Posted 12/16/2006 4:22 AM (GMT 0)
Levonne -
Gald to see that you started a new thread...
When I first started taking Prozac and Trazodone, as I said before, I put on 80 lbs faster than I've ever put on weight before. That was 13 years ago. I've noticed in the time since that whenever I'm taking anything regularly that mellows me out for sleep (Benadryl, melatonin, any sleep med, alcohol) I really begin to crave the sweets. I think it is due to my body's sluggishness caused by the sleeping meds. The sugar gives me a boost, but since sugar gives such a short boost, you need more and more to keep you going. Thus the bingeing, or constant cravings. And the more sugar I eat, the more I crave it.
Some things that I found that helped me: Eating sugar free foods that had few calories (sugar-free Jello, cookies made especially for diabetics, sugar free hard candy); a lot of fruits can cure the cravings like apples, oranges, and kiwis; drink tons of water, going to the bathroom a lot takes your mind off of the sugar cravings. Sounds funny, but it does work.
The biggest help I found was to begin employing the REBT techniques I learned from my drug-use recovery. I think REBT has been redubbed CBT, but regardless of the name, the techniques help you to dig up the roots of your cognitive reasoning behind any kind of craving (drug, food, sexual, gambling, etc) and gives you the ability to dispute your faulty mental processes. I am not a mental health professional, but I know that when I discovered REBT, a light went on inside my head, and a lot of the crap I was telling myself began to have less impact on my behaviors. Of course, without constant reinforcement and practice, I tend to forget how much it helps me...
I'm not sure how much of this helps you, but I was able to get over the insatiable cravings when I stopped the Trazodone. After the Traz went, I began exercising regularly, and I was able to lose the weight. Put me back down to 205lbs from 285lbs! I am constantly aware of my sweet tooth now because I vowed that I would never let myself get that big again. Talk to your pyschiatriast/doctor about this. If they aren't aware of the torment that carbs are putting you through, they need to be. As I said before, I can't say for sure that it is the Traz, I can only speak from my own experience. Hope this is of some help.
Beartooth