Follow-Ups to Answer from Expert Dr Billy Levin

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Donna wrote at 2007-10-12 13:50:35
I don't think it matters how much experience you have. Everybody is different. My husbands cousin was put on Ritalin when she was 11 and it worked great for her. My nephew was put on Ritalin when he was 9 and he also lost his appetite. As soon as they took him off it his appetite came back. My 9 year old daughter was also diagnosed with the same type of ADD. She has trouble focusing and remembering her assignments or what books to bring home. My husband is completely against meds. Her doctor and our pharmacist both recommended a small cup of coffee in the morning to help her get through her AM classes. Just a 1/4 cup is enough to help her think straight and get through the morning. She doesn't feel sick, get excited or irritable. She doesn't get the coffee on the weekends or during the summer and doesn't crave for it at those times either. Also , we don't allow either of our children to drink sodas, coffees or teas on a regular leisurely basis. I say try it and see how she does. You know your child the best and if you feel it is helping her than stick with it! Good Luck!

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Lillian wrote at 2007-11-11 18:52:38
Ritalin is a good drug for add, but when I run out of mine, usually 4 days before I should--- I take caff. pills and they seem to work great, I also take them in between if I need a vacation from rit. I am not hyper, so they work wonders for me. I'm 21 years old, big age difference but I also drank soda as a kid and could focus better.. so I see nothing wrong with it

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Moo wrote at 2007-12-08 02:37:56
I myself have ADHD. I do not take Ritalin. although I do take medicine for my issue. I have found that after 4 years of different meds I have come to like Concerta the best. I don't recommend Stratera that is the very worst. It made me lose weight it used to be a diet pill.

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Aerica wrote at 2009-01-08 21:57:01
I am a 25 year old female, I have severe ADD (ring of fire), and have tried both Aderol and Caffeine, and although Aderol often works to control those pesky ADD behaviors, i actually prefer a strict diet and a morning dose of espresso. High protein, low carb with omega 3 supplements have done pretty well in regulating focus... But i was diagnosed later in life and developed my own natural ways of coping, as my parents did, and i feel like in some ways learning to live with ADD, It has been an obstacle in one way and a useful tool in another. As a professional artist whois constantly working on multiple projects, having ADD doesn' detract from my career if i keep it under control and routine, though it can be extremely frustrating, it has its benefits. I find that aderol in a way almost removes too many of the symptoms and i can no longer function  in the natural way i am used to, slowed down like that.



I, too was a petite precocious little girl who loved language, and dreaded mornings. later on, though i have certainly spent years waking up early when i had to, have preferred to organize my life to a later schedule. Everyone has their own peak hours of performance in a day, the hours where they do their best work... and for a lot of us it just isnt the morning. For me, Caffeine is enough to relax me, even me out, but still feel like myself enough to tackle life more naturally.  It sounds like you have a very active concern for your daughter, and that more than anything else is what will lead to her success in life, no matter what.  

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curtis wrote at 2011-09-09 02:54:27
I would like to question Dr. Levin's rather quick rejection of caffeine. Treating 20,000 cases of ADHD is certainly an achievement -- about 12 cases a week for 30 years straight, but there are a few studies out there that show caffeine does have a mild, positive affect on individuals within the ADHD/ADD spectrum.



Further, I would question any doctor who did not take a moment to entertain the possibility of chronic affects from extended drug therapies. Appetite loss is one of the possible side effects of an extended Ritalin treatment. This effect can occur outside the drug's active window.



Also, giving your daughter 15mg doses of caffeine and observing her subsequent behavior is, in fact, an example of "monitored stimulant medication." Sugar pills would work much better than coffee in this instance since the dosage is known.



Finally, there should be some positive change just be invoking a morning ritual that encourages wakefulness and attentiveness. Some of the attentiveness gained from a cup of coffee is actually linked to whichever morning ritual the individual users goes through.



So, for anyone considering low doses of caffeine, definitely try it in a limited and monitored fashion. There could be a net gain in mood regulation.

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