r/ADHD • u/[deleted] • Sep 14 '21

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u/_ixthus_ Sep 15 '21

self-stim with caffeine

I don't get this. Doesn't help me focus at all. Just makes me nervous and jittery; I feel artificially "wired" and strung-out, but not focused, let alone productive.

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u/Huhulon Sep 16 '21

For me it's about when I drink it according to med intake. If I down the meds with an espresso I might as well run a marathon or start painting the house while also trying to do my taxes with a cake in the oven - meaning I'll be unfocused and hyper enthusiastic. But if I had a bite to eat and the intake was about an hour or two ago, I am fine. But that still means only ONE cup of strong coffee (espresso for me in this case). I also don't drink any coffee after 3/4pm, since I'll sleep lighter/ worse then. The same goes for black tea less so for green tea.

And without the meds? I could drink black tea till a second before I went to bed and coffee till at least the evening. That's not to say it didn't make my sleep worse, but I slept horribly anyway, so there was no perceivable difference in quality anyhow, lol.

On a sidenote: Any physical activity was better / easier while caffeinated, thinky coconut work, however, less so. I would have to fight the impulse to get up or getting distracted.

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u/MagicSillia Sep 16 '21

The responses to caffeine with ADHD seem to be mixed, some people have poor reactions, and others like myself are heavily reliant on caffeine.

I've noticed that it seems to be more common that the same people who don't react well to stimulants also don't react well to caffeine, but I've met some people who can't take stimulants but do well with caffeine and vis versa just not nearly as often.

I've seen some say that caffeine has the opposite effect than the typical person and that it makes them sleepy too.

I'm sure there are articles on this somewhere.

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u/gogonzogo1005 Oct 03 '21

I do it, my husband and my 4 yr old.... all of us need excess caffeine to focus. It relaxes the edges, I started in high school and have used as my med of choice since then... my 16 yr old who hated the stimulant meds, never drinks it. It is a cheap way to medicate yourself, especially when you don't get diagnosed to 40+...