After a decade of taking Vyvanse and reading anecdotes here, protein has changed everything for me.

Sharing my anecdote based on something I read here and a conversation I had with my doctor, in case it inspires anyone else to speak to their care provider too!

I’m a woman in her mid 30s, diagnosed in 5th grade, so I’ve known ADHD intimately my whole life. I’ve medicated with Ritalin and Adderall in the past, but switching to Vyvanse about ten years ago was a game-changer in terms of success for me. I went from just surviving to thriving professionally in ways that wouldn’t have been possible for me unmedicated.

That said, I read on here a month ago about protein making meds work better. For the last decade, my routine was wake up at 6am, take meds with water and coffee, and be wildly productive from about 6:30am-2:00pm, where I’d see my meds start a slow but noticeable decline in efficiency. Because of unrelated gut health issues, I’ve also voluntarily fasted every day from 9:00pm to 2:00pm, half of that time being asleep and the other half not having an appetite because of meds. That routine helped fix some serious gut health problems and, as ADHD people often do, I was adamant not to change what I’ve found worked for me.

I asked my doctor about protein intake, and she said I should absolutely be taking my pill in the morning with a protein shake. I decided to give it a try, and—oh my god. It’s like an entirely new medication.

The downside: it doesn’t work as fast. I take my pill at 6:00 and… go back to bed? At first I tried staying up and being productive, but my body would still be so tired and aching for sleep, so finally I stopped trying to wait for the meds to kick in and have just started going back to bed. I’ve kept track of when it kicks in each day, and sure enough, every day it takes about two hours before I really feel the fog lift. Two hours! So much different from the old, nearly-instant effectiveness without protein + drinking coffee instead.

The upside: it lasts SO MUCH LONGER and is so much steadier throughout the day. The first day I tried this, I couldn’t sleep that night. I’ve been taking this pill for a decade!! How is that just now a thing?! Now that I’ve been at it for about two weeks straight, I become productive and “neurotypical” around 8:00am and work efficiently until about 7:00pm, when I start to notice a natural feeling decline in the clarity, sharpness, and organized calm Vyvanse brings me.

How is this massive of a change possible?? It’s wild to me and has given me a huge new appreciation for how tiny changes can add up to huge improvements.