Husband Quit Drinking, Now Is Addicted To Sugar?

First, have you tried talking to your husband about it? Remember, though, that he's an adult and responsible for himself and what he decides to do is his choice.

It may just go away after his brain chemistry normalizes. After I had had surgery and had been on all sorts of painkillers, I spent 6 months eating 2000 calories worth of peppermint hard candies every day. Then, one month, it went away instead of looking incredibly desirable, peppermints looked gross. I think my brain started producing its own endorphins again. (Your brain produces endorphins, which is a natural "morphine". When you take morphine or similar things, your brain stops producing endorphins and it takes a while for your brain to start producing again.)

Good luck!
--Kathleen K.

cj

March 25, 20050 found this helpful

My husband has been sober for 1 year and 5 months and his craving for sweets (his thing was Ice cream) has dropped to almost nothing in the last month or so. The brain and body chemistry take longer to normalize than you might think. It also depends on how long he was drinkng before he quit. You can talk to him about it, but very gently--his sobriety is still pretty new and fragile. Better sweets than going back to drinking.
cj

Darlene Kidd

March 25, 20050 found this helpful

Hi. I have good news for you... the sugar craving WILL decrease. My husband has been sober 14 years this past March 10th and at first he went nuts for sugar. The reason is that there is a lot of sugar in alcohol, especially rum (my husband's drink of choice). Try substuting veggies. I know it is hard but if he can break the habit of the booze, he can do it with sugar too. Watch his weight and if there is a severe increase, try getting him to do some type of exercise.

I wish you all the luck and please pass on my heartfelt congratulations to your husband on being sober today. Remeber each day is its own battle so the congratulations go from day to day.

Pat

March 25, 20050 found this helpful

I make homemade cookies using 1/2 sugar and 1/2 Splenda. I have try other sweetners and Splenda with sugar is the only brand that works well. I have also tried it in coffee cakes and sweet breads. Even if he is eating sweets, it is a 100% better than drinking. God bless and keep trying.

I don't know if this will help, but here is a sugarless muffin recipe. At least it would be a little healthier for him. Best of luck.

1 egg
2 Tablespoons oil
1 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins or nuts, optional

Beat eggs, oil and applesauce. Add flour, soda, baking powder and spices. Beat well. Stir in nuts or raisins. Spoon batter into well greased or lined muffin tins. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until firm and lightly browned. Cool.

teresa

March 25, 20050 found this helpful

the sugar craving will slowly go away or at least slow down alot .my husband was a big sweet freak when he first got sober but its not a problem anymore.congratulations to your husband .he has done a good thing .

Jo Bodey
Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 104 Feedbacks

March 25, 20050 found this helpful

Don't worry about the diabetes angle - diabetes is the bodies inability to use sugar effectively - sugar doesn't 'turn you into a diabetic' but if he gets too overweight it may increase any innate tendency to diabetes. Cooking home made snacks, cakes and biscuits from a diabetes cook book would help though as they will be much lower in fat and sugar than the bought kind.

Regards

Jo

THANK YOU ,TO ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO CARED ENOUGH TO REPLY BACK TO ME!
YOU HAVE REALLY HELPED ME PUT MY MIND AT EASE.
THANK YOU FOR THE RECIPES ALSO.
YES I AM VERY PROUD OF HIM ..SUGAR IS BETTER !
GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!!!THANKS
CIN

bigbarjoe.js

January 28, 20180 found this helpful

Your post helped my question! I quit 5 weeks ago and been eating sweets more than ever ! Thanks

 

Alcoholics are given all the cookies they want in
rehab...If you have time, make your own, no shortening.
Get nutritional yeast out of bin at WINCO if you live
in WA, ID, NV,CA, OR and add heaping Tablespoon to
everything you bake or stew (good in both and won't be
tasted)..Has lots of B vitamins which the alcohol drained
for years. Costco has a great B supplement for $10.
He is needing B vitamins. Also cod liver oil capsules or
Vitamin D pills will help with sugar craving and fight
diabetes...New recommendation for Vit D is 1000-
2000 perday. GNC has bottle of 180 1000unit for $10.

So, brewers yeast, Vit D in some form....Brewers yeast
available many places, but the flaky kind in bulk is
good because you can see if you like the taste,
whereas if you get it in can....? Can also get pills but
he will need about 12 a day...BY also contains amino
acids and trace minerals and trust me his body is
depleated and brain needs to heal. My son is in same
situation..Lots of prayers go to you. The gene
skipped me, but alcoholism is rampant in my family,
though many are gone prematurely.

If he was drinking beer all the time his body is craving that sugar due to the overgrowth of candida or yeast in his body. There are supplements that you can buy to get that under control, but you have to stop with sweets and starches so much until that gets under control. Look it up, there are so many things that yeast can do to people. i would suggest going to nutritionexpress.com they explain a lot of things very well there. good luck

I too gave up alcohol 6 months ago and have been stuffing sweets, chocolate and cakes down my neck ever since. I thought I was just replacing one addiction for another and was getting depressed about it. Thanks to everyone for the posts, as it all makes sense now. Plus, I can enjoy the crap guilt-free for a while knowing that it will not last.

I quit about a month ago and have had the craving. Fruit juice seems to do the trick almost as well as chocolate bars and cookies and is maybe healthier. Hope this helps.

Most heavy drinkers/alcoholics are hypoglycemic. When their blood sugar drops they crave things that will raise it, alcohol (which is actually very high in sugar) or cookies, candies, pretzels, etc. The best thing to do is switch him to a diet of low glycemic index foods which will keep his blood sugar steadier. So lean meat, fruits and vegetable and maybe a little whole grains. Getting his blood sugar straightened out should help prevent relapses and will help him feel "normal".

I quit drinking 16 months ago and still love my sweets. I am glad that it is sweets and not the booze, stick to the sweets. Don San Diego

I understand the sugar craving. Mine went to rehab for 35 days. He "says" he has been sober for 4 month. I am not sure. His sweet craving was high when he first came home. then it has slowly tapered off. then, all of a sudden, he is craving sugar like crazy! He tends to disappear for an hour or so at a time. We dont' know where he is. He denies it, but I still have my suspicions. any suggestions for me to find out?