<p>My son (age 20) has extreme sugar/carb cravings. History: He is on the autism spectrum and has many of the digestive issues that people on the spectrum have. He also has Executive Function issues, which means poor impulse control.</p>
<p>For a while I thought he had a binge eating disorder. It’s settled into carbs, mostly sweets. When I found the tubs of icing hidden in his drawer, I started researching sugar cravings. I have come up with these possiblities, all of which seem to fit:</p>
<p>yeast imbalance/candida</p>
<p>leaky gut syndrome</p>
<p>side effect of Lexipro</p>
<p>adrenal fatigue</p>
<p>He is not diabetic. Earlier this year he was severely anemic but that seems to have been resolved. He had an appointment with his PCP last week, who didn’t seem interested in making a diagnosis. (In response to his ballooning weight, the doc suggests that he work out.)</p>
<p>I don’t even know where to turn for medical/diagnostic help. The “cures” that I read about online are all over the board - eat lots of yogurt/don’t eat any yogurt; eat lots of animal fats/avoid all animal products.</p>
<p>If he has had a thorough medical exam recently (including blood work) and everything is normal, perhaps his cravings for sugar are psychologically based. Take a look at the article in the attached link. </p>
<p>Perhaps his overconsumption of sugary products is one more symptom of his autism and tied in with a difficulty in self-regulation and self control.</p>
<p>I’ve thought for a while that it could be psychologically based. But I’m currently leaning toward a physical cause. As for a medical exam with blood work - that would not detect something like adrenal fatigue or leaky gut syndrome. </p>
<p>When H asked for a referral to a nutritionist, the doctor said “why? he wouldn’t follow the advice anyway.”</p>
<p>When I read some of the websites, I know that they are “out there.” Probably lots of quackery in this area. But so much of it is spot on for him.</p>
<p>Just some thoughts, I am not an MD, so take it FWIW.</p>
<p>-He may not have diabetes, he may have the opposite, hypoglycemia (basically the opposite of diabetes, the body produces too much insulin in reaction to sugar, which causes a sugar drop). From what I have read, it is often misdiagnosed.</p>
<p>-It could be psychological, people who are depressed or have other issues might crave the ‘sugar high’.</p>
<p>-It could be a form of addiction, as someone else said, where the body/brain craves it. </p>
<p>If at all possible, you may want to get him to a specialist rather then an internist or whatever they call family practice doctors (not sure if that would fall under an endocrinologist or not…). These kind of issues are tricky and probably requires expertise a lot of family physicians don’t know or frankly care about and his comments about ‘working out’ after telling him about what your son is doing quite honestly indicates someone who doesn’t give a crap, it is like someone battling obesity and a doctor telling them ‘easy, just push away from the table and exercise’, it is judgement rather then trying to get to the root of the problem.</p>
<p>An osteopath, will know more about nutrition than your average MD.</p>
<p>My H doesn’t hoard food, but he has in the past gotten on a coffee/cigarettes/donut cycle that he needs to keep adding one of those to raise his blood sugar.</p>
<p>Something more protein based with simple carbs is needed to get them off the cycle.</p>
<p>Perhaps ask your doctor or nutritionist about chromium supplements. As a lifetime chocoholic, who can go hypoglycemic pretty quickly when I’m low on sugar, it has been very useful to me. One 400mg pill in the morning and I don’t crave sugar or carbs at all anymore. It levels out my blood sugar and is definitely not psychological. If I miss my pill, I start craving sugar again.</p>
<p>my brother is in to the wheat belly thought…[Wheat</a> Belly | Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight](<a href=“http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/]Wheat”>http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/) he swears it’s helped with all cravings etc. It’s basically the belief that you have to cut out all flour out of your diet along with sugar. I have no interest although I should…</p>
<p>Oh missypie - I know you’ve been dealing with this for a while. I do have to say though that your doctor is not that far off with regards to a nutritionist referral; it’s unlikely he will follow the advice. If you and your husband want to visit one and get some plans that might be beneficial but it’s a tough road ahead. He may also find small, slow changes not impossible. </p>
<p>Oh and the research your skeptical of -you’re probably right in your skepticism. Speaking in generalizations means they are bound to be “spot on” for your son and thousands of others. This is not for a home diagnosis, although it might be hard to get him to the doctors he needs to see.</p>
<p>I agree that you need a new doctor–perhaps not necessarily a specialist, but a good internist. Is your current primary care doc an internist, or a family practioner, or what?</p>
<p>I have a bad sugar addiction. When I’m “on” sugar, I can (for example) easily eat a bag of jelly beans at a sitting while filling the kids’ Easter baskets. I have a few times gotten completely off sugar (including white carbs) by following the first few steps of DesMaisons’ program (eat a good breakfast, have protein at every meal, avoid overt sugar). I did not have to follow the rest of the program (avoid all hidden sugar (in things like ketchup), eat a potato before bed, etc.) When “off sugar” I actually find sugar repulsive. I go into a wonderful, serene mental state that I don’t want to shatter (by eating sugar). I guess it says something bad about my character that I have not managed to maintain the sugarfree state permanently. </p>
<p>Maybe your son would be willing to try this program? I have to eliminate sugar for only about 3 days to get into the state where I stop craving it.</p>
<p>I second the suggestions to get a new doctor. Judging from your current doctor’s comments, he is treating your son with contempt.</p>
<p>The starting point for any discussion of sugar addiction or adolescent obesity must start with Dr. Robert Lustig. Here is a recent presentation he gave in the Google authors series:</p>
<p>Your initial suspicion of a binge eating disorder certainly sounds like a possibility from your description. This website can provide additional information. [Welcome</a> to BEDA- About BED](<a href=“http://www.bedaonline.com/aboutBED.html]Welcome”>http://www.bedaonline.com/aboutBED.html)
There are evidence-based treatments available if BED ends up being the diagnosis. I know it is difficult to see your child struggle with this.</p>
<p>Has he been on a round or two of antibiotics recently? If so, it could be yeast overgrowth (which I know you mentioned) and probiotics might help. It does take a while to start to work so he would need to be persistent and patient. Good luck.</p>
<p>Not antibiotics, but antacids. About a year ago he was gulping Mylanta out of the bottle for severe heartburn. He’s had every test the gastroenterologist can come up with, but no ulcer. (But he does have a hiatal hernia.) He takes Prilosec and a prescription pill for acid reflux. This is one of the things that made me think Candida/yeast ovrgrowth.</p>
<p>It says more about your humanity Cut yourself some slack.</p>
<p>Missypie - with all of the issues/symptoms, you do need a Dr. House! See of you can find an MD that specialized in holistic medicine. Someone who will look at ALL the issues, not just the digestive issues. You’re a good and patient mom! Best of luck!</p>
<p>Missypie,
Probiotics are easy to take, so give it a whirl.</p>
<p>Check out THE MOOD CURE by Julia Ross.
(An addiction counselor who developed a supplement & amino acid based treatment for all sorts of addictions, incl sugar. Also deals with the ancillary and related issues: yeast infections, parasites, adrenal issues, thyroid issues, hormonal fluctuations…)</p>
[quote]
but antacids. About a year ago he was gulping Mylanta out of the bottle for severe heartburn.[.quote]</p>
<p>Is he overweight? (you mention ballooning weight) If so that alone could cause the heartburn. If he’s overweight “fixing” his diet might cure the sugar cravings but it sounds like he’s “buying and hiding food?” Plus I’m assuming he’s gone during the day doing something so probably eating then, too. I do agree that lexapro makes people want more sugar. My H rarely ate deserts or sweets until he went on Lexapro five years ago, now he “likes” his daily sugar! But wanting a cookie or two and “hiding” sweets are entirely different emotional responses.</p>
<p>Does he see a therapist? It sounds to me like there is something more going on and rather than trying to break it down to this problem or that problem perhaps therapy could help him get in the mental frame of dealing with the nutrition which might help with the reflux and the sugar cravings.</p>
Cut yourself some slack.</p>