Med related hunger

Does anyone have tips on how to avoid the constant eating even though not hungry, that happens from taking meds?

I know I'm a tiny bit underweight, but gawd, I REALLY don't need 4000 kcal/day!

Try and eat more protein - like meats, peanut butter - things like that. It tends to fill you up for longer. If you feel like you want to eat, grab a bowl of cereal and eat each piece one at a time while doing another activity. Also trying drinking more water. It helps to keep you full.

Good luck

Laurie23 has good advice. Another thing to consider is snacking on foods that are high in "good" fats - monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega 3's. These will help to curb your appetite and help you to feel "fuller" longer. Good sources are walnuts, legumes (such as peanuts, I buy these in bulk from the local health food market because they have a lower salt content than the traditional store bought brands), beans, lentils, fish - wild salmon (farm raised are fed corn and do not produce the helpful long chain fatty acids), tuna, halibut and swordfish. Remember that each gram of fat contains approximately 9 Calories as opposed to approximately 4 Calories for each gram of protein or carbohydrates so they will need to be eaten in moderation.

If none of those food items sound appealing to you just look for something that is low in the bad fats - trans fat, saturated fat or cholesterol and high in the good fats.

almonds work instead of peanuts?

I think now I'm dealing with a lot of carb craving as well.

I have never really eaten almonds so I didn't know much about them. However, they look like they would be great. See nutritional content no Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A....

As far as the carb cravings go I always try to eat whole grains (assuming you don't have something like celiac disease or a wheat allergy) because processed flour and refined carbohydrates are broken down by the body very quickly into glucose. Your body recognizes the increase blood sugar (glucose) and your insulin levels will spike which tells the body to stop burning glucose for energy and stores the glucose as fat. You will feel tired and hungry just 2-3 hours after ingestion. This also wreaks havoc on our mood.

When you have some time you may consider reading through the website listed below. It is one of the most comprehensive websites that i have seen on the internet regarding diet and nutrition. The information you will find is based on science and not the latest fad diet. I hope this helps.

http://www.caloriesperhour.com...

My trazadone makes me eat like crazy!!! Just 20-30 mins after taking it I go nuts! Makes it worse that I'm a diabetic too :(

Eating fiber helps offset the large carbohydrate intake, slows down the absorption, and bulks you up so you feel fuller.

Abilify increase, and omg hunger! EATEATEATEAT!
Likely doesn't help that I have barely slept in the last week.

My abilify makes me starve. I really want pasta (mac n cheese) and bread all the time. My pdoc recommended that I start taking it before I go to bed since I usually fall asleep pretty fast. The hunger doesn't generally wake me up so that's a plus.
Hope you still see this because it looks like no one has posted in awhile lol.

i'll ask about taking it at night. That may be an option. Thank you!

I have gained almost 80lbs since being put on zyprexa - - i work out daily for 1
+ hours every day and watch what i eat, to no avail. I am still gaining. I am currently weening off of zyprexa due to no insurance as i can't afford the cost of it without insurance, so they are switching me to lamictol. Anyone know if that has a side effect of weight gain too?? I am hoping it works as good, I also take prozac and celexa, with xanax occasionally for anxiety. I am hoping and praying that it is a positive change, we shall see how it plays out.
Thanks
Laurie

Good 'ol Seroquel & Depakote will definitely do it! Count me in for 50lbs of weight gain! My Dr has said that Wellbutrin,& now Vyvanse too, are supposed to help curb my appetite BUT I just bought some chocolate bars & 3pints of Ben & Jerry's!...to go along w/some redbox movies.

That's MY excitement for the weekend...it snowed like 6inches last night - I've accepted that there's NOT going to be Spring this year just Summer...eventually. I'm going to have to get one of those light boxes for SAD. I guess it would help if I joined a gym HARD to workout @ home.

I HAVE been eating a lot of SALAD lately when I crave carbs & it REALLY helps b/c I HAVE lost 5lbs laying off the bread & pasta by eating veggies & rabbit food instead. Losing 30lbs won't be easy BUT that's my goal in the next 45 - 60 days.

GREAT JOB!!! Keep up the good work. I work out an hour every day and still no weight loss. I am sure I am eating too much, my partner has mentioned that she has observed me eat when I am not even aware that I am eating. Its like I am auto pilot or something. WEIRD.

kumbaya- congrats on the weight loss.
Laurie, you'll get it- you're already working towards it

I'm still having appetite issues, but they seem to partly be related to mood...so at least I don't *always* have insane appetite

@ laurie5691:

I'm surprised that the Lamictal is cheaper! Mine was going to cost me $1000 per bottle (I used 1 bottle a month).

Also, be cautious with it; it has a lot of side effects (both were reasons why I stopped taking it).

lowered my wellbutrin and the binging is back. bah. never had that before abilify.

Lamictal is weight neutral. I've been on it for 2 months, and have not gained a pound. If anything, I've lost a couple pounds. Does anyone know of an antidepressant that does not cause weight gain?

I'm not into fad diets, nor have I ever been, but my mom turned me onto the Flat Belly Diet. You should definitely look into it. I don't follow all of the recipes perfectly, and I didn't follow the instructions really, but it teaches you how to eat. Veggies, fruit, lean meats, whole grains. It teaches you how to eat 4 meals/day, each containing roughly 400 calories, with a monounsaturated fat incorporated into each meal (i.e. nuts, nut butters, olive and canola oil, olives, avocados, and CHOCOLATE!!!). Some of the recipes (especially the desserts) are to die for. I own The Flat Belly Diet, The Flat Belly Diet Cookbook, and The Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook. Honestly, when I did follow the instructions daily for 2 weeks, I was losing about a pound a day. I'm too lazy :) to follow it precisely, but my breakfast and snack are always from one of the books. For breakfast everyday (because I love it so much), I have a smoothie that is: 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt, 1 cup frozen berries, and 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Yum!

I have certainly been a hungry hungry hippo in the past. I think sugar just spurs on the eating/cravings. I am now doing Jenny Craig and have been losing 1-2 pounds a week. I am very strict with it and exercise like mad, but for some reason on this diet my cravings are gone and my appetite has been normal.

My pdoc shared with me that the kids that he treats in a facility have a steady weight on drugs like Seroquel because their diet is controlled and they get exercise. They don't gain till they get home. That inspired me to try a strict yet reasonable diet regime. So, maybe try a diet program of some kind. I did not have success with Weight Watchers as they allow you to eat unlimited fruit. Well maybe I took that too literally!

To laurie5691'

Laurie,

Is it possible that you might have polycystic ovary syndrome? That can cause your weight to spiral out of control despite all the work you are doing. Maybe talk to your doc next time you go in for a checkup.

I have that prob. too. I found that yaz. birthcontrol however makes me eat less.

Ever since I started Depakote about a month a go I'm in this world for food! What I crave most is sushi! I inhale the stuff. I get it about every other day and it's getting way too expensice. Our local market has it ready to eat on trays. I wake up craving it and go to bed craving it. I don't eat much meat so most of my protien is from the sushi. I've had stomach problems and fish really agrees with me, other meats not so much. I'm wondering if anyone else has a paticular craving while on their meds. and any suggestions for me to kick the habbit at least down to 1 tray a week. My pocketbook is dwendling.

Hi MoLisa,

Consider yourself extremely lucky that you're not craving Ben & Jerry's or Hagen-Daaz
as I do & have gained 50lbs b/c of it! Sushi may be expensive BUT its very easy on your waistline & the scale too.

Maybe just get California Rolls?

-lcb-

I see this thread isn't moving forward still SO I'm bringing it back up the ladder a bit b/c I think it's a very important topic. How to stave off med related hunger is a daily battle for me...

Although I should say NIGHTLY. That's when it hits me. Especially 30 to 90 minutes after I take my Seroquel & Depakote. I'm taking less Seroquel & more Depakote & I've started taking Abilify since my last post here.

I've also lost 7lbs & I'm almost at minus 10lbs. This is very good news. I gained 45 to 50lbs since I/19/10 when I started these meds after my Bipolar 1 diagnosis...

I want to lose 25 to 35lbs. I don't want to lose ALL the weight I gained as I don't believe I was healthy @ 180-5lbs, b/c it was mostly from sleeping & smoking weed constantly. My goal is 200 to 205; I was 235 & now 223...its not really the weight BUT more along the lines of being healthier overall.

I don't want to get diabetic or have a heart attack b/c of the psych meds I'm on. Though I do attribute them to saving my life as I was crazy as hell & had no idea HOW psychotic I actually was til they brought me back.

SO I imagine I will be dealing w/med related hunger for quite some time as I'm learning to live a mood disorder slash mental illness (MI) ~ I'll be taking meds indefinitely.

-kby-

I was wondering who doesn't get med related hunger? Especially from Seroquel &/or Depakote?

Since my last post I gained back 12 pounds & have now lost 7 to 9 of those. I'm not obsessing ~ I'm concerned. I weigh myself once or twice a week.

The thing is: I know I would lose 25lbs in 2mos or less IF I quit those 2meds. Right now its definitely not worth the risk as the memory of manic psychosis & an extended (for me that's 3 to 6mos w/2-3 being severe, not wanting to eat or get up, etc) polar depression are still fresh.