What does caffeine do to an ADHD child?

From our video partners

ADHD
Learn how to spot the signs.

It was then I was put on Ritalin for quite some time (ever since on and off) and either due to comorbidity of other diagnoses or heredity, I've since become an acute alcoholic and drug addict and like many of my peers I know that suffer from Add/ADHD too either due to impulsive, situational depression due to organization and attempted failings at navigation around a more linearly apt minded world have come out without prodding to exclaim they and I most believe that stimulants such as ritalin and or amphetamines of varying degree have outright contributed to or provided the latter day angst of addiction to said such stimulants in youth.

I urge parents to use extreme caution with these chemicals to treat the symptoms of Attention Deficit in children. That was my first memory of mental shift and change and not that it was comfortable completely having the wind taken out of my sails, but it sure was the first time my brain had an alien catalyst provide norepinephrine and dopamine to enlist an altered state for me. I do find it as I did then a bit dysphoric, but I gradually eat less pills and started to "self medicate" around 8th and 9th grade. That has led to a world of problems for me in later years and I attribute that partially toward stimulants fed to me at the age of 7. As far as drugs go I tend to lean toward downers, drink or opiates in my adulthood.

Parents, stimulants can be dangerous for a developing child's brain. Around that same time I witnesses two separate accidents involving my parents resulting in my fathers paraphernalia and my mothers reconstructive surgery along with an injured younger sister. PTSD or whatever any number of reasons it could have been as a kid, it was hard not to gravitate toward drugs. Comorbidity in at the very least almost always effects children with ADD/ADHD at some level or another including a somewhat anti authoritative status or such. ADHD is a very real thing and will continue to effect a child's affect and personality towards themselves always,its a very trying condition to have, albeit not without some ups in such a paradoxical way. My father considers his paraphernalia his second handicap second to ADHD. Like I said, I'm 28 and still a spaz and remember how I felt growing up feeling different than other children how they seemed to ride a smoother rail and look up from a more legible page navigating around than I and that type of thing will also effect a child while growing up. Learning disabilities don't indicate or mean one is inferior or stupid (sometimes quite the opposite), it just means maybe then may need more time to work on things at school or try alternative healthy ways to calm down after recess and acclimate toward class. I do however "calm" when given a stimulant and both my Father and I drink coffee or tea to relax at night, before his diagnosis in adult hood pots of coffee, but it always doesn't make a pill or cup a straight cure for the problem. Treating the symptom and not the disorder doesn't always suffice. Thank you all for your time and try more of a combined effect if possible, I know, trust me! It's a gift and a curse both at once, but I find most of us afflicted quite enjoyable and engaging most often. Don't let your kids feel internally alienated or in fact slow on the uptake and different, just love em as I'm sure you do and explore and try a multitude of things and if all else fails caffeinated the lil critters and send em off to school (just joking), just use caution with the pharmaceuticals, I wouldn't wish chemical dependence on least favorite soul. excuse any spelling errors please, jc

Answer

Another voice from someone for whom caffeine has a total knock-out effect. It's better than Ambien. Whether that's a function of having ADHD or the fact that I've been taking my Adderall prescription for almost ten years is an interesting question, but it seems to me that the anecdotal evidence strongly supports a connection between caffeine and fatigue for one or the other.

I was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD when I was four years old. Since I was about eleven, I have been self-medicating with caffeine. I am 22 now, and I was recently diagnosed with fibrocystic breast disorder, a disorder which can be caused by consuming large quantities of caffeine.

This disease does not just affect women, and I can tell you first hand that it can get extremely painful. It was definitely caused by the daily doses of caffeine I exposed myself over the course of nearly twelve years.

Just because a chemical is easily accessible without a prescription, does not change the fact that it is a drug, and it does not guarantee a lack of side effects - especially when consumed on a regular basis over a long period of time.

I am not saying that your child is going to get cysts, or stunted growth, or a heart condition, or anything like that. I am just saying that, as with all things, moderation is the key. Never try to medicate - especially a child who is in the midst of rapid development - without first consulting a doctor.

Answer

I have a 4 year old son that has begun to have serious behavioral issues in preschool. He is a loving, playful and overall respectful 4 year old, but over the last several months has had significant increases in outbursts, hitting, biting and tantrums in class. The teachers and I have worked very closely on his environment and after all was said and done we decided it was time to seek outside help. Hyperactivity, listlessness and extreme fidgeting were the major "classifiers" of his behavior and several Dr's evaluated him and all indicators pointed to ADHD. My reluctance to medicate lead me to alot of food management solutions. By serious cutbacks in processed sugars, dairy products and the introduction of 3 doses of 40mg. of caffeine per day (in the form of a fruit and black tea smoothie) we have eliminated our "incidents". He is participating at longer lengths with other children, sitting for project time and going for 10-15 minutes strong during self play centers. Teachers are amazed and frankly so am I. The best thing is even at 4 years old, my son even notices and asks for his "food medicine" on his own.

Answer

I can't really answer in a scientific manner, but being a seventeen year-old who has had ADHD all his life, I can say from personal experience that caffeine doesn't have the same effect on me it does on most people. Instead of making me more active and stimulated, it actually has more of a "calm-down" effect; I actually drink a caffeinated drink like tea or coffee before I go to bed or before I take a test because I find it helps me to relax. Scientifically, I can't explain this, but trust me -- it works.

Parenthetically, Ritalin seems to work in a similar manner; If you've ever seen someone who doesn't have ADD/ADHD take it, it's not pretty; they get jittery and hyper, because it's essentially a stimulant that hyperactive people respond to differently.

Answer

I have heard similar second-hand anecdotes(!) of children with attention deficit problems (as opined by teachers/parents) who get relief and are able to focus better after drinking caffeine. I wonder if this doesn't recommend a strategy for improving kids' performance in school: Hold off on the new drugs for a while. Start your kid on a cup of hot joe in the morning! Sure sounds nice and natural to me.

Answer

I have to agree with DT that it was always a calming thing for me even now at 24 I still deal with adhd and caffeine still helps with other things don't.

Answer

Caffeine works by disallowing calming chemicals to attach to neurons. It does not stimulate the central nervous symptom.

Thus, caffeine denies mental relaxation, and does nothing to increase attentiveness or focus.

Answer

While it's true that caffeine disallows Adenosine connection in your body (which allows it to relax), it also stimulates the production of adrenaline and dopamine. Common ADD medications work by stimulating the production of dopamine. Note that the calming, focusing affects of dopamine production in ADD sufferers is counteracted somewhat by the adrenaline production and adenosine blocking of caffeine, so you've got opposing forces working at the same time. But it is possible for caffeine to have a "calming" affect in this manner.

Answer

Having lived with ADHD all my life (now at 34 years) I can tell you that caffeine definitely "slows" me down. I have anecdotal evidence from ADD acquaintances over the years confirming my own results. If I want to sleep, a big cup of tea or coffee at night is all it takes. Should we try this on children? Careful and intelligent experimentation (in consultation with a doc) could keep a youngster off Ritalin and thus avoid some of the recent stigmatize associated with the over-medication of America's youth while affordable and simply calming an out of control child. Please be careful though, my own mother avoided all meds on me and I was bouncing off walls, but on the other hand I was able to explore my creativity which has helped me as an adult. My two cents

Answer

I am 42 years old. I was started on Dexedrine when I was 12 and was on it for 24 years. I then switched to Cylert for 6 years. These drugs got me through Electrical Engineering school. Without the drugs, I would be digging ditches for a living. I was failing grade school. With the drugs, I aced school and enjoyed it. But I had to get off the drugs last year (Cylert was making me dizzy, I thought). After 30 years of the drugs "helping me", I was very afraid. I was worried if I could keep my job. I believe the combination of being on the Atkins diet and 2 cups of coffee (one in the morning and one at NOON) has keep my ADHD in check.

Answer

In reference to the statement "caffeine does nothing for attentional deficit". This is NOT accurate information. Research has proven that caffeine is an effective stimulant for managing the symptoms of ADD/ADHD in adults and children. Caffeine assists the brain to focus and stay on task. Many children that struggle with inattentiveness can be helped by a small amount of caffeine. Research is also showing that many adults that state "I just can't get moving without my morning coffee", actually have undiagnosed ADD and are self-medicating very effectively with the all natural stimulant of caffeine. Also, new research has shown that 2 ounces of caffeine every hour (less for children, of course) is very effective in sustaining long term attention and avoids afternoon brain fog. It is said to be more effective than drinking a mammoth cup in the morning, as large amounts of caffeine cause blood sugar levels to rise, adding to fatigue and brain fog. Protein is also helpful for ADD/ADHD.

Answer

I have a 6 year old son with ADHD. He has been medicated for about 6 months now. We started with Adderall XR, it seemed to help for the first week or two and then we started noticing short intervals of uncontrollable hyperactivity appearing again, and with in another 2 weeks it was like it was before the meds. Now we are trying Strattera. Knock on wood, we have been on this for 5 months and it helps. He is starting to have a more uncontrolled hyperactivity again and upon the advice of my boss, who is a mother of an ADHD boy, I have just today started to research the idea of a cup of coffee in the morning for him. I came across this website and out of ALL the ones I have visited this has helped the most. Thank you to all the people affected by ADHD posting their experience and opinions about caffeine VS ADHD. I have just given my son a very small cup of coffee so we will see what happens.

Answering

It's funny, I was just recently diagnosed with ADHD in my early 20's. In college I never used caffeine to try to stay up and study. The few times I did take large doses of caffeine, I fell asleep. On two occasions I took 6 caffeine pills (I'm not big on moderation), and another time I had two triple espressos. Each time I did so to try to stay up, and each time I was in bed within two hours. I remember telling people that once, and I got so much flack from them (That's impossible, you're clearly exaggerating), so I stopped telling people. In retrospect, that was a clear sign that I was ADHD. Just like everyone else here, caffeine (all stimulants) seem to do very little for me (other than calming me down). Meanwhile, sedatives kick my rear. I take sleeping pills because my ADHD meds can make it difficult to sleep, but I have to take half or a quarter or a pill (always on the lowest dosage possible for the medication) if I want any chance of being awake and functional before evening the next day. Anyone else with ADHD find they have a similar reaction?

Answer

I am 43 years old and have had ADHD all my life. It's cut a path of destruction through my ENTIRE life - it's compounded a great deal of emotional problems and kept me from my full potential. I'm similar to the previous guy who said he'd "never have made it through" college without meds - neither have I. I've tested to an IQ of 121 and all of my friends are that or smarter than me - but I've never been able to stick with anything for more than 5 minutes or maybe a few years. Caffeine makes me feel "stupid", calm in other words, and I'm currently experimenting with caffeine pills - I'll go see a shrink and possibly try the meds - but in the past I found some of the stimulants to make me feel like I wanted to grind my teeth out of my head. DO NOT avoid addressing ADD or ADHD and consider caffeine or meds, don't be me - a 43 year old guy who had the potential to be happily married (to a guy) with a great job and family ... but instead my emotional problems compounded with ADHD have left me years behind.

Answer

I am still a child myself, however I am fourteen years old and have been diagnosed with ADHD. For the last seven years I have been on Adderall XR, and I too noticed short intervals of uncontrollable hyperactivity. I then upped my dosage of Adderall from 15mg to 25mg which periodically stopped my outbreaks. However I also have found that my medicine has caused emotional problems for me such as, not being able to control my anger, or not being able to openly share how I felt with anyone. I don't much care for coffee, but I love Coca-Cola so everyday on top of my medicine I have a few cans of pop when needed. When I start to feel jittery I just pop open another can. This, I would have to say has been the most effective way of calming my nerves and works almost immediately. Though I have noticed that I now have a dependency on caffeine and must have my pop or I become worse than I ever am. I hope I could help you and your son.

Answer

I am 30 years old and only recently diagnosed with ADHD. I never thought of myself as hyperactive, but after starting medication, I realize that I was extremely jittery, fidgety, and "revved up" my whole life. Caffeine helps me to wake up and get going in the morning, but it also makes me calmer, does not keep me awake at night, and helps me to focus. Sounds a little confusing, but it gives me exactly the same effect as Adderall, just way milder. Caffeine definitely helps, but would not solve the problem all by itself, unless someone had rather mild ADHD. I wouldn't recommend drinking gallons of soda pop, as it has a lot of harmful effects. Coffee or strong tea would be better. As an adult, I'm not worried, but I don't know how caffeine effects growing children.

Answer

I am a 36 year old mother of 3. The kids are now ages 15, 13, and 10. When my son (the 13 year old) was in 1st grade he was very out of control. The school suggested a Doctor who "specialized" in determining whether a child was ADD/ADHD or Bi-Polar. Apparently the symptoms are similar. After much testing the Doctor told us that our son had the most severe case of ADHD he had ever seen. My husband and myself were tested to see which parent he inherited it from. The results were that Both myself and my husband have ADD. So the girls were tested and they also have ADD. My son's hyperactivity effectively led to the whole family being diagnosed. We tried Adderal for my son at age 6. This drug made my son loose his appetite. He was a walking skeleton. We tried Concerta when he was 8. This drug induced night terrors Not to mention all the appetite suppressant of Adderal. (Night terrors are a sleepwalking nightmare.) After taking him off Concerta, his night terrors vanished. My oldest daughter also tried Concerta. She began seeing things while awake. Imagine trying to calm a 10 year old girl because she saw dead bodies walking around her classroom!! I myself tried the drug Concerta. It threw me into severe depression. I did not want to get out of bed in the morning. I laid in bed and cried. My husband had enough of his family falling apart. We weaned ourselves off the drugs. We now us Caffeine to help us focus. It really helps chase off the "fog" for myself, the girls, and my husband. And our son says that it helps him relax, the fidgets, and jitters go away and he can focus in class. My two cents worth? Don't give your children these dangerous drugs unless they are a danger to others and you have exhausted all other forms of treatment. There are several other things you can do besides give your kids drugs. Help them stay organized, talk about things the school can do to help, Get Family counseling, Talk about anger management, Cognitive therapy to give them skills to deal with there symptoms. Keep an open, honest, daily dialog going with your kids. You will be surprised, the kids will think of things to try to help themselves. If your kids are simply a wiggle worm that can't focus. Try Coffee. Coffee will not give them hallucinations and it won't slow down their appetite, long term effects of caffeine seem like so much less of a problem then stunting a kids growth cause they won't eat or driving them crazy with seeing things. Most of all hang in there. I have been through hell and back. I know how tough it is. Fight for your kids rights. Don't let the doctors drug them cause it is an easy fix for them. Just my experience. Thanks.

Answer

I have had ADHD my whole life. It has been very difficult. The more independent responsibilities I had the more challenging things became. School-what a nightmare. I've often thought of medication. Primarily because this has been a lifelong problem and I often wonder if I could have spared myself a lot of pain. And believe me---it is painful to have parents call you lazy your entire life, to run around in a haze losing things like it is second nature, and have your mind running on a different circuitry (spelling?) than other people have. As a special ed. teacher, I have had the opportunity to instruct students who share the same issues I've had, Preschool-High School level. The medications, even when the work, have significant issues. One- when you start a medication at a young age, you never really learn the educational/social/behavioral coping skills you need to live with Attention Deficit Disorder. As bad as it is-and frustratingly so- you do learn how to compensate. When you take medication- you mask this, and a lot of my students have had trouble coping without the drugs. Two-Side effects. There are many and some scary, especially with the new non-stimulant kind. I have been a big lover of caffeine for years. Sleeping during all night caffeine binges, also. I used to even drink Jolt soda (these were the days before Red Bull) and go straight to sleep. I thought-Gosh that is really weird. No one believed me either. However, it was a real indication of how strong the chemistry of ADD/ADHD is. I have stopped caffeine while I was pregnant. I missed my clarity of mind. It isn't even this addicted state or anything although during college I drank a whole lot of caffeine. It changes my processing ability. I truly believe it because I live it everyday.

First answer by D.T.. Last edit by Sdresh. Contributor trust: 180 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 204 [recommend question]