validated symptoms.
• A taper spreads the adjustment out. Cold turkey is faster but bunches it up.
• Track three things: caffeine skipped, sugar skipped and money skipped.

How much caffeine is in the can you drink?

More than the label’s size suggests, and more variable than people think. The FDA says energy drinks generally contain 54 to 328 milligrams of caffeine per 16 fluid ounces, and notes that it has no regulation specific to “energy drinks”. A 2009 review in Drug and Alcohol Dependence found brands ranging from 50 milligrams to 505 milligrams a can or bottle.

For comparison, the FDA’s numbers for a 12-ounce serving are 113 to 247 milligrams for brewed coffee and 23 to 83 milligrams for caffeinated soft drinks. For healthy adults, it cites 400 milligrams a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects.

Caffeine ranges from the FDA. Serving sizes differ: 12 oz for soda and coffee, 16 oz for energy drinks. The 400 mg line is the FDA’s reference for healthy adults.

Do the sum for your own habit. Cans a day times milligrams a can. If you drink two 16-ounce cans at the top of that range, that’s 656 milligrams before your coffee. That doesn’t diagnose anything, but it tells you how big a change you’re planning.

Can you be addicted to energy drinks?

The word “addiction” gets thrown around a lot, so here’s what the sources actually say. A 2009 review by Reissig, Strain and Griffiths said it “seems likely that problems with caffeine dependence and withdrawal will also increase” as energy drinks spread, and noted that people who aren’t habitual caffeine users may be more vulnerable to caffeine intoxication because they lack tolerance. A 2011 paper in Pediatrics found that 30% to 50% of adolescents and young adults report drinking them, and concluded that energy drinks have no therapeutic benefit.

If you’re thinking “I am addicted to energy drinks”, that’s a reasonable thing to feel when a day without one is hard. Whether your pattern meets a clinical definition is something to ask a doctor. What I can say is that the habit is made of a drug (caffeine), a routine (the can at 3 pm), and cues (a night shift, a gaming session, a long drive). You can work on all three.

Our post on soda addiction shares more on the cue side of the habit, and the same logic carries over to a can.

What are energy drink withdrawal symptoms?

They’re caffeine withdrawal symptoms, which have been studied far more than energy drinks specifically. In their 2004 review, Juliano and Griffiths found these held up as valid: headache, fatigue, decreased energy, decreased alertness, drowsiness, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating, irritability and feeling foggy. Symptoms typically began 12 to 24 hours after stopping, peaked at 20 to 51 hours and lasted 2 to 9 days. Headache occurred in 50% of people in experimental studies.

Higher daily doses generally meant more incidence or severity, and symptoms appeared even after stopping doses as low as 100 milligrams a day. The FDA adds that withdrawal is not considered dangerous but can be unpleasant.

For more detail, our posts on caffeine withdrawal symptoms and the caffeine withdrawal timeline break it down.

Should I stop energy drinks cold turkey or taper?

Quitting energy drinks cold turkey works for some people, and the full comparison is in quitting caffeine cold turkey vs tapering. The short version for energy drinks:

• Cold turkey suits you if you drink one can, you’ve got a calm few days ahead and you want a clean rule.
• Taper suits you if you drink several a day, the can is part of your work shift, or an earlier stop didn’t last. The FDA says cutting back gradually is best for daily caffeine users.

How to quit energy drinks: a four-week taper for three cans a day (example)

This is an example, not a protocol. Adjust the pace to how you feel.

Example taper only. Repeat a week as often as you need; there’s no prize for rushing.

How do I get through the moments that need a can?

Name them. Energy drinks are rarely about thirst. They’re a tool for a specific moment: the start of a shift, the pre-gym slot, the drive, the study session, the late match. Write your three hardest moments down, then give each one a swap that’s ready before you need it. Cold sparkling water with lime, unsweetened iced tea or a short walk are the usual suspects.

This is the part FizzFree is built for. Pick energy drinks as your drink and it tracks the caffeine and sugar you skip, as well as the money. Fizz Map lets you name your moments and sends a quiet nudge 10 minutes before. And if you’d rather ease off than stop overnight, the Taper Dial lowers your weekly allowance step by step. It’s a simple way to quit energy drinks and cut down sugar without a streak to lose. The how it works page walks through the daily check-in.

What are the benefits of quitting energy drinks?

I’d rather be honest than exciting here. The things you can measure yourself are the three the app counts: caffeine you didn’t take, sugar you didn’t drink and money you didn’t spend. To count the money, multiply cans per week by what you pay per can. For sugar, check the Nutrition Facts label on your usual can.

I’m not going to promise better sleep, a better mood or any change in your body, because I didn’t find a source that shows those for everyone. Some people notice them. If you do, great. If you want health guidance, a doctor is the right person.

Is giving up energy drinks safe for everyone?

For most healthy adults, yes. But the FDA says people with certain medical conditions, people on certain medications and people sensitive to caffeine should be careful, and that pregnant people should talk with a health care provider about limiting it. It also notes that medical experts advise against energy drinks for children and teens. If you’ve got a heart condition or take medication, talk to your doctor before you change what you drink. A 2011 Pediatrics review linked energy drinks with serious adverse effects in some young people with conditions such as seizures, diabetes or heart abnormalities.

If you notice severe symptoms, talk to a doctor instead of pushing through.

Frequently asked questions

How do I quit energy drinks?

Count how many you drink and how much caffeine that adds up to, then choose a cold-turkey stop or a taper. The FDA says that if you drink caffeine daily, cutting back gradually is best. Line up swaps for your usual moments and track what you skip.

Can you be addicted to energy drinks?

Caffeine dependence and withdrawal are documented, and a 2009 review in Drug and Alcohol Dependence warned that problems with both would likely increase as energy drinks spread. Whether it counts as addiction for you is a question for a doctor, but the habit is real and breakable.

What are energy drink withdrawal symptoms?

They are caffeine withdrawal symptoms. A major review found headache, fatigue, low energy, drowsiness, low mood, trouble concentrating, irritability and feeling foggy held up as valid symptoms. They typically start 12 to 24 hours after stopping and last 2 to 9 days.

How much caffeine is in an energy drink?

The FDA says energy drinks generally contain 54 to 328 milligrams of caffeine per 16 fluid ounces, and a few brands contain 41 to 246 milligrams per 12 ounces. For healthy adults, the FDA cites 400 milligrams a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects.

Should teenagers quit energy drinks?

The FDA notes that medical experts advise against energy drinks for children and teens. If a young person is drinking them regularly, a conversation with a pediatrician or family doctor is a good first step.

Sources

1. FDA, Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?
2. Juliano and Griffiths (2004), A critical review of caffeine withdrawal. Psychopharmacology
3. Reissig, Strain, Griffiths (2009), Caffeinated energy drinks: a growing problem. Drug and Alcohol Dependence
4. Seifert et al. (2011), Health effects of energy drinks on children, adolescents, and young adults. Pediatrics

FizzFree is a habit tracker and not medical advice. If you have a health condition or take medication, talk to your doctor before changing what you drink.