I realize this doesnt fall into the lgbt+ area but ive gone everywhere else and been ignored,plus when i actually did have a LGBT related problem but i digress. Im beginning to worry for my health as ive recently developed a addiction to the krogers brand mountain dew and drink about 2 to 3 - 2 liters a day. I estimate ive drinken about 180 bottles in the last 3 months. I started a job at krogers and it seemed like a fair way to keep my self energized, its readily available, really cheap, and does the equivalent of a packet of bc powder. I went to see my doctor about 2 weeks into this addiction and she said that my blood looked normal and that im not prediabetic or anything. Obviously thou i didnt tell her about my current eating habits beside for " i eat some fast food every now and then". Im not sure to be relieved or to go back and have another blood test done as my addiction wasnt as severe back then and was about 1 two litter a day. I think it's gotten worse because ive grown a tolerance for the caffine which is the main reason for drinking them, which also emplies that the addiction is only going to get worse as i drink more and more to make up for my growing tolerence to it. Im not sure if im worring to much or if theres a legitimate reason to worry, or if there is reason to worry, what to do about it
I'm not a health fanatic but I'd say that's a lot and too much sugar as well as everything else in it.
That's a problem. Your doctor can only help you precisely if you tell him/her whats going on, without hiding anything. And, if you know you are doing something wrong then it's even more important for the doctor to know it. Drinks like these can be really addictive and harmful because of the high amount of sugar. If you are struggling with it, I suggest you go see your doctor again and explain everything, and maybe also try a therapist to help you overcome the addiction. There nothing wrong with a soft drink every now and then, but, considering how you describe it, you are drinking more and more of it, and this is certainly not healthy. Don't be afraid to seek assistance from your doctor/therapist - everything can be OK now, but things may become serious if you keep drinking too much of this stuff.
You drink 6 liters of soda per day, every day? That's certainly something to worry about. I'm actually surprised you haven't started feeling health effects from it yet. A lot of sugar intake, and soda in particular due to the chemicals, usually causes debilitating headaches when people drink it as much as you are from the constant sugar crashes. You really need to stop drinking it that much. A can or two of soda per day is unhealthy but not much of a problem...6 liters is craziness and will definitely damage your health eventually. Don't hide things from your doctor. I don't understand why people do this. You're literally paying them to monitor your health, it doesn't make sense to not tell them things that affect your health. They aren't going to judge you for it - all they care about is keeping you healthy not criticizing your personal life.
You probably need to talk to a medical professional about this. You can overdose from caffeine, you know. Other people will point out the sugar, which is a problem...but more of a "slow killer," if you will. If you keep adding more and more caffeine in one day, you're getting into territory that's more immediately dangerous to your health. People don't realize it, but caffeine is still a drug (a stimulant). And it affects a lot more than just your blood, just like other stimulants--such as cocaine--do. When I was trying to quit soda (which I did for about a year and fell off the wagon), every time I craved it I drank water instead. You will definitely feel a difference if you quit cold turkey, which you might not like, but you either have to deal with it or do research on non-caffeinated vitamins and supplements that provide energy and/or alertness and try those (I have done this, as well, and there are many out there).
Good advice so far. Sugar as an addictive substance is just starting to get recognized, yet the scientists that have been studying it for years are clear on the depth of the problem. Add caffeine to the mix, and you have a double whammy. The impact of consuming large amounts of sugar would likely not show up on a blood test in the short term, especially given your age. This is one of those things that typically takes years to take its toll, but the effect is cumulative and severe, and not just with insulin control and weight gain; there are many other negative effects on your body. Additionally, the soda itself, the carbonic acid that makes it bubbly, is problematic in terms of health risks. In short... you are right to be concerned. It is important you go back to your doctor and tell him exactly what is going on; Chirop is correct that it's the only way your doctor will be able to help you. You may also need help from a therapist to understand whatever underlying behaviors are going on that are contributing to the behavior. Kicking sugar addiction isn't unlike kicking any other addiction; there are withdrawal effects that last a few days, and others that last longer. The caffeine withdrawal is generally only about 72 hours for the acute phase, but some fatigue for a couple of weeks isn't uncommon, as your adrenals have to readjust to not having the caffeine hitting them. I would also consider that in general, when substance use disorder professionals see addictive behaviors in one regard (in this case, sugar) there is nearly always a high risk of transferring the addiction to something else, since the underlying need (whatever it may be) is being met by the addictive behavior until it is explored, understood, and resolved. So for this reason, and given the severity of the behavior you ar describing, I would strongly suggest avoiding any other potentially addictive substances (alcohol, drugs including marijuana, cigarettes/vapes, etc) and also potential process addictions (gambling, etc.). It would be very easy, once you resolve this, to transfer it to something else if you aren't careful. This is why working with a therapist to understand what's driving the behavior is important; it is rarely as simple as "I want something to give me an energy boost." I don't mean to scare you. This is a very solvable problem, especially since you are aware of, and concerned about it. I just want you to understand the potential secondary issues to be concerned about so they don't become an issue for you. There's an excellent book, called "Fat Chance", by Robert Lustig, MD, that I would suggest as an excellent source of quality, well-researched information on the impact of sugar on your body and its addictive nature.
