Hi Guys
I have been sober 14 months now and for the last 6 months or so I have a real appetite for biscuits, chocolate, fizzy sweets basically anything sugary I need help and advice as anyone else experienced this??? Was never a problem whilst drinking.
Thanks in advance
It's quite common I think. Your body gets used to sugar from alcohol.
I got a real sweet tooth after quitting, but it just seemed to wear off after a few months.
G
Try replacing the refined sugars with fruit, wine-grapes, if you see what I mean?
Hi there. When I was on steroids I craved chocolate. I had never done so before but I haven't had to take steroids for 18 months thankfully. Now I have an unhealthy habit of fizzy sweets. It's almost like an addiction to them. It's a bit strange because I've never had a sweet tooth previously.
Coralsun
I have the same problem, it has been going on for 18 months, my taste changed when I gave up alcohol, I eat loads of sweet stuff, things I never ate before, previously only ate savoury stuff. Now a complete reversal, every single day I eat 100 grams of Chocolate, hot chocolate, then other bad stuff. I suppose I might try and change it one day, but not at the moment.
Cheesecake for breakfast this morning! Fortunately, my BMI is still on the low side of normal, if that changes I will have to stop.
You should try and change it now, not one day. Diabetes doesn't care about BMI. My mum was always a good weight, still got diabetes from a poor diet.
You are right, I should change it, but I am under dieticians, who say I can eat what I like as long as I don't lose weight. I shall try and make it a New Years resolution to adjust the balance towards a more healthy diet.
I know a bit about diabetes and quite a bit about mitochondrial diseases in families, my father got late onset diabetes even though he was slim. The professor who was studying his family and their DNA for mitochondrial diseases said the reason he had diabetes was to do with his mitochondrial DNA, not his diet or lifestyle. If you are interested in finding out more read below, my father only got the mild deafness and diabetes part, but his sisters and his three nephews and niece got the "Full English" version and died before 40.
newcastle-mitochondria.com/...
I know diabetes is often genetic but a lot of it is from poor diet. I can't believe dieticians advise eating anything including cakes and sweets when suffering with cirrhosis. A good weight can still be maintained by eating loads of protein, complex carbs and good fats without all the sugar. I rarely ever ate junk food before or after surgery. Didn't make sense then, still doesn't make sense now. They know best I suppose...
Hi was advised the same before transplant eat everything full fat chips cakes etc all the things you are normally told not to eat it was to try keep my weight from dropping too low as a was losing lots. I don’t have that problem now though after transplant and I am careful with my diet but just keep putting weight on 😱
Apparently giving up alcohol ( heavy drinking) will make You crave sweet things initially as it releases the same opioids and dopamine’s as alcohol does , and so effects the brain in the same way. Its also true with ex cocaine addicts with excercise , however they are actually advised not to excercise as they can become addicted to that!
Just be careful with the sugar over time you will find you will crave more and more as your body becomes more tolerant which can cause other problems down the line.....
Thanks guys my weight and BMI are in the healthy range my specialist doesn't seem over concerned just nods as though he's heard it 1000 times before I try to replace chocolate etc with fruit I think once I'm back at work I won't be putting so much rubbish in my body 😃
Good choice, now that Christmas is over might be a good idea if I follow my own advice 😂
Hi,
Advice given to people attending AA in their early days is always have a Mars bar or equivalent in your pocket. You will suffer from huge ups and downs in your glucose levels. I am 16+ years sober now and had a big sweet tooth before stopping drinking. This increased and now has decreased over time. You have been given good advice so far, but as has been said everyone is different. Long term you would put on weight, but that may be a small price to pay for total abstinence.
Ray
Other services are available, whatever works for the individual.
Totally agree, can only talk about my own experience
Hi Ray is 14 months sober relatively early days? My specialist says my body hasn't fully recovered I was in ICU in a coma and to be kind to myself I know you say weight gain is a small price to pay but I would wish to minimise this as much as possible.
Cheers Hayley
Hi Hayley, everybody’s bodies work differently. I went in for a transplant, haemorrhaged badly, procedure cancelled. Spent 12 days in a coma, my family were told I would be leaving hospital in a box, that wasn’t an if it was a when. 2 years on my weight goes up and down. I have 3 sizes of trousers depending where I am at any given time. I have learnt to accept that LIFE is the most important thing. I have been away for 7 weeks flying back to the UK tomorrow. My sweet tooth has pretty much gone, my main focus is not to have that “first” drink. So even after 16 years I am still a relative newcomer. Always teachable.
Ray
I tend not to cook as i live alone and i really have to try to improve my diet. Just eating more was a triumph for me at the start. I am going to ask to see a dietician again or at least get some information. It might be easier to follow a plan. You only start to realise how complex the liver is when it's in trouble.
I have only ever seen a gastroenterologist as far as I'm aware and wondered if that was the norm. Do you only see liver specialists if they think a transplant may be on the cards?
Best wishes
Coralsun
Hi there I see a liver specialist and no mention of a liver transplant as my liver is compensated and hopefully it will stay that way.
😁😁
Hi bintcliffe,
Congratulations on your 14 months and best wishes for many more!
Yes, my husband has developed a sweet tooth since he quit drinking in Nov of 2015.
I don't know of any "good" or easy way to diminish this craving and by the other answers on here it seems a fairly common trait. For my husband his dentist has been his help, because she told him he was having more small cavities and should cut back on the sweets. He doesn't mind the dentist and does the exams on schedule, unlike me LOL.
Best wishes to you and a Happy New Year,
Mary
Thank you Mary for your kind words I'm terrified of the dentist maybe that could be my deterent 😃 I wish you and your husband all the best for the festivities X
Constant feeling of sickness after food...
Just some food for thought, and sharing some news
Guidance with food 
