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February 5, 2010 11:19 PM Subscribe
Anti-psychotics and weight gain. How do I shut off my mindless eat switch?
Seroquel has been a miracle drug for letting me get (bad, fitful, any) sleep. It's also turned me into a remorseless eating machine. I eat until my stomach hurts, and I'm still desperately hungry at the end of each binge.
Mindless weight gain seems to be typical with atypical antipsychotics - any tips on helping to mitigate the hunger and/or calories? I've tried throwing out my delicious starches; I'll attack nuts and tofu and cheese with the same horrific appetite. Having no food whatsoever in my apartment sends me into a panicky mess of grocery-and-takeout ordering. I'm walking regularly, but even a 90 minute walk a day and some freeweights are burning so much much less than my average food binges.
Help!
Seroquel has been a miracle drug for letting me get (bad, fitful, any) sleep. It's also turned me into a remorseless eating machine. I eat until my stomach hurts, and I'm still desperately hungry at the end of each binge.
Mindless weight gain seems to be typical with atypical antipsychotics - any tips on helping to mitigate the hunger and/or calories? I've tried throwing out my delicious starches; I'll attack nuts and tofu and cheese with the same horrific appetite. Having no food whatsoever in my apartment sends me into a panicky mess of grocery-and-takeout ordering. I'm walking regularly, but even a 90 minute walk a day and some freeweights are burning so much much less than my average food binges.
Help!
I think you need to contact your doctor who may try you on another medication. Googling indicates this to be somewhat common. Even the Seroquel website says that if you experience extreme hunger you should contact your doctor as this may indicate high blood sugar.
posted by IndigoRain at 11:58 PM on February 5, 2010
posted by IndigoRain at 11:58 PM on February 5, 2010
Best answer: I eat until my stomach hurts, and I'm still desperately hungry at the end of each binge.
Welcome to my normal unmedicated life.
Since deciding to get serious about losing weight again, I went to my doctor and asked what the state of the art in appetite suppressants is. We talked about several and he ended up prescribing Reductil aka sibutramine (which I later recalled having seen described before, in an AskMe answer, as "willpower in pill form"). And finally, for the first time in my life, my relationship with food has shifted into a mode that I'm led to believe is normal for most human beings: I can enjoy eating without wanting to over-stuff, and when I've had a normal human-size portion, I can stop without feeling miserable. It's bloody marvellous. Makes my arse hurt, though.
That said: your best bet is to see your doctor, make sure you're not giving yourself diabetes, and find out if there's a different med that works equally well for you but doesn't screw with your appetite. If it turns out you do actually need to take a second drug to counter the side-effects of the first one, it should be a psychiatrist, not a GP, doing the prescribing. Interactions between central nervous system meds can do bizarre and dangerous things.
posted by flabdablet at 4:56 AM on February 6, 2010
Welcome to my normal unmedicated life.
Since deciding to get serious about losing weight again, I went to my doctor and asked what the state of the art in appetite suppressants is. We talked about several and he ended up prescribing Reductil aka sibutramine (which I later recalled having seen described before, in an AskMe answer, as "willpower in pill form"). And finally, for the first time in my life, my relationship with food has shifted into a mode that I'm led to believe is normal for most human beings: I can enjoy eating without wanting to over-stuff, and when I've had a normal human-size portion, I can stop without feeling miserable. It's bloody marvellous. Makes my arse hurt, though.
That said: your best bet is to see your doctor, make sure you're not giving yourself diabetes, and find out if there's a different med that works equally well for you but doesn't screw with your appetite. If it turns out you do actually need to take a second drug to counter the side-effects of the first one, it should be a psychiatrist, not a GP, doing the prescribing. Interactions between central nervous system meds can do bizarre and dangerous things.
posted by flabdablet at 4:56 AM on February 6, 2010
I took Seroquel for years. I gained 30 to 50 pounds each year until my weight doubled and I developed diabetes. Then I switched to Geodon, which is also sedating and helps me to sleep without getting the munchies. I think the FDA made Seroquel put a black box warning about diabetes on the package insert. Anyway, I never found a cure for the incredible hunger Seroquel stimulates.
posted by RussHy at 5:42 AM on February 6, 2010
posted by RussHy at 5:42 AM on February 6, 2010
Ask your doctor about Topamax/Topimarate. It worked for me when I was on risperdal and seroquel.
posted by domographer at 8:51 AM on February 6, 2010
posted by domographer at 8:51 AM on February 6, 2010
I haven't dealt with Seroquel hunger, so this is a little bit of a shot in the dark: chia seeds. I mix a quarter cup with stevia sweetened cocoa powder and 1.5 cups of 1% milk and that generally helps with the dieting related hunger I've been having. However, people with bowel problems should avoid them, i.e. diverticulitis or other bad reactions to high fiber intake.
posted by Issithe at 9:18 AM on February 6, 2010
posted by Issithe at 9:18 AM on February 6, 2010
Best answer: I've never experienced medication-related hunger, but as a former binge eater, this is my advice:
Strong, STRONG mint gum. This is the only thing I've found that will kill my 'not really hungry' hunger, when a full glass of water doesn't work. Wringley's 5 gum, to be exact.
But do try drinking more water. If you're eating a lot, especially the nuts and cheese, you could be taking in a lot of sodium.
Finish a "normal" size meal, immediately guzzle a glass of water, then pop in the gum. That's my method, and it works beautifully for me. Good luck. (IANAD)
posted by caveat at 9:32 AM on February 6, 2010
Strong, STRONG mint gum. This is the only thing I've found that will kill my 'not really hungry' hunger, when a full glass of water doesn't work. Wringley's 5 gum, to be exact.
But do try drinking more water. If you're eating a lot, especially the nuts and cheese, you could be taking in a lot of sodium.
Finish a "normal" size meal, immediately guzzle a glass of water, then pop in the gum. That's my method, and it works beautifully for me. Good luck. (IANAD)
posted by caveat at 9:32 AM on February 6, 2010
I had the same thing with Zyprexa, so I know exactly how you feel. It's awful. Really, you need to talk to your doctor about this, and see if you can work out another medication. Medications with rapid weight gain and diabetes as a "side effect" are not sustainable.
posted by media_itoku at 9:37 AM on February 6, 2010
posted by media_itoku at 9:37 AM on February 6, 2010
I would definitely talk to your doctor about trying out different meds. I tried out seroquel for sleep, but it didn't work (we kept doubling my dose, but i still wasn't sleeping), and eventually I switched to trazodone, which works very well for me. There are a lot of different sleep meds out there to try. If you're taking it for something else, it's likely there are a couple other options, and one of them probably has more tolerable side effects for you.
posted by insectosaurus at 3:35 PM on February 6, 2010
posted by insectosaurus at 3:35 PM on February 6, 2010
Talk to your doctor about adding another med to curb the hunger. As domographer said, a small dose of Topomax can help.
posted by radioamy at 8:13 PM on February 6, 2010
posted by radioamy at 8:13 PM on February 6, 2010
Response by poster: Hi all - thanks for your answers! Gum, water, and I'll talk to my doc about changing the meds or adding an appetite suppressant.
posted by soft and hardcore taters at 10:24 PM on February 6, 2010
posted by soft and hardcore taters at 10:24 PM on February 6, 2010
Best answer: Do keep in mind that lots of sugar free gum can cause diarrhea and stomach cramping, as my mother found out when she was quitting smoking.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:09 AM on February 7, 2010
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:09 AM on February 7, 2010
Response by poster: Oh hell - thanks for the warning. Just like on House.
posted by soft and hardcore taters at 1:26 PM on February 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by soft and hardcore taters at 1:26 PM on February 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by honeybee413 at 11:56 PM on February 5, 2010 [1 favorite]