They're hungry and feral now the meds are gone

What to do right now

They ate almost nothing all day because the stimulant suppressed their appetite. Now the medication is gone and the hunger is intense, urgent, and dysregulating. Let them eat. Don't comment on quantity or speed. A large protein-heavy snack now is better than a battle about dinner later. The body is catching up.

What your brain just did

Your body

The appetite has been suppressed all day by the stimulant. Now the suppression is gone and the body is catching up. The hunger is genuine, intense, and landing on a system that is already in medication rebound.

Your brain

Stimulants suppress appetite by increasing dopamine and norepinephrine, which reduce the hunger signal. When the medication wears off, the hunger signal returns at full intensity, often stronger than normal because the body has been under-fuelled all day.

What this did

The combination of intense hunger and medication rebound makes this window uniquely dysregulating. Protein-heavy food stabilises blood sugar faster. The dinner battle is not about manners tonight. It is about refuelling.

What your child is experiencing

Their body

They are genuinely starving. The hunger is urgent and overwhelming. They may be shaky, irritable, or unable to think about anything except food.

Their brain

The stimulant suppressed their appetite signal all day. Now the suppression has lifted and the body is sending a catch-up hunger signal at full intensity. They are not being greedy. Their body is trying to recover a day of missed fuel.

What they need

Feed them without commentary. Protein and complex carbohydrates stabilise blood sugar fastest. Do not restrict quantity or lecture about dinner. Their body knows what it needs right now.