<![CDATA[Just curious.]]>Just curious. For the purposes of the poll, count coffee / mate and other caffeine (and any illicit stimulant substances) as self-medication.

(In high school and college I remember saying "coffee makes me sleepy" and IN RETROSPECT, OMG.)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/b3ecfb8d-cffa-4e53-b7c0-3df10f620aa8/just-curious.RSS for NodeFri, 15 May 2026 05:04:55 GMTMon, 13 Apr 2026 12:39:38 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:02:33 GMT]]>@lkundrak @mattdm At the end of the day we're talking about weird levels of either or both production and reuptake of two different neurotransmitters, so it's a 4 variable problem that's completely in the analog domain. So it's not surprising the field of experiences is pretty evenly spread within the common results.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/vathpela/statuses/116415224430146174https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/vathpela/statuses/116415224430146174Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:02:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:06:40 GMT]]>@mattdm lolz at the balanced poll results. it's all a total chaos isn't it?

/me diagnosed, total squirrel brain. full package, called retarded in 90's, good grades but drove teachers nuts, (suspended) high school expulsion, hyperfocused afternoons at library

add coffee + book -- instant sleep
meth (and some adjacent chemicals) -- calm, focus, lot of room for thought, can put ideas and even emotions into words in more organized way. more listening, less talking
atomoxetine -- distractions no longer rewarding. eating not rewarding, hiding from cold not rewarding. staring into the wall for hours, unable to distract from difficult thoughts. dopamine no workey

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://metalhead.club/users/lkundrak/statuses/116403916018407363https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://metalhead.club/users/lkundrak/statuses/116403916018407363Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:06:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Tue, 14 Apr 2026 04:57:47 GMT]]>@mattdm back in 1999, one of my study abroad cohort noticed how much black tea I drank in a day and commented "Wow. How mellow would you be if you WEREN'T always super caffeinated?" At the time, I knew I needed the tea, but I didn't know how to explain that actually, without it I'd seem like a squirrel on coke.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://sandiegourbanists.com/users/acdingman/statuses/116401285825880378https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://sandiegourbanists.com/users/acdingman/statuses/116401285825880378Tue, 14 Apr 2026 04:57:47 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Tue, 14 Apr 2026 01:29:41 GMT]]>@mattdm I'm not really sure how to vote because my experience is very similar to yours. Vyvanse worked great for my symptoms but I slept a lot lighter, and I eventually decided I wasn't resting well enough. Adderall IR has been slightly less effective but now I go to bed in my normal manner, which is not unlike dropping an aircraft carrier's anchor 🙂.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://floss.social/users/mwinters/statuses/116400467558442017https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://floss.social/users/mwinters/statuses/116400467558442017Tue, 14 Apr 2026 01:29:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:41:15 GMT]]>@mattdm it varies wildly, just a few months ago, I felt that caffeine would keep me up. A few years back, I would suffer from pretty bad insomnia, with or without caffeine. Now, I have fairly good sleep and I'm back to caffeine doesn't do much in terms of wakefulness.
I self medicate with THC, have never tried Ritalin / Adderall and have uncommon reactions to some drugs; cocaine doesn't do much and ketamine, which is an anesthetic, will keep me up.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://fosstodon.org/users/mathieucomandon/statuses/116400277158445947https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://fosstodon.org/users/mathieucomandon/statuses/116400277158445947Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:41:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 23:44:18 GMT]]>@mattdm both 1 and 2, to be honest? like... i bounce around between awakey and sleepy as i increase the amount of stims in me

so i think i'll go with the first option, because it's where i end up usually

fwiw i am typically on 60 mg vyvanse and a couple pints of iced coffee

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.cat/users/rey/statuses/116400053184971844https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.cat/users/rey/statuses/116400053184971844Mon, 13 Apr 2026 23:44:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:53:16 GMT]]>@mattdm Visiting friends during evenings requires quietness (as background noise or music means I can't hear what they're saying) and literal liters of coffee to focus (and I still fall asleep on their couch shortly after most of the time 🫠).

And I usually have at least 2 - 3 generous cups of coffee in the day *before* the liter(s) of French press coffee at their place.

My whole family is like this too. We're all coffee fiends, requiring several cups per day to function at all.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.xyz/users/garrett/statuses/116397729152487455https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.xyz/users/garrett/statuses/116397729152487455Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:53:16 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:42:23 GMT]]>@mattdm I've dealt with ADHD my whole life. I self medicated with caffeine until I was officially diagnosed and then treated with Vyvanse but it would keep me up so had to stop. I could only vote for one of the options so I picked the "official Meds kept me up" option.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.coop/users/scottjenson/statuses/116397686366382122https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.coop/users/scottjenson/statuses/116397686366382122Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:42:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:28:41 GMT]]>@mattdm adderall extended release for me. It can keep me up at night if I take it too late but otherwise it seems to be doing its job at a fairly low dose.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.blaede.family/users/cassidy/statuses/116397632456140843https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.blaede.family/users/cassidy/statuses/116397632456140843Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:28:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:25:39 GMT]]>@mattdm In the short term I get sleepy after coffee or sodas, especially the latter because there's also a sugar crash. But after I wake up again, that caffeine has a long tail.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/linuxandyarn/statuses/116397620579391609https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/linuxandyarn/statuses/116397620579391609Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:25:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:18:04 GMT]]>@cassidy

And FWIW that bad Ritalin experience (plus being a teenager and not having any humility) was what led to 25 years of coffee-self-meditation until I got re-diagnosed.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/mattdm/statuses/116397590731505972https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/mattdm/statuses/116397590731505972Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:18:04 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:14:57 GMT]]>@jzb

Heh, yeah, that's relatable.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/mattdm/statuses/116397578485190999https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/mattdm/statuses/116397578485190999Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:14:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:13:57 GMT]]>@cassidy

If you don't mind, which meds?

For me:

* Coffee: one cup to sleep, two cups to work, three cups to stay up all night reading reddit for no reason

* Ritalin: omg so anxious and jittery

* Adderall: XR kept me up at night. With IR, could take in the morning and definitely then slept better at night

* Dextroamphetamine: increased anxiety, restless legs, and brain fog. What? Something not great with brain chemistry here!

* Evekeo (because hey, if right-handed was worse, maybe more levoamphetamine?): maybe good, but approved dosages are low and blood pressure concerns.

* Azstarys (current): has a very strong anti-anxiety effect for me. I often wake up at like 5-6and with too much going on in my brain. Now, I try to let that pass as best I can, then take meds at 7:30, check email or whatever, then sleep from 8-9 and wake up ready for the day. Best so far.(Crazy expensive though.)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/mattdm/statuses/116397574552575893https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/mattdm/statuses/116397574552575893Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:13:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:59:58 GMT]]>@mattdm adderall has nothing on the power of procrastination; if there's something I really don't want to do I'll be organizing the dryer lint by size and color.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/jzb/statuses/116397519537015741https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/jzb/statuses/116397519537015741Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:59:58 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:50:59 GMT]]>@mattdm self-medicated for like 20 years with caffeine, which both helps me function but can make me sleepy. I don't feel the same sleepiness effect with stimulant medication.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.blaede.family/users/cassidy/statuses/116397484247160288https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.blaede.family/users/cassidy/statuses/116397484247160288Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:50:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Just curious. on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:43:22 GMT]]>"I scored some adderall and wrote fifty pages and cleaned the house and organized all my socks" vs "I took my adderall, and a nap".

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/mattdm/statuses/116397454292288185https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/mattdm/statuses/116397454292288185Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:43:22 GMT