Why am I eating so much after I quit using Opiates and Cocaine?

Hey everyone! I am a 26 year old female, who recently just got out of a 30 day rehab. I was a heroin, cocaine, crack, and Methadone addict for 11 years. It was my first time in rehab and the longest that I have been clean. My question is (since this is so new to me) why cant I stop eating? I am always hungry! I tried diet pills - didn't work. Will this uncontrollable urge to eat come to an end? In result to this high food intake, I am gaining weight. I have worked so hard to restore my mind and body to be ingaged in this self distructive behavior. PLEASE HELP!!!! I was 112 lbs when I entered rehab and left at 118 lbs. I am a127 today (4 days out), and stand 5'7" tall. I should be 120 for my height and age. All of this exyra weight does not feel healthy. Thanks for listening, please comment if you have answers or if you could relate.

[bucksfan]

Did you deprive your body of wholesome food during your addiction? I know for me, it was a chore to eat. It killed my pill buzz so I only tried to do it 2x a day. Plus I always so busy I couldnt find the time to ever cook a meal so I ate horribly. Then as I was going through the DT's I couldnt eat let alone make something. After those passed I am eating like a horse as well. just make sure you eat healthy. Wouldnt you rather worry about eating to much or being hungry then worrying about running out of your drugs? Its a good thing, right?

[outcold]

First, a big congrats on getting clean! As for the eating...our bodies have a way of asking for what they need. Perhaps your body needs the extra calories to heal itself. Listen to it...You probably were not at a healthy weight upon entering rehab I'm guessing? You are fighting a HUGE battle now, no need to take on a problem that isn't even a problem now. Give yourself a break. You should be very proud and reward your body for allowing you to abuse it for so long and still doing what you needed it to do. Relax...I'm sure you are beautiful.

[laurel453]

this is quite common... you are craving for sugar and carbs, right ? ok, on one hand, it seems our dopamine receptors already affected by the drug abuse are asking for their dopamine "dope"... being these your doc, alcohol, sugar ...whatever can calm them down... so you'd better don't give them what they are asking for... the sooner they get used that there are no more "extras fixes", the best.. ( i am not saying not to eat sugar at all, just to be careful because of this )...

on the other hand, the more sugar and carbs and junk food you eat, the more you messes with the insulin levels of your body and  you will feel hungry more frequently... so once you start eating this type of food, its kind of a vicious cycle.

it also has to do with anxiety... we tend to go for this kind of  behaviour  and do it compulsively if we see that we feel better and everyone feels better after eating choc and sugar, it is a short shoot of instant energy but with some side effects like this of gaining weight, so be careful here too  because i am assuming that you don't want to gain more and you want to lose the already gained weight :)

i would recommend you to eat as healthy as possible...lots of vegs, salads, fish, chicken, turkey, fiber, maybe some protein shakes.....try to eat every three hours small portions to keep your insulin levels stable so you don't feel so hungry... avoid sugar , processed food, sodas and sugary drinks.... substitute them by fruits and fruit juices if you want something sugary...dark chocolate instead of the milk one.... make those changes little by little so as not to increase your anxiety and you will start losing weight :)

good luck ! :)

[IBKleen]

Hi!

Congrats on going through and completing rehab.

I know you don't want to hear this but it is completely normal to gain weight after getting clean. We abuse our bodies for so long and I don't know about you but for me, on Heroin, I starved myself. I had no appetite at all for almost 20 years. When I finally got to rehab I craved sugar so bad. In two weeks I had gained over 20 lbs and had to have my mom bring me new clothes in a different size.

The good news is that it will level off and then you can watch what you eat and exercise.

Please, please be careful with the diet pills. It is not a good idea and the behavior of taking a pill to fix something is scary. You need to keep a close eye on that right now.

I hope they set you up in aftercare and  hope you stick with it. I wish you the best.

[laurel453]

just remember there are some good articles about this issue on the health pages ( right side of your screen)... check the OPIATE RECOVERY DIET AND LIFESTYLE :)

[MaryLL]

It is normal to gain weight in rehab and after because, as several people said, you didn't take care of your physical needs while your body was obsessed with using drugs. But, I encourage you not to take pills to lose weight. This is just continuing the pattern of "taking something in from outside to make changes."
Be aware that it's easy to develop a cross-addiction to something else after you get clean from your primary drug. I encourage you to talk to your outpatient counselor and let him/her know your weight concerns. Seeing a nutritionist who has worked with recovering addicts could be helpful too. It's not so much that you're eating alot probably as that what your body is craving is "comfort" food that has high carbs/fats ratios.
Congratulate yourself on your sobriety and know that getting healthy is a long journey, one day at a time. You are right where you need to be and another congrats for seeing a problem developing and having the courage to face it head on!!
Bless you!

[lmccoy]

I read your post and weight. I don't know your age, but at 5'7" 120 is modeling weight not real life weight. I believe that 130 to 145 is now the healthy weight in a Dr.s office. I am sure you don't want to gain weight, but it should be very low on your list of priorities now. Stop the diet pills. If you just came out of rehab you should know all the good reasons not to take pills for frivolous reasons. Relax and try to be good to your body for a change. It probably needs the food you are giving it.

[FreshOutOfRehab]

Thanks everyone for your time and comments. I never thought about the diet pills, but it makes sense now to cut that out of my diet. I will try to take the good advice that was given me and will let you know how I am doing.