Aspies For Freedom

I am trying an experiment with quitting soda (trying to have a better diet overall). So far, it is causing some abysmal effects- headaches, weird dreams (if I can sleep at all), peeing all the time from the "water substitute" I'm drinking, obsessive thoughts about pepsi. Isn't this how meth addicts feel? Arg, it's just soda!

I drank 2 cans a day before yesterday morning, when I quit. Two days later...I wonder when the caffeine withdrawl will wear off. Anybody have experience with this?

What is it about the soda you're trying to get away from? If it's the sugar, why not try drinking diet soda? If it's the caffeine, why not try one of those fizzy juice drinks they make?

Or are you just trying to abstain from anything that has any similarities to soda?

Be patient - all those thousands of cans of soda have messed up your metabolism and it could easily take a week for it to stabilise at normal levels of sugar and brain chemicals.

Meantime, get a really good book to read when insomnia hits and try to limit your water intake to a glass an hour. Sip, don't gulp.

This stage WILL pass, and then you will feel a hundred times better than you did before.

Congratulations on making the effort, and well done for asking for help here instead of giving up. I'm sure that there are a lot of people here who will be able to support you.

btw I like your beagle - I had one just like it.

Oh, but it sounds like caffeine withdrawal you're suffering from.

Might be better to try drinking a cup or two of fairly weak tea or coffee per day to ease the caffeine withdrawal symptoms.

Thanks everyone who suggested stuff.

I am kicking the habit primarily for health and monetary reasons. Soda is expensive at chiro. college, and I am in midterms right now, and don't desire to spend my last  $10 on a caffeine fix. Health-wise, I am trying to cut my sugar intake because I have put on almost 10 pounds since I started chiro. college four weeks ago. Since I am going into the health profession, I would consider it hypocritical of me to tell a diabetic "lay off the soda" while I'm chugging it myself.

Great observation, Tigger. I realized I was chugging water rather than just paying attention to my body's thirst need. I have 3 two-hour classes a day, with each class a break every hour. I was going through a 700ml bottle of water each hour! No wonder I am visiting the bathroom so much!

Good point too about the carbonation, Batman. I have noticed my teeth are looking horrid in color, thanks to all those bubbles. I will try to stay away from carbonated water, too.

I actually had a dream last night about beating someone up in a gas station for the last cherry cola. How weird....

Lately, I've been trying out those energy drinks (Monster, Red Bull, etc.) to see how they work for me.

Tim

My parents dont buy caffine pop for me, I have to buy it myself, but it doesnt really matter to me if there's already some perfectly fne caffine free pop in the fridge.

I have abnormally strong reactions to caffine to begin with, not just saying that, it was evident from a very early age. I dont just become hyper like normal reaction, I become hostile, agressive,(plus I swear up a hurricane) and get many physical symptoms. This is compounded by the topamax, I only let myself have very little amounts of caffine because with the topamax I get really bad shakes. I remember getting a campfire mocha at 9pm and I was up till 6am shaking.

I try to stayt away from the stuff since I already have a group of people starting to tease me about being on speed or crack...It's annoying.

I like Pepsi better than Coke myself.

Tim

Zato, I wasn't really saying that carbonation stains the teeth (although I'm sure it does that too), I am saying it essentially pulses the sugar through your system at breakneck speed, which spikes your glucose levels way up, only to come crashing down.  Not good for blood sugar but the "quick up" is obviously addictive.

Coffee generally does not do the same as above, unless you take it with a lot of sugar.  Coffee is also loaded with antioxidants whereas soda is loaded with nothing.  Therefore diet soda is only a better alternative, and not necessarily a healthier one.

Good for you - it takes about a week to get past the cravings for caffeine.
To help you to sleep - try eating a banana before you settle for the night.
Take painkillers for your headache. Let us know how you get on.
I used to have an awful addiction to coca cola.

I'm not sure on this Batman - caffeine stimulates the liver to release stored glucose into the bloodstream - it is possible this could cause the same sort of sugar peaking.
I don't know for sure.

Well if you have 50 grams of refined sugar in soda, versus say 5-10 grams of refined sugar in your coffee, it looks like the soda is the bigger enemy.  Caffeine by itself isn't very harmful.  For example if somebody drinks 3 cans of regular soda per day, versus someone who drinks 10 cups of coffee per day (both over years), the person at risk for diabetes is always the former.

Yes. I also think it is much better to taper off the caffeine consumption due to all the bad effects from quitting cold turkey. Carbonated drinks aren't much good for people and at least coffee or tea is a bit more nutritious.

Oh don't say that! The NTs will be all over it. Pretty soon, you'll see warning labels on the soda cans saying, "May cause autism". Just like those mmr shots