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One HD family wrote:
Megace is a great appetite enhancer...Mom used and she went from 70 pounds
to 99 pounds in a month...ch...also does not interfere with other drugs and
no known side affects.
Megestrol acetate
MEGACE ® (megestrol acetate) Oral Suspension contains megestrol acetate, a synthetic derivative of the naturally occurring steroid hormone, progesterone.
An appetite stimulant commonly used in cancer and AIDS patients has also proved successful in treating COPD patients.
Megestrol acetate has been shown to increase body weight, appetite, performance status, and sense of well-being in cancer patients receiving radiation therapy or chemotherapy, and in AIDS patients.
Researchers in Florida found body weight increased significantly in COPD patients who took MA for eight weeks.
COPD is characterized by obstructed airways. It is generally brought on by bronchitis or emphysema. Around 14 million Americans are afflicted with COPD, making it the fourth leading cause of death.
This finding, they say, is important because COPD patients with low body weight and muscle wasting are at a higher risk for death.
Researchers conclude MA safely increased appetite and body weight, made breathing easier, and improved body image in underweight COPD patients. The treatment did not improve respiratory muscle function or exercise tolerance.
According to researchers, the ability of MA to induce a weight gain averaging approximately 6.6 pounds in an eight-week period is impressive, in comparison with other available methods.
Authors of this study suggest future studies should investigate the effects of MA in combination with an exercise program, anabolic steroid supplementation, or specific dietary modification.
SOURCE: Chest, 2002;121:1070-1078
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