Appetite stimulants

Therapeutic Function Antipruritic, Antihlstaminic, Appetite stimulant Chemical Name 4-(5H-dibenzo[a,d] cvclohepten-5-vlidene)-1-methylpiperidine Common Name —... 

Appetite-stimulating. Neuropeptide modulators and gut hormones with orexigenic effects are neuropeptide Y (NPY), agouti-related protein (AGRP), melaninconcentrating hormone (MCH), endocannabinoids, galanin, ghrelin and others. 

ATC A12AX A14B AllJC Use appetite stimulant, antiarrhythmic,... 

Standardised preparations of cannabinoid agonists are available for therapeutic use in some countries [238]. Dronabinol (Marinol ), an oral preparation of A -THC (67), is used clinically as an appetite stimulant in AIDS patients and an antiemetic in cancer chemotherapy. A synthetic analogue of (67), nabilone (Cesamet ), (381), is also used to suppress nausea and vomiting in cancer chemotherapy. 

Fat-soluble vitamin supplementation is usually required in pancreatic insufficiency. Specially-formulated products for CF patients (ADEKs and Vitamax ) are usually sufficient to attain normal serum vitamin levels at a dose of 1 tablet daily for younger children and 2 tablets daily for teenagers and adults. Additional supplementation may be needed in uncontrolled malabsorption or for replacement of severe vitamin deficiency.5,15 Appetite stimulants such as cyproheptadine may be an option for promoting nutrition and weight gain, but efficacy has not been established. 

Regelson W, Butler JR, Schulz J, Kirk T, Peek L, Green ML and Zalis MO (1976). Delta-9-THC as an effective antidepressant An appetite stimulating agent in advanced cancer patients. In MC Braude and S Szara (eds), The Pharmacology of Marihuana (pp. 763-775). Raven Press, New York. 

A neuropeptide Y (NYP) inhibitor is also being investigated as a possible weight loss drug. NYP inhibitors block a potent chemical, neuropeptide Y, which is an appetite stimulant. 

Much debate has been waged over medicinal uses of cannabis. Several therapeutic uses have been proposed, including antiemetic, analgesic, appetite stimulant, and muscle relaxant. A synthetic cannabinoid, dronabinol (Marinol) has been marketed for clinical treatment of appetite loss, nausea, and vomiting. Although synthetic, it is identical to the main psychoactive chemical constituent of cannabis (A9-THC). 

Mattes RD, Engelman K, Shaw LM, Elsohly MA. (1994). Cannabinoids and appetite stimulation. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 49(1) 187-95. 

Nelson K, Walsh D, Deeter P, Sheehan F. (1994). A phase II study of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol for appetite stimulation in cancer-associated anorexia. J Palliative Care. 10(1) 14-18. 

The few controlled studies of pharmacotherapy for AN have largely been disappointing. No class of medication has consistently proved effective in the treatment of AN consequently, pharmacotherapy plays a relatively minor role in the routine management of the disorder. Nevertheless, a review of the medications tested for the treatment of AN is informative. Medications used in the treatment of AN include appetite stimulants, antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, trace mineral supplementation, prokinetics, and opiate antagonists. 

Appetite Stimulants. A large body of neuroscience research indicates that serotonin plays a prominent role in the modulation of appetite. Increases in serotonin availability in certain brain regions confer a sense of satiety, and decreases of serotonin are associated with hunger. Consequently, agents that block the release or action of serotonin in the brain increase appetite and should theoretically be helpful in the treatment of AN. 

Tetrahydrocannabinol (Marinol). Finally, tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive substance in marijuana, has also been used for its appetite stimulating effects. It is also ineffective in promoting weight gain in those with anorexia and has reportedly precipitated depression in a number of patients. It is also not used in the treatment of AN. 

There likely remains a role for pharmacotherapy for some AN patients during the maintenance phase of treatment. Appetite stimulants, prokinetics, and anxiolytics should be tapered and discontinued at the conclusion of the acute phase of treatment. However, early evidence suggests that continued antidepressant administration may help to sustain remission. The appropriate duration for maintenance pharmacotherapy in AN has not been well studied and remains open to debate. 

The stomach secretes a peptide known as ghrefin that increases appetite, stimulating energy intake. 

Antiemetic Appetite stimulant Antiemetic Topical antifungal... 

Appetite stimulation Treating anorexia associated with weight loss in AIDS patients. 

Absorption/Distribution - Following oral administration, dronabinol is almost completely absorbed (90% to 95%). It has an onset of action of approximately 0.5 to 1 hour and peak effect at 2 to 4 hours. Duration for psychoactive effects is 4 to 6 hours, but the appetite stimulant effect may continue for 24 hours or more after administration. 

Tolerance Following 12 days of dronabinol, tolerance to the cardiovascular and subjective effects developed at doses 210 mg/day or less. An initial tachycardia induced by dronabinol was replaced successively by normal sinus rhythm and then bradycardia. A fall in supine blood pressure, made worse by standing, was also observed initially. Within days, these effects disappeared, indicating development of tolerance. Tachyphylaxis and tolerance did not, however, appear to develop to the appetite stimulant effect. 

Other Uses in Geriatric Patient Appetite stimulation, pruritus Side Effects ... 

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