How to Actually Nourish Yourself If Your Medication Is Killing Your Appetite
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The only thing worse than being sick—whether you came down with a snotty sinus infection or you’re dealing with a chronic illness—is when your genuinely helpful medication turns your palate into a no-fly zone. Your favorite foods may taste gross or your appetite just disappears altogether.
Why do some drugs do this? Well, some may mess with the hormones that tell your brain you’re hungry or full, while others can zap your energy, alter your sense of smell and taste, or make you so nauseated that just thinking about food can make you feel like you’re going to hurl. It can happen with meds used to treat a lot of different conditions, like mood disorders, high blood pressure, cancer, and even ADHD. In the short term, it can make you feel drained and depressed. Long term, you might lose bone or muscle mass as your body tries to mooch energy off of whatever is nearby.
This whole ordeal can get even more messy if your “body is probably already in some kind of depletion, and [you're] needing that extra nutrition to heal,” Lauren Garcia, RDN, a registered dietitian with Courage to Nourish in College Park, Maryland, tells SELF. “We really run the risk of malnutrition, and it can happen pretty quickly.”
Whether you’re taking medications temporarily or for the long run, here are some practical ways to get your appetite back on track so you feel better, have more energy, and actually enjoy a meal for once.
1. Eat what you want when you want it.
Don’t let conventional standards about what is appropriate to eat or when stop you from snacking on the foods you can actually stomach. The only thing that matters is that you eat—period. If that looks like pizza for breakfast or pancakes for dinner, fine.
Consuming the “perfect” meal at the “perfect” time “is just not a reality for people who are really struggling with poor appetite,” Maude Morin, BSN, RD, a registered dietitian with JM Nutrition in Canada, tells SELF. “Sometimes that means we have to take a little bit of a break from the most ideal nutrition in order to meet our intake needs through whatever means are most realistic for us at that time.” Garcia agrees with this thinking. When you’re just never in the mood for food, you really have to take advantage of the tiny window in time when you are. “We have a lot of norms around when it’s acceptable to eat certain foods,” she says, but it’s truly okay to eat what you want when you want it.
That comes with one caveat: Try to choose foods that won’t make your condition or symptoms worse. For example, if you’re taking the type 2 diabetes drug metformin—a notorious appetite killer—you might turn to refined carbohydrates, which are often delicious and easy to eat. However, these types of carbs, like white bread, high-sugar drinks, and baked goods, may make your medicine less effective or cause your blood glucose levels to spike. A registered dietitian can help you figure out if there really are certain types of food you need to limit for health reasons (more on this later).
2. Set a schedule.
This might sound a bit counterintuitive to what we just said, but if you know you have to take your appetite-destroying medication for a while, scheduling your meals could ensure you actually remember to eat, Morin says—because if you wait until that desire for food kicks in, you may not consume enough calories.
That doesn’t mean you have to stick to a traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner arrangement, she notes. Study how your appetite or hunger cues fluctuate throughout the day and over the course of about a week. If you notice your appetite is most active in the mornings, lean into that craving and schedule your biggest meal then, Morin says. Or maybe you have a hard time tolerating heavier meals, so you can plan to munch on smaller snacks throughout the day.
3. Try nutrient-dense smoothies, drinks, or soups.
If you just can’t bring yourself to eat solid food, consider whipping up a smoothie, a hearty bowl of soup, or other foods that slide down easy. Morin says it can help you feel full faster and longer and “pack a punch of calories for a small volume.” She suggests adding some olive oil or cream to your soups for healthy fats, and tossing nut butter or spinach in your smoothies for protein and vitamins.
If the foods you can stomach aren’t necessarily all-stars in the nutrition department or you’re trying to get more variety, you can try mixing nutritious options with your palatable foods, Morin says, like sprinkling fruit over yogurt (or ice cream!). You can also buy pre-made protein shakes or nutritional supplement drinks like Boost and Ensure if they go down easier and you want to save energy by skipping the food prep step.
And don’t sleep on a bowl of creamy mashed potatoes! Spuds are high in vitamin C and potassium and are considered a "complete protein," which means they contain all nine essential amino acids that your body can’t produce on its own. (If you make it a sweet potato, you get some vitamin A too.) So in addition to being fairly cheap and easy to prepare, they can do a lot for you nutritionally.
4. Opt for cold or room temperature foods.
Sometimes your medication-induced nausea can make your mouth water in that I’m about to barf kind of way. In this case, a big ol’ plate of warm steak and mashed potatoes that’s wafting strong notes of butter and garlic may only lessen the odds you eat anything. So instead, go for cold or room-temperature foods, Garcia recommends, because they’re less likely to have potent smells that might turn you off.
Cheese and veggies like carrots or celery sticks are solid options that are easy to pick at with your hands, don’t need to be prepared, and offer a nice boost of protein, calcium, and vitamins, Garcia says. Dry cereal is another good option because it tends to be fortified with the nutrients you need and won’t force any unwanted scents up your nose.
5. Drink fluids throughout the day—but not too much.
Hydration is always key to staying healthy and just feeling good overall, but if you’re dealing with a funky appetite, you’ll want to be extra mindful about drinking enough water—just don’t overdo it. That’s because dehydration can shrivel your appetite even more, but drinking too much all at once or too close to mealtimes stretches the walls of your stomach, which sends “I’m full” messages to your brain, Morin says. So maybe take a few days to log your water intake and reflect on how it’s affecting your appetite; you might be able to pick up on patterns that can help boost your desire to get some food in your system. You can also try snacking on hydrating foods like watermelon as opposed to things like salty chips, which may prompt you to quench your thirst a little too rapidly.
6. Make mealtimes enjoyable.
Family dinners and brunch with your friends should stay on the menu, even if you can’t bring the appetite you once had. In fact, more (hopefully fun!) social gatherings that are centered around food might give your appetite a boost, Morin says. Research shows that people who eat with others tend to consume more compared to when they’re dining alone because you’re more likely to share food or feel more relaxed and joyful in these scenarios. That said, it can be a little awkward to stare at others chomping on their meal without doing the same. So maybe start with at least one social meal a week, Morin suggests, and see what it does to your food intake.
You can also try ramping up the solo experience so that you can still enjoy your mealtimes if you can’t or simply don’t want any company around. Get the vibe going by playing some relaxing music as you prep your food, or brighten up the table with candlelight when you’re ready to dine, Morin says: Creating “a really pleasant environment when you’re already dealing with a lot of discomfort can help you eat a little bit more.” In the meantime, explore your adventurous side and try new foods, Garcia says. You just might discover a new ingredient or meal that gives your tastebuds the excitement they’ve been craving.
7. Work with a registered dietitian.
When your appetite is MIA, it’s a good idea to check in with the doctor that prescribed your medication—and then consider adding a registered dietitian (RD) to your medical team to help figure out what the heck you should be eating. That’s because some foods, no matter how nutritious they are, can make your meds less effective or cause some wonky side effects. Mixing spinach or kale with blood thinners, for example, may not be the best idea. The high vitamin K levels in these types of veggies can make the drugs less efficient at preventing blood clots.
A lot of times, too, you may think you’re eating enough or even too much food, but you really aren’t fueling your body with the nutrients it needs. “It can be super helpful to talk to someone who can look at your preferences,” Morin says, “and help you come up with a plan for how much to eat each day.” You can search for an RD on this database that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers, which allows you to filter results based on your preferred payment method, language, and visit option (in-person or virtually).
If your low appetite is still getting the best of you even after you tried applying some of these tips to your daily routine, don’t fret. There are appetite stimulant and anti-nausea medications you can try that could be the fix you need as you continue to explore these options. “Sometimes these solutions need to be individualized,” Morin says. But “it’s really important to relearn to eat for the new reality of your life.”
Related:
What to Do If Your Chronic Illness Is Taking a Toll on Your Mental Health
How to Make New Friends as an Adult When You Have a Chronic Illness
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Originally Appeared on SELF
