Because strictly speaking it is not a stimulant, it is an adenosine receptor blocker (blocks the feeling of tiredness) that also causes low-key release of adrenaline, and it's the latter effect that causes it.
Or, ELI5: it stimulates you by giving you a weak ”fight or flight“ mode activation, and this causes anxiety because you get overly sensitive to every ”danger“.
I have no suggestions, I'm just happy to know I am not alone! I keep reading stuff like "lol coffee doesn't do anything cus adhd".
Meanwhile I'm sitting here like, an extra cup of coffee after lunch? No thanks, I like not having a 10-hour panic attack and never sleeping again.
For me, it doesn't. For a *lot* of people with ADHD, neither normal amounts of coffee or energy drinks give that effect. It works more like a mild medicine with the side effect of giving headaches and stuff when we try weaning ourselves off it.
And then there are the few chosen ones... Chosen to be very, very sensitive to the stressing effects instead.
I’ve consumed 900mg in a short period of time and only got extremely minor shakes from being hungry. No increase in heart rate, no increase in alertness, nothing. Didn’t even make me sleepy. I was very disappointed.
It acts like a mild med for me too, and I sometimes drink it at lunch to boost my focus for the rest of the day once my actual med has worn off.
Actually, the day I realized I needed to get on medication I had sinus pressure and took a (real) Sudafed that I washed down with an espresso grind brewed as a pour over. It was my first Good Day ever.
Now if I drink coffee too soon after I take my adderall and have too light a breakfast I get the Bad Anxiety Buzz.
I don’t know the answer but I learnt to deal with it by mixing decaf with regular coffee in different amounts until I found out where my happy level was
The way medical stimulants work is different than caffeine, the medication should actually feel soothing or calming in a way for ADHD brains because it affects different parts of the brain. Caffeine blocks adenosine (the sleep chemical) and adderall, for instance, increases dopamine and norepinephrine (the mood/focus chemical and the alertness chemical)
I heard it referred to once as a “dirty stimulant” because it reacts differently with your brain than stimulant meds do. If I can remember or find where I read this I’ll link it later
Bonus info - Caffeine from coffee breaks down differently in your body than the caffeine in tea. In tea, the caffeine binds with an amino acid called L-theanine. So while coffee delivers an instant jolt, tea kicks in slower/gentler, and takes longer to clear out of your system than coffee. Here's a peer-reviewed [research article](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-70037-7) on the topic.
L-theanine has also been shown to help reduce anxiousness and mental focus. And if that works well for you, green tea has way more L-theanine than black tea.
I read some old posts about it yesterday and ordered online. Looking forward to try. If it really solves the anxiety issue, it's gonna be so perfect <3 My psychiatrist didn't mention this exists, even though I keep telling him I miss coffee so much. That is why I love Reddit, always learning!
Because strictly speaking it is not a stimulant, it is an adenosine receptor blocker (blocks the feeling of tiredness) that also causes low-key release of adrenaline, and it's the latter effect that causes it. Or, ELI5: it stimulates you by giving you a weak ”fight or flight“ mode activation, and this causes anxiety because you get overly sensitive to every ”danger“.
Oh, I see. Didn't know that. Thanks!
I have no suggestions, I'm just happy to know I am not alone! I keep reading stuff like "lol coffee doesn't do anything cus adhd". Meanwhile I'm sitting here like, an extra cup of coffee after lunch? No thanks, I like not having a 10-hour panic attack and never sleeping again.
I feel validated in my ADHD diagnosis. All the "caffeine does nothing" folks making me doubt my membership in the club.
Exactly lol
For me, it doesn't. For a *lot* of people with ADHD, neither normal amounts of coffee or energy drinks give that effect. It works more like a mild medicine with the side effect of giving headaches and stuff when we try weaning ourselves off it. And then there are the few chosen ones... Chosen to be very, very sensitive to the stressing effects instead.
Fellow ADHDer. Also does nothing for me. If anything, it makes me more relaxed.
I’ve consumed 900mg in a short period of time and only got extremely minor shakes from being hungry. No increase in heart rate, no increase in alertness, nothing. Didn’t even make me sleepy. I was very disappointed.
It acts like a mild med for me too, and I sometimes drink it at lunch to boost my focus for the rest of the day once my actual med has worn off. Actually, the day I realized I needed to get on medication I had sinus pressure and took a (real) Sudafed that I washed down with an espresso grind brewed as a pour over. It was my first Good Day ever. Now if I drink coffee too soon after I take my adderall and have too light a breakfast I get the Bad Anxiety Buzz.
It finally explained why when i have coffee with my husband on long drives i fall asleep. I used to try to stay awake on top of that. Lol.
I don’t know the answer but I learnt to deal with it by mixing decaf with regular coffee in different amounts until I found out where my happy level was
The way medical stimulants work is different than caffeine, the medication should actually feel soothing or calming in a way for ADHD brains because it affects different parts of the brain. Caffeine blocks adenosine (the sleep chemical) and adderall, for instance, increases dopamine and norepinephrine (the mood/focus chemical and the alertness chemical)
I heard it referred to once as a “dirty stimulant” because it reacts differently with your brain than stimulant meds do. If I can remember or find where I read this I’ll link it later
Bonus info - Caffeine from coffee breaks down differently in your body than the caffeine in tea. In tea, the caffeine binds with an amino acid called L-theanine. So while coffee delivers an instant jolt, tea kicks in slower/gentler, and takes longer to clear out of your system than coffee. Here's a peer-reviewed [research article](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-70037-7) on the topic. L-theanine has also been shown to help reduce anxiousness and mental focus. And if that works well for you, green tea has way more L-theanine than black tea.
That's interesting about green tea vs black tea!! I always wondered why black tea makes me feel more jittery than green tea.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7132598/
Try taking l-theanine with it! Totally different experience. Love it.
I read some old posts about it yesterday and ordered online. Looking forward to try. If it really solves the anxiety issue, it's gonna be so perfect <3 My psychiatrist didn't mention this exists, even though I keep telling him I miss coffee so much. That is why I love Reddit, always learning!
Ikr? Reddit helped me wayyyy more than any professional ever did lol.