[kanasi]

So according to a few sources I've been looking at, ADHD can lead a person (usually adults/inattentive type/those with SCT, it sounds like) to be easily fatigued. I would have to say I am one such person.

Many people would reach for a coffee in such a situation, but not me. It's never woken me up/given me that "jolt" of alertness that people describe they get from it. Instead all I get from very *small* doses of caffeine about 1/10th of the content of a cup of coffee (or even small doses of other xanthines like theobromine for that matter) is anxiety and a dose of insomnia. Then it ratchets up to serious gastrointestinal distress once we get to the level of coffee content.

So I'm curious to hear about ADHD folks on here (or that you know):

1. Do you find your/their ADHD is associated with fatigue?
2. How does caffeine affect your system?
3. Do any/all stimulant meds make you sleepier, more alert, or "wired"?
   

[healingme4me]

The one person that I personally know, drinks coffee. Haven't heard complaints of its affect. Maybe someone else has aversion to caffeine and sees this thread.

[kanasi]

I know that those with hyperactive (or combined type) ADHD will often be "calmed down" or made sleepy by caffeine (this could have been useful when I was a kid, but not now!), and I know that regardless of whether it makes you alert or sleepy it can cause anxiety/insomnia for anybody, so I was thinking maybe it had different effects on people.

I also have seen where people complained of anxiety/insomnia from their stimulant meds. At the time I posted this, I was also trying to figure out which of the stimulants caffeine is more like, so I can avoid trying it first when the time comes for me to try meds. I do want to see if stimulants help, but if they affect me like caffeine does, that will be a problem.

[robcalher]

For me caffeine can cause anxiety but then again it can take it away for me too. Also I do get fatigued easily. Mostly mentally. I will think about doing something so much before I actually do it that by the time I get around to doing it I'm already tired of doing i and won't even try to do it. Or I will only do it for a short time and get tired/bored of it quickly. Vyvanse does help though. It helps me feel relaxed yet uplifted at the same time. It helps me forget about my worries. Sometimes it can cause anxiety but I think that depends on the situation I'm in. Caffeine can do that too though but it is more likely to trigger anxiety/panic attacks With vyvanse I'm more likely to do something. Something for enjoyment for example. Something caffeine wouldn't cause me to do. For me it's hard to say because I have GAD. So that's what I mean about a situation for example, social situation cause me anxiety no matter what. Not in the situation though vyvanse is way more helpful. An example about getting mentally fatigued for me is, like earlier today I checked the calender for a date I had to write down. Didn't remember the date so I checked it again. Then had to do it again. It gets frustrating. Another is at work where I would get instructions and then right after my superior gave them tome I realized I didn't even know what he said. Would have to have him tell me again, and again later. I would get frustrated and then tired. It's also kinda hard to say because I get diagnosed with ADHD by one Dr and than not by another. The last one said I can't focus because of the anxiety and depression. It confuses me so I look up the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and ADHD and they're all pretty much the same. Inability to focus, tired easily, racing/scattered thoughts, etc. Also that ADHD and anxiety can both cause depression. So I don't know what the hell. I've always felt that I do have ADHD though.But I do know vyvanse is more helpful and caffeine is more likely to cause anxiety. For example again today I had some caffeine, wasn't planning on taking my vyvanse today, started get anxious, then took my vyvanse and felt calmer. So overall caffeine can cause me anxiety and I do tend to get tired easily. Hope this makes some sort of sense.

[unbreakablej]

I used to drink coffee out of habit. Everyone seems to be doing so. I nevr noticed what its effects on me are. But if I have Mocha (those with 'good' chocolate) - I go crazzy hyper.

If I do drink coffee + take concerta, I do get really spaced out though. Which is weird. I wonder if anyone else have the same problem?

[kanasi]

Originally Posted by robcalher

For me caffeine can cause anxiety but then again it can take it away for me too. Also I do get fatigued easily. Mostly mentally. I will think about doing something so much before I actually do it that by the time I get around to doing it I'm already tired of doing i and won't even try to do it. Or I will only do it for a short time and get tired/bored of it quickly. Vyvanse does help though. It helps me feel relaxed yet uplifted at the same time. It helps me forget about my worries. Sometimes it can cause anxiety but I think that depends on the situation I'm in. Caffeine can do that too though but it is more likely to trigger anxiety/panic attacks With vyvanse I'm more likely to do something. Something for enjoyment for example. Something caffeine wouldn't cause me to do. For me it's hard to say because I have GAD. So that's what I mean about a situation for example, social situation cause me anxiety no matter what. Not in the situation though vyvanse is way more helpful. An example about getting mentally fatigued for me is, like earlier today I checked the calender for a date I had to write down. Didn't remember the date so I checked it again. Then had to do it again. It gets frustrating. Another is at work where I would get instructions and then right after my superior gave them tome I realized I didn't even know what he said. Would have to have him tell me again, and again later. I would get frustrated and then tired. It's also kinda hard to say because I get diagnosed with ADHD by one Dr and than not by another. The last one said I can't focus because of the anxiety and depression. It confuses me so I look up the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and ADHD and they're all pretty much the same. Inability to focus, tired easily, racing/scattered thoughts, etc. Also that ADHD and anxiety can both cause depression. So I don't know what the hell. I've always felt that I do have ADHD though.But I do know vyvanse is more helpful and caffeine is more likely to cause anxiety. For example again today I had some caffeine, wasn't planning on taking my vyvanse today, started get anxious, then took my vyvanse and felt calmer. So overall caffeine can cause me anxiety and I do tend to get tired easily. Hope this makes some sort of sense.

Thank you so much, that was exactly what I was wondering. (Actually I seem to see a lot of people online talking about how they like Vyvanse, and how methylphenidate-based drugs give them side effects.)

Originally Posted by unbreakablej

I used to drink coffee out of habit. Everyone seems to be doing so. I nevr noticed what its effects on me are. But if I have Mocha (those with 'good' chocolate) - I go crazzy hyper.

If I do drink coffee + take concerta, I do get really spaced out though. Which is weird. I wonder if anyone else have the same problem?

Mocha will also have theobromine from the chocolate in it. That's a xanthine just like caffeine (but supposedly milder). By itself you probably wouldn't notice anything, but mixed with a heavy caffeine hit, that's probably going to do a lot. Concerta isn't a stimulant right? But caffeine and theobromine both are and they both would cause dopamine to be released (assuming you have enough to start with).

[robcalher]

I do believe concerts is a stimulant. There are some ADHD meds that aren't though. I don't know the names of them. Other stimulant type meds that release norepinephrine can cause anxiety also. Like Welbutrin or effexor/pristiq. Welbutrin is stimulant-like. It is like a chemical cousin to phenylalanine. So I believe the overall combination of things can have an impact when taken with stimulant ADHD meds. This also includes over the counter stimulants like caffeine, theobromine, yohimbe and it's extracts, citrus auranimum, ephedra, and some other things that are in energy drinks and pre-workout supplements. It's just a good idea to make sure you know about everything you're taking. Just my humble opinion.

[kanasi]

I looked it up. You're right, Concerta's active ingredient is methylphenidate.

I was on the SNRI Wellbutrin for depression, actually, so I'm familiar with it. I was probably put on it because I was complaining that rather than mood being my primary issue, I couldn't focus/concentrate. No serious side effects (unlike Zoloft, which also didn't help!), but it felt like it did absolutely nothing but cost me money. It's possible it might help now that I've worked for a while on eating better (so theoretically my body should be in a better position to produce the relevant neurotransmitters), but I'd rather try something else first.

At the time I took Wellbutrin, I also would have been having a very low dose of caffeine from semi-weak green tea several times a week. I even drank a lot of black tea since I thought that the fact it was a fraction as caffeinated as coffee would protect me (even though decaf coffee still caused me gastrointestinal problems). I now know from experimentation over recent months that even very low levels of caffeine have an effect on me. But all it did is reduce the gastrointestinal reaction. The increased anxiety (I do have social anxiety but on caffeine it goes to a whole new level and isn't as related to social situations) and insomnia I was experiencing clearly came from the caffeine! I wonder if it interfered with the Wellbutrin somehow as well?

Thanks for the added info. A combination of drugs (including caffeine, theobromine, etc.) definitely has the potential to cause unexpected effects.

[robcalher]

I am currently on Welbutrin and haven't noticed much. Yeah it's expensive. I've read online that caffeine and Welbutrin together can also in crease anxiety. Some have said that it is good for ADHD and with vyvanse added it's supposed to be a good combination though. For me all I've noticed that worked was vyvanse. It's a prodrug so it's not in it's active form. This is to prevent abusing (snorting). Cuz if you do that it won't do anything. It's also to make it last longer. Up to 14 hrs. It's lisdeamphetamine. Spelt that wrong I think. It turns into dextroamphetamine by your liver. That's what gives it the long sustained release. Takes longer to break down. I've tried adderal Dr and I'd not like it. It's supposed to be sustained release but to my there were still ups and downs. Mostly downs.

[kanasi]

Ohhhh that explains a lot. I looked it up and found a whole thread about people's reactions to Wellbutrin + caffeine on another ADHD forum. So it looks like Wellbutrin + caffeine can be overstimulating even for people who aren't ultra-sensitive to caffeine like I am! A couple reported an initial "high" and then anxiety taking over. Since I was already going through some difficult times back then, I probably was thinking it was more to do with my situation and less to do with the drug. It must have been the combination of both (plus my unhealthy processed food eating habits)!

[Smileonmyface]

very interesting topic...i avoided caffeine like crazy for many years because of chronic insomnia. after having children i do drink coffee now and am also on luvox. i have two cups in the morning and sometimes more caffeine in the form of another cup of coffee, tea or caffeinated soda in the afternoon. i have never really considered whether it increases the anxiety or causes stomach upset but i drink it more out of habit now than anything, like it doesn't feel like the day is really started without it.
i can say though i am always tired, always fatigued. i also take medicine for hypothyroid but the last time it was checked, recently, the thyroid levels were okay. but i feel like even after two cups of coffee in the morning i am still tired. and the rare times i don't drink it, i don't feel any more awake or sleepy really...

[kanasi]

Apparently Luvox can cause drowsiness in some people. At least, according to this thread:
http://forums.psychcentral.com/psych...x-fatigue.html

I drank coffee until I had a particularly bad reaction in my early 20s. Over the years I tried to reintroduce it a couple of times, always with disastrous gastrointestinal results. I'm late 30s now, so it was a long while I "got by" on black/green tea + herbals. And for months now, just the herbals. :/

Anyway it's interesting you mention being hypothyroid. I have been on hypothyroid meds off and on since my early twenties as well. Have you had your iron levels checked as well? Currently I'm supplementing to try to improve on a low ferritin count. I have read online that those with low thyroid function can often be low in iron. Elsewhere I also read that iron is required to produce thyroid hormones! (I wonder if hypothyroidism can cause caffeine intolerance in some people?)

[robcalher]

Yeah I'm thinking Welbutrin is causing me added anxiety and is not worth $95 a month. Probably switching to celexa. $4 a month.