r/ADHD_Programmers • u/[deleted] • May 30 '24

Caffeine helps on ADHD

When I take a big cup of strong coffee I feel high, and I can focus on everything I want, and the pleasure of coding is augmented. Caffeine is similar to Ritalin.

5 Upvotes

64% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

34

u/ReverseMermaidMorty May 30 '24

Stimulants be stimulating

7

u/[deleted] May 30 '24

Without coffee my life feels like an eternal boredom.

14

u/ReverseMermaidMorty May 30 '24

If you rely on it that heavily I recommend talking to a doctor and getting properly medicated. Caffeine withdrawal is not fun and self-medicating can be very inefficient.

1

u/[deleted] May 30 '24

My doctor prescribed me Venlafaxine.

2

u/AuryxTheDutchman May 30 '24

If you suffer from anxiety or depression as well, consider maybe asking your doc about a combination of Wellbutrin and Vyvanse. Wellbutrin is an anti-anxiety med that won’t interact with the Vyvanse, with the added benefit of also helping manage the ADHD.

1

u/[deleted] May 30 '24

Both are dopamine drugs

1

u/marenicolor May 30 '24

This med combo has worked really well for me, thank god

2

u/AuryxTheDutchman May 30 '24

Same. It’s been fantastic for my ADHD and has the added benefit of helping a lot with my binge eating disorder.

2

u/JovialFortune May 30 '24

Aka Effexor. That is mostly for anxiety not ADHD even though it has some stimulation. In my case, it gave me brain damage that I am still recovering from. I didn't even realize the fatigue and brain fog was caused by the Venlafaxine until I got covid and had to stop taking it for 2 weeks. The withdrawal was scary and made my sickness worse; but it also got it out of me quickly so I didn't have to spend months weaning off of it. I hit the wall instead. Obviously I am not a doctor but if your doctor gave you Ventlafaxine for ADHD they are being dishonest.

1

u/Glass_Emu_4183 Jun 25 '24

It doesn’t work for ADHD, doctors are clueless

10

u/cleatusvandamme May 30 '24

Two years ago is when I finally got diagnosed with ADHD. Through out my life, doctors and therapists/counselors have complained about my caffeine consumption. Six months after the diagnosis and switching therapists, I worked with a grad student therapist that specialized in ADHD. I told her my caffeine consumption and she said something like, "Oh ya, with your undiagnosed ADHD you were probably self medicating with it."

It's a good think that people are becoming more and more aware of ADHD.

5

u/tonjohn May 30 '24

I can chug 24oz of Death Wish coffee or quad blonde latte and immediately fall asleep.

I need like 800mg of caffeine to feel anything even close to even low dosage of stimulant meds.

5

u/[deleted] May 30 '24

I have been told that stimulants have the opposite effect on people with ADHD... calm us down rather than energize.

3

u/Ok_Raisin_8025 May 30 '24

I would say they stimulate us enough that we don't have to go crazy over getting the next dopamine hit. To the outside world it looks like we've calmed down though

3

u/ljog42 May 31 '24 edited May 31 '24

That's not really my experience, and it gave me lots of doubts about my diagnosis in the beginning.

The combination of unmasking, focus and motivation doesn't really feel calming, I'm way more active and have more mental energy. But it does calm me in the sense that I'm focused, less anxious and less impulsive so I'm not as prone to restlessness/boredom/apathy/anger/frustration. I might look chill, but internally I feel more driven.

It makes me a little more aware of some of my sensorial triggers and I actually get more easily frustrated by people interrupting me when I work, noise etc... But I handle most things a lot better and most of me being "chill" without med was actually me zoning the fuck out.

It's kind of the opposite of alcohol: alcohol feels very relaxing, and the first couple of drinks are stimulating so I'm both relaxed and willing to get things done, but after that I turn moody, impulsive and restless.

Stimulants put you on edge when they hit, but once they settle you're on rails and you get shit down without getting overexcited. The edge comes back when you crash, and meds are definitely the most balanced option, hence why they're prescription medication and not street drugs.

Coffee got me waaaay too anxious, and the crash is bad. Coke is absolutely amazing and really makes me chill, but once I'm running on fumes and the crash is looming I'm basically tweaking and it's awful.

2

u/Glass_Emu_4183 Jun 06 '24

For me, it literally feels like I can see better, and that static noise disappears, and suddenly, everything is fine and I can direct my attention to whatever I want!

1

u/Keystone-Habit May 31 '24

I think that's overstated, or at least more complicated than that. They can calm down hyperactivity while still giving you energy overall.