Caffeine! Wow. Trying to self medicate.

[Tiddler]

While I’m waiting to discuss treatment with the doctor I decided to buy a high caffeine drink. I often have a coffee in the morning but it hardly seems worth the bother. Like the ADHD love song on youtube says, ‘it won’t be quite enough to help, no’.

But this morning I had a red bull. I’ve never had one before. I decided to take it before I got up this morning and it made quite a difference. I got up, showered and dressed, made everyone breakfast and got stuck in to the mess that is my boys’ bedroom. I think it lasted about an hour. I felt good, happy even, getting the work done and able to do it.

Okay, so I had to stop when I ran out of oomph, I forgot to make my own breakfast and I needed my husband to tell me what order to do stuff in, but hey! I call that a win.

I am newish to caffeine as if I take it in the afternoon I don’t sleep well. Also, when I used to take pro-plus pills during my degree, I always assumed it was those that started giving me migranes, though in hindsight it was probably overwork that caused that. Still, I dont’ think this is a long term fix, so I’m going to be careful, but for now I feel like if I could just capture that feeling – that awake and doing feeling – for a bit longer each day I would be content with that.

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[Geoduck]

My problem with caffeine is that it seems to have a short half-life. I get a good couple of hours, whereas my adderall will last for about 5, and my XR will last 10-12. The drop-off with adderall is less dramatic than caffeine, as well.

When I drank coffee (about 2x a day, in the morning and afternoon), It did great at removing the fog, but when it wore off, I felt more tired than before I drank the coffee. From what I understand, though, it does increase adrenaline in the brain, much like stimulant medication. It makes sense that it would work, and why so many of us drink it.

I haven’t needed it since I went on adderall. In fact, when I drink it while on adderall, my heart gets very cross with me. LOL! I can feel it racing, which is not a great feeling at all.

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[Tiddler]

That’s encouraging as that’s exactly what I felt shortly after I posted – more tired than I was before. And grouchy too.

That said, it’s a great way of getting stuff done so I’ll be doing the same again tomorrow. I have to find a doctor who’s prepared to prescribe drugs as they are not licensed for adults here (are they elsewhere?)

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[Tiddler]

I had a cup of coffee too half an hour ago but it’s done nothing. (Otherwise I’d be working not surfing the net!) Hmm.

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[laddybug3]

Caffeine has strange affects on me. I drink enough of it to fall asleep, I will wake up cranky. Energy drinks seems to have me crash right away, but an hour later I am fine. The next day I am in such a mood. I have to watch how much caffeine I take.

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[Tiddler]

It was worth a try but it’s not working. Getting headaches and am very grouchy.

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[Geoduck]

ADD Drugs aren’t licensed for adults where you are? Really? Wow, that is totally awful My doc was able to look up proper dosage for adults of my weight and everything. I take Adderall XR, and sometimes the short release pill (sometimes I forget to take my medicine in the morning, and the XR stays in my system too long to take it after 10:00am, when I remember, finally. Then I take half of a short release pill, which will get me to the afternoon. Usually happens on the weekend, when my schedule is different).

Yes, they are licensed, and even advertised for adult use here in the US. Sometimes, things depend on the state in which you live (I’m currently in Kansas), but for the most part, if the FDA approves it, most states will allow it’s use.

Are you the person from Great Britain?

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[Tiddler]

Yes. I’m in England. Big learning curve for me and probably for my GP when I see her next week!

I’ve written about my failed caffeine experiment here. http://adultadhdjourney.blogspot.com/ It was worth a try!

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[caper]

Here’s how caffeine works:

http://lifehacker.com/5585217/what-caffeine-actually-does-to-your-brain

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[Anonymous]

When I wake up at 2 or 3, I have a cup of coffee in bed and read. After that I sleep great.

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[Tiddler]

The doctor who diagnosed me said that caffeine can make some people with ADHD sleepy. It doesn’t have that effect on me unfortunately as I have terrible trouble sleeping.

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[Anonymous]

Before I started my meds….I used to drink coffee in the morning, to get me going. and would compesate with red bull just before my work service (restaurant rush) and also 15 mins before I played a hockey game. This would give me a kick start, and the adrenaline would compesate when the caffeine rush stopped. It worked great for me.

However, if i just took it to be more productive…without that “situational rush”, when it would die off I would get tired, cranky, sometimes have some serious headaches, and not to mention that caffein and coffee is a diuretic wich means you have to make sure to drink lots of water.

The first situation made the caffeine helpfull, but the second one was horrible and definitly not a good life decision.

hope this helps

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[billd]

tiddler I used to drink a Pepsi or Coke or something about an hour before bed.

I’ve done a lot of research on caffeine lately, and frankly, although it’s a stimulant, it can’t replace the proper drugs for ADHD because it works a lot differently and is a whole lot worse for you. ( I guess it looks like caper has too)

Still, I need mine. Funny, I was told to lay off it completely while I was on this one drug for a week – I didn’t suffer any of the withdrawal symptoms at all, but do feel better WITH it.

It landed my wife in the hospital a few years ago, nearly killed her.

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[Anonymous]

I’m on adderall now, but before I went on, I self-medicated with 5 hour energy drinks. They last longer than red bull or monster (they’re caffeine and vitamin B in a shot, not over caffeinated soda), and you don’t get the teeth rot, bloating and over-eating issues you get with soda.

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[billd]

mr puma – please explain the over-eating issues you get with soda.

Educate me – I keep hearing similar, but want to know details.

I had a Marine once tell me that “even if you switch to diet soda, you will gain weight, you have to cut soda totally if you wish to lose weight”.

He was not a tall man, and he was a man of slight build, but I swear, he’d probably kill you easily with just a bear hug. Slim, all muscle.

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[Author]

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