Pain meds, a root canal, and my appetite doing a U-turn

2026-10-09 1536 views 2 posts
a
amanda82 OP
#1
2026-10-09 22:23

i’ve been maintaining within 2 lb of my goal since last October. Last week I had a few days of tramadol after a root canal. I kept tracking like usual. My appetite went missing for two days, then came back with a weird salt craving.

I also skipped my afternoon walk twice because I was drowsy. The scale didn’t really move, but my trend line flattened, and I noticed I was short about 30g of protein on those days. Nothing dramatic; it just reminded me that pain, sleep, and medication all talk to hunger.

I went back to normal meals once I felt better. Has anyone else had a short medication detour mess with appetite or routine, and how did you keep the data from spooking you?

n
nina293
#2
2026-10-19 15:05

Soft-food week is its own beast. When I had a molar pulled I ate nothing but yogurt and mashed potatoes, then by day three wanted to chew a brick. Curious — when the salt craving hit, were you actually hungry, or was your mouth just bored?

My snack drawer is built for exactly that: pickles, roasted chickpeas, those little seaweed packs. Salty, but you have to work for it, so I don't inhale the whole bag standing at the counter.

And the skipped walks with two kids — solidarity. I count the after-dinner kitchen cleanup as my walk when the day goes sideways. One flat week after a weird week is normal for me, especially when a painkiller stretch messes with sleep and appetite.

Back to Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound)