How long is caffeine, aspartame in your system?

vicki71 · 09-05-2007, 07:26 AM

Well, I slipped up yesterday and decided when we went to dinner that I just wanted a Diet Pepsi. I should know better because caffeine is a big no-no for me, even before I was on Atkins. I found my PMS symptoms, namely anxiety and depression, came out of the woodwork and hit me really hard in months when I had been having caffeine. So I cut it out, except for occasional indulgences.

I had about 1.5 glasses of Diet Pepsi last night with dinner. I woke up this morning feeling REALLY crummy. My BP was up and I just felt "yucky" in general. Had to sit down for a while to recover.

Would this be a result of the caffeine and/or the aspartame? If so, how long till those are out of my system? I am feeling a bit better now, and my BP has come down.

Thanks - I will definitely stay away from that nasty stuff! I'll stick to my Diet Rite cola if I really feel the need for a Coke. Ice water all the way next time I'm at a restaurant!

2big4mysize · 09-05-2007, 08:08 AM

caffeine has a half life of 5-8 hours that is the amount of time it would take your body to process 1/2 the stuff you ingested. the caffeien in Pepsi and coke is low compared to coffee.

but in the body you can get a chain reaction of effects cause the caffeine interfers with X and X controls Y production or inhibition and Y does Z so it can take you a while to fully return to your pre caffeine or pre any drug state.
aspartame has about a 3 hour 1/2 life.

vicki71 · 09-05-2007, 11:50 AM

Thanks - I am really not feeling OK today at all. Maybe the caffeine just kick started it. I'm nervous because all of my friends and family have warned me about going back to Atkins ("Watch your health", "You know that diet is dangerous!"), so I get scared that Atkins is causing me problems.

I just feel jittery and uncomfortable, feel like my heart could start racing any moment. However, it could be stress and lack of sleep contributing to that.

Sheesh, I need to relax. Not much chance of that though, with 3 kids, a hubby, a misson trip to Argentina in less than 2 weeks that I'm not ready for, and a party at my house this Sunday that I'm no where near ready for. I'll have to figure out something.... maybe I'll try going to bed early tonight for a start....

Anyhow, I'm rambling, sorry! Thanks again for your feedback!

2big4mysize · 09-05-2007, 12:52 PM

hey don't let them get you down about it. next one who tells you it is dangerous tell them you'd love to read the research paper they are referring to cause you'd like to educate yourself. Then ask them for a copy or the location of it. Bet they never get back to you.

I spent the month of May on 02 checking all the fotnoted studies Dr Atkins referred to and all the naysayers reports on line and never found one that was doctor led that proved anything wrong about Atkins done correctly. Jimmie Moore has a brain doc interview today all about how ketones arre actually great for brains. If you need any amo to shoot them down with i'd be happy to help you.

read the book ( you doing the 2002 DR ATKINS NEW DIET REVOLUTION?) and follow the rules.
Atkins isn't the diet you see on tv in the news shots. if you follow the 3 cup rule about the veggies right there you got 4-6 sevings of just veggies from day one of the plan and the first thing we add back is even more of those healthy veggies but on TV or in a news show you will not see a veggie anywhere. We eat healthy fats ( DA Atkins sounded the alarm about transfats way before any nightly news show did), heathy protein sources of our choice, dairy servings daily too if you want for calcium too. And the seconds thing we add back is even more healthy freassh dairy products.

you can do this and be healthy

D14965 · 10-04-2007, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2big4mysize

hey don't let them get you down about it. next one who tells you it is dangerous tell them you'd love to read the research paper they are referring to cause you'd like to educate yourself. Then ask them for a copy or the location of it. Bet they never get back to you.

I spent the month of May on 02 checking all the fotnoted studies Dr Atkins referred to and all the naysayers reports on line and never found one that was doctor led that proved anything wrong about Atkins done correctly. Jimmie Moore has a brain doc interview today all about how ketones arre actually great for brains. If you need any amo to shoot them down with i'd be happy to help you.

read the book ( you doing the 2002 DR ATKINS NEW DIET REVOLUTION?) and follow the rules.
Atkins isn't the diet you see on tv in the news shots. if you follow the 3 cup rule about the veggies right there you got 4-6 sevings of just veggies from day one of the plan and the first thing we add back is even more of those healthy veggies but on TV or in a news show you will not see a veggie anywhere. We eat healthy fats ( DA Atkins sounded the alarm about transfats way before any nightly news show did), heathy protein sources of our choice, dairy servings daily too if you want for calcium too. And the seconds thing we add back is even more healthy freassh dairy products.

you can do this and be healthy

Dont'cha hate those naysayers?? I have just had blood work done after being on Atkins for 10 months and all the numbers came back perfectly. My doctor is so impressed she has recommended Atkins to her daughter who is struggling to lose weight with WW

LC2003 · 10-07-2007, 05:46 PM

I have no problem with diet coke myself. There is a small amount of caffeine in them which does not seem to make a difference with me.

ByeByeCarbs · 10-24-2007, 04:21 PM

Vicki maybe you are just very in tune with your body. That may sounds silly but I am a true carb intolerant diagnosed by my doctor and all and I can get to feeling anxious now and again about living low carb for life, PLUS I seem to sense things going on in me far more than others do. Like... I worry my hair will fall out or that I am dizzy or or or .... you know what helps? Extra protein, making sure I have more early in the day that I would like to. I am just not good at eating early in the day and if I blew it the night before I feel like I am hung over, it stinks. Carb intolerants suffer severe anxiety when their blood sugar isn't even in that dangerous range.... it is just that we mess up the way we are metabolizing and off we go, it seems!

Diet sodas have always done me in. I don't know if it is the caffeine or the sweetener but it makes me feel like a nervous wreck. I also feel like it is rotting my insides as it goes down, strange.

JeriRat · 10-26-2007, 06:05 AM

Depends on how sensitive you are to caffeine. I had to totally quit caffeine because even 1 diet coke or a small piece of chocolate gives me insomnia. Sometimes I can eat a little chocolate before noon and I sleep okay but if I start doing that regularly the caffeine builds up in my system and I can't sleep at all until the caffeine completely leaves my system.

I also cannot take decongestants at all. Elevated blood pressure, nervousness, and insomnia always result.

sandysmith53 · 10-26-2007, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vicki71

Thanks - I am really not feeling OK today at all. Maybe the caffeine just kick started it. I'm nervous because all of my friends and family have warned me about going back to Atkins ("Watch your health", "You know that diet is dangerous!"), so I get scared that Atkins is causing me problems.

Everyone is different, of course, but I can honestly say that I feel great on Atkins, and one real benefit is I seldom get hunger pangs at all. Have you discussed low carb with your doctor?

Hope you feel better soon.

WanderingSoul · 11-07-2007, 10:23 AM

Do a search for Jimmy Moore's "Livin' la vida low-carb" blog (someone else mentioned him above), he has LOTS of info. on why Atkins is one of the healthiest ways to live-- in easy-to-understand format, too!

Also might want to talk to your doctor. If you can tell your family that your doctor wants you on this plan, they might quiet down.. and also, after you've been on it several months, get your bloodwork done to show them, because the numbers don't lie!

freedomwatch · 03-05-2009, 07:08 PM

I discovered the atkins diet in 2003 and found it to be the best and most successful diet I have ever done. Its hard to get into, and hard to maintain, but that's the same with most diets. My first time doing it was easy cause my dad was the one who got me started on it right after he started it and found it to be successful for him. There is nothing wrong with the atkins diet so long as you monitor your health and all that serious stuff while doing so. Like taking vitamins to supplement your diet cause you're not getting all your body needs with each meal. And regular exercise to stay fit and healthy. ^^

I found this forum while doing research on aspartame (aka "NutraSweet"), which is the key ingredient in any diet soda. I was reading up on websites that went into detail, even listing serious complications, about toxic reactions due to the ingestion of aspartame. I found this thread in a search to find more studies done by scientists on aspartame (which the body breaks down in formaldehyde). Check out Wikipedia! And here, and here, and here (where it is banned in Europe)! I only advocate that you find out for yourself, but from my searches on the net I have primarily found information that supports the claims of scientists and researchers with factual evidence that aspartame is detrimental to human health and, like many other vices (i.e. tobacco and alcohol), kills very slowly.

When I first did the atkins diet in 2003, I primarily drank crystal light products (which is made with aspartame) and after the first two weeks of the diet I allowed myself to have diet sodas. But like in any diet, one should cut out all traces of soda and sugar-added foods; which the same could be said of artificially/processed sweetened foods and drinks.

In recent weeks I have noticed a significant improvement in my behavior and general well-being, as I have completely cut myself off from all sodas. I am unable to accurately list any of the toxic reactions associated with the ingestion of aspartame (as described in the second link I provided), because most of the symptoms I could claim as a reaction to aspartame have been happening to me for as long as I can remember, or for some years after 2003 (and my memory has never been great, with a serious lapse starting in that year). Of course, most of my life, I drank soda as if I needed it every minute of every day. That's not healthy anyway.

Its widely agreed that "too much of a good thing is bad for you", but so is "the lesser of two evils". ^^

2big4mysize · 03-06-2009, 09:34 AM

intersting post but did you know the human body breaks down natural chemicals in foods into formaldehyde too? the amount of formaldehyde from aspartame is minimal compared to the amount produced by foods in the body. it is just a scare tactic like many others used to scare the uneducated away form a product.

EVEN PETA used that tactic to scare folk about the chemicals caused by grilling and broiling meats exceeding the amount legal for waste water discharge. They forgot to say the amount found naturally in many fruits and veggies far exceeded the amount in the cooked meats and that wastewater discharge limit.

vicki71 · 03-06-2009, 09:35 PM

It may be that someone out there is trying to scare people, but at the same time, I know first hand just how frustrating that is to hear when you are someone who has had bad things happen from an artificial sweetener, and you are trying to share your personal experiences with other people.

I have serious problems when I have anything with Splenda in it. When I try to tell people about it, in the hopes I can help someone else out there who may need to know about it, I have been met with much eye rolling and people just kind of listening to me in an amused way, like I'm some kind of a lunatic who can't be trusted. It's very frustrating.

I'm not saying you should believe everything you read online, and I'm not trying to personally attack anyone, I'm just saying that it is possible for some people to react negatively to artificial sweeteners, and not every single case you read is a fabrication by someone out to get the manufacturers of artificial sweeteners. So, though they may be safe for the majority of people, there will definitely be people who are affected negatively and will have really bad health problems from them.

As for me, I have noticed that Splenda makes me get really bad depression, anxiety, and ping-ponging, racing thoughts. They all went away when I stopped the Splenda and came right back when I re-introduced the Splenda to see if it was true.

I am currently using Truvia every now and then, as well as Stevia, and they seem to work well for me.

I apologize if I offend - this is just such a sensitive topic for me. I am a very truthful person, and it hurts me when people try to say I am lying or trying to make someone else look bad for no apparent reason. So I guess this is a sore spot and I needed to vent! lol

I did start the original post a couple of years ago - long before I discovered my sensitivity to Splenda. I had actually forgotten about this question until it popped up again! You never know what will come back when it comes to the internet!

2big4mysize · 03-08-2009, 07:13 PM

Glad you found a sweetner you can use. there are many individuals who have sensitivites to things such as Splenda. I myself have one to Splenda and to soy so I don't use neither.

You can file your reactions with the FDA and if enough folk have the same issues a warning will be added.

09-05-2007, 07:26 AM	#1
vicki71 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 198 Gallery: vicki71 Stats: 180/155/115 WOE: Atkins Start Date: Started at 180 in June 2008, restart 1/26/09 @ 162	How long is caffeine, aspartame in your system? Well, I slipped up yesterday and decided when we went to dinner that I just wanted a Diet Pepsi. I should know better because caffeine is a big no-no for me, even before I was on Atkins. I found my PMS symptoms, namely anxiety and depression, came out of the woodwork and hit me really hard in months when I had been having caffeine. So I cut it out, except for occasional indulgences. I had about 1.5 glasses of Diet Pepsi last night with dinner. I woke up this morning feeling REALLY crummy. My BP was up and I just felt "yucky" in general. Had to sit down for a while to recover. Would this be a result of the caffeine and/or the aspartame? If so, how long till those are out of my system? I am feeling a bit better now, and my BP has come down. Thanks - I will definitely stay away from that nasty stuff! I'll stick to my Diet Rite cola if I really feel the need for a Coke. Ice water all the way next time I'm at a restaurant!

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09-05-2007, 08:08 AM	#2
2big4mysize Big Yapper!!!! Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 8,307 Gallery: 2big4mysize Stats: 313 to current goalie 169-173 WOE: Atkins 2002 Start Date: june 1 2002	caffeine has a half life of 5-8 hours that is the amount of time it would take your body to process 1/2 the stuff you ingested. the caffeien in Pepsi and coke is low compared to coffee. but in the body you can get a chain reaction of effects cause the caffeine interfers with X and X controls Y production or inhibition and Y does Z so it can take you a while to fully return to your pre caffeine or pre any drug state. aspartame has about a 3 hour 1/2 life.

09-05-2007, 11:50 AM	#3
vicki71 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 198 Gallery: vicki71 Stats: 180/155/115 WOE: Atkins Start Date: Started at 180 in June 2008, restart 1/26/09 @ 162	Thanks - I am really not feeling OK today at all. Maybe the caffeine just kick started it. I'm nervous because all of my friends and family have warned me about going back to Atkins ("Watch your health", "You know that diet is dangerous!"), so I get scared that Atkins is causing me problems. I just feel jittery and uncomfortable, feel like my heart could start racing any moment. However, it could be stress and lack of sleep contributing to that. Sheesh, I need to relax. Not much chance of that though, with 3 kids, a hubby, a misson trip to Argentina in less than 2 weeks that I'm not ready for, and a party at my house this Sunday that I'm no where near ready for. I'll have to figure out something.... maybe I'll try going to bed early tonight for a start.... Anyhow, I'm rambling, sorry! Thanks again for your feedback!

09-05-2007, 12:52 PM	#4
2big4mysize Big Yapper!!!! Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 8,307 Gallery: 2big4mysize Stats: 313 to current goalie 169-173 WOE: Atkins 2002 Start Date: june 1 2002	hey don't let them get you down about it. next one who tells you it is dangerous tell them you'd love to read the research paper they are referring to cause you'd like to educate yourself. Then ask them for a copy or the location of it. Bet they never get back to you. I spent the month of May on 02 checking all the fotnoted studies Dr Atkins referred to and all the naysayers reports on line and never found one that was doctor led that proved anything wrong about Atkins done correctly. Jimmie Moore has a brain doc interview today all about how ketones arre actually great for brains. If you need any amo to shoot them down with i'd be happy to help you. read the book ( you doing the 2002 DR ATKINS NEW DIET REVOLUTION?) and follow the rules. Atkins isn't the diet you see on tv in the news shots. if you follow the 3 cup rule about the veggies right there you got 4-6 sevings of just veggies from day one of the plan and the first thing we add back is even more of those healthy veggies but on TV or in a news show you will not see a veggie anywhere. We eat healthy fats ( DA Atkins sounded the alarm about transfats way before any nightly news show did), heathy protein sources of our choice, dairy servings daily too if you want for calcium too. And the seconds thing we add back is even more healthy freassh dairy products. you can do this and be healthy

10-07-2007, 05:46 PM	#6
LC2003 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 64 Gallery: LC2003 Stats: 200/175/175 WOE: Atkins Start Date: 2003	I have no problem with diet coke myself. There is a small amount of caffeine in them which does not seem to make a difference with me.

10-24-2007, 04:21 PM	#7
ByeByeCarbs Junior LCF Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 3 Gallery: ByeByeCarbs	Vicki maybe you are just very in tune with your body. That may sounds silly but I am a true carb intolerant diagnosed by my doctor and all and I can get to feeling anxious now and again about living low carb for life, PLUS I seem to sense things going on in me far more than others do. Like... I worry my hair will fall out or that I am dizzy or or or .... you know what helps? Extra protein, making sure I have more early in the day that I would like to. I am just not good at eating early in the day and if I blew it the night before I feel like I am hung over, it stinks. Carb intolerants suffer severe anxiety when their blood sugar isn't even in that dangerous range.... it is just that we mess up the way we are metabolizing and off we go, it seems! Diet sodas have always done me in. I don't know if it is the caffeine or the sweetener but it makes me feel like a nervous wreck. I also feel like it is rotting my insides as it goes down, strange.

10-26-2007, 06:05 AM	#8
JeriRat Senior LCF Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Nose in book Posts: 255 Gallery: JeriRat Stats: 293/283.5/160 6'0" WOE: Atkins Start Date: 10/08/07 restart 03/28/09	Depends on how sensitive you are to caffeine. I had to totally quit caffeine because even 1 diet coke or a small piece of chocolate gives me insomnia. Sometimes I can eat a little chocolate before noon and I sleep okay but if I start doing that regularly the caffeine builds up in my system and I can't sleep at all until the caffeine completely leaves my system. I also cannot take decongestants at all. Elevated blood pressure, nervousness, and insomnia always result.

11-07-2007, 10:23 AM	#10
WanderingSoul Junior LCF Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 27 Gallery: WanderingSoul	Do a search for Jimmy Moore's "Livin' la vida low-carb" blog (someone else mentioned him above), he has LOTS of info. on why Atkins is one of the healthiest ways to live-- in easy-to-understand format, too! Also might want to talk to your doctor. If you can tell your family that your doctor wants you on this plan, they might quiet down.. and also, after you've been on it several months, get your bloodwork done to show them, because the numbers don't lie!

03-05-2009, 07:08 PM	#11
freedomwatch Junior LCF Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 1 Gallery: freedomwatch	I discovered the atkins diet in 2003 and found it to be the best and most successful diet I have ever done. Its hard to get into, and hard to maintain, but that's the same with most diets. My first time doing it was easy cause my dad was the one who got me started on it right after he started it and found it to be successful for him. There is nothing wrong with the atkins diet so long as you monitor your health and all that serious stuff while doing so. Like taking vitamins to supplement your diet cause you're not getting all your body needs with each meal. And regular exercise to stay fit and healthy. ^^ I found this forum while doing research on aspartame (aka "NutraSweet"), which is the key ingredient in any diet soda. I was reading up on websites that went into detail, even listing serious complications, about toxic reactions due to the ingestion of aspartame. I found this thread in a search to find more studies done by scientists on aspartame (which the body breaks down in formaldehyde). Check out Wikipedia! And here, and here, and here (where it is banned in Europe)! I only advocate that you find out for yourself, but from my searches on the net I have primarily found information that supports the claims of scientists and researchers with factual evidence that aspartame is detrimental to human health and, like many other vices (i.e. tobacco and alcohol), kills very slowly. When I first did the atkins diet in 2003, I primarily drank crystal light products (which is made with aspartame) and after the first two weeks of the diet I allowed myself to have diet sodas. But like in any diet, one should cut out all traces of soda and sugar-added foods; which the same could be said of artificially/processed sweetened foods and drinks. In recent weeks I have noticed a significant improvement in my behavior and general well-being, as I have completely cut myself off from all sodas. I am unable to accurately list any of the toxic reactions associated with the ingestion of aspartame (as described in the second link I provided), because most of the symptoms I could claim as a reaction to aspartame have been happening to me for as long as I can remember, or for some years after 2003 (and my memory has never been great, with a serious lapse starting in that year). Of course, most of my life, I drank soda as if I needed it every minute of every day. That's not healthy anyway. Its widely agreed that "too much of a good thing is bad for you", but so is "the lesser of two evils". ^^

03-06-2009, 09:34 AM	#12
2big4mysize Big Yapper!!!! Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 8,307 Gallery: 2big4mysize Stats: 313 to current goalie 169-173 WOE: Atkins 2002 Start Date: june 1 2002	intersting post but did you know the human body breaks down natural chemicals in foods into formaldehyde too? the amount of formaldehyde from aspartame is minimal compared to the amount produced by foods in the body. it is just a scare tactic like many others used to scare the uneducated away form a product. EVEN PETA used that tactic to scare folk about the chemicals caused by grilling and broiling meats exceeding the amount legal for waste water discharge. They forgot to say the amount found naturally in many fruits and veggies far exceeded the amount in the cooked meats and that wastewater discharge limit.

03-06-2009, 09:35 PM	#13
vicki71 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 198 Gallery: vicki71 Stats: 180/155/115 WOE: Atkins Start Date: Started at 180 in June 2008, restart 1/26/09 @ 162	It may be that someone out there is trying to scare people, but at the same time, I know first hand just how frustrating that is to hear when you are someone who has had bad things happen from an artificial sweetener, and you are trying to share your personal experiences with other people. I have serious problems when I have anything with Splenda in it. When I try to tell people about it, in the hopes I can help someone else out there who may need to know about it, I have been met with much eye rolling and people just kind of listening to me in an amused way, like I'm some kind of a lunatic who can't be trusted. It's very frustrating. I'm not saying you should believe everything you read online, and I'm not trying to personally attack anyone, I'm just saying that it is possible for some people to react negatively to artificial sweeteners, and not every single case you read is a fabrication by someone out to get the manufacturers of artificial sweeteners. So, though they may be safe for the majority of people, there will definitely be people who are affected negatively and will have really bad health problems from them. As for me, I have noticed that Splenda makes me get really bad depression, anxiety, and ping-ponging, racing thoughts. They all went away when I stopped the Splenda and came right back when I re-introduced the Splenda to see if it was true. I am currently using Truvia every now and then, as well as Stevia, and they seem to work well for me. I apologize if I offend - this is just such a sensitive topic for me. I am a very truthful person, and it hurts me when people try to say I am lying or trying to make someone else look bad for no apparent reason. So I guess this is a sore spot and I needed to vent! lol I did start the original post a couple of years ago - long before I discovered my sensitivity to Splenda. I had actually forgotten about this question until it popped up again! You never know what will come back when it comes to the internet!

03-08-2009, 07:13 PM	#14
2big4mysize Big Yapper!!!! Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 8,307 Gallery: 2big4mysize Stats: 313 to current goalie 169-173 WOE: Atkins 2002 Start Date: june 1 2002	Glad you found a sweetner you can use. there are many individuals who have sensitivites to things such as Splenda. I myself have one to Splenda and to soy so I don't use neither. You can file your reactions with the FDA and if enough folk have the same issues a warning will be added.