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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by B2chica on July 25, 2008, at 8:14:26
i can't seem to eat. and that is the OPPOSITE of my normal problem. now, not to worry. i'm not going to waste away in the wind by any means.
but its been a few weeks now and i can hardly eat barely taking in a couple hundred calories (if that) a day. between the nausea and anxiety and and urge to NOT WANT to eat.i'm on now only wellbutrin and topomax which i know are known for suppressing appetite.
but i have a one year old that i need to take care of and to be honest i'm starting to get scared of driving with her because my vision is blurry and i'm so weak and just feel 'out of it'. i'm guessing part of the med withdral and part because of the lack of nutrition.
any suggestions to try to get back?
solids are the worst. i can sometimes manage to get a glass of milk or something in, so i try to drink my daughters 2% instead of my normal skim milk. but nothing seems to be helping.will this subside?
b2c.
Posted by Phillipa on July 25, 2008, at 10:44:36
In reply to Meds causing anorexia?, posted by B2chica on July 25, 2008, at 8:14:26
B2Chica I think a call to you doc before the weekend is definitely in order. There are liquid supplements but you need food. Please get some help. Phillipa
Posted by raisinb on July 25, 2008, at 11:52:07
In reply to Meds causing anorexia?, posted by B2chica on July 25, 2008, at 8:14:26
B2, Wellbutrin did the same thing to me. I forced down as much as I could three times a day, but I realized (after losing even more weight) that it is not easy to eat as much as normal when you have to force it down. It was like my throat was closed, or my stomach.
I was only on it by itself for about a month. It did subside a little during that time (like, once every few days, I'd actually get hungry) but not enough to continue w/ bupropion alone. After I added Zoloft my appetite got much better, but it is still not up to normal levels, and I have not gained any of the weight back (it has been about 6 weeks on WB + Zoloft). So I think for me, that side effect really didn't go away. I agree that if you are that weak, you should call your dr.
Posted by bleauberry on July 25, 2008, at 20:18:18
In reply to Meds causing anorexia?, posted by B2chica on July 25, 2008, at 8:14:26
Even if the meds were working perfectly and you were a 100% cured functional human being, how long can that last when the body is starved for nutrition? I mean, all kinds of things are going to go haywire and breakdown, and no amount of drugs are going to fix that. I think you need to tell the doctor right away.
If the meds are working great, I don't know what to add for appetite. Maybe an antinausea med, though I've heard they have their own risky side effects. Maybe zyprexa? Kind of weird to take an AP just to eat. But hey, if it saves your life? I saw an abstract at pubmed where a lady's nausea from Milnacipran was reversed with the addition of low dose Zyprexa.
In the herbal field the only one I am aware of is ginger. Might want to read up on it. It might help, but I am skeptical it has the power you need. Can't hurt though, might help.
Even though you aren't hungry, you should eat something every 3 hours. I realize it would be just a tiny bit, been there done that. Get a mix of protein and carbs at each eating, no more than 3 hours apart. A few chips, a slice of an apple, a chunk or two of chicken, a few walnuts, couple chunks of watermelon, couple bites of a banana. Ya know? Stuff like that. A bite or two of dark chocolate is good too.
Shakes...you can pack a lot of calories and nutrition in custom made shakes. A beverage of your choice, usually milk or juice, some veggies, maybe some protein powder, or a meal replacement powder mix, an egg (organic, for the high omega oil content), some oatmeal and flaxseed sprinkled in...grind it all up in a shake. Just before drinking, take a spoonful of Smart Balance brand peanut butter (good oils, high nutrition, high calories). Sip the shake slowly over an hour. No need to gulp it down and get sick. Since your vitamin and mineral intake is likely on the deficient side, you probably need to supplement those. Let magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, chromium, stuff like that, fall for very long, and even the best drugs aren't ever going to work.
All this assumes your meds are working great. If they aren't, then you have to seriously ask why anyone would stay with meds that don't have them feeling good and are heading the body down a worse road in the not distant future than where it started. There are plenty of other meds out there.
It's all about benefit versus risk.
Posted by Phillipa on July 25, 2008, at 21:10:10
In reply to Meds causing anorexia?, posted by B2chica on July 25, 2008, at 8:14:26
B2chica did you stop the geodon just like that without a taper could be the reason? Love Phillipa
Posted by JESSsMom on July 27, 2008, at 10:58:51
In reply to Re: Meds causing anorexia?, posted by Phillipa on July 25, 2008, at 21:10:10
I went throught this a few years ago when I had a two year old. It was not med induced but the most intense anxiety I've ever experienced. Not only was I not hungry and adverse to all food, my throat felt like it had a huge lump in it. If I'd tried to get some food down it wouldn't have gottne past that lump (or so I felt).
It was summer time and the heat was brutal. Two year olds are much more ambulatory than one year olds and mine was into everything. No exxaggeration - I survived on only Gatorade for three weeks once that summer. I had to get help and did. Still seeing that same Pdoc today.
You cannot sustain this. Please get some help.
Posted by B2chica on August 4, 2008, at 10:17:51
In reply to Re: Meds causing anorexia? B2chica, posted by JESSsMom on July 27, 2008, at 10:58:51
i DID tell my pdoc about this and he doesn't seem worried at ALL about this!
sorry for the delay. i was out all last week at home. from such severe depression, very suicidal, withdrawl from meds, and no will left.
he "suggested i start zyprexa again" but i didnt want to do anything so i didn't.
he never TOLD me to, just suggested it. some doc.i saw him again last week and he STILL didnt seem worried about my lack of eating. he just kept saying well, WHEN you start eating again, just start slow with soups or such.
h@ll, he didn't even care that i stopped going to work.
my T on the other hand DID care and WAS worried and was trying to contact him.
last thursday i saw her and she bought me a fruit smoothie and asked if i could 'drink somthing'. i had a few sips in session. and drank half of it that day and the other half the next day (it was a huge glass).now i started zyprexa, which was hard to get down to, wish i had the zydis to take.
but i can still only barely get one meal a day down.but that is so WAY better than nothing like i was doing.
i just don't understand my pdoc.
i know i need a new one. but i WANT him to work. i want him to be aggressive and assertive with me. to take the wheel when i'm dying inside and i have no will to drive myself. i need to tell him this.
i hope i can. i see him again tomorrow.the zyprexa has brought me back into the land of the living and the suicidal thoughts have finally subsided (except one or two a day). but the desire to act is gone.
but i still feel i need more. and i just don't know what else is out there.
(without gaining weight.)***********************************
God help me, i'm so tired of this same old fight.
i need to hang on, cuz i know my littleone needs me. but such a part of me just wants to be done.
This is the end of the thread.
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