Venting - Glutened By Diet Pepsi? Or Cc?

[cyberprof]

I have to vent here because y'all are the only ones who can understand how frustrating this is.

I have been so overloaded. My hubby has had a back-ache for two weeks and has been doing zilch, so I have had to do more of the cooking, shopping, cleaning etc. Our horse got sick, so hubby isn't able to help with that. My son was sick last week.

I also teach at a community college part time, and grades were due Monday, and I worked on them all weekend and didn't get enough sleep.

Yesterday the cat got sick! After working a whole day, I drove to get the cat at the vet's (envision rush hour city traffic for 1.5 hours), and indulged myself by treating myself to a diet Pepsi from Dairy Queen drive thru. It's a very rare treat-once a month or less. And it was all the dinner I'd be getting before going to my son's soccer game. And it's better than drinking alcohol and driving (kidding!).

I hadn't eaten anything before that so I know it was the pepsi. Burping and heartburn started after 2-3 sips and I then got my stomach ache. I didn't finish it but got enough SOMEHOW to have cramps, D and naseous all day. And I couldn't call in sick because the woman who reports to me at work was at a conference. All day, back and forth to the restroom. Scary, sometimes.

It can't be simple. I guess I have to go into the DQ, get the cup and fill it up myself, making sure that there are no wheat crumbs in the cup. Either that, or the DQ CC'd the Diet Pepsi dispenser. Yuk!

Sorry for the long-winded rant. People at work just don't understand and I try not to tell my family these horror stories because my son just went gluten-free a couple weeks ago, and I don't want to depress him.

~Laura

[ravenwoodglass]

The real sensitive in my family avoid any 'dark' sodas regardless of how gluten free they are said to be we both react. There is also the possibility that the soda in the machine will have a different and possibly gluten filled formula that the bottled stuff does not have.

[Sandi*]

Could it have been the sweetener? Diet Pepsi uses two kinds - aspartame and sucralose (aka Splenda). The way sucralose works is that it passes through our guts undigested, hence the "no calories" part. However, because of that it can also cause tons of gastrointestinal distress (bloating and diarrhea being the most common). Since you bought it in a cup you probably don't know which kind was used. I would suggest next time getting the bottled kind sweetened with aspartame and seeing if you still have symptoms.

Plus, the fact that you had nothing else to eat probably didn't help either because that way your stomach wasn't "buffered" with anything safe.

[shayesmom]

It may not have been a reaction to gluten, but rather a reaction to the artificial sweetener in the Diet Pepsi. Many people have problems with that and the reaction can be similar to a gluten reaction. I also have found that the regular Pepsi isn't any better. I've noticed that drinking Pepsi will trigger psoriasis in me, especially over the past year. I called Pepsico and asked if they'd changed the ingredients in Pepsi as I've been able to drink it for decades up until recently. They said they haven't changed a thing. But upon further research, I did find that all soda manufacturers had to reformulate their drinks because of law suits involving benzene in their products. So while they may not have changed the ingredients per se, they may have changed the quantities of certain ingredients in their drinks. So now, I avoid them all like the plague....

Steaz makes a "cola" green tea which is reminiscent of cola soft drinks. It isn't as carbonated, but I find it works better for me. You may want to look into it as well.

I have to vent here because y'all are the only ones who can understand how frustrating this is.

I have been so overloaded. My hubby has had a back-ache for two weeks and has been doing zilch, so I have had to do more of the cooking, shopping, cleaning etc. Our horse got sick, so hubby isn't able to help with that. My son was sick last week.

I also teach at a community college part time, and grades were due Monday, and I worked on them all weekend and didn't get enough sleep.

Yesterday the cat got sick! After working a whole day, I drove to get the cat at the vet's (envision rush hour city traffic for 1.5 hours), and indulged myself by treating myself to a diet Pepsi from Dairy Queen drive thru. It's a very rare treat-once a month or less. And it was all the dinner I'd be getting before going to my son's soccer game. And it's better than drinking alcohol and driving (kidding!).

I hadn't eaten anything before that so I know it was the pepsi. Burping and heartburn started after 2-3 sips and I then got my stomach ache. I didn't finish it but got enough SOMEHOW to have cramps, D and naseous all day. And I couldn't call in sick because the woman who reports to me at work was at a conference. All day, back and forth to the restroom. Scary, sometimes.

It can't be simple. I guess I have to go into the DQ, get the cup and fill it up myself, making sure that there are no wheat crumbs in the cup. Either that, or the DQ CC'd the Diet Pepsi dispenser. Yuk!

Sorry for the long-winded rant. People at work just don't understand and I try not to tell my family these horror stories because my son just went gluten-free a couple weeks ago, and I don't want to depress him.

~Laura

[Panopticism]

Caffeine? Last time I had a soda(or pop as it's called here), was a Mountain Dew about a year ago... I literally almost killed myself to put an end to my misery. I was so sick that night. Coffee, chocolate and tea all do the same to me. Coffee is the worst.

With that having been said, I sometimes drink Canada Dry ginger ale(caffeine free) with no problems.

[cyberprof]

Thanks everyone. Venting helps.

Another small pleasure down the drain. I don't like diet pepsi in the can - only the soda fountain kind.

I may be the sucralose, as I have eliminated that when found in other items because it caused bloating and gas. I don't drink coffee but have no problem with caffine in tea. But this felt like a gluten reaction not a sucralose reaction. But I guess I'll just give it up and have a flavored water or something (after I research that). I drink a ton of water and usually just have that but wanted a treat.

~Laura

[shayesmom]

I think we all can relate to wanting a "treat". I recently discovered that I like kombucha teas....and it is a great replacement for carbonated drinks. And the sweet/sour flavor is peculiar and yet I find it addictive. lol! Plus, it's just fermented tea and is full of probiotics. So it's actually very good for you. That is my new "treat". It will quell a soda craving in no time. You may want to give it a try and see how it works for you.

Thanks everyone. Venting helps.

Another small pleasure down the drain. I don't like diet pepsi in the can - only the soda fountain kind.

I may be the sucralose, as I have eliminated that when found in other items because it caused bloating and gas. I don't drink coffee but have no problem with caffine in tea. But this felt like a gluten reaction not a sucralose reaction. But I guess I'll just give it up and have a flavored water or something (after I research that). I drink a ton of water and usually just have that but wanted a treat.

~Laura

[jerseyangel]

Hi Laura,

If you're sure it was a gluten reaction, I'll bet it was due to the person filling your cup after handling a hamburger bun or ice cream cone.

I understand about just wanting a convenient treat once in a while. I love to go to Starbucks and get tea. I now always ask for the tea bag still in the wrapper because I think something similar happened to me when the barista made the tea. I got sick later in the day, probably the person handled a pastry or sandwich before making my tea.

It's a pain in the neck for sure, and I'm glad you got to get it off your chest

[Sandi*]

I recently discovered that I like kombucha teas....and it is a great replacement for carbonated drinks. And the sweet/sour flavor is peculiar and yet I find it addictive. lol! Plus, it's just fermented tea and is full of probiotics. So it's actually very good for you. That is my new "treat". It will quell a soda craving in no time. You may want to give it a try and see how it works for you.

I LOVE kombucha teas! I just wish they were just as cheap as soda :-). I thought about making my own but I'm afraid I will just kill the mushroom, lol!

[ellen123]

Hi Laura,

Sorry to hear your treat turned out to be so much trouble. I'll bet it was just something the DQ employee handled just before pouring and handing you your drink. I had a bad reaction from "treating" myself to a Starbucks latte (what could be bad about a coffee and steamed milk, I thought). I thought it would be safe because the person who makes the coffee drinks does not hand out the muffins and pastries. But anyone at Starbucks or Dairy Queen or any of those kinds of fast-paced, fast food places could be handling anything right before your order. There could be crumbs on the counters, stuck on their sleeves, etc. Anyway, every now and then we just have to take those gambles, I guess (especially teachers -- it can be exhausting sometimes).

Hope you, your family, the horse, the cat, everyone else, feel better soon!

Ellen

[cyberprof]

Hi Laura,

Sorry to hear your treat turned out to be so much trouble. I'll bet it was just something the DQ employee handled just before pouring and handing you your drink. I had a bad reaction from "treating" myself to a Starbucks latte (what could be bad about a coffee and steamed milk, I thought). I thought it would be safe because the person who makes the coffee drinks does not hand out the muffins and pastries. But anyone at Starbucks or Dairy Queen or any of those kinds of fast-paced, fast food places could be handling anything right before your order. There could be crumbs on the counters, stuck on their sleeves, etc. Anyway, every now and then we just have to take those gambles, I guess (especially teachers -- it can be exhausting sometimes).

Hope you, your family, the horse, the cat, everyone else, feel better soon!

Ellen

Thanks Ellen.

~Laura