Aa
ADD bulimia
Hi. I was diagnosed with ADD when I was 8. I have always taken medication to help me focus in school and have always found that I lose my appitie and when the medication wears off at night I get my appitie back. Well now that I'm 15 I've became obsessed with my weight. Exercising like crazy tracking calories and carbs in everything I eat. I take in about 600-800 calories a day. Is that healthy for a 15 year old girl? During the day I normally don't eat much and most days skip lunch because I'm not hungry. At night I get this craving for literally all food insight and I can't control myself. I've found myself eating very less during the day so I don't feel as bad at nice when I eat at night. I tell myself im not going to eat that or that I'm going to keep on my diet but once my medication wears off I don't care anymore. On weekends when I don't take my medication I find myself eating even though I'm full, I just feel empty and need food. Whenever I'm with my friends they think I'm crazy when I say that I'm fat. I know I'm not fat fat but I want to lose weight. I am 127lb and 5"7. I might be overthinking this but is it the medication that makes my appitie crazy or could I have something else wrong?
COMMUNITY LEADER
Assuming that you do not have Hypothyroidism - check that out here - http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/hypothyroidism-too-little-thyroid-hormone. (And its worth checking it out!)
Your problem could be due to lack of sleep or trouble sleeping at night. Is your sleep at night a good nights sleep? Do you have trouble falling asleep or keep waking up? Anybody ever complain about you snoring which is a sign of sleep apnea?
Too much of your meds will cause sleep problems, but the way, you now vary them should let you instantly feel better during the day if they were the problem for sleep.
So all in all, problems sleeping will cause you to feel tired all day. If you are getting a good nights sleep, then I really think a good medical checkup would be a great idea. It is not normal to be sleepy all day.
Oh, and something like mononucleosis could also be the cause And, given your age possibly more probable. Symptoms are: Fatigue
General feeling of unwellness (malaise)
Sore throat, perhaps a strep throat that doesn't get better with antibiotic use
Fever
Swollen lymph nodes in your neck and armpits
Swollen tonsils
Headache
Skin rash
So, yah, I do think it would be worth getting this checked out. Keep in touch and let me know what happens.
Your problem could be due to lack of sleep or trouble sleeping at night. Is your sleep at night a good nights sleep? Do you have trouble falling asleep or keep waking up? Anybody ever complain about you snoring which is a sign of sleep apnea?
Too much of your meds will cause sleep problems, but the way, you now vary them should let you instantly feel better during the day if they were the problem for sleep.
So all in all, problems sleeping will cause you to feel tired all day. If you are getting a good nights sleep, then I really think a good medical checkup would be a great idea. It is not normal to be sleepy all day.
Oh, and something like mononucleosis could also be the cause And, given your age possibly more probable. Symptoms are: Fatigue
General feeling of unwellness (malaise)
Sore throat, perhaps a strep throat that doesn't get better with antibiotic use
Fever
Swollen lymph nodes in your neck and armpits
Swollen tonsils
Headache
Skin rash
So, yah, I do think it would be worth getting this checked out. Keep in touch and let me know what happens.
Hello! Thank you so much for the great post it has made me feel a lot better. I have another question. I'm tired almost all the time and I don't think it has anything to do with my dieting because I've been tired before I started the diet. But I take 60mg of Concerta on school days and on weekends I normally take 30mg and this summer I've been taking between 15mg-60mg depending on how focused I need to be during the day. I've tried so many different ways to help myself not be tired. I'll sleep all day and still be tired, I'll get a normal 8 hour-10 hour night sleep and still feel exhausted. I hate feeling tired and like I need to go to bed all the time. I keep wondering is if my meds that are making me feel so exhausted all the time. What do you think?
COMMUNITY LEADER
Part of what you are going through is normal. Loss of appetite while on stim meds is common.
"That’s why a common side effect of stimulant medication is appetite suppression. There tend to be two patterns that we see as a result:
Many kids take their medication in the morning and then do not feel hungry all day. Their bodies, lacking the nutrients and fuel they need, go into “starvation” mode. In the evening, the medication wears off, the kids are extremely hungry, and they binge. Their brains tell their bodies: “Better eat up. This might be the only chance you’re going to get.” Often, they over-consume, go to bed, and start the cycle the next day. In this way, lack of appetite can cause weight gain.
Other kids just never get hungry. They do not feel like eating, and parents might see a precipitous – and scary – drop in weight." from - http://www.impactadhd.com/organize-your-life-and-family/adhd-kid-wont-eat-its-all-about-handling-appetites/
Notice the first part talks about the binge eating. Thats why you do it and it is very common - and also fixable.
First way is to adjust your meds. How long are they lasting? You didn't say what med you are using. but Vyvanse should last about 10 hours and Concerta about 8 hours. Much longer and the med dose is too high and needs to be cut down. You might want to talk to your doc about that.
The second thing is to take your meds after breakfast and get a good high protein breakfast (it will also allow your meds to work better).
The third thing is to snack during the day. High protein trail mix bars that you just nibble on are great for that.
And, of course, your dinners need to be a healthy dinner. You can binge all you want (to some extent) if its healthy food.
Here on two very good links on appetite and weight loss. While its aimed at parents for kids - the food suggestions and tips are very good. They are:
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/10240.html?utm_source=eletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=March
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/3295.html
It used to be that doctors thought that a vacation from meds could be a good thing. Most of the current thinking today is that it really is better to continue your meds full time. I can dig up links with that info if you wish. But going back on your meds during the weekend would take care of that part of the problem.
So yes, your meds are certainly making your appetite crazy. You can deal with that. I do worry about your weight concerns though. Hopefully, its because you didn't/don't understand why you are eating the way you do.
Exercising, is great. It will help both your ADD and any weight problems you might have.
Oh, by the way, my wife who is a health teacher wanted me to remind you that while tracking carbs, etc. is good. Its what the carbs are that is more important! Eating healthy is really important. Especially, in your situation.
I hope this helps. Please free to ask for more info if you need it or if you have any other questions about ADD, etc. Let us know how things go. Good Luck!
"That’s why a common side effect of stimulant medication is appetite suppression. There tend to be two patterns that we see as a result:
Many kids take their medication in the morning and then do not feel hungry all day. Their bodies, lacking the nutrients and fuel they need, go into “starvation” mode. In the evening, the medication wears off, the kids are extremely hungry, and they binge. Their brains tell their bodies: “Better eat up. This might be the only chance you’re going to get.” Often, they over-consume, go to bed, and start the cycle the next day. In this way, lack of appetite can cause weight gain.
Other kids just never get hungry. They do not feel like eating, and parents might see a precipitous – and scary – drop in weight." from - http://www.impactadhd.com/organize-your-life-and-family/adhd-kid-wont-eat-its-all-about-handling-appetites/
Notice the first part talks about the binge eating. Thats why you do it and it is very common - and also fixable.
First way is to adjust your meds. How long are they lasting? You didn't say what med you are using. but Vyvanse should last about 10 hours and Concerta about 8 hours. Much longer and the med dose is too high and needs to be cut down. You might want to talk to your doc about that.
The second thing is to take your meds after breakfast and get a good high protein breakfast (it will also allow your meds to work better).
The third thing is to snack during the day. High protein trail mix bars that you just nibble on are great for that.
And, of course, your dinners need to be a healthy dinner. You can binge all you want (to some extent) if its healthy food.
Here on two very good links on appetite and weight loss. While its aimed at parents for kids - the food suggestions and tips are very good. They are:
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/10240.html?utm_source=eletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=March
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/3295.html
It used to be that doctors thought that a vacation from meds could be a good thing. Most of the current thinking today is that it really is better to continue your meds full time. I can dig up links with that info if you wish. But going back on your meds during the weekend would take care of that part of the problem.
So yes, your meds are certainly making your appetite crazy. You can deal with that. I do worry about your weight concerns though. Hopefully, its because you didn't/don't understand why you are eating the way you do.
Exercising, is great. It will help both your ADD and any weight problems you might have.
Oh, by the way, my wife who is a health teacher wanted me to remind you that while tracking carbs, etc. is good. Its what the carbs are that is more important! Eating healthy is really important. Especially, in your situation.
I hope this helps. Please free to ask for more info if you need it or if you have any other questions about ADD, etc. Let us know how things go. Good Luck!
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