I've done some research but I want to hear how caffeine has helped people with ADD. Any stories and/or suggestions would be great.

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15297&highlight=coffee

Here is one recent thread, there may be others on the subject. I have used coffee for the better part of 20 years. I would say that coffee was the single greatest reason that I made it through University and continue to survive as a teacher. I have been taking one large in the morning and also at lunch for about 10 years now. It is only real routine that I have.

What did someone on the board say? Coffee is the dirty stimulant. I have tried my daughter's stimulants and found myself cleaning and organizing the house for the afternoon, an unthinkable action without meds or even with coffee. I am just so darned interested about nearly anything that pops into my head or crosses my path.

I think I am about ready to do a trial of stims, I'm sure I would do so much more at work. I have done so much research defending ADHD as a disorder and as an aside stimulant meds, that I know that they are very safe. But that would mean the formal diagnosis which I also haven't done.

coffee and me
we date we break up
we date and we break up
and now that i'm leaving adderall country
i'm shacking up with caffiene again can't get enough
he's my shoulder to cry on get through the day
i desire coffee
its my crutch
its my methadone
baby
yeah

yeah i get in 3 cups of coffee a day, it helps with my ADD

How does it help ones ADD?What would it do to a child with ADHD?

I was nervous about coffee since I also have anxiety and wasn't sure about how a stimulant med would work on me. Caffeine is a stimulant and from replies I've gotten to the same question as well as asking my own doc it helps those with ADD. It is a sort of self mediaction. I was told by doc to cut down on coffee with the Adderall and I don't even crave it (very weird I was in love with it). Everyone is different due to chemistry and metabolism. I am no expert but I'm new to the board and had the same questions and asked my doc....also for Lipz12 I would seriously check with the pedi about caffeine in children especially with her meds now. My son is Add but not on meds and I can't give him soda or sweets with caffeine or he gets moody. As a teacher I've been taught that caffeine is not good for ADHD children but they do prescribe stimulants so only your doc (new one Mon) would know..... Goodluck, Jac

When I was on 25mg of Adderall XR, I did not crave things with caffine. I actually stopped drinking coffee in the morning. :eek: I didn't feel the need or need the feeling. To me it's proof that stimulants work with my brain.

Before being diagnosed, I could drink a double shot of espresso with a "brew of the day" (called a Depth Charge in my neck of the woods) and go take a nap. ;) I'm ADHD /with.

I was mainlining latte's back when I was 12, before there was even a Starbuck's! :)

Nowadays I can only take about two mugs of coffee in a day or my stomach starts acting up. Otherwise I'd still be a major caffeine fiend!

I dont like coffee but I do drink alot of Mountain Dew. It seems to calm me down instead of make me more hyper like it does to all my friends. If I forgot my afternoon meds at home I would go get a mountain dew out of the vending machine and drink that and it would get me through practice. It probably isnt the best thing to drink before practice but it helps keep me calm.

How does it help ones ADD?What would it do to a child with ADHD?
Tried it when I was a kid and really got nothing from it. Ritalin was at least 10000x more effective. I don't think a kids digestive system can handle ehough to get to an effective dose either. If you really want to try caffine for a kid I think the pills, or maybe tea, might be a better way to go. Coffee is just too acidic. Of course it's awfully cheap so no harm in trying.

Remeber Jolt Cola. When I was younger it was my drink of choice. A Jolt at lunch or before a test adn I went into hyperfocus. Of course No-Doze worked the same way, all my friends had the jitters and shakes from the combo and I was wondering why they were all weirding out.
I still start everyday with a cola or coffee, and then have tea or something cafinated on my desk all day long. I'm starting some other supplements though hoping that it will reduce my need for the caffiene.

I don't drink coffee. I do drink tea but I'd have to drink a lot of it to get the effects of a few cups of coffee so I can't give too much experience about how caffeinated (sp?) beverages might help/affect me.

However caffeine was how I realized that I might have ADHD. A medication I take for headaches has a good amount of caffeine in it. I noticed that the only time I felt alright was when I took this medication. I'm not supposed to use it more than 3x per week so I would be without it for 2 work days plus the weekends (and I'd be miserable). I found that once I got my headaches under control I was still using the med just to try to get through a workday.

I realized that I had a problem. I wasn't abusing it but something clicked that "Why can I only concentrate when I take this medication?" And then I started to think about what my real problem was/is...

Coffee is OK as long as you drink it before noon, otherwise you may not sleep well at night. I like to have at least 1 or 2 twelve oz. cups of coffee in the morning and I do take a stimulant (Concerta).

Ohhhh caffeine...my one true love...my dear dear friend, my holiest of holys...

By the age of 17, I was addicted to espresso. By 19, I was having more than 2 per day. By 20, I was living in a city known for its coffee culture and would spend tons of money on espressos (usually doubles, sometimes triples. I have ordered quads. You get weiiiiiird looks...), by 21 I was on to a version of Red Bull illegally imported from Thailand, which I stopped drinking the second I found out it contained ephedrine. Back to espresso...My life changed when Canada legalized Red Bull. I might as well have had it via IV. I loooooooveeeeee Red Bull. It probably saved my life a couple of times. I had espressos before going to bed. I had espressos in class, before class, and after class. I had 3 a day at work. I was a wreck without it.

Then, I got a referral to my psych for some issues, and started working at Starbucks. 2 months later, I had a legitimate ADHD diagnosis, Strattera, and stopped working at Starbucks. I'm down to one coffee a day unless bad things happen or I reallllllyyyyyy can't sleep (coffee makes me sleepy. I think it slows my brain down..not as much thinking). I can't remember the last time I had a Red Bull without it being a Red Bull & vodka/jagermeister.

Caffeine isn't what all ADHD people use to self medicate. But I sure as **** did. With the Strattera, and knowing that I have a problem..I don't do it anymore.

I dont like coffee but I do drink alot of Mountain Dew. It seems to calm me down instead of make me more hyper like it does to all my friends. If I forgot my afternoon meds at home I would go get a mountain dew out of the vending machine and drink that and it would get me through practice. It probably isnt the best thing to drink before practice but it helps keep me calm.
When I was in the navy I probably drank anywhere from a 6 pack to a 12 pack a day. I can drink a liter right before bed and out I go, no problem. I wasn't able to drink anywhere near as much Mt Dew after I got out of the navy and life started to get hard. In fact I remember one night driving home dead tired (had a 150 mile drive) and wass still nodding off after two liters of dew and 2 or 3 caffiene pills.

Can't live without it, tea or Mt. Dew. All 3 of my sons are ADD too. My middle son is 10 (the only with ADHD) and requests coffee in the AM sometimes. I think he is self-medicating until the Concerta kicks in.

Me and Caffiene go a long way...
I love Coffee... Is it the taste or the effect?

I was diagnosed with ADHD on 15th August 2005 and before that date, i could of been called a 'Coffee addict'...
If anyone was to put the kettle on, i would always ask for a coffee...
Then i got a Coffee making machine.. Mmmmmm freshly brewed coffee and perhaps stronger form of caffiene?

Then i started taking the prescribed dose of Strattera and i stopped drinking Coffee, by choice... i had no urge for the taste or effect...
weaned off Strattera as it made me ill and suddenly my urge for Coffee (caffiene) returned!
I'm on Concerta now and my coffee urges have gone again! LOL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A little Advice, for those thinking of taking Caffiene supplements, like i did, as a form of self-medicating, before ADHD diagnosis ; Please don't start taking Caffiene supplements, without your doctors advice... I thought it was harmless.. i didn't read the leaflet, inside the packaging, except how many i could take within a day.
How can Caffiene be harmful?... i thought!

When i had my first appointment at the Psychiatrists, when i got diagnosed with ADHD, i told him, that i drank lots of Coffee and i had started taking caffiene supplements.. :eek: He told me to stop taking the supplements!
Psychiatrist asked ; "Have you suffered any side-effects from taking Caffiene Supplements?"...
I said "No... erm... but i do get rapid heartbeats and chest pains"...
He didn't need to say anything ; I could see from his expression!!! :eyebrow:

As soon as i got home that day, i threw All the Caffiene supplements away!

Always Consult your Doctor before taking Supplements etc etc
As You don't realize the harm they may cause you!

99% of the time, coffee sends me to sleep - I can take Pepsi Max and it relaxes me and clears my head, but a nice cup of coffee is just the thing to get me ready for bed or for a daytime nap. It's very handy when I wake up too early in the morning though, as it sends me straight back to snoozyland :)

Concerta also relaxes me to some degree but it keeps my mind focussed.

For some reason though I still crave a nice strong coffee every now and again, I guess it's my body's way of telling me I need some sleep? :faint:

^coffee does the same thing to me. I have an espresso, and start feeling sleepy when it kicks in. Completely the opposite to most people.

For my entire life I've seen my Dad (who is AD/HD).
Drink real strong coffee (strong enough to melt a spoon in).
And drink it from the time he got up in the morning till the time he went to sleep.
I now realize that is my Dad's way of self medicating.

I don't drink coffee never have.
Tea is what I drink before bed to make myself sleepy.
Or durning the day to make myself relax and not feel hyper.
You won't find any decaf tea in my house.

2 cups in the morning, 1 after lunch

I usually drink 1 cup every 1/2 hour for the first four hours at work. After that, I taper off to about 1 cup an hour. At home, I drink one or two cups around dinner time.

I believe it's self-medicating. I've had a cup of coffee in my hand since I was 17, about 35 years. Strattera has almost killed my appetite for caffeine, though.

I'm on 27 mg of Concerta and I get the depression and sleepy side affect from the rebound. My mom heard about how caffeine helps with the depression symptom. I went to Starbucks and got a drink with caffeine in it. It worked! Of course I'm not going to go to Starbucks every night but I'm very glad caffiene works for me!

I drink two cups in the morning.
I drink two cups at night.
I drink two cups in the afternoon, it makes me feel alright.
I drink two cups in time of peace, and two in time of war.
I drink two cups before I drink two cups,
And then I drink two more.

before i was diagnosed with having ADD, i used caffeine in order to self-medicate. For a time it worked fairly well, but i began to build up a tolerance to it. It seemed to work fairly well, but not nearly as well as ADD medicine. It would give me energy, but it didn't help me focus nearly as well.

I started drinking coffee when I was 17 at work because it was free...lol. Didn't take me long to realize that it helped me dramatically...I also discovered the diet pills( high in caffine ) I was on really got me focused and I was the most amazing, organized almost super human employee the company had....lol. I had no idea I had ADD back then..infact its just the last year I worked it out myself and this last week had my Therapist agree with me. I drink coffee all day long and I too have no trouble sleeping at night.Im not currently on any medication at all but Im looking forward to the day I feel Im making some progress...The day I can actually stay tuned in enough to read a book or even watch a movie will be heaven. Im just procrastinating on finding a local Dr and I just should have let my Therapist refer me to one he knows....maybe I will get my act together before the end of the year...lol.:D

According to Hallowell and Ratey (Driven to Distraction, Delivered from Distraction) while coffee does help in the short term, it also reduces blood flow to the brain in the long term and makes ADD worse. ADHD stimulent meds are more targeted to the specific area needing stimulation.I love my caffeine too, but try to keep it at a minumum for the above mentioned reasons. It definately isn't as effective as my Concerta for my ADD symptoms --drat!:p

Scattered

I used to drink Pepsi all of the time, not a lot of cans a day but it is all that I would drink, and it had the effects on me that many people have as well.
Then in my freshman year of college, I had to drive back to school (3 hour drive) leaving my parent's house sometime around 4:30 am so I could get back to my dorm, unpack, and still get to class by 8:00. Well because of a broken washing machine I didn't get any sleep the night I needed to leave and I didn't sleep much the night before either because I didn't think I needed to. Well this ended up obviously making me very very tired and made it almost impossible to drive that long in the dark through the country back to school. Well my roommate had told me that she had ran into a similar situation once and she took "yellow jackets" (a brand of caffine pills that you can buy at gas stations) and it helped her to stay awake and get home ok. Since I needed to be at my 8:00 class (no way I could skip it, project due that day at the beginning of the class) and I was exhausted, I decided to try this idea out. BIG MISTAKE!!!!! The caffine pills just about knocked me out entirely and all of the sudden too. I almost got into about 3 wrecks as I kept driving looking for a rest stop, exit, sholder, anything! Finally I found a rest stop and ended up passing out in my car for at least 3 hours. It scared me to death, I had never heard of caffine doing this to anyone and especially never heard of caffine pills to do this either, I mean you would think it would keep you awake.
I'm off caffine all together (except maybe in chocolate or in Captian and Cokes) by choice and have been for about a year now. I have never heard of anyone self-medicating ADD with caffine before. Does that really seem to help? Can I self-medicate with caffine after my adderall wears off or before I take it? Has anyone else ever experienced this problem with caffine pills before? I'm going to ask my doctor all these questions, especially the ones about the adderall, but if anyone can give any insight I would really appreciate it!
Thanks!
Koye2214

I have had that before -- drinking a doppio cafe latte and then feeling irresistibly sleepy. I also notice that if I am sleepy, caffeine won't keep me awake. Then again, I will get jangly if I have too much. Luckily for me, these days I can't take too much coffee before my stomach starts hurting.

I think of caffeine more as a way to wake up my brain than my body. I hate working out on caffeine.

I use caffeine in the form of coffee, caffeine pills, and green tea. I love the energy, alertness, and focus that it gives me. There are 3 reasons that I personally think that caffeine is a much better choice than ADD meds.

1. Its way cheaper
2. You dont lose your appetite or get a stim crash after it wears off
3. You dont have to have to go to therapy sessions and see a doctor in order to take it

Caffeine withdrawl can be very nasty, even hours after your last dose, especially if your daily caffeine intake might be measured in grams.

...and taking large doses of caffeine is in fact self-medicating. I would personally rather take a prescribed med that delivered the same measured dose that I needed, than pumping myself full of caffeine...but that's just me.

When I run into any sort of problem at the office, requiring me to act on something I have a hard time doing, answering a difficult mail for example, or write a report, my legs automatically start to walk away with me, and for some reason they take me to the coffemachine... some hard days I have had over fifteen quite large cups...

I am a caffine junkie. Love coffee in the mornings and tea in the afternoon. My doc. said that it's just self medicating so now that I'm on meds I've kinda had to back off just a bit.

I am caffeine addicted-if i do not drink cofee in the morning I am not myself. unfortunataley there are side effects of cofee use-high blood pressure is one that comes right now into my mind.also your body will wear off after long activities sustained on caffeine....and you just get old faster. 9with time you'll also find out you may need more caffeine for the same activity- and instant cofee prepared in pepsi or coke is the craziest boom-boom i could come up with)

i am trying to reduce the caffeine while trying to find the right medication-
already did it while pregnant-1 cup of cofee a day.
right now- 1 cofee-1 tea-1 pepsi and no more.....usually try less.

Caffeine has been shown to reduce the likelihood of Parkinson's Disease and perhaps other neurological conditions. As such, I'd say it's a good idea that everyone who can tolerate it should include it in their diet.

I absolutely love caffeine -- whether it's in dark chocolate, coffee, or tea (green or black) and I indulge in a double expresso a day plus chocolate. I am trying to cut back, and I really wish I didn't do it at all. Think I'm a bit addicted!:p

Scattered

unfortunataley there are side effects of cofee use-high blood pressure is one that comes right now into my mind. this has been proven to be a myth. it raises your blood pressure for maybe a minute, but not for the long-term.

it's like white-coat hypertension. people used to get really high readings having bp measured when they first got into the examining room. it turns out we're all a little (or a lot) nervous about having to be in a room with all this equipment waiting for a stranger to prod and poke us while we're wearing not much....

Epidemiological studies have found either no positive association between coffee consumption and BP^42,43 or have failed to confirm it after controlling for smoking^43,44,45, or suggested a small contribution to elevation in SBP and DBP within three hours after caffeine consumption independent of the overall average daily consumption⁴⁶ or variation in SBP levels in some population subgroups as well as treated hypertensives⁴⁷. Some studies have suggested an additive effect for SBP between coffee consumption and tobacco consumption and a significant association between DBP and coffee consumption, that might be masked by negative correlation of DBP with tobacco consumption⁴⁷. On the other hand, some have observed a significant inverse relationship between caffeine and blood pressure, with increasing caffeine consumption being associated with a progressively lower blood pressure⁴⁸.
The habitual consumption of caffeine leads to the development of tolerance to the drug's cardiovascular and neuroendocrine effects. The extent of any potential pathogenic consequences of caffeine/stress interactions should be directly related to caffeine and stress exposure, but if daily consumption of the drug leads to tolerance to its effects, the negative effects on health attributable to caffeine should be minimal. http://www.priory.com/pharmol/caffeine.htm

I am with the people who need the caffeine to wake up in the morning.
Although I can function, i am better after coffee than before.

and just in case you aren't tired of reading yet:
The primary effect of caffeine on the human body, and the one that it is most often consumed for, is that of cardiac stimulation - caffeine gives the consumer an 'energy boost' that lasts for a period of time proportional to the amount of caffeine ingested. Cardiac stimulation is achieved indirectly through the release of epinephrine (adrenaline) by the pituitary gland; however, in order to get the pituitary to release epinephrine, caffeine must first cause an increase in nerve cell activity in the brain.

To do this, caffeine takes the place of adenosine, a naturally occurring chemical in the body that slows down nerve cell activity and dilates blood vessels to allow for the increased oxygen uptake necessary during sleep. Caffeine binds to adenosine receptor sites on nerve cells in the brain, and instead of slowing activity, it quickens the pace at which nerve cells fire, warding off drowsiness. It does this by lowering the trigger level for norepinephrine² (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A622414#footnote2), increasing the likelihood that the firing of one nerve cell in the brain will cause neighbouring cells to fire. This increased activity in the brain alerts the pituitary gland, and it releases epinephrine, setting off the 'fight-or-flight' response in the human. One of the functions of the fight-or-flight response is to release sugar (stored in the liver in the form of glycogen) for immediate use; this is the source of the energy used in the 'boost' provided by ingesting caffeine.

Additionally, caffeine can be used to treat ADHD, a hyperactivity disorder. People with ADHD have a lowered ability to focus and a shortened attention span, and stimulants like caffeine (and Ritalin, the most frequently-used treatment for ADHD) allow for longer periods of intense concentration.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A622414

have some fun with your coffee:

http://www.offthemark.com/coffee/coffee.htm

:D

Whoa, I didn't know that Caffiene can make one sleepy! I am in school and work for a few hours a week at a coffee shop; I thought this was a great deal (get a free latte/day and crank out the homework).

It's been 2 months ago I've seriously considering that I have ADHD, but I am very hesitant to take meds (new to these boards and learning so much!)...2 months that I've staved off of double lattes; I thought I was thinking more clearly, but being the awful self-evaluator that I am, didn't get good marks on my tests this class.

Is there any truth in how caffeine can make feel sleepy? How? Is it a reverse effect on the dopamine release on ADHD brains?
I'm thinking about caffeinating myself again.

It depends on the person. It does provide a calming effect for some people. But I would say they are far and few between. Most people will get wired. If you want to sleep try warm milk or some herbal tea.

some more caffeine/coffee info for you here (http://www.seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Nutrition-Vitamins/6-01-18-IsCoffeeTheSolution.htm)

really deps if its def caff an orgainc then you have the best both worlds even if itdd got caffine in it and cos if you drink a reanable amont lol dorm

I don't think it gives you high blood pressure either. I drink a few cups a day, plus one or two cokes, and I always have low blood pressure, like 90s/60s. I have been drinking coffee since I was in grade school. I used to sneak it from my dad who drank his black. I think I was self medicating but who knows. I wasn't diagnosed until 13 years later. In high school, I had coffee every morning and drank at least two cokes during the day. Then off to the coffee shop with friends after school to smoke cigarettes and drink more coffee. I have always drank coffee at night. Even espresso. It doesn't make me sleepy but it also doesn't keep me awake. But then neither do stimulants even taking my last dose as late as 5pm won't keep me up. My brain keeps me up. I have always had problems sleeping but it has gotten better with stimulants.

oh yes the more caffein you drink the more your hart speeds up an cos blood p will go up as well dose dep how meany an how much you put in it well it could be that you wont have some th efftts cos you dont responed to stimulnts like most do eheh o a;llways have porblems with sleeping with out stmilnets id have a look more into it 4 yourself so you can see never take my word 4 it dorm

I'm always in a better mood with coffee. Drink it black for best results.

Reading through the entries on ADD and caffeine on this thread suggests how varied human beings respond to one substance. For some, caffeine works wonders, while for others its just awful. I wanted to add to the quote from www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2q2/A622414 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2q2/A622414). that appeared on the thread. That particular reference goes on to say that caffeine boosts dopamine levels. That is exactly what Ritalin and other similar drugs do that help those with ADD to get to the normal range of this important brain chemical. So if you can tolerate enough caffeine without jumping out of your skin to get enough dopamine, your concentration, attention span etc can be helped. But beware of caffeine for its side effects and what happens taking it long term.

By the way, one issue resulting in the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 was a lawsuit with the Coca Cola company about how much caffeine could be put in coca cola. The issue of caffeine is obviously still active 100 years later with various drinks on the market (Monster, Red Bull, etc.) Read those labels!!! <smile>