Self medicate with caffeine? | ADHD Information

Makes since to me, I knoe that caffine is used for to help a lot of illnesses, my doctor told me when i have an asthma attach and do not have my inhaler try ot drink a cup of coffee. It worked a few times in my life.Yes fiddlejig I heard that about ER doctors too.  I dont let my kids drink Caffenated drinks at all, because I worry about the toxicity on their livers and kidneys.

I have been giving my son tea since he was a little guy-- he is ten now.  I give him hot tea (usually good old Lipton)  in the morning, which helps calm him down before his meds kick in.  I have noticed for years that if he drinks ice tea durning the day that it helps him stay a little more calmier then usual.   Bekah

I do that! I use caffeine to calm me down. I never understood why it seemed to work, but it does. when finals week hit, I could drink 10-14 cans of Mountain Dew A DAY and also got on those little caffeine pills, the No Doze ones. I still use both but to a smaller degree because my doctor has been freaking out over the amount of caffeine I take in. But until they get my meds straightened out, I can't go off them entirely because I have to keep my grades up. I didn't know so many other people used caffeine for this reason as well. I was actually trying to explain this to a teacher of mine about how our brains are different and this is not a choice. And I said, well you know how caffeine probably makes you antsy and gets you going if you drink too much, and he laughed and said yes. I think he was going to tell me that happened to everyone (he seems to think that I don't have anything different from anyone else, that I'm just "fidgety"). So I said, well it does not have that affect on me, it actually calms me down. He just looked shocked. Stopped him in his tracks and no more laughing. I told him I drink a can of mountain dew before I go to sleep because I sleep better and I thought he was going to fall out of his chair. :) Good to know others do this as well.

Coffee is a stimulant (like some meds) and will have the same effect as the meds...to a point.  One of the things to think about is drinking too much of it and it might be a good idea to check it out with your ped if your child is on stimulants, especially if your child has any underlying heart conditions.  In fact, our ped used coffee as a way to describe how a stimulant medication effects a hyperactive child because so many people are confused why if their child is constantly on the go they would need a stimulant...sounds like an oxymoron, but many of us see the effect it has!  She said some adult ADDers need their coffee to "calm down" (me).  Interestingly enough she also said that many ADDers go into jobs in the medical field because they can multi-task and receive stimuli from so many sources and still have a productive output.  Probably the reason I became an ED nurse.  interesting stuff.  Good luck.

I just wanted to know if there is anyone out there that knows anyone that uses caffeine for thier ADHD symptoms?   The reason I ask is because my husband who has never been diagnosed with ADHD has to have his daily 5 cups of coffee in order to focus and concentrate.  Let me tell a little more about his situation.

We have a 9 year old son that has ADHD.  During his diagnosis process, my husband related to so many of the questions asked about our sons behavior.  He said he was exactly like our son was as a child.  He had a rough time in school and couldn't concentrate very well.  He was able to go to college and get his Bachelors degree but with average grades.  Then he met me and started drinking coffee!!  He felt like a different person after he got his caffiene in the morning!!  He went on to get his Masters Degree and Law Degree and got all A's and B's.  Now he is a Lt. Col in the Air Force and doing quite well.  If he would have been diagnosed and put on meds as a child he probably wouldn't be where he is now. His parents have told me many times how proud and surprised they are of his accomplishments after the rough time he had as a child. They tell me it is my influence, but I say it has been the caffeine!!  (maybe a little of both!lol)

I know caffeine helps a lot of people with thier concentration.  Does anyone else out there know anyone with ADHD that uses caffeine?  After all it is a stimulant just as Ritalin.   Now in no way I am saying that this is an answer for people with ADHD, I am just curious to know if this works for anyone. 

I find that I my anxiety is more squashed after a good cup of coffee and a cigarette.  I never used to smoke until i met my hubby and took it up 5 years ago.

I find cigarettes, calm me down.  Make me feel sick, but calm me down.

You no something mom2three, i have never given this a thought until you just brought this up. I've had adhd since i was 5, just like my son, and have been drinking coffee since i was 2, just a little amounts when i was younger, my mom would go to the neighbors for coffee, and they would give me some, but once i hit high school, i  drank so much. Well now being 34 i also have to have my coffee to function, and i always tell my son, remember don't come near into my caffeine kicks in, because I'm not very nice, now i really think it does help me.

mom2three,

i have 3 very physically active kids.  the middle one was dxed with adhd last spring.  all three love coffee and drink it peridically.

the middle guy is no longer hyperactive (from using homeopathy) but he was always less fidgety after a cup!

my 11 yr old has been drinking it since she was 3, one or so times a week.  i had concerns about her early on and wonder if the coffee helped her!!  she's a straight A student and plays in a premiere travel soccer league and is ALWAYS on the go.

interesting topic!

kppy

Congrats Jimbo!   What is this Sprite recharge?  I have never heard of it!  Must be sprite with an extra charge of caffiene! 

I now have to tell hubby that he isn't alone with using caffeine for his ADHD "tendencies"!!!  lol

I hear you. My mates tell me im going to end up killing myself doing it, but i sometimes need energy drinks on top of my meds (5 dexies p/d). this is generally later in the week when i seem to have built up a tolerance to my meds. (i lower my dose on weekends, and it starts again).

Thank goodness theres a caltex station over the road from both my uni campuses. they sell 2 cans of sprite recharge for .75. Hooray!

Oh, and btw to those who know my backrground.. i got some assignments back from my calc course, and i got 37/50, 42/50 and 48/50! how much does that rock when compared to 2/50 before meds?!?! :D

Yippee Jimbo,  That deserves a bit clap I'm extremely hyper and caffeine helps calm me down. I also take Adderall which is also a stimulant. Coffee and soda work in the same way just at a way lower dose. When I was a smoker I noticed that nicotine also helped calm me. Of course I don't recommend cigarettes because of the obvious health risks but it's worth mentioning since it is a stimulant also.I haven't used coffe, but i have given my daughter ginseng.  Same idea a stimulant, but the theory is, beacuse of the different wiring, it actually calms the person instead of giving increased energy.  So I could see the coffee theory.  Adderall is a stimulant.  That is why they say to not take it 4-5 hours before bed.  I definitely use caffeine to help with focus issues, especially before I started adderall. Sometimes I would walk around feeling like everything was foggy, buy a super large coffee, and  say: wow! I can think so clearly now! Emotionally, I also feel with more clarity (if that makes sense to you). I feel that after taking in large amounts of caffiene, I am able to study better, listen to people better, and work more efficiently. But the effects don't last long at all, and too much coffee makes me nauseous.
  Funny, my DH drinks up to 6 cups of coffee a day and would joke that he has antibodies to it.  I take 1 cup and it makes me jumpy.  For him it calms and focuses him.  He is a highly successful person who made it through life with coffee - good and strong.  I haven't tried it for my ADHD son.  I like the lipton tea idea.  I'm definitely going to try that.haha! before i got on concerta i would often do near a gram of caffeine a day from coffee. It does not calm me down but it does not make me hyper either. it makes me alert and comfortable, and if i have no stimulants at all i am a negative daydreaming mess.


now i get about 200mg caffeine from coffee in the morning on top of my daily 27mg concerta. actually i have been needing coffee more lately and i think it may be an indication that my dose of concerta is too low.

my mother who i suspect is ADD drinks a ridiculous amount of coffee as well, like 32 oz of strong coffee in the morning.

my brother who is now on concerta used to drink about 4 liters of diet mountain dew/day :)

i can never sleep and for a long time i blamed this on the stimulants, but i've taken holidays from all forms of stimulants - and i still cannot sleep :   i think this may be related to the ADD with me. the self-medication via caffeine thing definitely exists in my family tho  Nice Job Jimbo, do you really like the sprite recharge? I tried it and didn't like the taste, they sell for alot where you are. Keep up the good work!