Ritalin and Hunger?!?!?

[daisyo75]

Ok, I don't know for sure that this is related to Ritalin. Today is my second day. I'm on a low dose of 10mg 2x/day.

Today and yesterday I have been starving and can't seem to get enough to eat. I have not been gorging myself but I have not eaten any less than I normally do. I expected the oposite effect and had prepared myself to have to make myself eat.

Is it possible that the Ritalin is the culprit? I have made an effort today to have less carbs and more protein but since I live in a Carb rich environment Thats easier said than done.

Or a little crazier theory. Is it possible that I am just NOTICING that I am hungry instead of ignoring it like I normally do?

Not sure what to think. I am feeling some ups and downs that don't really make it seem worthwhile. It's regular Ritalin so it doesn't last all that long. I'm going to try to give it some time to even out.

Just wondering if I am crazy or not.

[KMiller]

It's possible that the Ritalin is simply not causing you to lose appetite (it doesn't always), and you think you are hungrier than normal because you had planned to lose your appetite.

[daisyo75]

Good point Keith. I may have convinced myself that I would not be hungry.

[paulbf]

The adrenaline/speed part of ritalin suppresses appetite but the dopamine part makes you enjoy hedonist pleasure more. I think it's the latter that's letting you feel the pleasure in food. THe good part is that maybe you'll have enough energy to exercise off all those carbs! At least that was my discovery with my meds. It seems the boredom comes from not enough hedonic pleasure in life & therefore everything is not satisfying but the meds seem to give things more reward/pleasure so that it's worth staying with it. This seems contradictory because I'm generally not adverse to pleasure and crave anything (like food) that can give that reward. I've decided that this was more of a reaction to pleasure starvation than indulgence. In that light, my recommendation is to enjoy good food but try to eat more slowly & savor each bite. I think you will have better patience for that with the meds also.

[cracell]

I've always loved food, when I first started ritalin I was told I would'nt be hungry while on it, worked for the first 3 days or so, then gone

I am on 20mg SR Ritalin (probaly changing soon to a stronger dose)