Cyproheptadine for Failure to Thrive User Reviews

• Dan...
• November 27, 2019

"The good: My 2-year-old takes this medication. He’s also on a feeding tube due to unknown feeding issues, aspiration, choking, underweight, and low hunger, as well as vomiting. His neurologist put him on it, hoping the vomiting was linked to his headaches (he has Chiari malformation that we got surgically fixed 6 months ago). Since he’s been on this med, I have been able to take him off 2 of his 5 feeding tube feeds because he will actually drink a thickened bottle. Plus, he has been more successful at eating his solid foods and choking and regurgitating his foods much less. I’m not sure what part of the meds did that, but I’m thankful! No more puking and no more headaches. The bad: He sleeps a lot, at 2, that’s fine. It wasn’t okay for my older kid who was also on it."

• Ewa...
• April 1, 2017

"Okay. I got prescribed this pill from my stomach doctor - cyclic vomiting syndrome. Months on months on months, I would wake up throwing up and nauseous as hell. I spent a whole year going to the emergency room in a panic. When I was prescribed this medicine, I stopped waking up sick every morning. Being sick every morning caused me to not be able to eat at all. I was 125 and ended up being 102... this medicine not only made me not wake up sick, it actually allowed me to eat every morning and all day like a normal person, and now I'm back up to 115... this medicine does take a couple weeks or maybe less, depending on your body... I took it right before bed every night, so it didn't affect my sleepiness, except for the first few weeks when I didn't want to wake up fast."

• Hap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 6, 2017

"These pills really work. I have been struggling with weight gain for years! I took these pills, and within just 2-3 weeks, I gained 10 lbs! I love this, and I am currently looking to buy more! They make you really sleepy, but they definitely help you out on the weight by boosting your appetite and allowing you to pack on the food! I took them 3 times a day after every meal instead of with or before, that way, I ate 3x more than usual and was able to increase my calorie intake each day! I also drank Ensure Plus and ate things with peanut butter, i.e., apples and peanut butter, graham crackers with peanut butter, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I was a size 0, now I’m a size 2! Try this, ladies, it works!"

• Anonymous
• November 16, 2009

"My toddler, who had been deemed 'Failure to Thrive' for 2 1/2 years, used this with success to gain weight. Negatively, I noticed he became quite more hyperactive than usual. This medicine will generally make children too sleepy, which is the main reason why they stop it, but in a normally hyperactive child, it appears to do the opposite."

• Har...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 27, 2020

"I really think this medication is making me go crazy and has worsened everything. I have like 95% of the side effects, and I’ve been taking a low dose for over 2 years. It’s for central sensitization and huge appetite loss."

• Imp...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 29, 2023

Cyproheptadine "Our physician prescribed it as an appetite stimulant for our toddler. He's 3 years old and falling off his growth chart due to eating and sensory issues. My wife and I tried giving it to him for a couple of weeks. All it did was make him drowsy and miserable. He's been having tantrums all day long every day since starting the medication. And it didn't improve his eating in any noticeable way."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 12, 2021

"This medicine really helped me a lot. I have always been very slim, I experienced lots of life changes and completely lost my appetite. My weight went down to 107 lbs, I am 5’9”. I felt terrible about myself. My doctor prescribed me this. I went up to 121 lbs in 3 months. It works almost immediately after taking, it makes you feel so hungry, like you just want to eat everything. I have been on it almost 6 months now, and I’ve noticed it’s not working as strong as it used to. I have been at a steady weight, not super hungry anymore. I don’t think this is an end-all, be-all, you don’t want to take it your whole life, but it’s absolutely amazing for short-term to put the needed weight back on!!"

• Fli...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 23, 2021

"Cyproheptadine is a very strong antihistamine and serotonin combo. Our 10½-year-old only took ¼ of a 4 mg tablet for just over two months for failure to thrive due to severe stomach pains when she ate anything. Our daughter has a very limited diet due to sensitivities to ingredients on top of her being very particular. The very small amount of cyproheptadine made our daughter more agitated and more anxious. The doctor put her on cyproheptadine AFTER performing a $15,000 upper and lower scope. Thank goodness we only had to pay our deductible, however, the cyproheptadine should’ve been prescribed prior to performing expensive scopes. Our daughter, who has autism spectrum disorder, hasn’t experienced any severe stomach pain since stopping cyproheptadine."

• Tal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 23, 2022

"The doctor prescribed this for my 13-year-old daughter due to a diagnosis of failure to thrive. She was severely underweight. The medication made her very sleepy after taking it for a week or so. It did make her eat more, but she complained that she never felt full no matter how much she ate. She gained 16 pounds in two months. The doctor said she could discontinue the medication, and when she did, she started losing weight. She hates this med and fights with me about taking it."