Opioids Medication and dramatic weight gain (Morphine, poppy pod tea) and others.

[Sk1500]

Hi all,

Quick question (probably not but I'll try!!).

In the last 7 months my weight has increased dramatically including a large jump at the start.

I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on what's going on.

I changed from Codeine phosphate (120mg), 40mg Diazepam and 125mcg Levothyroxine in June or July. The Codeine stopped and was replaced with (154mg Oramorph). Around 2 or 3 months later I added Poppy Pod Tea to the mix, this has increased from 25g daily to 100-200g daily using the Stovetop espresso maker method. The Diazepam remained the same.

I have been suffering with really bad depression and anxiety over the last 15 months, which is how I managed to get the codeine switched to the Morphine and a doctors mistake meant I was put on 4x the intended amount.

Around 2-2½ years ago I weighed 100kg (220lb) 15-16 stone. I had a dramatic weight loss from October 2020-June 2021, I'd dropped to 68kg (135lb) under 10 stone. This was due to my best friends unexpected suicide, 10 year relationship break up and other things.

Since then I have probably been eating even less, 1 meal a day. My weight though has increased from last September til now to 95kg/209lb/15 stone.

My depression and anxiety have got even worse in this time, im really struggling mentally. Until a few weeks ago though I had been walking quite a lot and my eating habits haven't improved.

I went to the docs today, I had a hospital appointment for a xray on my right knee. Also in the last 4-5 months my right ankle/bottom of right leg has swollen up, hot to the touch etc. I have been to my doctors a few times about this and they did blood tests to check my heart etc.

I did find out that my Thyroid hasn't been tested since September and was 1.2 which is good.

Having blood test done in few weeks to test my Thyroid levels and also been referred back to the hospital to the Muscular-Skeletal department to check my swollen leg and back.

Partly a rant but can any of the opiates cause weight issues?

I was also on Venlafaxine from July until January. I refused any others as this is supposedly one that shouldn't cause weight gain. I don't trust any of them though and I have been on lots of different ones. I stopped taking in case this was adding to the weight issues but there hasn't been any change in the increase.

Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance

 

[whiteHot]

I cannot comment on the weight issue, but I have some suggestions with regards to depression/anxiety:

1. Get your Vitamin D levels checked and supplement if they are too low (which they probably are). This can help your mood as well your immune system in general.
2. Get some sun as often as you can.
3. Exercise (even just taking a walk is helpful)
4. Supplementing fish oil is also supposed to help, can't hurt to give it a try.
5. Meditate (even if is just for five minutes it can help)
6. Pay attention to your thoughts. If you ruminate on the same depressing or infuriating stuff all day, it will make you sick (I'm speaking from experience). If you notice that your thoughts are looping around negative things make the decision to stop. You cannot prevent the thoughts from popping up, but you can stop them from building a house in your head.

Also, can you please clarify what exactly you're prescribed (and for what reason) and what you're adding on top (and for what reason)? I'm not sure I got the full picture.

 

[negrogesic]

I am naturally a very lean/muscular person and with little interest in food (I have to force myself to eat to maintain my muscle mass) but when I was on methadone I gained something like 60 pounds of fat.

Never in my life has food tasted so good as when I was on methadone. My appetite was through the roof, and as is common with opioids, I had a particularly craving for sugar. Ice cream, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups etc. Also really enjoyed savory foods too, like pizza, steak etc.

It all disappeared when i quit methadone. I actually miss that effect sometimes it was interesting. There are also a variety of other mechanisms by which the weight gain occurs (apart from increased food intake) such as hormonal/HPTA mechanisms, changes in metabolic rates, decreased activity etc.

One time I was actually able to direct this opioid weight gain effect to my benefit (many years after quiting methadone) through the use of tianeptine. During a period of in which I was doing alot of heavy weight lifting (2 hours a day 6 days a week), I was also taking around 1.5g of tianeptine daily, which really helped me eat alot. This resulted in me becoming the largest I've ever been in terms of muscle mass, so much so that many people were convinced I was taking steroids. I would not have gotten that big if I didn't have tianeptine stimulating my appetite.

 

[Sk1500]

I am naturally a very lean/muscular person and with little interest in food (I have to force myself to eat to maintain my muscle mass) but when I was on methadone I gained something like 60 pounds of fat.

Never in my life has food tasted so good as when I was on methadone. My appetite was through the roof, and as is common with opioids, I had a particularly craving for sugar. Ice cream, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups etc. Also really enjoyed savory foods too, like pizza, steak etc.

It all disappeared when i quit methadone. I actually miss that effect sometimes it was interesting. There are also a variety of other mechanisms by which the weight gain occurs (apart from increased food intake) such as hormonal/HPTA mechanisms, changes in metabolic rates, decreased activity etc.

One time I was actually able to direct this opioid weight gain effect to my benefit (many years after quiting methadone) through the use of tianeptine. During a period of in which I was doing alot of heavy weight lifting (2 hours a day 6 days a week), I was also taking around 1.5g of tianeptine daily, which really helped me eat alot. This resulted in me becoming the largest I've ever been in terms of muscle mass, so much so that many people were convinced I was taking steroids. I would not have gotten that big if I didn't have tianeptine stimulating my appetite.

I know that when I 1st got on Morphine it did increase my sweet tooth and actually (more with pods), I'd need to eat something sweet afterwards to make the pods kick in faster!!!!

I never eat until about 7-8pm and I'll only have something small after the tea. So my daily calories can't be more than 1000 a day

 

[JTemperance]

Never in my life has food tasted so good as when I was on methadone. My appetite was through the roof, and as is common with opioids, I had a particularly craving for sugar. Ice cream, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups etc. Also really enjoyed savory foods too, like pizza, steak etc.

When I was boozing hard, I had no taste for dessert foods at all... in retrospect, I was actually a little self-righteous (or self-satisfied) about it. I'm not a big eater in general, but I liked salty junk food back then (naturally) plus sausages, cold cuts, cheese, and pickles.

After I got into heavy opiates, though, I became a totally stereotypical junkie gobbling sweets – first, day-old pastries I got free at a coffee shop, then sweetened breakfast cereal, ice cream, peanut butter cups, malted-milk balls, Oreos, chewy/sour candies, the works.

I read something from the 1800s written about opium addicts which said they turned away from meat but loved fruit and other sweet foods. So I guess it's kind of a timeless truth. Come to think of it, I started eating a ton of apples since being on opiates, too.

Crystal meth obviously takes away the appetite dramatically, but I also got the stereotypical love of sweet beverages from that – I'd never enjoyed drinking Sprite or 7-UP so much before.

 

[Sk1500]

I cannot comment on the weight issue, but I have some suggestions with regards to depression/anxiety:

1. Get your Vitamin D levels checked and supplement if they are too low (which they probably are). This can help your mood as well your immune system in general.
2. Get some sun as often as you can.
3. Exercise (even just taking a walk is helpful)
4. Supplementing fish oil is also supposed to help, can't hurt to give it a try.
5. Meditate (even if is just for five minutes it can help)
6. Pay attention to your thoughts. If you ruminate on the same depressing or infuriating stuff all day, it will make you sick (I'm speaking from experience). If you notice that your thoughts are looping around negative things make the decision to stop. You cannot prevent the thoughts from popping up, but you can stop them from building a house in your head.

Also, can you please clarify what exactly you're prescribed (and for what reason) and what you're adding on top (and for what reason)? I'm not sure I got the full picture.

I've actually had vitamin levels checked this year and although I don't have a print out, they checked all the normal stuff (apart from Thyroid, which having an underactive one I assumed was checked!!!! I spoke to receptionist and was told everything was in range.

I'm prescribed Diazepam 40mg daily for anxiety. I suffer with PTSD, GAD and have also suffered full on panic attacks where I thought I was having a heart attack.

I'm on opiates from having a severely damaged foot. I was pushed out of a window bear footed and it shattered 4 metatarsals, they had to put wire through the bone fragments to meld it back together. I was on crutches with not being allowed to put my foot down for 8 months.

I became addicted to them and after my best friend stepped in front of a train I managed to con the doctor into giving me Oramorph. He meant to give me 20ml but messed up the maths and gave me 80ml a day.

I'm really struggling mentally. As well as what I have mentioned my ex has found someone else, I have gone from seeing my son and having him stay twice weekly and seeing him 4 or 5 times a week to only seeing him once in the last month.

I have got lots of vitamins and supplements but too much to list at the moment. I'll come back later on.

Everything feels too much to handle. Things that felt overwhelming have got much much worse

 

[Sk1500]

I know that when I 1st got on Morphine it did increase my sweet tooth and actually (more with pods), I'd need to eat something sweet afterwards to make the pods kick in faster!!!!

I never eat until about 7-8pm and I'll only have something small after the tea. So my daily calories can't be more than 1000 a day

One other thing I have just thought of is that because I'm getting on average 120g of high quality pod powder into 700ml of fluid, using my recycled podspresso technique, its obviously ridiculously bitter, plus I usually use WGJ instead of lemon so I do use a lot of sugar plus usually mix in some caramel or syrup that adds to the calories

 

[Sk1500]

I cannot comment on the weight issue, but I have some suggestions with regards to depression/anxiety:

1. Get your Vitamin D levels checked and supplement if they are too low (which they probably are). This can help your mood as well your immune system in general.
2. Get some sun as often as you can.
3. Exercise (even just taking a walk is helpful)
4. Supplementing fish oil is also supposed to help, can't hurt to give it a try.
5. Meditate (even if is just for five minutes it can help)
6. Pay attention to your thoughts. If you ruminate on the same depressing or infuriating stuff all day, it will make you sick (I'm speaking from experience). If you notice that your thoughts are looping around negative things make the decision to stop. You cannot prevent the thoughts from popping up, but you can stop them from building a house in your head.

Also, can you please clarify what exactly you're prescribed (and for what reason) and what you're adding on top (and for what reason)? I'm not sure I got the full picture.

Bought loads of vitamins in the morning I'm going to take....

-125mcg Levothyroxine which I do anyway.
-Vitamin B complex
-25 IU Vit D3
-28mg iron bisglycinate
-1000mg Omega 3
-1260mg Turmeric Curcumin

Evening

-40mg Zinc

Night

-100mg Diphenhydramine
-400mg 5-HTP

The Morphine I'll take twice daily. Roughly 160mg combined so maybe 40ml around 11am and 40ml about 3ish.

Diazepam varies drastically I'm prescribed 40mg daily. I'll normally take 20-30mg daily. 5mls so 2-3 about 2pm ish and the same again about 7-9pm. I'll often end up saving up about 70mg a week. If I'm having a bad day I'll take 70-120mg

Pod powder Tea. About 7-9. Usually 100-150g

Plus I also take Cyclizine which I mainly use as a potentiator. Get 4 a day. I'll often not take for a month or 2 as tolerance builds really quickly.

Also often have 2 White grapefruits a day.
Sometimes buy DXM but rarely.

Also get Methacarbamol (Robaxin) bottle of 100 which sometines take.

Finally lol, I've got a WD box (for emergency)currently with.

-60x 600mg Red Indo Kratom capsules.
-10× 2mg boxes of Loperamide
-50× 1000mg Ashwagandha

I stopped taking the vitamins months ago in case that wasn't helping.

Occasionally have 40mg Oxys, which I'd dissolve 2-3 in glass of coke for 9-12 hours.

Think that's everything

 

[LucidSDreamr]

The more opioids I do...the less I eat. The more weight I lose.

When I quit I'm hungry 24 7 no matter how much I eat, so I eat a ton and gain weight.

 

[Jabberwocky]

The more opioids I do...the less I eat. The more weight I lose.

I am like this as well. Opioids kill my appetite (and most drugs in general).

I tend to eat more when I am sober.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Also often have 2 White grapefruits a day.

is this part of your diet or on purpose for enzyme inhibition?

take care with this especially with multiple opioid use, benzos and pod tea, potential danger even with tolerance

 

[Conky]

Grapefruit products don't really do much ime

Tried with Diazepam many times without any improvements, 20mg still didn't do much at all

 

[Sk1500]

is this part of your diet or on purpose for enzyme inhibition?

take care with this especially with multiple opioid use, benzos and pod tea, potential danger even with tolerance

Truthily yes, I'm genuinely at the stage where I have lost any hope at all and have given up caring