From what I've heard, it's less that the caffeine brings you "up", but more that the lack of it is pushing you down once you've become accustomed to having it.

I'm not a coffee scientist, though, so take this with a grain of salt.

Even before I got to the last part where you talk about nicotine cravings, my first thought was caffeine withdrawal. When I have a caffeine dependence (like always) I get that feeling until I've had my strong coffee.

If I don't drink coffee, I get an ache/tightness in my neck, headaches, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.

What you’re describing sounds like the effects of noradrenaline. The effects are what most people imagine when they think of stimulants, in my experience; i.e. increased energy, heart rate, physical tension, alertness, etc.

Many drugs have noradrenergic effects, but especially stimulants like caffeine, nicotine, and most ADHD meds. Ritalin has a stronger noradrenergic effect than other first-line options, as well.

IANAMD but the cravings you describe might be a simple conditioned response. Since each day the physiological cues (increased blood pressure, muscle tension, etc) are quickly followed by the release of dopamine, your body now anticipates it, which may briefly amplify cravings. To get past that period of cravings, you could try timing your dose so that it passes while you’re distracted by something physical/kinetic.

From what I recall it's related to dopamine in a certain part of the brain, those drugs are all dopaminergic.

I am definitely not an expert but I remember that feeling from taking Ritalin and I didn’t like it at all so I switched to something else, it might just be a side effect of Ritalin? I eventually landed on Vyvanse because it had the least of that feeling, aderall was better but not as good as Vyvanse. All that to say, make sure to ask your doctor as well, you might be able to try a different drug if it is a side effect or something.

ETA: also, same boat here with nicotine too, its a rough one for sure but I keep trying heh.