to be addicted to Pepsi Max & unable to give up even though I quit alcohol?!

[LeftMyRidingCropInTheMortuary]

Hello all,

Since I was a little girl, I have loved fizzy drinks. Since I became a grown up and able to buy as much as I want, I have pretty much drunk it constantly throughout the day. 2-3litres per day probably. I have tried to quit a few times but never managed. I just don't feel refreshed drinking water/squash. I think it's a combination of the fizz, the taste and the caffeine that I like. Soda stream doesn't cut it. Nor own-brand. It has to be Pepsi Max. Or Diet Pepsi. And, in a pinch, Diet Coke.

2 dentists have told me my teeth are fine (they think because I just neck it and don't swirl it near my teeth).

But: it costs a hell of a lot of money. And it's a PITA having to buy loads of bottles and cart them to work/up the stairs to my flat. It's a standing joke with my family/friends/colleagues.

I don't drink tea or coffee. I don't do drugs or smoke. And I quit alcohol in January after several years of increasing addiction to that. I see quite a few people in 12-step meetings toting some Pepsi Max so maybe it's like catnip for alkies?!!

I'm not even sure I DO want to give up Pepsi. Just interested in other people's thoughts.

Thanks in advance.

I had to go cold turkey on Diet Coke. I felt like crap for a week or so, and then I was freeeeee.

Isn't fizzy drinks means you're deficient in calcium? Which makes sense as it leeches it from your bones.

Maybe start there?

Watching as I have a similar addiction to Coca Cola and finding it very hard to kick

You may find that it's the sugar you are craving since giving up alcohol. My fathers a recovering alcoholic, him and all his mates from the rehab all go mad for sugar now, they all seem to think it's because the sugar they got used to having in their beers (might be rubbish!) but it's what I've heard.

I wish you luck, I love my coke, and found over the past years I've pretty much lived off the stuff.... I read what coke does to your body, I'm just trying to cut it out one drink at a time, just trying to be more mindful of what I'm doing to myself.. I've managed to get down to roughly once or twice a week.

Can you use the money you save on a holiday? This way you can see how much you actively spend on Pepsi?

Ps- no problems with my teeth either! I'm the only person I know at almost 25, never had a cavity despite the amount of Coke I chug down!

My Aunt is hooked on diet coke. She is also in recovery. I think that The two are linked. I would rather she hits Pepsi than vodka.

The strange thing is, I know someone who is addicted to diet coke, someone else who is addicted to normal coke, and someone who is addicted to Dr Pepper.

Yet I've never heard of anyone being addicted to other fizzy drinks (except Pepsi), so is it really the caffeine that makes them addictive?

Thing is, there's no sugar in the diet brands so it's not that...you do get a kick from the fizz and caffeine tho.

Hi! It's aspartame that you're addicted to!! It's quite common have a read of this:
www.dietdrinkaddiction.com/aspartame-withdrawal-symptoms-are-they-real/

Diet coke here, I've got a glass at the mo.

Well, that site and its repeated use of multiple exclamation marks has definitely convinced me.

My dh is addicted to Pepsi max (although drinks less than he used to). He had a colonic a few years ago, and the man doing it actually ran out to get me as he was so shocked by what was coming out of him during the treatment he wanted someone else to see! It was pure black and he'd never seen anything like it. It certainly made dh more mindful of how much he was drinking when he saw how much crap was lingering behind in his body.

There's a lot of caffeine in Pepsi max (almost double some other cola type drinks if I recall correctly). I would definitely try and cut down as its not great for you.

I'm so sick of all the scaremongering over aspartame. You'd have to drink gallons and gallons of the stuff before it would be dangerous.
I blame foodbabe.
Op if it's not doing damage to your teeth why not enjoy it?
Try poundland, farmfoods and iceland they usually sell it cheap!
poundland is 3 cans for £1 and iceland still have big bottles of normal coke for whoever drinks that!
I love pepsi maxx but think i may love coke more now!
I blame my bf, he got me onto it!
I used to hate the stuff!
Now i can't stand diet coke!
I love any fizzy pop though!
At weekends i'll have a few glasses a day.
I shouldn't because my teeth haven't been brill lately ( health problem, unrelated) but it's my only vice
I'm going to enjoy it!!

Have you tried pepsi maxx cherry op???
It's soooo much nice than cherry coke!

I am also addicted to Pepsi Max Op - I need to give up before it ruins my teeth, any pointers are very welcomed, anyone!

DH went cold turkey at the start of September - he was also drinking 2-4ltr per day. He had the physical withdrawals from caffeine but has replaced the fizz with fizzy water. I would buy PM where ever it was on offer (easy to drive to several supermarkets, used mysupermarket app to check prices) but now fruity fizzy water is so much cheaper and in all the big shops.

My best friend gave up smoking and basically replaced it with diet/zero/max coke or Pepsi. She was getting through about 8 cans a day. After a few years she went cold turkey on the caffeinated stuff. Felt rough for a week, but much better after and sleeps well at night again. She now sticks to decaf at home/work with occasional regular in the pub.

I think it's probably wise to limit anything you feel a compulsion to consume. If you're addicted to something you can guarantee it will be doing you harm.

This was me last year and only getting pregnant and the caffeine making me feel so rubbish ontop of morning sickness worked.... not exactly helpful I know!

I daren't go near it now, the buzz even a swig gives me. There's more caffeine in Pepsi max than coffee I swear!

I love Pepsi Max cherry. I've cut down because I've gone off it a bit now I'm pregnant.

Fizzy water and squash are a quite good substitute. I'd take it slowly.

A relative and an ex colleague, both had this addiction and both quit with medical help. I would go to your GP in the first instance, I don't think it is that uncommon. One has IBS and one has Collitus which I don't think is coincidence, so I would go now rather than put it off.

Yanbu, I gave up smoking, can give up chocolate but not Pepsi max. Love fizzy drinks but Pepsi max is the best. I've tried so many times, it's makes me feel very ill when I've tried in the past.
Don't know the answer

I'm in the Pepsi max over diet or coke camp.

I'm not as reliant as I used to be. Work banning it helped. I now have around 1 can or small bottle most days.

My tea addiction on the other hand.....

I know you are not asking about weight, but are you overweight, because that would be a good motivation to quit?

I was addicted to diet coke until this year. When we went to mainland europe for our summer holiday I found that there version , coke light, had a very different taste so that kick started my withdrawing from it.

I used fizzy water to get me off it. I had to say at times it was like giving up the smokes. I got headaches and cravings so strong at times.

I am not off the coke for almost 3 months.

I'm not very overweight but I did lose six pounds without doing anything except stopping the diet drink, so maybe there is something linking it to weight.