The medications that quietly change appetite — and what to do
Most older Australians are on more medications than they were ten years ago. A few of those medications quietly affect appetite, taste, or how food sits — and most people don’t know which ones.
There’s a quiet pattern that turns up often in older Australians who say their eating has changed.
They’ve started feeling less hungry. Food tastes a bit different — duller, more metallic, less appealing. The fullness comes on faster than it used to. They’re putting it down to age.
Sometimes age is the right answer. Often, a medication or a combination of medications is doing some of the work.
“I’m just not as hungry as I used to be” sometimes has a more specific answer than age.
Why medications and appetite interact
A lot of common prescriptions are designed to do useful things to the body — manage blood pressure, regulate mood, prevent blood clots, manage diabetes, calm acid reflux.
Most do their job well. Several of them, as a side-effect, also nudge appetite or taste in a way the prescriber may not have explicitly mentioned.
Categories worth knowing about
- Some blood-pressure medications can suppress appetite or change the way food tastes.
- Some antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications can either suppress or increase appetite, depending on the drug and the person.
- Some diabetes medications, especially the newer ones, are designed in part to reduce appetite — this is intentional in the treatment, but worth being aware of when monitoring overall intake.
- Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs — common reflux medications) can affect how the body absorbs some nutrients (notably vitamin B12 and magnesium) over time.
- Some painkillers, particularly opioid-class painkillers, are well-known to soften appetite and slow digestion.
None of this means stopping any medication — that’s a decision for you and your GP.
What it does mean is that "I’m just not as hungry as I used to be" sometimes has a more specific answer than age, and the answer can change what you do about it.
None of this means stopping any medication. It simply means understanding whether a medication may be influencing appetite, taste, or fullness.
The conversation worth having
The simplest practical step is a five-minute conversation with your pharmacist.
Pharmacists are trained in exactly this — how medications interact with each other, with food, and with appetite.
Most are happy to do a quick medication review on the spot or by appointment, and most won’t charge you for the conversation.
Ask:
"I’ve noticed my appetite (or taste, or fullness) has changed in the last few months. Is anything on my current medication list known to do that?"
You’ll get a useful answer in two or three minutes.
From there, your pharmacist may suggest a follow-up with your GP — to consider whether a dose change, a switch, or a small addition (like a B12 check if you’ve been on PPIs for years) makes sense.
Three things to try this week
- Make a current list of every medication, supplement and over-the-counter tablet you take. Including aspirin, fish oil, vitamin D, anything else. Carry it with you.
- Have the five-minute conversation with your pharmacist. Bring the list. Ask the question above.
- If your appetite has shifted in the months after a new medication started, mention it to your GP. It’s not always a reason to change anything — but it’s worth your prescriber knowing.
Medication side-effects on eating are quiet and easy to miss. They’re also some of the most fixable causes of a change in appetite — once you know what to ask about.
Staying strong at home
Medication side-effects on eating are quiet and easy to miss. They’re also some of the most fixable causes of a change in appetite — once you know what to ask about.
Your pharmacist is the easiest five-minute conversation in the system, and it usually gets you most of the way there.
Want to know if a daily nutrition top-up could help you stay strong at home?
There are three easy ways to find out — pick whichever suits you.
- Take the Eat Well Health nutrition screening questionnaire. A few quick questions about appetite, weight, and how you've been feeling lately.
It'll tell you whether a daily top-up is worth a conversation. No obligation. → Start the questionnaire
- Give us a ring. Have a chat with someone who knows this stuff — no script, no pressure. Call (08) 6119 3698, Monday to Friday.
- Ask us to call you back. A member of our team will get in touch. → Request a callback
Eat Well Health is a dietitian-backed service helping older Australians stay strong at home. For eligible Support at Home clients, the nutrition top-up is fully funded through your existing package.