# Caffeine addict - Need alternative **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 29, 2013, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237 "2013-03-29T02:41:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/1 "2013-03-29T02:41:14Z")
I drink soda, I don’t consider it a lot. Between 12-36 ounces per day. Late last summer my wife convinced me to try zero calorie soda, so I settled on Diet Dew (both yellow and red). I developed a cough and last month after struggling with it for most of the fall/winter I went to an ENT doctor and he diagnosed that my coughing was directly related to my caffeine intake. So he gave me orders to ween off caffeine and start taking Prilosec. So I polished off my 12 pack and stopped buying more, within ten days my cough had pretty much disappeared. Problem is, I went back to work and I “need” my caffeine when I work. I’ve started back to 1-2 cans per day and the cough is back. I’m bothering my co-workers, they think I have Bronchitis. I need a decent tasting low calorie, zero caffeine, cold drink. I hate coffee, I hate Dr Pepper, I hate brewed Iced Tea. My favorites are Coke and Dew. I’m serious about quitting if I can find a reasonable replacement. Please help. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/2 "2013-03-29T02:52:43Z")
[Caffeine Free Diet Coke](http://www.dietcoke.com/about-diet-coke/our-products.jsp)? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/3 "2013-03-29T03:01:44Z")
Did your doctor elaborate as to the specifics of this cough; beyond saying it was related to caffeine intake? What sort of cough, what about the caffeine causes it, why, etc.? I am definitely a caffeine addict and I’ve never heard of this before. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/4 "2013-03-29T03:09:37Z")
He just said I had acid reflux caused by the caffeine. Hence his recommendations, which seem to work. I had scope and interview and that was his diagnosis. I’ve really hated Diet Coke the few times I’ve been unfortunate enough to try by accident. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/5 "2013-03-29T03:27:49Z")
So… you need a zero caffeine drink to give you your caffeine at work? ---
**Author:** ![JLRogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@JLRogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JLRogers)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/6 "2013-03-29T05:55:17Z")
Try “Mormon Tea,” which is brewed from Ephedra. It is a legal, non-caffeine stimulant. [COLOR=silver](not a mormon)[/COLOR] ---
**Author:** ![CJPAmadaeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/fbc32d/32.png) [@CJPAmadaeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJPAmadaeus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/7 "2013-03-29T06:57:28Z")
Cocaine. JLRogers - Are you serious? Mormons won’t drink caffeine, but they’ll drink the (much more harsh) ephedra!? ---
**Author:** ![JLRogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@JLRogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JLRogers)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/8 "2013-03-29T08:06:43Z")
I have no idea what Mormons drink, only that the drink is apparently called “Mormon tea.” I’ve never had the stuff, so I don’t know how powerful it is. I doubt it is sold at a concentration any more potent than one might find the caffeine in coffee, but that’s purely conjecture. Heck, for all I know “Mormon tea” is somehow pejorative. Certainly not my intent. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/9 "2013-03-29T08:23:50Z")
Perhaps it’s not actually the caffeine but the carbonation or artificial coloring or artificial sugar (or previously, real sugar). Perhaps you just need some green tea extract or other caffeine in pill form. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/10 "2013-03-29T11:07:22Z")
I really don’t feel any stimulative affects from the caffeine, it’s more mental. I like to have a cold drink that tastes yummy while I’m working. I’m tired of water and when I cheat, I cough too much. ---
**Author:** ![JLRogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@JLRogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JLRogers)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/11 "2013-03-29T11:23:48Z")
Buy some store-brand soda water and some fruit juices. Add an ounce or two of juice to your glass of soda water and you have a delicious, relatively healthy drink. I like unsweetened 100% cranberry juice for this, but I’m odd. ---
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/12 "2013-03-29T13:46:43Z")
Try that Mio drink mix with cold water. It mixes real easily and you can adjust how weak or strong you want it. We liked them. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/13 "2013-03-29T13:59:42Z")
Have you tried Diet Sprite, or Diet Seven-Up? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/14 "2013-03-29T14:40:32Z")
To combine two of the above: Mio (the store brands taste just the same to me, so I go for whatever’s cheaper) in club soda or seltzer water. I even got a SodaStream to support my seltzer-with-flavor habit! ---
**Author:** ![romadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@romadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romadea)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/15 "2013-03-29T15:30:03Z")
I, too, needed caffeine to work, for years and years and years. I thought I would never get off coffee, I was drinking at least 5 cups a day, every day. Finally I was diagnosed with ADD and was prescribed a time-released stimulant for that. Drinking coffee while on it made me really nauseous, so I actually was able to quit cold turkey. ---
**Author:** ![HipGnosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/76d3ee/32.png) [@HipGnosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HipGnosis)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/16 "2013-03-29T16:37:44Z")
36 oz a day is not a LOT of soda or caffeine (though I’m not sure how much caffeine is in Mtn Dew). I’m not convinced caffeine is your issue. I also don’t see why you’re also wanting to switch to low calorie. Regardless - go to your store and buy a few of the many caffeine free diet beverages available these days. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/17 "2013-03-29T16:49:56Z")
How about water? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/18 "2013-03-29T17:04:22Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > How about water? Yeah, this! If you’ve got GERD significant enough to merit endoscopy, you really want to minimize gastric irritation. Avoid carbonated bevs, ephedrine, alcohol, and other acidy stuff. ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/19 "2013-03-29T17:16:52Z")
> [@HipGnosis](#): > > 36 oz a day is not a LOT of soda or caffeine (though I’m not sure how much caffeine is in Mtn Dew). 3 cans of soda is a LOT? > [@HipGnosis](#): > > I’m not convinced caffeine is your issue. The OP is not looking for a medical opinion. You really aren’t qualified to provide one given that the OP has explained his condition in about 3 sentences in an online forum. His doctor has met him and scoped him. You read 3 sentences online. I’m gonna trust the doctor on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Kzbre5m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kzbre5m](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kzbre5m)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237/20 "2013-03-29T17:48:51Z")
[Caffeine-Free Diet Mt Dew](http://mountaindew.wikia.com/wiki/Caffeine-Free_Diet_Mountain_Dew)? Yeah, it’s out there. Or Sprite, which is a poor second to Mt Dew. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-addict-need-alternative/654237.md?page=2)