Meds inducing hunger

[chinahorse]

Anyone got any tips on how to deal with meds induced hunger? I can eat until I feel sick and I'll still be hungry. I work around food and its so hard not to steal things. And I can't stand how Im getting bigger.

[Bellatrix]

When I first started Depakote I was STARVING hungry all the time. Literally eating 2/3 times the RDA of filling foods and still being hungry. It was ridiculous.

It passed for me, so you might find in a few weeks it settles down.

For whilst you're experiencing it though, I found certain things helped me feel fuller for longer, and reduced the feeling of being hungry a little bit.

Things like
- Drinking lots of water/drink to help my body stay hydrated because some of the hunger you feel is actually down to lack of fluids
- Eating protein rich foods
- Eating more in bulk, like X calories of something that takes up more room than the same calories of something small
- Keeping more healthy snacks around and ready to be eaten because I found when I got hungry I wanted easy access food and that often meant more junk-type foods that didn't keep me full for long rather than healthy filling snacks.
- Eat enough. Don't try and restrict to compensate, it will just make things worse.

Hope it passes for you soon though.

[chinahorse]

I don't know if I can keep taking them.

I am trying though, I went to buy chocolate and crisps but got loads of fruit and have made a fruit salad and a sandwhich for lunch tomorrow so I don't buy naff food at work.

And when I was hungry at work I had a healthier choice of milkshake today with loads of fruit in it. Rather than 3 or 4 chocolate bars.

Eating in bulk is a good idea, will get some stuff in tomorrow, as I need to food shop anyway. I'm getting better at doing main evening meals that are filling so its more the lunch I struggle with.

I'm trying really hard not to restrict but its very very hard with how much Im eating to not try and compensate.

[sherlock holmes]

I agree with what J said about eating bulkier foods. I don't know the proper terminology, but some foods have I think what are called "empty calories". They can have lots of calories in them, but they don't provide your body with any goodness and after eating the food you'll get a sugar high then a crash and then you'll be hungry again. So things like crisps, cake, chocolate, processed food like sausage rolls etc. They are the things that people crave when hungry (I crave these like mad) but wont keep you full.

Instead go for things like pasta, jacket potatoes, salads with lots of protein (so things like chicken, fish, ham etc), sandwiches with protein fillings like tuna. People assume to be healthy you can live on fruit and lots of vegetables, but without pairing those foods with carbohydrates AND protein you wont stay full either. A fruit salad is a good choice, but as a kind of dessert type thing after lunch rather than it replacing lunch.

I know it can be difficult especially when you feel starving. It might help to batch cook some chicken pasta or something and freeze it in portions. Then you can just microwave it when you want to eat.