Is a paradoxical reaction to caffeine strongly ADHD related?

Just to start with, I'm not asking for a diagnosis, I just want to know how reasonable you guys think it would be to reconsider the possibility of having ADHD, or if there's any other disorder than can cause it.

So I don't drink caffeine much now, but use to drink caffeine a lot when I was younger. I don't have the best memories of my younger years, but I don't remember ever reacting to caffeine the way people usually describe it. I just felt normal or sleepy. I only drank it because I liked how it tasted, to the point where I'd had it a few times daily.

I later switched from coffee to low/no caffeine tea, and a few years later, my dad gave me a Redbull to try. My dad thought my sleepy reaction to it was funny because it was obviously not the common response to drinking a Redbull.

My previous counsellor thought I had ADHD as well as other things, as I strongly reminded her of her brother. But while I did look into it, doing some reading and looking at YT videos (HowToADHD, and seeing videos of youtubers that had it like NigaHiga), I didn't feel like I related enough to it. Symptoms that I did have, I felt like could be attributed to other things rather than ADHD. Maybe I'm just not very in touch with what "normal" is though.

I heard ADHDers have problems using calendars, I never had that issue (A lot of the time I didn't even need to use them to remember things). Never had issues finishing homework on time (would either do it right when I got it, over time, or at the last minute depending oh now I felt about it) while keeping in mind the deadline. I usually don't misplace stuff, am typically early/on time rather than late. One symptoms that I do feel like would be could be attributed to ADHD is that I jump from one thing to the next (usually tv shows/movies, not finishing what I started even if I enjoyed it), but again, all symptoms I do have, I feel could be attributed elsewhere.

How reasonable do you guys think it would be to use my reaction to caffeine as a source of reconsideration for having ADHD? Or can anyone suggest other causes of this?

I know that Dehydration/sleep deprivation may be a cause to it as well, but most of my life (at least after my coffee phase, I don't remember exactly when), I did drink a lot of water, and for sleep deprivation, while I've always had trouble sleeping, I'm not sure it would be enough to cause the consistent effect of the reaction, because I did have days where I would get enough or more than enough sleep. And when I was younger, I don't remember experiencing the effects of sleep deprivation. I felt like I could do just fine through the day after getting my day started on days where I didn't get enough sleep. I probably averaged at 5-9 hours of sleep, and could vary around it on other days.

Not sure if this is helpful or not, but I once read a Reddit post by a woman whose sister in law with ADHD would drink coffee as a sleep aid.

Audrey1 wrote:Not sure if this is helpful or not, but I once read a Reddit post by a woman whose sister in law with ADHD would drink coffee as a sleep aid.

I drank caffeine before bed a couple of times I think, but I had vivid dreams. I tend to have bad dreams/nightmares, so the last time I drank caffeine before bed, I had a pretty vivid disturbing nightmare. I'm not sure if the caffeine solely actually caused that or if I would've had it without the caffeine, because I've had vivid and disturbing dreams before, but due to that, I don't think I'd rather not use it as a sleep aid.

It's an interesting hypothesis. I find caffiene to be a double edged sword. I do find that it helps me to focus sometimes, and I certainly relied on ProPlus tablets to get through my exams at school, but now I'm older (43) I find that often I need a nap after a strong coffee (and I feel it's quite a good nap too, in that I wake up more able to action myself into doing something.

I am medicated at the moment so that could play into it, I wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until I was 32 so obviously only had caffiene as a study aid when I was young.

There are lots of symptoms and they affect everyone to varying degrees. Also, you do learn, to an extent, to make accommodations yourself in order to mask which you probably wouldn't be aware of. An example of this is that I'm always early for appointments as I get quite anxious about being late following criticism for this when I was younger. I know of people with ADHD who are completely calendar oriented and have everything planned down to the hour as a way to manage their anxieties around prioritising and time estimation, but I can't keep up a diary or a calendar for more than a week!

I haven't heard of a condition that is solely linked to caffiene that mimics ADHD, but that doesn't rule it out.

I would say that I get very invested in things I'm interested in, to the point of overwhelm and I am very good at starting projects but not seeing them through. I go all in too fast, often with a financial consequence, but then burnout and can't face it so I move on to something else.

If you do feel you have ADHD it's worth speaking to your GP or other health professional. I thought it was unlikely and was convinced that I was just looking for an excuse to explain why I was a bit of a crap human (that's genuinely what I thought then) so was completely startled when the specialist said that I "absolutely" have ADHD!

I would also consider your ability to regulate emotions and how you deal with rejection. Do you always assume that you must have done something wrong when relationships don't work out? Do you feel it's almost physically painful? Reacting to situations with what, to others, seems like an overreaction, could also be an indicator of ADHD.

I'll be interested to see if you find any information about caffiene reactions, sorry that I'm not much help in that sense!

Leopard79 wrote:It's an interesting hypothesis. I find caffiene to be a double edged sword. I do find that it helps me to focus sometimes, and I certainly relied on ProPlus tablets to get through my exams at school, but now I'm older (43) I find that often I need a nap after a strong coffee (and I feel it's quite a good nap too, in that I wake up more able to action myself into doing something.

I am medicated at the moment so that could play into it, I wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until I was 32 so obviously only had caffiene as a study aid when I was young.

There are lots of symptoms and they affect everyone to varying degrees. Also, you do learn, to an extent, to make accommodations yourself in order to mask which you probably wouldn't be aware of. An example of this is that I'm always early for appointments as I get quite anxious about being late following criticism for this when I was younger. I know of people with ADHD who are completely calendar oriented and have everything planned down to the hour as a way to manage their anxieties around prioritising and time estimation, but I can't keep up a diary or a calendar for more than a week!

I haven't heard of a condition that is solely linked to caffiene that mimics ADHD, but that doesn't rule it out.

I would say that I get very invested in things I'm interested in, to the point of overwhelm and I am very good at starting projects but not seeing them through. I go all in too fast, often with a financial consequence, but then burnout and can't face it so I move on to something else.

If you do feel you have ADHD it's worth speaking to your GP or other health professional. I thought it was unlikely and was convinced that I was just looking for an excuse to explain why I was a bit of a crap human (that's genuinely what I thought then) so was completely startled when the specialist said that I "absolutely" have ADHD!

I would also consider your ability to regulate emotions and how you deal with rejection. Do you always assume that you must have done something wrong when relationships don't work out? Do you feel it's almost physically painful? Reacting to situations with what, to others, seems like an overreaction, could also be an indicator of ADHD.

I'll be interested to see if you find any information about caffiene reactions, sorry that I'm not much help in that sense!

Hi! Thank you for the response even though my post is a bit old!

I always try to be early to appointments (and am calendar oriented), and usually am unless for an unexpected event, but I don't think it's because of receiving criticism for being late when younger/trying to prevent anxiety, I just like to be punctual and am an organized person. I'm also able to plan months ahead, and usually do (for doctors appointments and pre-planned events, stuff like that).

What you say about caffeine mimicking ADHD, that's not what I meant in my post. I was asking if my odd reaction to caffeine suggests that I may possibly have ADHD because I had trouble figuring it out myself otherwise. My doctor was also unsure and suggested trying ADHD medication, but I think he said using ADHD medication without having ADHD could have bad side effects (might be misremembering, I currently don't have the best memory due to current cognitive issues).

I can also get very invested in things. but I'm not sure if it's to the point of overwhelm. I have been invested to the point of skipping meals/going to the bathroom though. I also tend to go in fast and then burn but and move to something else, but I feel that may be due to my motivation levels from depression and never having been properly externally motivated.

I also think I may not have ADHD, not because of feeling like a crap human but because I feel like my symptoms could be contributed to other things, such as generally being a sensitive person (and lacking emotional regulation due to never being taught how to emotionally regulate/being neglected), lack of motivation from depression, being punctual, etc...

I do have rejection sensitivity but I feel it's due to never feeling accepted growing up (which could be due to other neurodivergencies and being awkward growing up due to neglect). I usually blame myself when things don't work out but that could be due to my own insecurities and trauma responses. I do feel I over react but it could just be that I'm an emotionally intense person without ADHD. This is why I question whether I have ADHD, because there are so many other factors that could contribute to my issues, even ones I'm not currently thinking of/mentioned. I am also probably not well versed with what normal is due to social isolation, which presents another problem in identifying possible causes to my issues.

I will definitely update you if I find out anymore information about caffeine reactions with ADHD/if I have ADHD! I appreciate the response!