Caffeine

12 Comments & Reviews: Caffeine

1. I have a long history with caffeine. I relied on it before my adult diagnosis, I’ve taken ‘vacations’ from it for long periods of time, and I’m back to using it occasionally while taking Adderall XR.

   Unlike Adderall, caffeine is an addictive drug. Withdrawals are always painful, and my body is definitely dependent on the effects of caffeine for certain tasks (usually work-related). If I could go back in time, I would have preferred triaging my irregular focus and inconsistent cognitive performance as a teenager with ADHD-appropriate medications. Inheriting my family’s dependence on coffee and energy drinks contributed to a delayed diagnosis, and I was prone to abusing caffeine when stressed out because I was struggling with all sorts of problems that accumulate without an appropriate diagnosis.

   Caffeine isn’t without unique health benefits, but in my experience it wasn’t a substitute for my current medication regimen. I had to quit caffeine cold-turkey for two weeks after starting Adderall XR. The experience was a mind-blowing wake-up call. I had caffeine withdrawal headaches a few days in, but I could still do things in the world. I could think clearly and relax in ways that felt like a rare privilege. Folks who think that caffeine and stimulant medications are interchangeable do not understand the important ways in which this drug is different from this broader classification of pharmacological interventions, and they misplace the importance of working with an ADHD-educated doctor who helps an individual treat other underlying mental illnesses (e.g., depression and anxiety).

2. Be careful with coffee. It ups my anxiety, personally, in a way that Adderall doesn’t. I use coffee as a motivator to get out of bed, though…

   (And when you’re quitting caffeine do it gradually or it will HURT.)

3. I have ADD as does my teenage son. I also work night shift. I take Adderall, but I usually have a monster to help me get through the 3am slump in my shift when my meds start to wear off. I used to drink coffee, but I like “a little coffee with my creamer” and it was a huge amount of calories. So when I decided to work on my diet, I had to cut it out and switched to the sugar free monsters.

   My teenage son is currently working on getting his prescriptions right for his ADD and social anxiety and depression. We had just started his new ADD med when he swiped one of my monsters. It was like night and day. He was interactive and talked with family and got all of his school work done. He didn’t have one again for a few days and was back to his reclusive distracted self. Then he snuck one again, and again had the same effect. His psychiatrist didn’t have any suggestions and just wanted to go up on the prescription medication, which decreases his appetite and makes it hard for him to sleep. I talked to his pediatrician and he said that he can’t recommend the monster because it doesn’t have the research to back it up or known side effects to watch for like a prescription drug. But if it works for my son, he said he wouldn’t tell us not to use it, just to keep it at a minimum of a can a day. But he can’t say that he recommends a can a day like an order. He said that we might try coffee instead as there have been more studies on the health effects of that.

   Unfortunately my son didn’t care for coffee, but he just nurses one can of monster throughout the day and it has been amazing for him. No appetite problems or sleep problems. Bonus it seems, as I have long thought, that his anxiety and depression issues stem from his ADD, because when that is under control his other problems fade dramatically. I say it is worth trying, especially if you have side effects to the regular medication treatments.

4. Hi,

   I am undiagnosed adult and im a bit confused about using caffeine. Whenever i drink energy drinks or having a cup of coffee im getting really tired. My brain tells me i want to sleep while my heart tells me to go for a jog or something. Im not sure this is the right way to ask it, but are there any known studies about autism (add/adhd) where this is mentioned? Also i prefer energy drink before alcohol due to pretty same effect. I would be happy if you guys have any imput for me regarding this or if you can point me in the right direction.

   Best regards,

5. I have found, over the years, that caffeine makes my thoughts race even more along with a racing heart and hyper activity where as adderall makes me feel calm. I feel like I’m the only person to feel this way?

6. Caffeine has worked wonders with my son. We always knew there was something different with him, we stopped any artificial colors, tried gluten free temporarily, the lack of colors made some difference. We weren’t sure about coffee, but we definitely did not want him on prescription medication, caffeine pills, energy drinks etc., so we gave it a go. The difference was immediate(20 minutes after drinking), he is calmer and less aggressive and I feel like my sons real personality is coming through. The real change though is in his learning, having spent years helping with his homework and wondering if the schools teach anything, he is able to show how smart he is, how much he knows, and how quickly he learns. Everyone mileage may vary, he needs a couple cups a day to stay focused. I would recommend anyone to try it once and see.

7. I was on caffeine for over 15 years. I didn’t think about it as it was part of my daily routine. One day I stumbled upon an article on the internet that there is proof that caffeine has a paradox effect on people with ADHD. Considering other negative side effects I thought I can give it a shot and quit it, at least temporarily. After a couple of days I experienced strong headaches a foreseen side effect of the cold turkey. Again a couple days later some things changed for me. My mind was much more focused, I realized a more subtle taste and hunger feeling, the ups and downs in my alertness flattened but stayed on a higher level than before and finally emotional uproar came to an end.
   I can understand that this might not be for everybody the same. If caffeine helps you keep doing it but if you have doubt you might wanna give it a try to quit it, at least temporarily 😉 I can tell you it helped me.

8. All I can say is coffee has been a life changer for me.
   I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and I’m now an adult. I took Ritalin for a few years as a child but haven’t taken anything for 14 years or so. I just started drinking coffee a year ago because my husband liked it and its effects on me were great, it calms me down in so many ways and helps me concentrate. I cannot live without my coffee.

9. Some ADHD meds are stimulants, so caffeine is a (milder) alternative. My friend gave her daughter either strong tea or a caffeine pill every morning before grade 2, and it eased her symptoms so much her teacher started telling other parents about it. I guess the theory is that with ADHD, the neurotransmitters are not working up to snuff, and the brain tries to “wake itself up” with the hyperactivity, so caffeine wakes up the brain instead, calming down the behavior.

10. Before diagnosed with ADHD caffeine in the afternoon helped me to calm down and focus so I could teach my high school students. Without it I couldn’t function. It saved me until I got on Adderall.

11. Be careful with the coffee. I used to drink three or four cups a day to stay alert and although it woke me up and kept me focused, it also gave me the jitters, left me feeling dehydrated, and by two o-clock in the afternoon, I was often so agitated that I was in a semi-manic state. I actually started wondering if perhaps i was bi-polar until I cut out the coffee. I had been drinking coffee for so long that I didn’t even know the difference anymore. These days, I find that one cup of decaf coffee in the morning is enough to get my butt out the door and keep me focused until lunch time. Then, if I need continued focus, I switch to green tea which has much less caffeine in it.

    Have you hear of Teavana? They sell a great ginseng tea that I often use to keep me focused when I am up late at night. It’s called “ginseng vitality” and was actually recommended to be my a nurse practitioner. The fun thing about teavana is that you can mix and match teas to come up with different flavors and kids love it! You could take your son in there and help him come up with a tea that tastes like candy and you will secretly know that the ginseng is also helping to keep him focused. They also sell mate teas. Matine is a chemical similar to caffeine but it is not a diuretic and it comes packed with nutrients…so instead of depriving the body of hydration and in the long term making it harder for the body to absorb nutrients, it actually does the opposite in both cases. So, you give your son a boost with extra nutrients, a strong stimulant, and hydration, and you tackle several ADHD concerns all in one cup. It has a funny taste on its own, though, so I definitely recommend blending it with sugar or a chocolatey tasting tea. Check it out! Way better than resorting to caffeine pills or coffee.

12. We started last fall and within 2 weeks our 9 year-old son’s teacher was asking us….“What are you guys doing to him?” He could stay on task and focus much longer than previously. The downfall is there is no “safe” amount recommended for children. So, I haven’t found a doctor yet that will tell me what’s a safe amount. We give him one cup of black tea every school day.