Can withdrawing sugar suddenly make you this sick?

Question

I figured out that I was consuming at least 250g of sugar per day - primarily from drinking about a litre of flavoured skim milk - and decided I should cut out the flavoured milk to reduce my sugar intake. Yesterday - the first day I tried my new diet - I was feeling ravenously hungry all day, presumably because I was drinking so much milk it was a substantial food source for me, I think, and my stomach felt very acid.

I could cope with that, but this morning I woke up feeling nauseous and vomited, and had a revolting migraine most of the day (though I'm prone to migraine already). Could this be because my sugar has dropped so dramatically and suddenly? Would it be wiser to drop it more gradually?

Anna C - No, there was no crack in the milk, but do you think that would help? ; )

Answer 1

I doubt if it is specifically the sugar but it may be that you already had a acid stomach that the milk was helping to calm.

If you have suddenly and drastically dropped the total calories you are consuming you will feel hungry and probably thirsty as well as it was a drink you have stopped. You may need to increase your water intake and eat something else to replace the nutrients lost from stopping drinking the milk.

If you are feeling hungry then try looking at a GI based diet. The idea of this is improving the quality of the carbs in your diet to ensure slow release of the calories instead of the quick hit you would get from sugars and refined carbs.

I would suggest that you speak to a doctor about your symptoms though as it could all just be a coincidence.

Answer 2

Hey there I get migraines as well and yes a sudden drop in sugar intake will cause all those problems for me too. I went through it when I stopped drinking soda. Good news is once you get past the yuckies, you may end up having fewer migraines. The constant rise and fall of blood sugar from drinking sweetened milk causes issues too, the insulin does effect your brain and vessels too. I would recommend you continue drinking their milk though only without the flavor. Milk does wonders for acid stomach....another issue we've got in common. If only milk didnt make me sick.

Answer 3

First, what new diet are you on?

It is alright to cut the flavoured milk and any sugar totally. To prevent hunger, sickness and migraine, eat some complex carbs.

Your body may be reacting to the lack of sugar which complex carbs can replace. Complex carbs turn into sugar for absorption into the cells, but the digestion process takes longer, so you won't have high spikes in your insulin production. And you will not feel hungry so soon.

Eat vegetables and lean protein. The foods are low caloried, and yet filling and healthy.

Read
What about Sugars
http://lclfhfhpwhataboutsugars.blogspot.com
More about Sugars
http://lclfhfhpmoreaboutsugars.blogspot.com

Details such as my weight loss experience, meals, recipes, foods to buy, reading labels, walking as an exercise and to shape the body etc etc, are in my blog.
Xiaozhen

Answer 4

If you are experiencing symptoms and you believe it is sugar related, go back to the sugar and try weening yourself off a bit more slowly.

When I was diagnosed with diabetes I went very cold turkey like you but I had no symptoms like you are describing. I just crashed. My body was used to way too much sugar as well and when I cut that quick energy source I felt it in about 3 hours. It took about 2 weeks of a healthy diet before I started getting any of my energy back. I don't think I will ever be like I was before the diagnoses

Answer 5

Try replacing the simple carbohydrate in sugar and milk with complex carbohydrates like whole grains and fruit. Your body breaks them down more slowly and provides a steadier supply of energy.

Answer 6

Sugar withdrawal cannot create such symtoms but milk withdrawal cud as milk neutralises acid produced in the stomach.

Answer 7

yes it can do. i had to give up on chocolate and i actually felt sick. i have been of chocolate for nearly a month. a little bit of sugar isn't that bad for you after all in the food pyramid you can have a little bit of something fatty for you. the best thing for you to do is to graduallt ween yourself of it. going cold turkey is the hardest thing ever, maybe switch to ordinary milk.

Answer 8

Does it have crack in it!?