Realising that you might have a condition such as ADHD can feel overwhelming, and six months ago, while waiting for a diagnosis, I spent a lot of time on online forums learning about it. One subject that came up time and again was the fact that a side-effect of many ADHD drugs is loss of appetite — and weight loss. Many of the drugs, such as Vyvanse and Amfexa, are stimulants containing amphetamines (or pro-amphetamines) and are historically the sort of ‘mother’s little helpers’ that you’d associate with 1950s housewives on diets. At 16st, I’ve struggled with binge eating for as long as I can remember. I now understand that this can be part of the condition: it’s a way of getting the dopamine that your brain is missing. I have to admit that when I was given my official diagnosis, I couldn’t wait to try the drugs. I even knew the one I wanted. I hoped I would finally get my eating under control, and lose weight, like the women I’d read about in the chatrooms. ADHD has blighted my life for years, but the strangest thing is that, until this year, I had no idea. I’m 38, with two kids, aged six and two, and a lovely husband. We both work in conservation, and from the outside our lives probably appear picture-perfect. But along with my weight problems, I’ve always had desperate social anxiety and paranoia, and constant and exhausting chatter in my brain. I just thought that’s how I was made, and for a long time didn’t consider there might be ways to manage things beyond taking antidepressants when everything got a little too much. But things had started to get worse. I was struggling to get up in the morning, focus on my work or organise simple tasks. And becoming a mother had made my life even harder. I found the pressures of parenting completely overwhelming. I hated socialising with other mums, the lack of sleep and the need to be present 100 per cent of the time. My social battery just couldn’t take it — and I couldn’t handle the noise. I’d go into sensory overload and shut down, which I now understand is a very common symptom of ADHD. The house was left to its own devices, and I couldn’t find my get-up-and-go. Underpinning all of this, and adding to an increasing sense of self-loathing, was an inability to control what I ate. Looking back, I’ve always coped with stress by comfort eating. At school I was bullied for not being stick-thin, and my parents often commented on what I was eating and had cruel nicknames for me, like Teletubby. Now, I look back at pictures of myself and I was a perfectly healthy weight, but I didn’t see that then, as I always had others’ opinions governing my thoughts. That negativity has played a massive part in my relationship with food. Every time I had a biscuit, I’d think there’s no point even trying because I’m never going to lose weight. Whenever I looked in the mirror, I’d think how hideous I was. I was convinced that everyone was talking about me, the fat mum. I’ve weighed around 16st ever since the kids were born, and I’m only 5ft 2in — so I’m a wide little thing. When I read that there’s a connection between obesity and ADHD, and that the drugs might help, it gave me real hope. I finally realised I have ADHD, and got a diagnosis, after we decided to investigate our six-year-old son. We’d noticed his quirks from a very young age — just little things that would make us wonder, ‘Is this normal?’. He needed constant attention and cried a lot, and he had terrible trouble with potty training. Eventually, just before his fifth birthday, we got a diagnosis of autism and ADHD. It was throughout those months of tests that I came to realise I also had many ADHD traits. I got my diagnosis via the Right to Choose scheme, where you download a form and ask your GP for a referral. I was seen and diagnosed within six months. I did a trial on the first type of meds, Xaggitin XL (the main ingredient is methylphenidate), but it didn’t work for me at all. Having read about the weight loss that came with certain medications, I was thrilled to be put on a drug called Vyvanse, which contains lisdexamfetamine. While it’s not licensed in the UK for this use, it has FDA approval in the U.S. for binge eating disorder. The drug works by increasing the body’s dopamine levels so you don’t seek to boost them via food — and almost immediately my cravings for junk food vanished. I’d log onto work and suddenly it was lunchtime, but I hadn’t even stopped for breakfast. I simply didn’t feel hungry. It’s been both amazing and liberating. I’ve lost two stones since January. What’s more, I’m finding that I’m making healthier eating choices, so instead of loading my toast with Nutella at breakfast, I’ll top it with avocado or hummus. I enjoy my food more, and I don’t feel the need to eat until I feel as though I’m going to burst. For the first time in my life, I can eat till I’m satisfied — and stop. To critics who might suggest that celebrating this happy weight loss side effect is a trivialisation of ADHD, I’d say they are completely wrong. There’s a great deal of self-loathing tied up in overeating, especially as it’s something you simply can’t control. Plus, there’s the long-term health impacts of carrying excess weight. I might joke about my miracle ADHD weight loss drugs, but for me they have been a vital part of regaining my quality of life. I’m so very grateful that I’ve been given this chance. 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 per cent of adults with ADHD are more likely to be overweight or have obesity than those without (for the UK population overall, it’s 63.8 per cent). Treatment can be therapy or medicine, ideally both. The group of medicines 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 the parts of the brain that are underactive by blocking two chemicals, noradrenaline and dopamine, that carry messages between nerve cells, so that levels of these stay higher. Side effects include weight loss, or struggling to gain weight, but also trouble sleeping, headaches, stomach aches, depression and anxiety. Remember these are prescription drugs. Only take them as recommended by your doctor.
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