Appetite Stimulants - for Weight Gain
Many individuals that are undergoing chemotherapy suffer from a severe loss of appetite and some doctors will sometimes use medications to stimulate their appetite. Prescription Medicines that have been used as appetite stimulants include Megace® and Marinol®. Herbal medicines include Devil’s Claw, Dandelion, Megace, marijuana, and more recently Lemon Grass. Unfortunately Megace is associated with an increase in body fat. Marinol (dronabinol) is a synthetic form of a substance found in marijuana and it is sometimes used to increase appetite. AIDS activists have long urged the legalization of marijuana. It reduces nausea and stimulates the appetite. In the late 1990s, several states legalized the medical use of marijuana. See Fact Sheet 731 for more information on marijuana.
Sources: National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus Herbs)
Weight Gain – other considerations:
Treating diarrhea and opportunistic infections in the intestines helps alleviate poor nutrient absorption: There has been a lot of progress in this area. However, two parasitic infections - cryptosporidiosis and microsporidiosis - are still extremely difficult to treat. Another approach is the use of nutritional supplements like Ensure® and Advera®. These have been specifically designed to provide easy-to-absorb nutrients. They have not been carefully studied yet.
