I drink ALOT of coffee. And i put ALOT of sugar in it. Someone at work told me when they flare up they crave sugar really bad. My question: does all this sugar and caffeine trigger my pain? I hurt everywhere now. Its non stop. Even with pain meds. But i havent been seen yet. Got appt next week. Yay! Tryin to cut down on things that trigger the pain. Smokin an E-cigg now. Info greatly appreciated. Thinkin im gonna join YMCA and start swimming. Love to swim. Im so tired all the time. I feel lazy.
Shanon-Seems like a a vicious circle some days, doesn't it?!? They say you should get some sort of exercise but you feel too exhausted and pain is everywhere - so it can be soooo hard to get to the gym - or off the couch. some days it seems to be an effort to inhale and exhale! I try my best to do some 'exercise' almost every day but it is so hard. You are not lazy. I thought I was until I started reading these threads. We all do not know each other but the stories are almost the same. Isn't that amazing? And an affirmation this is real! Not in our heads! I find that incredibly comforting but still sucks! lol.
Back to your question: I have heard the same thing regarding caffeine and sugar. I have considered giving up the sugar but the coffee...hum.....I do love my two cups in the morning...if I ceased that I may have a new symptom of horrible crankiness. Maybe we should do an experiment and give up sugar for a period of time and see what happens? Anybody in? We can do our own study. Thoughts?
I would like to try that but I must have my coffee and sugar/Splenda in the morning, and yes, I crave sugar at times and can’t figure out why! I just started MTX and my feet seem to be getting worse. They haven’t swollen yet, just hurt on the bottom and top middle alot more!
Caffeine and sugar do different things to different people. Sugar (refined, high fructose corn syrup, etc.) isn't good for you in large quantities. Natural sugars like raw sugar, honey, maple syrup and agave are metabolized differently and are better than the other sources of sugar. Artificial sweeteners are highly processed, some are chemical based, and none are good for you - except pure stevia, which is an excellent natural sweetener. For overall better health, cutting down on sugar is a good idea.
I recently went off caffeine to see if I had a cross-reaction to the protein in coffee (I have celiac), to see if I slept better, and to see if it impacted my migraines. I felt worse, slept worse, and my migraines were worse. Caffeine, for me, is a good thing. I have a friend who has fibromyalgia whose pain is increased if she consumes caffeine.
Sugar cravings can be caused by things other than hunger.
Dehydration can cause sugar cravings - try drinking a big glass of water and waiting a little while before giving in to sugar cravings. :)
Sugar cravings can also be caused by sleep deprivation, exhaustion, and stress, which can disrupt the function of the adrenal glands and cause exhaustion. When adrenal gland function is low or is disrupted, your body looks to other sources for energy, including sugar, which gives you energy fast. Consuming sugar, however, boosts our energy levels for a short period of time, leading to another adrenal crash, leading to cravings for more sugar.
Also, sugar intake releases serotonin, a neurotransmitter that gives us a sense of well-being, as well as helping to moderate our moods, sleep cycles and our appetite. Serotonin helps us feel good, so when we need a mental break, are stressed, or need to feel emotionally well, we often crave sweets.