severe appetite loss

kvansanity
kvansanity Posts: 108 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Help :( I'm back on MFP for something I never thought I need help with.

I'm 5'5" and have just dropped to 111 pounds. I have been losing about a pound every three days for about 3 weeks.

After suffering a major psychiatric break I have been under extreme anxiety. I am on klonopin (although that treatment will end soon) as well as zofloft and lamictal. It's very difficult to develop an appetite and I am about to be underweight.

Self medicating with alcohol helped increase calories, but now that I have stopped drinking I'm back to about 600 calories a day.

There are a few foods I enjoy eating from local restaurants, but finishing them is difficult. I get smoothies frequently at smoothie king but even those are lower on the calorie end.

Has anyone struggled with this? Is it possibly related to my medicine? I don't want to gain much weight... I'd like to be back in the 115-117 range (based on where I carry my weight).

Replies

  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,459 Member
    It very well could be related to your medication; best is to discuss it with your doctor.

    Good for you for stopping drinking :)
  • SomeGirlSomewhere
    SomeGirlSomewhere Posts: 937 Member
    I second what the poster above me said about discussing your lack of an appetite with your doctor.
    That being said, having had mental health issues myself I recognize one of the meds you listed (Zoloft) as an SSRI antidepressant. When I took Prozac, another SSRI which is chemically similar to Zoloft I too almost completely lost my appetite, so it is very possible that it or one of your other drugs could be contributing to that for you as well.
    The best thing would be to ask your doctor to see if they need to adjust your dosage or switch you to something that causes you to have fewer side effects. Good luck to you!
  • Eudoxy
    Eudoxy Posts: 391 Member
    Yes, I have been through a hard time where I found it difficult to eat. I can barely relate to it now, but it sucked, I hope you feel better soon.

    Try adding in spoonfuls of peanut butter throughout the day. And bananas. Odwalla juices. Cottage cheese. Those were easier for me to eat anyway. Maybe get those ensure or boost drinks?

    Malnourishment will definitely exacerbate your anxiety, so try to force yourself get your calories up.
  • JiveDoc
    JiveDoc Posts: 284 Member
    Could be medication-related or more likely related to your extreme anxiety, for which I am very sorry you are enduring. It is important to get more cals in and you might consider a liquid supplement like Ensure Plus or Boost Plus (both of which have ~350 calories) 2-3 times a day until you can get in to talk to your doctor. Best of luck to you.

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