Diet/carbonated Drinks

[yogini]

Has anyone noticed their symptoms getting worse with NutraSweet/Diet Coke or other carbonated drinks (even seltzer)?

I started a new job in August. They have free sodas and (embarassed to admit--no judgement please) I had gotten up to drinking 4 Diet Cokes a day. Over the last month I have been feeling awful, exhausted, etc. I wasn't sure if it was the job itself (I worked from home before), except the hours are pretty regular and it isn't too stressful. Then I realized it might be the Diet Coke (also b/c I have bad gas/burping from it - sorry for being graphic). Thursday was the last Diet Coke I had and Friday evening I started feeling miraculously a lot better. I don't know how to explain it, still having some symptoms but my head feels clearer. Given the gas, and the chemicals, I am going to cut out all carbonated beverages for a few weeks and see what happens.

Since getting POTS, I have gone through periods where I cut out diet soda altogether, or drank it occasionally. Whenever I stopped Diet Soda, I replaced it with seltzer, which doesn't have the chemicals, but still has gas. It is stupid of me, because gas makes my POTS is worse. I don't remember how much it helped my symptoms. I am wondering what will happen if I stop everything. Have any of you tried this?

[ramakentesh]

I dont know about the artificial sweetner and Im sure there will be others that can comment on that side of things.

However I find that caffeine in POTS is strange - acutely it can help a lot when you wake up feeling like death, but chronically over time it seems to 'exhaust' my body for want of a better word and make me feel 'wired and tired'.

Caffeine seems to be an acute benefit but long terms less so.

[lieze]

Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands.

With all the talk about adrenal fatigue it seems that as a society we should be more aware of this and be leary of this temporary energy fix we get.

Yes short term it gets us over the hump-long term we're giving our adrenals a regular challenge test. No wonder huh?

[ramakentesh]

Regular as in continually in many cases.

Also I think in POTs it almost seems to over jerk the alpha/beta receptors as well over time. Perhaps depleting them in a more direct way as well. If someone has low reuptake of norepinephrine, targeted continually stimulation of release is probably not a good idea.

i must confess to the occasional complete caffeine addiction in POTS - it gest me through the moments, but at the end of the day im totally frazzeled.

[yogini]

I cut out caffeine for about 1 1/2 yrs during POTS When I restarted it, it didn't worsen my POTS (in moderation). I drink green tea now from time to time, and it doesn't worsen my symptoms. In my case, it is either the NutraSweet and/or the carbonation that is bothering me.

[ramakentesh]

Well in that case, ignore my post

[firewatcher]

I agree with the observation that chronic caffeine messes with my POTS, but can be tolerated in small doses.

I also get the crazy increases in symptoms with sweetener consumption though. I totally avoid all artificial sweetners, to the point of going without any drink, rather than drinking a diet anything. They trigger awful headaches in me. I think it is similar to the medication intolerance we experience, the body can handle the real thing, but put it into a molecule or "synthesize" it and our bodies simply overreact.

[yogini]

Thanks. Day 4 and still surviving and feeling much better than I have in several weeks!