Fluoxetine, the active ingredient of Prozac, is an antidepressant drug prescribed for anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It works by increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain. When you stop taking the medication, it is possible that you may experience fluctuations in your serotonin levels as your body adjusts to no longer having the medication in its system. Low serotonin levels may trigger cravings for carbohydrates or sugar, according to the American Heart Association, although more research needs to be done to confirm this. Although reducing carbohydrate and sugar cravings may be difficult, it is possible.
Step 1
Engage in activities that may naturally increase your serotonin levels. While the effectiveness of this is still being researched, it is possible that exercise, meditation and spending time in bright daytime sunlight may increase serotonin.
Step 2
Visualize a common sight or smell unrelated to your craving. Since mental imagery may be a key component of food craving, purposefully visualizing other objects may reduce cravings, according to the PsychCentral website.
Step 3
Use healthy, nutrient-rich foods as a substitute for the foods you are craving. Eating these substitute foods may satisfy your hunger pains and your craving for carbs or sugar less intense. Make these healthy substitutes easily accessible, and make foods with a high amount of sugar or carbs more difficult for you to obtain.
Step 4
Indulge, but only a little. The Aetna InteliHealth website says that denying yourself of carbohydrates or sugar may cause you to crave it even more. If you eat small amounts of these foods on a regular basis, you may be able to reduce your cravings because you won't feel as deprived.
Step 5
Seek support. Whether your cravings are due to a physical reaction in your body or your emotions, letting others support you can improve the way you feel and make you less likely to succumb to your cravings. Find supportive family members and friends, and turn to them whenever you feel intense cravings.
Step 6
Talk to a doctor or mental health professional. If your cravings are particularly intense or uncontrollable, they may be due to a medical or mental condition. Get a medical and mental health checkup to rule out other things that may be causing your cravings.
Tips and Warnings
- Not getting enough sleep may disrupt hormone levels in the body, which could trigger cravings. Always make sure you are getting enough sleep at night.
- Although food cravings are generally harmless, report any unusual symptoms to your mental health provider after discontinuing fluoxetine.
References
- Medline Plus: Fluoxetine
- American Heart Association: Carbohydrate Addiction
- "Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience"; How to Increase Serotonin in the Human Brain without Drugs; Simon N. Young; November 2007
- PsychCentral: Food Cravings, Explained; Rick Nauert, PhD, May 2010
- Aetna InteliHealth: Weight Management Answers; March 2010
- MayoClinic.com: Weight-Loss Help: Gain Control of Emotional Eating
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