ADHD and Caffeine: A Treatment Option?

For many years our ADHD diet has promoted the use of moderate amounts of caffeine in the morning, along with a protein drink supplement and the nutraceutical medicine Attend, as a part of the program. Parents have reported success using the program, both with their ADHD children as well as in their own lives.

Caffeine is a mild CNS stimulant that can be used with ADHD children, teens, and adults, if used purposefully and in moderation. All stimulants are vaso-dilators, meaning that they allow the blood vessels to increase in size and increase the blood flow in the brain. One of the primary physiological problems causing ADHD seems to be a lack of blood flow to certain regions of the brain, and stimulants help to improve blood flow and reduce symptoms caused by this problem, at least temporarily.

It is estimated that 100 mg of caffeine is equivalent to 5 mg of , which is the lowest therapeutic dose, and the usual starting dose for children. It is similar to Ritalin in that caffeine is absorbed and begins working in about 45 minutes, and the benefits wear off after about three to four hours. And, of course, caffeine can have the same kinds of side effects as other stimulants.

Do Stimulants Have a "Reverse Effect" on People with ADHD?

Its one of the classic ADHD myths, that stimulants have a "reverse effect" on those with ADHD than on those without ADHD. How else can you explain that a non-ADHD person takes stimulants and gets "spun up" while a person with ADHD is actually on purpose treated with stimulants to make them "calm down"?

A recent study with MRI technology looked at how stimulant medications actually impact the brain in both those with ADHD and those without.

Children, teens, and adults with ADHD have problems with attention, self-control, and restlessness or hyperactivity. They also may show deficits in what is called "working memory functions."

These "working memory functions" are what maintain and manipulate the information that we take in from the world aroud us. This "working memory" is crucial for every-day functioning. Without it functioning well, we are total "space cadets."

Methylphenidate (MPH) is the stimulant medication that makes Ritalin, and a few other ADHD medications. It is a potent medication that may improve the performance in several areas of the brain, and in cognitive tasks.

Recently some researchers, using MRI technology, looked at the impact of MPH on "working memory functions" using a study group of six boys with ADHD, and also six boys without ADHD.

Almost Ready for Prime Time !

Our newly revised ADHD Information Library website at Newideas.net is almost finished! It will "go live" within the next month or two, and will include a Parent's section and eventually a Grandparent's section too.

In the Parent's section we will invite you, the parents of ADHD kids, to share your experiences, insights, and comments in a combined "book" that certainly will help other parents. Shared wisdom is a great concept, and it is made possible by new "web 2.0" technologies.

The site is working on a Drupal CMS platform, meaning that "registered users" can write and submit content to the website in the Parent's section (and future Grandparent's section).

We are working on the site as fast as we can, but it is a very large project and will still take a bit of time to switch from the old "html" webpages to the new "php" webpages.

But here is how you can really help us. Please visit the site, look around, and tell us what you think. And if you should find broken links or obvious mistakes, please let us know about those things as well! Finally, we need some creative ideas for the "home page" layout. The text that is presently on it will not stay there. We know there are several changes still to be made, that's why we'd appreciate your input!

Thanks for your help.