Realizing that you can have a condition like ADHD can be overwhelming, and six months ago, while waiting for a diagnosis, I spent a lot of time on online forums learning about it.
One topic that came up time and time again was the fact that a side effect of many ADHD medications is loss of appetite and weight.
Many of the drugs, such as Vyvanse and Amfexa, are stimulants containing amphetamines (or pro-amphetamines) and historically are the type of “mother’s little helpers” that one would associate with dieting housewives of the 1950s.
At 16 years old, I have struggled with binge eating for as long as I can remember. I now understand that this may be part of the condition: it is a way of getting the dopamine the brain is missing.
I have to admit that when I got my official diagnosis, I couldn’t wait to try the medications. I even knew which one I wanted. I hoped to finally take control of my eating and lose weight, like the women I had read about in chat rooms.
The anonymous author says she was delighted to be prescribed a medication called Vyvanse, which works by increasing the body’s dopamine levels so it doesn’t seek to increase them through food.
ADHD has ruined my life for years, but the strangest thing is, until this year, I had no idea. I am 38 years old, have two children aged six and two and a lovely husband. We both work in conservation and, from the outside, our lives probably look perfect.
But along with my weight issues, I’ve always had paranoia and desperate social anxiety, and a constant, exhausting chatter in my brain.
I just thought that was how I was made and for a long time I didn’t consider that there might be ways to handle things beyond taking antidepressants when it all became too much.
But things had started to get worse. I had trouble getting up in the morning, concentrating on my work, or organizing simple tasks. And becoming a mother made my life even more difficult. I found the pressures of parenthood completely overwhelming.
I hated socializing with other moms, the lack of sleep, and the need to be present 100 percent of the time.
My social drummer just couldn’t handle it and I couldn’t handle the noise. I would go into sensory overload and shut down, which I now understand is a very common symptom of ADHD. The house was left to its fate and I couldn’t find my way to get up and leave.
Underpinning all of this, and adding to a growing sense of self-loathing, was an inability to control what I ate.
Looking back, I have always coped with stress by comfort eating. I was bullied at school for not being skinny, and my parents often commented on what I ate and gave me cruel nicknames, like Teletubby.
Now, I look at photos of myself and see that I was a perfectly healthy weight, but I didn’t see it then, as I always had the opinions of others ruling my thoughts.
That negativity has played a huge role in my relationship with food. Every time I ate a cookie, I thought there was no point in trying because I’m never going to lose weight.
Every time I looked in the mirror, I thought how horrible I was. I was convinced that everyone was talking about me, the fat mom.
I’ve weighed about 16 since the kids were born and I’m only 5ft 2in, so I’m a broad little thing.
When I read that there is a connection between obesity and ADHD, and that medication could help, it gave me real hope.
I finally realized I had ADHD and got a diagnosis after we decided to investigate our six-year-old son. We had noticed quirks about him from a very early age, little things that made us wonder, “Is this normal?”
He needed constant attention, cried a lot, and had terrible problems potty training.
Finally, just before his fifth birthday, we received a diagnosis of autism and ADHD.
It was throughout those months of testing that I realized that I too had many ADHD traits.
I got my diagnosis through the Right to Choose program, where you download a form and ask your primary doctor for a referral. I was treated and diagnosed within six months.
I tried the first type of medication, Xaggitin XL (the main ingredient is methylphenidate), but it didn’t work at all.
After reading about the weight loss that comes with certain medications, I was excited to be prescribed a medication called Vyvanse, which contains lisdexamfetamine. While it is not licensed in the UK for this use, it is FDA approved in the US for binge eating disorder.
The medication works by increasing the body’s dopamine levels so you don’t seek to increase them through food, and almost immediately my junk food cravings disappeared.
I would go into work and suddenly it was lunchtime, but I hadn’t even stopped for breakfast. I just didn’t feel hungry.
It has been surprising and liberating. I have lost two stone since January. What’s more, I’m finding that I’m making healthier food choices, so instead of loading my toast with Nutella for breakfast, I top it with avocado or hummus.
I enjoy my food more and don’t feel the need to eat until I feel like I’m going to burst. For the first time in my life, I can eat until I’m satisfied and stop.
To critics who might suggest that celebrating this happy side effect of weight loss is a trivialization of ADHD, I would say that they are dead wrong.
There is a lot of self-loathing associated with overeating, especially since it’s something you simply can’t control. Additionally, there are long-term health effects of being overweight.
I might joke about my miracle weight loss medications for ADHD, but for me they have been a vital part of regaining my quality of life. I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity.
How stimulant drugs cause weight loss
Thorrun Govind, pharmacist and TV health expert, explains: We know that ADHD creates problems with attention span, short-term memory and self-regulation, which can extend to food intake.
A 2019 study showed that 70 percent of adults with ADHD are more likely to be overweight or obese than those without (for the general UK population, it’s 63.8 percent).
Treatment can be therapy or medications, ideally both. The group of medications used are stimulants, and there are three main ones, containing methylphenidate (the most common), lisdexamfetamine or dexamfetamine as the active ingredient (brand names include Xaggitin, Ritalin, Concerta XL, Elvanse, Vyvanse).
These impact underactive parts of the brain by blocking two chemicals, norepinephrine and dopamine, that carry messages between nerve cells, so their levels remain higher.
Side effects include weight loss or difficulty gaining weight, but also sleep problems, headaches, stomach pains, depression and anxiety.
Remember that these are prescription medications. Take them only as recommended by your doctor.
