Diet Pepsi Addiction

I'm 29 years old and was diagnosed with Diabetes at age 7... my doctor said it was ok to use soda for a substitute for food back then.   But after a few years it became a replacement for all liquids and soon a craving.  At age 20 I was drinking about 4-6 Double Gulps from 7-11 @ 64oz each and then Bottles and cans when I arrived home.  I am now running through about (4-5) 36-Packs from Costco a week and am seeing no way off this hook that this product has got me on.  I have even tried just drinking Caffeine Free thinking it was the Caffeine.

I tried once a few years back to stop drinking but I could not handle the mood swings and headaches and sweats that came with the removal of the product from my system.

I'm looking for any help or advice on a type of detox that would not riddle my body with pain and end this once and for all.

That's one peculiar doctor to  tell a diabetic boy to drink Pepsi as a 'substitute for food'!!  If I were you I'd talk to your diabetic team (hopefully not the same doctor!) about what you want to do and the best way to achieve it without making your condition worse.  Artificial sweetners have an effect on non-diabetic people's insulin levels so I'd have thought there are some implications you need to be aware of before you embark 

I think they're probably going to suggest you cut down gradually rather than in one hit..  half your normal amount, then a quarter, until you're down to one or two cans a day.  Take a couple of weeks over it.   Caffeine and phosphoric acid are fairly nasty but it's not like coming off alcohol or tobacco.  Your body will detox you quite naturally but just give it a helping hand.  Drinking plenty of plain water and other non-caffeinated fluids will help with headaches.  If you make sure at the same time that you're getting lots of good, nutritious foods (fruit, vegetables, wholegrains), regular meals and possibly a daily multivitamin as a safety-net then you should be able to keep your blood-sugars stable (very, very important) and reduce a lot of the mood-swings as well....  But it's the dietary part you really need to consult your diabetic team about. 

Wow.  That's a lot of pepsi you're drinking. 

I agree with gi-jane.  I wouldnt try to go cold turkey, but cut down gradually. 

I seem to remember reading a thread ages ago that said that someone trying to cut down had quit by diluting her coke/pepsi with water and slowly cut down that way.  If i can find the read i'll post you a link.

Sorry i cant find the thread, but search the forums for soda addiction and you might find some helpful info.

I suggest using baby steps to take it down a notch. Too much of anything can be made a bad thing.  That doesn't mean that it's a terrible thing altogether. Try drinking a smaller amount each week, by reducing the cans per day. Use a replacement for those by drinking something else in it's place. Even if that means Pepsi that's caffeine free. Preferably water though if you can commit to that as alternative instead.  If you were just to get rid of the caffeine it would help with the transition. It may not seem like a change, but if you seriously only drink none- caffeinated soda you'd would see the difference. Perhaps, not at first but with time it would seriously show.  So that's something you have to stick with for results otherwise you wouldn't notice a change at all. Some things you have to do for an extended period of time in order to visualize any ' progress ' or ' change. ' You are the best judge of when it's time to stop drinking it completely. I suggest that you try to wean yourself, remember you'll have setbacks. That doesn't mean that you're failing by any means. You may just be making real progress in small spurts that you can't actually see or feel yet. You do not have to set a deadline unless you feel ready. Try setting a goal to reduce your intake little by little throughout each week by a daily change. That way every small decrease is a success rather than a failure because you're still drinking ' x ' amount. It's very difficult to fight any form of addiction. The best thing you can do is acknowledge that you need to cut down ( Which you have )and stick with a plan. Period. 

That doesn't mean you ever have to stop completely unless you choose to do so. It's good to have a sense of awareness so you can moderate an unbalanced intake though. If you were to go cold turkey, I feel you'd just have the same setback showing no result.

 I realize that you've said you've went to caffeine free before now without results. I just honestly believe that you didn't stick with it long enough to see the results you were making. The biggest reason people have one failed diet or routine after another is because of a lack of constancy in the diet or routine. It's nothing against the diet or routine they're trying. It's just their dedication to the process may hold them back. People bail on things because they aren't seeing/feeling the results as they believed they would. However, if it were given more time they would.

I also suggest that you talk to your doctor about options available. I'm certain they've heard from others with the same concern. Just talk to your doctor openly about the issue.Then stick with whatever guidelines or plan given with a strong will, even if you don't see or feel the change yet. Stick with it. In the meanwhile try reducing your intake x amount per-day and  supplementing it with something else that's caffeine/sugar free. The lack of extra sugar and caffeine would make a difference as it compiled with time. The addition of water instead of pepsi adding up more and more so each week would detox you. Try flavored water if you aren't a fan of just water.

There are all different flavors that you may actually like. I realize some are yucky but there are different ones. Try them! Also...   There are flavored teas  that are very yummy and still both sugar/caffeine free.. Just find something that's a healthy alternative to use as a suppliment as you wean yourself off the pepsi. It would be in your best interest to make an appointment with your dentist too.

I agree with the others.  Also, as someone who used to have quite the diet coke addiction (went through nearly 10 cans a day during finals last year), I'd suggest taking a magnesium supplement.  Apparently, the caffeine and phosphoric acid strip it from your body, so taking a supplement can get your levels back up and help you quit eventually.

I suggest replacing it with something. I used to drink diet coke every day and usually during the summer (and now) i just replace it with a healthier drink.

I drink alot of cold tea during summer when I goto purchase a drink at a store (and lots of coffee milk too, haha.) instead. and now I drink alot of fuse slender instead of diet coke. Bit more expensive but I drink less fuse and although it still has sugar substitute I figure it's better than diet coke.

I know it's hard Diet Mountian Dew addict here <----  At times i would drink anywhere from 2-4 Liters a day.  The only thing thats cutting me back is budget, it's to expensive anymore.  One thing thats healthy is always keep a bottle of COLD!! water close at hand.  I freeze it until there's ice chunks in it, then sip on it all day long, it helps kurb the drinking, but cold turkey isn't the answer either, have some, just fill the spaces with healthy water.

To the OP- (I am a Registered Dietitian and Board Certified Diabetes Educator)

First, artificial sweeteners do not have an effect on insulin levels as gi-jane mentioned earlier (just to clarify). But that does not mean that drinking too much of this "chemical soup" does not have the potential to cause some health issues. How is your current blood glucose management? What was your last A1C level? How is you cholesterol levels, blood pressure, kidney function? You don't have to tell us those things, obviously, but my point is that these are the things you should be focusing on.

Aside from the Diet Pepsi, are you eating regular food or are you just drinking pepsi and not actually eating?

Do you have an RD and a Diabetes Educator that you can work with in your diabetes team?

I used to drink 8 Diet Cokes a day.  I started having Lupus like problems and there is a lot of informaiton about aspartame being a problem...   I started using Diet Kola Capsules to help me get off.  Now I take this dietary supplement and drink soda water instead.  see dietkola dot com for information.

Good Luck!  I know it's hard...

Judit

I'm 52 years old and had been a Pepsi and Diet Pepsi addict since a young teen. The drinks had started causing problems with my health around age 30. I had kidney stones at least twice a year,I started having Irrital Bowel,Acid Reflux,bladder infections,my teeth had began to have cavities and I didn't have any until 29. I even put on weight. I tried getting away from them by going first  to sprite zero and water,after awhile I started with iced tea. I now rarely drink sodas when I used to walk a few miles sometimes to get one as a teen. I now just mainly drink the iced tea and water.

i used to drink wayyyy too much diet soda too.

i tried for about a year to stop drinking so much, usually by trying to wean myself off & drinking caffeine free ones. one day i just decided that that wasn't working (i kinda have an all or nothing mindset lol) & decided to go for it and stop drinking it all together. it was hard the first couple of days and i got headaches for about 2 weeks after (almost everyday), but it was nothing that some advil couldn't solve. :)

it may work better for you to wean yourself off though, and to set a limit on how much to have per day and slowly decrease it. just find whatever works for you! :)

good luck! :) oh and it helps to have things replace it like crystal light or something like that. i'm actually finding that i like water a lot more now too, now that i've stopped drinking so much diet soda.