Anybody else have a Dew addiction?

[Patrick425]

Saw this article on Yahoo Sports:

More on Caron Butler's extreme Mountain Dew addiction

I'll admit that I'm addicted to the sweet nectar as well. I have cut back a bit over the years. I use to have 3 during the day and one at night just about every day. About 2 or 3 years ago I cut down on my day time consumption and now and I only have one during the day, at lunch. During the week I can sometimes find the will power to avoid having one at night, but the craving is really bad. I get headaches when I go a few days without it. Weekends are a killer. I usually go through anywhere from 6 to 12 Dews from Friday night through Sunday night.

About 4 or 5 years ago I went just about cold turkey for about 3 weeks and I swear I lost 10 pounds without changing anything else in my life. It was noticeable.

Curse you Mountain Dew!!

edit: Why every time I do a paste of a link, then do a spell check, do I get these yellow highlights that I can't get rid of?

edit 2: fixed code to eliminate yellow --1992

[fondybrewfan]

I used to be pretty bad as well. One 12 pack of cans would probably only last me a day and 1/2 on weekends and 4 days during the week. Nowadays I only have one every so often, maybe one every couple of weeks.

 

My wife is an organic freak and she is pretty insistent that MD is one of the worst things you can possibly put in your body. So I was really forced to give it up. Every once in a while when I need a pick me up at work I will hit the vending machine but I really make an effort to stay away from the stuff.

[Godspeed]

I've never been addicted or anything, but the Mountain Dew Throwback (MD w/ no HFCS) they released this summer was heavenly.

[bullox]

I used to drink it quite a bit, anything from normal MD to diet MD to Baja Blast from Taco Bell, all of the above. I too got the headaches if I didn't drink it for a while, but that happens with any high-caffiene diet. I quit drinking MD a while ago though. Water is so much cheaper and better for you. You don't get the buzz, but you learn to live without it.

[jimmyjeromehardy7]

I use to drink at least 6 or 7 a day during the week and if I was home doing stuff around the house I would guess I would have closer to 10. If I didn't have any before 10 am I would have headaches the rest of the day. In February I decided to stop drinking it cold turkey. The first week was a b**ch, the 2nd week not quite as bad and finally the headaches were gone. I would occassionally have a diet coke but until about August I stayed away from the Dew. Now I may have one in the morning to wake myself up since I don't drink coffee but I don't have more than 2 a day and most days its just one.

[T B0NE 10]

I can drink anywhere between 1-5 a day. I've been noticing it alot more now that I have to buy it all myself in college.

 

Its so good that I don't want to give it up, though the health benefits appear tempting. I'm in good shape the way it is, but I wonder whatd happen if I stopped drinking it.

 

But then again, I doubt drinking Mt Dew is the unhealthiest thing I do, especially being a college student here in Madison.

[dadofandrew]

I would hesitate to call it an addiction, as it minimizes those folks who are going through real addictions, withdrawal, and so on.

 

That said, your body gets used to caffeine, just like it does nicotine and carbs. Those who ever tried Atkins know the first few days is rough as well. Change is difficult, as is developing good habits.

[hawing]

I am among those who cannot do the Dew. In high school I just wanted something to drink one night, and consumed maybe 8-10 oz. of the Dew from my brother's 2-liter bottle. I was up all night, unwillingly. That was when I realized caffeine and I are not a great mix. I have to limit caffeine to noon or earlier, if I want a chance at a normal night's sleep.

[dragoon84]

I've cut back on the Panamanian Mountain Pee a lot. It doesn't help though, that I've switched from that to coffee. I gotta have my caffeine fix. Caffeine is easily the most addictive drug there is. Far more than alcohol, THC, or nicotine. That stuff is so prevalent that it's nearly impossible to stop taking it.

[1992casey]

Why every time I do a paste of a link, then do a spell check, do I get these yellow highlights that I can't get rid of?

 

I don't know why that happens to some people, but I believe the bug has been documented.

 

If you want to strip formatting, select the passage of text that you'd like to clean up, and hit the "Tx" button in the post editor. This may stick in a line break where you don't want one (another bug), but at least a line break is easy to close.

 

I'll go up and fix the link in the lead for you.

[bucks2281]

I've been Mountain Dew free since May. Back then, I learned that caffeine and I don't mix. I downed a large Starbucks coffee on an empty stomach, which eventually led to a nasty anxiety attack -- probably one of the scariest things I've ever experienced. I was never a caffeine addict, and I've learned to survive on decaf coffee. It's a bummer, though, because Mountain Dew is delicious.

[Baldkin]

Its so good that I don't want to give it up, though the health benefits appear tempting. I'm in good shape the way it is, but I wonder whatd happen if I stopped drinking it.

But then again, I doubt drinking Mt Dew is the unhealthiest thing I do, especially being a college student here in Madison.

Every little bit counts, and your teeth more than anything, will thank you.

 

Caffeine addiction is a real thing, it may not be as life altering as other substances, but it is out there.

[Patrick425]

I can drink anywhere between 1-5 a day. I've been noticing it alot more now that I have to buy it all myself in college.

 

Its so good that I don't want to give it up, though the health benefits appear tempting. I'm in good shape the way it is, but I wonder whatd happen if I stopped drinking it.

 

But then again, I doubt drinking Mt Dew is the unhealthiest thing I do, especially being a college student here in Madison.

Not to get too preachy, but just remember, you won't be young forever. When I was in my teens and 20's I could drink all the soda I wanted without noticing any effects at all (weight gain, sleeplessness, crashing). Now that I'm older it has all caught up to me and the consumption of Mt. Dew is taking it's toll. Bad habits that begin at a younger age are very hard to break.

 

I have been fortunate so far in that my 11 year old son hates soda. He can not stand the carbonation. I think in his life he has had the equivalent of 3 or 4 oz. of soda so far. I'm hoping that he never develops a taste for the evil liquid.

[Diskono]

I've never been addicted or anything, but the Mountain Dew Throwback (MD w/ no HFCS) they released this summer was heavenly.

I think there's actually one bottling plant (in South Carolina IIRC) that still uses that recipe in normal Mountain Dew.

 

I drink a Mountain Dew once every couple months or so. It always reminds me again why I hate it. I prefer Mountain Holler...much nicer looking can.

[hawing]

I have been fortunate so far in that my 11 year old son hates soda. He can not stand the carbonation.

Wow, that is fortunate.

Carbonation started to bug me too, about 10 years ago when I had this rotten six-week cold that turned into atypical pneumonia. By the time I had big horse pill antibiotics, I didn't want anything but water to wash them down. I can't imagine what the correlation would be, but that's when my aversion to carbonation began. Since then I'll drink soda if it's all that's available, but if I'm at a venue that offers lemonade or iced tea or non-carbonated soft drinks, I'll opt for that most every time.

[RayKingsForemanGrill]

Count me amongst the addicts. I quit once for 6 weeks and, along with exercise and improved diet overall, dropped down to about 180.... but then you eventually get back on it, and become dependent on the caffeine again... so now I drink at least one 20-oz bottle a day. And I'm back up to hovering around 200.

 

It just tastes so good.

 

Kid on the way in December. Will not be introducing soda to the child.

[patrickgpe]

I think my entire college years were fueled by coca-cola. I probably drank 100 ounces a day. It really did a number to my teeth which is why i have really cut back. I cannot quit cold turkey though because i get withdraw headaches, but will normally now opt for green or iced tea in the morning.

[adamb100]

I drink it, but in moderation. Im aware of the effects it can do to your health and plus sometimes it prevents me from sleeping if I guzzle a 2L down in a day.

[thebruce44]

I would hesitate to call it an addiction, as it minimizes those folks who are going through real addictions, withdrawal, and so on.

 

Yea, because caffeine and sugar aren't real drugs. What you are saying is the same as a coke head playing down an alcoholic or compulsive gambler, or a meth addict playing down a coke head. Addiction is addiction and vices are different for everyone. Anyone who successfully quits something like this has my admiration.

[mothershipconnection]

It's definitely a "real" addiction, it's just that it's nowhere near the most dangerous addiction. It's kinda like the "victimless crime" version of an addiction.

[homer]

I usually give up soda type beverages for Lent...not that I'm a practicing Catholic but it's a good excuse to exercise a vice once a year.

 

It's always really hard at first - I never knew how bad my cravings were until I gave it up for a week. But eventually you settle down. I realized that I just need something cold and it does the trick - whether that's ice water or powerade or whatever.

 

And my personal opinion is that soda is probably one of the worst things you can put in your body. There's zero nutritional value and I just have this feeling that it has a lot of side effects other than weight gain and tooth decay. Granted, some sites claim it actually helps kids with ADHD so what do I know.

 

http://www.come-over.to/FAS/MtnDew.htm

[T B0NE 10]

I usually give up soda type beverages for Lent...not that I'm a practicing Catholic but it's a good excuse to exercise a vice once a year.

I'm going to try this come lent. It should be tough. Last week I drank a full 24 pack.

 

 

(edit: long quote --1992)

[owbc]

I drink a few Mountain Dews or Vaults when I am studying for an exam or staying up late. Otherwise, I try to avoid caffeine entirely. I've found that eating a big breakfast and eating fruits are both just as effective as small doses of caffeine...plus, when you eat complex carbohydrates, you avoid the high/crash that soda gives you. When I frequently got ~6 hours of sleep/night, then it was harder to avoid soda--especially when it tastes so good. Still, a 20 minute nap around midday was more effective than caffeine ever was. Of course, drinking just plain water can also crank up your metabolism--that has worked for me especially when combined with frequent exercise. I thought running would make me tired but it actually does the opposite.

 

I used to drink Red Bull but I found out it might give you kidney stones and that was enough to quit. As mentioned, soda is really bad for your teeth, although you can negate it somewhat by drinking the soda really fast and then swishing your mouth with some water after you are finished. Another issue with soda is that the price has gotten really expensive (probably due to the high fructose corn syrup--which I would ideally completely eliminate from my diet).

 

Good luck to those trying to quit. My fiance quit her 6 diet coke/day addition cold turkey and it was not a pretty sight for the first week. Definitely make sure you quit when you are on vacation or have a week with little work/stress.

[Bikeage77]

Throwback Pepsi and Mountain Dew will be available again in winter.

 

I used to drink Mountain Dew a lot in college. I hardly ever drink soda, mostly because of the price. I've also found I like Dr. Pepper much more these days. Now I have anywhere between 1-3 sodas a week. Price generally takes it's toll on me as far as what I'd like to buy. For example, I quit smoking cold turkey when the I found out that cigarettes went up to 7.50 a pack. That's insane. I'd usually be good for anywhere between 1/4-1/2 pack a day.

 

The first few days I'd be agitated easily, my girlfriend even joked "you should start smoking again, your much happier" but now she's happy to not wake up to me hacking every morning.

[Teatoe993]

Nice. I've got a 12 pack left of Pepsi Throwback. That should get me through the time it takes for it to be available again. I thought is was gonna be gone for good so I stocked up what I could find when I heard they stopped making it. Anyone try the Dew Throwback?

 

I'm not a Dew drinker, but I really love Sun Drop in the glass bottles. I'd probably weigh in at 200 pounds if that stuff was easy to get. That's the only caffeinated beverage I've ever had that will keep me awake and alert.