Q Since I started tapering, I keep craving sweets and my mood swings a lot. Is this related to diet?
A During tapering, mood tends to swing and cravings for sweets increase, but relying on refined sugar to cope actually causes blood sugar spikes and crashes that worsen mood swings and fatigue. Eating regularly with protein and vegetables helps stabilize both mood and body.
Detailed Answer
During antidepressant tapering, mood instability often comes with cravings for sweets or carbohydrates. But a diet centered on refined sugar causes blood sugar to spike and then crash rapidly, increasing irritability, fatigue, and anxiety — which layers on top of tapering symptoms and makes things feel even harder. Regular mealtimes, adequate protein and vegetables, and stable blood sugar management are practical ways to reduce mood swings during tapering.
Our Korean Medicine Clinic's Perspective
In Korean medicine, the digestive system is seen as the organ that draws energy from food and builds the strength that also sustains the mind. When digestive rhythm is disrupted, mood tends to fluctuate along with it, so Dongjedang first stabilizes the digestion and eating rhythm disrupted during tapering to steady the foundation for both body and emotions. Tapering itself proceeds together with your doctor, and Korean medicine supports that process.
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