# Lexapro and sugar cravings?



## mistylake (Apr 24, 2012)

I've always had a sweet tooth, but a while after I went on Lexapro three weeks ago I started having a hard time controlling myself. Now I'm ALWAYS craving sweets. 
Has anyone else experienced crazy sugar cravings while on Lexapro??


----------



## GotAnxiety (Oct 14, 2011)

Lexapro alway decrease my hunger and i lost weight . eat some protein to help stablize your blood sugar.


----------



## Mr Bacon (Mar 10, 2012)

Yes, antidepressants tend to mess with apetite. Carbs release serotonin in the brain, so you might very well crave them even more now that you're on an SSRI. I'm just guessing. I also ate a lot of junk when I used to be on citalopram.

Btw, hello, fellow french citizen!


----------



## Inshallah (May 11, 2011)

Mr Bacon said:


> Yes, antidepressants tend to mess with apetite. Carbs release serotonin in the brain, so you might very well crave them even more now that you're on an SSRI. I'm just guessing. I also ate a lot of junk when I used to be on citalopram.
> 
> Btw, hello, fellow french citizen!


It's the other way around, serotonin reduces carb-cravings.

"In clinical trials, increasing brain serotonin levels reduces caloric intake in obese or overweight patients8-9 who have been seen to lose weight in these studies despite making no conscious effort to do so.8-9 Overweight diabetic patients also have reduced brain serotonin levels compared with healthy controls.10 Restoring brain serotonin levels in these patients normalizes eating behavior by reducing energy intake from carbohydrates and fats, reducing body weight.10"

http://www.vrp.com/stress/the-many-faces-of-serotonin-deficiency-linked-to-gi-disorders-depression-asthma-and-fibromyalgia


----------



## Inshallah (May 11, 2011)

carla83 said:


> I've always had a sweet tooth, but a while after I went on Lexapro three weeks ago I started having a hard time controlling myself. Now I'm ALWAYS craving sweets.
> Has anyone else experienced crazy sugar cravings while on Lexapro??


So the answer as well as my personal answer is no. SSRI's reduce carb cravings and every one I've been on (5 or so) did. Maybe something else that is horomone-related? Or maybe you are starting to feel better and are eating more again when before you were undereating due to feeling like ****?


----------



## Inshallah (May 11, 2011)

GotAnxiety said:


> No decrease. eat protein .


That would make her sugar-cravings even worse. You need to combine the info in my post in response to Mr Bacon with the bolded part below to fully understand the why. And yes, it does work that way in real life as well 

Carbohydrate craving, obesity and brain serotonin.
Wurtman RJ, Wurtman JJ.
Abstract
One mechanism through which the brain obtains information about the composition of the diet involves food-induced changes in the plasma amino acid pattern (principally the "plasma tryptophan ratio"), which then cause increases or decreases in brain tryptophan levels, and in the synthesis of a neurotransmitter, serotonin, which is formed from the tryptophan. *A carbohydrate-rich, protein-poor meal stimulates insulin secretion; this diminishes plasma levels of the amino acids which compete with tryptophan for transport into the brain (e.g., leucine, isoleucine and valine), thus increasing tryptophan's flux across the blood-brain barrier and its brain levels. In contrast, a high-protein meal contributes so much more of these latter amino acids to the blood stream than of the relatively-scarce tryptophan that it diminishes tryptophan's entry into the brain.* This article reviews evidence that the brain actually utilizes the food-induced changes in brain serotonin in order to make choices about what to eat at the next meal. It also discusses the likelihood that a disturbance in this mechanism is involved in producing the "carbohydrate-craving" that is frequently associated with obesity. (This behavior which has been studied by allowing hospitalized subjects to choose freely among isocaloric meals and snacks of varying protein/carbohydrate ratios, typically manifests itself as a propensity to consume 30 per cent or more of the total daily calorie intake in the form of sweet or starchy snacks, usually at a characteristic time of day.) D-Fenfluramine, a drug that selectively enhances serotonin-mediated neurotransmission, also selectively suppresses "carbohydrate-craving" in these subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
PMID: 3527063 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


----------



## riptide991 (Feb 1, 2012)

Serotonin is the satisfaction hormone. Animals with lower serotonin go looking for food, those with higher serotonin don't. They are even more likely to share their own food with others when they have high serotonin. This may be a transient effect that will pass. I know Zoloft made me eat way less.


----------



## riptide991 (Feb 1, 2012)

carla83 said:


> That makes sense. I was indeed undereating because of my depression. I definitely feel better now but I don't crave "normal" foods.. I don't eat much during my main meals. I only crave sweets, which I find odd. I have no idea what it could be.
> Thanks for all the useful info  Nice of you to take the time to answer me!


This could mean that the ssri is lowering dopamine which could explain the specific craving.


----------



## GotAnxiety (Oct 14, 2011)

inshallah you got me hungry now all this talk about food im gonna go eat some pasta .

So were fat cause we got low serotonin huh? 

Damn then most of the usa must be depressed.


----------



## Mr Bacon (Mar 10, 2012)

Inshallah said:


> It's the other way around, serotonin reduces carb-cravings.
> 
> "In clinical trials, increasing brain serotonin levels reduces caloric intake in obese or overweight patients8-9 who have been seen to lose weight in these studies despite making no conscious effort to do so.8-9 Overweight diabetic patients also have reduced brain serotonin levels compared with healthy controls.10 Restoring brain serotonin levels in these patients normalizes eating behavior by reducing energy intake from carbohydrates and fats, reducing body weight.10"
> 
> http://www.vrp.com/stress/the-many-...-disorders-depression-asthma-and-fibromyalgia


You sure are determined to prove your point about apetite and SSRIs Inshallah. :clap I give up loool. ^^


----------



## Inshallah (May 11, 2011)

Mr Bacon said:


> You sure are determined to prove your point about apetite and SSRIs Inshallah. :clap I give up loool. ^^


Not "my point", you're free to look it all up for yourself


----------



## Inshallah (May 11, 2011)

GotAnxiety said:


> inshallah you got me hungry now all this talk about food im gonna go eat some pasta .
> 
> So were fat cause we got low serotonin huh?
> 
> Damn then most of the usa must be depressed.


I think the majority of obese individuals is just addicted to food and/or lack will power.

Some may have low serotonin levels but even if you have, that shouldn't lead to overeating necessarily.

And I agree, talking about food makes you hungry


----------

