Drinking Too Much Coffee: 4 Signs You’re Overdoing It

In this video, learn what happens if you drink too much coffee or caffeine.

Written by Brittany Doohan | Reviewed by Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP

Updated on February 27, 2024

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It’s safe to say that America has a bit of a coffee obsession. According to the National Coffee Association, 62 percent of Americans in 2017 drank coffee on a daily basis. Luckily for us, our java habit has some health benefits; some research says a healthy coffee intake may lower risk of cancer and increase longevity.

While that’s a bit of great news for coffee fans, is it possible to have too much of a good thing? That depends. Up to 400 milligrams of caffeine, or about four cups’ worth of coffee, a day, is considered safe for most adults, but everyone is different. Here are some red flags that you might be guzzling too much coffee.

References

Ding, M., et al. Association of coffee consumption with total and cause-specific mortality in three large prospective cohorts. Circulation.

MedlinePlus. (2021). Caffeine.

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National Coffee Association. (2017). Daily coffee consumption up sharply.

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial guidelines.

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