adhd and caffeine

[BurntoutMedc_Student]

okay so I am a coffee addict, which I bet most of you are, and I am not on any medication or therapy or anything.

I've noticed that I usually can't function without my morning cup of coffee, it's not that I feel sleepy, I just can't focus without it. But I've also noticed if I drink another cup shortly after, my heart rate would go wild, I would breath really fast, and jitter. Same thing if I consume let's say one cookie, as in something high in sugar. Is this normal? Because from what I have seen, it seems like people with adhd can drown way more coffee than I can handle. I can still drink another cup but I have to keep a minimum of 4 hours between them.

[STEM_Dad]

I had my first cup of coffee at age 11. (It had so much sugar and milk in it, it was like a coffee-flavored hot chocolate, minus the chocolate.)

I started drinking it regularly at age 12 (just 1 cup about 2 times a week, before school or on a weekend).

By the time I started college, I was drinking 1-2 cups every day. And by my mid-20s, I was up to 3-4 cups per day (I had a regular mug before work, a travel mug that held 2 cups, and would often get a refill at work if someone made a pot.)

By my mid-40s, I was consuming a whole pot a day (10-12 cup coffee pot), and sometimes another couple of cups to keep my going after work.

Most of the time, I had sugar in my coffee. I also couldn't resist any sweets offered to me (especially donuts, cookies, and almost anything chocolate).

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At 45, I got diagnosed with ADHD. First I was prescribed Adderall, and now I take atomoxetine (aka Strattera, a non-stimulant). I'm back down to about 3-4 cups a day, sometimes don't finish it so, and don't need it after work.

I feel like I could permanently switch to decaf, if I had to. I still like the taste of decaf. I now drink it without sugar most of the time. (Coffee is just my beverage of choice. My other favorites are hot chocolate and soda...but I am trying to reduce my sugar intake.)

I can also refrain from reading sweets most of the time. I can even usually decline the offer of a donut, which I was never able to do before ADHD meds. (I was feeling anxiety this morning, and ate chocolate donuts and had sugar and flavored creamer in my coffee...so not the norm for me these days.)

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Caffeine is a stimulant. It triggers a release of a little bit of dopamine, which helps to treat ADHD symptoms.

Nicotine is a stronger dopamine stimulant, so many people with ADHD who start smoking cigarettes, using other tobacco products, or vaping find it very hard to stop.

Eating sweets is pleasurable, so craving that leads to consuming sugar also releases dopamine. (This is the body naturally releasing it's dopamine stores, in pursuit of pleasure.)

The pursuit of pleasure, wishes, wants, and goals can trigger dopamine release.

Sex gives a dopamine boost, too. (I think it's all around... anticipation, engaging in, and climax.)

Certain illicit drugs trigger a huge dopamine release (particularly cocaine or methamphetamines). That's a big reason why they are so highly addictive.

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Why is caffeine so habit forming? Dopamine, for the most part. (Sugar, too, if you get those very sweet, barista-made coffees.)

Stimulant medications do a much better job of regulating dopamine release over several hours. (Better than frequent coffee breaks or smoking breaks.)

By the way, nicotine is so very effective at dopamine release, it is being studied as a possible treatment...if researchers can find a way to make it less addictive.

[PinkPanda23 in reply to STEM_Dad]

I hadn't heard about the nicotine, but I can vouch that it was very difficult for me to quit smoking 26 years ago. I used nicotine patches to wean off slowly over about 8 to 10 weeks. And I drink an average of 4 cups of coffee a day - it's both a focus method and a treat for me. I use Stevia to sweeten it, and before that came out, Sweet n Low. I can drink a very good coffee black, but that's rare. The sweetness and cream combination give me the dopamine hits I crave. And a fabulous treat for me is chocolate-covered coffee beans! 😋

[StanleyThyroid]

I am on medication now but I still drink coffee mostly decaf. I used to need lots of coffee to function - 2 to 3 cups first thing in the morning, though never after lunch. Are you diagnosed? Have you tried medication?

[JustMentallyLazy]

Sounds completely normal. We can still "overdose" caffeine and get the same amount of tremors. Quiet mind does not always equal that your peripheral nervous system wont react to excessive amount of signalling chemicals.

In regards to sugar. Out brains love energy, it consumes so much of it, but while carbs, especially fast acting carbs can yield an energy boost, they will also result in the body trying to compensate with increase insulin. High sugar intake leads to high blood sugar, leads to high insulin production leads to low blood sugar which can be expressed as tremors and fatigue.

[Ampersand1 in reply to JustMentallyLazy]

I was thinking this too from OP's post about insulin levels. If you're not eating anything for breakfast, the feelings you may be experiencing are less ADHD and more attributable to normal physiology. However, knowing the risk of getting the jittery feeling and still drinking that second cup does seem possibly related to the impulsive aspect of an ADHD diagnosis. You're not alone, either way. I didn't drink my first cup of coffee until I was 28 yo. It had such a profound effect on me that I couldn't imagine going a day without it ever again. But if I drank too fast, then I'd be feeling awfully uncomfortable the rest of the day.

My ultimate solution was actually simple: I got a yeti. Can't drink coffee very fast if it is super hot! And so that slowed my consumption rate and was really good