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Velvet Digest

Why do I get a headache if I don't drink soda?

Author

Mia Phillips

Updated on April 29, 2026

Since caffeine narrows the blood vessels that surround your brain, when you stop taking it they expand again, and that can cause pain. Withdrawal: It's easy for your body to get so used to the effects of caffeine that when you don't have it in your system, you have withdrawal. A headache is one of the symptoms.

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Similarly one may ask, will I get headaches if I stop drinking soda?

YOU'LL PROBABLY GET A HEADACHE AT FIRST If you've been drinking soda regularly for years, you probably can't quit cold turkey without a headache for a day or two. (Diet soda drinkers, you too.) Take an ibuprofen, sip black tea, and it'll be over before you know it.

Likewise, what happens to your body when you stop drinking soda? Excessive sugar and calorie intake leads to weight gain and other metabolic issues like high blood pressure. These metabolic changes in turn can make it harder to burn fat and lose weight. By cutting soda out of your diet, you lower your risk for weight gain, and may possibly lose weight as well.

Subsequently, one may also ask, why do I get a headache when I don't drink coffee?

Caffeine narrows the blood vessels in your brain. Without it, your blood vessels widen. The resulting boost in blood flow could trigger a headache or result in other symptoms of withdrawal.

How can I cut soda without a headache?

Try carbonated water with a splash of juice or a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime. Try carbonated water with coconut water, which is low in sugar and high in potassium.

Related Question Answers

Is Coke good for migraines?

Whether it's a run-of-the-mill tension headache or a migraine, caffeine can help. Sometimes you can stop the pain in its tracks just by having caffeine alone. Caffeine helps reduce inflammation, and that can bring relief. It also gives a boost to common headache remedies.

How much weight can you lose by cutting out soda?

Weight Loss When Stop Drinking Soda If you replace your daily Double Gulp (50 ounces) with water, you reduce your annual calorie intake by 219,000 calories or about 60 pounds in a year.

Can you have withdrawals from soda?

Caffeine withdrawal can occur in anyone who regularly consumes caffeine and then abruptly discontinues its use. Common symptoms include headache, fatigue, low energy, irritability, anxiety, poor concentration, depressed mood and tremors, which can last anywhere from two to nine days.

How long does soda withdrawal last?

The symptoms of withdrawal usually last a few days to two weeks for light caffeine consumers but can last 2 months or more for those that had been consuming around 1000 mg or more daily. However, even for the most addicted, the worst symptoms subside after about a week's time.

How do I stop craving soda?

Making the Move off Soda
  1. Start slow by replacing sugared sodas with diet ones.
  2. Cut down gradually: replace one regular soft drink (or one diet soda) per day with an alternative drink.
  3. If you really need something with a boost of flavor, try calorie-free flavored waters and seltzers.

What happens to your body when you stop drinking Diet Coke?

Stopping that habit will allow your kidneys to concentrate on clearing toxins, stabilizing blood pressure, and absorbing minerals. Results from an 11-year study found that women who drank at least two servings of diet soda per day doubled their risk of developing kidney function problems.

Why does Coke help with migraines?

"Caffeine alone or combined with other drugs can relieve tension-type and migraine headaches in some people, by blocking adenosine receptors and blood vessels which result in the release of excitatory [brain chemicals called] neurotransmitters, and constriction of blood vessels in the brain.

Is Coke a diuretic?

Water cooler advice tells us soda is off-limits because it's dehydrating. The logic goes that soda, with its caffeine and sugar, doesn't replace any of the fluids you're losing while you sweat. The caffeine, which can be a diuretic, will actually make you need to urinate more quickly, and you'll lose more fluid.

How do I quit caffeine?

How do I beat the symptoms?
  1. Avoid withdrawal altogether by limiting your daily caffeine consumption; if you normally drink 4 cups, drink 3, then 2, and so on.
  2. Gradually reduce the caffeine content of your beverage; switch to half caf or decaf coffee or tea before quitting altogether.

Can caffeine cause migraines?

Caffeine doesn't cause headaches, but it can trigger what's known as caffeine rebound. This occurs when you consume too much caffeine and subsequently experience withdrawal from it. The side effects can be severe, sometimes worse than a typical headache or migraine itself.

What should I drink when I have a headache?

Drink Caffeinated Tea or Coffee Sipping on beverages that contain caffeine, such as tea or coffee, may provide relief when you are experiencing a headache. Caffeine improves mood, increases alertness and constricts blood vessels, all of which can have a positive effect on headache symptoms ( 31 ).

What is an headache?

Headache is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. Treatment of a headache depends on the underlying cause, but commonly involves pain medication. A headache is one of the most commonly experienced of all physical discomforts.

Does caffeine help headache?

Caffeine can provide some headache relief. For example, one small controlled study found that caffeine was better than placebo, and as good as acetaminophen, in relieving tension-type headaches. However, with daily or near-daily caffeine exposure, the brain may develop a tolerance for the drug.

How long can a migraine last?

4-72 hours

Where is a caffeine withdrawal headache?

2? Like migraines, it is accompanied by vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels) in the head and neck, and like migraines, it can take the form of hemicrania or a headache on only one side of the head. Many of the other caffeine withdrawal symptoms are similar to those experienced during a migraine.

How long does a caffeine headache last?

Kuhar explained that caffeine blocks receptors in the brain that can dilate blood vessels causing headaches. "Withdrawal symptoms can start from 12 to 20 hours after your last cup of coffee and peak about two days later and can last about as long as a week," Kuhar added.

How do you clear a headache?

Here are some tips for headache relief:
  1. Close your eyes and rest.
  2. Massage your neck and temples.
  3. Warm up your neck Try putting a heating pad or a warm cloth around your neck and the base of your skull to ease tension headaches.
  4. Relax.
  5. Minimize stress.
  6. Watch what you eat and drink.

Can you lose weight by drinking water?

The short answer is yes. Drinking water helps boost your metabolism, cleanse your body of waste, and acts as an appetite suppressant. Also, drinking more water helps your body stop retaining water, leading you to drop those extra pounds of water weight.

Will one soda a day make you gain weight?

Making it a daily ritual was linked to even more weight gain. Drinking an extra can of soda per day was associated with more than two pounds gained over the study period, and larger waists, compared to those who didn't drink more or less soda over time.