r/comics • u/DaveKellett SHELDON • 4d ago

OC Remember that drink I invented yesterday? (oc)

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COME for the acrid taste, but STAY for the lack of caffeine!

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u/Jackthwolf 4d ago

Basically ADHD brains are starved for dopamine, and so are constantly looking for sources of said dopamine. Which is why you get things like both unable to concentrate (unable to find dopamine, still looking), or hyperfocus (found source of dopamine, not letting go)

And so when you add a stimulant such as caffine into that mix, suddenly the brain has more stimulation, and so is less starved for dopamine.
Making it more "neurotypical", and so calmer.

This is basically how ADHD meds work too, and it's why folk with ADHD typically find themselves self medicating with caffeine, even without knowing.

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u/BoilingCold 4d ago

As someone with ADHD, who is on ADHD medication, I would also add that ADHD medication plus too much caffeine can lead to pronounced tachycardia (elevated heart rate). If I drink an espresso or two within a few hours of taking my meds then my heart rate can hit 120 sat down.

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u/Ixaire 4d ago

Is that a common side effect or your meds or just personal experience? Because tachycardia can be a side effect of excessive caffeine consumption, and some individuals are naturally more sensitive.

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u/ddr4memory 4d ago

They test your heart before giving you certain meds which are stimulants

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u/BoilingCold 4d ago

Both! I seem to be particularly susceptible to it, so I hugely restrict my caffeine intake. But I know other people with the same response, and it's something I was forewarned about when I was first prescribed the meds.

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u/polaroid_ninja 4d ago

I too have this issue, fellow ADHDer! I can have my cup in the morning with my meds, no problem. If I have a cup in the afternoon, I will feel like I've run a marathon and hard lifted weights for an hour: pounding heart, nausea, sweating, etc.

This is what decaf is for. I can get my coffee fix in the afternoon without all the issues.

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u/BluezDBD 4d ago

It's just a natural effect of stimulants, it's why doctors recommend no more than 200mg of caffeeine daily.

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u/mcon96 4d ago

Every day I find a new reason to get screened for AuDHD

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u/crayfishcraig108 4d ago

Nicotine can also be used as self medication, I ran out of meds a few times and resorted to caffeine, b vitamins, and nicotine.
Btw nicotine gum and Coca-Cola taste horrible together