Self-medicating with energy drinks

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04 Jun 2012, 10:06 am

I drink lots of coffee nowadays. I can't get ADHD meds anymore because the government is stupid, so caffeine is a natural alternative. It's addictive, though. I'm going to hate it when I finally have ADHD meds again and I have to switch to decaf. I'm going to have the worst withdrawal headache...

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Swordfish210
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04 Jun 2012, 10:49 am

I really cannot stand the smell of energy drinks, its probably the sugar, since I prefer sweetner anyway because of headaches.

On the topic of coffee, only now after drinking about 3 cups of very weak coffee with milk and sugar for about two years, is the effect lessening. Before, every time I drank a cup, my mind went into hyper mode. One time, I was playing a game with friends, so strategizing about that, singing 2 songs in my head while planning my essay, the next day and theorizing about ions and such.

Please do not read this as bragging, as some people do, but I usually think about 2-3 things at thesame time, (NTs apparently do not and think you brag when you tell them this...) but with coffee, it expands to about 6. It feels insane, and I feel like it still is not enough. During the example, I wax also bouncing against the walls and flapping my hands in a pattern to generate more stimulation.

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questor
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04 Jun 2012, 11:12 am

Stay away from sodas and energy drinks, they are all unhealthy, including diet versions, because of some of the ingredients in them.

I agree with some of the suggestions by other posters, and would also suggest green tea, as well as black tea--the caffeinated versions. If you don't like the flavor of green tea too much, try mixing it with peppermint tea. Although peppermint tea has no caffeine, it does have a perky, and very pleasant taste, that can make other teas taste better when mixed with them. Spearmint tea is also good, but peppermint tea has a stronger, and even better taste, at least to me. Peppermint tea can also be used without blending with other teas, as a means of relaxing oneself, too. It is good whether you want a boost or to relax. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but it is true.

Whatever you try, please dump the energy drinks and sodas. They are really bad for you.

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Kon
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04 Jun 2012, 2:45 pm

I'm also a big-time energy drink/coffee consumer. I'm not sure what to make of this but on a positive note (assuming caffeine is the culprit and there aren't any other confounding factors):

Quote:

Coffee drinkers were less likely to die from heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries and accidents, diabetes, and infections, although the association was not seen for cancer. These results from a large study of older adults were observed after adjustment for the effects of other risk factors on mortality, such as smoking and alcohol consumption.

Coffee Drinkers Have Lower Risk of Death, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 071454.htm

Association of Coffee Drinking with Total and Cause-Specific Mortality
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1112010

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04 Jun 2012, 3:28 pm

bnky wrote:

I drink a LOT of coffee every day, but have discovered that pasta or wholegrain bread give me a much better energy boost at an even and sustained rate. Energy drinks are far too sugary and fast acting to last a whole meeting, and tend just to leave me with less energy after 30mins or so

Good point. I eat oatmeal or cereals made from whole oats for breakfast because complex carbohydrates give more sustained energy than simple starches (like more refined grains) or sugar. That is another problem with energy drinks. The sugar in them give you a quick burst of energy, but have a short effect and a rapid drop off.

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04 Jun 2012, 3:35 pm

questor wrote:

As you may know, stimulants make people with ADHD relax. That might be why you find it relaxing. I still wouldn't drink it too close to when you need to sleep. I prefer tea to coffee, but it has a lot less caffeine. Especially green tea. I was surprised to learn that even "decaffeinated" tea has a small amount of caffeine left in. Chocolate has such a small amount that I don't hesitated to eat it before bedtime.

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04 Jun 2012, 3:53 pm

Rocky wrote:

bnky wrote:

Odd usually a Rockstar energy drink will keep me hyper and focused for a good 4-6 hours before the great crash by then my work shift is over.

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04 Jun 2012, 4:13 pm

It's also possible the low energy could be a symptom of depression. You might have Dysthymia, a low grade form of depression which can hang around a long time and can be quite difficult to treat. Sometimes stimulants are a temporary fix, but it won't work forever.

Fatigue is also one of the more common complaints people have when they see their doctor.

As for me, I knock back a 5 Hour Energy in the morning and then have a couple of diet sodas in the afternoon, so who am I to judge?

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04 Jun 2012, 4:34 pm

Callista wrote:

What ADHD medication are you talking about? I don't want to hook people on nicotine, but since I am already a heavy smoker, I have been self-medicating with nicotine gum for years. There are some very promising studies out there, concerning cognitive & ADHD improvements by long-term nicotine applications, which were more or less fully confirmed by my experiences. In any case it works somewhat well and surely is better than Ritalin addiction, which is about as severe as a mix of meth/speed/cocaine addiction. I still remember those times on meth or Ritalin, where you could have unlimited uninterrupted free thought, only restricted by the amount you have still left ...

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04 Jun 2012, 7:29 pm

AspieOtaku wrote:

Rocky wrote:

bnky wrote:

Odd usually a Rockstar energy drink will keep me hyper and focused for a good 4-6 hours before the great crash by then my work shift is over.

I wonder how much of this effect (keeping you focused for 4-6 hours) is due to the caffeine and how much is the sugar. I would guess the effect of the sugar doesn't last as long as that. This would mean that you could just take caffeine (pills or coffee) and get the effect without that much sugar.

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mmcool
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04 Jun 2012, 7:45 pm

i always have loads of energy

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04 Jun 2012, 8:23 pm

mmcool wrote:

i always have loads of energy

15 year olds usually do, no matter their neurological status :-)

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04 Jun 2012, 8:30 pm

Blownmind wrote:

I do not know if it's ADHD / Asperger's / Depression that causes my total lack of energy some days, or very low energy levels other days, but I have noticed chugging a couple of energy drinks(with caffeine) a day keeps me going. When I know I will do something exhausting, like a big gathering with lots of people for a couple of hours, I get through it much easier if I drink an energy drink with caffeine first. I do not drink it every day.

This is not something I would want to do the rest of my life, it's not the healthiest lifestyle. Are there any alternatives other than coffee? Is there more like me out there, who don't survive without an energy boost?

Then it's the question of addiction. I don't consider myself an addict, I have stopped for months without getting any kind of withdrawal symptoms. But it do kind of resemble how an addict would need his "hit" to function like others would without a "hit". I don't think I'm in denial, and I hope I'm not in denial of my denial.

I always thought that those energy drinks where a hype and that they don't really work. Energy drinks are probably an innocent form of self medication though.

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04 Jun 2012, 8:50 pm

C0MPAQ wrote:

Don't try ephedrine, the withdrawal can be awful, like going through depression and physical illness.

I second not trying ephedrine, but mainly because of the palpitations, disorientation and anxiety it causes. The withdrawl from caffeine was much worse in my experience (I doubt my ability to ever really quit caffeine).

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04 Jun 2012, 8:58 pm

PTSmorrow wrote:

I have 2 -- 4 cups of coffee a day for about 40 years now, strong, no milk, no sugar, and there's no tolerance built up, i. e., it doesn't lose its effect nor do i ever feel an urge to drink more.

I have to have 1 measly cup of coffee a day, or I get these terrible headaches. I don't have the urge to drink more, but I have to drink that 1 cup or suffer the consequences.

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05 Jun 2012, 6:02 am

puddingmouse wrote:

I have to have 1 measly cup of coffee a day, or I get these terrible headaches. I don't have the urge to drink more, but I have to drink that 1 cup or suffer the consequences.

Could just be that you have mild migraines and coffee is known to be a cheap remedy against that.

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