ADHD Medecine - loss of appetite

[Amethyste]

Hey all,
I am on Adderall for my ADHD and wow... what a loss of appetite

Granted that I do need to lose weight, by taking this med, it''s not what I had in mind. Well, I don''t mind the
weight loss, but its like all the foods I used to enjoy, since being on this med, are now "meh" to me.

This morning, I went to breakfast with my hubby and was looking forward to my healthy oatmeal and fruits... I literally
took 3 spoonfuls of my oatmeal and I was almost grossed out by it... I crave healthy things now more than before, but I really cannot have too much of anything cause I just dont "want it". I tried to take the med after a meal, but then it made my stomach all weird feeling like, and noticed the efficacity being not as optimal as if I did take it on an empty stomach as recommended

What I have noticed though is before this medication, my life pretty much evolved around food and "going" out. Now, since I take this medication, my focus is on pretty much everything else other than food. I am reminded that I am hungry when my stomach growls and I feel a little weak cause I went 8 hours without eating. Then when I eat, I just don''t want to.... It''s so weird. Not the "Amethyste" that I remember before....

This is my second week taking this medication, do you all think that the side effects might go away or they pretty much will stay? My nurse friend thinks they will probably not go away. Will probably not get worse but will probably stay status quo.

This post is not really a post asking for advice, but just one to share my feelings and experience while taking this drug...
Anyone has felt this way before? Any comments? THank you.

 

[marcy]

Hi Amethyste. I am sorry to hear the medicine has that kind of side effects for you. I have no experience with this medicine but most medicine makes me ill - flu-like ill. I hope you do adjust to it soon. You might have the doctor experiment with different meds to see if he can find something that works better for you. Take care.

 

[y2kitty]

People abuse Adderall for its weight loss effects so I''m thinking it won''t go away....

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

It might not go away and you should probably bring this up with your doctor. There are many other ADHD meds available that won''t have give you this side effect or it could be that you just need to have your dose adjusted.

 

[swingirl]

One solution that several people I know use is to take a break from the meds for a few days on the weekend or vacations. That gives you a chance to catch up on nutrition. I don''t think this side effect goes away.

 

[megumic]

I agree, with my experience with Adderrall (sp?) the lack of appetite stays. But as a student, I also agree it helps with concentration, focusing and getting work done. It''s my understanding that most ADD and ADHD medications have a similar side effect. Definitely speak with your Doctor and see if there might be something else you can try.

 

[Amethyste]

Thank you everyone for your kind replies...
I am going to my Dr. in a couple of days... The loss of appetite is still gone, but today, it was a little more than normal, but i still do not think i hit the 1,000 cal mark.

I think that loosing weight would be a good thing for me, especially that my cholesterol is kind of high... I''ll share my thoughts with my Dr.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Maybe you're taking too much of the med? Over time, if you're not eating properly, you're going to become weakened and there will be nutritional deficiencies. Be sure to take a multi vitamin!

FWIW, my dr. put me on Ritalin (for depression) last week and he prescribed 10 mg 2X per day and I've only taken 1/8th of one tablet every morning, which is barely any and haven't had a lack of appetite but I sure do feel the med. So, maybe talk about testing out a smaller dosage for a few days? How much are you on?

ETA - I just wanted to include that I really debated taking the ritalin, but the micro amount I'm on seems to be helping. I do think with meds like these, less *possibly* could be more when it comes to successful treatment.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I am going to my Dr. in a couple of days... The loss of appetite is still gone, but today, it was a little more than normal, but i still do not think i hit the 1,000 cal mark.

Amethyste - did you hear back from your doctor re: dosage. How much are you taking per day?

I''m wondering b/c my dr. wants me on 20 mg total per day for depression and it worked at first, but now I''m depressed again. I haven''t started the full dosage yet and have upped the amount to 5 mg per day and now am feeling the lack of appetite. I ate breakfast and am eating lunch every day, just not having snacks since I upped the amount.

 

[Regular Guy]

The repression of appetite is an outcome we have come to expect for our son. We have done this in concert...

Date: 3/6/2010 1:51:18 AM
Author: swingirl
One solution that several people I know use is to take a break from the meds for a few days on the weekend or vacations. That gives you a chance to catch up on nutrition. I don''t think this side effect goes away.

...but when our son gets lots of homework, as is now the case in high school, or when we look to him needing to be driving, as we''ve discussed with our doctor, and which our son wants to do...I''m less sure about the weekends being the hoped for reprieve.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

In my experience, and in my family that is a lot, it will get better, but not go away. The nausea usually passes after a month or two, but you still don''t get hungry. For most, food doesn''t sound bad, just not good either. I have relatives who have been on it for years and simply do not regain the appetite