Medication and Weight Gain

Anyone else finding this an issue?

I am currently taking Mirtazapine (Remeron). Aside from my diagnosis it is also prescribed as an appetite stimulant to elderly people that are underweight to improve their eating habits.

I wondered if anyone else is facing this issue of drugs and weight gain. Sometimes I feel uncontrollable hunger that i cant ignore or distract myself from, something i never had until i started this medication.

Anyone have any tips? Is it worth taking an appetite supressant supplement, or will the mirtazapine over power it?

I have been taking prednisone for years. Prednisone not only increases appetite, but also causes fat to deposit in strange ways -- including the back, back of neck (known as the "prednisone hump" by medical professionals, the face.

The truth is that weight loss and weight management are going to be harder for you than for most people. All I can say is what works for me.

First of all, I have to accept that due to the appetite increasing aspects of my medication, that being "a little hungry" is going to happen because my body, due to the medications, is going to ask for food when I don't really need it. I try to stop eating a bit before I feel full. I find that about 30 or 40 minutes later I feel sated, even though I got up from the table feeling a bit hungry.

I try to avoid having snack-able foods in the house. When I or my wife cook a meal, we cook only one meal's worth. Leftovers call to me, and if they don't exist, I'm better off.

But after that, I'll tell you my "secret." I don't like tuna. I don't hate it, but I don't like it either. My gauge as to whether or not I should have something to eat is based on a simple rule: If I'm not hungry enough to eat tuna, I'm not really hungry, That doesn't mean I'm eating loads of tuna, but just that this is my measure. It is a slightly less extreme version of 60's fitness guru Jack LaLanne's dietary axiom of "If it tastes good, spit it out!"

You asked about appetite suppressants. Avoid them. IMHO, after being on dozens of medications for 20 years due to serious health problems, I've learned that the fewer medications you take, the less troubles you will have. Standard caveat: Don't stop a prescribed drug without consulting your doctor.

You didn't say why you are taking mirtazapine, but I do know that it is most commonly used for depression. If this is the case, I would remain optimistic that as the medication helps, you will feel more motivated and with increased activity, the medication can in the end be as much an aid as a problem.

Best of wishes for you -- weight loss is difficult for everyone, and for those of us with health problems, even more of a challenge.

I was on Depakote for 10 years, and gained about 100lbs. I think I used the "Depakote is notorious for causing weight gain" as the scapegoat for my increasing weight & deteriorating fitness. Of course, it couldn't have bee the fact that I was eating about 2200 - 2700 cals a day, eating lots of processed food and very little physical activity.

I recently weaned off of Depakote (with dr's supervision). I also started MPF, eating between 1500 - 1800 cals/day, exercising 4-5 times/wk. I don't know if I'm losing weight because I'm off Depakote or because I am eating right and exercising. I tend to think it is my healthier habits that contribute more to the weight lose.