Diet Drink Addiction

36 responses so far ↓

• 1 Josie // May 13, 2008 at 2:18 pm

  I’m 14 and drink at least 12 cans of Diet Pepsi a day.

• 2 wittmc // May 13, 2008 at 5:55 pm

  Hi Josie,

  Thank you for the comment. A very big habit for someone so young. Not sure how long you have been drinking that much, but it is definately something I would try to convince you to cut down on. The biggest population today that is effected by soda in general, is teenagers. There are way too many studies out there as to the effect of soda in teens and life long struggles they can go through, when consuming so much. Talk to your folks and your doctor, they will hopefully share with you the same conerns. Try cutting down gradually to reduce any withdrawal symptoms and hopefully before you know it, you will be down to a no more than one a day, maybe even just a couple a week. I think you will realize health benefits when you do this. If I can cut out my long term Diet Coke habit, I know you can too.

  Thanks,Mike

• 3 Josie // May 14, 2008 at 2:52 pm

  I’ve never really thought of it as an “addiction”; everyone in my family can suck down soda (or water or anything, really) from the time we’re babies…

• 4 Harmony Gullette // Jul 7, 2008 at 10:10 pm

  I am seriously addicted to Diet Coke. Specifically, Diet Coke from a soda fountain. I drink at least two - most times three - 44-ounce fountain Diet Cokes every day. That is between 88 and 132-ounces every day, and it absolutely rules my world. I quit drinking it totally for a couple of months this year. I felt so much better and much more grounded. I felt unlike I could remember (I’ve been drinking Diet Coke for over 20 years at 30 years of age). Well, some days I would decide I could just have one 20-ouncer. Then a couple of days later, I’d have a can or a 32-ouncer. Before I knew it, my addiction had blossomed again back to its full-fledged beauty. I’m making a commitment to stop drinking Diet Coke again - and never to go back. I suffer from Chronic Myofascial Pain and Fibromyalgia…or do I? I’m going to chronicle each day and see what symptoms change or disappear to help myself figure out if this is really aspartame at work, disguised as two of the most mysterious modern ailments.

  Just thought I’d share,
  Harmony

• 5 wittmc // Jul 8, 2008 at 7:09 am

  Hi Harmony,

  Thank you very much for your comment and story. I can relate so much to your addiction, especially the part where you were able to quit and then by just having one or two the addiction was back in full force. That was me many times. Someday Aspartame will be banned, there are too many people out there who have the same symptoms and ailments from drinking it over time. Keep up the good work on quitting, I know you can do it, and I know you will feel so much healthier when you finally kick it for good.

  Thanks,
  Mike Witt

• 6 Patricia // Jul 14, 2008 at 4:17 pm

  I have found myself wondering about the effects of my much needed diet mountain dew. I have some pretty interesting medical things going on and now I am wondering how much of this is actually pop. I have fibromyalgia as well. If my addiction is making me feel like fibro does, I want to kick the addiction! I need something at night to sleep as well. I find myself irritable, with headaches and joint pain. Is this really the diet dew that is doing this to me possibly??

• 7 wittmc // Jul 14, 2008 at 10:00 pm

  Hi Patricia,

  Thank you for the comment and information. You ask a really good question, one I have been asked many times. I am not a doctor, all I can do is share my experience on diet coke and what it did to me. I can tell you though that if you search the net, you will find a ton of information about the affects of Aspartame. There are over 92 listed effects that people like you and me have expereinced. I can’t say if Fibromyalgia is caused by Aspartame, but I will say that I am sure if doesn’t help at all. You will feel so much better once off Aspartame, I did and continue to feel incredible today. Of course, part of my new found health comes from ACT as well.

  Thanks again, good luck, let me know if I can help,
  Mike Witt
  Davenport, Iowa

• 8 L // Jul 24, 2008 at 7:47 am

  I’ve read so many bad things about diet coke the last few days that i’ve given it up, it’s amazing to me how much i’m craving it even though i’m allowing myself to drink one regular coke a day just to give up the diet coke… it is addictive! I’ve been trying to lose weight and i’ve found so many articles about how diet coke actually makes you gain weight, so hopefully by giving it up i can start to get back in shape…

• 9 wittmc // Jul 24, 2008 at 6:29 pm

  Hi L,

  Thank you for the comment and information. You are correct. A lot of people who try to quit get the same craving, and generally that craving brings them right back to it, so stick to it, you will be so much healthier for it. The weight thing is different for people. Some loose, some gain. I think the ones that loose weight when drinking large quantities is because they don’t eat much at all. Unfortunately that is the wrong type of weight loss for your body, a lot of muscle is lost. Those that gain seem to either eat more or eat more of the wrong foods. It is a tough habit to break on your own. Keep up the great work, don’t go back, you will thank yourself in the long run.

  Thanks,
  Mike Witt

• 10 Boona // Aug 6, 2008 at 11:02 am

  I too drink way too much Diet Coke. Like smoking, I always know where I’ll be able to get the next one form, who will lend me money for one, how long before I’ll be at the next place to get one…..I have quit cold turkey twice before. Once when my job gave me an ultimatum-JOB or Diet Coke I chose the job but a year later when I left i could not run fast enought to 7-11. and then again after I went through a very intense conference that made me take a look at the relationships in my life that I was using Dicet Coke to subsitute for what i was lacking in the relationship. that lasted a few months and then it just crept back in…

  How do you stop the train??!!!!

• 11 wittmc // Aug 6, 2008 at 11:56 am

  Hi Boona,

  Thank you for the comment and story of your Diet Coke addiction. It is funny how life creates circumstances that lead us into paths that we shouldn’t. My Diet Coke addiction was more stress related and unfortunately once you get hooked on something it is very hard to break. It is also funny that since I quit, I don’t have as much stress in my life. The best way to stop the train is to quit. Mine came by accident, but once I felt better, had more energy, and didn’t experience any withdrawal symptoms, it was easy to stay off the stuff. I would suggest replacing the diet coke with something healthy and once you are off it for a period of time, you will feel great and realize that going back to it is not an option. Thank you again for your comment and do whatever it takes to stop drinking the diet stuff.

  Thanks,
  Mike Witt

• 12 Everett // Aug 14, 2008 at 1:06 am

  Hi, i drink diet coke frequently. Sometimes up to 5 or 6 in a day (which could be worse i suppose)! …but i can also go for a couple weeks without coke sometimes (key word sometimes). But just recently, i noticed that they came out with Diet Coke PLUS, which has Vitamins & Minerals (specifically B3, B6, and B12). I tried it and it actually does taste better! …BUT it still has Aspartame. :/ I am open to quitting, but dont necessarily want to quit. Here’s what im asking basically… Do you think the PLUS is healthier than the original Diet Coke, with the added Vitamins, even with the Aspartame still?

  Thank you!
  -Everett Ford

• 13 wittmc // Aug 14, 2008 at 6:58 am

  Hi Everett,

  Thank you for the comment and information. Back when I was drinking Diet Coke, I also tried the one with Vitamins and it tasted ok, but I never stayed with it, I was still hooked on the regular diet coke taste. Your last sentance is what does it for me, “even with the Aspartame still?” The Aspartame is the dangerous ingredient in diet drinks. Do a search online for Aspartame and you will see ton’s of information on the effects of this product. That is the reason I shared my story online, because of the side effects of what Aspartame can do to folks. They may not show up now, but for most people who drink large amounts for a longer period of time, they will show up eventually.

  It’s a good thing to get more vitamins but at the expense of still ingesting the Aspartame, it is my recommendation that there are much better ways to get your vitamins and minerals without sacrificing your heatlh. Just my opinion. Hope this helped out, if you need help quitting, let me know, your body will thank you 10 times over.

  Thanks,
  Mike Witt

• 14 Angela Brooks // Aug 26, 2008 at 12:48 pm

  I used to drink RC cola every day and I could not get off them. I started replacing water for every can of RC I drank and was able to come off them with out the headache. NOW I can not even drink 6 oz.

  ACT Energy Drink was something I could drink and get the same effects with a healthier background to it. I drink at least 3-4 a day.
  (smile)

• 15 wittmc // Aug 26, 2008 at 1:27 pm

  Hi Angela,

  Thank you so much for your comment, I will add your story to my testimonial page, thank you for sharing it. ACT is such an incredible product and so many people have the same exact results that you are. They feel healthier, have more energy, and are able to replace all the unhealthy stuff that they consume normally.

  Thank you again, I appreciate you sharing your story about ACT with us.

  Mike Witt

• 16 Danielle // Aug 29, 2008 at 9:48 am

  I have always loved pop. It was a treat when I was a kid, but when I got older I was able to grab my own and go. My 2 brothers drink a lot too. I was able to switch to diet when I was younger which I thought was a much better idea. In the last couple of years I started to drink more and more. In the last month I actually started drinking way too much which is why I searched my addiction and ended up here. I drink a good 3 or 4 litres a day. That’s disgusting when I think about it, but really… I don’t know how to stop. I feel panicy when I don’t have one with me…. I don’t even know where to start…. Sad, but the thought of giving it up scares the heck out of me…..

• 17 wittmc // Aug 29, 2008 at 1:12 pm

  Hi Danielle,

  Thank you for the comment and your story. It is scary for those that drink like I did and like you are, I felt the exact same way. I knew it was bad for me, the symptoms kept coming and coming but in the back of my mind I didn’t know what else to do, I was just plain hooked. It’s ok to feel that way, it’s the addiction, just like any other addiction, that is giving you those fears. Don’t give up, keep looking and reading about the effects of Aspartame and other artificial stuff that we consume and what it can do to people over the long run.

  Thanks,
  Mike Witt

• 18 Josey Tucker // Oct 23, 2008 at 9:08 am

  Hi,
  My name is Josey, and I am a serious Diet Coke addict. I am 18 years old and have been addicted for quite some time. It is a rare occasion for people to see me without a can or bottle of it. My friends joke that it is my lifeline. I tried to stop drinking diet coke about 2 months ago. My first week without it was treacherous, but I knew that I couldnt ween myself off of it, I had to do it cold turkey. My headaches were unbelievable, excrusiating. I was so tired the first week, and had dark black circles under my eyes to match it. I was actually even sad when I would see diet coke and would realize that I couldn’t have it. The second week off the Coke, I felt really good. I got back into excercising, I got my energy back, and stopped cringing everytime I saw a can. But, after about a week of feeling good, I thought I deserved a treat, I mean I had made it 2 weeks. One diet coke was all it took, I was hooked again, even a little worse then before. I actually crave diet cokes now. And my headaches set in much faster now if I don’t have my “fix”. I love diet coke. And I’m not sure what to do. I hear so many horrible stories about its side effects, but I tend to write them off. I don’t want to stop drinking diet coke, but i think it might be better for me in the long run…. HELP!
  Love,
  a coke addict

• 19 wittmc // Oct 23, 2008 at 6:44 pm

  Hi Josey,

  Thank you for the comment and your story. I understand your concern at only being 18 and having these types of reactions to Diet Coke. Life goes by so quick, now is the time to get rid of Aspartame and get back to a healthy lifesyle.

  I am glad that you are learning what artificial sweetners can do to you know instead of 10 or 20 years down the road. Don’t give up, it’s worth the fight, your body will thank you, trust me.

  Thanks again for the comment, I hope that your struggles get easier and that Diet Coke will not rule your life any longer.

  Mike Witt

• 20 Delynne // Oct 27, 2008 at 11:46 am

  Is is ok to drink regular pop while getting off the diet? I am a severe diet Mt. Dew drinker. I feel horrible most all the time, on top of fighting depression for other reasons. This is day 4 without, but have replaced it with regular pop. I intend on finding something else to drink instead….but just haven’t yet.

  Is it still better then diet? I think the aspartame is definitely the biggest culprit for my physical state….and mental as well! I am having bad headaches right now…but I dont know if its the detoxing or not? Thanks for having this site! It is very encouraging! I will keep you posted!

  I too suffer from the joint pain, memory, headaches, depression, and feel totally lethargic most of the time. I am praying that this is the beginning of a new me!!

• 21 Kelly // Nov 29, 2008 at 12:23 am

  I just started to research the effects of aspartame and I have a few of the symptoms. The primary reason I have decided to stop drinking Diet Coke is because my joint pain is starting to affect my life. I would drink between 15 to 20 cans of diet coke a day. I wake up and drink a diet coke, get to work and drink another, around 9:30 I drink another, around 11:00 I drink another, at lunch with free refills I usually drink 6 to 7 (I love McDonalds cokes), around 2:30 I drink another, at dinner I usually drink 2 to 4 and then before bed while watching TV I usually drink 2 more. This has been everyday for years.
  I have tired many times to stop drinking Diet Coke and typically do so a for a few days, but have always started to drink just one, which leads to another and another. This time I have stopped drinking all Diet Coke except at lunch, but I still drink 4 or more at lunch. My goal is to drink it only at lunch and then cut back to where I don’t drink any at lunch.

  Kelly

• 22 wittmc // Nov 29, 2008 at 9:14 am

  Hi Kelly,

  Thank you so much for your comment and story. What you expereince is so much like what I went through, especially the joint pain.

  I am glad that you are sticking to your plan of quitting, you health and body will thank you many time overs.

  Keep up the great work!!

  Mike Witt

• 23 Irene J Ferguson // Dec 5, 2008 at 7:04 am

  I was a addicted too… I did not know it.
  I sure know it now and I have been off
  for a year. ACT took its place and I will never go back to another drink with sweetners other than stevia.

  My grandson wanted me to try Mountain Dew the other day and I could not believe how terrible it tasted to me. That use to be one of my favorites.
  Thank You for your article Mike.

  Irene
  Des Moines, Ia

• 24 wittmc // Dec 5, 2008 at 9:32 am

  Hi Irene,

  Thank you so much for your comment, great to see another Iowan.

  I am also very happy that you found ACT and have experienced the benefits like I have. It is an incredibly healthy drink.

  Nice to meet you, thank you again for stopping by and leaving your note.

  Mike Witt

• 25 Amy // Dec 6, 2008 at 10:54 pm

  My name is
  Amy, and I am 18 years old. I have been struggling with a diet coke/diet drink addiction for a few years now. It started out by a comment from one of my track coaches, telling me to lose weight or “tone up” so I could run faster. I took it to heart, and tried to reduced my calorie intake drastically. I became so obsessed about the calories I was consuming each day. I eventually lost weight, because every time i was hungry, I just replaced it with a diet drink, and it suppressed my appetite for the time being. I started to get scary skinny, and decided to quit the diet soda and replace it with real food every time I had a craving. I started noticing the effects from having withdrawals. I would get these awful headaches, I was unable to concentrate, and I got to the point where I would do anything to have that diet drink. So I decided I would just cut back a little bit, but like you, the withdrawals would become too much to deal with, and I’d be back to my horrible, full fledged addiction. I think about how much I consume each day, and it sickens me. On a normal day, I probably have about 6 or 7 24 oz bottles. I started going to different gas stations to buy multiple bottles at a time because I was embarrassed by how much I was drinking. I feel as if everything in my life revolves around the drink, and I’m so sick of it controlling my life. After only 2 years of consuming diet soda like water, I am starting to notice the symptoms more than ever. My joints ache, I get headaches all the time from the caffeine, I’m constantly thirsty and dehydrated, I’ve lost the color in my face, the health of my hair has taken a turn for the worse, I get mood swings, and even stray away from my friends. I have always been very involved in sports, and I’m so worried that this addiction is going to affect my ability to be the athlete I’ve always been. When I stumbled across your website, it seemed to be a miracle, I read your story and I finally thought that there could be some hope. I feel as if I’ve hit rock bottom, and I am willing to try anything to get back to normal. I’ve lost my ability to enjoy life, and I want that back more than anything. I’ve tried many substitutes to quit my addiction, but nothing seems to work. I think I’m going to try ACT and get back to a normal life! I’ve always thought I was crazy letting a drink control my life, having such a silly addiction. But I’ve come to realize an addiction is an addiction, no matter what the substance, and can have the same side effects. It’s so nice to read other people’s stories and realize I’m not alone in this!

• 26 wittmc // Dec 7, 2008 at 8:38 am

  Hi Amy,

  I truly appreciate your comment and story, it actually chokes me up a bit, to hear your struggles at such a young age shows the power of what aspartame can do to folks.

  Your struggles are so close to what I experienced, but one thing is true, once your body is rid of the aspartame, those symptoms will go away and you can get back to a normal life, I am proof of that.

  Thanks you for sharing your hearfelt story, I appreciate that very much, and I know that my readers and visitors will see your passion in wanting to stop the diet coke. You can do it, don’t give up, your body will thank you ten fold.

  Sincerely,

  Mike Witt

• 27 Judit // Dec 24, 2008 at 5:33 pm

  Mike, do you think they put something besides caffeine in the Diet Coke? I used to drink a lot of them, but now I take DietKola Capsules… but I need to try your product. The more alternatives that we have out there to get away from the Diet Coke the better for everyone!
  Judit

• 28 wittmc // Dec 26, 2008 at 8:57 am

  Hi Judit,

  Thanks for the comment, I appreciate that. Aspartame is the ingredient that causes the most problems for people, especially when it is consumed in larger quantities and over a longer period of time.

  Caffeine is addictive as well, but from my experience, the Aspartame is generally the cause of the side effects and health challenges that people experience with Diet Soda’s.

  Thanks again, if you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to ask.

  Mike Witt

• 29 Ginger Evans // Oct 3, 2009 at 11:27 am

  I too am quiting my diet pepsi habit. I have terrible joint pain flare ups and only recently started to blame it on the soda. I don’t believe its all the fault of nutrasweet I found this article and it cured me:

  It’s tragic that the “beverage” industry shoves this toxic brew at human beings. Let’s take a closer look at what it does.

  The carbonation in all soft drinks causes calcium loss in the bones through a three-stage process:

  The carbonation irritates the stomach.
  The stomach “cures” the irritation the only way it knows how. It adds the only antacid at its disposal: calcium. It gets this from the blood.
  The blood, now low on calcium, replenishes its supply from the bones. If it did not do this, muscular and brain function would be severely impaired.

  There is more info on the web about this reaction to carbonated drinks. I quit them all except maybe an occasional beer : )

• 30 louise // Oct 6, 2009 at 5:02 pm

  hi my name is louise ive been addicted to diet coke since i was 19 i devoloped an eating disorder and survived on 6 - 8 litres a day i beat the eating disorder when i was 23 but three years on i still drink at least 2 litres my teeth are hurting and i want to kick the habbit i dont want my two and one year old copying me have u any suggestions

• 31 Nathalie // Oct 7, 2009 at 5:42 am

  I drink a 2 liter of diet pepsi a day … I dont drink alcohol dont drink coffee I dont smoke but when I’m stressed I drink diet pepsi and I have a 2 year old autistic son and a 4 year old you can imagine how stresses i am lol
  just 2 days ago I stopped im like no this is ruining my life everytime I have no more pepsi I always go buy more but that night omg I was sooo sick I thought I was going to die !! The next day I thought I had the flu and then one my sons ddctors she comes over to our house once a week and I explained how I felt and she said you have withdrawal symptoms you should quit like that you stop gradually or else you could be sick like that for a while … believe me I was so scred of being sick like that again I was to buy a 2 liter …… but and I only drank half yesterday and i stil have half sitting in the fridge and in that my bf also drank a glass soooo I think I can do it !!

• 32 Patti // Oct 9, 2009 at 2:56 pm

  24 hours cold turkey here! I keep thinking that if I can just make it through the weekend I should be ok. But i’ve tried quitting before, both cold turkey and gradually, without success.
  I decided that I needed to quit drinking diet coke when I began keeping a food journal. It was then that realized I had a serious problem when I noticed that I would go days without drinking water. All I had was diet coke for breakfast, lunch and dinner and all day in between! Yikes! I’m taking it serious this time and am determined not to have a relapse! Wish me luck and good luck to everyone out there trying to quit the habit. It’s hard but I believe it can be done!!

• 33 kimberly ann // Oct 25, 2009 at 5:42 am

  wow. i dont know where to begin after reading this stuff..it was coincidence to come across this page as i started a weightloss program today that includes the first 7 days as a detox to get ready. im female 5′6 41 years old and extreemly overweight at 285. ive drank diet coke since it came out , i was kid. but the past 15 years has been excessive to the tune of starting at 4 cans a day, to 3 years ago when i was working in a restuarant that served it, working 12 hours a day 6 days a week id say a 12 pack a day. this went back down 2 years ago as i dont work ther now, but i still can put away 6 a day no problem. . so now.. i come across this info tonight and im scared to death of what i have done to myself. my dr never once has asked me about my drink consumption, only that i need to drink more water. ive gained 60 of the 285 lbs i carry in the past 3 years. i now wonder if it is due to the diet soda that was my only drink, that helped contribute to this.
  as i said im detoxing as of today. now im verry worried agbout what im gonna go through the next week to a month..

• 34 barbz // Nov 3, 2009 at 6:32 am

  hi may name is barb im 27yrs old and completely and utterly additcted to diet soda….i think its important to say i am also a recovering alcoholic and ex smoker. my addiction shifted 4 years ago in rehab when i was getting sober. i chain smoked and chain drank diet soda. i have been really battling it realising i have a problem for year or two now. its almost harder than kicking smoking which im a year and a half into. i now crave it, this morning im out and i feel like im having a flashback, because i cant think of anything but when and how im going to get a case of soda. its sickening…ive been sober little over four years now , i thought i was done with this kind of hellish prison its created for me. im so upset with this. ive been being treated for headaches and im having problems with my teeth there are gaping holes in like four teeth and no dental insurance,not to mention i have a 3yr old who is seeing me drink the soda like a crazy person and i dont want him think its ok…….im just at wits end with this. thanks for listening..

• 35 Anna // Nov 16, 2009 at 8:48 am

  Hey,
  I am addicted to diet coke, and I really want to cut down/quit before I go to university in September (I know I won’t be able to afford it then!) I tired to quit on a few occasions, but only lasted 1-2 days. I can’t seem to get rid of the craving for it. The reason for quitting is because I have heard lots of health issues related to diet coke and I am an athlete myself (currently injured) who wants to stay healthy. If you have any tips on how to break the addiction it would be much appreciated! I certainly feel like an addict, hiding empty cans in my room and lying about how many cans I have had so I can have another. Thanks Anna, 18, UK

• 36 Coke Lover // Nov 19, 2009 at 8:19 pm

  I drink a Diet Coke when i wake up, middle of the day, before doing work, and when I study. On usual I drink 2 L a day, the most-14 liters a day. Everyone bothers me about the amount that I drink. I smetimes think that I would just stop. But I have never tried it because I seriously doubt that a person can be addicted to Diet Coke. When I have a bottle with me, I feel important and and self confident and it is a great conversation starter. Without one, i crave it during classes. I spend more money on Diet Coke than anything else. I have never believed that Diet Coke is bad for you. But lately, I have been noticing just how many I drink without really recognizing it. I don’t know whether or not I am addicted, but either way I will not be able to stop.

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