No matter how you spell it, Megase (megestrol acetate) is really making an impact this week, so I looked up some information on how/why it works. Here is what I already knew going into my research:
- It’s often prescribed to anorexia, cancer, and AIDS patients who have a severe loss of appetite.
- Whenever I take it, it’s not that I become hungrier, my brain doesn’t receive the signal to stop eating.
Going along perfectly with one of my most popular articles: Eating With Cystic Fibrosis: Itโs a Full-time Job, this is just another attempt at creating a caloric income greater than caloric outgo. This week, I’ve decided to try to take it as prescribed on the bottle instead of just as a little booster for meals to make sure I eat “enough.” Let’s see if I can express the results of said action accurately.”
“Oh my!”
I’ve been eating to the point where I actually have to lay down because sitting up is uncomfortable. My weight is back up over 120 at all times of the day, and it almost seems like I’m thinking about food more. Maybe it does have an appetite thing that I wasn’t getting the effects of when just taking a bit at a time for a certain meal.
I’m prescribed 20mL per day I take a cereal spoonful about 4-5 times per day and would hate to think what a full 20mL would do… so I guess I’m not quite hitting the prescribed amount. So I’ll tell you what I’m going to do: use my 5mL syringes and give myself 4 doses per day and see what happens.
On to my research
This is where it gets freaky. I keep finding sites saying that they don’t know exactly how it works – it just does! “The precise mechanism by which megestrol acetate produces effects in anorexia and cachexia is unknown at the present time.” In a 12 week trial of anorexia patients, 89% reported an increased appetite and a mean weight gain of 7.8 lbs. In a 12 week trial of HIV patients, 67% reported greater appetite, but gained an average of 11.2 lbs.
That’s all I need to know. I’m staying on it.
Glad you've found something that works; wish it'd been available 20 years ago!
Glad you've found something that works; wish it'd been available 20 years ago!
Just an FYI: a teaspoon (or cereal spoon, as you called it) is 5 mL. So if you were doing 4-5 of these per day, you were doing 20-25 mL per day. ๐
By the way, I’ve been on Megace for about a year-and-a-half and LOVE it. I was about 40 pounds underweight and Megace was the only thing that gave me the appetite needed to gain weight (and gain without having to drink Scandishake, Boost, Ensure, or other supplements…I ate REAL food!). I take 20 mL (800 mg) per day.
How long did it take for you to start seeing results? We are at week 3 and holding steady in weight. No gains. No change in appetite. Trying not to be discouraged!
Gains are up to how much food goes in. As for response time, I take it about 15-45 min before eating and I don’t get full.
I haven’t seen great gains in appetite, although he has been asking for a snack more often and it’s a snickers bar, at that. Completely out of the ordinary! So a bit encouraging!
I’m sure they prescribe differently to adults than youth, but they have it written to just take 120mg once a day. I suppose taking it just before a meal makes better sense, so we will approach that subject at clinic in a couple of days.
But, the incredible part?! Left last tune-up 5 weeks ago and weighed in at 59lbs. Finally broke the elusive 60lb mark four days ago. Tonight….63lbs!!! And I thought 60 was impressive! And this is in the midst of a new cough (the early pollen may be the culprit). Usually when he gets to coughing and subsequently sick the first thing to go is weight/appetite. So, encouraged is an understatement and really hope that this sticks!!
Happy to have cheeks to nibble again!!!
Hi, just wondering how the megace is going? Have you noticed any side effects with it? I am underweight with no appetite and am doing some research for myself.
Thanks
This is a really old post. Search the site for the term for all the more recent posts and side-effects.
Yes it works but the side effects are horrible. The weight goes away when you stop taking it. And theres a big chance of getting dvt because its a steroid