Mental Health and Sugar Addiction

(Amy) #1

Hello and thank you for reading. I have been eating keto for 5 weeks. I have sucked up as much information on the internet as I could find. The first couple weeks I was in a honeymoon phase where all was right with the world and I lost 10 pounds easily. The last three weeks weight loss has stalled, which I’m okay with…being patient. Last week I was so full of energy and exercising. But then I got my period Sunday and have felt sluggish, exhausted, and depressed since then.

I am bipolar, I’m on several meds and have been well controlled for five months with more mild mood swings, though it took a long time to get my meds right. I also have PCOS so my menstruation cycle can be rough for me. I am trying to figure out if this recent awful feeling is my bipolar disorder, my menstrual mood issues, if maybe I’m suffering from an emotional sugar addiction withdrawal, or if I may be lacking essential nutrients.

My psychiatrist didn’t have any answers for me, but she doesn’t think my worsening symptoms have to do with the diet change, and thinks it is just symptoms of being bipolar. I’m not so sure.

I am not seeking medical advice here, but I was hoping some of you might be able to share what to expect emotionally in the first months, and if worsened PMS moods and menstrual changes are normal. If anyone reading this happens to be bipolar or has knowledge of the illness, I would love to hear your experience and advice, too! I am hoping this anxiousness and depression is just a phase until I adjust. Also, should I be supplementing with magnesium, potassium, omegas, etc… I don’t know if those deficiencies affect energy and moods.

Thank you for sticking with me to the end. I know it’s a lot. I’m a little overwhelmed.

#2

I don’t have advice for you, but want to applaud you for doing something great for your health, asking questions, researching, and seeking answers! Caring enough to ask is huge!! I hope some others here can help you and give you answers! Keep it up, keto friend!!!

(Anne S.) #3

It was about 8 weeks for me until I felt better. Sugar addiction was hard.

(Jo Lo) #4

Sugar lights up the same parts of the brain that crack cocaine does.
Expect withdrawl symptoms.

(David Driver) #5

My heart goes out to you as I struggle with mental health issues myself. I can tell you that just like many others it took me about eight weeks to get on the other side of the sugar cravings, then about another twelve weeks to get over being self righteous about it. I can tell you that I get worse when my diet is bad but I don’t know that anybody on the internet is going to be able to give you a better answer than confirming that big changes in diet can affect your mental wellbeing. Just be kind to yourself and try to stay sensitive to what is going on emotionally. (I have thought about replying to your post all afternoon. I have typed a few different posts and deleted them. I hope that this is actually comforting or helpful or benign or at worst just slightly annoying.)

(Amy) #6

Thank you, David, for putting the time and effort into your thoughtful response. I feel bad that you spent time typing and deleting responses. The first one would have helped me, I’m sure.

I guess I’m just mostly worried that the symptoms I’m experiencing will tailspin me into a very dark place that’s difficult to climb out of and I’m trying to get a handle on it to prevent that from happening. Bipolar disorder is a beast and makes it difficult to sort my emotions out.

But I took a few deep breaths (and a klonopin…lol) and I feel like my feet are coming back down to the earth. I’m going to stay the course and hope that my mood swings continue to improve.

Your response was comforting and I will take your advice to heart. I am sorry that you, too, have suffered with mental health, but I thank you for reaching out so I don’t feel quite so alone in my struggle for healthy balance. Thank you.

(Jen H) #7

For me, Keto has made most of the month better but has made pms a bit worse (irritability) and my cycle heavier and a little bit more painful. I am hoping as I get closer to my goal weight, and therefore less hormones that are stored in fat get released, that I will even out. I’m not sure if that will be the case, And I haven’t seen much research on it.

Also, I realized I was using food or even the thought of food to help alter my moods, and I can’t use that anymore., so I’ve sort of lost that crutch.

In general, it’s worth it for me to have my moods consistent most of the month and not deal with blood sugar spikes affecting my mood. I’m not bipolar, but have general anxiety and have had periods of depression, with major bipolar in my family.

(Wenchie) #8

I can very much relate to @jmzynda

Like you @Patakitty I felt great and encouraged for the first weeks, seeing my pounds drop and having more energy. I suffer from depressions and anxieties that most of the time dictated my life. Starting Keto made me feel a lot better BUT my first period in this was dragging me down terribly.

Especially the last two days I felt that I am struggling to keep up hope that things will change BUT I have done lots of reading and seemingly that’s something that happens at the beginning and gets better. I have seen on a German forum for depressions that a lot of members described them being able to deal with their dark times better since they changed their diet (not just Keto but mainly less suggar)…

All the best for you! :heart_eyes: Please know people are here that at least understand how you feel a bit (well I would not claim to even understand how bipolar feels) personally it helped me knowing people here gone through similar and got better… just feeling there is hope.

Best best wishes from Germany :blush:

(Amy) #9

Thank you! I am feeling much better today…almost back to my normal self. I hadn’t thought about thinking about food being mood altering. I actually still think about food all day long…things I can have and things I can’t.

I, too, have read that this diet is good for depression and anxiety, which is why I was kind of taken out with this menstrual cycle. I was like…isn’t this supposed to get better no worse?

I’m going to keep at it and hope the next cycle is a little gentler.

Thank you for being so supportive!

#10

Ha!! So true!!! :joy: