With each passing day, the site of insertion of the Spinal Cord Stimulator is becoming less and less bothersome. At this rate, in a week or so, I should be as good as new. Have a checkup in Fort Worth this Friday. During this visit, I’m certain they will look at the area on my back, ask if I have any questions, and send us on our way—no big deal.
When we visited my dialysis nurse to unplug my stopped-up catheter, which I previously reported on, she suggested getting our GP to issue a script for meds to increase my appetite. I was at a routine dental appointment yesterday and took the opportunity to go a couple of blocks up the street to our GP’s office, where I requested a call from him to discuss getting prescribed such a med. He is scheduled to call me at 4:40 PM on 9/22. We’ll see what he comes up with. This suggestion is because the IPN is NOT increasing my albumin, while a significant cost and inconvenience to us.
I quizzed Perplexity about such appetite-increasing drugs and received the following information:
Here is a table listing the most common drugs prescribed or used to increase appetite, ordered roughly by how widely they are used or recommended as of 2025:goodrx+7
Common Appetite Stimulant Drugs
| Drug/Brand Name | Drug Class | Typical Use/Indication | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Megestrol acetate (Megace) | Progestin hormone | Cancer, AIDS cachexia, and seniors | FDA-approved; strong efficacygoodrx+4 |
| Dronabinol (Marinol) | Cannabinoid | AIDS, cancer wasting | FDA-approved; synthetic THCgoodrx+4 |
| Mirtazapine (Remeron) | Antidepressant | Depression, off-label for appetite loss | Increases appetite/weight, often off-labelbuzzrx+3 |
| Cyproheptadine (Periactin) | Antihistamine | Allergy, off-label for appetite | Pediatric use common, prescription neededbuzzrx+3 |
| Oxandrolone (Oxandrin) | Anabolic steroid | Severe trauma, infection, cachexia | FDA-withdrawn in US, available elsewhere goodrx+2 |
| Corticosteroids (prednisone, dexamethasone) | Steroid hormone | Cancer, appetite loss | Off-label, increases appetite but with side effectsgoodrx+2 |
| Antipsychotics (olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone) | Antipsychotic | Psychosis, bipolar, depression, off-label for appetite loss | Strong side effect of weight gain & increased appetitegoodrx+2 |
- Megestrol acetate and dronabinol are the only appetite stimulant drugs approved by the FDA, especially for severe disease-related appetite loss.healthline+2
- Mirtazapine is increasingly used off-label because it reliably increases appetite and weight.buzzrx+2
- Cyproheptadine is often used for children/adolescents with appetite loss.droracle+2
- Oxandrolone is now uncommon in the US due to safety issues, but is still used elsewhere.goodrx+1
- Corticosteroids and most antipsychotics commonly cause increased appetite as a side effect, which is sometimes exploited clinically, but significant side effects may limit long-term use.webmd+2
- Appetite stimulants are primarily prescribed for disease-related appetite loss (cancer, HIV/AIDS, or cachexia) rather than general weight gain.
This table provides an up-to-date, ranked overview for clinicians and patients interested in medically supported appetite increase.rxlist+7
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