Victorian combat drugs

Vin Mariani was red wine laced with cocaine. It was (ab)used as the energy drink of the day, with celebrity endorsements from the likes of Edison, Queen Victoria and even the pope!
http://proofdrinks.com/illustrious-outrageous-history-vin-mariani/

Khat aka Somali tea.

-cb

Bhang (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhang) as used by Harry Flashman in Flashman in the Great Game.

On the "what does it feel like?" side of things, I take prescription stimulants for ADD and hypersomnia. (I fall asleep unexpectedly. Like, while standing up, teaching a class. Or while actively typing on my laptop.) Generally, the meds don't make me feel anything special. I don't get a buzz or high. They prevent me from feeling groggy during the day, they motivate me to get out of bed, and they help me focus, so I can get things done. Without them, I tend to nap multiple times throughout the day and I lack the willpower to do anything productive.

The only "oopsie" I had was about 18 years ago, when I accidentally took one at bedtime, instead of my regular nighttime pills. That was not a fun night! No sleep, just a lot of energy, which I couldn't do much with, seeing as how it was the middle of the night. As I recall, I did a lot of cleaning and housework.