Sugar refers to short-chain carbohydrates that are sweet and used in food. Most people know sugar as a whitish crystal-like powder with a sweet taste that is often added to food. Each year, hundreds of millions of tons of table sugar are produced across the world. The sugar that you eat is scientifically referred to as “sucrose” which breaks down into both fructose and glucose in the body. Although sugar is a staple ingredient in many foods, some people believe that it is unhealthy.
Those who believe sugar is unhealthy may attempt to cut consumption of sugar and/or withdraw from it altogether. Despite the fact that some people claim to experience sugar withdrawals, the severity of symptoms experienced is up for debate. Those who are anti-sugar tend to argue that frequent sugar consumption can lead to mental health problems such as attention problems, hyperactivity, and foggy thinking.
Additionally some believe that sugar consumption takes a toll on their physical health – internally and in regards to gaining weight. It seems as though sugar affects everyone differently – some people are naturally more sensitive to its effects, while others may not notice much of any psychological change from sugar consumption vs. going sugar free. In any event, if you are considering the removal of sugar from your diet, below are some symptoms that people have experienced during withdrawal.
Factors that influence Sugar withdrawal
Below are some factors that may influence your withdrawal from the substance that is sugar. Things that may play a role in your withdrawal include: time span over which you consumed sugar, your average daily consumption, your individual physiology, and whether you just quit cold turkey or gradually cut your consumption.
1. Time Span
How long have you been consuming sugar? If you’re like most people, you have been consuming sugar for most of your life. The longer you have been consuming sugar, the more difficult it is going to be to just completely cut it from your life. Most average diets are filled with considerable sugar. The more sugar that you consume for a longer period of time, the tougher it is going to be to quit.
2. Daily Consumption
How much sugar do you consume on a daily basis? A couple hundred years ago, the average American only ate about 2 lbs. of sugar annually. In the 1970’s, the average American consumed about 120 lbs. of sugar per year. These days, your average American citizen consumes nearly 152 lbs. of sugar per year or 3 lbs. per week.
This is a pretty drastic change compared to what people were eating in the 1800’s. In general, the less sugar you consume on a daily basis, the easier the withdrawal process and the less likely you are to have severe discontinuation symptoms.
3. Individual Physiology
It should be noted that everyone is affected by sugar differently. Some people are more sensitive to its effects, while others won’t notice much of a withdrawal when they stop including it in their diet. Some people will have a more difficult time coping with cravings and other psychological symptoms when they withdraw.
A lot of your personal experience will be based on your individual physiology. Certain people are able to adjust to effects of cutting sugar from their diets quicker than others.
4. Cold Turkey vs. Tapering
Most people that quit consuming sugar do so by quitting “cold turkey.” In general, quitting the consumption of sugar without gradually weaning down consumption can lead to more extreme withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms will likely be more pronounced among people who quit cold turkey after having consistently ingested large amounts of sugar for years.
If you consume a significant amount of sugar daily, it may be best to gradually cut your consumption over the course of a week or two. By gradually lowering the amount of sugar in your diet, you are gradually adapting to this change and it is thought to be an easier process.
Sugar Withdrawal Symptoms: List of Possibilities
Below is a list of possible withdrawal symptoms that you may experience when you cut sugar from your diet. Perhaps the most prevalent symptom that people experience is a strong craving for sugar and/or carbohydrates during withdrawal. Also understand that not everyone will go through all of the symptoms listed below – withdrawal varies in severity and intensity based on the person.
- Anger: If you quit cold turkey, your mood may dip and you may notice that you are more angry and irritable than usual. The anger should not last more than a couple weeks, but may be difficult to cope with if it was unexpected.
- Anxiety: Various individuals have reported feelings of anxiety when they drop sugar from their diets. It is known that sugar can have an influence on dopamine levels and activity – which could be the culprit for these feelings. Certain individuals are more sensitive than others in regard to experiencing anxiety upon discontinuation.
- Appetite changes: Eating sugar can lead some people to experience increased cravings for carbohydrates. Additionally when you stop consuming sugar, you may notice that your appetite experiences some degree of fluctuation. Initially you may eat more or less than usual, but it should balance out.
- Cravings: The most obvious effect when you stop sugar is that you’re going to crave it. The cravings for sugar may be intense and difficult to overcome. If you stay the course and stay self-disciplined, you will eventually reach a point where these cravings subside. It may help to remove sugar substances from your house and/or keep them out of sight so that you don’t fall victim to the cravings.
- Depression: People can experience a crash in mood when they first come off of sugar. This dip in mood is typically not very extreme, but can feel like a low grade depression. Eventually your mood should bounce back and stabilize.
- Dizziness: In more extreme cases of withdrawal, individuals have reported feeling dizzy when they stop consuming sugar. Most people will not feel “dizzy” when they stop including sugar in their diets, but more sensitive people can.
- Fatigue: Sugar can provide some people with short-term boosts in energy. When a person quits including sugar in their diet, it is possible to experience some general fatigue and lethargy during the first couple weeks of withdrawal. Over the long term, a person should notice that normal energy levels return.
- Flu-like: In some cases, people actually experience a severe reaction to cutting sugar from their diet that results in very low-grade flu-like symptoms. If you have this severe of a reaction, it should subside within a few days. Most people will not experience this particular symptom when they cut sugar, but everyone is affected differently.
- Headaches: Initially some people experience headaches when they remove sugar from their diet. These headaches can be a result of tension and/or the changes you are going through by detoxifying your body from sugar.
- Insomnia: Dropping sugar from your diet may temporarily result in changes in sleep patterns and arousal. You may notice that you are unable to fall asleep at a proper time because you feel anxious or your arousal has changed; this will eventually go away. Consider taking melatonin or using some sort of relaxation exercise before bed if it’s a big problem.
- Irritability: During the acute phase of cutting sugar from your diet, you may become snappy as a result of not having the sugar that you crave. Sugar can influence dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure in the brain. When we are no longer getting the same stimulation, we may become irritable.
- Mood swings: It is fairly common to experience minor mood swings when you initially cut sugar from your diet. The mood swings may consist of some minor depression, anxiety, and/or other negative feelings. Eventually your moods will stabilize without the influence of sugar, but it may take a short while for your brain to adjust.
- Shakes: In some cases, people can actually shake when they drastically cut their sugar consumption. These shakes are usually a result of cold turkey withdrawal, but are typically not too severe; they will eventually subside. This is actually a fairly common symptom among people who stop consuming sugar that were previously consuming high amounts.
- Sleep changes: The withdrawal process may affect sleep to a certain extent. During the withdrawal you may notice changes in energy levels, arousal, and mood. All of these factors are thought to influence our ability to get a good night’s sleep. Do not be surprised if your sleep is slightly influenced.
- Weight changes: Most people notice that they lose weight when they drop sugar consumption. Weight loss is generally due to the fact that people stop eating unhealthy foods and drinking beverages that are sugar-filled.
Sugar Withdrawal Duration: How long does it take?
There is no exact science suggesting that sugar withdrawal takes a specific amount of time. The duration for which you experience withdrawal symptoms will largely depend on you as a person. Some people are able to quickly adjust to functioning without sugar, while others may have a difficult time resisting cravings and the feelings that they get when they have something sugary.
Based on various experiences, most people do notice that they go through some sort of a withdrawal period when they drop sugar from their diet. However, the length of this withdrawal period is subject to variation. Some people felt considerably better and were virtually withdrawal-symptom free within a few days, while it took others up to a full month to feel completely natural and detoxified from sugar.
In general, it is thought that the reason people experience withdrawal symptoms in the first place is largely based on individual sensitivity as well as dopamine. When you stop consuming sugar, your dopamine levels may temporarily drop – leading to various psychological symptoms. To help address this problem, it is recommended to consume lean protein, fruits like blueberries and apples, as well as nuts for additional nutrients.
It is also recommended to avoid sugar-replacement products as these substances act similarly on the brain and can also have eerily similar discontinuation symptoms (e.g. aspartame withdrawal symptoms). Additionally if you are a big soda drinker and/or like energy drinks, you could also be experiencing caffeine withdrawals; this is something to consider. Most would agree that it’s up for debate as to whether there is even such thing as “sugar withdrawal” in the first place.
Some people don’t experience much of any noticeable change when they drop it from their diets, while others notice significant cognitive and psychological changes. If you have successfully weaned yourself off of sugar, feel free to share your experience in the comments section below.
I cut back on sugar. I have become irritable and sleep a lot. I was waking up with headaches. I know that I cannot remove sugar completely but I have lost 9 lbs in 2 weeks. I feel better, but I am fatigued. I do not feel better until I have sweet tea or ice cream. I am going to try to eat one tea per day and drink water for the remainder. I don’t believe that I can survive without sugar due to the headaches.
I went sugar free 4 days ago… the days are tolerable but the evening hours strike me hard. I just can’t sit and watch TV without eating something. All I do at night now is pace the room until I go to bed. Also when I stand up I get dizzy (never happened before I quit sugar).
I am on day 16 with no sugar or starchy foods and I feel sluggish and have frequent headaches. I make myself exercise through the tiredness and am hoping that this will subside once my body adjusts to this new way of eating. I can’t believe how addicting sugar is. I am not going back to my old ways.
When I began to stopped eating sugar, I noticed that every night when I went to bed, I would fall asleep for a couple hours, and then wake up and not be able to fall back asleep. I was so tired in the morning it caused me to doze off at work. My boss found me napping in my office numerous times until he said enough was enough. I was let go 2 weeks after quitting sugar. Then the extreme depression and panic attacks kicked in.
Sometimes, I would go 3 days without sleeping, I was too scared to go to bed because the panic attacks and heart attack feeling would immediately start. A month after I quit I could barely get out of bed and control my emotions. I laughed and cried hysterically for hours on end. One night I found myself standing on my apartment roof, contemplating whether life was worth living anymore. Daily panic attacks, depression, anxiety, nausea, random blood sugar drops, and numbness in my legs and arms were getting the best of me.
Thankfully the fire department talked me down and got my safely admitted to an insane asylum. Now I am in a straight jacket so I can no longer pull my hair out or cut myself. But I am very suicidal and think about death daily in my tortuous cage called life ALL BECAUSE I QUIT EATING SUGAR. Living like this makes death a welcoming thought.
Joe~ I hope this is a joke for your sake; otherwise, you definitely have a strong addiction.
I stopped sugar almost 3 weeks ago and have suffered severe anger outbursts, irritability and a bit of depression. I look forward to when it tappers off. Just wanted to share my experience, I am generally a very happy person. God Bless.
Glad I’m not the only one with anger. Somethings I’d usually laugh off I’m getting overly irritated about. Wanted to crash my cart into aisles at the grocery store just to blow off steam. I have been cursing in front of my toddler when driving, cleaning, waiting in line when I typically am a conscious parent. Exercising helps but an hour or two later I’m raging mad again. Today I caved after a week and a half sugar free and a calm washed over me. I don’t want to be a slave to such a toxic health destroying substance but also want to be the calm and rational person my child and husband deserve. Maybe half a fruit a couple times a day?
I am breastfeeding and I practice all natural attachment parenting. I didn’t realize how hard it would be to quit sugar. I have been using apple cider vinegar, it seems to help. Has anyone else done this while breastfeeding?
I’ve used ACV while breastfeeding, though not while quitting sugar. I’ll have to try it now! It seemed to increase my supply.
LOL! Thank you all, I love your stories! I can relate to them all, I thought I was going insane and I didn’t realize I ate that much sugar until I quit. But I guess a lifetime (55 years) of indulgences and a weekly ‘topping up’ was all that was required to keep up appearances. Keep up the good work! Next…coffee!
Thank you all for your very helpful messages. I am on day 3 of no sugar/white flour. It was recommended to me to try by my Chiropractor because I was not able to hold adjustments and she thought it could be from inflammation from my diet. I was a daily sugar user and especially craved it after dinner. I am so glad my mind was clear enough to look online about withdrawal symptoms.
I have experienced many that were previously mentioned here along with hot flashes night and day, leg and foot cramps that wake me up, complete lack of energy. I am so tired of the highs and lows sugar brings on but I must say this withdrawal is not easy. I ache all over and the brain fog is just so frustrating. I really want to do this and will stay with it in hopes I can come out the other side feeling healthy and whole.
Maggie YOU CAN DO IT! I know it is hard now but just hang in there and you will not regret it! Keep it up!!
I had got through 2 weeks sugar free and thought the first days were hell and then just felt tired run down and flu-like. Reading this I now know that the feelings were sugar withdrawal still. The worst thing is that I fell off the wagon at the weekend and undid all the hard work. Back on day 2 and it’s all 10 times worse this time around. I keep trying to remind myself that it’s the sugar making me feel depressed and worthless in the same way a dealer might behave to lure you back. I’m trying to turn the feelings into anger at the sugar. I really want to quit this time.
For those of you who are angry with yourselves for being weak willed in the face of sugar, watch “Fed Up” on instant play Netflix. Hopefully your anger will be directed at the right people. For the longest time I kept going through the pattern of lessening my intake to sliding down the slippery slope of excuses and denial until days would turn into weeks and months where I’d have sweet, sugary somethings all day every day.
I’d gain 10-15 lbs and then beat myself up and lose it. But this time, after seeing that documentary (which includes a lot of what I already knew but was delivered in a more motivating way to me) I’ve decided to go off of the sugar forever because I’m done paying my drug dealer to kill me off slowly.
I watched that just a few weeks ago, I think I will watch it again. Today is my day 1 and what is hardest for me is everyone around me is handing me cookies and cake and lemonades and pops. It is hard to stay strong when I have been on sugar for so long. I kind of manipulate myself into thinking what I am doing is okay and is normal when it is not and it will kill us sooner than we would like.
Hang in there…We are all with ya.
I’m so happy to have found this site. I am on day 2 on no carbs/sugar (although I do eat fruit) and I am going through withdrawals! I feel anxious, didn’t sleep, and just lousy! However, reading everyone else’s experiences has made me feel better. I had been gaining weight steadily for the past few months due to stress eating – (I’m in my last semester of college).
Now with graduation looming, I found myself anxious and overweight, feeling bad about my body image, etc. I decided that I needed to make a change, and reading everyone’s responses has made me realize I am doing the right thing. I am excited to start a healthier lifestyle, and well the anxiety is bad right now, I think it will improve as my body adjusts to healthier living!
I am, on the whole a sensible eater however for all of my life I have had a sweet tooth. I am far from fat but my midriff was definitely expanding slowly. On the way to a holiday I picked up a book at the airport called ‘shrink my sugar belly in 20 days’. I read it on my holiday and decided that I would give it a try. I am currently on day 14 and already feel that it’s an epic journey!! Bar the odd cravings and strange dreams my first week with out sugar wasn’t as bad as I expected, but day 13 I absolutely crashed!!
Shaking, shivering, very little appetite or energy and sleeping 18/24 hours! Day 14, (today) I have woken up like a new person. I have started to introduce fruit back into my diet today and I cant believe how much more I appreciate it, so much more than ever before… and eating it with protein seems the way forward from now for me. My ‘sugar belly’ is definitely shrinking and I am looking forward to the next holiday when I can feel confident in my bikini again. Hopefully there’s no going back to the poison that I have taken for 56 years!
I quit sugar and artificial sweeteners three days ago. I am experiencing dizziness, and vomiting as well as headaches. I am choosing to live a healthier lifestyle as well as my 16 yr old son and my husband. They are not experiencing any type of withdrawal. They are both very healthy as well. I guess I’m the lucky one. It’s okay because our family will be healthier as an end result. I just hope this withdrawal for me goes by quickly.
I am so happy I found this board. I’ve only been off sugar for 6 days. I’ve had headaches, muscle aches so bad I can’t sleep at night, feelings of doom and gloom. I’m going to try some melatonin for sleep for a few days. I’ve been a sugar junkie my whole life, and I am 62 years old! But I am determined to take control and be healthier. I see type 2 diabetes for me if I do not do something. On the plus side, I already see a decrease in swelling in my legs and face! So, yippee! But I had no idea this would be so hard! Coffee black is the worst! I relied on sugar and caffeine to give me a wake up call! Now I am sprinkling some cinnamon in the bottom of my cup, and the aroma helps!
Love this website. I have been thinking about cutting my sugar, especially after reading an article about the addictive nature of sugar. I have already stopped drinking soda now for about six months. I have sparkling water with home made fruit juice. Feel better. I noticed I was getting the worst heart burn when I drank soda. Starting tomorrow I am going cold turkey. Thanks for all your comments. Has given me inspiration. Good luck to you all.
Day 6 of my second round of no sugar. I quit once before, a little over a year ago, for a month. After that month I didn’t like sugar as much as before and found I didn’t need very much of it at all for a very long time. I can’t describe how horrible and hard it was at first, since I also cut out caffeine with it. Going cold-turkey and working back then, on top of raising a two-year old, made me go into a kind of haze the first two weeks, but at the end of the month it was so worth it and I found that I had lost fifteen pounds.
I know that’s a bit extreme, because this go-around I haven’t even dropped one pound. But since learning about the horrific affects of sugar on the body a few years ago I have gone into a deep study of all things nutrition, and debunked some of the worst lies in the food industry tells us today. Sugar is the absolute worst thing we put in our bodies, because it’s deemed as harmless for the most part and in just about every food we consume, even if we don’t realize it. Every “health-food” advertised nowadays presents just one more Chocolate-coated “fiber-filled” or “sugar-free” delicacy that is great for your health and it’s amazing that these lies are legal and promoted by so many.
I am thrilled to see that others are finally discovering the truth. And the truth is that sugar is so addictive that even high up in the food industry, experts are deceived, because they thinks it’s natural and healthy for us to crave “sweet” foods. So I have done it again. Last time I quit sugar for weight and fitness, mostly, hoping that the toxins would be cleaned out of my body and make me healthier and leaner. This time, I am doing it for overall complete recovery from addiction to sugar and for my health, because I have slowly gotten addicted to sugar again and am starting to get very sick from it…and now I have two kids, who I have not had any energy to keep up with because of how I have been treating my body.
Drinking sugar in my six cups of coffee a day, constantly baking sugary sweets, eating cereal bars, chocolate every day, pastas, bread and sweet oatmeal, and eventually soda again, after quitting last year, until a week ago I was guzzling it all day long and constantly in the pantry, just searching for anything I could munch on to quench my insatiable cravings. I want to quit for good, this time, and not just as an experiment. Like I said, I am on day six. I am happy to report minimum symptoms so far, aside from the almost unbearable cravings for anything with sugar at all–even things like bread, tomato sauce, fruit and peanut butter.
I even found myself wanting a small bite of the applesauce I was feeding my six-month-old the other day! I am a little achy, but it’s nothing compared to the horrible pain and exhaustion I was feeling last week when all I wanted to do was stuff sweets into my mouth all day. I have been drinking un-sweetened green tea infused with natural flavors like cinnamon and ginger or lemon, and decided to go one addiction at a time and continue drinking my morning coffee, but no longer all day long like I have been. I have had one new symptom I am not familiar with and didn’t experience last time I quit, and it’s by far the most annoying–an uncomfortable and very noticeable bloating, or water-retention of some kind, in my abdomen.
It’s not just my imagination, either. Even my pants are tighter. This is a bit discouraging, since I am denying myself so strongly of all things sweet. I am hoping it is only temporary and that it and the weight will start to disappear as I continue in my journey to a healthier lifestyle. If anyone has onions on this, please share and thank you for your encouraging experiences. It’s nice to know we aren’t crazy, isn’t it?
I’ve found the same thing. Glad I’m not the only one. I would have thought giving up the sugar would have caused the weight (and size) to drop off me, but the opposite has happened. Despite giving up wheat at the same time, I also have a tummy and have not lost an ounce. Very strange!
Drink more water. Plain water. Not coffee or tea. It sounds weird since you feel bloated but your body should adjust to not retaining water when it is well hydrated.
Me and my sister are going to cut out sugar. I tried a couple weeks before and I felt the withdrawal symptoms bad so I stopped. During that time it came to the point where anything I ate did not satisfy me and I went back to eating sweets. Wish me good luck. I hope I can completely go through with this.
I’ve quit probably around 4 days ago. Two days ago had a pretty extreme reaction when my blood sugar dropped: I was bathed in cold sweat and shaky, felt really bad. Then felt like all of the food was uninteresting and had no flavor (I usually am very enthusiastic about food). Now feeling much better though – it’s as if I’ve found this calm I didn’t know I could feel. It’s amazing not to be glancing at the clock all the time and planning my day around meals.
I’d definitely recommend eating some extra fat while you are quitting. My partner baked some biscuit/cake kind of stuff that was savory (using loads of nuts, different flours, cream and oil) and the texture/fattiness delivered a lot of relief, as my brain recognized it as a ‘treat’. The need for extra fats seems to have disappeared now, but it was very useful in the beginning. Stay strong!
I haven’t stopped sugar completely, it is in so much stuff. But I have reduced it dramatically. I still have salad dressings and things like that. But no sweets other than fruits. The reason was because of headaches, now I have headaches. And I could totally motor boat a 5 lb. bag of M&Ms right now and Jump into a swimming pool of coke. I guess I will just eat a banana.
I greatly reduced my added sugar consumption about 4 weeks ago. It was very difficult at first (sugar cravings) but now I am feeling much stronger and not as tempted by the sweets. I do allow myself a few small squares of 85% dark chocolate (Green and Black is a good one) and a lot of fruit. These treats have really helped me.
I’ve never consumed a lot of sugar, don’t eat it during the day and don’t crave it except at night after dinner. I would have some form of dessert and immediately fall asleep. Then a few months ago I noticed that those type of dessert items also made me feel bad physically. So I decided to stop eating those items and also stopped caffeine after 4 pm as it was affecting my sleep. I didn’t change anything else.
Physically I feel really good, am sleeping better and have more energy. But this past week I was so irritable and felt ready to cry over things that normally don’t bother me. I had no idea what was going going on until I looked up sugar withdrawal. Now that I know what it is I can control the irritability. I’m just surprised how such a minor cutback could have that result.
Day 3. Besides the flu-like symptoms, headache – I seem sluggish and want to sleep. But VERY proud and excited to be leaving this addiction behind. I have been feeling sick after eating the large amounts of sugar. I think the pound a day I’ve been losing is only because I’d been eating sugar instead of regular food.
I’m on day three of no sugar. I feel terrible – having most of these symptoms now. ACK – not sure I can hang on for a month. Totally thought I was getting the flu.
This is a really useful article, thank you. I gave up sugar 1 week ago having realized I was definitely a sugar addict. I have found it very challenging, especially the lack of energy and feeling very irritable. Still being eating the occasional white nap, don’t know if I should be giving up simple carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta as well. Absolutely determined to give up the white stuff, sick of sweet treats dictating my lifestyle.
I’m glad I found this website. After fifty years of abusing my body with sugar I went cold turkey 4 months ago. The first couple of weeks I though I was going to fall over and die. It was extremely hard. I began giving myself stickers on my wall calendar (yes like in kindergarten). It worked. It encouraged me to continue. Some days I forget to give myself a sticker, but it’s so rewarding to catch up. Hang in there everyone. I’m glad I’m not alone!
Love the sticker idea! Lol will so try that to spur me on.
Wow this is so crazy and awesome reading some of these comments! Quitting sugar is one of the hardest things to do ever. Especially if your also cutting out most processed foods as well like breads (except sprouted and sourdough), fruit, etc. Hard!! I was surprised how much “health foods” sugar is in, and even more shocked at the names of ingredients used to disguise sugar. I found for me that being gentle with yourself is key. I had a major detox period where I felt sick and rundown with a runny nose, and finally a cough for about 2 weeks. After I Xeroxed though I started allowing too much sweets, so altogether I have attempted 3 times to go off sugar.
It’s a lot easier when you really take it slow until you are ready to commit and know how hard it will be! Now I know the mood swings, low energy, lethargy, stress, inability to focus, depression, inability to enjoy social events is from sugar, and that it’s temporary, I can do it! I also want to say that I really enjoyed the 21 day sugar detox books, and the 8 week detox books very helpful!! And also thinking of sugar as poison, and reminding myself why I don’t want to eat it every time I have a craving. Oh and thinking of the food as completely off limits for now.
It may be wise for you to take another look at the article as the author is relating to carbs and natural sugars as well as cane sugar. No one should assume eating high volumes of fruit, or any carb, won’t raise your levels or affect you as cane sugar does. Sugar in fruit is still sugar even though it is less harmful when compared. Please be careful when posting an opinion that is inaccurate and can have adverse effects on others. I hope your comment doesn’t make others feel free to eat high volumes of fruit believing it won’t contribute to their problem, because if so, you have contributed to the misery.
Hi. I have recently cut out sugar. I was addicted to Harribos. Any sweets at all. Sugar in tea, coffee, and on cereal. Biscuits, cakes, etc. I had bad pain in my big toe and some joints a few times this year. Doctor sent me for a blood test. I have gout. I am not overweight, so I decided to do something about it. In 1 week I have been drinking 2 liters a day of mineral water to flush the toxins out if my system and the uric acid crystals which cause gout pain.
No fizzy drinks or sugar at all. I have replaced sugar with stevia or a tiny amount of glucose and swapped t or coffee for a great drink called barley cup. No gluten or sugars and decaffeinated. Tastes good to me. Side effects I have noticed are odd cravings and headaches. But I’ve had more energy and less aches and pains. Hope this helps someone.
Hi, so glad to see everyone here sharing their experiences! I decided to give up sugar upon reading “Sweet Poison Quit Plan” – I recommend it as a point of reference for anyone trying to go sugar free. I am on day 5 and have definitely felt a few changes in my body since giving up sugar. Upon reading your comments, I realized I am not crazy and the withdrawal is real (I did wonder briefly if it isn’t placebo). I have to mention I have consumed sugar almost every day for most of my life (I am now 25), so if there was going to be a withdrawal, I did not expect it to be easy.
So far I have not had any headaches or fatigue, but I did experience a strong feeling of stress and pessimism when normally I am a very optimistic and up-beat person. I also noticed that my work motivation has decreased (not severely, but noticeably). I was a bit irritable during the first two days but that has subsided. I have this apathy/laziness and I am prone to procrastinate a lot, while at the same time I find myself worrying about every little thing.
I am also experiencing a nagging, hunger-like feeling that plagues me all day long. No matter how much I have had to eat, I am constantly craving and thinking about food – probably my body asking for sugar. It’s a very annoying and distracting feeling, which I hope will go away soon. I have been snacking on nuts, popcorn, fruit and peanut butter (organic – it has no sugar) and had lots and lots of tea and managed to resist so far.
My weight went up a little – probably the unusual amount of salt that I ingest has made me retain water; and I have also experienced some bloating. I know that if I manage to come out the other side I will have a healthier life and all the weight will drop. I can’t wait to get to that point of crave-free and energy-filled feelings that some of you are mentioning here!
It’s day 5 of no sugar for me. I think I’ve tried to quit hundreds of times at this point. It gets tougher and tougher every time. I’m currently experiencing a trifecta of terrible: diarrhea, insomnia, and cold/flu like symptoms. Plus the general fatigue and mental discomfort. I wish I could just purge this all out of me and be done with it. In my past experience, detox symptoms tend to alleviate around week two, so I’m comforting myself with the idea that I’ll be a beacon of health in a few days…haha.
I’ve never been much of a fruit eater (more of a veggie kinda gal), but I’ve been eating a serving or two a day to help when I’m craving something sweet. But over these past two days, my throat has been so sore I don’t even have an appetite. It’s helpful to read all the comment and nod my head along with them. Sugar is the damn devil.
I decided to give up refined sugar 8 days ago. I have had a headache for a week and flu like symptoms including sore throat and tiredness, but today it’s really not so bad I do however feel constantly hungry and need to eat lots of protein to feel full. I don’t eat meat so this is really down to eggs, fish and cheese. I eat lots of vegetables but they don’t fill me up.
I have never drank fizzy drinks and my sugar weakness has always been biscuits, cake, and sugar in coffee. I am not doing this to lose weight. This is really really hard and I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for people who have had a really high sugar intake, but I’m determined to see it through to see just how different I will feel. This is much harder than giving up smoking and giving up added salt. Good luck everyone, keep going it’s good to know we’re all going through this together!!
Hi how did you get on without sugar and did you keep off it? I’m on day 10 and having all sorts of withdrawal symptoms. I had your level of intake of sugar too. It’s tough but I’m not succumbing! Xx
I can tell you all these symptoms are all real, valid and related to sugar withdrawal. I’ve been a sugar addict most of my life and every time I quit I get fatigue and fogginess of the brain and mild flu like symptoms. However, last time I really quit for a while I remember feeling excellent – lots of energy, clear mind and well being.
I’m going for a permanent change this time. I know I can handle the symptoms because I know I am in control and being able to laugh at myself when I get a little dramatic about it all helps. Keep your sense of humour and good luck!
Thank you for reminding us to keep our sense of humor, keep it real, and that the rewards are real and waiting for us.
I’m at the end of my second day of no sugar and low carb and I’ve found that trying to keep your sense of humour is vital to get through this! This morning I awoke to a bad headache, nausea, and feeling clammy. I can’t believe this is all to do with quitting sugar! I can’t wait to start feeling the benefits. One good thing I’ve noticed is that my mouth feels kind of ‘cleaner’ and my herbal tea actually had a sweetness about it that I hadn’t noticed before. Keep up the good work everyone and let us know how fantastic you feel after withdrawal!
Its day 3 for me. I got to be the lucky winner of flu like symptoms. My head is killing me, chills but no fever, nausea, body aches, exhausted but can’t sleep. I’m riding this out on the couch. I figure that if going off it makes me this suck then it’s a sign my body REALLY shouldn’t have it!
I am feeling flu-like symptoms myself. 2 days in. Thought I had food poisoning.
I’ve been in a 1.5 year struggle with Adrenal Fatigue/Insufficiency. I’m currently using Hydrocortisone therapy to manage my cortisol and am (thank fully!) in the weaning stages – so should be medication free by summer. Anyway, in my journey to health SUGAR has been my last demon to exorcise. I finally realized that IT was my last and final trial to overcome in the last 2 days. I was suffering from insomnia (not unusual for me) but was also STARVING during the episode.
I ate and apple and then a gluten free bread sandwich with peanut butter and was still hungry. I remembered that I had binged on little Hershey chocolates during the afternoon and finally made the connection that my blood sugar was likely totally out of whack. On this journey I have: started a meditation practice 2 times per day, started a paleo diet (after being vegetarian for 25 years), gave up alcohol, avoid stress at all costs and now I’m day 2 into giving up sugar. I feel like I literally have a gun to my head – that’s how motivated I am.
It’s either the sugar or my life. Over the year I’ve struggled with AF I have had insomnia that is tied to: muscle tics and spasms and also rushes of Adrenaline (an AF symptom). The muscle spasms are GOD AWFUL and almost always related to a Magnesium deficiency. My advice: Try Mg Glycinate (this is one of the most bio-available forms of Mg) – good quality supplements and take them to bowel tolerance. Also super helpful is a homemade batch of Mag-HOL, here is a link to info and recipe: http://magaholmagic.blogspot.com.
External application of Mg surpasses the gut so you don’t have to deal with the bowel problem. Finally, Amazon sells Natural Calm, it’s a powder you add to warm water. Good luck everyone – this is tough stuff!
I’ve been a sugar eating demon–love the meringues from Trader Joes–only sugar and egg whites, and those fake ‘fruit’ slices that are like gumdrops. Anything with sugar, in fact. A week and two days ago I had a colonoscopy and decided that the prep would pass for a ‘cleanse’. I have stopped sugar snacks and am staying away from food that has any sugar in the double digits.
I am eating artificially sweetened yogurt (I read the package wrong) but when these are gone will go back to plain, and the occasional ‘kind’ bar with 8 grams sugar. Even with that, it’s a LOT less than I was eating. Have been doing ok but today feel cranky, exhausted, ouch (I have a lot of arthritis) and general malaise. I plan to stick it out, though, since my recent blood work showed elevated levels of sugar, and I don’t want diabetes.
Day 12 on the low diet FODMAP for suspected IBS (irritable bowel syndrome ) – effectively quitting sugar. Foggy head and lethargy has been steadily building. Carbohydrate craving hitting its peaks! Last couple of days all I have wanted to do is sleep. Peak time of lethargy is from 4 PM or so in the afternoon onwards… like clockwork. Mild flu symptoms also – (hard to ascertain if they are related though).
I am so glad to have found this site. I have been sugar free for 6 days now. I feel like crap. No cravings and no appetite. I feel nervous, tired, headaches, almost like coming down with the flu. I got in bed last night and my nerves in my body were shaking. I wondered why I was feeling so bad, thought about it for awhile and said to myself: I wonder if I am going through sugar withdrawals.
I got my tablet out and punched in sugar withdrawal, and there it was. I was so happy to find out that I wasn’t really sick, just sick of sugar. I was eating so much sugar. I could eat junk all day long without any thing good for me. I hope these feelings I am having won’t last to long. Thank you everyone who has written on this site. And good luck to everyone.
I feel the same way. I’m on day 7 lost 14 pounds already, but I feel like I’m so shaky and dizzy. Uggg. This site has helped me tremendously too!!
Hello. I read upon this and I think I’m going g through some symptoms that are described. Now I don’t normally have sugar as I am Gluten Free and drink water only. So I had made cake for my mom’s b-day and had it for a few days along with chocolate shakes. And on the forth/fifth day when I had a friend over to come see me and sitting relaxed. And all of a sudden I started to feel like my head was really heavy and was kind of dizzy. I grabbed some ice packs due to heat that I was feeling as well.
It goes away after a certain time but when I get up I start to feel heavy again. My mental health couldn’t take it and I started to burst out into tears. Anxiety attack perhaps? But luckily my mom and my friends were there to help me and calm myself. I’m also experiencing shakyness and sleeplessness. And with that I can barley sleep because my body jerks like electricity/jolt of a second awaking up of feeling that. I’m not sure what to do but any advice or any help, please? I am a 20 year old woman and last year I was feeling the same sensation. Please, help. Thank you.
I gave up sugar 8 days ago mainly for health reasons. Apart from irritability and fatigue, which I can handle, I’ve had the WORST anxiety, so much so that I actually considered giving up and returning to my sugar filled diet just to get rid of the awful anxiety which has been burning away in my chest for the past week. After reading these posts I at least know what the cause is and I’m very much hoping it won’t last much longer as I would love to get a good night’s sleep.
Good to read all your comments. I stopped consuming processed sugar a week ago and have had horrible headaches every day since. I started looking for a probable cause and found this site. I sure hope they stop soon. Thanks for all your comments.
I stopped eating sugar and bread a week ago, I am calling it my no BS diet as its pretty simple and judging from last time I tried it very effective (lost 30kgs in 6 months also doing boxing for fitness!) but holy moly this time im getting huge bouts of dizziness that leaves me exhausted and flat. Hopefully it will start going away soon as life doesn’t stop when you decide to quit these things lol. Anyway I was 105kgs when I started and want to hit 90kgs in 3-5 months time. Don’t think it’s impossible… I already lost 3.6kgs in my first week. Good luck to everyone doing this I just tell myself it’s just for today and that the feeling will pass.
I’m 30 hours off sugar. My last indulgence was a St. Patrick’s day cupcake (I’m Irish !). I just looked up sugar withdrawal as I’ve an unexplained headache – well now I’ve an explanation! The after-dinner urge for something sweet is very strong, almost like giving up smoking… just the habit of it at a particular time really. I read somewhere that taking chromium as a supplement helps (more sugar regulation in your body than cravings though). So, day 1 over.
Congratulations on stopping sugar intake. Me too and I also am having horrible headaches every day. Just goes to show us how bad and also how addicting sugar is. Well I hope I lose a ton of weight like one of the folks who wrote in. Good luck to you.
Two weeks of severe nausea, dizziness, headache, heart palpitations – wow. Makes me realize what I’ve been doing to myself all these years. I know quite a lot about nutrition, but never believed sugar was so terrible. I do now, and aspartame is just as bad, if not worse. Stevia products like Truvia won’t do a number on you and can help get you through. Fat is the single best flavor enhancer – really! And we now know how important plenty of whole, healthy fats are to maintaining good health. I doubt I’ll ever go back to refined sugar after experiencing two weeks of withdrawal!
I’ve been using Monkfruit. It’s rather expensive, but tastes good and has no glycemic properties. I refuse to use chemical sweeteners! Thanks for posting all the comments… it helps to know one isn’t alone in the symptoms.
I’m now 7 days sugar free. I decided to go hardcore cold turkey, no fruits, pastas, breads, potatoes, beans, or rice for the first week because I have read if you really want to do it right, cut it all out to reset the bodies metabolism. I’ll start slowly adding in 1/2 servings of fruit tomorrow in my green smoothies. I was totally addicted to my 5-6 cups of coffee a day with 2 spoons of sugar, sugary cereal, pastas and breads. I’m currently experiencing mild depression and irritability.
Physically I have low appetite, (which is a good thing since I typically craved food all day), brain fog, dizziness, and headaches. Peppermint essential oil helps a lot with the headaches. And lemon in my green tea helps with cravings, and speeds of the detoxification. I do have some 5g of sugar Kind bars just in case but found that I can only eat about 1/3 of a bar, because it makes me kinda nauseous. And I’ve added a few dried cranberries to my salad each day, but that’s it. Really looking forward to the expected weight-loss, mental clarity, and clear skin when this is over.
I tried to stop sugar intake 34 years ago, when there was very little recognition in society of the problem. Didn’t last a day and started back with another addiction by that same night. Again 24 years ago, but just knowing I needed to stop kept me up all night, wide-eyed and ruminating on every difficult life experience that lived under the sugar fog. Managed for two years, but with constant cravings, nightmares, irritability, etc.
I was eating chocolate every night plus I always was a sugar freak. I stop late night sugar and now feel awful so anxious so depressed and irritable even though I still have suger in my tea. My back is aching and I am glad I am living on my own because i know I would snap at people. I feel for anyone thinking of cutting down or quitting.
I have been off sugar for about 8 weeks. I have noticed many wonderful, glorious changes–digestion, mental clarity, and loss of some body fat – and I plan on staying off sugar. One negative effect: I feel colder. Has anyone else experienced this? I am wondering if it’s short or long-term. I should mention that my thyroid was somewhat “loopy” to begin with.
I have only been off sugar for 3 days. I also am getting chills frequently. I tend to run on the warm side but oddly enough, I have been feeling so cold alternating with sweating. Additionally I feel very light headed, extremely irritable and unusually depressed. I was considering going to the doctor mostly because of the dizziness but also the irritability and severe mood swings.
Things finally started clicking and I realized, I am not going crazy, I am having sugar withdrawals! I also noticed that I am having a lot of trouble concentrating, staying focused and feel incredibly foggy. I am glad people are posting their experiences because I am pretty confident after reading everyone’s responses that mine is not an unusual experience and relatively similar to most others.
OMG I am so glad I found this website, I actually believed I was going to have a heart attack. I have all the same symptoms as above but the dizziness and tight chest really started to worry me, but now I know I’m not the only one having such symptoms, I feel much better, it’s my first week sugar free and it’s a nightmare, never knew my body would fight so hard to keep its sugar fix! A lifetime of sugar abuse is a difficult thing to kick, hope it get’s better soon! :)
I truly felt like I was having a heart attack last night. My heart was palpitating and it almost took my breath away. Thanks for your comment. It makes me feel better!
It didn’t dawn on me immediately because I had no cravings, but then the penny dropped: I’d been feeling inexplicably low for a week due to no sugar intake! All my life – I’m 57 – I’ve had a sweet tooth. I went cold turkey but do consume honey. I ate mainly cane sugar and did all my baking myself. So now I just use honey. I never drank cooldrinks. I can’t believe it was that easy. Just the feeling down bit was a bit of a bummer. But that’s me, all or nothing, and once I’ve made up my mind I just do it. I’m hoping it will have a positive effect on my back trouble.
Honey is sugar. “I can’t believe it was that easy.” It’s not. You are still having sugar Nicola. Still having some sugar can make it harder to avoid other sugars too. Good luck. :-)
You need to chill, Meg. Everyone’s body is different & sugar is very different in different forms. What works for one person may not work for another. If Nicola can be sugar free except for some natural honey then I say “congratulations!” A healthy lifestyle is all about balance.
On day 3 I had horrible lower back pain, but that is gone and now my joints throughout my body and my back are feeling better than they have in years.
I gave up refined sugar just over 2 months ago. The past 2 weeks I have began feeling dizzy, lightheaded, heavy, lathargic, tired, depressed, anxious. I have been getting snacky cravings for carby things and I have had pins and needles in my legs and arms for absolutley no reason. When going to the doctors they said my lifestyle, BMI and mindset was perfect and nothing wrong that they could see so they sent me off for blood tests, yet in the mean time I spoke to my Yoga Instructor about how I was feeling.
She questioned me and said have I looked up the symptoms of sugar detox and there was my answer. Every symptom, every emotion was there. I have been so down and worried as I am a healthy, fit person who is very into nutrition and looking after my mind and body. All these because of a “harmless” thing like sugar. I can honestly say I will never ever put sugar (other than natural sugars e.g from fruits, natural honey etc.) into my body again.
Learnt the hard way, but my gosh will it be worth it. Whoever is going through this stay strong and do not give into the craving. Cure it with natural foods and fruits – these are what your body is designed to absorb as these are not man made. So make sure to have a peice of fruit at hand incase them dizzy spells/cravings come your way. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it and you will feel 110 times better.