Gave up sodas...now have headaches

jaxass
jaxass Posts: 2,128 Member
edited November 19 in Food and Nutrition
This is day 2 in which I have not drank a soda (or 3). Now my headache is killing me. I imagine it will last a few days until my body adjusts. Would flavored water help any? You know, MIO, or other brand water flavorings?
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Replies

  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    Caffeine withdrawal? Start drinking black coffee perhaps?
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
    Sounds like you are missing the caffeine intake.

    Mio does make some flavors with caffeine. I think Black cherry flavored.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,255 Member
    Do you drink any coffee or tea? If not, it sounds like you are having caffeine withdrawals. They will go away by themselves in a few days. I have never found an effective remedy other than time. Taking an over the counter headache med might help some.
  • jaxass
    jaxass Posts: 2,128 Member
    I don't drink coffee, just sodas. I drank a lot of them too. Just cutting those out alone will help me healthy-wise.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    It's the caffeine withdrawal from the soda. It'll go away.

    If you want something flavored, go for it.. but it's not going to help with the caffeine thing. Take some Tylenol/Aspirin/Ibuprofen in the meantime if you really need to.
  • staceyseeger
    staceyseeger Posts: 778 Member
    I think it's caffeine withdrawal. I gave up sodas 2.5 years ago. You are absolutely correct that your health will improve. Hang in there! I gave up caffeine, coffee, all sweeteners & gum back in December & feel fabulous. :)
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    edited June 2015
    jaxass wrote: »
    I don't drink coffee, just sodas. I drank a lot of them too. Just cutting those out alone will help me healthy-wise.

    Yeah, caffeine withdrawal. I cut out diet soda a while back as an experiment (nothing magical happened to my health when I cut it out btw :p), and the caffeine withdrawal headaches were brutal. Could you drink some black tea?
  • Cheri1218
    Cheri1218 Posts: 268 Member
    I've done this recently, and drinking tons of water helped me. And lots of Advil. It will pass and you will be better off if you can break this addiction. Switching to coffee continues your body's reliance on the "drug."
  • jaxass
    jaxass Posts: 2,128 Member
    I gave up monogamy too. Perhaps that's the problem? :p jk!
  • Leslierussell4134
    Leslierussell4134 Posts: 376 Member
    Caffeine withdrawal perhaps? If it was regular soda, sugar withdrawal as well? Whenever I want to cut something out of my diet or add something in I try to ween off, it lessens the the withdrawal effects and allows the body to adjust. I absolutely hate headaches and will take an ibuprofen if I must, but I try and avoid. If you're already set on never drinking it again, and aren't against caffeine, try some coffee or tea, it may help.
  • BicepsAndBows
    BicepsAndBows Posts: 197 Member
    Whenever I go a day without drinking coffee, I get those killer headaches. It's from caffeine withdrawal. Caffeine is a drug, a stimulant, and when your body is used to having it, and you suddenly take it away, you go into withdrawal like you would from any other drug with addictive properties. The headaches are killer, so I feel your pain! Some things that help me when I get a caffeine headache are drinking a cup of coffee or tea, taking some Excedrin, and then trying to rest a little in a quiet area. Hope you start feeling better, and good for you for giving up the soda! It's so bad for you, and the benefits you see will far outweigh the couple days of headaches while the caffeine leaves your system!
  • aylajane
    aylajane Posts: 979 Member
    Excedrin works great for me. It has caffeine, so it helps the withdrawal and then pain relievers for the headache. It is awesome, but not on an empty stomach!
  • br3adman
    br3adman Posts: 284 Member
    Just take low dose caffeine pills no need to drink something else costly lol
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    br3adman wrote: »
    Just take low dose caffeine pills no need to drink something else costly lol

    I just paid $2.39 for a box of 20 flavored black tea bags and you can get bigger boxes of unflavored tea bags at the dollar store. Tea doesn't exactly cost a fortune :p
  • goaliesmate
    goaliesmate Posts: 49 Member
    Do some research on the ingredients in sodas - you may find a few where headaches are know withdrawal symptoms.
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    goaliesmate wrote: »
    Do some research on the ingredients in sodas - you may find a few where headaches are know withdrawal symptoms.

    Yeah, its called caffeine :p
  • unlikelyathlete
    unlikelyathlete Posts: 62 Member
    Took me a full month to get over the daily headaches (coffee never did it to me, only sodas), but once you get over it, it is worth it.
  • mistikal13
    mistikal13 Posts: 1,457 Member
    You could try flavored seltzer if you are looking for something besides plain water. Or add limes/lemons/other citrus to your water. Good luck!
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Caffeine withdrawal is killer. Headaches usually last around a week. You'll feel like death but should survive. I gave up soda but switched to coffee so I don't think I'm any better off! LOL - one vice for another.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Yeah definitely caffeine withdrawal. Have some Advil or something and it's going to suck for a few days but then you'll be great.
  • jaxass
    jaxass Posts: 2,128 Member
    Thanks, everyone, for the input. My headaches aren't as bad as my migraines, so I can tolerate them better. They do last longer, but not stronger. I'll get this stuff out of my system soon enough. Thanks!
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    When cutting out sodas, best to cut back more gradually. Avoids the headache.
  • Ready2BFitMom
    Ready2BFitMom Posts: 28 Member
    Definitely the caffeine withdrawl. Years ago I would drink about a 12 pk of coke zero plus one to two energy drinks a DAY, when I quit them all cold turkey I had a non-stop headache for a week and a half. Good luck to you!
  • jaxass
    jaxass Posts: 2,128 Member
    I woke up without a headache this morning. I'm sure as the day wears on, I'll get one. It's only been 3 days and when you get off drinking 2-3 Mountain Dews every single day, it has to have some negative effects.
  • lindarpolk
    lindarpolk Posts: 70 Member
    edited June 2015
    Hang in there, and cut down gradually. But be strict with yourself so you don't cheat. I used to take up to 8 tablets of Excedrin a day because I had such bad headaches from something else. I finally got rid of the primary cause of the headaches, but I was addicted to the caffeine in Excedrin. There's no way to escape the painful rebound headaches from depending on caffeine unless you cut down gradually. If you decide to take caffeinated medicine to replace the caffeinated soda, that's up to you. But just realize that you're still getting caffeine. Take a little time to be nice to yourself, and you will be fine. :)
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    maybe drink a cup of coffee
    or drink lots of water and take aleve
  • yesimpson
    yesimpson Posts: 1,372 Member
    Drink lots of water (just to keep your intake up now you've removed the fizzy drinks) and take some painkillers. I think some level of headache is normal when reducing/cutting caffeine intake. It does suck though. Caffeine withdrawal headaches are horrid.
  • suruda
    suruda Posts: 1,233 Member
    I get headaches from caffeine withdrawls OR sugar...if you were drinking regular soda, could be either or both! Once they are gone (usually a couple of days) though, you've made it through to the other side! Nice work!
  • ljmorgi
    ljmorgi Posts: 264 Member
    jaxass wrote: »
    I woke up without a headache this morning. I'm sure as the day wears on, I'll get one. It's only been 3 days and when you get off drinking 2-3 Mountain Dews every single day, it has to have some negative effects.

    Yep, my boyfriend went through the same thing years ago when he kicked the Dew habit. Hang in there, it'll get better!
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    I tried to give up coffee and by mid afternoon I get a splitting headache. Now I have my two coffees in the morning but I use zero cal sweetener. Its worth it for me not to have the headaches and I really love coffee. I did size down to a 10 oz travel mug from a 20 oz which cut my caffeine consumption in half.
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