? about suger/starch type foods while going through WDs

[satiniair206]

Some of you have told me you crave them too. I am eating like a horse at night-chips, popcorn, grape fruit juice and can already tell I am gaining weight-fast. The urge for the drink is early pm. The eating urges are about  2 hours after taking the dose.

I am now down to 1 1/2 pills of hydro a night but the lack of motivation during the day is actually worse than before I was tapering. It is now getting much easier to wake up in the morning-which is good, but still took me about 4 hours to shower, get dressed and walk out the back door. I am not getting anything done !

I am wondering if junk food helps or hurts/makes no difference get over the wd's?

I am seriously considering speeding up my taper in hopes I will feel better sooner than later. I want to hurry up and get down to 1 pill or less a night. But in the mean time, I need to keep functioning and wondering what kinds of food will help?  
In the morning I am Taking 1 5htp, 1 L-tyrosine, 1 vit c, 1 b-complex, 1-3 high powered ginsing pills.
Cutting back on the ginsing as starting to think it may be causing some of my anxiety, but not sure.
Anything else I should be taking/eating?

good luck to all!

[satiniair206]

Thanks- I was no longer getting a big rush without taking more and more and I think that is why tapering is working for me. I think for me, it would have been harder to go C/T.

For people that want to taper, but can't, I have seen more elaborate plans where you go from say 6 to 5 and if that is too much you go back to 5.5 till you adjust. Others taper very very slowly, like 1/8 of a pill at a time. Guess you just have to find something that works for you and try it.

3rd day of new lunch - I did eat some junk food afterwords and felt slightly tired but defiantly not drugged so feel pretty sure I am allergic to that walmart food ...
Cheers..,..

[laurel453]

really, you are doing great with your tappering, most of us are unable of following any taper, i was at least unable so the fact that you are sticking to it, sends very good vibes ..

[satiniair206]

Well Friday was the first day and today was the second day that had that smoked turkey for lunch and had zero problems afterwords. What ever is in those walmart sandwiches always made me tired and about 75% of the time feel really bad as well. And again, the reason I did not put 2 and 2 together sooner was I always thought it was just the hydro wearing off from the night before. Littlebit you are right I looked at the ingredients and this turkey has a lot of sodium so I will eventually have to find something without all the junk added.  It sure is hard to to eat healthy without spending a lot of $$$ or time, seems like they would offer something without preservatives/salt for people who are single and don't have a lot of time. Lets see how day 3 goes..


laurel: They have talked about doing that in the US, but no go as of yet. Our local university makes money off of those machines so they have no real incentive to change and pretty sure it is the same way for k-12.

On the other front:
Hydro tapering going good. ...go to 3/4 a pill tomorrow, 1/2 pill on sat so not much longer till I am done! Nite and thanks for the info and support

[laurel453]

the way we eat affects the way we feel, Hawke.. and kudos to you for the changes you are doing... I remember that some time ago in the UK, they took away all the junk food and candies machines from the schools after realising that the children were falling asleep and feeling tires after lunch hour because of the "garbage" they were eating... all these foods give an energy boost that it is very, very short lived and afterwards the levels of insulin drops and we feel tired and craving for more...

turkey is a great choice, btw, is high on tryptophan
and another one that i like... cheese and tomatoes in french bread ;)
another link :)
http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/231103/Tryptophan-and-food?personal_page_id=186524

[littlebit667]

using the lunchmeat is good.  You might try buying a rotisserie chicken.  It makes great sandwiches.  You can add bbq sauce for bbq chicken sandwish or buy some pita bread for sandwiches or even make a burrito out of it with cheese and salsa.  Lots of good stuff with that chicken.  I pretty much gave up lunchmeat  because of the preservatives.

[satiniair206]

Well I bought better food this week: Drinks with 5 calories, bananas, and lunch meats (smoked turkey & chicken) for during the week. I think what I was eating was part of my problem of feeling bad in the afternoon. Here is why and maybe this will help someone else:

For months now I have eaten the same basic thing every day for lunch (walmart cheeseburger or walmart meat sandwich). I am not crazy, I did it to save money as I used to eat out every day and I realized I was spending a lot of money. Plus it was quick- I could just throw in the MW at work and be ready in 60 seconds. Anyway well before I decided to quit I would feel very drugged/tired about a hour after eating and always figured it was hydro after effects. Now that I have cut down, I noticed I was starting to feel good in the am but still feel bad in the pm and it was always after I had eaten lunch. So I asked around and someone said it could be the preservatives. Anyway I felt terrible Thursday afternoon so that evening I went to the store and bought smoked turkey/ham for lunch. Yesterday(Friday) I ate a smoked turkey sandwich for lunch and I never felt drugged afterwords and could function the rest of the day. 1 day doesn't prove anything but I will do the same next week and see what happens.  

As far as Hydro goes:
last night was my last night at 1 1/4. Tonight I cut down to 1 pill. Last night I did feel a slight urge to do more-it was Friday night after all, but It was not hard to resist. This is why I taper, to gradually get the "thrill" out of my system so I can avoid relapse.  At last weeks dose, things seem to be getting incrementally better, except for afternoons . Even that amount makes me stay up, but otherwise the after effects are slowly getting better!

Hope everyone is hanging in there! Just keep trying..I feel so much better than when I started 3 weeks ago and feel I am now on the downhill side of things.. Good luck!

[satiniair206]

Thank you- I am always slow when making most changes. That is why I have been tapering to gradually get it out of my system and gradually get used to "normal" rather than it being a shock. Same with junk food...go from a big bag of potato chips to smaller ones then eventually quit- BTW I saw something on the news a few days ago saying there is additives in chips or at least some of them to make you crave them.

Will look for the dark stuff next time I am at the store and see how it goes.

I think I need to cut down but not stop the ginseng as I did not take it this morning and was very tired after lunch. So will just take one in the am and see how it goes..

Also I have decided to try tapering slightly faster...went down to 1 1/4 tonight instead of waiting a week (Sat). Hopefully I won't regret it tomorrow at work.

Thanks and regards,
Hawke

[laurel453]

yeah, you can buy green tea capsules but it is a good idea if you drink it at work, this way you will be making healthier choices during the day and at work and making some habit changes, the same with walk during the evenings.... this is the better way to make changes, step by step so they stay :) ... the Ltyrosine can increase the anxiety if you take it in high doses and much more if you take it in the evenings so it is normal that you couldn't sleep at all.... if you had felt better without the ginseng, then cut it off and see what happens... where i live, we usually eat a lot of fish and yeah, it is much healthier than red meat and  a good source of proteins ... chicken is also a good option to lose weight...I am a chocaddict and dark chocolate makes the trick and i don't feel like eating a lot of it like with milk chocolates, it is a bit bitter and again a healthier option. We can not change in one day our bad habits but making small changes every day is the way to go, Hawke

[satiniair206]

Thanks- I already found out about the L-tyrosine. One site recommended high doses and I could tell it was making me feel bad and if I took it too late I could not sleep as well. Now 1 am 1 afternoon max!

[satiniair206]

Can you buy L-theanine  outright or is it only in foods? Co-workers drink that tea and we just got a new vending machine that has it so I will give it a try and see what happens. One of my older friend's at work has been drinking that green tea for many years. She looks 20 years younger that her real age and I have seen her out run a guy that was 25 years younger than her. Maybe there is something to that tea. She also thinks there is something pro health about eating a lot of fish and claims you can eat it all day and still lose weight.

[satiniair206]

Well today by accident I did find out that the ginseng may be causing some of the issues, though I can't say for sure. First, this is not your normal walmart ginseng, but a stronger version carried by Amazon. It has more kick and I was using it to over come afternoon grogginess, help with exercise , etc.
Well this morning I was running late and forgot to take it. Long story short I normally get really tired after lunch yet today I felt only slightly tired. But beyond that, I actually felt pretty good this afternoon with no anxiety-other than chewing too much gum-that's another story for another day. Now I have been taking 5 htp on a more regular basis so it could be that-again not sure.  Late in the day I took a 45 min break and went walking/running and when I got home I felt like 100% normal for the first time in a long time. Nighttime came and I took 2 of the ginseng, 1 zinc, and my 1 1/2 hydro dose. I actually got some gitterness that I sometimes feel and I wonder now if it's the high powered ginseng? About to go to bed and it's gone now but it has to make me wonder. I do remember comments about it saying it's great but you should cycle it- I don't want to do that but I think I will cut down. I was taking about 5 a day and now that I have cut down on the hydro so much I probably don't need that much anyway.

I will get some bananas and dark chocolate in a few days when I got shopping-that I can handle though I don't want to get hooked on the chocolate :)
  Part of my late night eating was withdrawals, part just habit. It's late and I have only had my juice tonight - just have to not do it when I don't really need it...thanks!

[satiniair206]

Well I used to eat some of that (premade salads) and do eat a lot of chicken, its lunch is where i am eating the junk-mostly due to time issues. And of course the junk at night though I am already doing better . And I have so much running around to do when I get home that an hour is kinda on the too long side for me :) Probably why my house is always a mess too!

Thanks for the tips...one day I will get my life together and have more time to myself and will take an hour to fix my dinner :)

[laurel453]

hahaha ... sure but  tv programs have the same effect for me without drinking green tea  ;)

[Luckytwice]

So that's why I always fall asleep watching tv in the evening after a couple cups of green tea, LoL!

[laurel453]

yeah,... green tea is a good source of L-theanine

[Luckytwice]

Healthier foods would be much better for you. Don't forget, your body needs specific nutrients in order to regrow those neurons and produce those neurotransmitters.
Take a look at the links at the bottom of the main page for some food ideas that help with your endorphins and other amino acids!  There's nothing wrong with an appetite,  just satisfy it with better stuff!

If you find yourself having some anxiety the amino L-theanine is like natural valium.

too much L-tyrosine can also cause anxiety problems. You should always start at a lower dose of that stuff, 200mgs.

[laurel453]

the ginseng is not increasing your anxiety, btw... don't cut it down.. in fact, it relieves it by controlling the level of cortisol...when we are feeling anxiety, our levels of cortisol are high, our body thinks that we are in danger and releases cortisol to fight the " danger "... go for a long walk in the evenings and eat cereals with a cup of milk and a couple of bananas and dark chocolate when you are feeling such a hunger at nights ( they are better on the whole that all the junk food you are eating now ) .... it is said that cravings for starch foods are from people with stress and high levels of cortisol so end the cycle by changing the diet ... step by step and for now, stick to your taper and good luck, Hawke :)

[snakejones]

You're welcome, honey! You are making good progress here; if you can jack up the good food and keep the trash food down to a minimum your healing will probably be even faster. Any kind of support improves quality of life. Eating from the store doesn't have to be bad or even hard. Eat fruit and veggies that are ready to eat and can be held in the hand. What's easier than that? There are prepacked salads, good bread in the deli/bakery, soups, frozen microwave meals that are actually good for you, etc. And there is NOTHING easier than turning your oven to 325 (classic roasting temperature), throwing a chicken breast or a leg quarter in there after you put garlic salt and pepper, and sitting there drooling till you eat--usually around one hour. You can microwave baking potatoes in just a few minutes, or put them in the oven with the chicken. It's not hard at all, especially in this day and age. C'mon, don't act like you have to go chop wood for a woodburning stove!  ;-D

[satiniair206]

Yea I knew I was not eating right but it sure was helping with the WD's. Maybe that is why I felt so hungover this weekend. Anyway I think I can cut down on that stuff easy enough..maybe not stop but just enough to satisfy me so I can sleep. thanks.

[satiniair206]

Thank you for the links. My coworkers have said I eat bad so I know it's not helping. Problem is that I am single and have limited time/abilities to cook for myself , so I basically eat out of the store.

With that said I know all this juice is bad for me-it's almost as strong of a pull as the hydro and it even gives you a lift as well. But now i will make a effort to cut back on that as well. Will have some before bedtime but otherwise drank water today, even for supper.  Thanks again...

[satiniair206]

Yes there is certainly a connection for me - I should have noticed a long time ago when I was just started out on the pills- I thought it was just stress I was going through at the time. I have started to drink more water so hopefully that will help with the weight.

Oh and the reason I can taper is because I got to the point where I was not longer getting the "rush anymore and I was not willing to keep upping the amounts.  If you are close to this point, you should be able to taper just go very very easy at first. On other board they have some elaborate tapering systems-mine is not, but I did come away with the idea that I am probably - at this point- going too slowly. They say cut every 3-4 days so I think I am going to try that and see what happens.

Oh and once you are free, just remind yourself of how bad you felt for so long when you get the urge to use them again!

I know once I am free I am going to have to find new ways to stay occupied, just not sure what that is just yet...

Good luck!!!

[justsaynotodrugs]

        Sugar is a energizer, it will speed you up for a little while, it can help the jonesing from drugs, but dont eat to much.

[snakejones]

Hi! I believe that the cravings are caused by body and brain distress. In a really unscientific explanation, you aren't giving your body and brain its favorite stuff any more, so it thinks of the next best thing, which is food and drink. The brain only runs off pure glucose--and if I remember right, it's the only organ in the body that does. So probably, your carb and sugar cravings are a function of your poor body to comfort itself.
My suggestion is that you try to eat healthy, except for one treat a day, to be eaten and enjoyed without guilt or worry. Pick the time of the day when you are most likely to get the most pleasure and comfort out of your treat---with many people, it's late evening or bedtime. This way you can have what you like but not gain weight. Many addicts have a ravenous appetite when they are in the early clean phase--not just due to craving, but because the body is awakening from its deep drug dependence sleep and food just tastes so wonderful. I wish you all the best!

[laurel453]

it doesn't help...In fact, it is the opposite... sugar and these carbs full of fat and all the junk food trouble your insulin levels, it is another vicious cycle like addiction.. Also junk food makes you crave for alcohol and viceversa...

the more sugar and carbs, the more your body asks for them... the healthier you eat, the best you will feel, Hawke... if you want sugar or some sweet, go for dark chocolate or fruits... I know well that we feel better eating but if it is junk food , this feeling good is short lived and our bodies ask for more junk food... so eat  5/6 times a day and small portions of healthy eating like  vegs, proteins, fruit

read these links to give you some tips on what to eat
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Addiction/Foods-that-Increase-Dopamine-Naturally/show/594?cid=66
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Addiction/OPIATE-RECOVERY-DIET-AND-LIFESTYLE/show/412?cid=66