??? about bipolar and sugar consumption...

[ksm]

I know I have read that many bipolar people crave carbs and sugar... Do other parents notice this in their teens? Of course, most kids love that kind of stuff, but do you see any difference when they have binged on sugary stuff and their behavior?

For example, today difficult child had three pancakes, drowned in syrup, covered with chocolate chips, and a hot chocolate with cool whip all over the top. Now, she has walked to Braum's for ice cream. I have noticed that when she makes a half gallon of kool aid we usually have drama to deal with. Not sure if there is a physical reason or if it is my imagination... I try to limit foods like this... but she finds ways around it.

We see the new therapist on Tuesday morning. I am so hoping we get some answers, advice, or at least tea and sympathy. LOL. KSM

 

[compassion]

absolutely. I do my best to provide and support healthy (fruits,pasta,etc.) Choose my battles.

 

[ksm]

absolutely. I do my best to provide and support healthy (fruits,pasta,etc.) Choose my battles.

difficult child is such a picky eater. When I bought low calorie syrup she complained all the time. The chocolate chips are only on hand for baking purposes. The cool whip I had used in a fruit salad. Of course she fixed all that while I was at the store getting husband some nails for a project he is working on. I keep fruit on hand - but she won't eat hardly any. Strawberries she wants coated with sugar. Bananas need chocolate sauce on it. Apples need caramel sauce. You get the idea.

Only wants white bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, chicken and fast food. I can fix a wonderful meal and have her pick at it. Salad is only supposed to be medium green iceberg lettuce. She doesn't like the white part - so basically the first 4 leaves off a head of lettuce suits her. Spinach is too green. Romaine has that crunchy stem in the middle that is all white. No other veggies are to be on her salad. Has to be drowned in ranch dressing. Will not eat, beans, peas, green beans, corn, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, onion, carrots, etc. Will eat a bean burrito with refried beans - but won't eat one single bean unsmushed. I am so sick of her finicky ways. No food can touch. Usually has to be eater in a certain order.

Unfortuantely, she ways 95 pounds, so this crappy food hasn't affected her weight - YET. KSM

 

[DammitJanet]

I have bipolar and I crave sweets especially at night.

 

[InsaneCdn]

I don't know about bi-polar, but I do know that with kids and depression... there can definitely be a very strong craving for sugar. So much so that they eat stuff you wouldn't consider eating... like dry jello powder mix.

Finding an answer to the mood problem was the only thing that solved the food problem...

 

[keista]

I don't know if the sugar consumption directly affects mood except to make one temporarily feel "happier" Personally it does this for me. I try to limit options at home as well, but they always (as did I as a kid) find ways around it. I once caught DD1 drinking pancake syrup out of the bottle. in my opinion that's a really bad craving.

by the way I consider eating Jello powder "normal" Not much different than Fun Dip or other powdered candies. In summer camp, friends used to get care packages with pre-sweetened Kool-Aid. It was a snack, not a drink.

 

[JJJ]

I think the correlation is the other way around. I thinkonce the mood destabilizes, then they crave carbs.

 

[Wiped Out]

difficult child always craves carbs!

 

[InsaneCdn]

I think the correlation is the other way around. I think once the mood destabilizes, then they crave carbs.

That is my understanding as well.
Sort of a form of self-medicating... using the carbs to try to affect brain chemistry (not consciously...)

 

[gcvmom]

The brain requires twice as much energy as other cells in the body. Stress rachets up the demand for that energy, too. I see this craving for carbs in all three of my difficult child's (husband included) when they are not stable.

 

[AnnieO]

Yup. Onyxx is a carb monster. Simple as that.

I've noticed when I am depressed, I crave sweets and carbs. But not like my daughter.

 

[BusynMember]

The medication given for bipolar, and antidepressants count too, make you crave sweets. many people (not just kids) gain a lot of weight because they are constantly hungry. It happened to me as an adult. The cravings are so strong that even adults usually have a terrible time controlling it. Is he on medication?

 

[DammitJanet]

I think I am fairly stable...not completely because I do have some swings from time to time but fairly. However, I cannot...cannot...control the fact that I have to have my nighttime sweet snacks. I used to be addicted to either jellybeans, M&M's or Skittles. Now I cant eat those do to my teeth so I have switched to marshmallows or oatmeal creme pies.

 

[GoingNorth]

I don't get cravings for sweets. I go for salty, crunchy carbs like chips of various kinds. I put on SIXTY lbs from Zyprexa and Seroquel and despite being off those due to other truly horrible side effects and on Haldol. I still have the cravings and don't seem to be able to lose the weight.

 

[DammitJanet]

I wish I could get addicted to rice cakes...lol.

 

[GoingNorth]

I LOVE the "Quakes" mini rice cakes. They come in a variety of sweet and savory flavors. My favorite is the cheddar cheese flavor.

 

[AnnieO]

LOL! You guys make me giggle... I crave grains. Yes, I'm weird. I love love love oatmeal, plain Triscuits, whole-wheat bagels, that cereal with bran flakes, oats, & almonds... I adore plain rice cakes...

 

[DammitJanet]

I used to like triscuits with cheese melted on top but now I cant chew it. I loved dipping them in mushed up avocados. I cannot stand rice cakes. I have tried. Even the chocolate and caramel ones. I ate them with my eyes shut and told myself that I was eating something yummy. Didnt work. LOL.

 

[TerryJ2]

Ksm, have you taken her for a fasting glucose test? No fun, for sure, but it would be interesting to see if she is hypoglycemic. I am, and many of the mood swings mimic bipolar.
Some day when she's more mature, she will be able to handle her food intake with-more control, but right now ... I don't know if a test that showed her going off the charts would change her behavior.
Still, it could change what you buy at home. Most people, when hungry enough, will eat whatever is in front of them. If you don't buy pancakes and syrup, she can't eat them. She'll crab, and then finally get over it. Still, most cereals have at least that much sugar so you have to make your own things from scratch.