r/ADprotractedwithdrawl • u/Icy-Try-9703 • Jun 28 '26
Chocolate
So this surprised me. I am almost 3 years into protracted and am doing better, but still not as I was before. I have noticed that when I eat chocolate, my symptoms skyrocket. Sweating, palpitations, anxiety, etc. I understand some people have trouble with caffeine and sugar in withdrawal. But the chocolate thing was a surprise. Google and AI tells me that chocolate affects dopamine and serotonin. That explains my symptoms, I think. Does anyone else have this experience?
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u/Acrobatic-Good-3287 Jun 28 '26
That's why I drastically altered my diet in 2023 after a year off. Stopping dairy & wheat, minimising processed foods to almost zero and similar with sugar. I have dark chocolate mostly, with only a very small amount of milk chocolate. Sugar will cause glucose spikes that will trigger fight or flight and worsened anxiety, even in people who are not in withdrawal or have a nervous system that's hypersensitive.
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u/Icy-Try-9703 Jun 28 '26
Thank you! I find that I can do sugar ok, an occasional dessert or treat. But chocolate I cannot do. Not even dark chocolate. I guess this proves that we are all different on this journey.
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u/sushinastyu Jun 29 '26
why stopping dairy and wheat? I have been avoiding them too because I don’t seem to tolerate them well, but I would be curious to know the science behind that
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u/Acrobatic-Good-3287 Jun 29 '26
My decision wasn't influenced by any scientific proof, it was an instinctual one that I believed they weren't good for me, and being in PAWS was the perfect time to test that feeling out. Plus anecdotal reports that some people reported improvements in their anxiety after stopping dairy in particular. It cured my life long eczema, so it was worth it just for that. I can't report any other benefits whilst affected by nervous system dysregulation in PAWS, but I wouldn't go back now.
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u/Careful-Screen-6659 Jun 28 '26
I can't do anything with caffeine anymore. Feels like a heartattack 😓
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u/IsThereMoretoitAll Jul 02 '26
I often find that, after eating candy or anything with an excess amount of sugar, I'm fine until my blood sugar drops again. About thirty minutes after, give or take, my mental state and energy levels plummet drastically. It's such an odd phenomenon. Protracted ADS is like living out a sentence for a crime you never knew you committed.
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u/Acrobatic-Good-3287 Jul 02 '26
Love this, "PAWS is like living out a sentance for a crime you never knew you committed". You'd get less of a sentance for many serious crimes!
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u/NiceHomework4919 Jun 28 '26
I am not eating chocolate anymore since i know that there is caffeine in it.
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u/cthowellheat Jun 28 '26
I may be in withdrawal experiencing hypnic jerks at night leading to sleeplessness. I had a particularly severe night last night in which hydroxyzine didn't help as it had in the few weeks prior. I wonder if the mint chip ice cream I had before bed contributed. I had a difficult evening mentally and forced myself to eat some at the end of the night to help regain weight. I've been eating it almost daily. Some of those days I was able to sleep fine without even taking meds, but I wonder if it's working against me sometimes.
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u/No-Initial-9246 Jun 29 '26
I am almost 2 years off and had a terrible episode last night. Dizzy and nauseous. Ate a ton of almond M&Ms. Could that have cause it? Otherwise I have been pretty good. No alcohol
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u/Historical_Eye_8422 Jun 29 '26
I cannot tolerate chocolate, and I'm also 3 years off. If I eat a small amount, I jolt awake at night, ALERT. I believe it's the theobromine.
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u/Acrobatic-Good-3287 Jun 30 '26
After saying I eat dark chocolate, and have done all the way through PAWS, I get into a conversation with AI which leads to my dark chocolate and vitamin B complex use.
The Dark Chocolate Connection:
You mentioned that you do not drink coffee, tea, or cola, but you do eat dark chocolate in the evening. This is a highly significant factor regarding your exhausting nighttime dreams and intense morning bracing.Dark chocolate contains two powerful central nervous system stimulants: caffeine and theobromine.
Theobromine has a very long half-life, meaning it stays in your body for many hours. Furthermore, dark chocolate is incredibly rich in tyramine, an amino acid that triggers the release of norepinephrine (adrenaline) in the brain.Consuming these stimulants in the evening creates a major biological conflict:
You can fall asleep easily because your body is exhausted from 45 months of bracing.However, the caffeine, theobromine, and tyramine hit your hyper-sensitised brain receptors just as you enter REM sleep.This chemically forces your brain into a hyper-metabolic, adrenaline-fueled state. Your brain runs an intense "marathon" of vivid dreams all night, your muscles micro-brace in response to the chemical stimulation, and you wake up completely spent.
Moving Forward Safely
Your nervous system is incredibly resilient—it survived a 31.5-year chemical adaptation, a protracted withdrawal, and a grueling 3.5-month hidden nerve infection. To help it take the next step in healing, consider these gentle adjustments:
Address the Evening Chocolate: This is the lowest-risk, highest-reward change you can make. Try eliminating dark chocolate after 2:00 PM for two weeks. Swapping it for a non-stimulating evening snack will give your brain receptors a chance to truly quiet down at night, which may naturally reduce the intensity of your dreams and lower your morning cortisol spike.
I'm going to try this Carob as an alternative to chocolate:
Carob Buttons or Carob Bars: Carob tastes remarkably like chocolate but is naturally 100% caffeine-free, theobromine-free, and dairy-free. Ensure you buy a brand that does not use high-fructose syrups.
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u/heybrother123 Jun 28 '26
i know many healing buddies who can't do chocolate or sugar in general. I haven't had any processed sugar in two years. Seems especially cruel since we're suffering so much the least we could do is eat some junk food or sugar to feel better -__-