WEIGHT GAIN WITH MEDS | ADHD Information

Thanks for your replies....

The Adderall gave me more energy--and obviously, stimulated my appetite.  I KNEW that I was eating more...therefore the weight gain.

What I don't understand is why I haven't gone back down....once I started on Ritalin.....as I'm not as hungry on Ritalin.  I could understand, MAYBE, not losing it quickly--but, it continues to go UP!

I think....STRATTERA here I come back.....unfortunately.  I FEEL better on the Ritalin.  Can you take both?

Lynn

Doctor put me on Adderall about six weeks ago---I took it for a month...and gained 8 pounds.  I was hungry ALL of the time...which is NOT like me.  (I had been on Strattera and had no weight gain)...but, doc thought that Adderall might be more effective for me.

Can't handle the excess weight/hunger/bloat---so, he put me on Ritalin and I've been taking it now for the last 2 weeks.  Still gaining weight...at the rate of about a pound every other day....not AS hungry.

Has anyone ELSE experienced weight gain?  I thought you were supposed to LOSE weight!  I feel better on the Ritalin than on the Straterra....I was also wondering if you could take Strattera and ADD a little Ritalin....

Thanks.

Lynn

I have never had that problem or heard of anyone having it.

Usually, adderall is an appetite suppressant.  It blocks off the part of our brain that helps us feel hungry & let us know that we need to eat. 

 I lost about  60 lbs. in my first 8 months on adderall.  Trouble was, the medication also inspired me to be more productive & active at the gym.  So at first I attributed the weight loss to my workouts. 

Then I realized I couldn't remember the last time I craved food.   I mean, I still get the weak & empty, foodless feeling in my stomach, but I don't get "tastebud hungry" on adderall.  If that makes any sense.  I just have to force myself to eat when my stomach starts growling. 

Hope my ADD-esque ability to completely ignore your question & go off on my own tangent was helpful!
I'm one of those people that usually can eat whatever and stay a pretty
average to thin weight--this beneficial trait has lessened some as I've
gotten older (FORCED into not being as active I think--I think businesses
should have mandantory recesses--I bet a lot more work would get
done!)

Anyhow, I digress... Before any meds I was 5'10" and weighed 130
pounds--training for martial arts competitions. Then on Effexor XR and
Buspar I was about 140. THEN added Straterra and slowly, but surely, my
jeans started fitting a bit too tight and I was at 150--oops. Then I was
taken off Straterra for liver enzyme issues and started on Ritalin. Now I'm
consistently hanging out at 140.

So--the moral of the story is--maybe the new med or a combination with
other/previous meds is an issue....

Good luck!

Adderall is actually used for weight loss in very bad cases.

Personally, i lost about 8 pounds in two weeks on Adderall XR 15mg (now 20mg), i was forced to take up a massive weight lifting exercise routine combined with protein shakes, creatine and other things. This has been working very well.. i've gained a LOT of muscle mass in a short time. I went from 130 on the adderall xr to 150 now.
I took Adderall and it didn't help my ADD or hypersomnolence but it did cut my appetite.  Does the Adderall make you jittery?  Sometimes that nervous energy makes people eat more.  Just a thought.

Thanks.  I aleady do that....eat small meals throughout the day--as that is what works best with my system even when NOT on medication....

I will have to go back to the drawing board....I am looking for info on taking Strattera WITH Ritalin or something similar....

Any ideas?

Stimulants are appetite suppressants.  The increased hunger is probably *rebound hunger* when the stimulant wears off.  Extended release formulations can help to avoid this.  One strategy is to eat small meals throughout the day even when you are not hungry.  This helps to avoid the rebound hunger that causes overeating when the medicine wears off.