How to Use Caffeine for ADHD Symptoms
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological condition that first emerges in childhood. It is characterized by inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. According to WebMD.com, experts estimate that 3 to 5% of children have ADHD. Up to 60% of children with ADHD have continued problems into adulthood. This means that about 4% of the U.S. adult population, or about 8 million people, have adult ADHD. Few adults seek treatment for ADHD. Self-administration of caffeine may serve as the default primary treatment for many adults. Caffeine for treatment of children's symptoms should be used cautiously, and with medical supervision.
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Instructions
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Review Symptoms, Obtain Diagnosis, Consider Options
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Review your symptoms. People with ADHD have trouble sustaining attention and concentrating. They are disorganized, distractible and easily bored. They are impulsive, accident prone and make careless errors. They dislike having to wait, and will hurry through tasks. They struggle to delay gratification, are prone to substance abuse or addiction problems and tend to procrastinate.
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If you believe that you may have ADHD, consult with your doctor or with a therapist who can make a proper diagnosis. Medical conditions, such as allergies, metabolic disorders or endocrine disorders can cause ADHD symptoms. Likewise, anxiety, depression, developmental disorders and other mental health issues can create ADHD-like symptoms. Caffeine could make symptoms worse or mask an underlying problem that should be treated. A full medical evaluation is critical to making an accurate diagnosis.
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Review the treatment options. Once ADHD has been diagnosed, discuss treatment options with your doctor or therapist, and do further research online. Discuss the full range of treatment options with your provider. Consider using an "Elimination Diet" to rule out food allergies as a contributing problem. Investigate nutritional and dietary changes you can make to enhance attention and enhance emotional and motivational stability. Embark on positive life-style changes. A balanced diet, proper sleep and exercise are good for your health, and are effective treatments for ADHD. You should discuss medication options available. If you are considering caffeine as a treatment option, discuss this with your doctor. No matter what, caffeine should be viewed as but one weapon in your arsenal to combat ADHD.
Using Caffeine for Adult ADHD
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Review sources of caffeine and determine how you will incorporate caffeine into your treatment. Caffeine occurs naturally in tea and coffee, and is artificially added to many other beverages, such as Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew and energy drinks.
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Once you determine your source of caffeine, identify the likely dosage of caffeine you will be obtaining. Consult the packaging of sodas and energy drinks to see how many milligrams of caffeine is contained in each serving. Note that often a single can or bottle may be considered as multiple servings as far as the nutritional label is concerned. For coffee and tea estimate dosages as follows. In general, per 8 ounce serving, depending on brewing strength, coffee will have 60-120 mg of caffeine and tea will have 20-45 mg of caffeine.
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Determine a starting dose. Keep in mind that caffeine is a drug. It is estimated that 100 mg of caffeine is equivalent to about 5 mg of Ritalin, which is a common starting dosage of this ADHD medication. Experiment with effective doses. Consume 75 to 100 mg. of caffeine in the morning---that's about one cup of coffee---and have another dose in early afternoon.
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Avoid caffeine use later in the day as it can contribute to insomnia, sleep deprivation, and a self-perpetuating need for escalating doses of caffeine in the morning. Caffeine is no substitute for good sleep.
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Monitor for sides effects, which can include anxiety, loss of appetite, frequent urination and insomnia. If side effects become a problem, speak with your doctor about other treatment options. In consultation with your physician, you may increase your caffeine dosage to 200 mg or so twice daily.
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Tips & Warnings
Caffeine takes about 45 minutes to take effect. The effects are short acting, lasting 4 or 5 hours, depending on the quantity consumed. Plan accordingly.
Research on use of caffeine as a treatment for ADHD in children has yielded mixed results. Caffeine is not widely endorsed by providers for treatment of ADHD symptoms in children. Any medication treatment program with children should be medically supervised, so discuss your child's use of caffeine with your child's provider.
