ironmanoles Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 I've been on Lamicatal for 2 1/2 weeks now. i've noticed I have no appetite, did anyone else have this problem? Funny thing is I'm not one of the many that wants this side effect anything i can do or expect? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmalyn Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 I've been on Lamicatal for 2 1/2 weeks now. i've noticed I have no appetite, did anyone else have this problem? Funny thing is I'm not one of the many that wants this side effect anything i can do or expect? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ha - I am supposed to start it, and if this is a side-effect I'll stop debating and start it today. I've got a beach vaca in 10 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captduffy Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 I've been on it 16 days and haven't noticed any appetite change.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherie Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 trust me it tapers off. In fact it will probably pick up when you begin to feel better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NARS Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 I had that when I started lamictal; for the first time in years I could leave food on the plate when I was full, and that happened sooner. But I used to have increased appetite on depakote, so I'm probably more normal now. I'm having trouble not eating, but I don't think it's the lamictal itself, just my eating craziness coming out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skittle unlogged Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 I've just increased my dose by 100mg and noticed tonight that when I cooked supper I really wasn't interested in eating it. Went the whole day without eating anything either (bad - pdoc is always lecturing me on eating before I take my meds) and wasn't at all hungry. I agree though that this is a side effect that tends to taper off as you get used to the dose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmanoles Posted November 18, 2005 Author Share Posted November 18, 2005 I'm glad to hear it tapers off! I'm an athlete who competes in Ironman Triathlons and need to eat in order to keep my body up to the task at hand... Like I said in my first post, im an exception to many on here when I say I don't want my appetite to be suppressed LOL = Thanks everyone for your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tallulah Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 i didnt find that it increased OR decreased my appetite. if i was hungry, i ate. if i wasnt hungry, i didnt. so there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherie Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 no problem - although I feel like I have lost muscle mass due to this stuff. I notice I've lost weight due to this. Maybe it is in my head like everything else is. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revlow Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 no problem - although I feel like I have lost muscle mass due to this stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NARS Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 On the muscle mass question, I've actually gotten stronger since getting on lamictal, especially since I got completely off tegretol. I was so depressed before lamictal that I hardly moved and had trouble eating. Now I move around more. So even though I am doing no workouts, just taking stairs, walking across parking lots, and doing more chores around the house is building back the little muscle I had. It took a while, but in the past 3 weeks I've noticed I open more jars by hand and move chairs & groceries around more easily. I'm also starting to want to do some exercise at home like light weights and some tapes. I couldn't even stand the thought before I felt better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revlow Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 Thanks, NARS...that's good to know. And thanks too for your responses elsewhere. Very helpful! revlow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmanoles Posted November 18, 2005 Author Share Posted November 18, 2005 Revlow, Thanks for your thoughts. Yeah, I've been trying to eat small meals through out the day... for expample; today, i ended up eating lunch (first thing to eat ALL day) at 3:45pm!!! The old me would have scarffed down 3000 calories by that time! Anyway, I have faith that it will only improve as I can honestly say the meds are working... or at least I think they are -lol oh by the way....It does help reading other experiences on the boards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sun_zoom_spark Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 If you are the 'depressed-eater' or 'anxious-eater' I can see it working as appetite suppressant. I know I have always had a problem with weight control since I turned 20 (25 years ago). I always 'found' comfort in eating too damn much when depressed or anxious. Take away the depression and ole', the weight drops off. I lost 85 pounds while taking lithium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revlow Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 Revlow, Thanks for your thoughts. Yeah, I've been trying to eat small meals through out the day... for expample; today, i ended up eating lunch (first thing to eat ALL day) at 3:45pm!!! The old me would have scarffed down 3000 calories by that time! Anyway, I have faith that it will only improve as I can honestly say the meds are working... or at least I think they are -lol oh by the way....It does help reading other experiences on the boards. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> First meal of the day at 3:45? Oops. Yeah, just nibble...even if you don't feel like it. I've been trying to remember just what I ate in the beginning when I had no appetite. Well, I'm drawing a blank. I really don't remember, but I know I just took it upon myself to make myself eat. I think I made a point of making at least one good actual meal a day, as well as snacking. Listen, I'm impressed you're an athlete! Maybe this isn't using the term correctly, but to me anyone who competes in Ironman Triathlons is in the "elite" category. Wow! Are you depressed? I know some people manage their depression through exercise. Or even if it doesn't help their depression, they still manage to dedicate themselves enough to keep fit. Maybe this sounds lame, but it truly is impressive to me! (If I can manage even a short walk or a bit of stretching, I'm doing well.) My reason for hating, hating, hating when I don't have an appetite -- or lose weight rapidly -- is that I associate it with being sick and feeling like crap. Many moons ago, in my late teens/early 20s (I'm 50 now) I was anorectic and bulimic -- back when no one even talked about it. Then I lived in Mexico in the 1970s, and at one point had 2 types of amoebas, paratyphoid fever, and hepatitis A -- all at the same time. Muy r Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NARS Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 Shit, I'm having so much trouble with lack of appetite. I've been trying to stick to a tight schedule and make myself eat something, anything, with at least a few hundred calories every three hours. Today I ate most of a smallish scone and a few tastes of a friend's quiche at 11:00. Then I moved furniture and cleaned for six hours straight (oh, I'm going to be sore tomorrow, couch potato that I am). I simply forgot to eat. I wasn't hungry at all. Then around 5:30 I got nauseous, and thought I was getting the gombu until I drank some milk and instantly felt better. But the idea of real food still made me queasy. I managed to eat some fast food--chicken sandwich and salad--and felt tons better. I'm going to buy a couple packs of Ensure tomorrow. It's not real food, but at least it's something bland with protein and vitamins that I can force myself to drink. It's been like this for about a week. I don't understand what's going on. My therapist is going to be pissed, she's always on me to take care of myself and she hates when I don't eat. Ech. Sorry for the rant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revlow Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 NARS: So sorry to hear what you're going through. I do the same thing at times (forgetting to eat), which is simply horrible for us. The Ensure sounds like a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NARS Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 I tried instant oatmeal this morning. I used to love it, but YUCK! I choked it down with generous amounts of milk. I also bought pistachios, which I do still like, and am grazing on them now. I also brought a can of chickarina soup for lunch, some granola, and some dried fruit. Graze, graze, graze. I need to avoid eating all carbs like I have been. I don't even want sweets, but I tend to graze on carbs. At least pistachios are actual food and they're salty. I hope you guys don't mind that I keep posting about my pesky eating habits. If I thought it was just the eating disorder I'd post down there, but most of my problem is the therapeutic breakthroughs of the past few months Still, I'm supposed to be taking better care of myself. I know my therapist is going to hassle me about it this afternoon, and I'm dreading it. I also called her after my fit of anger in group last week, so she'll be worried about that too. I worry about her worrying. Some days you get the bear, some days the bear gets you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtywonderful Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 I just wanted to post to NARS... I am on the same meds (300mg Lamictal, 300mg Wellbutrin) and I am going through the same stuff.. I lost about 15-20 lbs when I started Lamictal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NARS Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 Out and out anger isn't particularly my bag, although I'm starting to learn how to express normal anger. My hypomania or mania are usually nasty mixed states with anxiety and irritability and nasty voices in my head telling me I'm a bad, bad person. I'm not really having that kind of stuff yet. But I have some anxiety and I'm getting touches of depression from hormone surges from premenopause (oh, goodie!). My appetite patterns are pretty much what you describe, except that because I've been lectured by my therapist I'm now trying my damnedest to keep to a meal schedule. Today I reluctantly had oatmeal for breakfast, put a bunch of steamed milk in my coffee, and at 11:30 started a turkey sandwhich which I'm very slowly working through. Like you, the thought of eating makes me queasy, even though I get hungry at seeing food. I think the queasiness is from not eating. Therapist says that as I eat I should say "I'm mothering myself well." The idea is nurturing myself even when I'm acting like a child with my resistance to food. It feels weird but I'm trying it. In the meantime I'm seeing a new pdoc in a few weeks who understands all this hormone & treatment stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revlow Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 In the meantime I'm seeing a new pdoc in a few weeks who understands all this hormone & treatment stuff. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'd love to know what you new pdoc says about this. Would you please keep us posted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest billycat Posted November 24, 2005 Share Posted November 24, 2005 As i increaed in mg. each time I would be very naucious for several days ...actually sharp pains when I did eat. That would then stop untill another increase. Now at 300mg. I seem to have lost my appeitite altogether. Like some of the others I have to make a point of eating. It's not that I don't get somewhat hungry but food has no appeal to me anymore. I require more fluids though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NARS Posted November 25, 2005 Share Posted November 25, 2005 I'll sure post an update once I see new pdoc in a few weeks. I'm so chatty that I can't keep any news to myself. I'm doing pretty much the same today; ate a little of everything at thanksgiving dinner and had a little pie afterwards. I feel both hungry and full now; maybe I'll make some pudding. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revlow Posted November 25, 2005 Share Posted November 25, 2005 mmmm....pudding.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayzunkane Posted November 25, 2005 Share Posted November 25, 2005 I got carbs/sweets cravings on Lamictal. I know I put on weight because my jeans were so tight but I couldn't make myself get on the scale. I felt spongy too, like I had lost muscle tone when I gained. It ended up being about 20 lbs I put on. I was so distressed about the weight gain, which I did NOT need, and I wasn't really feeling better so after 4 months my pdoc took me off. She felt like the weight gain was just trading one problem for another. She gave me a sample of Provigil and a script to have filled if I liked it. I had to fight for 10 days to get my insurance to pay and since it's not "preferred" I had to pay $110 but that's better than paying $250 without the insurance. kane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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