If the timing of your morning bowel movement is generally in pretty close alignment with the timing of your morning coffee, you might start to feel a little less regular after going cold turkey. “If someone is really relying on their cup of coffee for a bowel movement, they might notice that they don’t use the bathroom as quickly in the morning [after quitting],” Rachel O’Connor, an oncology dietician at NewYork-Presbyterian, told Self.
Instead, you may find that you’re dealing with some newfound constipation. This is just one of many symptoms associated with what’s known as caffeine withdrawal. According to an updated 2023 article published in StatPearls, symptoms typically emerge within 12 to 24 hours after you stop drinking coffee and are at their worst approximately 20 to 51 hours after quitting. Symptoms may linger for anywhere between two and nine days and may additionally include increased heart rate, blood pressure changes, hand tremors, skin flushing, nausea, joint pain, and more.