I have been running modafinil for two years and the honest summary is that the effect is smaller than the internet suggests and real.
The effect size I actually noticed is roughly a third of what the write-ups imply, and it took two years to be sure.
What surprised me is how much of the perceived benefit was routine and attention rather than pharmacology.
Appetite suppression makes the sleep problem worse, which is the actual trap.
What is the strongest human evidence anyone here has actually read, not skimmed?
How long before you can reasonably say something is or is not doing anything?
I would take the narrow conclusion. Broad ones are more interesting and less true.
What is the first thing you would read if you were starting from zero?
Is a baseline blood test really necessary before starting something like this?