Hi everyone. I've had a sugar addiction for quite a few years. I remember clearly when it started, it was after my mum died. It started quite simply with me trying to make myself happier n escalated very quickly into awful cravings. The more I had the more I wanted n needed. Mostly chocolate. Cakes, icecream, it's a wonder I'm still here, I'm not going to admit the amount I ate . Due to embarrassment. But I'm just into my 8 th day with cutting it all out and trying to get my health back on track. Is anyone else going or been through this n come out the other side I'm drinking 2litres of water a day n eating lots of fruit n veg salmon chicken etc. I'd like advice from anyone who has been through this. I'm not craving sugar anymore, but tonight I'm feeling a bit shaky and don't know why. Is this normal
Sugar addiction : Hi everyone. I've had... - British Liver Trust
Sugar addiction
I think the first question l would ask is, how is your liver these days having to cope with all this sugar. I see that you've had immune hepatitis for 11-years now. It is important that you follow a health life style as you know the liver can become insulin resistant in which case the signal that comes from the pancreas that tells the liver to stop dumping sugar doesn't get through. You can then have a sugar overload. The other process is for the liver to turn all this sugar in glucose, if this isn't required, then this is then converted into fat and stored as fat for future use.
You have mentioned that your sugar cravings started as a coping mechanism due to the death of your mother. I get this, and can see you using comfort food as a form of self-medicating. But, this has now turned into a form of addiction that needs to be treated just like any other form of addiction. What is going to be helpful for you, is that you know the cause of this addiction and it would seem that you've not yet come to terms with your mothers death. I would suggest that you have your blood sugar levels checked. All this puts a strain on the liver, and if you have liver damage already, could well be preventing or hindering its recovery. If your liver is still at the fatty liver stage after 11-years, then something's working well. Please speak to your GP about about getting some bereavement counseling and also get them to recommend some form of addiction therapy.
Good luck.
Hi richard thanks so much for replying, my fatty liver has just shown up on a ultrasound just before xmas. I last saw my liver consultant 6 months ago and my liver levels were good. I have dramatically changed my diet no rubbish whatsoever since 1st of jan this year so only 9 days ago I got a phone call from my gp telling me about fatty liver it was the wake up call. My head in much better place my mum passed away over 11 years ago n my dad who I nursed with alzeimers living with me mini strokes daily seizures and a full stroke passed away 3 years ago. I have dealt with this .i am now doing things for myself like walking gauging steps etc drinking 2 litres of water daily, I have reflux and I'm on omperazole I will get there as I'm very focused. I know how stupid I've been eating rubbish n yes that was my coping mechanism my mum had type 1 diabetis for 56 yrs and actually died from diabetis having gone blind and lost one of her toes. Amputation. My dad developed type 2 diabetis after his stroke. But was so very fit before all this. What I am doing now should have been done years ago. I'm far from perfect. I had myelitis 18 years ago that has taken away the ability to run jump skip etc. I'm a very positive person and I'm going to do this .
Hi Pussycat432
It is positive that you are now trying to eat well. We would suggest you think about going to the GP's and let them know you are feeling shaky and get them to physically examine you.
It may be a good idea for them to check your blood sugar levels.
As Richard has already said, it may also be a good opportunity to discuss some therapy or counselling as well.
Take care
Warm wishes
Trust1
Thanks very much for replying , yes I was shaky for a few mins then drank more water ate something n was fine again. I think my answer to richard might have just crossed as I was explaining I have now dealt with my mum n dad's death so don't actually need councilling or therapy. But I do agree maybe I should get my blood sugar checked by nurse n maybe blood pressure. I will add though since cutting out rubbish from my diet and only eating very healthy I'm feeling benefits of doing this. Apart from the reflux n breathlessness caused by gastritis . I'm so going to do this.
Apologies, just noticed others have also replied especially the liver trust who are on your case! Excellent to know that!
Yes it's really nice to hear other peoples opinions. Great forum, hope you doing ok
Hi Pussycat
I'm only guessing your going through symptoms others have when giving up smoking but yours is no sugar intake! Have you by any chance called your doctors advice line as they be able to give you advice or have the shakes stopped now?
They shaky feeling only lasted few mins, but I booked in for diabetic test at our local pharmacist for Saturday n I'm going to ring my drs on weds for cholesterol check I think, I'm doing well on this healthy eating I'm loving it and I'm finding it easy now to drink 2 lites of water a day . So I'm really happy my breathlessness gets better as the day goes on. As does the nausea . Yes I've never smoked and don't like alcohol
Hi
Fabulous news to read that your feeling a little better! Seeing your doc etc is a good thing and mentioning your achievement with show your commitment andcthat your serious to improve your health! I'm proud of you so keep it up as we're all behind you.
Me, I'm ok except for my rhinitus has kicked in when my autoimmune is low, sovtoday Im taking nasal sprays and daily tablet again!!!
Your water intake is excellent which has given me a kick to drink more, so today I've had almost 6 half pint glasses of water with a slice of lime added which I'm enjoying.
Bye for now and good luck with docs etc
Nighty nite
Slaines
How's you this morning. Hope you are well x
Hi Pussycat
Cheers for note! I'm ok except for being woke up with ear ache plus we stabbing pains down my neck and in my throat which keep recuring! Lucky for me after seeing the optician and out of the blue I managed to see my own doctor which was amazing as you normally have to book an appointment in advance. Anyway he's given me a weeks course of 500mg of amoxicillin which was very nice of him!
On the weight front I've managed to drop a pound since Monday which could be slightly better for me as I'm eating a little more than I should which must stop before I get back into bad habits which we all know can happen at the blink of an eye. I'm going away in May so I must give myself a big kick!
Oh before I forget! Here's a big well done on the water and healthy food intake!!! Your amazing !!!! Keep it up
Well thank you for keeping in touch which is lovely.
Slaines
Is it one ear that sounds awful very painful. You are taking the tabs I'm allergic too. That's good dropping a pound since Monday I'm going to get weighed on Saturday when I have my diabetic test hopefully I've lost more weight hope so. Hope the tabs kick in soon so to speak
Thanks Pussycat! Yes the ear ache's in one ear and when I swollow it hurts like hell!! I've taken my first tablet so hopefully it will start to work soon!
Good luck tomorrow on the diabetes and weight check! Dont forget to let me know how it goes! Well its now time to do a few exercises on the lounge floor as I cannot be bothered to gonout in the cold again. Lazy of me I know butbits better to do something than nothing! Are you still walking or dancing on the spot?????
The diabetis check is on Saturday morning first thing. Oh yes still doing my walking 5 days week I would do 7 days but busy doing other things. Still doing my healthy eating . I can't dance on the spot but can wiggle in a fashion, lol yes that's right can do exercises indoors can't you
Good afternoon, I've just come back from my walk and on way back made an appointment with nurse to have cholesterol test but can't get in until 6 feb which funnily enough the anniversary when my mum passed but trying not to think about that I've drunk only I litre of water so far. But going back out for walk later, hope you are feeling good today. Just wondering what a normal level cholesterol is. Getting diabetic test first thing in the morning, I'm so going to try n lower this fatty liver of mine, beat it's ass 😂
Thankyou for your kind words, I'm quite chuffed with myself really, lol once I put my mind to things I generally succeed . Hope your rhinitis doesn't last too long. Sounds like you are doing great with the water too. Speak tomorrow sleep well
Good Morning Pussycat
Cheers for this mornings note! I'm now starting to believe that my re occuring earache and rhinitis problems definitely has something to do with the ongoing issues with my autoimmune system and GGT and AMA blood tests not being right! My discomfort under my right and left ribs seem to increase at the same time along with the itchy skin at night which is a pain until I've raked my back with the back scatcher !!!! Lol
I'm trying to tell myself that all the above is not in my head! I know I shouldn't really say this but I'm looking forward to finding out what is exactly wrong with me/my liver after all the years of discomfort and various operations!
Today a friend is coming to stay who's husband died a few months back and tomorrow SAT would have been there wedding anniversary ! She doesnt want to spend it alone! So this Crazy Momma is going to cheers her up!!!!!
On the drinking water front! Im not doing so well today, so thanks for the note as it reminds me to kick my self! More water coming up!!!!
Good luck for tomorrow! Hope all goes well at the doctors!
Love Slaines x
Well I know what you mean about getting to see hour liver consultant as once you know the outcome then you can try to deal with it, it's lovely of you to help your friend. On Sunday it would have been my mums birthday n Monday would have been my dads both capricorns. It helps if you have got someone close to you on anniversary dosent it, yes chemist tomorrow for diabetic check but not till feb 6 for cholesterol the nurse does that. That's on the date mum died. I'm getting there still feeling positive n going for another walk at 4 o'clock see how near to 8,000 steps I can get lol today lol I will check in with you much later tonight x
Hi Pussycat
I agree with not being alone on special anniversaries if possible! Hopefully you 'll have someone to spend that time with!
I've just finished preparing garlic minted lamb burgers which shall be hotplate cooked slowly to remove any fat which I'll serve up with salad and some herbed potato wedges and yogurt mint sauce! Oh ! Maybe I should not mention food on this forum as some cannot eat this stuff! Sorry everyone.
Good luck with the walking! I'm being lazy as I've been busy shopping, tiding up for friends arrival plus my we bit of food preparing. Its now time for more water!!! Writing to you always gives my mind a kick reminder to drink Lol
Catch you later x
I had fatty liver for over 20 years and I craved chocolate, and sweets and I drank a lot of cokes when i worked night shift for so many years. I'm convinced that had I cut down on my sugar way back when I would not have developed the amount of fat in my liver. I'm now with stage 2 fibrosis. I still crave it, but I get active and I get myself a cup of tea and occasionally I'll put a package of Stevia in it to sweeten it. Drinking coffee without sugar was difficult for me. It's like any addiction, get support, and when you crave it, do something else - exercise, drink water, unsweetened tea. I must say that it's getting easier although today I had terrible craving. I wanted to eat a whole bag of caramel corn:)) But I didn't. Some people get a little shaky if they drop their blood sugar. If it happens again, you may want to eat a couple graham crackers and a wee bit of juice. Over the holidays, I attended a couple events, and I literally ate 1 forkful of cake and 1 forkful of pie. And it helped. You will get used to it!!! Congratulations. When I look back now, I realize I ate an awful lot of sugar in my day. Also, be sure you read labels on canned goods and frozen foods. They can be loaded with sugar!!! Just put them back on the shelf. Good luck and congrats!!
Thankyou for replying yes I know what you mean mine was chocolate . Sweets , icecream . Cakes, I feel I'm over it now well hopefully I did this for many years, I feel so good now and people can eat it in front of me, it doesn't faze me. Yes that's what I do I spend ages in the supermarket checking all labels. It's so surprising ruthie isn't it the amount of sugar in products. My fridge is brimming with only the good stuff now, and I'm actually enjoying this feeling of very little bloating now .its only day ten but I'm feeling great. I feel like a different person not sluggish anymore, I can honestly say hand on heart I won't go back to the rubbish, I want to eat to live not how I was living to eat, how does stage 2 fibrosis impact on your life? Is that scarring I'm not sure
I have a very infiltrated liver with fat. The phase 2 is stage 2 of the fibrosis score, 4 meaning generally cirrhosis. Of course, they will want to do a liver biopsy at that point. I'm praying I can keep it at 2 for several years at least. That is the scarring that has developed. I'm discouraged in that the last 6 months I had really been eating well, and it went from I - 2. I'll keep trying. I'm on my way to the cardiologist now. I am on a lot of meds and I have hemachromatosis which effects the liver. I have a complicated history. Good luck. You've given me incentive to continue to stay off the sugar!!!
Hi
I started feeling very shaky, my Dr did a blood test and I have got type 2 diabetes. I have changed my diet accordingly. Hope you start to feel a little better soon. Please take care Lynne
Hi Lynne thankyou for replying my shaking was like a quivering only lasted very short time, when I had something to eat it disappeared. Yes I realise that can happen with diabetise as my mum had type 1 n dad type 2. I have made an appointment for fasting blood sugar test on Saturday to check for diabetis so I'm keeping my fingers n toes crossed it's not that. How are you feeling with your new eating plan, I'm feeling great now after changing mine drastically 10 days ago .
Thank you. I'm still feeling rubbish, so much pain. Hoping to see my consultant end of February. Love and hugs Lynne xxxx
It's awful when you in pain. You cannot concentrate can you. Is there anyway you can ask to be seen sooner. Hoping you can. And you get sorted Lynne xx
I'm right here with you. I am on low carbs as advised by my liver consultant. It is normal to feel 'flu like in the first week or two. Sugar addiction is self perpetuating, the more you have the more you crave. I cleared the decks of every item of food I possessed and did a lot of reading up . I gave away so much food, cereals,pasta, various potato items from the freezer. I saw the new consultant on 5/12. I started on 13th December, I have searched to find an artificial sweetener for my brews but I hate these sweeteners, I can spot aspartame in any food or drink and its vile. I dropped from 2 or 3 sugars to one. This is my only concession , 4g of carbs in a teaspoon so 6 brews a day is 24g of carb. Im on unsweetened alpro in tea and fresh cream in coffee. I got weighed after 3 weeks and a stone lighter. ! Half of its fluid but I know its working. My freezer is crammed with every green veg imaginable, Most importantly I no longer crave sugar!!! Stopping it stops the cravings . I suffer from severe psoriasis, sugar causes inflammation. My skin has calmed down immensely.Watch out with fruit. It is loaded with natural sugar, the lowest fruit is berries, I have frozen raspberries in. A treat now and again with single fresh cream. The directive of low fat is debunked. Real butter is healthier than all the margarine. I cook in butter or goose fat. If you read up on the keto diet it has tons of guidance and information. It also reduces BP and fat is the energy source not carbs. I know some cannot grasp this diet, but if a Liver Prof has told me to eat this way, his knowledge is not to be questioned. Seafood,hard cheese,eggs meat, and green veg. Animal fat contains good and bad cholesterol. Low fat foods are loaded with sugar. Keep strong and you will soon feel the benefits and wont crave sugar.It is also a way of eating by a lot of diabetics. I am reducing my risk of this too. I have cirrhosis caused by methotrexate. Even though thats incurable, low carb will still reduce liver fats. To be totally confident ask your liver consultant. Obviously we all have different causes and this diet would not be for someone at stage 4 alcohol related cirrhosis. Hazelx
Hi hazel I cleared my cupboards too of rubbish food cakes etc masses of choc you name it, it was in there icecreams in freezer lots gone, yes I always knew the dangers of aspartame it's everywhere, I drink water don't have hot drinks simply as I have this thing for water thinking the more water the better. I don't miss any chocs or rubbish food. I'm not going to say if I was force fed a bar of chocolate I wouldn't find it lovely, lol but since that won't happen. But I'm really confident I'm not going back to how I was for so many years, my skin doesn't feel as dry , I'm not in so much pain on left side which was there for 15/18 months the nausea I was feeling has subsided . I still have reflux but not as bad, I don't want to speak too soon, my breathlessness is improving , but not yet back to how it was normally, I have rasp blackb blueberries for breakfast with a well known Greek yogurt love it. So far I haven't had flu like symptoms I'm on day 10 today, I have pro active butter . My friend has started the keto diet all I know about that is you eat a lot of fats. Haven't really looked at that. I eat only white meat and that's in steamer. 6 dif vegs a day steam cooked n salmon. Wow losing a stone in three weeks, that's fantastic. I hope I carry on losing weight, it's lovely to hear from you, keep up the good work
Were you drinking much water when you lost that much weight? Sorry to hear you have cirrosis spelt wrong I've heard of that drug methotrexate I think it could be one similar to azathrioprine which is what I take for autoimmune hepititis
Not what you're looking for?
You may also like...
Sugar substitute
Channel 5 - “My Alcohol Addiction”
So, How do you Treat Addiction?
Cirrhosis and dealing with salt & sugar cravings
Low Blood Sugar readings
low sugars - have AIH, PBC, Portal vein
Looking for more information please - family might be sugar coating and I would like to be prepared...
Still here living w/Cirrhosis 
