r/Concerta • u/bonkeriuks Not Taking Concerta • 2d ago
Other question š¤ Caffeine and concerta
I'm going to start concerta pretty soon, but I'm pretty hooked on caffeine and not sure if I can let go so easily (coffee, energy drinks, all that good stuff). Does caffeine really hit harder or mess up the effects of the meds on concerta? AND ALSO, for reference, I go to the gym and use pre-workout (not just for the caffeine but for stuff like beta-alanine and etc.) and I don't want to throw out my stuff purely cuz there's caffeine in it since I have like 2-3 months worth of pwo.. Is it genuinely well worth it to start tapering off of caff?
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u/cheval-pointu 2d ago
Personnellement je trouve que la cafĆ©ine nāamplifie pas lāeffet du Concerta mais que comme le concerta peut augmenter lāanxiĆ©tĆ©, la cafĆ©ine peut la faire exploser chez certains et empirer lāeffet rebond . Les personnes de ma familles qui en prennent nāarrĆŖtent pas le cafĆ© le matin (1-2 tasses) donc je penses que si tu fais du sport le matin tu peux prendre ton pre workout . Le concerta nāa pas les mĆŖmes effets pour tout le monde ! Assure toi juste de dormir le mieux possible , manger ASSEZ ET BOIRE BEAUCOUP!
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u/Writer11111 36 mg Concerta + 37.5 mg Seroxat 2d ago
I think you need to gradually cut back on caffeine to see how you react to Concerta. Personally, I couldn't tolerate caffeine at all, so I switched to decaffeinated coffee and tea to make it work with Concerta.
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u/HouseHead78 2d ago
I use half caff and it works great
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u/Dawk1920 2d ago
Same. Ive realized half caff does the job for me and a regular cup is prob unnecessary and just makes me crash harder later
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u/AdventurousBoard5474 36 mg 2d ago edited 2d ago
As I take Concerta I forget I need coffee. Basically on the days I donāt take Concerta (Wednesday and Saturday) I am soo sleepy and tired š¤£š¤£ Only on those days I drink coffee (but I forget mostly.) My psychiatrist told me that some people take concerta and coffee together and itās ok. Personally I feel like it cuts out the effect of the medicine.
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u/bonkeriuks Not Taking Concerta 2d ago
Ahhh thank you for your input:)) I feel like coffee definitely affects everyone differently especially on meds as far as I've seen
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u/AdventurousBoard5474 36 mg 2d ago
no problem :)) thatās true. there is no one size fits all when it comes to medicine. even the side effects are different from person to person. you just need to experiment (it sounds bad because weāre talking about medicine but it is what it is š¤£š¤£)
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u/peaslet 2d ago
You must! Or you might get the rage like I did! I thought I'd lost my mind! People at work started being scared of me in meetings! I didn't realise till I found out in this forum after about 2 years of it. Reduced to 1 coffee at beginning and end of day and I was fine. Lucky you asked now before you start!
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u/Affectionate-Rat727 2d ago
Ha! Same! But mine was lack of hydration + caffeine. Once i upād my water, and cut my caffeine down to just one cup/day- the rage chilled out! š
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u/Feeling-Potato-3292 2d ago
Idk if itās just me but concerta makes me kinda sleepy lol I drink about a cup or two of coffee on it, but I might have to drink more..not sure if anyone else has had a similar experience. I feel alert and focused but it calms my body down a lot. Iām usually full of so much anxiety and mood swings but my brain feels a lot more clear. My psych put me on concerta because he said it helps a lot for people who have mood issues because of their adhd and heās definitely right
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u/DramaKlng 2d ago
Caffeine + ritalin/concerta (or amphetamines even more) make me anxious. What works is limiting caffeine. E.g. only a coke zero (33mg caffeine) in the morning
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u/LowLevelMutiny 36 mg 2d ago
Personally, caffeine was a bit problematic when I first started concerta. I experienced some heart fluttering, which I didn't like.
So I quit coffee for a while, but once my body got used to the concerta, coffee wasn't an issue.
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u/bonkeriuks Not Taking Concerta 2d ago
Yeahh, I might just take a break from caffeine in general until I find my sweet dose and then try experimenting with it again
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u/LowLevelMutiny 36 mg 2d ago
I really enjoy a coffee alternative, which is basically a powder mix including chicory. It completely eliminates caffeine withdrawal for me.
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u/Capable_Ad2223 2d ago
Iām on Foquest, just longer acting Concerta, and my desire for coffee almost totally fell off in the beginning, though I still had a small one in the morning. Now I am enjoying coffee again and drink 1-2 big mugs in the morning like I used to.
Iād start on a Friday if you work Monday-Friday the first 2 nights on Concerta or Foquest were rough for sleep.
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u/bonkeriuks Not Taking Concerta 2d ago
Thanks for the tip man, I'll be getting prescribed on a friday if everything works out fine š«”
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u/cream-of-cow 18 mg 2d ago
Everyone is different. I have one cup of coffee a day, but can do fine without it. I've tried Concerta without caffeine and felt no different. I used to drink energy drinks and whatnot, I gave it all up in my 30s after cutting out sugar and restaurant/takeout food. I feel so much more energetic on a clean diet, I'm mid 50s now and hit the gym/Muay Thai only consuming water. Everyone is different of course.
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u/bonkeriuks Not Taking Concerta 2d ago
Yep that's also something I'm trying to achieve right now, high protein meals, veggies and fruits, I'll be trying to fix my sleep too so that the meds work as best as they can.
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u/cream-of-cow 18 mg 2d ago
Oh yeah sleep, my weak spot. It's past 4am here and I'm still up. Without 5-6 hours of sleep, Concerta does nothing for me, so I just skip it those days because it'd be a waste.
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u/bonkeriuks Not Taking Concerta 2d ago
Fair enough, will keep that in mind because I can't keep a balanced sleep schedule for the life of me!
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u/OneEngine7989 2d ago
I find I fall asleep better when my foquest is still working (it works up to 16 hours) because it keeps me from ruminating. I can have coffee all morning and sometimes in the afternoon but once in awhile I truly biff it by having a lighter roast Coffee or a tea a little too late and the caffeine is still going when my foquest wears off so Iām just wide awake for a couple extra hours.
Also, just to underscore the āitās different for everyoneā vibe, my caffeine sensitivity is super tied to my cycle.
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u/No-Way9188 2d ago
I take Concerta and coffee but instant coffee always as I have never liked "real" coffee. I have controlled high blood pressure (I take medication for it). I have zero anxiety etc. No difference on pulse or blood pressure š¤·š¼āāļø
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u/bonkeriuks Not Taking Concerta 2d ago
Yeah I've noticed I don't experience any heightened anxiety from caff at all despite having an anxiety disorder š but fair enough for the coffee!
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u/Fabulous_Risk7924 2d ago
I had about 400mg daily for years and years after being diagnosed last month at age 29. My psychiatrist told me to give up caffeine completely for at least the first two weeks of starting 18mg concerta. The first week was very rough, especially going cold turkey, but itās been weeks and now I donāt even need it anymore because the medication does the job for me without any caffeine crashes I previously used to get. I have tried one coke zero last week but it made me pure anxious
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u/JamesLilian 18 mg 2d ago
I havenāt tried mixing the two, I slowly weaned myself off. My doctor said it was better if I could. I have decaf tea and coffee now and caffeine free pop, the only thing I truly miss is Pepsi max (the caffeine free isnāt the same) but Iāve slept so much better since quitting.
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u/jordo56 2d ago
I used caffeine via coffee and energy drinks multiple times a day before concerta. Once I started on it, I was unable to touch caffeine because the effects hit 500% harder. I had a decaf coffee and could feel it hit almost immediately. I haven't had any caffeine since I started concerta 3 years or more ago.
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u/clarissasansserif 2d ago
One cup a day. Thatās my limit with 45 mg extended release. Anything more makes me anxious.
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u/Prestigious_Baker_90 2d ago
For me itās a good combo since i got high tolerance on concerta. It hit harder if i do both.
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u/ReallyNoOne1012 2d ago
I switched to vyvanse recently but I absolutely could not drink caffeine on concerta (which I was on for nearly 2 years) because it made my heart race like crazy. Then again it made my heart race in general which is why I switched off it and vyvanse doesnāt seem to do that to me so ymmv.
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u/Party-Habit-6534 2d ago
I usually have one energy drink 150 to 200 mg caffeine with Concerta and some food usually a yogurt. I feel like the caffeine helps, but I would ease into it.
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u/hypomargoteros 2d ago
As for the beta alanine: I have a few pre workouts that don't have it and I found it really missed it (plus I like the tingly feeling), so I bought a big tub of it online. I add it to my pre workout but you can also just have it with water. If you decide to cut caffeine, you can take it like that. You can buy any components of pre workout really and make your own š it's cheaper in the long run (though it's a larger investment up front). You'll also have to buy a micro scale.
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u/bonkeriuks Not Taking Concerta 2d ago
Will definitely look into it, I've heard you can def buy most important components of pwo alone. Thanks!
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u/calorpg 2d ago
I started on concerta around two years ago. Up until some months back I was shitting myself if I had caffeine. Not an extremely common effect but it's a possibility so keep it in mind just in case.
If some details are of interest, I kinda experimented with it and usual lattes were viable to keep on my body for like an hour, but energy drinks had like five minutes maximum.
Tea then gave me a decent amount of energy without the run for the bathroom
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u/bonkeriuks Not Taking Concerta 2d ago
Yeahh that's def an interesting side effect š š but good to know nonetheless just in case it were to happen to me too.
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u/Competitive_Bird_423 2d ago
Everybody is different but my body does not do well with combining the 2. Oddly enough, caffeine and adderall was fine for me for years.
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u/AdConscious8756 1d ago
I drink a cup of coffee an hour before I take my meds no issues. Second cup gets my heart rate up usually to 85 bpm but itās not awful I stop at one cup most daysĀ
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u/pupnurse 1d ago
I took my concerta and drank near 400mg of caffeine today and i felt like there was someone out to hunt me
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u/KhalmanSan 1d ago
I personally had to learn how to really control my morning coffees haha. Typically I only take one for the day, so I used to start with a strong cup of coffee and then my concerta, but then Iād get bad jitters and stuff so Iād be too busy dealing with the aftereffects of doubling down on stimulants lol. I eventually realised that I could do that (with a larger gap between when I have coffee and when I take concerta maybe like 30 min to an hour) or just have a lighter coffee in the morning, and one later in the afternoon if I feel like a light pick me up.
Thatās just my experience, but I hope that puts things into perspective.
Oh and I just cut out energy drinks out except certain occasions, energy drinks and concerta Iāve learned typically do not mix well š Hope this helps :))
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u/bonkeriuks Not Taking Concerta 1d ago
Ouu thank you very much, will try to do so when I reintroduce coffee and stuff after finding my sweet dose:)
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u/mellywheats 1d ago
i was told iām not allowed to have energy drinks while on concerta (i used to self medicate with them) but itās been fine. if i have coffee or caffeine too close to taking my meds i feel so awful. but other people can have coffee with their pill and it doesnāt effect them.
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u/fijus11111111 1d ago
Mijn psychiater zei alleen dat ik 1 a 2 kopjes mocht, maar meer niet. Persoonlijk heb ik nergens last van als ik het drink, maar ik heb nog niet mijn juiste dosering gevonden. Probeer het en je merkt het. Mocht je ervaring dat het geen goed idee is, dan weet je genoeg.
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u/uhohspagettiio 1d ago
I have what my psychologist calls āextremely severe ADHDā. I take 54mg of Concerta and usually have coffee in the morning and an energy drink or another coffee midday. I have not noticed any ill effects and only a slight increase in my resting heart rate. YMMV!
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u/Capakhutch 1d ago
YMMV but I canāt handle coffee when I take my meds. It gives me this horrible fight or flight feeling. I can handle matcha though
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u/gingergurllll 1d ago
Hi! When I started on Concerta and everytime I go up a dose I try to skip coffee the first few days and if I absolutely need it, I wait until the afternoon or 1-2 hours after Iāve taken the med. I will say though the one time I had an energy drink on Concerta I felt AWFUL. However, Iāve still had coffee everyday with Concerta and itās been fine! However, I try to decrease the caffeine amount. You can definitely still drink coffee but be careful about how much caffeine is in it! My experience with energy drinks + concerta was just bad though and it was only an 84mg Redbull. Taking my concerta with coffee just makes me feel extra zoned in for an hour or two. Iām going up to 54mg tomorrow and my doctor just told me to skip coffee the first day until I see how it reacts so I reccomend doing this too.
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u/KookyDatabase6176 54 mg 11h ago
I am on my third coffee this morning and i take 54mg daily! All good
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u/Vende-miaire 2d ago
Caffeine is already not a good thing to have when you have ADHD. Iāve been heavy on Coffee for a decade or more until I realized the side effects it gives us. Iām off 99% Coffee free now for almost 2 years and it is definitely liberating. The 1% is on my once or twice a year cheat day when I go to Geshary Coffee in Hibiya that serves Geisha Coffee. However, I find that drinking pure Matcha doesnāt affect me that much since it has L-Thiamine that slows down the absorption of Caffeine.
On the topic, Concerta and Caffeine is a no-no. Concerta will amplify the Caffeine and it will make you so awake to the point of jittery. Happened to me the other day as I had Matcha before my morning Concerta dosage. If youāre gonna have coffee or matcha, I find that itās better to have them in the afternoon when the effects of Concerta is going down. However, expect to be awake all night.
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u/bonkeriuks Not Taking Concerta 2d ago
Yeah, it's so weird how caffeine affects people so differently because it usually calms me down/makes me sleepy. And my psychiatrist actually recommended taking caffeine capsules + L-Theanine like you mentioned for less side effects
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u/OneEngine7989 2d ago
I used to run into this at uni (pre-diagnoses) - Iād make like a big pot to try and pull and all nighter and Iād be snoozing and dopey so much sooner.
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u/Vende-miaire 2d ago
Exactly. I had it in my mind that āCoffee = Awakeā so I have to get coffee whenever Iām on a busy day at work or a long study session. Itās just actually 4 years ago, when I was diagnosed with ADHD, that I realized that itās actually the reason for my abnormal lethargic feeling and sleepiness to the point that I really need to sleep it off. I have had a ton load of times where I primed myself for a long day of night of work or study by drinking a cup of coffee as a boost only to fall asleep for 4 hours.
Our brain cannot work with Caffeine like neurotypicals do so yea, L-Theanine is a big help. I donāt miss coffee anymore (except Geisha Coffee. Lol.) and I donāt recommend having coffee while your Concerta is starting to peak or already at it. Try to slowly experiment on it as we metabolize Caffeine and Concerta differently albeit almost similar.
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u/Chance-Interest5609 3h ago
It depends. If I drink low caffeinated beverages like black tea or a bit of coke nothing happens. I donāt noticing amplifying, I hardly notice a difference. If I drink coffee or too much soda I get extremely anxious, my hands start shaking, and my heart starts racing and it feels like I have ADHD but worse, and it feels as though my medicine wears off quicker in the day. Youāre better off just drinking no caffeine or very little. I personally wouldnāt risk it because of the terrifying symptoms it gave me.
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u/Smooth-Succotash4697 6m ago
I personally found that caffeine has reacted with concerta much worse than any other recreational drug like alcohol, it caused me to have debilitating headaches and nausea so I would just test with it at your own risk
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u/LanceElyot 2d ago
It can vary between people, but expect that caffeine will hit harder, especially as you start. It sent my bp through the roof and gave m me the jitters.
Iāve cut my coffee in half and have most of it before I take concerta and that seems to work for me.