Soulprint

Hi,

I've been sober now for 28 days (and I'm really chuffed). However, since I stopped drinking alcohol I've felt worse!

I seem to want to and do, eat sweets constantly craving the sugar and the lift it gives me (probably a booze substitute).

This last week I have felt so very chronically tired. All my joints really ache. I was out walking with my dogs the other day and was so tired I could have laid down on the track and gone to sleep. My head is all 'fuzzy' too.

I eat well, sleep well and try to get some exercise everyday, so it seems really frustrating that I'm not running down the mountain side singing "the hills are alive with the sound of music...". (Obviously if no one was around).

I went to my GP yesterday and I'm having a starving blood test next week.

Has anyone felt the same debilitating physical symptoms? If so, what would you recommend?

Thanks for reading.

SP

llastchance8

Excessive Sugar is a poison too. Pl check with your Doctor for the sugar related problem. In today' s world more and more people are dying just because of diabetes and diabetes caused problems to organs like Kidneys and Heart. Excessive eaten sugar gets converted to fat and belly fat for any one is dangerous. The key is to maintain even blood sugar levels by eating 5 to 6 small meals everyday and include lots of vegetables and nuts in the diet. Simple carbs are white flour and white rice are not good. Sugar craving is same as alcohol. The more you take, the more you crave. Wish you all the best.

hypochondriac

Well done on 28 days Soulprint!

I'm glad you're getting checked out by your doctor. It took until sometime in month 2 before my sugar cravings died down, and I was tired and foggy for months after that too. Don't worry too much about it, it just takes a while to heal x

Admiral

Sugar has always been easy to kick for me, I want it and if it's around I'll eat it, but if I REALLY want to I can stop and after a week or two it's not appealing any more. Start eating healthy, lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, stuff that digests slowly so you don't go flying up and down all day.

If you let yourself get hungry or eat junk you'll crash and you'll want those things even more.

NoFireWater

I had the intense sugar cravings and extreme exhaustion too. Both are subsiding now that I've hit 60 days. I never craved sugar before, and rarely had sleep issues so they were both definitely related to quitting. Hang in there, both become less intense as time goes on!

Dee74

I had both those things as well.
Please don't think you're the only one Soulprint

I'm glad you're seeing your Dr, but both things sorted themselves out for me, with time

D

changer

described my first month or two just perfectly!
it does get better, it really does.
those cravings and that fatigue faded somewhere around 40 days for me. much better now! though i still have sugar cravings, they are not as intense at all.
always good to see your gp just to be sure, which it sounds like you are doing. congrats on 28 days!!!

Spinach

Fuzzy oh so fuzzy and I drank so much apple juice it was sugar queasy.
It passed first the fuzzy then I needed less sweet things.
It's all good and only gets better.
John.
Congratulations too.

Zee

I'm down to a bar of chocolate a day. If I give up any more vices I'll have to shave my head and move to Tibet! You have given up alcohol, that is fantastic. Enjoy the sweets, they are yummy! Disclaimer: this is my opinion only

MrsKing

I grew up with an alcoholic aunt, and during her sober times, she would eat so much chocolate... even as a kid I remember thinking it was insane. Funny, I never thought about it until you mentioned this, but yeah - I think it's pretty common. I ate lots of sugary stuff, too, when I quit. As has already been mentioned, I stopped myself craving sugar by cutting it out completely, it really did work.

Hollyanne

Guilty.

Normal feelings for 28 days.
Well done.
Good luck with the doctor.

Itchy

Soulprint I got hooked on starlite mints and gained 50 pounds and at my age, with my smoking and drinking background, that is not good. I just broke down and because of some stress went and got a 12 oz bag of mints today. No it is not as I said early on better than drinking, in fact might be worse long term. Get off them now. It took me 3 months to even start feeling the bennies of no nicotine or Alcohol in my system, and 6 months before it really kicked in.

Get rid of them ASAP.

DAB

I quit the day after Halloween so my daughter had to share her candy with me until it was gone.

Prettynoose

From what I understand your body is used to burning alcohol for fuel, which it prefers over all other fuel sources because it can covert it to energy quickly and with little work.

When alcohol is removed the closest thing the body can get is simple sugar. But I have read that this can be bad because it sends your body on the same blood-sugar roller coaster that alcohol does and as soon as your blood-sugar crashes, you will experience more intense alcohol cravings.

It is hard to say no to it though. I am caving often to the sugar too, whereas I used to never eat it.

As far as feeling low energy and body aches I am going through the exact same thing. It seems funny doesn't it? You would expect your body would be so happy to have all that poison removed and would feel pretty good, but of course the physical nature of the addiction prevents that.

Vall

Dear SP,

I understand that Dates and Mangos have a high natural sugar content along with lots of other yummy vitamins - maybe try these until your cravings subside?

P.S. I think I am addicted to SR! :>

LSC1

Soulprint....I am just over 30 days sober and I also have wanted to eat a lot more chocolate...I have never craved chocolate before... I have bags of mixed nuts, sultanas and seeds to nibble on at hand ...and a bag of mini easter eggs (left over from the easter bunny) stashed in the bedroom...the fog is slowly lifting and my memory at the moment is shocking...worse then I was ever when I drank...after reading other posts I am confident these symptons will go away soon...look after yourself eat healthy

Quinne

Wow, I can relate to this :p Particularly if I'm hormonal or feeling upset-I've put away a few boxes of donuts recently 0_o I mentioned it to my home group secretary in passing, he said it was completely normal, something to do with metabolism, but he couldn't remember exactly what. I still feel like an absolute guts knowing this though!

SunnyFlower

Glad you went to GP and getting blood tests done...When the tests results are in, you'll be better able to make a "plan of action" to handle those sugar cravings.

I crave sweets now too...and it does seem to help the "other cravings" along with the withdrawals. Finding the balance in not overdoing the "sugar" can be difficult for me.

Hang in there! you are doing great!

WritingFromLife

I used to crave sweets the same time I would normally drink each night--you get used to the highs from the sugar in alcohol.

onlythetruth

I know exactly what you mean. When I was drinking I used to pride myself on never wanting sugar but my first night sober I ate about 2 lbs of chocolate! And I definitely used sugary foods to help deal with the cravings early on, too.

Years later I still have a sweet tooth, but it's kind of a take it or leave it thing. I like it but I certainly don't need it.