The effects of caffeine on the autistic mind

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I like green tea and black tea. Nothing too caffeine dense

I'm not sure it's just mild ADHD so much as some people respond well to it and others do not. I get some benefit out of it, although not very much - going without is pretty hellish, though. Not because of the withdrawal effects, which are transitory, but because hyperactivity ramps up to where I guess it normally would be if I had less caffeine intake - mostly physical restlessness and high-speed thoughts zooming around like pinballs.

The last time I went without caffeine it got to this stage after four or five days. After one can of Mountain Dew, my brain slowed down and I was actually really really tired (that's pretty common for me with caffeine, though).

I am not sure about my severity, but I know it's difficult to get just about anything done without stimulants, even with schedules and routines to get some things done.

I need it to wake up on a morning properly
If I don't drink it I feel really cranky all day and I end up feeling sick/shaking.

However it has the same effect if I drink too much.

Caffine addiction isn't very nice

I discovered the magic of caffeine mid last year. I was struggling in a job with my memory and concentration when I forced myself to try coffee one morning. I thought I noticed a difference so I started to drink it regularly despite my dislike for the taste. I found I was able to remember important details and facts alot easier. It was like my short term memory was improved more than 100%. At home or when out of work I prefer tea.

I consume a moderate amount of caffeine I suppose, but other than waking me up a little it doesn't really do too much - unless I have too much then I get tired and irritable. If I'm not careful I'll get headaches and it also irritates my digestive system which is really quite unpleasant.

Usually I drink two cups of coffee per day on weekdays (espresso). I think I've built up tolerance against it, now it has reduced effect on me. It helps me get boring tasks done, mostly at my work. I haven't tried medication yet, so I can't compare it to coffee.

Motivation usually comes to me after I have spent enough time with my interests and had a lot of leisure time/alone time. I feel somewhat "guilty", and see the prospect of actually doing something useful much better. Some friendly scolding also helps.

Coffee keeps me going for hours on end.

Caffiene has no effect on me at all. I drink a lot of coke and still doesn't affect my sleep.

I don't know, I'm not allowed to drink it in large quantities. A small-sized coke doesn't seem to have much of an effect on me though.

I consume an incredible amount of caffeine on a daily basis, and it really just lifts my mood and gets me through the day. Without it I am worthless.

Reading this thread makes me wonder if Ritalin would be good for me.

I guess my caffeine tolerance is pretty high, but I still need it. Sometimes its subconscious. I'm walking around feeling miserable and angry, and then somehow Starbucks pops into my head, and I think "grrrr... guess I'll go get a freaking coffee". The I get my coffee and suddenly I'm normal again.

I have a feeling that Coffee & cigarettes are pointless for a lot people with autism. Eventually they won't do hardly anything noticeable but shock your body & make you sleepy.

I got myself addicted to caffiene while in college. I had to go cold turkey in my late twenties because I had essentially torn up my stomach with it. I went through two solid months of withdrawl. That first week off I wasn't even functional. And, my ability to multitask and concentrate and generally get things done pretty much bottom out without it.

I drink unsweetened iced tea like a fiend - the dose of caffiene is very very low but it does help a bit. It keeps me a bit better focused though nowhere near as well as caffiene does. Thanks to my stomach even caffiene in pill form is no longer an\ option for me. (at least the green tea I drink has lots of other benefits as well as being gentle on my stomach.)

I do not have an official ADHD dx but I am going for one in two weeks. After my kidling was dx'd it was kind of a no brainer. I fit her dx better than she does. At least all of my weird 'self help' measures I've taken over the years make better sense now. I was laughed at by loved ones and doctors when I told them that I couldn't function without caffiene - they just thought that was the addiction talking. In part it may have been - no one believed my other assertions. Thankfully, I may be diagnosable now where no one would listen back then.

Caffine has fairly normal effects on me as in it does make me feel more energetic, the only down side to this is if I get anxious while caffinated it tends to make the physical aspects of anxiety a little bit worse. Though it can also cause a bit of a mood lift like if I wake up feeling extra depressed I may feel a bit better after something caffinated.