There's hardly a person out there who hasn't used caffeine, and who from time to time, has had too much of it. The result? Often people report feeling jittery, nervous, and hyperactive when they have used too much. That's because caffeine acts just like an amphetamine! For others who use too much, they report feeling energized and focused. So if caffeine can act just like an amphetamine, can it be taken to treat ADHD symptoms? The answers are mixed.



A number of studies have been conducted to answer this question and the results are not conclusive in one direction or the other. Some studies argue that the intake of caffeine caused ADHDers to be less impulsive, aggressive, more focused, and to have increased hand-to-eye coordination. When parents and teachers were polled, they believed caffeine was just as effective as taking Ritalin. Still other studies have proven that the combination of Ritalin and caffeine gave the best benefit.

Before you jump to any conclusion about the benefits of caffeine, you probably need to take into account the fact that caffeine does not produce the same effect on different people. Researchers doing tests of caffeine in terms of concentration and hyperactivity would usually average the scores of children with ADHD. The averages of these scores are taken and they would usually indicate minimal or non existing benefits. They fail to acknowledge look at the scores which indicates children who are severely effected by caffeine.

It should be observed that caffeine has very different effect for ADHD sufferer. They make it worse for these people. Caffeine is also associated to insomnia, a condition where one becomes addicted to caffeine. This is definitely no more than a bad news.

A small dose of caffeine is about 158-160 milligrams. This list here shows that you don't need much to reach in order to surpass this level.

- Coke has 23 mgs. in 8 ounces

- Diet Coke has 31 mgs. in 8 ounces

- Brewed tea has 20-35 mgs. while instant tea has 10-30 mgs. in 8 ounces

- Chocolate milk has 5 mgs in 8 ounces

- Semi-sweet chocolate (think chocolate chip cookies) has 5-35 mgs. in 1 ounce

Adults will probably be more prone to taking caffeine into their diet than children. It is wise for you to be fully aware of the effect caffeine can bring to sufferer of ADHD we are likely to be gaining more bad than good from it. You should decide what will be the best amount for you, if you are suffering from ADD or your child because only you can tell and observe clearly its effect on your body. Don't rush into making decisions for yourself of your loved ones for no one is restricting you from caffeine after all.

If you are a normal adult, you probably drink several caffeinated beverages a day, so it doesn't take long before you have overdone it. For children that threshold is even lower. No one is saying you must give caffeine up. But if you or your child suffer from ADD, you cannot ignore that caffeine may have profound effects on your symptoms. Just because you believe it actually minimizes the bad symptoms, and maximizes the good, the balance of how much caffeine is the perfect dose will change from day to day. So don't let yourself be fooled into thinking caffeine is a safe alternative to treat ADHD symptoms.