New medication made my appetite huge. Can I change it?!

[latxhingones]

Is this a legitimate reason to change it to something else?

I started taking it 4 weeks ago. Since then my appetite for all the wrong foods has been off the roof and I've gained at least 9 pounds.

I thought it was just me being ridiculous but I'm convinced it's directly linked (it's one of the well known side effects, weight gain).

I've been incredibly strict with myself today and eaten normally, a balanced breakfast and lunch. I'm climbing the walls to stuff my face

I am certainly not a big eater when not on this medication. Has this happened to anyone else when trying a new medication? What did you do?

Can I ask what medication if you don't mind?
I am in exactly the same situation and started a thread the other day, but got no replies!

I've been on it for 6 months and have gained so much weight despite exercise and eating healthy - apparently it's just one of those side effects you have to live with... I will say the initial weight gain was the worst/most rapid - it's slowed now but still there

@littlemissminor

Can I ask what medication if you don't mind? I am in exactly the same situation and started a thread the other day, but got no replies!

I've been on it for 6 months and have gained so much weight despite exercise and eating healthy - apparently it's just one of those side effects you have to live with... I will say the initial weight gain was the worst/most rapid - it's slowed now but still there

Yes of course, it's Risperidone (an antipsychotic). It's awful, I'm absolutely certain I've gone up a dress size within the first 2 weeks of starting it. Have put on my weight since.

Seems it comes with its own dose of madness

I had this on mirtazapine and sorry to say but no managing my food intake/exercising did anything. It came off quickly when I stopped taking it but I did that earlier than I should because I hated the weight gain so much

I was taken off Quetiapine for the same reason. My appetite didn't increase but my size did!
It was annoying because it really helped but my psychiatrist said that the sudden weight gain was getting unhealthy very quickly & it wasn't going to stop...

See if you can switch to Abilify. It does increase appetite but might not as much. My son takes it BUT he was about 2st underweight.

All anti psychotics I’ve tried have either made me gain weight (with no change in my diet) or have made it completely impossible to lose weight while on them. I won’t take them now for that reason. Aripriprozole is thought to be the least weight gaining one but none of them are weight neutral unfortunately. Psychs and doctors will tell you that you gain weight because of increased appetite but I’ve always maintained that they change your metabolism making it impossible to lose weight and incredible easy to gain even eating the same amount of food.

Mine is Quetiapine too - I am trapped in a stable & fat or unstable and thin cycle and it's shit!

I had an inpatient stay where I was put on quetiapine. I was very underweight at the time due to anorexia and was eating maybe 200 calories a day maximum and my weight didn’t change. As soon as I was discharged I stopped taking it and my weight plummeted.

@QuentinBunbury

I had this on mirtazapine and sorry to say but no managing my food intake/exercising did anything. It came off quickly when I stopped taking it but I did that earlier than I should because I hated the weight gain so much

I've just taken my last dose of mirtazapine. I have been tapering before anyone asks! I couldn't cope with the weight gain but it really is an excellent drug for its intended purpose so its a shame. I overate, gained weight stopped stuffing my face and exercising but the weight hasn't shifted. I hope to lose it now I'm off it.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one - the weight gain is getting me down so much, I'm just endlessly stuffing my face or craving food

@QuentinBunbury

I had this on mirtazapine and sorry to say but no managing my food intake/exercising did anything. It came off quickly when I stopped taking it but I did that earlier than I should because I hated the weight gain so much

Same here. I was not underweight so it put me into the obese category so I had to come off it. It took ages to get that weight off.