Increased appetite due to medication

k_sinc

Hi All,

I have been prescribed medication with the side effect of an increased appetite.. Within the first few days of taking I was super hungry alright.

I know how much I need to eat, and I know I don't need anything extra, but I'M. SO. HUNGRY.

What I would like to know, is if my body is "hungry", but I only feed it what it needs, not what it wants because of this medication, will that mess with my metabolism? I presume it will. I'm not keen on messing with the routine I've worked so hard for.

jennifries227

Is it Prednisone? Because Prednisone is the devil.
It shouldn't mess with your metabolism, so you should be OK. Depending on what it is it may cause you to retain water and you might gain a few pounds. But that should go away once you stop taking the medication.

And really, if it's Prednisone, I'm so sorry. I was on it for almost a month straight December-January and it was awful. If you MUST snack, you know what to do: Healthy low cal options. Eat slowly. Drink lots of water.

Good luck!

FatFreeFrolicking

Do you mind telling us what medication it is?

As a warning, I gained 111 lbs from medications that had increased appetite/weight changes as a side effect.

redladywitch

I can tell you what my experience has been. I need to take steroids so that I can breathe because I have a lung disease. I do take Prednisone which increases my appetite and causes weight gain. I have taken this for quite a few years now.

I gained just over 150 pounds in three years. My doctors say that my weight gain is due to the amount of steroids every month for three years. I'm still trying to lose the weight. It will happen. I am determined.

I've learned a few things along the way:

*keep tight control over what I eat
*drink more water when I feel hungry after I know that I have eaten enough food
*exercise- I walk when I am able
*I keep fresh vegetables as a snack when I am able to
*I have to stay focused which is difficult at times
*sometimes, staying busy helps me not to focus on how hungry I am


I want you to know that it is possible to lose weight and remain on those meds. I hope my suggestions have helped. My heart goes out to you and I wish you the very best. Don't give up! :flowerforyou:

edit:typo

k_sinc

Thanks for your replies so far! It is Mirtazepine. It is to help with anxiety and sleep problems.
It's a long term thing so I am very reluctant to keep taking it if it affects me this much... Anxiety is a mental thing and I know that it is better when I am healthy and active, and the sleep problems well they are caused by nightmares from a traumatic experience from the past but I just deal with being a zombie when I have to. Again with better nutrition and an active lifestyle I sleep better, not great, but better.

My doctor gave me these as a last resort as I refuse to take anti depressants or anything like that, I'm not depressed, just struggle to cope sometimes.. She hoped it would help me sleep better at night and have anxiety affect my life less.

I have an office job so it's way too easy to just sit and snack the day away which I have been since taking it.... I do have healthy snacks but seriously it's like my stomach doesn't have a "full" function anymore!

It's been over 15 months since it all happened and I spent majority of last year going nuts at the gym as a coping mechanism, but I am in a relationship now so I can't just have the gym be my entire life like it used to. He supports my fit and healthy lifestyle 100% but I'm not entirely sure he'd appreciate me disappearing at 2am to go to the gym like I used to lol. Or going to the gym straight from work, coming home to eat and then going to bed.

I don't know. I haven't put on a great deal of weight. But I'm super bloated and I feel heavy and nothing is toned right now. I haven't been working out much or eating perfectly so it's my own fault. I have just moved house and have been really unsettled over the last month.

My groceries get delivered tomorrow morning so I can meal prep again and focus on nutrition for a week or two and get that down before figuring out a decent gym routine. And I've got my Mum on board to start her journey with me this time so hopefully helping her will motivate me. AND my new fancy blender arrives tomorrow, going to wizz the heck out of some smoothies.

Ahhhhhhhh thanks for my MFP therapy session guys.. haha xxxxxxx

redladywitch

I am on 17 different medications currently. There are a few that have the *weight gain* side effect.

I wanted to say something to you...If you need to take an antidepressant to help you cope-sleep-manage life-etc....then do it. You are taking care of yourself. That is a good thing. You seem like you have so much courage. Keep loving yourself. Don't give up.

k_sinc

I am on 17 different medications currently. There are a few that have the *weight gain* side effect.

I wanted to say something to you...If you need to take an antidepressant to help you cope-sleep-manage life-etc....then do it. You are taking care of yourself. That is a good thing. You seem like you have so much courage. Keep loving yourself. Don't give up.

17... Wow! I am all for natural therapies and the least amount of chemcials in my body as possible........ I am on birth control and even that upsets my body lol. I do have other medications I can take in the event of an anxiety attack, or to knock me out to sleep.. but they're not long term and can be addictive so my doctor won't prescribe them to me often.

Thankyou for your kind words xx

David_AUS

Since you said this was a "last resort" it sounds like you have investigated other avenues to help with your anxiety and sleep issues. I know it is common side effect of increase in appetite so not sure whether the bloating is a result of what you are eating - I suspect so?

I am thinking that sticking to your weight loss goals is going to be a bit of battle of will power for you so connecting with your reasons to lose the weight and monitoring what you eat is going to be a big factor in achieving your goals.

Kisame29

Thanks for your replies so far! It is Mirtazepine. It is to help with anxiety and sleep problems.
It's a long term thing so I am very reluctant to keep taking it if it affects me this much... Anxiety is a mental thing and I know that it is better when I am healthy and active, and the sleep problems well they are caused by nightmares from a traumatic experience from the past but I just deal with being a zombie when I have to. Again with better nutrition and an active lifestyle I sleep better, not great, but better.

My doctor gave me these as a last resort as I refuse to take anti depressants or anything like that, I'm not depressed, just struggle to cope sometimes.. She hoped it would help me sleep better at night and have anxiety affect my life less.

Mirtazapine actually is an antidepressant though. Even though antidepressants are called that, they are used for MANY things. It doesn't mean you are depressed. In fact, mirtazapine is actually used as an appetite stimulant for some people because of the increased appetite affect. If it keeps causing you these issues, I'd talk with your doctor about switching medications and maybe try another antidepressant if you're willing- I know so many people that take antidepressants for things besides depression, they are a great group of agents for tons of people. Or, if you really refuse all "antidepressants" because of their classification, buspirone is another option for anxiety you can talk with your doctor about.

FatFreeFrolicking

Thanks for your replies so far! It is Mirtazepine. It is to help with anxiety and sleep problems.
It's a long term thing so I am very reluctant to keep taking it if it affects me this much... Anxiety is a mental thing and I know that it is better when I am healthy and active, and the sleep problems well they are caused by nightmares from a traumatic experience from the past but I just deal with being a zombie when I have to. Again with better nutrition and an active lifestyle I sleep better, not great, but better.

My doctor gave me these as a last resort as I refuse to take anti depressants or anything like that, I'm not depressed, just struggle to cope sometimes.. She hoped it would help me sleep better at night and have anxiety affect my life less.

I have an office job so it's way too easy to just sit and snack the day away which I have been since taking it.... I do have healthy snacks but seriously it's like my stomach doesn't have a "full" function anymore!

It's been over 15 months since it all happened and I spent majority of last year going nuts at the gym as a coping mechanism, but I am in a relationship now so I can't just have the gym be my entire life like it used to. He supports my fit and healthy lifestyle 100% but I'm not entirely sure he'd appreciate me disappearing at 2am to go to the gym like I used to lol. Or going to the gym straight from work, coming home to eat and then going to bed.

I don't know. I haven't put on a great deal of weight. But I'm super bloated and I feel heavy and nothing is toned right now. I haven't been working out much or eating perfectly so it's my own fault. I have just moved house and have been really unsettled over the last month.

My groceries get delivered tomorrow morning so I can meal prep again and focus on nutrition for a week or two and get that down before figuring out a decent gym routine. And I've got my Mum on board to start her journey with me this time so hopefully helping her will motivate me. AND my new fancy blender arrives tomorrow, going to wizz the heck out of some smoothies.

Ahhhhhhhh thanks for my MFP therapy session guys.. haha xxxxxxx

Remeron is an anti-depressant. Anti-depressants are used to treat multiple things, including anxiety. I gained 111 lbs from anti-depressants for my anxiety and panic. I'm not depressed either but those are the drugs they use to treat anxiety. I never took Remeron but I took Zoloft, Prozac, Lexapro, Cymbalta, Celexa, Effexor, Pristiq, Ativan (benzo), Klonopin (benzo), and Propranonol (beta blocker).

As you can see, there are a number of different medications you can take for anxiety. If Remeron isn't giving you the results you want, ask your doctor for something else. I had the best results with Lexapro but everyone responds differently to the medications. It's pretty much a game of trial and error to figure out what works best for you.

ETA: My best advice is to stay away from these medications. They ruined my body. I now suffer from multiple health issues due to the weight gain from the medications. If you want to actually help yourself, look into cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It works wonders for anxiety.

ElliottTN

As far as your metabolism goes, being hungry vs your body telling you that you need nutrition are two totally different things. Feeling hungry can be a sign of your body needing nutrition but they are not mutually exclusive and yes, lack of nutrition can lead to changes in metabolism but nothing really noticeable unless you are at an extreme end of the spectrum for extended periods of time.

If hunger gets too overwhelming then there are always fun low impact cardio things you can do that will allow you to consume more food on a daily basis.

SarahBeth0625

Remeron is an anti-depressant. Anti-depressants are used to treat multiple things, including anxiety. I gained 111 lbs from anti-depressants for my anxiety and panic. I'm not depressed either but those are the drugs they use to treat anxiety. I never took Remeron but I took Zoloft, Prozac, Lexapro, Cymbalta, Celexa, Effexor, Pristiq, Ativan (benzo), Klonopin (benzo), and Propranonol (beta blocker).

As you can see, there are a number of different medications you can take for anxiety. If Remeron isn't giving you the results you want, ask your doctor for something else. I had the best results with Lexapro but everyone responds differently to the medications. It's pretty much a game of trial and error to figure out what works best for you.

ETA: My best advice is to stay away from these medications. They ruined my body. I now suffer from multiple health issues due to the weight gain from the medications. If you want to actually help yourself, look into cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It works wonders for anxiety.

OMG, I took propranolol in the past to help prevent migraines. Did it cause night hallucinations for you? I was on it for maybe 3-4 weeks and I have NEVER hallucinated before (never done any street drugs so this was new to me)...suddenly I was having crazy scary dreams and seeing things from my dreams in my room when I was awake... crazy stuff (happened to a friend too, same thing, was put on it for migraines. His mom thought he was tripping and had him tested for drug use! LOL). I eventually found Topamax to be a better drug for me along with my Imitrex but in 2006 I went off all prescriptions (including BC) so that I could conceive, and magically, all my headaches went away (I had 20-25 headaches a month).

To the OP: I hope that you can keep it regulated... I was on a very low dose of amitriptyline in the past (10 mg) to prevent migraines and I indeed gained weight, although it was under 10 lbs.

I hope that you can get some sleep and relief -- it's gotta be hard to balance it all but I hope you get that balance figured out.

FatFreeFrolicking

Remeron is an anti-depressant. Anti-depressants are used to treat multiple things, including anxiety. I gained 111 lbs from anti-depressants for my anxiety and panic. I'm not depressed either but those are the drugs they use to treat anxiety. I never took Remeron but I took Zoloft, Prozac, Lexapro, Cymbalta, Celexa, Effexor, Pristiq, Ativan (benzo), Klonopin (benzo), and Propranonol (beta blocker).

As you can see, there are a number of different medications you can take for anxiety. If Remeron isn't giving you the results you want, ask your doctor for something else. I had the best results with Lexapro but everyone responds differently to the medications. It's pretty much a game of trial and error to figure out what works best for you.

ETA: My best advice is to stay away from these medications. They ruined my body. I now suffer from multiple health issues due to the weight gain from the medications. If you want to actually help yourself, look into cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It works wonders for anxiety.

OMG, I took propranolol in the past to help prevent migraines. Did it cause night hallucinations for you? I was on it for maybe 3-4 weeks and I have NEVER hallucinated before (never done any street drugs so this was new to me)...suddenly I was having crazy scary dreams and seeing things from my dreams in my room when I was awake... crazy stuff (happened to a friend too, same thing, was put on it for migraines. His mom thought he was tripping and had him tested for drug use! LOL). I eventually found Topamax to be a better drug for me along with my Imitrex but in 2006 I went off all prescriptions (including BC) so that I could conceive, and magically, all my headaches went away (I had 20-25 headaches a month).

To the OP: I hope that you can keep it regulated... I was on a very low dose of amitriptyline in the past (10 mg) to prevent migraines and I indeed gained weight, although it was under 10 lbs.

I hope that you can get some sleep and relief -- it's gotta be hard to balance it all but I hope you get that balance figured out.

The main reason I take Propranonol is for my heart condition. But it helps with my panic attacks. It didn't cause hallucinations for me fortunately. I haven't had any negative side effects from it other than dizziness when I was on a high dose. That is scary though! I also take Topamax for my vestibular migraines. I was reluctant to start Topamax because of the side effects but I was having very debilitating migraines daily so I didn't have much of a choice. So happy to hear your headaches went away!

lemon629

I suffered from severe insomnia for years. I tried almost everything to help me. None of the drugs really worked, though, and they all tended to cause other problems.
Please try cognitive behavioral therapy. This cured my insomnia after 4-5 sessions. CBT is the first line therapy for insomnia but for some reason most doctors stick to pills.
Also, I don't know what kind of trauma you suffered, but you might want to consider seeing if your area has a trauma resource center where you can get counseling for the trauma you suffered.
I did both types of therapy and finally got my life back.

FatFreeFrolicking

I suffered from severe insomnia for years. I tried almost everything to help me. None of the drugs really worked, though, and they all tended to cause other problems.
Please try cognitive behavioral therapy. This cured my insomnia after 4-5 sessions. CBT is the first line therapy for insomnia but for some reason most doctors stick to pills.
Also, I don't know what kind of trauma you suffered, but you might want to consider seeing if your area has a trauma resource center where you can get counseling for the trauma you suffered.
I did both types of therapy and finally got my life back.

I second the CBT.

Bagelsan

CBT is awesome, and no side effects!

As for the "anti-depressants" I wouldn't worry about the name of the drug too much -- there are a lot of meds that can be used for anxiety that aren't "anti-anxiety" drugs but which work quite well, even if they're technically for other things. I've taken anti-depressants and even an "anti-psychotic" (scary sounding, huh? ) for my anxiety and OCD. It worked great, even though I'm not even a bit psychotic, lol.

Psych meds are basically just really individual; everyone reacts a little differently, so most doctors are happy to try you on a variety and see what works for you. If weight gain becomes a problem it's totally possible that you could switch to another drug that won't cause that particular side effect -- and there's no guarantee that you'll get any listed side effects at all, even if other people do. It's pretty random what will happen, frankly, so you just kinda have to try it and see.

TL;DR = try CBT, don't take the title of a med too seriously, and don't worry about drug side effects unless you actually get them.

elphie754

Mirtazipine is actually an appetite stimulant. They prescribed it to my cat when he refused to eat. There are other medications on the market that are not appetite stimulants. I would ask your do for for a different medication.

I take Prozac and I actually have a decreased appetite. I have to actually remind myself to eat. This has been helpful with trying to lose weight.

No medication works the same for everyone. I would see about trying another one.

Also to the person above, some people NEED medication. I am bipolar which is a chemical imbalance. No amount of cbt can correct that. It is never a good idea to reccomend someone not take medication if their doctor feels they need it.

Bagelsan

If you're on a psychiatric medication it's a good idea to do some kind of talk therapy regardless; it's safer and more effective than medication alone. I'm obviously not suggesting anyone stop taking a medication without consulting their doctor first, but it's not the whole package just to take a med and skip addressing the other issues.

writergeek313

Thanks for your replies so far! It is Mirtazepine. It is to help with anxiety and sleep problems.
It's a long term thing so I am very reluctant to keep taking it if it affects me this much... Anxiety is a mental thing and I know that it is better when I am healthy and active, and the sleep problems well they are caused by nightmares from a traumatic experience from the past but I just deal with being a zombie when I have to. Again with better nutrition and an active lifestyle I sleep better, not great, but better.

My doctor gave me these as a last resort as I refuse to take anti depressants or anything like that, I'm not depressed, just struggle to cope sometimes.. She hoped it would help me sleep better at night and have anxiety affect my life less.

I take Trazodone for depression and anxiety. I had a pretty bad bout of it in late 2012 and wasn't sleeping normally, which is why my doctor opted for this medication. I had a few rough days as my body adjusted to it, and it took a month or so to get the dosage right, but since then, I've had very few side effects. It doesn't knock me out like it did when I first started taking it, but it helps me turn off my brain and drop off into sleep more easily. I do need to make sure I get enough sleep, or else I'm like a zombie the next morning, and the biggest disadvantage of it is I can't drink alcohol anymore. Like you, I prefer to go the natural route whenever possible, but this is something I can live with (plus I have to take birth control because I'm at a high risk of getting uterine cancer).

I'd say give the medication you're on a few months. Sometimes when you start there's a more intense period of side effects as your body adjusts. If you see a change in your weight and you're concerned about it, talk with your doctor about other options. If this is something you plan to take long-term, you want it to be something that doesn't affect your life too much.

meshashesha2012

have you tried taking it with milk? that worked for me and prednizone