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Coke Zero almost killed me.

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C

cpp_is_king

Member
Long story short, Aspartame is some fucked up shit.

About 8 months ago I switched from coke to coke zero, because hey it's healthier. I noticed right away that I felt fuller or bloated sometimes when drinking coke zero, but I didn't think much of it. Occasionally, I would start experiencing severe stomach cramps when I had err, how to say.. bathroom-y urges. A few times a month, the cramps would be severe enough that I would get dizzy and light-headed. I never really made the connection, and I even just thought the dizziness was no big deal. "Just something that happens to me" I thought.

Well, a month or two ago, it happened while I was driving. It's happened before while I was driving, so I just brace the steering wheel and power through it. Not this time. I fucking fainted. Imagine fainting while driving 65mph on the freeway. Like totally blacked out type of fainting. I woke up 15 seconds later to the passengers in my car screeming at me and my car full-blown scraping against the barrier on the side of the freeway. 3 minutes earlier I had been driving over one of these:

Freeway_Interchange2.jpg
Click to expand...

Yea. What the fuck, right?

Went to the doctor, they did all kinds of tests. They thought I had heart disease or something at first. Went to a gastroenterologist too because I knew deep down that it was related to the cramps. Nobody figured anything out. After thinking about it I was able to correlate the start of the dizziness episodes to the start of me switching to coke zero. And then everything started making sense. My wife would complain how I leave all these half empty coke zero cans around the house. I can't even finish one because I feel bloated about halfway through. I've been drinking regular coke for 20 years, no problems. Then I noticed that it's not uncommon for me to get severe stomach cramps within 10 minutes of drinking a coke zero.

Long story short, I cut coke zero out of my diet and switched back to regular coke, and haven't had a single episode.

Obviously everyone doesn't react this way to aspartame, but I'm scared to death of this shit now. What if my episode had occurred 3 minutes earlier? What if I had been here instead? It's been over a month, and I still run through all the scenarios in my head. Keeps me up at night sometimes.

So there's my warning. Stay away from this shit.
 
B

bjork

Member
cpp_is_king said:
Long story short, I cut coke zero out of my diet and switched back to regular coke, and haven't had a single episode.
Click to expand...

This will be the line people focus on here.

Not me, though. I'm sipping a Pepsi and glad you didn't die in the faint/scrape dealie.
 
K

Kano on the Phone

Member
cpp_is_king said:
Long story short, Aspartame is some fucked up shit.

About 8 months ago I switched from coke to coke zero, because hey it's healthier. I noticed right away that I felt fuller or bloated sometimes when drinking coke zero, but I didn't think much of it. Occasionally, I would start experiencing severe stomach cramps when I had err, how to say.. bathroom-y urges. A few times a month, the cramps would be severe enough that I would get dizzy and light-headed. I never really made the connection, and I even just thought the dizziness was no big deal. "Just something that happens to me" I thought.

Well, a month or two ago, it happened while I was driving. It's happened before while I was driving, so I just brace the steering wheel and power through it. Not this time. I fucking fainted. Imagine fainting while driving 65mph on the freeway. Like totally blacked out type of fainting. I woke up 15 seconds later to the passengers in my car screeming at me and my car full-blown scraping against the barrier on the side of the freeway. 3 minutes earlier I had been driving over one of these:



Yea. What the fuck, right?

Went to the doctor, they did all kinds of tests. They thought I had heart disease or something at first. Went to a gastroenterologist too because I knew deep down that it was related to the cramps. Nobody figured anything out. After thinking about it I was able to correlate the start of the dizziness episodes to the start of me switching to coke zero. And then everything started making sense. My wife would complain how I leave all these half empty coke zero cans around the house. I can't even finish one because I feel bloated about halfway through. I've been drinking regular coke for 20 years, no problems. Then I noticed that it's not uncommon for me to get severe stomach cramps within 10 minutes of drinking a coke zero.

Long story short, I cut coke zero out of my diet and switched back to regular coke, and haven't had a single episode.

Obviously everyone doesn't react this way to aspartame, but I'm scared to death of this shit now. What if my episode had occurred 3 minutes earlier? What if I had been here instead? It's been over a month, and I still run through all the scenarios in my head. Keeps me up at night sometimes.

So there's my warning. Stay away from this shit.
Click to expand...

That's like telling people to stay away from bread because you have a gluten intolerance.
 
C

Chao

Member
Good to know you're feeling better, but seriously, stop drinking any kind of soda. Drink water and your body will thank you
 
R

rude

Banned
Soda, its undeniable impact. Everyone should just stay away from drinking calories imo. I'm glad that you're safe OP.
 
notworksafe

notworksafe

Member
How much Coke/Coke Zero do you drink a day? I like Coke Zero but I have like a can or two a week and haven't had these issues.
 
J

- J - D -

Member
Are you sure its not because you cut out sugar from your diet? How much were you taking in prior to switching to Coke Zero? Some people get spells of dizziness after changing their lifestyle from habitually injesting sugar regularly. What'd your doc say?
 
N

Nether!

Member
You should probably go back to the doctor.
Even if coke zero is triggering these episodes this is not the typical reaction and could be the result of a more serious issue.
 
A

ActuallyHulk

Banned
The only time I've ever been to the ER for extreme dizziness was when I drank some Diet Coke at a friend's house. Never again. Eventually I gave up soft drinks altogether. Not sure what I ever saw in them to be honest. I feel like if I had one now it would be vile.
 
I

I'm an expert

Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
1. You are not a doctor.
2. Stop drinking any soda garbage.
 
P

Poodlestrike

Banned
I haven't had any lately, but there were times I drank a truly staggering amount of coke zero, and I never had any problems with it. There is a condition where you're basically aspartame intolerant (like with lactose); did you get tested for that?
 
N

NintendoGal

Member
Aspartame isn't exactly wonderful for those with IBS as well. I have a mild case of IBS according to my doctor and I've cut out aspartame filled items and feel so much better.

Sorry you had to experience what you did in order to discover it doesn't agree with your body, that really sucks. :/
 
Metallix87

Metallix87

Member
Y'know, people saying "stop drinking soda" aren't really being realistic here. There's nothing wrong with having soda once in a while.
 
S

SummitAve

Banned
It took you passing out on the highway and almost killing a shit ton of people to get your lazy soda drinking ass to the doctor?

You also don't provide any of the pertinent details like much soda were you even drinking.
 
M

Mission

Member
You know that Coke Zero has less Aspartame though right? It's significantly reduced because of the Acesulfame potassium.
 
C

cpp_is_king

Member
tycoonheart said:
You sure that was the cause? This seems self diagnosed rather than something concrete from a specialist/doctor.
Click to expand...

100%. I've been drinking regular coke for 20 years. I know exactly how my body reacts to it. I switch to coke zero, and bam I start having crazy symptoms. You can't actually diagnose an aspartame intolerance, my doctor even told me this. It's just a clinical diagnosis. You have symptoms that only occur when you consume aspartame? That's the diagnosis. That's what the gastroenterologist told me.

Look, I'm as cynical of this kind of FUD as anyone. Probably moreso. I block people from Facebook when they post shit like this. But I'm seriously converted now, I absolutely know it was the aspartame. (technically, it coudl be the acesulfame K, I guess), but those are literally the only 2 differences in coke zero. What else could it be? Plus, according to my doctor, aspartame is known to cause IBS and other symptomos like this.
 
M

MonorailCat

Member
Don't really understand this thread.

"I'm allergic to carrots. Almost died. Everybody stay away from carrots!"
"I'm lactose intolerant. Everybody avoid milk pls"
 
I

I'm an expert

Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
Green Slime said:
Y'know, people saying "stop drinking soda" aren't really being realistic here. There's nothing wrong with having soda once in a while.
Click to expand...

I drink a soda once a year.. maybe. The op sounds like he drinks it daily.
 
C

cpp_is_king

Member
Kano on the Phone said:
That's like telling people to stay away from bread because you have a gluten intolerance.
Click to expand...

Alot of people don't even know aspartame intolerance is a real thing. I didn't. There's no warning anywhere. Nobody talks about it. For something that has the potential to make you pass out spontaneously, it seems pretty damn important to get the word out that shit can happen.

Woody Invincible said:
Coke Zero is fucking awesome. So much better than coke.
Click to expand...

I agree. I'm actually sad I can't drink it anymore. But diabetes at 60 beats driving over a cliff at 30.
 
I

ItIsOkBro

Member
All these 'diet but taste the same' beverages are such horseshit. I mean, really, people. You really think they can cut the sugar and calories and have it taste the same without there being some really fucked up shit in there?
 
M

Mushroomer25

Member
So you're saying you kept drinking a soft drink that you knew caused you stomach pain, while driving, and its Coke Zero's fault that you could've been seriously injured (not to mention causing a massive accident).
 
H

Hieberrr

Member
Maybe, just maybe, try cutting pop out all together for a bit and see if you'll benefit even more. I rarely drink pop nowadays (I may occasionally grab one ever few weeks/months) and I feel a lot better.
 
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