Do you drink diet soda?

@jim18 and all... Thank you, Jim. I have steroid induced diabetes. Went through rough time last year after being well controlled for years, Trulicity and Oxympic.
A1C was 5!

In early 2025, I developed serious muscle weakness, headaches, additional body pain, difficulty walking- lifting my legs, and a bunch of other stuff that put me in bed a sick lady. I kept getting worse and doc had no diagnosis.

I saw ads on TV for Oxympic listing side effects. Well, I had every single one! Called doc and stopped Oxympic asap. Slowly improved.

Month later had blood-work for Rheumatology. Her office called me at home same day. The nurse said my glucose was over 600, coma stage, and I must have someone drive me to ER asap. Stay awake. I was exhausted and getting in bed early when I got the call. Would not have awakened!

Spent 3 days in ER, several days in step-down care and a week in hospital rehab. On insulin 5x daily Slowly glucose getting lower and stable. Slowly stronger. Still tough walking, but improving.

Then, 3rd today, I couldn't move my toes or legs from the hips! I was paralyzed, hips down.

4 days. 20mg Prednidmsone reversed the paralysis. Had intense therapy to stand and PT helped improve muscle strength, slowly. Could take steps, so moved to NH rehab from hell. Good PT. Horrid, scary nursingvand 'care'.

Diet Coke is a staple for my. It, and only it, added with Dexilent med, help my reflux. It makes me burp! And other things. There may be something in the formula that helps the tummy issues as well. Think so. I must have 2-3 12 oz bottles daily at meals to avoid reflux issues. Crazy, but true.

So, as I do enjoy it, I include in my diet and enjoy. Relax about it. I have a very limited diet, a very isolated life. I will enjoy my diet coke every single day! The caffeine is helpful, as I have serious fatigue issues. Oxympic, Fibro, autoimmune illnesses all cause fatigue. 1 cup of coffee, 2-3 small diet coke help.and Prednisone daily, too. Yuck!
I do have trouble with evening low glucose since I eat such small and limited meals. Working on finding what and amount to eat or drink to keep it up during night. Suggestions?No juices, acidity.acidity. I am taking a Mounjaro weekly shot, different from Oxympic and no side effects so far. It helps reduce the insulin. Some days, I need only the Lantus in a.m. when I take my pills, as Prednisone causes glucose spikes ! Most days, 1 Novolog shot is all I need. Amazing!

Thanks for you. Blessings, Elizabeth

@jim18
https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/ask-the-doctors-is-soda-bad-for-your-bones

Soda is the number 1 enemy of gerd.!

@riflemanz64 and all... It's not for my symptoms. I think it helps a bit to relieve grease which is a real problem for me. It settles my tummy as well... not soda. Only Diet Coke... Coke with sugar would as well, but that's not happening. No other soda works and does cause esophagus issues. Not diet coke... wierd! No idea why, but if I don'don't have it I suffer. Not from addiction, from symptoms.
My reflux sends me to ER with anything with vinegar, cooked tomatoes, hot spices, etc.
Our bodies do speak to us, don't they! Elizabeth

Diagnosed diabetic at age 18. I’m 69 now. Been on MANY different eating /drinking plans over the years. (Lots of changes!) As a kid I drank fruit juices and Koolaid. I disliked milk (unless it was chocolate milk!). I developed a fondness for coffee at about age 3 when my grandmother let me finish her cup (with cream.) To this day I start the day with 1/2 of a 12 cup caraf / pot of coffee. Some years ago my husband and I switched to a half caf brew to see if it would help his blood pressure. I also like tea (hot, iced, herbal or fully loaded.) Regarding soda, “pop” as we say in Minnesota (carbonated beverages), never had it much as a kid. Coke was considered a treat with an occasional pizza. (Now I have a beer with my pizza!) Root beer was part of an iced cream float (also a rare treat.) Clear citrus sodas
(like 7-Up) were opened and allowed to go flat to be consumed if you had the stomach flue. To this day I don’t much like them because I associate them with illness! Sometime in my childhood artificial sweeteners became popular. The first I remember were saccharine and cyclamates. I remember writing a paper on the evils of cyclamates to mice when I was in Jr.High school. Others soon became available and we started sweetening our coffee & tea and making the Koolaid with them. I remember studying the types but it was mind boggling and came down to pink, blue or sometimes yellow packets for your coffee or tea. Around that time a soft drink beverage mix came out called Crystal Light. It soon replaced Koolaid and needing to figure out how to sweeten it. Soon after store brands & generics became available. There are many flavors available, including lemonade & iced tea (favorites!)
So now in adulthood my beverages start with the 1/2 pot of coffee, switching to the powdered beverage mix, maybe a hot tea in the afternoon &/or bedtime & maybe a diet/sugar free pop at dinner time (I make it last until bedtime. I like beer with pizza, Mexican food & popcorn. I choose light beer to lessen the carbohydrates. Wine is for special occasion meals (just 1 small glass.) I no longer drink fruit juice as a beverage. I always have some on hand and use it as medicinal treatment for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). I also trained myself to drink a full glass (6-8 oz) of water whenever I have medications to take, which is 4x per day (even though I REALLY hate it.) I did that to appease my mother years ago because she thought I wasn’t getting enough water! She argued that everything else I drank (especially coffee!) didn’t count even though my Dr. said it did!