Claude Code users hitting usage limits 'way faster than expected'

Claude Code users are experiencing unexpected rapid consumption of tokens (the units of payment for using AI services), hitting their usage limits much faster than expected. Anthropic announced it is investigating the issue as a top priority, though the exact cause remains unclear. The problem may be compounded by recent peak-hour throttling (slowing service during high-demand times to manage load), which causes tokens to be consumed more quickly.