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I read this post because it had the word “coffee” in the title. I love coffee. Long before my ADD diagnosis, I used to drink 10 cups a day. After I started taking Concerta AKA methylphenidate (27 mg seems to be my upper limit), I find that I don’t need anywhere near as much coffee, and can usually keep it to 2 cups a day. The Concerta works better – or rather, quite differently – from caffeine. It makes me feel calm, I can get things done, and can interact with other people with less irritability and sensitivity. That said, I still CRAVE caffeine. I’m super addicted – today is my second day trying to keep my intake to one cup, and I do not like this feeling! Maybe tea for the second cup? Except that tea is a lot like dirty dishwater.
To answer your question, I don’t think methylphenidate and caffeine mix particularly well. The caffeine seems to make me grouchy. It’s also very dehydrating, which can lead to fatigue, which makes me want more coffee. Right? At best, I’d say the caffeine doesn’t help, or is not necessary, and my guess is that it would be better to get the right amount of Concerta than it would be to combine the two.
But you really have to feel out for yourself how the two drugs hit you, try going with the caffeine for a day maybe – and see what works best for you, because everyone is different. I see big changes in how I feel as a result of what I put into my body – whether it’s dietary, or medication, or other drugs like caffeine and alcohol – even minor changes are noticeable. It’s hard to get the internal radio station on the right frequency, if you know what I mean. It’s a delicate operation.
I’ve been experimenting with “mindfulness” (I hate that word) – meditating only on my breathing, focusing on the in and out of the breath (they say the breath is always with us, so it’s a handy focal point to take anywhere)…just noticing how fleeting thoughts are, how they arise on their own, seemingly from nowhere. I don’t have to believe or act on everything I think. A lot of it is just noise. I’m getting better at watching the thoughts, labeling them as thoughts, and letting them go. What does this have to do with anything? Not much – just another tool.
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