Sugar Withdrawal is Like Opioid Withdrawal 

replacing a yummy cupcake with boiled egg made me wanna cry

I ate a entire birthday icecream cake from dairy queen it said 16 servings but I ate it in less than a hour. The next day I quit eating sugar entirely. Been "clean" since April 13th this year! Still no sugar for over a year now! Yay

This addiction is also psychological. I did it for 6 weeks because I wanted to drop some weight . I lost 23 pounds. I felt light and slim. My cellulite started to disappear. It was amazing.

I had actual withdrawal when I was quitting sugar. I’ve quit drugs, smoking, and I can definitely say quitting sugar is exactly like quitting any other addiction. The addiction does break quickly though… but it does get bad those first few days.

I was a sugar addict for years . It was my stress buster & mood elevator . At my worst i ate 4 chocolate bars daily (ugh ). I quit it overnight cold turkey . Withdrawal was horrid with fatigue / blinding headaches / mood swings / exhaustion . Lasted 3 months . After that zero cravings . I’m sugar free 781 days & counting . Will never eat sugar again . Ever !!!

It’s crazy how sugar is literally in everything.

Many experts say we have to go cold turkey on sugar and carbs for a few days for cravings to be gone. It’s true. I tried it. If I keep doing things gradually, I still crave it. It was like torture until it was eliminated completely. Hard part is sticking to it.

I've had ADHD my entire life, & have educated myself on it to help me survive. And I have to say, this lady is GREAT! I've seen about 10 of her videos & she is good (very succinct, to the point & so informative). Thank you Dr. Marks.

I lost 20 lbs cutting out sugar I'm proud of myself and drinking plenty of water

Very informative but that back ground music was killing me

I felt particularly bad one day. Bloated, tired, sick. I decided to spend 24hrs without eating because something i ate was doing it to me. It was easy to fast because i felt sick. When i starrted food again i decided i might as well start an elimination diet. I ate some meat. Then some more meat. Then i remembered keto amd how i did not want to do it because it was restrictive. Well, i gave it a go. 5 months later i was down 50 pounds and never got bloated, tired, or sick again. Miraculous

Anxiety, sweating, brain fog, dizziness, no energy, fatigued, feeling depressed, just for starters.. sugar withdrawal is no joke

I quit sugar and lost 50 lbs in a year without doing anything else. It's been about 5 years and I notice it creeping back in again. It's just SO addictive.

As someone who's been through both I can definitely say sugar is nothing compared to opiod withdrawals.

Once a sugar addict myself, can say proudly I've reached a place where things just taste too sugary to me :-)

Crazy! About a week and a half ago I stopped eating sugar because I felt like my joint pain was a lot higher when I ate sugar. So a couple days after stopping sugar, my inflammation and joint pain was markedly better, but, I feel horrible, like I have the flu. It didn’t occur to me it could be sugar withdrawal until I had a bowl of ice cream at my mom’s house for dessert. Suddenly my headache and nausea was gone,I felt happy and energetic. That’s when it occurred to me and I looked up videos like this. It all makes sense now. Thanks!

It's a pain in the whole body! Sugar withdrawal is no joke, but after a few days you start to feel so much better. After a week or so, you will be extremely happy you broke away from sugar!

When you try to eat sugar after you've cut it out, it is so incredibly sweet. Just awful.

3:12 Check these ingredients to avoid sugar filled foods: Agave nectar Brow rice syrup High fructose corn syrup Dextrose Evaporated cane juice Lactose Milk syrup Molasses Sucrose 5:29 You don't want to use sugar substitute either because they increase the addiction and cause metabolic syndrome. Substitutes like: Stevia Aspartame Agave

I have been sugar/sweetener free for nearly 5 years. Its changed my life so drastically. I love being able to have control over what goes in my mouth. Addictions are awful. And she's so right: things that normally would not be viewed as sweet now taste so much sweeter to me, and traditionally "sweet" foods are so sickeningly sweet to me now that its nuts.

Day 3 headaches all day, slightly depressed and today just got nauseous. I can not wait till this is over.

Since I went whole food plant based, plant milk is about the only place I get sugar nowadays. The benefits are manifold, starting with the enhanced flavor of natural food. Strawberries, even the ripest and sweetest, always had a tart flavor before. Now they're like candy. Grapes, too, are amazingly sweet now. Glad I quit. Hope I never go back.

I had a sugar addiction and my glucose level was off the chain! I was also obese, but simply went to my Heavenly Father in Jesus Name, and, since God is so powerful, HE GAVE ME THE STRENTH to abstain from eating these foods, so I lost nearly 40 pounds like a breeze, and my hyperglycemia just disappeared! Thank you kindly, Dr. Tracey Marks, for telling it like it is!

I'll be happy when it's no longer an air quote, but recognized as what it is (an addiction).

Just a suggestion for those who are struggling to give up sugar - A good friend I had known for many, many years was so dependent on sugar that she even ate a slice of pound cake along with her dinner, in place of, say, a dinner roll. That was a common eating habit of hers in her 20’s. She developed severe diabetes by the time she reached her 60’s, debilitating her to the point of requiring a daily caregiver. Even in her last months of life at 65, she still could not stop eating sugar. Her dependence was so bad that, at the point of being bedridden, she would insist on her son bringing her a bag of Oreo cookies when he came to visit. Her son was caught in the awful dilemma of having to choose to satisfy his mother’s wishes, knowing doing so would only worsen her very fragile health, or being disobedient to her in the short time she had left. Think of her fate when you are tempted to indulge on sugar. Time and bad habits will eventually catch up with all of us.

I have to laugh at the ways manufacturers try to hide the sugar. "Evapoerated Cain Juice" :)

Because of seeing this video, I’ve been off sugar for over a week and haven’t reached for the fake sugar either. The way you said your body never learns to be without the sweetness if you eat the fake sugar hit home for me. Thank you for this message ❤

Unfortunately I’ve been through both.. and it is the same.. and I will never go through either again.. opioid free for 5 years and sugar free for 8 months and I feel great.. it’s a beautiful thing

I was feeling so irritable today and restless .... I just wanted to drive to the store and get cake... that desire for cake was insanely strong... It shocked me to the point where I just sat and thought about the addiction instead of going to get the cake😑 Edit: Argh I eventually went to get the cake... 3 weeks later

After reading, “Potatoes, Not Prozac”, I wrote down how I felt physically and emotionally after eating my (normal for me) very high sugar diet. I discovered that I felt worse emotionally after eating sugar. I had always thought it made me feel better. This helped motivate me to reduce my consumption.

I can tell you personally that opioid withdrawal is HELL and it took me 6 months before I felt somewhat normal again. I’ve also quit sugar and had a mild headache for 3 days. No comparison !!!

I'm an alcoholic who hasn't drank for over 27 years. But my sugar addiction has plagued me all these years. I'm now considering psilocybin as a possible saviour.

You're amazing. Don't need that music though.

I found it easy to let go of my bbq sauce. The hard part was cleaning up the mess after the glass broke.

I’ve significantly reduced sugar in my diet and I’m going through some intense withdrawal right now, but it’s only been a week. Going to try my best to stick it through and hopefully it gets easier in a couple weeks!

It's been 5 years since I gave up sugar and carbs and it's been relatively easy, until very recently. All of a sudden I was craving it again. Sounds like an addiction to me. Loved your advice. Thanks.

I did it cold turkey cause I'm a moron but let me tell you, the anxiety and depression is real and the most difficult for me. It's been about 6 weeks and I'm through most of the physical symptoms but the mental ones are tough and strong enough to produce their own physical symptoms. However, I'm proud to say I can walk by a box of donuts or some candy and have no desire to eat any. It's like my brain forgot that these foods taste good. Fresh fruits taste amazing now.

On day two with a killer headache but I’m disgusted about how much sugar I have been eating ....

Oh it’s an addiction for me. Can’t even sleep without a little. Thank you.

As a former opiate addict who has withdrawn from both street opiates and suboxone, a heavy emphasis on the word “like” in “like opioid withdrawals.” When I got off suboxone I couldn’t get off the living room floor for a month, and felt like I had the flu for 3 months. That being said, quitting sugar sucks age is hard.

I can confirm, having rode both rides I can tell you quitting sugar messed me up for a week and a half. Once it was out of system I didn't have a craving for it anymore. I also dumped 35 pounds I a month and a half.

I panic if I haven’t got something sweet in the cupboard 😨

Thanks! I am so blessed that i have reached that point that really sugary foods and drinks taste nasty to me now

A child of the 50/60's, sugar was in every meal. Parents added sugar to our baby bottles of water to get us to drink it. Then there was Kool-aide! When we got older that was replaced with sodas. Then the candy, cakes, pies! We were bombarded with sugar! I am totally an addict and yes I am now having health problems. As I write this I am trying so hard not to think of a sweet snack. Lord help me!

This was recommended to me after I just had a massive slice of cake... alone in my car, not even on a special occasion. Educate me I’m ready 💪🏻

I agree quitting sugar can be miserable and painful but there are genuinely no words horrible enough to describe the pain and agony of heroin withdrawals

I had to stop eating sugar completely because it was causing me to have crying spells. I have fully stopped eating sugar for an entire year now!

Sweet tooth my entire life, got it from dad. He never did anything about it, T2 diabetic now. Not wanting to follow that road I started changing my diet cutting out all sugar, carbs etc. I had stopped drinking years ago as well. At 58 I have lived an "interesting" life to say the least and I can say quitting sugar was and still is harder than any of the other "things" I have had to give up. Harder than cigs, speed, acid, shrooms, molly, alcohol, crazy women, and all the other party favors I frequented when I was a young man. It is worth it though, I now weigh what I did in my 30's, BP is normal and the pre diabetic markers present before are gone.

I needed to hear this. In the last 6 years I've given up all my vices- caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes, weed, soda, and high-carb/white carbs... sugar is one of my last vices and it needs to go but it's so hard because it has become my crutch to quit all the others.

As a Registered Dietitian, I would like to add that often when we tell ourselves we "can't" eat something, it leads to chaotic eating behavior, like a restrict and binge cycle. A lot of the time, sugar "addiction" is actually an underlying issue with our relationship to food. If we restrict something, we may tend to give it a lot of attention which can lead to binging, feeling guilty, and the cycle continues. This may seem like addiction, but people who eat intuitively and give themselves permission to enjoy food often don't feel an impulsive need for sugar. They enjoy it, just like they enjoy eggs or crunchy veggies with hummus. It becomes just another food and sometimes you want it and sometimes you don't. I should also add that sugar cravings can be tied to emotional health since they do release those feel good chemicals, but an intuitive eater can use this craving for insight as to whether the craving is coming from physical hunger, emotional hunger, boredom, etc.

Thank you for helping spread awareness on this problem. While I agree with another comment that this is not even comparable to opioid addiction and withdrawal, I personally feel it helps to recognize that sugar acts on our body and brain the same way (tho much less severe!). To basically see what we’re up against - like a foe we need to go to battle with. This sort of insight gives us the reality check we need to enter this ‘battle’ and therefore succced! I have quit 3 times! Haha! I know that sounds crap. But each time it gets easier. How many smokers have you heard say, it took them 5 times to finally quit for good? So don’t talk down to yourself if you fall off again. The first time was the worst!! I used to be almost frantic about needing chocolate. Now I can make healthier choices, say no to cake if I’m not in the mood. I know I’m still in addiction bc sometimes I ‘need’ chocolate, but I can get by with less. Right now in my life I am working on gradually weening off, and I’d say it’s working, but still takes fortitude. And that’s why these videos and peoples comments really help! Thank-you!

Sugar free '23 is a month in. My skin is great. My energy is natural & my hormones are stabilizing. The withdrawal symptoms are a sign that your body is healing! Don't give up, friends!

Thank you!!! Struggling with this for many years. The background music is very distracting though.

I used to get shamed for eating a lot of sweets from my family, so I hid food and ate away from anyone (it was comfort food for my depression, but they just thought I was weird). Hiding tubs of chocolate icing in my laundry basket and overeating sweets in the basement, not my finest moments 😅 My family found out and got really worried, so I had to reevaluate what made me crave sweets and cut WAY down on sugar. I didn't know what hangry was until I cut down on sugar, but it gets easier to limit after a while.

You did such a good job breaking this down. I love the clips of you in the kitchen perusing the foods too. It's some unexpected humor and makes the whole lesson more relatable.

As a recovering opiate addict, sober now 4 years and 27 days, you're dead wrong!!! I'm not dissing sugar or carbs withdrawal. I'm a current sugar addict trying to beat my sugar/carb addiction. I know withdrawals (aka DTs) can be different for everyone but.... when an opiate addict goes through withdrawal it's complete HELL! A bad headache and cravings are the easy part. You sweat, vomiting while having diarrhea on the toilet, shake, hallucinate, everything hurts including your hair, can barely move to get out of bed but can't sleep for weeks even though you are exhausted and would rather be dead. At one point I begged God for death even if it meant I was going to hell😢. Don't even get me started on if you have small children while trying to get off opiates. You can't just lay there and let them take care of themselves. If you're truly addicted to opiates you will do anything to never feel the DTs again. And if you think it's easy to got to rehab, think again. Especially if you can get your hands on a couple (always needing more) pills in 2 hours versus rehab in a few weeks, depending on if you qualify. Most addicts start out like me, a prescription for pain meds which truly only mask the problem leaving you needing another script for more. Doctors had no problem writing these scripts and when the DA started cracking down on opiate prescriptions, they had no problem throwing to the wind leaving you in even more pain than when you first started taking pills. Oh and while they were dropping you they managed to make it look like it was your fault while plaguing with you are worthless for getting addicted. Basically doctor's put those patients in a file labeled "these people are worth nothing, send them a drop letter". I apologize if this comment is too long but it truly broke my heart after only 3.21 minutes of your video. There's no way you could truly know how hard an opiate withdrawal is unless you went through it yourself and I pray you never do. I appreciate that you're trying to get people to understand how hard it can be to quit sugar but please don't lead people to think if they do get addicted to opiates that they will have some discomfort and a headache. Trust me a sugar addiction, even a strong sugar addiction would of been preferable to an opiate addiction. Just to be clear my addiction was to opiate pills and patches never heroin. God Bless

I was addicted pretty badly. I was eating nothing but carbs for about a year. And I don't mean anything with fiber. Chips, pizza, pasta, very little meat or fat. Single digit %points for those. I was eventually diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. With a BG reading of 594. And an A1c of 11.7% It scared the crap out of me. I stuck with the suggested diet, and exercise and meds. After 6 weeks my daily blood glucose reading, measured every waking hour, was between 200 and 300. I gave up on the medical advice and studied it for myself. Bastard doctors and nutritionists were lying there asses off. I fixed it myself. 24 hours later my avg BG reading taken every hour, between 80 and 90. Effectively cured my diabetes over night. I went cold turkey on carbs. ZERO CARB DIET. I gave up ALL SUGARS. I had zero withdrawls. If I felt hunger, I ate some bacon and eggs. Had a steak. Some cheese. Pepperoni, and more cheese. After 30 days I lost 60 pounds. From 250 pounds down to 190 pounds in 30 days. After four months I had my follow up. My nurse just kept saying this isn't possible. You A1c is now 5.7%. In four months? This can't happen. Yet it did. I cured my type 2 diabetes. That was almost 4 years ago. I also cured my RCC (kidney cancer). As well as losing a tone of skin tags. Some unsightly moles the size of a button mushroom, shrunk to minuscule size and no longer in the way. It was causing issues when zipping my pants. My thighs no longer rub. I lost 10" around my waist. I had to buy new clothes! I was surprised I didn't have actual carb withdrawls. I feel healthier. I never feel that starving feeling between meals like I used to when eating 3 meals a day. And now I'm only eating once a day. I have never felt better.

I’ve either been addicted to coffee or to sugar or both. Last year when I wasn’t addicted to sugar I was addicted to coffee and it hurt me in other ways. For 2020 I want to break my addiction to both coffee and sugar! I’ve already broke my coffee addiction and I’m ready to break this sugar addiction!! Here’s to clearer skin, better sleep, less GI problems!!

Dear Dr. Marks, I'm a huge fan, you are amazing. Please turn the music down a little, it was irritating, I had to watch it with subtitles without the sound. Many thanks and thank you for all your fantastic work 🌞🌻🍀

Dang for not being an expert in nutrition you sure know your stuff! I love how simply and logically you put things and from what I have seen you are always right on point with the info being correct

I think RU-vid creators are addicted to using distracting background music. (very informative video btw)

What helps me is blending "greens" like kale with whole pineapple chunks!👍🏽

Omg I totally have this! I am so addicted to sugar😩 When I watch drug addiction shows & see the addict go certain lengths to get their their drugs, that’s me except for sugar!😬

I suffered from SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrown) for years. Sugar was the main culprit, but I did not know it. I did not even know what SIBO was, until 5 years ago. I feel amazing now that I have removed almost all sources of sugar from my diet. New Subbie!

Hi Dr Tracey! My husband saw your video about how video games are actually good for you, so naturally he now thinks that you are a genius!! So, I'm sending him this video, maybe he'll listen to your good advice! Thanks and have a fantastic day!!

If your background music would play in my head every time I was tempted to eat sugar, I would kick the habit in less than 24 hours! 👀 😁 Seriously though….. great vid (in spite of the annoying music). I have cut back quite a lot on obvious sugar intake by eliminating cokes, cookies, cakes, ice cream (letting go of ice cream was really tough!) lol…… but I would like to really cut out as much added sugars as possible. The information you presented in this video has been very helpful. Thank you.

This seems like one of the most important videos i've seen to date. You've gained a follower for sure! Thank you so much for the amazing information.

Thank you! I really appreciate your rate of speaking in combination with easy to understand information. Some people talk so fast it makes my head spin and I can’t grasp the content. I look forward to more if your content !

I’m glad to see you bringing this into the mainstream. I worked in an adolescent dual-diagnosed unit in the late 80’s. The psychiatrists sneered at me and dismissed my concerns that we had sugar addicted kids. One girl ate only cola and brownies at every meal. She could not stop crying. I’m sure she had a terrible history, but I thought in fairness to her, we should help her recognize the link between sugar and mood, just as we do with diabetics. And that she deserved almost parental level guidance on her food choices. I was laughed out of the room. I also want to add that cravings may subside with water hydration and nutrient dense foods, in addition to protein. Try green smoothies with half a green apple, a chunk of cucumber some lime juice, and dark leafy greens. The fiber and nutrients satisfy the craving to a degree.

Enjoyed the video, but at times the background music is too loud making it difficult to hear and focus on what you’re saying. I recommend keeping the background music low throughout the video…thanks for the tips!

Really clear video. Love it. I’m watching my sugar intake for couple weeks now and my energy really went up. I feel so much better already. Also I can concentrate way better than before.

Your note to Sophie Johnson was so loving and touching. God bless all of our attempts to overcome this addiction. Thankyou.

Sure feels like physical addiction when the withdrawals start kicking in.

I am sorry dear, opiate withdrawal is MUCH more than the symptoms you listed. I'm a recovering heroin addict, so I know full well. It's not comparable what so ever. However I do appreciate all the info as I'm trying to learn to eat better!

This is very good advice. I just wish the annoying music wasn’t playing in the background. It’s very distracting.

The length of the video is 7:57, and numerologically speaking, this is a door open to you which promises success through change. This is your sign to change your diet and grasp your freedom.

I quit back in 2016 for months and I was the smallest I’ve been in years. Started working and used sugar as a coping mechanism for a job I didn’t like. I can’t quit cold Turkey but I’m eliminating processed sugars every week. I hope this works because I hate being stuck in this cycle.

In packaged foods look for any ingredient ending in 'tol', ie, sorbitol or ending in 'ose', ie fructose. Just another tool for your health journey.

I took the doc’s advice and been killing it ever since. Thanks, doc.

I just discovered this channel. I can listen to her talk all day. I’m in love…

I still struggle with my sugar addiction. I quite once for a year and found the idea of sweets disgusting. Even Oranges were too sweet for me. My success was found in juicing. I'm vegan and was already healthy but juicing gave me so much energy I didn't sugar to feel good. I went through some huge stress and got off my healthy diet. I'm much more chill now and am trying to quit again. The 12 steps help me too. Good Luck everyone!

I'm crying. I feel like I'm stuck with this addiction

Thank you doctor! A great practical guid to getting off excess sugar. I know I’ve been addicted for many years, but by the time it gets past lunch, I break down. I like your approach.

I just discovered your video. You are absolutely correct! when I stopped eating sugar I went through withdraws AND I was so fatigued. Never want to feel that way again.

Thank you for mentioning the importance of being realistic and reducing things gradually. The dieting industry often relies on telling people to do the opposite, thereby increasing the likelihood of relapse, failure, and then more money put into the industry in the future.

I stopped sugar and lost 54kg in a year. Cold turkey people, cold turkey.

I'm 46, 174lbs 5'6. I started getting this hormone belly around 43 plus a lockin/lock a way pandemic. My cute waist is history. I decided to cut sugar. I'm 1 day in. And since Im here I'm clearly seeking help. In this phase I've cut processed foods, (I am such a cake & icecream person) and foods with added sugar. I have a high stress job that I love. Let's see how I love it without my sugar crutch.

Withdrawal, endorphins, cravings, mood boost--> yup, addiction

I quit alcohol finally, I quit caffeine finally, but sugar? Worse than crack cocaine for me. I can only go a few days. At least I am trying. I feel so much better being alcohol, caffeine and sugar free. The difference in mental clarity and physical energy is amazing.

The most intelligent discussion I have heard on sugar addiction in a long time. I’m so fortunate that I gave up refined sugar decades ago. But I still have to be aware of all foods because sugar is in everything! This is really important especially if you have a family history of high cholesterol.

Awesome info Dr. Marks ... On Point!! 👍🏻

Excellent advice! I have never seen it expressed *in English* so well and thoroughly. Thanks Doc! Will share on other media!

I’m currently struggling with this. Here’s the thing, I’d been on opiates for years during a whole chronic pain misdiagnosed health issue a decade ago. I found withdrawal from opiates EASIER than going without sugar. That includes morphine, tramadol and gabapentin. Wrap your head around that for a second. Sugar somehow has a much tighter grasp and I can’t stand it.

That is the Weirdest and most difficult music I have ever tried to process information to. Besides that, I do appreciate the information I could absorb... very much.

Probably the best& most realistic video I have seen so far, on kicking the habit. 👍

I APPLAUD YOU TRACEY👏🏼

It took about 2 weeks to get past the Keto flu symptoms about 5 months ago. Seems like a dim memory now, and I miss sweets on occasion. But once fat adapted, it’s not hard to skip all snacks and eat fewer meals without hunger. I’ve lost 40 lbs and now at target weight of 170. I think I average around 30 carbs a day, its not that hard. My fuel is fat, not carbs. It helped that I cleaned out over 70 pounds of sugar containing pantry and opened fridge foods.

Berries are great- low sugar fruits that can still satisfy the sweet craving. Pairing with Greek yogurt or nuts is even better

I was smoking for 11 years and decided to quit about 8 years ago and I did that easily.After that i got sugar addiction which is much worse and a lot more difficult to quit for me especially when is added in everything. Thank you for the useful information.

Thank you! I have been thinking about going sugar free but it seemed impossible. You have encouraged by making it possible.