Quitting Diet Soda

[j.griff]

Has anyone here gotten more SEVERE headaches from quitting diet soda, compared to quitting regular soda? I was going to "quit" Friday, but then other issues came up and I was PMSing badly, so I had one with lunch and have been drinking them "regularly" since. I had a horrific headache for 3 days!!!!!!!!! It was much worse than when I quit drinking regular sodas.

 

ETA: Oops, I hit submit too soon. Anyway, I'd like to quit them for good, but I'm sure not looking forward to such a horrific headache again. That one was just from not having any for about half a day. :eek:

[Pensguys]

I've had headaches from DRINKING diet soda, but not from quitting it. I've heard that the caffeine could make you have headaches if you quit it, but I haven't totally quit caffeine so I can't say for sure.

[Jami]

I recently quit diet soda (never drank regular) and after several days not having one, I had one at a restaurant and the rest of the evening I had a horrible headache. I don't have any problems stopping with headaches, but then I *have* to stay stopped. Which certainly says something about artificial sweeteners in my case....

 

Can you drink iced tea or coffee for a couple of days so you still have the caffeine (if the withdrawal from that is what's causing the headaches)?

[Tracey in TX]

GOOD LUCK! Caffeine withdraw is bad enough, but add the artificial sweetener withdraw is painful. :banghead:

 

I've given Diet Coke up for Lent before and it's almost as painful as a migraine. My family has actually requested I not give it up again--at least while they're at home. Hope it's a smoother transition for you. Should I ever attempt this again, it will not be cold turkey. Give up sweetener first, then the caffeine.

[A home for their hearts]

It's possible. I don't drink anything with artificial sweeteners because it gives me a really bad headache and makes me nauseous. I usually get headaches if I don't drink caffine as well.

[Leah]

I have never been a regular soda drinker, but my last bout of quitting diet soda...ahhhhhhhhhh, so, so painful. The headache the first day made me throw up.:banghead:

 

It was brutal and lasted a couple of days. I would highly recommend starting yourself on pain killers and then stopping the diet soda.

[Christy B]

For over a month.

 

And I decided that the decrease in my quality of life wasn't worth the possible health benefits (which I never experienced -- I felt blah and pitiful the whole month; I did NOT lose any weight, I did NOT have fewer PMS symptoms, and my joint pain did not improve).

 

I've decided that caffeine will be my vice. I've never smoked, I don't drink, I drive about five miles under the speed limit, and I wear sunscreen. A girl's gotta live a little, KWIM?

[Leah]

:) I can totally relate! This is why I went back to drinking caffinated coffee. I just love a great cup of coffee and decaf just can't cut it. I did cut back to 1-2 cups per day (was at a full pot most days...)

[Pensguys]

I've decided that caffeine will be my vice. A girl's gotta live a little, KWIM?

 

AMEN, sister! :tongue_smilie:

[Stacia]

I've decided that caffeine will be my vice. I've never smoked, I don't drink, I drive about five miles under the speed limit, and I wear sunscreen. A girl's gotta live a little, KWIM?

 

:D

 

Cheers! <raising my Diet Coke -- and my coffee -- to you!>

[at the beach]

GOOD LUCK! Caffeine withdraw is bad enough, but add the artificial sweetener withdraw is painful. :banghead:

 

I've given Diet Coke up for Lent before and it's almost as painful as a migraine. My family has actually requested I not give it up again--at least while they're at home. Hope it's a smoother transition for you. Should I ever attempt this again, it will not be cold turkey. Give up sweetener first, then the caffeine.

 

I agree. I am addicted to diet soda. It's pitiful, really. I try to give it up, but it's so addictive. I read someplace that diet soda was as addictive as a crack addiction. :001_huh: I think your idea of giving up the sweetener first and then the caffeine is good. When I'm in the quitting mood, I will buy sparkling water and add a dash of fruit juice to it.

 

Anita

[Peela]

I believe its a pretty serious addiction, and you will be much healthier for giving it up, so good on you for doing it. Its toxic stuff.

However, my suggestion is that you need to cut down over a couple of weeks, if you don't want to have the headaches. Its an addiction, right? Your body is freaking out. So stop slowly.

Or, drink coffee or tea, with some sugar in it, to help. But do it before you get the headaches.

And, drink LOTS of water. Your body will need to detoxify and the water will help.

The fact that you get severe headaches should be telling you something, anyway.

 

If you need some more motivation, read this for starters:

 

http://www.321recipes.com/aspartame.html

[Tammyla]

I gave them up cold turkey. Excedrin was my very close friend for a few days. I agree with the others, drink plenty of water...I choose tea as my beverage. Lots of good choices with tea and it is very inexpensive compared to soda.

 

Bonus..Side note, I no longer have regular headaches/migraines living artificial sweetener free. You can do this, just don't do it while your pmsing!:grouphug:

[JudoMom]

I recently quit diet soda (never drank regular) and after several days not having one, I had one at a restaurant and the rest of the evening I had a horrible headache. I don't have any problems stopping with headaches, but then I *have* to stay stopped. Which certainly says something about artificial sweeteners in my case....

 

I gave up Diet Soda last year. I had a pretty serious habit (probably a 2 liter a day of Diet Mountain Dew...mmmm Mountain Dew....). I did not give up caffeine, (that would just be crazy) and I still drink coffee. I noticed my thoughts became less muddled, among other benefits.

 

What really convinced me to never drink it again was when I had a Diet Coke one day when we ate lunch out. That afternoon and the next day I was mean. I had no patience, and I was on edge. It was crazy.