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.
poster:bleauberry
thread:841949
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080718/msgs/842048.html