i read on the 'general medication' forum that some people use coffee as self medicating.

i remembered that i (unknowingly) did this 3 years ago, and it worked great until i got sick on a plane after drinking coffee and even though coffee wasnt the cause, i had associtated the 2. id idnt drink it for months. then about 6 months later i started again. it worked great. i would drink it in the mornign before i left home, and even drink 1 at school during the day (we had a coffe and hot choc vending machine...)

and i also remember last year for a 2 week period i was socially introduced to coffee drinking (i'm a student teacher and i was on an observation period full time, in a primary school... my teacher drank coffee in the mornign at at breaks). it helped me to be focused and keep an eye on the whole class.

i had coffee thisafernoon... ive been drinking tea for about 3 weeks now, and its been helping a little. i know that if i DONT drink the tea im worse off... but i dont know how much better off it makes me... it wares off too.


ok... this is getting way too long... my point is

coffee is helping me
- motivation
- some clear focus and aim (before i had the coffee i was completely BLAH and couldnt do my assignment, and now i have done another part of it quite well)
- stops fidgeting and hyperactivity, some


and then i did a quick search on google, and found that lots of adhd people drink coffee, and that lots of people give coffee to their kids instead of giving them medication.

i think that if coffee works for you or a child, as long as you dont have to drink piles and piles of it, then it's better , as a health thing.
andyou dont need a prescription for coffee.. and its cheaper than medication.

one website said that if you take 5mg or ritalin, this is the same as abotu 100mg of coffee.

another website had a recipe for a protein and coffee shake, made in the blender, with ice. they said this worked great for kids and adults a like.

there were anecdotal reports from parents and teachers about major breakthroughs in adhd childrens behaviour and focus abilities, and that their learning imporoved because they were able to focus better.

you could probably even notice, i've just drunk coffee and this post, while its still a bit ramblish, it has more of a clear focus and i'm using better sentences, better grammar - i am more able to THINK about what i was writing.

and anecdotally, after drinking this coffee, im a lot... and i mean a **** of a lot better, in terms of calmness and anxiety. i was really worried and overly anxious before, and really wound up.

also, i find hot drinks soothing, so the coffee is soothing.



if you don't like the taste of coffee, i could suggest adding milk to it, because it takes away the horrible bitterness.
add as LITTLE sugar if at all, because it will just increase your hyperactivity.
in my experience, drinking a sugarred up 'mocha' just made me hyperactive, and after an hour later, dizzy and tired and ready to pass out or fall asleep, with blurred vision.

i could suggest buying those flavoured brewed coffees that 'boaters' make and adding milk.



so now onto you guys...

- what have you heard about add and coffee
- side effects of coffee vs medication
- effectiveness of coffee vs medication
- who has tried it, how has it worked?
- increasing and decreasing dosage of coffee
- flavours of coffe, sugar in it, what worked, what made you worse?
- coffee and ad/hd kids - good/ bad/ opinions/ effectiveness/ taste and did they drink it?


OH AND BY THE WAY, THEY SAID THAT COFFEE AND MEDS DONT MIX.

one reason could be that you should drink coffee with your amphatamine stimulants, bcause as discussed in another topic somewhere... the acid prematurely breaks down your pill, rendering it innefective.

I have often been addicted to coffee. But I don't think it helped me much when I drank it all the time.

One thing I used to do in my young adult days (long before stimulant medication) is that I'd go off coffee and tea and eat very little for a few days. Then I'd make a really really really strong pot of coffee and sip it, and I'd be in a wonderfully peacefull relaxed mood for a few hours. I guess I was self-medicating, but it didn't work if I tried to do it constantly - I had to wait quite a while before I could do it again.

I have often been addicted to coffee. But I don't think it helped me much when I drank it all the time.

One thing I used to do in my young adult days (long before stimulant medication) is that I'd go off coffee and tea and eat very little for a few days. Then I'd make a really really really strong pot of coffee and sip it, and I'd be in a wonderfully peacefull relaxed mood for a few hours. I guess I was self-medicating, but it didn't work if I tried to do it constantly - I had to wait quite a while before I could do it again.
well, enid, that seems to make perfect sense to me. sounds like 'satiation' - too much of something for too long, so it ends up having no effect, or its like a 'tolerance'... which in essense, in this context, is the same concept.

thanks for your input! :)

Caffein is a stimulant which explains why drinking coffee has similar effects to taking prescribed stimulants such as ritalin.

I did try my daughter's Ritalin a few times, it perked me up real good. I wasn't that different then the coffee perk I get but it felt a little more intense. I have been drinking coffee for at least 20 years and it has helped me.

Would love to hear posts from people who use both.

It's still a form on self-medication and it can lead to other forms of self medication later on in life. We already have a whole nation of kids an adults hooked on caffeine as it is. A lot of people drink a cup or two of coffee a day which for most people isn't unhealthy but there are some people who self-medicate with coffee and drink 30 something cups a day.

Yes, it's stimulant but it goes through a person's system a lot faster than prescription stimulant. Also have you ever been aroud a person who is trying to quit drinking coffee? They aren't much fun to be around and go through some with drawel symptoms and can have migrains.

As a person with ADD I can make huge pot of coffee and the next thing I know it's gone. Being that I have no concept of time I have no idea how much caffeine I actually put into my system in a short ammount of time. I also may not have remembered how many scoops I actually put into the coffee either.

When I take my medication I know how much is going into my system.

I also remember reading about coffee and ADD...what I've found really interesting is that since I have been on Dex, my craving for coffee and sweets have gone...except at night when the med's are begining to wear off.

Btw, does anyone find that when they are off med's, that they crave something sweet while eating lunch. I don't know if it means anything...but I wondered if it has something to do with the ADD brains inability to take up sugars as quickly as 'normal' brains. Perhaps our brain knows that it should be receiving energy because we are eating, but it's not happening quick enough...so it craves a more refined type of sugar for a quick fix?! (Just pondering...it might be a rediculous theory...tell me so if it is)

Also, I do remember reading somewhere that coffee and stimulants have the same affect, but stimulants target more specific areas of the brain...whereas coffee is more generalised. Has anyone else read that?

As for coffee rendering stimulants ineffective...that is *really* interesting. This morning I met a friend downtown for coffee...I didn't particularly enoy it...but nonetheless drank it all. :confused: I soon began to feel like my old self...feeling overwheled and crowded in...so to me, that could explain why I didn't cope as well today. I even took another dose of Dex while drinking the coffee thinking that my last dose must have worn off!! :D

Susan

I am now taking Ritalin but before I started I noticed that caffeine had that effect on me. It made me feel great and helped me to focus. The problem was that I didn't have time to drink coffee every morning and if I missed a day I would get withdrawal headaches. Taking caffeine pills would not be nearly convenient as prescribed stimulants because a single cup of coffee has around 100mg of caffeine so obviously the pills would be huge. Somebody also already pointed out that caffeine goes through your system much faster too.

It seems like caffeine would inhanse the effects of stimulent medications. I drink coffee in the morning but continue the caffeine intake through out the day with soda pop. I have taken my medication with coffee, Coke, water, milk and don't see a difference personally!!!

This post does get me to thinking. My partner Mr. "I don't have no ADD" bounce...bounce......bounce...... any way he drinks Dr. Pepper by the gallons. If I drank that much soda pop my kidneys would run off!!!!! I wonder if He is self medicating his ADHD????

Coffee really helps me a lot...but not on a regular basis. I mean, if I go without it for a few days and I drink a cup,then I notice how much more focused and attentive I am-but if I start drinking it on a regular basis,then it loses it's affectiveness for me...but then I build up a tolerance to meds very quickly too, and they stop working for me.

Tara: thanks for that info about self medicating etc. Ive began drinking coffee again since im on my placement (teacher in a primary school), and they have a coffee filter thing there.
The good thing about real coffee is, its monitored. I regulate my coffee - i'd only drink one cup at a time. Partly i do this to be fair in the staff room. The other thing is i dont want an overload.

I had coffee at 8.00am today, and then at 10.30 am i had a top-up. It ran out at around 4.00.

In other words, i have a fair idea.


joudge: I agree with your theory about sugar, it makes 100% sense to me. i always crave sweet things, and i know that i NEED the sugarry stuff, even though im eating the good stuff like fruit and bread etc too.

i notice that when im doing a lot of work, either physical or mental work to excess (mental like i am now on my placement, and your brain burns up energy just as physical movement.... and im sure mine and your brains all burn up more than the average person too!!), then i get hungry quicker. so i eat a bigger breakfast.. but still, 3 hours later, im so hungry.


Meadd: yeah youre probably right about him. is he any different when he's had the cola/caffiene products? obviously the sugar in them wouldnt be good for him. umm... my mum drank about 10 - 12 cups of coffee every day for years, and ibelieve she was self-medicating for her unknown add. ive only realised this recently. i know i'm doing it - but not that bad. im only doing it when i need it. i'd never do that anyway, you have to pee so often. caffiene is a dieuretic (makes you pee too often).

General comments: Coffee works, but i feel that I need it. I know that i'm drinking coffee 90% for add, 10% for enjoyment. This really points to me that i need to be medicated.

Some of you said, coffee +medication. That's a bad idea. Remember that thread somewhere on this site about orange juice and meds, if its stimulant meds, and how the acid breaks down the pill prematurely? Well coffee has a lot of acid in it.
I'd have a guess that if you have it with milk, which is a strong alkaline, that it would neutralise and be ok.


Yes, coffee passes through your system quicker. Caffiene i should say. as i said, caffiene is a dieuretic. its also liquid. so not only does it make you really badly need to pee after its all gone into your blood, it was in liquid, so there's more liquid that has to come out - so it has a double effect (compared with something like eating a spoonfull of instant coffee).

my doc calls caffeine "dirty Dex."

Just a thought.

Chrys

Thanks for the info, ADDtives!!!! It makes sense to give a child coffee, because it is a stimulant, and would have the same effect as a stimulant. My son's counselor said to give him Pepsi or Coke, because it works just as well.....my son loves coffee....I use milk and sugar, in it. Not that I give him coffee, but a sip here and there.

my doc calls caffeine "dirty Dex."

Just a thought.

Chrys
yes. some people also call if 'liquid ritalin'.

i'm using it until i can get to the dr and be prescribed the proper drugs.

Just a thought. ;)

Thanks for the info, ADDtives!!!! It makes sense to give a child coffee, because it is a stimulant, and would have the same effect as a stimulant. My son's counselor said to give him Pepsi or Coke, because it works just as well.....my son loves coffee....I use milk and sugar, in it. Not that I give him coffee, but a sip here and there.
the only problem with pepsi or coke is the sugar content.

and be mindful of the sugar in your son's coffee aswell. no more than 1 - 2 teasooons, or it can cause hyperactivity and really not help him at all.

if you use real coffee, not instant, there's less need for so much sugar in it. also there's less acid, so it has less chance of stomach upset. this is a key point for me, because i take vitamin c tablets (try to) regularly, and another herbal medication i take for somethign else also includes an amount of vitamin c - which as we all know, is an acid!

some sugar is good thoguh, and as somebody else said in another thread in this nutrition forum, we need sugar more than non-add people, because it sends the message to our brain that, yes, we have just eaten something.. and the extra sugar gives a pre-boost until the real food kicks in (it can take a while)

How can I used coffee effectively to treat ADD?

I use it to boost my medication when it is wearing off...and in the morning to help it kick in. Sometimes, I take coffee rather than another dose.

...many doctors say it is preferable to have more medication than to have coffee though.

It's not a treatment.

I look at it as an adjunct in (occasionally) boosting my meds,as Snappy Cloud just said.

Having said that tho, there are obvious "highs" and lows" in drinking caffeinated beverages.Too much caffeine can dehydrate , as well as make you "jittery."

It can also raise your blood pressure.

Becuase my meds rasie my (already a problem) blood pressure, I've cut back considerably .

I couldn't read all the replies so excuse me if I've repeated anything. I've heard that caffiene DOES help calm individuals with ADHD as it offers the reverse effects as it would on a typical individual. Having said that, coffee/tea is also high in salicylates. If you're sensitive to salicylates I'd refrain from using this method. It will not calm you - it will amplify the ADHD characteristics/hyperactivity.

Since I started on Ritalin about 3 months ago (I am now on Adderall) I cannot drink lots of coffee. I am slowly weaning off coffee. It makes me feel real nervous and hyper (not focused) with the meds. I will start drinking only decaf soon. I can only drink, maybe, one cup a day now. :eek:

I noticed from a very young age that coffee improved my attention and mood. I use to drink hot tea, tried a cup of coffee when I was a kid, hooked. I currently take ritalin and have decreased my coffee consumption considerably ever since. For me, coffee and ritalin together seems a little to much, 1+1=3.:eek: Wow!

I noticed from a very young age that coffee improved my attention and mood. I use to drink hot tea, tried a cup of coffee when I was a kid, hooked. I currently take ritalin and have decreased my coffee consumption considerably ever since. For me, coffee and ritalin together seems a little to much, 1+1=3.:eek: Wow!I noticed the same thing with Concerta and coffee NZKiwi :eek: jittery jitters!

My children respond very well to coffee drinks. The baby has been known to fall asleep shortly after a half-coffee, half-milk cocktail; and both kids respond very well to several glasses daily of my ADHD Sweet Tea concoction, which is made especially for them and contains chamomile, regular orange pekoe and sugar or honey, whichever I have on hand.

8 bags orange pekoe, 4 bags chamomile (seems to counteract the sugar buzz), boil until dark liquid. Pour into container, add pinch of baking soda to remove tannic acid. Reboil bags to get all the tea out of them, no more baking soda required. Add sugar or honey to taste before diluting (it melts more quickly in hot liquid) and dilute to make on gallon. Serve to children with ice and smile, or enjoy some yourself :).

I hear ya. That tea sounds good! ;)

I'm starting to wonder about the caffeine (did I spell that right???) I drink. I've always thought that it had no effect on me because it didn't perk me up, but now I'm thinking that maybe it calms and helps me focus. I don't drink a ton of it, maybe a cup of coffee in the morning (I usually don't even finish it) and 1-2 Cokes in a day. I do notice that if I don't have any Coke in the house, I strongly crave it. I don't know whether it is because my brain needs a little or I'm just addicted like many people are to soda. My brother and my husband (by the way, undiagnosed ADD in my opinion!) drink an INCREDIBLE amount of Dr. Pepper. As for it's effect on medication...no idea, I'm still working on getting a medication.

Hmmm....something to pay attention to.

Hi there-

I never drank much coffee before, but after my third child was born, I absolutely craved it! I can't drink brewed coffee, because I'm still nursing and it has too much caffeine. Fortunately, I can still have a can of pop or tea once a day- I'd be nonfunctional without it (the pediatrician is okay with a small amount of caffeine)! In addition, I discovered that a Starbucks Tall Vanilla Latte only has 35 mg Caffeine- about the same as a can of Coke. That's my little treat once or twice a week.

BTW Joudge- I also noticed that my cravings for sugar and caffeine were gone when I started Ritalin. In fact, it was a real shock to the system, because I was overeating to deal with stress and self-medicate. When I started the meds, I had to figure out new ways to cope that didn't involve food.

I'm not taking meds now until I'm done nursing. As a result I'm a sugar fiend right now. I also find that I need sugar when I first wake up in the morning (e.g. juice or cereal), probably to jump start the brain. Must explain why breakfast foods tend to be sweet!

Joan

I get stupid with coffee.

great post. great idea. i'd have to say from personal experience that coffee raises my anxiety and makes me more edgy when i drink it with my adderall (trying to give up the coffee). when i didn't take adderall, the coffee used to help me a great, great deal getting up and staying up. it also helped me a great deal with my focus. i'd have to say it's a godsend but doesn't mix at all with some things.

I give DS, who is unmedicated, a cup of coffee, and we make it some different yummy ways hot/cold/iced/blended, etc., to help him get through an intense study session. It does not seem to last very long, but he does say it helps him get "in the zone" and stay there. Though, last time, mid-cup/mid-assignment, late in the evening, he fell asleep straight away. :eek:

A few months before I started taking Adderall, I was using one of those drink mix sticks you add to water bottles. It was called Morning Spark - Walmart had them on clearance for a pretty cheap price. It comes in flavours like orange, grapefruit and apple. Anyway, I was able to breeze through 12-hour workdays and do other things that made me wonder if it was working as an ADD treatment. Then they cracked down at work on the rule about only having water at our desks and I wasn't able to get the same amount drank as I was doing.

Anyway, the only stimulant ingredient listed on the package was caffeine. I have tried herbal energy formulas before, but that invariable results in a screaming headache a day or two down the road. Funnily enough, herbal energy supplements bother me in ways that Adderall hasn't. Since going on Adderall, though, I don't use the Spark.

I maybe should have read all of that before posting...lol...it's the ADD in me...What can I say?

I found that when I was on medication, I could NOT, under ANY circumstances, drink coffee. It enhanced every side effect of my meds and reduced its effectiveness to eliminate my symptoms.

Also, I found I had to drink more regular coffee or tea to have the same effectiveness as an espresso duopo (double shot) or a grande cappuccino.

I have always craved sugar...in fact, when I went off of medication to quit smoking, (dexedrine gave me cravings), I ate so much sugar that I put on weight.

I'm finding that cappuccino stops my ADD at least as much as dexedrine, but doesn't cause nasty cravings or heart/mind racings.

Also, my fiance has ADD diagnosed but untreated and seems to drink a lot of Coke. Hopefully, if I can get him to drink a cappuccino a day, I can reduce the amount of sugar and carbon dioxide he's ingesting.

I maybe should have read all of that before posting...lol...it's the ADD in me...What can I say?

I found that when I was on medication, I could NOT, under ANY circumstances, drink coffee. It enhanced every side effect of my meds and reduced its effectiveness to eliminate my symptoms.

Also, I found I had to drink more regular coffee or tea to have the same effectiveness as an espresso duopo (double shot) or a grande cappuccino.

I have always craved sugar...in fact, when I went off of medication to quit smoking, (dexedrine gave me cravings), I ate so much sugar that I put on weight.

I'm finding that cappuccino stops my ADD at least as much as dexedrine, but doesn't cause nasty cravings or heart/mind racings.

Also, my fiance has ADD diagnosed but untreated and seems to drink a lot of Coke. Hopefully, if I can get him to drink a cappuccino a day, I can reduce the amount of sugar and carbon dioxide he's ingesting.
sheez..you need more coffee man..it helps the attention span :D can you get me a cup while you're there please..

as I would say to any good friend

"make yourself useful" :p

.
in my experience, drinking a sugarred up 'mocha' just made me hyperactive, and after an hour later, dizzy and tired and ready to pass out or fall asleep, with blurred vision.

I find this interesting. Do you think it is an add thing? After I had my twins, the stress level in my life was through the roof. My add symptoms were terrible.

I had exactly what you described many times after I had a coffe (with only cream in it) and a donut. Do you think the coffee/sugar combination caused the symptoms you describe?

I went to the dr about this and nothing came back on the tests.

Some of you said, coffee +medication. That's a bad idea. Remember that thread somewhere on this site about orange juice and meds, if its stimulant meds, and how the acid breaks down the pill prematurely? Well coffee has a lot of acid in it.I'd have a guess that if you have it with milk, which is a strong alkaline, that it would neutralise and be ok.

Coffee is not highly acidic. It has a pH of roughly 5.5, though darker roasts are even less acidic. Other foods in this range of acidity include corn, beans, potato, bran flakes, white breads, many cheeses, lots of soups, and rice crispies among other things. Your mouth can't even identify acidity at this pH. Sorry to bust your theory. :)

FYI, the human taste that identifies acidity is sourness (tartness), not bitterness.