Diet Coke Giving Me Headaches?

cosmo_momo
cosmo_momo Posts: 173 Member
edited November 29 in Food and Nutrition
I know that soda in general is not good for you, but I've recently started drinking a can of diet coke a day after dinner/before bed because that's when I snack the most. I've noticed in the last two weeks that I have been waking up with headaches and having them last throughout the day. They are worse when I look at screens or read books. The last time I got these kinds of headaches, I had my eyes checked and my contact prescription altered and that took care of it. That may be a possibility here as well. I know this isn't a placebo effect because I was thinking of things I've changed recently and the only thing is that I've started drinking the diet coke. I had the headaches before I made that connection.

It might not be caused by the soda, but I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this? I'll have to stop drinking it for a few days to see if that helps.

Replies

  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    I'd get your eyes checked now, don't wait to see if it's the soda. They're the most likely culprit.

    I used to have bad eyesight, too (fixed w/ Lasik) and know exactly what type of headache you mean - it's from the eye strain. That's why it gets worse when you're looking at screens or reading books. I occasionally get the same headache now when I work too many hours straight because I spend my whole day staring at a computer screen. They're even more likely if I'm tired to start with.

    If also done the headache from not getting regular caffeine (though that doesn't happen to me anymore for some reason) and that felt different. A constant low-level nagging ache, never went away, did not get better if I closed my eyes. Didn't go away for at least 12 hours and often lasted a couple of days.
  • QueenofHearts023
    QueenofHearts023 Posts: 421 Member
    I agree that you should cut it out for a few days to see if you still get them, if you do, might be something else going on. I've heard of some people that get headaches from certain types of artificial sweeteners.
  • OzarkLady76
    OzarkLady76 Posts: 84 Member
    Aspartame, found in many diet drinks, is a migraine trigger for me. A neurologist gave me a list of known migraine triggers & aspartame was on that list. Some people can handle it. Some can't. Hope you figure it out soon.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    OzarkLady76 wrote: »
    Aspartame, found in many diet drinks, is a migraine trigger for me. A neurologist gave me a list of known migraine triggers & aspartame was on that list. Some people can handle it. Some can't. Hope you figure it out soon.

    Aspartame is also a migraine trigger for my sister.
  • heatherwartanyan
    heatherwartanyan Posts: 66 Member
    Aspartame is poison
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    heatherwartanyan wrote: »
    Aspartame is poison

    No. Try again.
  • engodwin
    engodwin Posts: 516 Member
    OzarkLady76 wrote: »
    Aspartame, found in many diet drinks, is a migraine trigger for me. A neurologist gave me a list of known migraine triggers & aspartame was on that list. Some people can handle it. Some can't. Hope you figure it out soon.

    This is true for me also
  • DrifterBear
    DrifterBear Posts: 265 Member
    Maybe the caffeine is disrupting your sleep. You might also have caffeine withdraw headaches in the morning. Did you give up caffeine in the morning recently? I avoid caffeine after 2 or 3pm. Maybe try having one in the morning or coffee and caffeine free before bed.
  • Here4Ponies
    Here4Ponies Posts: 116 Member
    OzarkLady76 wrote: »
    Aspartame, found in many diet drinks, is a migraine trigger for me. A neurologist gave me a list of known migraine triggers & aspartame was on that list. Some people can handle it. Some can't. Hope you figure it out soon.

    Major trigger for me as well.
  • animalldy
    animalldy Posts: 140 Member
    I stopped drinking diet drinks because of this reason, headaches. I do fine with small amounts of stevia (1-2 drinks per day). You can find stevia soda under the brand Zevia at natural foods stores, or larger chains.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    if its giving you a headache... stop drinking it?
  • Equus5374
    Equus5374 Posts: 462 Member
    Diet Coke contains caffeine, which can cause headaches. One of the amino acids that makes up Aspartame is phenylalanine, and some people are sensitive to it in the same manner that some are sensitive/allergic to gluten. Beyond that, there's nothing wrong with Aspartame. So many people jump to conclusions that it's what they're eating or drinking that is causing XYZ problem, when often it's other overlooked issues.
  • cosmo_momo
    cosmo_momo Posts: 173 Member
    DrifterBear wrote: »
    Maybe the caffeine is disrupting your sleep. You might also have caffeine withdraw headaches in the morning. Did you give up caffeine in the morning recently? I avoid caffeine after 2 or 3pm. Maybe try having one in the morning or coffee and caffeine free before bed.

    That's a good thought. I don't drink anything but water (besides the diet coke obvs). I've never been a coffee drinker either. I couldn't drink it in the morning lol, too early for soda IMO.
    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    if its giving you a headache... stop drinking it?

    Gee thanks, it's not like I hadn't already considered that in my post :o
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
    For me it is a huge trigger for headaches and sometimes migraines. Diet anything. Those sweeteners get me every time. I would cut it out and experiment with it slowly in a week or two.
  • AngelAura777
    AngelAura777 Posts: 225 Member
    You should completely cut out any soft drink even if it is diet. The artificial sweeteners are worse than sugar and they are laden with chemical crap. Drink kombucha instead its carbonated so a good replacement and has probiotics for healthy gut flora. You can get it from any health food store.
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
    Probably, they're full of crap... If you really want soda, try Zevia, or something similar... or even just regular coke, which, at least, has just regular sugar.
  • cbelc2
    cbelc2 Posts: 762 Member
    I drink unsweetened hot green tea in the evenings. Try it instead of the soda. And get your eyes checked too.
  • becky10rp
    becky10rp Posts: 573 Member
    I can't eat/drink any artificial sweeteners - they trigger migraines in me. I drink a LOT of water and herbal tea.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    AngelAura777 wrote: »
    You should completely cut out any soft drink even if it is diet. The artificial sweeteners are worse than sugar and they are laden with chemical crap. Drink kombucha instead its carbonated so a good replacement and has probiotics for healthy gut flora. You can get it from any health food store.

    No.
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    AngelAura777 wrote: »
    You should completely cut out any soft drink even if it is diet. The artificial sweeteners are worse than sugar and they are laden with chemical crap. Drink kombucha instead its carbonated so a good replacement and has probiotics for healthy gut flora. You can get it from any health food store.

    The bolded is hogwash.

    Can you please cite a study that shows that "sweeteners are worse than sugar" and please also specify what "chemical crap" you're talking about. Because this just sounds like someone has been reading way too many Food Babe blog posts.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    I am prone to headaches, for me the key is to drink caffeine consistently and early. I drink only non-caffeinated drinks after noon, and I drink the same amount of caffeine every day. If I vary consumption, or if my sleep is disrupted by having caffeine too late in the day, I get headaches.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    heatherwartanyan wrote: »
    Aspartame is poison

    LOL! I would have been dead many many years ago if that were true.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    AngelAura777 wrote: »
    You should completely cut out any soft drink even if it is diet. The artificial sweeteners are worse than sugar and they are laden with chemical crap. Drink kombucha instead its carbonated so a good replacement and has probiotics for healthy gut flora. You can get it from any health food store.

    That stuff tastes like crap. Seriously. That's great if YOU like it, but you are pushing the wrong thing to suggest that it could be a replacement for a diet soda.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    edited February 2016
    The only thing you changed being the Diet Coke wouldn't have to do with the placebo effect. The placebo effect would be more like: you get headaches because you think Diet Coke will give you headaches.
    Either way, if you think Diet Coke is giving you headaches, then give it up and see if the headaches go away. If they don't, investigate other possibilities.
  • rattiemomma
    rattiemomma Posts: 41 Member
    Vanilla Diet Coke and ONLY Vanilla Diet Coke triggered my migraines. Diet Pepsi Vanilla was fine and plain Diet Coke is fine. Go figure.

    Side note: We know exactly how aspartame breaks down in the body. It's no more poison than anything else we consume. The preservatives and color additives raise some questions, though.
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