Can mirtazapine make you hungry? (7 healthy ways to suppress hunger) 

In this blog post, we are going to answer the question, “Can mirtazapine make you hungry?”. Mirtazapine is an antidepressant which is used to treat a variety of mental health conditions. 

However, this medicine is associated with a number of side effects including increased appetite or hunger. This blog will cover why mirtazapine acts this way and what could be done to help relieve this problem. 

Can mirtazapine make you hungry?

Yes, mirtazapine can make you hungry. This antidepressant actively boosts your appetite and this is exactly why it is associated with excessive weight gain. 

It is considered a good medication for people suffering from clinical hunger suppression, but it can cause complications in people who are absolutely normal and have no eating disorder. 

Several studies suggest that mirtazapine can show promising results to boost appetite in people taking chemotherapeutic drugs. Such drugs can cause a number of side effects, including loss of appetite. This makes cancer patients even more weak and sick. 

Mirtazapine can boost appetite in such patients and can make them take in calories more efficiently. This antidepressant can also help make depression induced hunger suppression better. 

Such people also experience a calorie deficit and their bodies do not get the proper amount of nutrients which are necessary for normal growth and energy. 

Malnutrition is one of the most common causes of body weakness and a weak body can not possibly fight against the opportunistic pathogens. This is exactly why such people get sick more often. However, this effect of mirtazapine is a blessing for some people, and a curse for others. 

Normal people taking mirtazapine get devastated when they start eating more than they should. They suffer from constant cravings and no matter how much they eat, they still feel like eating more. This leads to weight gain and excessive fat storage in their body. 

This can result in non-compliance, because uncontrollable weight gain can significantly mess up your confidence. It is a known fact that when you look good, you feel good. When people suffer from this insatiable hunger, they think of mirtazapine withdrawal. 

Some people actually do so and that’s where things start to get worse. As you probably know already, mirtazapine is an antidepressant which increases the amount of active serotonin in your body. 

When you suddenly stop taking this medication, your serotonin receptors literally go crazy. They start craving the amount of serotonin they were receiving while being on mirtazapine and that’s how the entire process of withdrawal syndrome begins. 

Make sure you immediately talk to your healthcare provider if you feel uncontrollable hunger while being on mirtazapine. Do not stop this medication abruptly. Abrupt withdrawal of mirtazapine can lead to the following symptoms:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Abdominal pain
• Nightmares
• Excessive dizziness
• Confusion
• Delirium
• Emotional stress
• Impaired motor coordination
• Intrusive thoughts

These symptoms may vary from person to person, depending on the dose. This is why it is recommended to never stop your mirtazapine abruptly because these withdrawal symptoms may become much worse than the side effects your antidepressant was giving you. 

How to suppress mirtazapine-induced uncontrollable hunger? 

There are a few ways that can help you suppress your mirtazapine-induced uncontrollable hunger. These include:

• Add healthy fats and protein to your diet 
• Increase the intake of fibre 
• Drink plenty of water before your meals
• Whenever you crave something sweet, go for dark chocolate 
• Know when to stop
• Do not give in to emotional eating 
• Control your stress levels

Add healthy fats and protein to your diet 

One of the most common ways to keep your uncontrollable hunger at bay is to increase more protein and healthy fat intake. The most common sources include:

• Lentils
• Quinoa 
• Nut
• Fish
• Chickpeas 
• Green peas
• Cottage cheese 
• Tofu
• Almond
• Poultry
• Beef
• Soy protein 
• Chia seeds
• Milk 
• Legumes 
• Beans
• Peanuts

These foods can help increase the amount of healthy fats and protein in your body and can actually satisfy your hunger. They can also make you feel full for a longer period of time, as compared to carbohydrates because they get digested way earlier than fats and proteins. 

These foods can also help boost your metabolism and you will start burning more calories as fuel for energy, rather than being stored in your body as fat. 

Increase the intake of fibre 

Fibre is considered very beneficial for promoting good digestive health. It can also help control constipation and stimulates the process of egestion. There are plenty of fruits and vegetables which are excellent sources of fibre. These include:

• Apples
• Bananas
• Spinach
• Kale
• Celery
• Cucumbers
• Plums
• Prunes
• Seeds
• Lentils
• Peas
• Pulses

There are plenty of fibre supplements also available. Several research studies suggest that the intake of fibre with some lukewarm water before meals can help make you feel full, suppress your appetite and can remove excess cholesterol from your body. It’s a win-win situation, isn’t it? 

Drink plenty of water before your meals

It is advised to drink water before meals. Many people drink water with meals and many drink after meals. However, drinking water after your meals is actually not beneficial for you. It can hinder the process of digestion and can cause abdominal pain. 

However, drinking water before your meals can help you eat less and make you feel full. This can result in less calorie intake and hence, lesser weight gain on mirtazapine. 

Whenever you crave something sweet, go for dark chocolate 

Dark chocolate is considered the healthiest kind of chocolate. It not only contains way less calories as compared to milk chocolate, but it can also suppress your appetite. 

Several studies suggest that dark chocolate is an excellent source of antioxidants and it is actually beneficial for your health. You can even take it everyday after dinner. 

However, there is a reason why they say ‘excess of everything is bad’. If you continue to consume large amounts of dark chocolate then you will definitely gain weight. 

Know when to stop

The most important thing when it comes to suppressing your appetite is knowing when to stop. Your stomach is like a pouch that stores the food you eat. It has a tendency of getting stretched. 

This is exactly why if you continue to eat more and more, there will come a time when your stomach will just stretch up and will increase its capacity. 

Even when you try to eat less, you will still feel hungry because your stomach has now doubled in size and it needs way more food to get filled up completely. In order to prevent such an upsetting condition, know when to stop. 

In medication induced hunger, people continue to eat even after they feel full. The medication makes your brain play tricks on your body. When you have eaten a certain amount of food, know that it was enough for your body. 

Any more food intake will just be extra and it will all get stored as fat. Slowly reduce your portion size. If your stomach can become habitual of eating more, what makes you think you can’t take it back to a lesser quantity of food? 

You can. You can make your body adapt to anything. That’s the beauty of the human body, it can become used to absolutely anything you make it do repeatedly. 

Do not give in to emotional eating

People tend to overeat when they get upset or emotional. It is a known fact and mirtazapine can enhance this effect in your body. Make sure you keep some healthy alternatives, like keto desserts and healthy meals. 

This way you can eat when you get emotional, without harming your body, but as stated earlier, you can make your body adapt to anything. The first few days would be difficult, but eventually your emotional cravings will start to go away, for good. 

Control your stress levels

Stress can play a great role in messing up your appetite. Studies suggest that cortisol, which is also known as ‘The stress hormone’, can be a cause of belly fat in people who have high stress levels. 

It is also known to increase appetite and sugar cravings. Make sure you manage your stress levels. Some methods of managing stress include:

• Yoga
• Tai chi
• Meditation 
• Relaxing techniques
• Walking or engaging in your favourite activities. 

Conclusion 

In this blog post, we have discussed mirtazapine induced excessive hunger. This antidepressant actively boosts your appetite and this is exactly why it is associated with excessive weight gain. 

It is considered a good medication for people suffering from clinical hunger suppression, but it can cause complications in people who are absolutely normal and have no eating disorder. 

We have discussed some healthy ways to suppress your excessive hunger. Make sure you talk to your healthcare provider about your side effects. Do not stop mirtazapine abruptly. 

FAQs: mirtazapine hunger 

Does mirtazapine cause hunger?

Yes, mirtazapine can make you hungry. This antidepressant actively boosts your appetite and this is exactly why it is associated with excessive weight gain. It is considered a good medication for people suffering from clinical hunger suppression, but it can cause complications in people who are absolutely normal and have no eating disorder. 

Does mirtazapine hunger go away?

Mirtazapine induced hunger may go away within a few weeks as your body adjusts to this medication. However, it can vary from person to person. Some people may take longer to come back to their normal appetite. Mirtazapine can also make you gain weight. 

How long does it take for mirtazapine to increase appetite?

Mirtazapine can take up to 2-4 weeks to boost your appetite. However, this time duration can vary from person to person. Some people may feel a difference in their appetite earlier than the others. Make sure you reach out to your healthcare provider if you exhibit any sign of an allergic reaction or any unusual side effect. 

How fast do you gain weight on mirtazapine?

The time taken by mirtazapine to make you gain weight depends on a lot of factors. In some people, only 30 mg of mirtazapine can cause weight gain of about 2-4 kgs in less than 2 weeks. Make sure you report to your healthcare provider if you experience any unexplained or rapid weight gain.

Does everybody gain weight on mirtazapine?

No, not everyone gains weight on mirtazapine. Every human body is different. Just like every human being reacts differently to different situations, similarly every human body reacts differently when they are exposed to medications. 

If the medication increases your appetite and you eat more, you’ll gain weight. For some people it decreases their appetite and they lose. It’s not the medication itself, it’s how your body reacts to it. 

If you continue to eat as you were before taking the meds, your weight might not change at all. 

References 

• Johannes M. Hennings, Sarah Heel, and Stefan Kloiber – Effect of mirtazapine on metabolism and energy substrate partitioning in healthy men https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6485362/
• Meredith L Howard et al. Ann Pharmacother. (2019) – Efficacy and Safety of Appetite-Stimulating Medications in the Inpatient Setting https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30229678/
• Faruk Uguz, Mine Sahingoz, Buket Gungor, Fadime Aksoy, Rustem Askin – Weight gain and associated factors in patients using newer antidepressant drugs https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25467076/
• Antidepressant utilisation and incidence of weight gain during 10 years’ follow-up: population based cohort study (2018) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5964332/
• Markus Laimer et al. J Clin Psychiatry. (2006) – Effect of mirtazapine treatment on body composition and metabolism https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16649829/