What should I eat when I am on medication which kills my appetite?
July 27, 2011 3:42 PM Subscribe
I am on medication that kills my appetite. What should I eat?
I have a cold, I have to work, and I am taking OTC cold medication. Aside from a faintly icky feeling and a mouth that tastes really bad, I can function okay on this medication for a couple days. But it totally killds my appetite. Today, I managed a bowl of cereal, half a peanut butter sandwich and a frappuccino on my way home. Now, it's 7ish, I have no desire to eat but I recognize I should probably have some nutrition. I am probably facing three more days like this. What can I eat in order to ensure a bare minimum of basic health here, assuming my appetite is at zero and I have no desire to eat at all?
I have a cold, I have to work, and I am taking OTC cold medication. Aside from a faintly icky feeling and a mouth that tastes really bad, I can function okay on this medication for a couple days. But it totally killds my appetite. Today, I managed a bowl of cereal, half a peanut butter sandwich and a frappuccino on my way home. Now, it's 7ish, I have no desire to eat but I recognize I should probably have some nutrition. I am probably facing three more days like this. What can I eat in order to ensure a bare minimum of basic health here, assuming my appetite is at zero and I have no desire to eat at all?
Does anything at all sound good? Don't worry about general healthy eating if it gets in the way of eating at all. When I'm recovering from a stomach bug, only Baked Lays, really soft white bread, or Saltines sound good to me. So I eat as much of that kind of stuff as I want and supplement with some thin, brothy soup, and a banana when I can stand it. For a few days, that should be ok.
posted by parkerjackson at 3:51 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by parkerjackson at 3:51 PM on July 27, 2011
I find that when I am sick that sugary stuff is awful to my immune system. Broths and such is what I would suggest.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 4:01 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 4:01 PM on July 27, 2011
The people I've known who find eating totally unappetizing on a regular basis, they choke down those breakfast/energy shakes.
Avoid milk products otherwise though (cereal) - it apparently increases production of phlegm.
posted by lizbunny at 4:05 PM on July 27, 2011
Avoid milk products otherwise though (cereal) - it apparently increases production of phlegm.
posted by lizbunny at 4:05 PM on July 27, 2011
Drinkable yoghurt is where it's at, yo. Get the plain / unflavored kind if you can find it, maybe mix in a bit of honey. Goes down easy when you don't want to eat, and it's got pretty good food value.
Also, eating small portions of stuff more often, and/or cutting things up into little tiny bites.
posted by Cimrmanova at 4:09 PM on July 27, 2011
Also, eating small portions of stuff more often, and/or cutting things up into little tiny bites.
posted by Cimrmanova at 4:09 PM on July 27, 2011
I have been on several drugs for New Daily Persistent Headache that have had me losing 20+ pounds in a month or two. When I had that problem the number one thing I ate was fruits, vegetables, and ice cream. I made sure to always eat my fruits and vegetables once per meal, simply for the nutrition. Then to make up for the calories I needed to function, I ate ice cream with a reckless abandon. I went through a half gallon a day and still lost tons of weight. Since this was a long term issue, I did what I needed to minimize the weight loss.
Since it sounds like this is a cold that will last a few days, the human body can go over 3 weeks without eating with no permanent damage. You will be just fine listening to your body and no eating any more than you can handle.
posted by Nackt at 4:30 PM on July 27, 2011
Since it sounds like this is a cold that will last a few days, the human body can go over 3 weeks without eating with no permanent damage. You will be just fine listening to your body and no eating any more than you can handle.
posted by Nackt at 4:30 PM on July 27, 2011
Greek or Mediterranean food always works for me when I have no appetite. I think cause my mouth feels dry. Tomatoes and salads and crisp cucumbers, etc are all crisp clean and easy.
posted by nathancaswell at 4:32 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by nathancaswell at 4:32 PM on July 27, 2011
When I feel like that I can usually eat Greek yogurt, smoothies, fresh spring rolls, and ice cream. With smoothies especially you can pack in the nutrition without really feeling you're eating.
posted by grapesaresour at 4:34 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by grapesaresour at 4:34 PM on July 27, 2011
Try Boost or Ensure. When I was really, really sick I could drink those just fine. I also second drinkable yogurt or kefir.
posted by Logic Sheep at 4:35 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by Logic Sheep at 4:35 PM on July 27, 2011
My go-to diet for when I'm feeling sick and unhungry is applesauce, chicken noodle soup, and ice cream.
If I were you, I would make sure to eat something, because when I go without eating at all I feel even sicker. It's ok to just focus on getting some calories into yourself for a few days if you need to.
posted by beandip at 4:43 PM on July 27, 2011
If I were you, I would make sure to eat something, because when I go without eating at all I feel even sicker. It's ok to just focus on getting some calories into yourself for a few days if you need to.
posted by beandip at 4:43 PM on July 27, 2011
Pot brownies.
posted by glibhamdreck at 4:44 PM on July 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by glibhamdreck at 4:44 PM on July 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
And I've made myself sicker by not eating when I was sick and didn't want to- what helped was broth, drinkable yogurt, bread and butter and fortified cereals. Enough to keep everything working, not enough to gross me out cause I was CHEWING GHAD. Bananas if you can stand them.
posted by The Whelk at 4:52 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by The Whelk at 4:52 PM on July 27, 2011
It's so hard to know what will work for you personally, but when I was recovering from surgery last year and had no appetite, Odwalla Superfood (the green colored fruit smoothie type thing) got me over the hump until I could eat something more substantial.
I've also had luck sometimes with vegetable juice and soy milk.
posted by ernielundquist at 6:15 PM on July 27, 2011
I've also had luck sometimes with vegetable juice and soy milk.
posted by ernielundquist at 6:15 PM on July 27, 2011
I'm on Concerta, and it kills my apatite when I take it 7 days a week (5 isn't so bad, looking forward to graduation so much!). Anyway, here is what I've found:
1) Smells = bad. Smelling food makes you 'realize' you're eating, and that makes it worse.
2) Looking at a lot of food at once makes it worse. If you eat a lot over a long period, but don't look at it all at once, then you don't realize how much you are eating and can get more down. Remember, it is just the hunger signal that is blocked, not the actual ability to eat.
Stuff like grapes, carrots, cheese, and other finger foods are good. Non-messy sandwiches you can eat with one hand. Pasta with nothing on it (What, I eat it as finger food, it is filling and better for me then chips or whatever).
Cold meats are good- low smell, filling but not hard to eat. Roast beef tops the chart, but I also love it, so am rather biased.
Hope this helps.
posted by Canageek at 8:01 PM on July 27, 2011
1) Smells = bad. Smelling food makes you 'realize' you're eating, and that makes it worse.
2) Looking at a lot of food at once makes it worse. If you eat a lot over a long period, but don't look at it all at once, then you don't realize how much you are eating and can get more down. Remember, it is just the hunger signal that is blocked, not the actual ability to eat.
Stuff like grapes, carrots, cheese, and other finger foods are good. Non-messy sandwiches you can eat with one hand. Pasta with nothing on it (What, I eat it as finger food, it is filling and better for me then chips or whatever).
Cold meats are good- low smell, filling but not hard to eat. Roast beef tops the chart, but I also love it, so am rather biased.
Hope this helps.
posted by Canageek at 8:01 PM on July 27, 2011
Be sure you're getting enough fluids. Having a cold can make you thirsty, and when you're thirsty nothing sounds good to eat. Drink a big glass of ice water and then see if anything sounds appetizing. This is true even when you're not sick, hungry and nothing sounds good.
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér at 8:05 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér at 8:05 PM on July 27, 2011
the BRAT diet -- bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast- is recommended here. I've had great success with it. However, if I'm not having stomach issues, when I'm coldy and low appetite and mouth numb, I swear by egg noodles with a lot of butter and parmesan. YMMV.
posted by sweetkid at 9:30 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by sweetkid at 9:30 PM on July 27, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Carol Anne at 3:43 PM on July 27, 2011