Patient education: Managing poor appetite from your medicines (The Basics)

What is poor appetite? — 

This means not wanting to eat. You might not feel hungry. You might eat less than normal or feel full after eating only a small amount of food.

Poor appetite can cause you not to take in enough calories from food. Then, you might lose weight, feel tired, or have less energy than usual.

Which medicines can cause poor appetite? — 

Poor appetite is a very common side effect of medicines. Some medicines cause poor appetite because they affect the chemicals in the brain related to appetite. Others can affect how food tastes or how you swallow. Some medicines can also cause mouth sores, which can make it hard to eat.

Vitamins and birth control pills can cause poor appetite. You might also have problems with poor appetite because you take a lot of medicines, or if you take medicines to treat conditions like:

●Infection

●Cancer

●Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

●Depression

●Diabetes

●Pain

●High blood pressure

●Heart failure

●Obesity

Tell your doctor or nurse about your poor appetite and any other side effects. Do not stop taking any medicine without talking to them first. In many cases, your appetite might come back once your body gets used to the medicine.

You can ask your doctor if there is another medicine that is less likely to cause poor appetite.

What can I do on my own to help with my appetite? — 

You can try these things:

●Eat 5 to 6 small meals during the day instead of 3 big meals. Eat healthy snacks between meals when you feel hungry.

●Eat with others when possible. Sit at a table to eat, and make the eating area appealing. Play music or talk with others while eating.

●Drink fluids between meals instead of during meals. This can help prevent you from feeling full too quickly.

●If you are losing weight, talk to your doctor or dietitian (food and nutrition expert) about foods that can help you gain weight or avoid losing more weight. They might also suggest foods that are easy to digest, foods that are high in protein, or dietary supplements (sample brand names: Ensure, Boost).

●Take a short walk about an hour before you eat to help you work up an appetite.

When should I call the doctor? — 

Call for advice if you:

●Cannot keep any food or drink down

●Lose weight without trying

●Are very tired, or have trouble staying awake during the day

More on this topic

Patient education: Side effects from medicines (The Basics)
Patient education: Managing loss of appetite and weight loss with cancer (The Basics)
Patient education: Mouth sores from cancer treatment (The Basics)
Patient education: Malnutrition (The Basics)
Patient education: High-calorie, high-protein diet (The Basics)