Have you lost weight since starting meds? | ADHD Information
I have lost a total of 14 lbs in 4 weeks since starting straterra.
I LOVE IT!
40 more to go.....
Lee03...now have you lost that much weight because you have lost your appetite? Or are you still eating the way you did before Strattera, and just losing it?>>>WHOOPS!!<<<<<< Sorry gypsywomyn, it was not you that gave me that advise, it was "chaotic canadian", a long time ago......she said that so many women or basically absentminded anyway while pregnant that maybe people would contribute my sudden frazzleheadedness to being pregnant....(see? there I go..)....
Gypsywomyn, you have just given me so much helpful advise before, that I was thinking that it was you that also gave me this advise.....sorry, my mistake.....
Actually, though, they divide medications up into grades according to which ones have been tested and known not to cause birth defects; to which ones have NOT been tested, but they PRETTY sure that it would not cause problems; to which ones are known to cause problems, etc....
A--Tested on humans, proven safe
B--Not tested on humans, studies done on certain animals have been presumed safe....(i think, I could be wrong on this)
.....on to (I think!!) X, or some other forbidden letter signifying it has been proven to cause birth defects in humans.....
DRATS!!! 
I did a quick search on the internet and could not find sufficient info to give you to definitely tell you exactly what these grades, or categories mean, but that is pretty much bassicaly how it goes. but I could be wrong on some of them....(but I think these grades apply to all medications in pregnancy, including ones for ADD, )
My midwife said I could take my wellbutrin if I wanted to, cause it is (I think) a category B, so she would feel safe with me taking it..and my midwife said that she could prescribe me a category A if I wanted to, she said their are lots of category A meds for depression.....I have been feeling down (a new baby changes your WHOLE LIFE around, even BEFORE birth!!) and have been considering it, but I would prefer to go as long as possible without any meds........but since I have had depression before, I am kinda "predisposed" to postpartum depression, or "baby blues" and I would definitely be taking meds to ward that off after the baby gets here...(they do have meds that are more safe to take while breastfeeding)
But, I tried drinking gallons of water every day, and that did NOT help me with my strattera "issues" at all.....It sort of helped when I started to take a daily dose of gentle fiber everyday in capsuls, but my stomach was still in a LOT of pain..so after that I left the strattera alone .some one from the other forum said to try a "stool softener"...which is different that a "laxative'' ...she had to do this for her 5 year old son, who was having the same effects on strattera that I was, and she said it really worked for him...had I not been pregnant, I would have went back on my strattera and tried this. Maybe I will still try it later, or maybe I will just try another AD/HD medication alltogether. Also I read about another tip: if there is something that makes you have "diarreah....(embarrassing topic here) say for instance, if you are lactose intolerant, you can drink milk, or eat whatever it is that makes you this way regularly to help with the constipation from the medication.
Wellbutrin also caused me to lose weight, and my appetite, but this did not last long.....the side effects wore off as I continued to take the meds....That was really the only side effect that happened with me personally on the wellbutrin, and I had some insomnia, just a little bit, but all of it wore off after a couple of months...(for a long time, strattera gave me SEVERE insomnia, and made me SEVERLY loose my appetite, also...) I was hoping that the side effects would also wear off with the strattera, thats why I continued to take it so long, but it just continued to get worse and worse.
But to stick in a quick point, I lost LOTS of weight on strattera, like 20 lbs.....
... that was a good thing..
Thanks for your reply...very informative, Sonya. BTW, those stool softeners, suppositories, can work quite well.
However, be careful, they can also be something you can become dependent on. Occasional use is good, tho. You say you have another child? How old is he/she. Aww I love it when others have children "for me." Good for you using a midwife. 
Where's Lee? She must have gone away for the weekend. Good for her!
Hey Guys!!! I'm back!
I didnt go away, I had to accomodate to my kids schedule, two are daisy scouts and one is in soccer, and we hiked 4 miles in daisy scouts and had to go straight to the soccer game, and then, I had to take care of my neighbor who just got out of the hospital. I was too tired to think, and today was my MIL's B-day, and I cooked all day.
To answer your ques, I have no appetite, which is great since I used to eat for a hobby. my doc told me to try southbeach diet, and although I am no strutly keeping it, I have lost a lot of weight!
The first week, I only ate when I got a hunger headache, and i would say "when did i last eat?" I never thought about food, not like I used to.
Sonya h,
I am a mom of 3 and although I didnt know I had add then, i was DEFINITELY MORE SCATTERBRAINED THAN USUAL. so count on it. I also has constipation problems while pregnant, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!! Take a stool softner every day or every other day because contstipation can lead to hemmroids
, and all I can say, is....you dont want that
. The pressure of the baby and your stool can make it bad. I could not sit down! I also took an anyi depressant during pregnancy because I had pos partum really bad, I went to a thera[y and all. But I didnt take it until much later in the pregnancy. I would try not to take anything ( If you can help it) until the fetus is 12-15 weeks, the previous weeks are vital to baby's development and you dont want anything to interfere with that. I was on zoloft.
You're absolutely right, tho, that it's very important to eat, preferrably several small meals over the course of a day.[QUOTE=ditzychick]I lost 5 pounds in one WEEK! Although, I have a constipation problem, but as SOON as I started taking the Ritalin, that problem stopped!! I'm beginning to think that the constipation is related to a neurological problem.[/QUOTE]
I KNOW I'M TELLING AAALLLLLLLL MY BUSINESS HERE, BUT:
were you on strattera when you had the constipation problems? if you were, it was probably from that. because I thought I was gonna DIE from constipation when I was on strattera
. I was on strattera and wellbutrin xl.....and I know it was the strattera because I had taken wellbutrin xl before, alone, and not had the problem.....I was on strattera for about 6 months and I lost a lot of weight, but the constipation never got any better it steadily seemed to get worse and worse and worse, and I was miserable ALL the time, so I stopped it...RIGHT after I stopped it (kept taking the wellbutrin), the costipation got better....the effects of the medication was good, but I could not deall with the side effects.
But it was a good thing you found a combination that worked for you...nothing I tried worked, but if I had learned about some of the tips that some people on this forum (it was one of the other forums, not here) posted about dealing with the constipation BEFORE i became pregnant, I would have tried taking the strattera again and used some of those tips......but since I am pregnant, I have decided not to take any medication for right now, maybe I will eventually have to take some a little later, and I will DEFINITELY start back on medication after my baby is born, (I want to be the best mother I can be, and I can't do that with my head up in the clouds....
) but for right now I am (barely) getting along decently......(i took gypsywomyn's advise and blamed my "scatterbraindedness" on my pregnancy.
)
ok, i'm finished rambling.....
sonya_h38424.5567361111Sonya...did I call you scatterbrained?
Couple questions for you, Sonya, not to get off the original post (sorry Lee03). Was one of the tips for the constipation that you found on another board to drink a lot of water? What else? Also, what side effects did you get from Wellbutrin? I'd like to try it, but afraid it will make my TS tics worse.
You're such a good mommy already, just by not taking any medication. However, did your dr say it would be okay during pregnancy to take anything for ADHD? They probably don't know enough about the meds to really know anyway. ?? Good decision on your part.
If you're rather PM with answers to these ?'s I don't mind, or LET'S SHARE.
Lee, still waiting to hear your reply to our questions, at least mine in posts above.
I have lost about 15 pounds..I started adderall in January...I take the short acting one...so i try to eat when the med is wearing down...before I take me next dose...I snacked alot...which isn't bad...as long as it is healthy stuff....but when you get really busy..who has time to make a smoothy or chop veggies? Anyway....I think before meds I would snack...to keep busy...and plus I drink a ton of water now.....because of my mouth feeling like the sahara desert...and I used to drink regular coke like crazy...but when I take me meds...I dont' crave it anymore...I used to hate to drink water...and when y meds start to wear off...It starts to taste wierd again....I'm on adderall, 9 days now. I have lost 3 lbs. I definately don't snack like I used to but try to eat decent meals. I'm also walking more. I'm trying to get a lot of oxygen to my brain, so I can sleep better. So I think this is going to be a good thing for my weight! [QUOTE=MegMarie] I have lost about 15 pounds..I started adderall in January...I take the short acting one...so i try to eat when the med is wearing down...before I take me next dose...I snacked alot...which isn't bad...as long as it is healthy stuff....but when you get really busy..who has time to make a smoothy or chop veggies? I'm sure you have considered this, but have you tried chopping up a bunch and putting them in baggies in your frig?...then you can still snack, which IS good while on the meds. Same with smoothie...keep a container in your frig.Anyway....I think before meds I would snack...to keep busy...and plus I drink a ton of water now.....because of my mouth feeling like the sahara desert...and I used to drink regular coke like crazy...but when I take me meds...I dont' crave it anymore...I used to hate to drink water...and when y meds start to wear off...It starts to taste wierd again.... Good...keep drinking that H2O!!! [/QUOTE]
And remember, all of you out there, don't eat an hour before lying down to sleep...great way to develop acid reflux. Even children get it, poor babies, if they lie on the floor after a meal to watch TV or whatever.
Michele...right on!GypsyWomyn38431.4585300926
Hi All,
Yup I have lost about 10lbs since starting ritalin. Seems to let me feel full after I have eaten enough. Still feel hungry, but don't snack like crazy anymore. Don't overeat. Still doing plenty exercise and enjoying seeing the weight come off for a change (unlike previously where it stubbornly refused to die!)
I have been on adderallXR for 3 months and lost 40 pounds. I have a total appetite loss but find when i do eat my heart pounds. Strange huh??I have lost a couple of kilos but I have been surfing a lot. I'm a lot more toned all of a sudden. I used to snack like mad, but now mum has to remind me to eat every now and then (God bless her!)
I sleep better now too. Less hours spent in bed and more refreshing.
Hi i am taking adderall xr 20mg for 5 days now (newly diagnosed) and i feel fantastic I have never had such a good appetite and I am sleeping thorugh the night I actually get tired now and I have so much energy that I dont know what to do with it ( well I have been reorganizing all the closets in my house for 4 days now and loving it because I can concentrate long enough to do it) I have also lost 6 pounds this week after starting the meds. Thats what I cant figure out everyone talks about appetite suppression mine is just hte opposite I have always been a very light eater maybe once a day of that, I weigh almost 200 pounds (a ggod bit for a 5'7" woman) so the weight loss doesnt bother me I just dont understand how I am eating twice as much if not 3 times as much through the day, and losing weight. Jennifer, now it couldn't have anything to do with all you've been doing, rearranging your closets, etc., hmmmm? Exercise, moving. Great! Which will also help you sleep. Nothing better than getting up and moving. I'm glad it's working so well for you, Jennifer! Just shows how everyone is affected differently by different meds.
Oh, also, eating 3x day is much better for losing weight than once a day. Your body needs the fuel and now it doesn't feel like it's starving, and metabolizing much healthier. Does that make sense to you? GypsyWomyn38430.6757407407