I’m doing keto but I’ve just started ADHD meds. I’d like to continue to do OMAD but my doctor said that I needed to eat with the meds. Do you think eating a slice of cheese or ham is enough and would I still get the benefits of fasting? Is there anything else you could suggest? I don’t want to eat my main meal in the morning as I find it makes me hungrier and I hate eating in the morning really. Taking the meds later in the day isn’t an option or I’ll be up all night.
Check with with your doctor why it’s recommended to eat with them. The ones I’ve tried so far just have a potential side effect of decreased appetite but otherwise I was told it’s fine not to eat with them.
Most ADD/ADHD meds are recommended to take with food to reduce the chance of stomach upset because they are stimulants.
It also triggers the digestion process to get the medication in to the bloodstream.
So really anything you do will be fine.
When I was doing IF I would have a cup of “Bulletproof Coffee” each morning and never had a problem.
Source: On ADD/ADHD meds for 10 years…
I’m on adhd meds, IR Methylphenidate…5mg twice a day, a relatively small dosage.
My doctor, who is a fairly progressive psychiatrist, not a family doc, so is very familiar with these specific medications. He Is also the one who recommended fasting to me.
The main difference is that the Ritalin is about 30% -50% more effective on an empty stomach.
I also take a fair amount of supplements, and haven’t noticed any sort of upset stomach, I just drink plenty of water.
However, I would consult your doc, though I have had primary care physicians scoff at IF on more than one occasion.
Apart from side effects a lot of ADHD meds release differently on an empty stomach. Most likely you will get less/shorter effects. And no, a slice of cheese is not enough. Yes some people take them without food and are OK but if you’re just starting on them you should take them as they are meant to be taken. Or talk to your doctor about one that can be taken independent from food. I’m taking one that is not dependent on food for release and still I can feel a difference depending on when I eat.
I’ve been on ADHD meds for a couple years now. I’ve fasted with them. Voluntarily and unvoluntarily. In the beginning I used ritalin, and it made me quite queasy and turned off from food. When it went out of the system I’d eat like there is no tomorrow. Eating with ritalin was helpful due to not having to worry about being empty and queasy while hungry but not able to eat.
A year later I got to try lisdexamphetamines, like vyvanse but different brand. There has been no bad side effects for me. I can eat on it, but I don’t feel the NEED for food all the time. It made fasting so easy I felt like I was cheating.
Try it without food, see how you feel. Feeling queasy can go away in a few weeks, so don’t dismiss it right away. If it’s unbearable, try with food. Then try without in a week.
But you don’t NEED to take it with food, it’s optional but often recommended. Good luck.
What meds do you take? I’ve been taking Adderall for 15 years and almost never eat until 3 PM. And that’s before I started intermittent fasting. It was just life! My meds last just four-ish hours. I set my alarm for an hour before I want to get up slug down my pill and then am happy to wake up when my alarm goes off an hour later. Check with the pharmacist for sure and check with your doc if you want. And if you feel icky without a little bit to eat, eat!