Caffeine: "Herbal" Treatment of ADD/ADHD
Caffeine is present in over 60 kinds of beans, leaves, and fruit, and, it is said, most Americans have some caffeine almost every day. Are you one of them? And, if you are, what does caffeine do for you?
Over 60% of ADD/ADHD people who entered my medical practice came to me using substantial amounts of caffeine to fight daytime tiredness and inadequate mental focus. This tells us, of course, that many ADD/ADHD people benefit from caffeine but it also says that many give up caffeine because it offers less than adequate treatment of their ADD/ADHD brain chemistry.
Caffeine is a potent stimulant. It does reduce daytime tiredness and improves mental focus in many with and without ADD/ADHD. It may not be as powerful as the amphetamines and methylphenidate (Ritalin), but it sure can be helpful for many with ADD/ADHD when it comes to functioning at work, in school, and in society.
Caffeine comes in very palatable vehicles such as tasty coffee, tea and flavorful soft drinks. It is inexpensive. It is very available. It does not require a doctor's prescription. And, one can obtain caffeine without being diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, the mental disorder.
The mental-disorder diagnosis can be especially troublesome to certain subgroups in our society. For example, commercial airplane pilots rarely if ever are allowed to fly if they are using "psychotropic" drugs except, of course, caffeine. Physicians do not want to be diagnosed with ADD/ADHD for fear of being denied hospital privileges or burdened with extra supervision of their medical practice and the implied questioning of their medical competence. There are many who believe that if they are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD they will be denied insurance or lose their government security clearance. Accordingly, for some, caffeine is a not-so-bad ADD/ADHD treatment medication.
For completeness, let's keep in mind some of the major drawbacks of caffeine for treating ADD/ADHD. First of all, caffeine is a short-acting stimulant with effectiveness usually for only three to four hours after each dose. Mental focus is improved but usually not to the degree it is with the amphetamines and methylphenidate. At doses that improve mental function, many ADD/ADHD people experience irritability, feel shaky, and are emotionally edgy. Also, when the stimulatory effect wears off, sedentary (i.e., those sitting and reading) individuals usually suffer from a mental "crash" characterized by listlessness, enervation, lack of motivation, feeling cranky, and being explosive. Finally, long-term users of caffeine who suddenly stop ingesting caffeine often suffer for one to three days with severe headache.
Does Dr. Gross ever recommend caffeine treatment of ADD/ADHD? Don't be shocked, but, of course, there are times when he does!
Many ADD/ADHD people function well enough using caffeine to make it through life. They can easily afford the cost of caffeine and avoid paying for expensive ADD/ADHD prescription drugs. Also, their use of caffeine does not have to be supervised by a health professional. Importantly, for some, ADD/ADHD caffeine users do not have to carry the burden of the diagnosis of having a "mental" disorder.