Food / Drink Products: Coffee etc. (Caffeine)
Caffeine is a mild central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is available in a number of beverages like coffee, tea, soft drinks etc., and also as measured dose tablets in over-the-counter products like NoDoz etc..
Caffeine is not as potent as psychostimulant medications like Ritalin (Methylphenidate), but may be strong enough to help some individuals with milder forms of ADD/ADHD. CNS stimulants increase levels of the neurotransmitter chemicals dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. Higher levels of dopamine are thought to reduce hyperactivity, while an increase in norepinephrine improves attention.
NOTE: Depending on its strength, 1 - 8 oz. cup of brewed coffee contains between 40 - 180 mg. of caffeine. 1 - 12 oz. soft drink contains between 36 - 90 mg. caffeine. Energy / caffeine drinks like Red Bull etc. typically contain ingredients like: caffeine (about as much as a cup of coffee, and twice as much as typical cola drinks); vitamins like B-12 and niacin; amino acids like Taurine; herbal stimulants like green tea leaf extract, guarana and ginseng; and sugar.
I think all of our foster kids have suffered from varying forms and different levels of ADD/ADHD so I thought I knew a lot. I've been doing some research about medications and other options to cope with it - our most recent foster addition to the family has struggled with it in a big way.
ADD/ADHD issues have come up before on the forum and I thought some of you might be interested. I know this blew me away, because everyone I've ever known has preached about keeping kids away from caffeinated beverages. Sugar and processed junk food are still a huge NO NO, but I had to share some of what I've learned recently, AND a way to test yourself or your children to get an idea of whether or not you might have some level of ADD/ADHD. I've bookmarked and saved all the websites, and if you start looking specifically for this you actually will find a lot about it. I think all of our foster kids have suffered from varying forms and different levels of ADD/ADHD so I thought I knew a lot. I've been doing some research about medications and other options to cope with it - our most recent foster child addition to the family has struggled with it in a big way.
Because their brains are wired differently, coffee and energy drinks will have an opposite effect on them and help them calm down, relax and focus. I found a website started by a teacher who had a son that couldn't take any of the traditional medications because they made him sick and he is 11 years old and she has him drink a coffee drink in the morning before school and again after school before starting on his homework. it has made a huge difference for her son.
Also, if you have a kid on one of the prescribed medications, they may still have episodes of uncontrollable hyper-activity and if that happens if you give them this sort of drink it will calm them down and relax them.
Having said all that, if you are someone that can't drink much coffee because you get all jittery and can't sleep, you probably don't have any form of ADD/ADHD but if you can drink all you want and it makes you feel relaxed and calm and focused, guess what.....you probably have it yourself on some level.
Here are a few quotes that I saved from some of the research I've been doing.
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.
"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."
"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 caffiene 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."
"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 eggagerating), 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?"
"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."
Anyway, thought this might interest those that have dealt with it. Can you imagine the teachers reaction if I sent a child to school with a can of Red Bull for snack time??? :new_shocked:
Caffeine is a mild central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is available in a number of beverages like coffee, tea, soft drinks etc., and also as measured dose tablets in over-the-counter products like NoDoz etc..
Caffeine is not as potent as psychostimulant medications like Ritalin (Methylphenidate), but may be strong enough to help some individuals with milder forms of ADD/ADHD. CNS stimulants increase levels of the neurotransmitter chemicals dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. Higher levels of dopamine are thought to reduce hyperactivity, while an increase in norepinephrine improves attention.
NOTE: Depending on its strength, 1 - 8 oz. cup of brewed coffee contains between 40 - 180 mg. of caffeine. 1 - 12 oz. soft drink contains between 36 - 90 mg. caffeine. Energy / caffeine drinks like Red Bull etc. typically contain ingredients like: caffeine (about as much as a cup of coffee, and twice as much as typical cola drinks); vitamins like B-12 and niacin; amino acids like Taurine; herbal stimulants like green tea leaf extract, guarana and ginseng; and sugar.
I think all of our foster kids have suffered from varying forms and different levels of ADD/ADHD so I thought I knew a lot. I've been doing some research about medications and other options to cope with it - our most recent foster addition to the family has struggled with it in a big way.
ADD/ADHD issues have come up before on the forum and I thought some of you might be interested. I know this blew me away, because everyone I've ever known has preached about keeping kids away from caffeinated beverages. Sugar and processed junk food are still a huge NO NO, but I had to share some of what I've learned recently, AND a way to test yourself or your children to get an idea of whether or not you might have some level of ADD/ADHD. I've bookmarked and saved all the websites, and if you start looking specifically for this you actually will find a lot about it. I think all of our foster kids have suffered from varying forms and different levels of ADD/ADHD so I thought I knew a lot. I've been doing some research about medications and other options to cope with it - our most recent foster child addition to the family has struggled with it in a big way.
Because their brains are wired differently, coffee and energy drinks will have an opposite effect on them and help them calm down, relax and focus. I found a website started by a teacher who had a son that couldn't take any of the traditional medications because they made him sick and he is 11 years old and she has him drink a coffee drink in the morning before school and again after school before starting on his homework. it has made a huge difference for her son.
Also, if you have a kid on one of the prescribed medications, they may still have episodes of uncontrollable hyper-activity and if that happens if you give them this sort of drink it will calm them down and relax them.
Having said all that, if you are someone that can't drink much coffee because you get all jittery and can't sleep, you probably don't have any form of ADD/ADHD but if you can drink all you want and it makes you feel relaxed and calm and focused, guess what.....you probably have it yourself on some level.
Here are a few quotes that I saved from some of the research I've been doing.
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.
"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."
"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 caffiene 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."
"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 eggagerating), 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?"
"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."
Anyway, thought this might interest those that have dealt with it. Can you imagine the teachers reaction if I sent a child to school with a can of Red Bull for snack time??? :new_shocked:
