Help! Stopped meds and now have intense cravings :(

Hugs, hon.

I don't know if this is the case for you, but in reading on some posts by folks who take this, on other forums, it sounds like this may not be too uncommon. Or rather, it may be that you are finally experiencing what your body may have had going on all this time, as Topamax is ALSO an appetite suppressant. So if you have been craving sugar for a while, you wouldn't have noticed as Topamax would have suppressed it, if that makes sense?

I have a lot of health issues that limit my food choices significantly, and something I've noticed, for me at least, is that I'll start craving certain things when I'm low in something. Like if I'm not getting enough calories, or sometimes just carbs, I will crave sugar like it's the most important thing in the world. I think of if every second, constantly, even dream about it.

I don't know if this is the situation with you, but it might not hurt to track your food for a few days, see how your nutrient levels/calories/protein and carb levels are, you know? See if they may be affecting this.

Sometimes in my own experience, too, just adding in more carbs seemed to help make the craving calm down. This sometimes resulted in my calorie levels going up, but it kept me from cheating with super-sugary things, so in the end, I think indulging in low-sugar carbs was still less calories than trying to ignore the craving and then giving in to the unceasing cravings for sugar eventually.

I know that some people get through this by, say, getting a small bag of small hard candies and sucking on one when the cravings get too bad. There are some healthier ones, with fruit juices and no dyes and such. But this seems to be very individual. For some, this is all it took. For some (and I'd be in this latter category), it just made the cravings even worse for MORE sugar. :-/

Good luck. I've been there.

It takes a while for all of the medication to get out of your system, you're still probably dealing with the withdrawals. Those can be very unpleasant You may just have to wait it out.

You also might want to talk with your doctor. He/she may have some suggestions to help ease the cravings.

Can fruit or other, healthier options help with the sweets cravings at all? I know that, for me, sometimes trying to substitute works (cocoa crispies with milk are a better option, IMO, than chocolate cookies or cake, and it usually helps), but sometimes it backfires, leaving me just wanting the thing I was craving even more, but with less calories to satisfy it :grumble: Anyway, it might be something to try.

:flowerforyou:

Maybe try a high protein plan, low carb eating pattern for a few days. It seems to curb the sweets craving for a bit. Or, If you know a person that goes to Weight Watcher meetings, they sell these little packages of fruit chews that are awesome and better for you than candy or some of the other sugars you may be consuming. They are somewhat satisfying and take time to chew so you buy time for your body to say.....thankyou....now I'm satisfied. LOL. If you can get past the first 10 min of a craving, you're more likely gonna get past it without succumbing to the crave. Good luck.

I don't know anything about carb cycling but seitan is an excellent vegetarian high protein low carb food.

Have you asked your doc about it at all? Or does your doc have nurses? I find nurses tend to know a LOT more about practical stuff like medication or withdrawal side effects and coping techniques. Whether it's a new side effect or your old appetite coming back with a vengeance they may be able to help.

Do you think things like mints or sweet-tasting but not sugary herbal tea (like Rooibos, IIRC that tastes somewhat sweet) would help?

Be patient and kind with yourself. It might take a month for your body to adjust. Check with a pharmacist. They seem to know about medications that doctors do.

Goo sources of protein with low-ish carbs are walnuts, spinach, flax seed, . . .