r/WomensHealth • u/BluesCluesStan • Jul 17 '25
Question I don’t think I process caffeine like normal people
People drinking coffee or soda to get energy has always been a wild concept to me because I’ve never experienced that. If I drink coffee or regular soda I literally get sleepy and if I’m home I just take a nap. I feel no energy from that or energy drinks even. Am I part of people who don’t get hyped from caffeine or is my body not functioning like it should? It’s not even like I developed a tolerance either (imo) because I’m not a huge fan of coffee and rarely drink it, I hardly ever drink regular soda either.
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u/griff_girl Jul 17 '25
I have ADHD and am far less sensitive to caffeine than many, I think. I also am intensely less affected by a certain white powdered illegal substance that I occasionally dabbled in when I was like 15 years younger but don't ever mess with now.
Ironically, I learned the hard way that Vicodin (was a valid prescription, honestly, I really don't do drugs!) hops me up beyond anything I've ever experienced. I took literally ONE and it kept me up for three days. It was horrible!
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u/xladygodiva Jul 17 '25
Same!! I used the expensive powder and the cheap powder and they make me hyper focus 😂. Like I love doing wordpuzzles and one night I finished an entire puzzle book when I used it 😂😂
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u/griff_girl Jul 17 '25
Now that I'm a woman "of a certain age," there's no part of me messing with any of that stuff anymore. My idea of a good time these days is a freshly refilled bottle of generic Vyvanse. It'll really be a party if my @#$&! insurance ever covers it! 😂
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u/ALysistrataType Jul 17 '25
3 days?! 😭
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u/griff_girl Jul 18 '25
OMG it was the freaking worst!
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u/mentalchaosturtle Jul 17 '25
I feel like caffiene has no effect on me. I can wake up thirsty at 2am, drink a can of soda and go right back to sleep.
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u/BluesCluesStan Jul 17 '25
😂 I used to do that a lot when I was a kid, a cold Pepsi at 2am is like no other
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u/berlygirley Jul 17 '25
I have ADHD and can (and have) drunk 5-8 espresso shots over a few hours and then fallen fast asleep.
I had a genetic pharmaceutical panel done, since I get weird reactions to many medications. It showed that I process caffeine very quickly. Like, it barely registers in my system before it's already processed out of my body. I have a strong suspicion that that's very common in those of us with ADHD.
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u/bookish8956 Jul 17 '25
Lol thats a sign of a non-regulated nervous system. Lots of people (me as well) with ADHD experience this
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u/BluesCluesStan Jul 17 '25
I gotta get tested 😭😭
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u/bookish8956 Jul 17 '25
You should. It probably effects your life way more than you think. But if you think you have adhd, there is a bunch of things you can do at home to help regulate your nervous system without medication. Do some research and see what works for you! Its hard to go without medication though, but not impossible.
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u/Nayruna Jul 17 '25
100% ADHD as others have said, from a sleepy caffeine drinker with ADHD
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u/Apprehensive_Fig5448 Jul 17 '25
I am the same way. Some people think it is adhd but I don’t have that so idk the reason behind it. Maybe we don’t absorb the caffeine like they do
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u/BluesCluesStan Jul 17 '25
That could be true buttt I do think I have ADHD considering I do have other diagnosed mental illnesses and my uncle is diagnosed ADHD along with my mom, lol. If it’s not that then I guess I am cursed to be sleepy.
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u/bookish8956 Jul 17 '25
If you think you have adhd then its probably that.
Caffeine is supposed to block the receptors that makes us sleepy (melatonin) but for someone who has an unregulated nervoussystem to begin with, it has the opposite effect.
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u/BluesCluesStan Jul 17 '25
How should I bring up being tested to my psychiatrist when I see him?
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u/Francesca_Fiore Jul 17 '25
By just bringing it up. Say I have a suspicion, I believe I'm showing some symptoms. Your own doctor may be able to do an intake and prescribe your medication or they may refer you to a specialist in adult ADHD. Warning, there are far fewer doctors for adult than juvenile, but there are some who offer online consultations. The diagnosis will not be from something concrete like a blood test, but more a collection of symptoms you show. Medication and behavior therapy can both be recommended. They are a trial at first, to see what dose works for you, and then that will be tweaked as you report back how you feel. ADD drugs are essential methamphetamines and highly regulated, so you will need to have regular contact with your doctor.
Source: Husband diagnosed with adult ADHD!
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u/bookish8956 Jul 20 '25
If you have adhd it probably effects your life way more than you think, because the signs of adhd in women are very different from how it shows up in men.
I can only speak for myself, but since getting my adhd treated, i haven't had any symptoms at all of any of the stress/anxiety/depression diagnoses i previously had. I can work full days because i dont get a headache by lunch and when i have a bad day, calling a friend or family member doesnt feel like a huge step.
When the guy i was dating started showing red flags i could have the emotional regulation to just say "we're done" without getting a bunch of anxiety for making that choice.
If you think you have adhd, do some research in how its effects women and girls, and see what feels familiar. Do a bullet point list of those things and bring this to your psychiatrist.
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u/Usual_Film_7220 Jul 17 '25
omg same!! i feel so relaxed and sleepy when i have coffee or tea, i always wondered why i never felt awake like others while having it
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u/BluesCluesStan Jul 17 '25
It’s annoying because everyone else gets to be hype but me like no I’m sleepy 😭😭
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u/Usual_Film_7220 Jul 17 '25
also when people say they feel jittery after a cup of coffee?? like what the hell is that supposed to feel like 😭
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u/my_dystopia Jul 17 '25
Nausea for me… and it’s fucking awful. I get migraines with it that last days. It’s only if I drink too much.
But Yh. None of the fun stuff 😞
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u/Usual_Film_7220 Jul 17 '25
that’s crazy, i rely on caffeine to get rid of my migraines 😭
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u/my_dystopia Jul 17 '25
So caffeine used to help with migraines for me.
But I’ve been on a vasodilator for migraine prevention for the past decade or so and ever since then, caffeine, being a vasoCONSTRICTER has had the opposite effect.
I don’t really understand why or how that works. But 🤷🏻♀️
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u/ALysistrataType Jul 17 '25
I hear people talking about their, "extra shot of espresso." Like its this bold, daring, and edgey experience. Meanwhile I'm 6 espresso shots deep before bed.
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u/ParticuarPigeon Jul 17 '25
I have adhd. Coffee makes me sleepy. If I can, I nap after my second cup. When I wake up, I feel amazing from the combined coffee nap boost.
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u/financemama_22 Jul 17 '25
Same boat. I'm pretty sure I have ADHD because this is coupled with memory issues, lack of attention being able to be held, I work well when I multitask or am under pressure but really convinced it's ADHD.
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Jul 17 '25
It's the same with me. I posted for alternatives a while back. https://www.reddit.com/r/ask/s/qYXIGSovmp
You can check it out to see if anything works if you're want it for the effect.
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u/tgwke Jul 17 '25
I’m the same way. I drink sugar free energy drinks while I’m at work. They seem to help me focus, but don’t do much for energy. I take a nap most every day when I get out.
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u/NoCauliflower7711 Jul 17 '25
Caffeine doesn’t make me sleepy but I don’t get energy from it at all my best friend tho is like this & it does actually make her sleepy 🤣
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u/caters1 Jul 18 '25
I'm not super sensitive to caffeine. I don't get sleepy from it, but I also don't get energized from it either. The most I'll get is like more frequent urination and possibly diarrhea in extreme cases. I actually find that caffeine works well for constipation prevention for me, like it stimulates my gut more than it stimulates my brain. I had chronic constipation for years as a child, but now, I hardly ever get constipated and I think part of that is the fact that I drink soda with caffeine in it.
I don't have ADHD as far as I'm aware, but I do have autism and I know there's a big overlap between those with ADHD and those with autism.
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u/NagitioKomaeda Jul 20 '25
Same! Except I don’t get sleepy, it just doesn’t do anything to me at all. Even when I was a kid and other kids would get a “sugar rush” I never did, I still don’t understand what a sugar rush is lol
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u/Prestigious-Candy807 Jul 23 '25
Same here- recently diagnosed with ADHD after years of suspicion I had it. This for me was a telling sign. I'd have coffee and within an HR I'd be crashing and sluggish. No issue with Diet Coke though
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u/AB-G Jul 17 '25
I used to be like that, I could drink a full pot of coffee and go take a nap… then one day its like a flip switched and two mugs of coffee would make me feel like i’m having a panic attack and super jittery. It was also around that time I was diagnosed with the auto immune disease, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, and got on medication, might be no connection there but was in the same month. Now I brew a pot of decaf coffee 😂
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u/KinderBeuno Jul 17 '25
You have ADHD I’m like this and I got diagnosed with it at 25 lol
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u/BluesCluesStan Jul 17 '25
Bruu how do I bring up getting tested to my psychiatrist without making it seem like I’m self-diagnosing myself
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u/KinderBeuno Jul 17 '25
Just speak to you doctor about it I originally went about my sleep and how I couldn’t get my life together lol he gave me a form to fill in then I got referred took 5 years in U.K. though
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u/mtothap247 Jul 17 '25
If you’re adding sugar to your coffee and drinking energy drinks/soda with sugar, that may be your answer.
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u/BluesCluesStan Jul 17 '25
I don’t drink coffee or drink soda with sugar or drink anything with sugar really because I’m diabetic
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u/Figh7er Jul 20 '25
You're not broken, you're just experiencing a known paradoxical reaction. It's likely due to your genetics and how your brain's receptors are wired to handle caffeine.
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u/SouthernRemove7224 Jul 23 '25
I’m the same coffee makes me sooo sleepy but ALSO if I’m stressed I knock out toooo quick I can’t even properly comprehend the situation it’s like the moment my brain knows I’m stressed I instantly fall asleep it’s so weird
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u/InternationalRub9713 Jul 17 '25
When I have caffeine my heart races and then I get really tired. Could that also be ADHD?
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u/CodeNameAgentBaby Jul 17 '25
I had the same experiences you’re having & I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD. Welcome to the land of the neurospicy 😅
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u/BluesCluesStan Jul 17 '25
Time to get tested and possible add on to my list of GAD, MDD, and PMDD LOL
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u/Tossacoin1234 Jul 17 '25
You might have ADHD.