[juliastl27]

so i havent been around much lately due to a lot going on, but i thought this was interesting. i always assumed that my weight gain was a result of having my son, but a few months ago i found a picture of him and i when he was about 6 months old... and i was thin....

it occurred to me that the weight gain didnt really start until he was about one year old. ive known for a while that the sleeping pill i take nightly (due to SEVERE anxiety) causes weight gain, but i figured it was negligible until recently when my doctor told me that they give it to cancer patients and older people who cant put on weight.

well, i stopped the medicine (doctor approved). the withdrawal was MISERY and i couldnt sleep, but ive finally gotten into a routine where i am getting some rest. right after withdrawal ended i got bleeding ulcers and had a LOT to deal with including a colonoscopy and endoscopy. the whole thing was a nightmare. well, the good news is that ive lost 8 lbs since quitting the meds (about a month ago).

heres the weird thing... number one, my appetite is almost gone. i was never a big eater and was always thin until i was about 22 when i started that med. then suddenly i had a NEVER ENDING craving for sweets and carbs. now that ive quit the med, im not even counting calories. i did for a few days, and found that what i was eating without even thinking about it was adding up to about 1300 a day. thats all i want. also, there is currently an entire pie and 3 hersheys bars in my house that have been here for days, im telling you, they wouldve not lasted an entire day a month ago.

its totally insane, i cant believe im not craving sweets!! im happy about the change because i know that my intense cravings for chocolate and sugar were not healthy for me, but its just SO weird. has anyone else had appetite changes from going on or off different medications? or for any other reasons?

[KDM322]

WOW! that is crazy...who'da thought a sleeping pill would make ya gain weight? Which one was it??

I wish I could figure out what makes me crave chocolate!! LOL

Congrats on the 8lbs in one month!

[murphmitch]

I'm curious too as to which sleeping pill you were on. I take Ambien occasionally and have never noticed any difference with hunger/cravings.

[juliastl27]

its called Remeron or Mirtazapine. its totally crazy, my mom gained 40 lbs on it in like 6 months and then quit taking it and lost all the weight in like 3 months.

it depresses your metabolism and affects some receptor in your brain that makes you crave sweets and carbs. its a tricyclic antidepressant so it works differently than ambien and other sleeping pills. tricyclics also have quite a reputation for weight gain

i wouldnt worry too much about ambien, its a hypnotic and works differently.

kdm332, i know, isnt it crazy? i still have to work because even though im eating less, it did NOT cure my cravings for fatty/greasy/unhealthy foods, but taking the sweets addiction away has helped. i knew that it caused those things but i guess after 6 years i didnt realize how dramatically it had affected me.