No Appetite
 

Hi, just found this site (which looks absolutely great) after searching for anything on loss of appetite after stopping drinking.
I stopped two weeks ago and the thought of an alcoholic drink (at the moment) just revolts me (hooray!); however, although I can have breakfast - usually a smoothie with milk, yoghurt, fruit and some wheat based cereal I am struggling with the rest of the day. I feel hungry but as soon as I start to think about what I want to eat I just feel slightly nauseous and don’t.
I own a restaurant and cooking was my passion, but now I just crave wheat based cereals, milk by the gallon and fruits. I have just started on a course of zinc, folic and b vitamins so hopefully that will help, but I am really struggling to eat properly, any advice?
Also, I may well be imagining it, but I am sure my taste seems to have changed drastically. I wish I could just find a really delicious, comforting drink that would make me feel like I have eaten but without chewing. Thanks for reading

I'm at 41 days and it wasn't until last week that I really had a good appetite. I survived by drinking Ensure until then.

Welcome!

I found it helpful to listen to my body and what it wanted in early recovery. Your body is encouraging you to eat a healthy breakfast so that's great. It may take some more healing before your appetite returns. Have you talked to your doctor about this? If not, it might be something to think about if this continues.

Great job on two weeks sober! Your appetite will come back but it really sounds like your doing pretty good there.

I know this isn't an answer, or what you're looking for, but I'm slightly jealous. When I got sober my body was telling me EAT EAT EAT, SUGAR SUGAR, MORE!!! I too take a lot of vitamins. I would say just keep taking your vitamins and the appetite will slowly come back! Congrats on your 2 weeks , and welcome.

I had a rather unpleasant detox. If I remember correctly, it took longer than a week before I started to eat regularly. Then, when the appetite finally came, watch out!!!

I survived on juicing fresh veggies and leafy greens every day for the first week. Seemed like my body couldn't get enough of the nutrients, and the thought of chewing processed food made me nauseous.

I would think you'll be fine in time, however, if it doesn't get better for you and you're concerned, consider talking to a doctor to rule out any other possibilities.

Watch out with supplements. Sometimes they can have a negative effect if overdone.

I will parrot that I take vitamins, too. I'm over 3 months and my appetite is still in flux. I've had the sugar cravings and bought large bags of gummi bears to help with that. Only a few seemed to do the trick. Some nights I'm hungry, some nights I'm not. And it seems like I get full really quickly even when I'm hungry. Which is not a bad thing. Trying to lose some more weight in this process, too. I force myself to eat lunch everyday. I eat lots of fruits and vegetables. And I pound the water.

Your appetite will come back, I was living off one chicken spring salad a day for the first couple weeks and even into week 3 sometimes I had room for another meal and some days I didn't.

Hi and welcome witchylady :)

Withdrawal is a many headed bveast - sometimes I was ravenous and sometimes I had no appetite at all.

we tend to underestimate the toll we take on our mind and body drinking the way w did.

I hope now, at 2 weeks, you'll find things will slowly return to normal :)

D

Oh I definitely had no appetite! I didn’t have any when I was drinking because my stomach was savaged and I found out when I stopped it was the same. I thought I would never be able to eat and enjoy a normal meal again. But now I look forward to food.. infact I’m a total foodie. At first I was making lots of green/fruit smoothies and trying to force them down so my body was getting some nutrients. Soups a good one also.. Then when the appetite came back that’s when the sugar cravings kicked in!

Yep, I had lots of ups and downs with eating and not wanting to and nothing sounding good...so on. Not only had my eating been erratic and often poor (and late night, since I am in the restaurant world too) choices, my body wasn't retaining the good nutrients at all, just the vodka.

I made to do lists early on that were very short and sweet and including the item "eat twice" every day! I drank whatever NA bevs tasted good and ranged from diet cherry 7up as a phase to Gatorade to my current obsession (at 3 yr) with lime sparkling water with extra lime.

Keep going- and since you obv cook, hopefully you can listen to your body and begin making and eating things that sound good. I def had to take it in small bites, literally, as I got well.