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Anyone React To Soda?


GFreeMO

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GFreeMO Proficient

I am just wondering if any other super sensitives react to sodas. At first I thought it was the high fructose corn syrup so I bought Pepsi Throwback with sugar. Whenever I drink either one, I get cramps and diarrhea. I'm NOT in any way trying to start a caramel color debate but could this bother a super sensitive?

Thanks


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alex11602 Collaborator

I'm not so sure I would be someone to hear from because I am not sure how sensitive I actually am since I basically avoid all processed foods, but I do have a big problem with soda.

Do you only react to dark sodas or do you have problems with sodas like Sprite too?

Can you handle sugar in other things?

The reason I'm asking is that I used to be able to drink soda all the time, Pepsi was my favorite, but then I started getting bad cramps and it got progressively worse so I stopped with the HFCS, then I tried the one with sugar and still couldn't tolerate it, then I tried Sprite and that hurt too. I finally gave up trying after I spent time very sick from muffins that I made with white sugar, personally I can't tolerate the sugar so perhaps that is a problem with the soda for you...

I hope that you figure out what the problem is though.

GFreeMO Proficient

Thanks. I can't tolerate any of them either. Clear soda and dark sodas both make me feel badly. I was recently glutened by some bacon and the D just will not stop. The only other 2 new things that I have added in months is Pepsi and Simply Apple Juice. I guess I am off sodas now...Another thing bites the dust. I guess i'll dig out my Mr. Coffee Iced Tea maker tomorrow.

alex11602 Collaborator

Gosh...sometimes I just wish that our bodies came with a do not eat list! This trial and error and it should be safe stuff is so tiring. I really hope you get to feeling better soon!

GFreeMO Proficient

Thanks! I know and I agree, it is so tiring especially when a full blown glutening comes on and you have no idea what is was from.

Joe0123 Contributor

You might try Oogave soda if you can find it. It's sweetened with agave syrup and tasted pretty good. I don't drink it anymore because it has corn (citric acid) but it should be safe for super sensitives. I would call the company just to make sure.

Linus Newbie

I have had issues with sweetened drinks for 20 years. I could never figure it out. I thought it was HFCs acid etc. diet sodas are fine for me. Fruit juice and sweet wine hurts. Mixed drinks with sweet mixers hurt. I do not know what the issue is either. Now that I am gluten free, I still have the same problem. I guess it is better to avoid such drinks, but it sure is frustrating. I thought I was the only one with this issue.


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cait Apprentice

I thought I was fine with Mexican coke since it doesn't have HFCS (I react to corn). Sadly, I'm not, and I don't know exactly what it is that I react to in it. :angry:

Jestgar Rising Star

You could make your own sodas:

Open Original Shared Link

Takala Enthusiast

Or use club soda (the plain stuff) with a big chunk of fresh meyer lemon or mandarin orange. :)

cahill Collaborator

Gosh...sometimes I just wish that our bodies came with a do not eat list!

This is a SUPER SCARY thought :ph34r:

For as much of a trial that this has been, I think I am glad than when I started I did not know the WHOLE list . It would have completely FREAKED ME OUT !!!!!.

Even now it freaks me out some days ,some days not so much :)

eatmeat4good Enthusiast

It could be benzoates.

Benzoates are a preservative often used in sodas and bottled drinks and bottled condiments. I can't handle it at all. My DH reacts to Benzoates, which, according to experimentation and research is very common for those who are sensitive to salicylates. Even fruit juices often have sodium benzoate added to them. I won't buy anything with it in the ingredients list. I wonder how many are reacting to that? It would be interesting to know.

alex11602 Collaborator

This is a SUPER SCARY thought :ph34r:

For as much of a trial that this has been, I think I am glad than when I started I did not know the WHOLE list . It would have completely FREAKED ME OUT !!!!!.

Even now it freaks me out some days ,some days not so much :)

That's very true and I think I finally am getting to where I'm not completely terrified of getting sick from food, but if I would have known at the beginning I would have been very overwhelmed.

dilettantesteph Collaborator

I'm coming to this late. I didn't see this before. As a super sensitive, I do react to sodas. I thought it was the corn syrup. While I don't react to corn on the cob, I do tend to react to processed corn products. I don't react to my store brand soda water so I mix that up with juice to make my own "soda", kind of like what Jestgar recommended.

GFreeMO Proficient

I'm coming to this late. I didn't see this before. As a super sensitive, I do react to sodas. I thought it was the corn syrup. While I don't react to corn on the cob, I do tend to react to processed corn products. I don't react to my store brand soda water so I mix that up with juice to make my own "soda", kind of like what Jestgar recommended.

I bought a Sodastream maker and have made my own strawberry soda. Thanks everyone. No corn and it tastes great.

dilettantesteph Collaborator

I bought a Sodastream maker and have made my own strawberry soda. Thanks everyone. No corn and it tastes great.

I hadn't heard of that before. I just checked it out. Are you O.K. with their flavors?

GFreeMO Proficient

I hadn't heard of that before. I just checked it out. Are you O.K. with their flavors?

No, not at all. I can't have any of their flavors. I called and spoke with them before I bought it. You can make your own flavors. You can use juice or lemon/lime sugar. I made strawberry soda out of strawberries and sugar which I made a simple syrup out of. If you do a search online, there are a bunch of recipes that we can have. (you and I have very similar issues as far as everything has to be from scratch made my us)

dilettantesteph Collaborator

(you and I have very similar issues as far as everything has to be from scratch made my us)

Except I had problems finding a sugar I could tolerate. Do you use anything special? I have only been able to find one very expensive honey.

GFreeMO Proficient

I just use C&H white sugar. You could use anything that you want. Anything that is sweet will work. Honey or juice would work.

GFinDC Veteran

Maybe you could use stevia instead of sugar? I use stevia in herbal teas and it is just fine for a sweetner IMHO.

I react to sodas but with me I am pretty sure it is the caffeine and not any gluten or corn syrup issue. I can handle caffeine better now that I am off soy, grapes, and alcohol though. I am actually trying caffeine a little lately and not having a problem so far.

Foundtruth Newbie

My son 7yo and I both are celiac. My older son wanted me to stop at tacobell and get an application for work. So I thought I'd just get us all a drink. (I'm very strict to stay away from gluten but still new at it). Within 15 min cramps and D hit me. And about 5min later it hit my son who was curled up on floor crying with belly aches. My question ...is there gluten in the glues of the cups? Cross contamination? Since it was both of us I'd think it was gluten and not other allergies.

  • 2 weeks later...
cavernio Enthusiast

I'm a very newly diagnosed celiac, and as such I'm still not sure what I'm supposed to feel like, or what being glutened feels like, and I myself had never noticed any particular reaction if I ate a lot of bread or pasta etc. before being diagnosed. That said, a few years ago when I started feeling bloated the majority of the time, I thought I noticed that too much sugar and coffee/caffeine (pop included in both of these) made me feel extra bloated. Cutting out sweets and coffee helped quite a lot then, and now, even though I am gluten free, I still notice it if I have coffee or have too much sugar. I hear that being a gluten-eating celiac can really screw up your intestinal flora, (and since I had tried parasite cleanses that didn't make me feel better years ago too even though I did see what could have been parts of parasites my first time around trying them), I'm thinking that that's my reason I have such a noticeable reaction to sugar at least.

And from what I hear, it might be quite awhile before my intestines and what lives in them sorts themselves out.

As to if having a messed up gut flora which causes things like bloating to certain gluten-free foods goes, it's up in the air as to how harmful it might actually be. I mean, there's all types of recent research out there linking what bacteria lives in your intestines to various illnesses, (most striking one I heard of was that certain gut bacteria have been linked to autism in a population subset), but maybe the pop isn't doing anything permanent or harmful beyond the highly unpleasant immediate effects.

In any case, I wouldn't blame gluten being in supposed gluten-free products if you react to that product, and I wouldn't necessarily cut out a food from your diet completely because of bad reactions to it at one point in your life, especially if it's something you really like.

Takala Enthusiast

My son 7yo and I both are celiac. My older son wanted me to stop at tacobell and get an application for work. So I thought I'd just get us all a drink. (I'm very strict to stay away from gluten but still new at it). Within 15 min cramps and D hit me. And about 5min later it hit my son who was curled up on floor crying with belly aches. My question ...is there gluten in the glues of the cups? Cross contamination? Since it was both of us I'd think it was gluten and not other allergies.

It can be that the person who filled the ice machine may have not washed their hands before doing so. If I get a fast food soda (not that often) I don't put any ice in it and just get a small size.

Uhm, btw, maybe Taco Bell is not going to be an optimum workplace for you.... hope that was for your older son. If he's driving your car there, you'd better keep that steering wheel cleaned off....

AVR1962 Collaborator

I drink no soda. My body was reacting to certain additives in foods and soda is loaded. I actually stopped drinking soda over 4 year ago after 30 years of drinking Dr Pepper daily, 1-3 cans. It was then I had my first signs that something was wrong and I was trying to correct what I wasn't aware of and started eliminated processed foods. I have to be careful with sugar intake as well so this was one that just had to go.

  • 1 month later...
Jacqueline Clark Newbie

I am just wondering if any other super sensitives react to sodas. At first I thought it was the high fructose corn syrup so I bought Pepsi Throwback with sugar. Whenever I drink either one, I get cramps and diarrhea. I'm NOT in any way trying to start a caramel color debate but could this bother a super sensitive?

Thanks

Yes. After trying mayny different things, I have come to realize it's the carmel coloring in soda. Yes, it causes me leg cramps and makes me hurt almost all over. I am so senitive now that diet soda is a no go too. Sure do miss a diet Pepsi.

Jacqueline

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