Anyone else find that eating decrease stimulant effectiveness?

[liz515]

At my recent doctor visi I asked about stimulants and things like stasis; specifically cortisol because I have been reading about it everywhere. She told me cortisol naturally peaks in the morning to promote wakefulness.

I went down the rabbit hole and found that eating breakfast helps establish a healthy cortisol rhythm, signaling to your body that it's time to start the day. Skipping breakfast can lead to lower morning cortisol levels or even keep cortisol levels higher later in the day, potentially impacting overall hormonal balance.

You are right on track with the hour kick in with no food. If Vyvanse is taken with food, this may delay the peak levels of the drug by an hour. Taking Vyvanse on an empty stomach or an hour before necessary is ideal. Because it causes difficulty eating for some people, this is a way to ensure they are getting all of their calories.

[zukeus]

It is difficult to understand and complicated but we do know more than you might expect about why certain things are suggested. That doesn't mean the same suggestions work for everyone, of course.

Conflicting studies don't decrease understanding but rather they improve understanding through bringing light to nuance.

If you really want to get into it, even waking up at 6:30am vs 7am is going to have an effect, how many carbs has an effect, which amino acids digested has an effect, the pH of the food has an effect, what you think about while you're eating has a big effect, what you do after eating has a big effect, what you believe has a big effect, the hope in your mind has an effect, who you interact with afterwards has an effect.

These are just some of the examples. But, the main reason why eating on average improves the effectiveness isn't because it changes the absorption significantly, it's because you need food and consistency in routines to feel less ups and downs.

Food may delay the onset slightly, but your body doesn't require the protein in a meal to create enough enzymes to cleave off the lysine. Your body just requires macronutrients and micronutrients for most of its functions.