megestrol acetate (Megace)

Drug description
Megace is an appetite stimulant used to treat HIV wasting. It increases the desire to eat in some people. Megace is synthetic progesterone. Progesterone is a female hormone. Patients on Megace tend to gain fat, according to studies using therapeutic doses of 800 mg/day. Many people use a lot less than that. A slow weight gain associated with lower than established therapeutic doses may promote gain of muscle mass.

Side effects
Rare side effects can be alteration of menstrual pattern with unpredictable bleeding, pain in chest, visual disturbances, headache, insomnia, pain in abdomen, groin, calf or leg, loss of coordination, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in extremities, yellow eyes or skin, depression, skin rashes, swelling in hands and feet, brown spots on skin, acne, increased body hair, increased breast tenderness, and loss of scalp hair.

Dosage
Megace is available in pill or liquid form. Usual dosage for the pills is 80 mg 4 times daily. Tablets come in 20 mg and 40 mg. Liquid Megace is usually dosed at 20mL/day and comes with a measuring cup.

How long it may take to work
Increased appetite and some weight gain should be seen after 6 weeks.

Managing side effects

Megace is considered a relatively non-toxic drug with low incidence of adverse effects when taken in the usual recommended dose.

This information is specific to the use of this medication for HIV-related conditions. For additional information about this drug for other conditions, refer to: www.nursespdr.com/ and www.healthanswers.com/Library/library_fset.asp The drug descriptions on these pages are intended for informational purposes only. The Network does not promote or endorse the use of any specific treatment for any health-related condition. The medications described here can only be dispensed by a licensed health care professional. The information may have changed since these pages were updated, though every effort is made to keep these pages current. Please contact The Network at (800) 734-7104 to make sure you have the most up-to-date information

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