appetite stimulant

{{short description|Substance that increases appetite}}

An orexigenic, or appetite stimulant, is a drug, hormone, or compound that increases appetite and may induce hyperphagia. This can be a medication or a naturally occurring neuropeptide hormone, such as ghrelin, orexin or neuropeptide Y,{{cite journal |vauthors=Diepvens K, Häberer D, Westerterp-Plantenga M | date = Mar 2008 | title = Different proteins and biopeptides differently affect satiety and anorexigenic/orexigenic hormones in healthy humans | journal = Int J Obes (Lond) | volume = 32 | issue = 3| pages = 510–8 | pmid = 18345020 | doi=10.1038/sj.ijo.0803758| doi-access = }}{{cite journal |vauthors=Akimoto S, Miyasaka K |title=Age-associated changes of hunger-regulating peptides |journal=Geriatrics & Gerontology International |volume=10 Suppl 1 |pages=S107–19 |date=July 2010 |pmid=20590826 |doi=10.1111/j.1447-0594.2010.00587.x |s2cid=33227343 |doi-access=free }} which increases hunger and therefore enhances food consumption. Usually appetite enhancement is considered an undesirable side effect of certain drugs as it leads to unwanted weight gain,{{cite journal |vauthors=Purnell JQ, Weyer C |title=Weight effect of current and experimental drugs for diabetes mellitus: from promotion to alleviation of obesity |journal=Treatments in Endocrinology |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=33–47 |year=2003 |pmid=15871553 |doi= 10.2165/00024677-200302010-00004|s2cid=8088326 }}{{cite journal |vauthors=Hermansen K, Mortensen LS |title=Bodyweight changes associated with antihyperglycaemic agents in type 2 diabetes mellitus |journal=Drug Safety |volume=30 |issue=12 |pages=1127–42 |year=2007 |pmid=18035865 |doi= 10.2165/00002018-200730120-00005|s2cid=19877584 }}{{cite journal |vauthors=Maayan L, Correll CU |title=Management of antipsychotic-related weight gain |journal=Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics |volume=10 |issue=7 |pages=1175–200 |date=July 2010 |pmid=20586697 |doi=10.1586/ern.10.85 |pmc=3501406}} but sometimes it can be beneficial and a drug may be prescribed solely for this purpose, especially when the patient is suffering from severe appetite loss or muscle wasting due to cystic fibrosis, anorexia, old age, cancer or AIDS.{{cite journal |vauthors=Strasser F, Bruera ED |title=Update on anorexia and cachexia |journal=Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=589–617 |date=June 2002 |pmid=12170570 |doi= 10.1016/s0889-8588(02)00011-4}}{{cite journal |vauthors=Nasr SZ, Drury D |title=use in cystic fibrosis |journal=Pediatric Pulmonology |volume=43 |issue=3 |pages=209–19 |date=March 2008 |pmid=18219690 |doi=10.1002/ppul.20766 |hdl=2027.42/57930 |s2cid=43667706 |url=https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57930/1/20766_ftp.pdf|hdl-access=free }}{{cite journal |author=Morley JE |title=Weight loss in older persons: new therapeutic approaches |journal=Current Pharmaceutical Design |volume=13 |issue=35 |pages=3637–47 |year=2007 |pmid=18220800 |doi= 10.2174/138161207782794149}}{{cite journal |vauthors=Fox CB, Treadway AK, Blaszczyk AT, Sleeper RB |s2cid=6695434 |title=Megestrol acetate and mirtazapine for the treatment of unplanned weight loss in the elderly |journal=Pharmacotherapy |volume=29 |issue=4 |pages=383–97 |date=April 2009 |pmid=19323618 |doi=10.1592/phco.29.4.383 }}{{cite journal |author=Holmes S |title=A difficult clinical problem: diagnosis, impact and clinical management of cachexia in palliative care |journal=International Journal of Palliative Nursing |volume=15 |issue=7 |pages=320, 322–6 |date=July 2009 |pmid=19648846 |doi= 10.12968/ijpn.2009.15.7.43421}} There are several widely used drugs which can cause a boost in appetite, including tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), tetracyclic antidepressants, natural or synthetic cannabinoids, first-generation antihistamines, most antipsychotics and many steroid hormones. In the United States, no hormone or drug has currently been approved by the FDA specifically as an orexigenic, with the exception of dronabinol, which received approval for HIV/AIDS-induced anorexia only.