Using Cola drinks to combat MS Fatigue?

[BBS1951]

Diet Pepsi has been my drug of choice to combat MS Fatigue.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2536421&page=1

Here is a good reason to re-think it as the story suggests a possible link between drinking Cola's and bone thinning. Drat.

[Abby2006]

I gave up caffeine as it seemed to get in the way of the normal MS buzz, I hear there is a new drink coming out with much fanfare called 'Cocaine'

Abbyhttp://img388.**********.us/img388/6650/ebible3sz3.gif

[Cat Dancer]

Diet Pepsi has been my drug of choice to combat MS Fatigue.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2536421&page=1

Here is a good reason to re-think it as the story suggests a possible link between drinking Cola's and bone thinning. Drat.


When I read the story, I understood it to be this: not that the cola in itself is bad..

but that women (and it did distinguish this problem as a woman problem) who drank a lot of cola didn't consume enough calcium in their diets. They substituted the cola for milk, for example.

Women already can easily suffer from a calcium deficiency (which is why you see many more "dowager humps" in old women than you do in old men!) So (presuming you're female) you should get your calcium levels checked, particularly after menopause, and take calcium supplements, if so indicated. And increase your calcium consumption in [I]other[I] ways.

For example, I'm lactose-intolerant. Drinking milk "straight" causes all sorts of gastro-intestinal problems for me. But "cooked" milk -- like cheese, yoghurt, -- are fine, so I consume a fair amount of those. And also drink calcium-enriched orange juice.

I avoid a lot of cola for other reasons...but not because it'll reduce my calcium intake. I never considered colas to be a source of calcium in the first place!

[BBS1951]

Re read it. I think it goes on the make the point that even women who take in lots of milk/calcium get thin bones if they drink Colas. And, its a stepwise event: i.e. the more cola with caffeine, the thinner the bones.

"Women who drank more cola had reduced bone mineral density at all three hip sites but not at the spine. The link between cola consumption and women's bone loss was unaffected by age, menopausal status, cigarettes, alcohol, or total calcium and vitamin D intake."
I'm with you Cat. I also am lactose intolerant, and eat lots of cheese, yogurt, take calcium supplement too. I guess its time to take up weight lifting.

[BBS1951]

OK. My BAD. It does then go on to say the following:

"Previous studies suggested that women who drank more cola had reduced bone density because the cola replaced milk in their diets, meaning the women got less calcium. But in this study, the women who drank the most cola still drank enough milk. However, women who drank cola had less calcium in their diet overall, so that lack of calcium could explain the finding here. Researchers said they'll continue to study the link between cola consumption and bone loss. "

A bit confusing. They still, in this study, drank enough milk, but somehow had less calcium in their diet overall? But, the prior paragraph said the finding was independent of cigs smoking, Calcium intake, alcohol, and D intake. So, this is contradictory in some respects. Hm.

[mmcc53]

I have lived on diet coke since my 20's - I am 53 now. It really does help with the MS fatigue.

This study is somewhat alarming, but I have been having dexa scans for the past few years because of the steroids and they are fine - in fact on some my density is above normal - does that make me "big boned?"

I have 2 vices - diet coke and smoking - AUGGGGH! combined with the steroids I will probably have no bones at all in a few years.

Seriously, thanks for posting this

[BBS1951]

de nada.

Stop the cigs and keep the cola.:)

[Richard Long]

...are BOTH BENEFICIAL for people with MS.

Itsdatruth. Hard to believe, but scientifically proven.

Mildly beneficial, is all.

:) :)

Richard

Vancouver, BC

[elizabeth]

It's that replacing calcium-bearing drinks or foods with diet drinks or colas has deleterious effects.

I HATE the news media for their careless reporting of this kind of stuff.

I drink diet Pepsi all the time. I also drink fat-free milk, eat yogurt, and lots of calcium-rich veggies. I take calcium supplements as well. Despite the fact that I have had a number of steroid bursts, using high dosage prednisone for MS exacerbations an average of 4-5 times per year, my bone scans show absolutely no loss of bone density.

My bone density is actually better than average for people of my age. I fit in well with people a decade younger than I am!

It's not the cola. It's the diet people consume around the colas. Yeesh.

[Jakaloke]

...are BOTH BENEFICIAL for people with MS.

Itsdatruth. Hard to believe, but scientifically proven.

Mildly beneficial, is all.

:) :)

Richard

Vancouver, BC

Do you have a link to some info to support this claim Richard? I've read in numerous sources aspartame is bad for pretty much everything. In fact it's been alleged to cause brain lesions. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say it's good for any condition before.

Scott

[fearless cat]

? I've read in numerous sources aspartame is bad for pretty much everything. In fact it's been alleged to cause brain lesions. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say it's good for any condition before.



Personally I don't like Aspartame - it leaves me with an aftertaste.
But, without quoting any references. I would imagine it is good for diabetics as well as the ever-growing overweight problem in this country.

[cre8tivewmn]

I've been using diet coke and occasionally starbucks doubleshot expresso (comes in cans) for fighting the fatigue. I still haven't been able to keep up my old routine though. My reaction to sleeping pills has changed too. I can't take them without having severe fatigue the next couple of days, although that may be related to one of my meds.

[Richard Long]

Reported June 10, 2002
Aspartame: A Different Perspective -- Web Column
By Sheila Sobell, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Internist Carl V. Manion M.D., is sweet on aspartame.
Along with critics who claim the food additive triggers a variety of
disorders from brain tumors to systemic lupus, he's convinced that the
sweetener actually does cross the blood barrier into cellular structures.
But that's where the similarities end.
"While our work has shown that aspartame 'does do something' to the body,
the difference is that we think its effects are laudatory, not negative," he
says.
A researcher at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), the third
leading holder of medical patents, Manion feels so strongly about
aspartame's analgesic properties that he prescribes it for multiple
sclerosis patients. He even used it to ease his wife's suffering when she
was dying of the disease.
"My wife had MS long before I became interested in aspartame," he says. "We
only started using it in 1994 when scientists suggested it interferes with
the production of antibodies, which could be beneficial in treating an
autoimmune disease like MS. My wife said that nothing was as good as the
aspartame in relieving head and joint pain and making her comfortable."
Currently Manion's group has applied for several patents resulting from
their studies demonstrating that aspartame is "especially effective in
relieving pain associated with osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis, and
sickle cell anemia."
New theories also suggest that aspartame might even help ward off testicular
cancer.
If cancer researcher Gary G. Schwartz, M.P.H., Ph.D., of Wake Forest
University is correct in hypothesizing that testicular cancer is triggered
by a multi-step process beginning in pregnancy or early childhood with
exposure to mold-contaminated grain, coffee, or pork, aspartame's
biochemistry might be a key to its prevention. That's because aspartame's
molecular structure is very similar to the mold toxin, ochratoxin A, and can
prevent it from binding onto protein, thereby immunizing the animal (and
hopefully people) against its effects.
Why then has aspartame gotten such a bad rap? Ivanhoe asked Dr. Manion to
help clarify long-standing issues about aspartame's safety like whether or
not it causes brain tumors.
"There isn't any doubt that a transient increase in the number of brain
tumors was observed for a short time after aspartame's introduction," says
Manion. "This fits with the fact that aspartame is an aspirin-like compound,
which would have masked early symptoms of brain tumors like headaches. When
the effects wore off [and the headaches returned], more patients consulted
doctors and more tumors were diagnosed."
Interestingly, the downward fluctuation in tumor incidence didn't generate
safety concerns, Manion points out. "Instead, everyone focused on the slight
increase, overlooking the fact that the brain tumor rate balanced out within
two years. Even regulatory bodies like the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found no connection between
aspartame and brain tumors. "
Is aspartame implicated in Epstein Barr disease?
"At OMRF, scientists are collecting information to prove that Epstein Barr
is a virus that's the root cause of lupus," says Manion. "Obviously,
aspartame doesn't cause that virus, though change in usage patterns may
trigger an immune system backlash. For example, suppose you have the virus
in your body and don't feel well. Then you start taking aspartame and seem
better. But when you stop the aspartame and its aspirin-like effects wear
off, you feel worse. Does that mean aspartame caused the disease? No.
Without aspartame, the disease, which was already there, just became easier
to see."
Can using aspartame trigger depression and mood disorders?
"I haven't made those observations in people taking aspartame, but on the
other hand I have seen how giving young children too much sugar makes them
giddy and hyperactive," says Manion. "It's possible in my mind that big
doses of aspartame might have an impact on sensitive individuals."
Dietary sensitivities and allergies might also explain why eliminating
additives like aspartame and MSG could alleviate pain associated with
fibromyalgia. Nonetheless, institutions like the American Academy of
Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, American Cancer Society,
American Dietetic Association, and the American Council on Science and
Health stand behind its safety.
Do users develop "aspartame disease" resulting from methanol poisoning
expressed by MS-like symptoms of depression, slurred speech, memory loss,
and heart palpitations?
The term "aspartame disease" troubles Dr. Manion. He describes the problem
in the following way: "Medicine has described a 'disease' as a process that
satisfies 'Koch's postulate' which begins with symptoms, moves to observable
findings in the body, and then defines a cause. The process is then reversed
so that the proposed causal agent is given; the bodily changes are observed,
and the symptoms follow.
"But this logical progression is badly flawed when it comes to aspartame
disease. Not everyone experiences symptoms; no specific organ damage can be
defined reproducibly, and any damages evaluated may be explained by numerous
causes other than the aspartame. The rigor and thoroughness of Koch's
postulate has not been something the aspartame disease advocates have been
willing to follow, challenge, nor demonstrate."
"The FDA has reviewed data about aspartame's safety 17 times since it came
on the market 21 years ago," says Daniel L. Azarnoff, M.D., who was
president of research and development at Searle & Co. when it introduced
aspartame. "The conclusion still is that it's safe."
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by
e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to:
http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
Award-winning journalist Sheila Sobell (http://www.writersobell.com) is the
author of three health books.
Don't miss our discussion Aspartame: Your Perspective
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[BBS1951]

Thanks Richard Long. That was an interesting article :)

[TheSleeper]

My first neuro figured out I wasn`t suffering from depression when I asked for a caffine enema to combat fatigue. Hmmm? cola? tiny bubbles?