Medication for us all
pursuitofoblivion
Posts: 21 Member
I have recently been put on a medication that has caused me to gain a lot of weight. 30 pounds in a little over a month. This has been determined to be real weight, not water retention or constipation. The medication I am taking typically causes weight gain. I do need this medication, so going off is not an option.
I am aware that I am capable of stopping eating, and i have confidence in my ability when i start the day, but at some point every single day normal eating spirals in to binge eating. Sometimes it is not exactly binge eating, sometimes I just massively overeat during the day. Sometimes I eat all day long. It just doesnt seem to end and the hunger and cravings feel so primal, I try to resist and distract, but I am often kept awake at night by the cravings. I have lost weight before, and it was no big challenge, but that was before this, and now i think i will be lucky if i manage a day of maintenance..The rapid wieght gain is beginning to cause health problems, and while I want to stop this, I have not made it more than one day in two months without overeating or binging. I did struggle with binge eating in the past and i believe it was emotional at that time, now it does not feel emotional, I just NEED food.
So does anyone have any advice or experience that they can share? thanks
btw title is a qotsa reference
I am aware that I am capable of stopping eating, and i have confidence in my ability when i start the day, but at some point every single day normal eating spirals in to binge eating. Sometimes it is not exactly binge eating, sometimes I just massively overeat during the day. Sometimes I eat all day long. It just doesnt seem to end and the hunger and cravings feel so primal, I try to resist and distract, but I am often kept awake at night by the cravings. I have lost weight before, and it was no big challenge, but that was before this, and now i think i will be lucky if i manage a day of maintenance..The rapid wieght gain is beginning to cause health problems, and while I want to stop this, I have not made it more than one day in two months without overeating or binging. I did struggle with binge eating in the past and i believe it was emotional at that time, now it does not feel emotional, I just NEED food.
So does anyone have any advice or experience that they can share? thanks
btw title is a qotsa reference
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Contact to see if he/she can modify the medication or the dose.0
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What does the doctor say - there are always alternative medicines - always - I think that's quite a significant side-effect with its health implications and worth taking alternative steps
medication is always trial and error - it can take a long while to find the best medicine and perfect dosage for an individual
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no medication can't be changed. it's been the only thing that has improved the condition it is treating in 6 years. currently im on the lowest dosage i can remain somewhat functional on, higher i'd probably feel better but side effects would be more severe0
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Yeah, I've gained weight in the past due to medication, i know how fast a easy it is to gain.
Go to your dr a ask his/her opinion.0 -
My doctors are aware of the side effects I am experiencing (there are others). We agree that this is the best possible option for treating my neuropathic pain at this point in time, and this medication is likely the only thing that will keep me at all functional. So reevaluating the medication is off the table-- sorry i didnt clarify this sooner.
What im really looking for is advice on managing eating while still taking a drug like this. (as misskittyninja offered, thanks
)
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I was put on lithium and gained almost 80 pounds. I demanded they find something else ...and they did. BUT it has taken me three years to lose the weight...Best of luck I know this is a hard struggle.
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You said you gained 30 pounds in a month and it was determined NOT to be water retention, but real weight gain. Who determined this?
Medications can cause increase in appetite, (this doesn't mean you have to eat more). Some can also slow down your metabolism (calories must be adjusted at this point).0 -
The most important thing for you will be your deficit!
If it's too large you will have trouble controlling the overeating and bingeing. You may need to do a bit of experimenting with it.
Eat lots of fiber and protein. Always include healthy fats. Drink lots of water. Probably much less added sugars will help too.0 -
Yes, I guess what I need to recognize is that I don't have to eat more. While I don't excuse the binging and overeating entirely, I tend to comfort myself after the process by telling myself that it is the medication, not my fault. That's probably setting me up for failure.
I understand that I have the ability to eat properly, I have confidence in my ability as I have done it before. I think I struggle the most with is caring and making the choice when the time comes. I will be committed of a period of time, but when the cravings and hunger gets severe my goals stop mattering to me. I'm not sure how to make them matter all of the time. It seems so simple, but in the moment nothing matters except feeding the craving, I couldn't care less about anything else.0 -
pursuitofoblivion wrote: »Yes, I guess what I need to recognize is that I don't have to eat more. While I don't excuse the binging and overeating entirely, I tend to comfort myself after the process by telling myself that it is the medication, not my fault. That's probably setting me up for failure.
I understand that I have the ability to eat properly, I have confidence in my ability as I have done it before. I think I struggle the most with is caring and making the choice when the time comes. I will be committed of a period of time, but when the cravings and hunger gets severe my goals stop mattering to me. I'm not sure how to make them matter all of the time. It seems so simple, but in the moment nothing matters except feeding the craving, I couldn't care less about anything else.
Yes! Definitely. Maybe try viewing your daily food plan as you do a dosage of medication: you take a specified dosage of medication every day; no more, no less or else it will be negative for your health. Treat your food intake the same way. Write down or log exactly what you will eat and when and that is your food "dosage" for the day. When you feel the urge to overdose on food, distract yourself with another activity. You can do it!0 -
My sympathies. My son and my son-in-law were on a necessary medication for years that also came with weight gain. Both of them, when they switched medications, began shedding weight.0
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I had a med like that for a little while during a really bad Lupus flare. Finally convinced myself that if I was indeed starving outside of my regularly planned meals, I would eat as many apples or celery or carrots that I wanted to eat. If I didn't want those things then I must not be that hungry. I found it damn hard to binge on celery.
Also, check your goals. Make *certain* they're not too low. Monitor your fat and protein intake, make sure they are as high as you can manage. Fat will help keep you full, as will protein. Calculate your TDEE and work from there. Maybe it would be best to switch to maintenance goals for a little while, then slowly drop to a 10% deficit, then 15%, then lower if you can handle it.0 -
Thanks! I believe this imagery could be helpful for meYes! Definitely. Maybe try viewing your daily food plan as you do a dosage of medication: you take a specified dosage of medication every day; no more, no less or else it will be negative for your health. Treat your food intake the same way. Write down or log exactly what you will eat and when and that is your food "dosage" for the day. When you feel the urge to overdose on food, distract yourself with another activity. You can do it!
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hahahahahaaha!I take 500mg of Fukitol a day to help with stress. Throw in 200mg of Focusin to assist with my fitness and weight loss goals. This combo has worked well.
Havitol is the best. (reference change-- just be careful with Provasic, despite the reassurances of Devlin MacGregor reps)
Seriously to TS: bummer. am also on weight-gaining meds (and ones that raise blood glucose, LDL, hammer kidney function, etc. ahhhh what we do to stay alive)...
YMMV with these tips and tricks! This may be a dynamic trial-and-error project for you. The visualization of "doses" of food sounds like a great starting point. Kittyninja (what a frightening concept!!) has awesome points too.
A lot of this is easier said than done, and it's great you're here and can track things. A few things:
be honest with your logging. Every little nibble. it's actually really positive keeping track of not-so-good days, because there WILL BE GOOD DAYS where you can compare.
If you can, consider adding in "doses of exercises" -- or "getting around and moving".
And of course, kicking arsch takes many forms. When you find a good form of what kicking arsch is for you, note it! and give yourself a high five!!!
(your posting getting this conversation started is a perfect example of kicking arsch. *high five!!!!!*)0 -
Talk to your doctor about an appropriate calorie intake to lose weight and then log everything and don't go over your calorie intake. Don't let the medication be an excuse. Do you exercise? That can allow you to eat more food 0
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Break out your meals throughout the day. Instead of 3 normal meals and waiting hours before next meal. Breakout to 6 smaller meals. Waiting hours before your next meal can make you ravenous.0
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pursuitofoblivion wrote: »My doctors are aware of the side effects I am experiencing (there are others). We agree that this is the best possible option for treating my neuropathic pain at this point in time, and this medication is likely the only thing that will keep me at all functional. So reevaluating the medication is off the table-- sorry i didnt clarify this sooner.
What im really looking for is advice on managing eating while still taking a drug like this. (as misskittyninja offered, thanks )
It is quite possible that the medication causes only "initial" weight gain and that the weight gain stabilizes after a period of time.
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I'm sorry I don't have any advice, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry you're in this position. The way you described your hunger as "primal" resonated with me, that's how I feel a day or two of my period. Feeling like that every day and getting up the dedication to overcome it is hugely admirable. That's a tough mountain to scale and my hat's off to you for your determination. For what it's worth, I wish you lots of luck and much success.0
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Is it physical hunger or just wanting to eat? If it's physical, you could try to focus on less calorie dense foods so you can fill up your stomach without consuming a lot of calories.
I get ravenously hungry once month, and I make a point of eating extra soup and veggies to help keep the hunger at bay. I have a rule ( only for those few days) that I have to eat 2 cups or 100 grams of vegetables before I can have a "treat", so I'm not starving when the chocolate comes out. Otherwise, I feel like I could easily eat a couple of king sized chocolate bars and still want more.0 -
I don't get the title of the tread.
What does it mean?0 -
It's a Queens of the Stone Age song lyric.0
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pincushion14 wrote: »It's a Queens of the Stone Age song lyric.
Ok. I'm guessing that's a popular band and most people get the reference. Not the Queen of Pop Culture.
Thanks!0 -
Soups and vinegary salads?0
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my weight skyrocketed because of my psych meds (seems like 20 lbs each.)
low-calorie, high-volume foods are a good thing to have. vinegary salads for one. if i want a treat i allow myself ONE treat, after drinking a very large glass of water and another right after. god that'll make you feel full for a while!
it's taken me about 18 months to lose 50lbs. it's tough but i am finding MFP an excellent tool to see HOW i'm eating, not just what i'm eating. today my husband brought me hotcakes and sausage for breakfast. thoroughly enjoyed them. plugged them into the data... who knew it was 700 calories a serving? that's way too much, especially too much carbs/sugar. and then i looked back at previous days and found that i always ate a big breakfast, a small lunch (if any) and a reasonable supper, so what i ought to do is eat something for lunch and balance the calories by adjusting other meals to get my goal. still not there yet
but at least i know. 0 -
The good news is that sometimes meds that are triggering those kinds of instincts (like you said, it's not the same as cravings, your body and mind can almost go into survival mode and all your good intentions are not even a blip on the radar) can level off over time.
I would consider calling the drug company yourself and asking if they recommend anything. I'm thinking of a medicine in particular where the company recommends increasing your protein and decreasing (not eliminating) carbs to help with this effect.
My advice is to decide the day before what you are going to eat and to make it as nutrient dense and balanced as possible. If you do have a binge on something else, still eat what was in the plan so you do your part in your body knowing it will have what it needs. Take a few minutes after to reflect-don't beat yourself up, just keep the issue in your awareness.
Truly sorry, by the way.0 -
Thank you! This is all great advice!0
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I worked with a therapy client who had a similar experience. What she did was make sure she had tons of veg chopped and waiting in the fridge, she found foods that were reasonably high in protein but not too high in calories (such a tuna fish with mayo & cottage cheese) that would help fill her up, and she refused to have anything that would trigger a binge even more in her house (Doritos). If she binged on carrots, it was reasonably fine. She froze her bread so she had to be very thoughtful about how much she was eating - to get at it she'd have to defrost it in the toaster and the time allowed her to write down why she was eating it and if she needed to eat it (she kept a diary with her at all times). You can do that with any food you think you'd binge on that would not be good. Here's one resource that I gave her that she used to write down her thoughts & feelings when feeling 'hungry': craving diary0
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The ONLY thing I have found that controls my hunger (and yes, medications for years really exacerbated this) is controlling the amount of carbs I eat at a sitting. This won't work for everybody, and no, carbs are not The Debbil. However, I find that if I eat more than about 30g carbs at a meal, and don't add in a protein, I am absolutely starving afterward, and it snowballs...I get more and more and more hungry during the day.
It may not work for you, but it's worth a shot, since it wouldn't involve changing your medication or doing anything really "out there."0
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