Posted by Horned One on June 2, 2008, at 7:22:37
In reply to Any Meds to Gain Weight?, posted by bleauberry on June 1, 2008, at 20:02:54
I used to be skinny until fairly recently (a dietician once told me it's harder for a thin person to gain weight than it is for an obese person to lose weight). Since Zyprexa I put on over 12lb very quicky and have kept on gaining on amisulride (although at a much slower rate).
Do you eat heathily? I always ate high-calorie junk foods like pizza, chocolate etc and never gained weight, but when I started eating three good solid 'real' meals in the hospital I gained weight. I'd try eating proper, healthy meals three times a day and see if your weight changes over time. I suspect some people are 'blessed' (usually young men) with genes that produce a sort of reverse tolerence to junk food. Almost paradoxically I seem to have tricked my body into gaining weight by eating lower calorie 'proper' food regularly. Having said that, now I'm stuck with a spare tyre I'd rather be rid of, I just wish I'd stayed thin.
I think what you really want is greater muscle mass than weight per se, and some men just naturally have wiry muscles, not bulk. I'd be wary of eating too much fatty food because although you stay thin, that doesn't necessarily mean you're not vulnerable to high colesterol and heart disease in the long run. I'd try weightlifting, three solid meals and protein shakes, if you feel up to that. Otherwise I wouldn't worry about it unless your doctor thinks your weight puts you at risk of serious health problems, becasue you'd most likely only gain a tyre of (quite unhealthy) belly fat on medication.
As far as drugs go, cyproheptadine, pizotifen and Marinol would be the big contenders if you want to avoid zyprexa. Failing that, just a big fat joint every night might help. There may be some dysfunction in the cannibinoid system that keeps us thin, but also keeps us miserable (like a genetic rimonabant).
-Horny/Q
poster:Horned One
thread:832415
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080528/msgs/832471.html