Abilify and Sugar Cravings... Any Solution?

[MrCrazyPants]

I take abilify and my sugar cravings are through the roof, I crave candy and soft drinks regularly. I would love to know if there's any solution to helping to curb these cravings because the drug works well in all other regards.

[Antigone]

Abilify let loose the Sweet Carbo Monster in me, too. I was unable to curb my cravings, and was eating an entire large jar of Nutella every night. I gained a lot of weight very quickly.

I have no advice, but just wanted to empathize. Perhaps it gets better over time?

[melissaw72]

I didn't have a problem with Abilify, but did with another med I used to be on (but the side effect never went away when I went off of it). I was put on Naltrexone to counter it. (It is usually for smokers and/or alchoholics, to reduce cravings). It reduces cravings of food, but at the same time I still get hungry "normally" (ie, it isnt a diet pill), and can stop eating when I am full (or close to it). The only time it doesnt work as well is that time of the month. But it probably helps in someway then though. Also people have mentioned Metformin as a weight ?aid? -- I know it is for Type 2 diabetics, but I have also read in some posts where pple have used it for drug-induced weight gain.

[discomposed]

Until you can see your doctor to see what he or she thinks, you might consider buying some sugar-free hard candies/lollipops and carry them around with you so you have a less weight-affecting option when the sweet craving hits.

[melissaw72]

Just a note about the sugar-free stuff .... in me it causes bad gas, and diarrhea (if I have too much). Doesn't affect everyone that way, but wanted to note that. Maybe once your system gets used to it it will be ok (if not already). It didn't do well with me.

[Cade]

I've found that avoiding sugar and starches (my doc is OK with me doing this) makes sugar cravings a non-issue. After a few days, it disappears. I never had much of a problem with it, but when I was eating starches, I would keep wanting them, and the Abilify made it a little worse than usual. After going off them almost entirely, the desire to eat sweets was gone, too. That's kind of a drastic change for most people, but it worked for me and it's only a harsher version of the diet I've been on for four years and my blood labs are still good, so the switch was easy for me and my doctors don't mind.

I actually went down a few pounds at first and then it leveled off. I'd probably have lost more except I wasn't on a high-carb diet to begin with and my weight was and is still in a normal range... I started out with a few pounds I could afford to lose but not overweight, and now I probably shouldn't lose much more if any and I haven't.

[koali777]

Nortriptyline caused this in me the first few weeks. It's still there a bit but I really think I eat because I'm bored. I understand the almost inhuman sugar cravings. I gained 8 pounds in a month and thankfully stopped eating so badly. I agree with the sugar free stuff, although it does have weird effects on the digestive system for some.

[Guest]

Lately I've been eating sugar free Werther's Originals. They have a caramel coffee variety that is great. Just don't eat the whole bag or you'll be sorry.

If you plan on staying on Abilify you may want to consider adding Metformin. When I was on Abilify I gained weight even though they say it is weight neutral. Adding Metformin made it so that the weight gain stopped. Some people loose on it, others, like me find it help with the cravings. For me, it was carbs more so than sugars but the sugars would get me sometimes.

Oh, and when I have to give in and have something, I've found these excellent Fiber One brownies that have 90 calories. They're great and take care of my chocolate/sweet/carb cravings when I simply must have something.