cherry cola is no longer my friend

So, I think I am getting sensitive to whatever is in Cherry Coke or rather, cherry cola syrup, but pretty sure it's going to turn out to be both.

This is based on the fact that ritalin generally makes me calm and focused, and after one glass of this, I'm jumpy and scattered by even non-ritalin standards to the point its an effort to write this.

Context: ritalin is--in some ways--not unlike valium or maybe xanax when it comes to the concept of 'calming'. I use 5 mg as a sleep aid (but only when I'm tired and am planning to sleep now; the window is ten minutes before it won't tip me over). It never, ever, ever makes me twitchy.

This isn't the first time this has happened, however; today was a test.

Since I got a Sodastream and control my own soda destiny entirely, for soda I get plain cola syrup so we can mix things in, but I've gotten cherry cola syrup twice now. The first 4 bottle batch I don't remember for sure, but I do remember the second batch, because I stopped halfway through (bottle 2) and switched back to cola due to the same feeling. It's been over a month, and controlling for all variables (not my period, have taken all meds correctly for a week, am eating), I tried again and yeah this is real.

So now switched back to regular soda and am so. Damn. Annoyed.

First it was anything decaffeinated (as in, things from which caffeine has been removed with solvents), then artificial sugars (splenda is still pending), then it was something in Monster drinks made with sucrose (sucrose is not the culprit, btw), now...something in fucking cherry cola soda. I get this falls under the category These Are Not Real Problems, because they aren't; they're all easily avoidable for the most part. For that matter, I hate the flavor of most artificial sugars (splenda foams and freaks me out but tastes fine) so diet anything has been a no-go, and when it comes to decaffeinated anything, I never drink those anyway because I like caffeine; one might say it's a selling point. But like, what's next? Orange coke? All coke? Monster Fruit Punch wasn't a huge sacrifice, but Cherry Coke is now edging into territory Things I Actually Like. And also, as I don't know what in cherry cola syrup is the problem exactly, I don't know what else is now affected that has the same chemical or whatever.

This concludes my scheduled whining over nothing. Bodies are weird.

Comments

[raine]

Does the cherry soda syrup contain cane sugar or corn syrup?

[seperis]

Sugar, no HFCS.

That's actually the primary reason I got a sodastream: to get sugar, not corn syrup. To get cola with sugar I generally had to buy Mexican Coke or Mexican Pepsi, which is fantastic but also even more expensive than regular Coke/Pepsi. Or grocery store brand cola, which tastes off to me (other grocery store brand sugar-based carbonated beverages I love).

[raine]

Could be the flavoring agent, then, or other ingredients in the syrup. I'm intrigued by this DIY version: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/12/diy-cherry-cola-recipe.html

[ratcreature]

Maybe it's the combination of food coloring with preservatives? I've read that can worsen hyperactivity.

[sage]

Red food coloring is a thing that interacts with ADHD (I had friend who acted like she was high on crack at a wedding after eating some red velvet groom's cake), but cherries are in season right now. Maybe get some and see if the effect extends to real cherries, too?

[seperis]

Red food coloring is a thing that interacts with ADHD (I had friend who acted like she was high on crack at a wedding after eating some red velvet groom's cake), but cherries are in season right now. Maybe get some and see if the effect extends to real cherries, too?

Some casual googling seemed to indicate the food coloring is probably the culprit. I'm just weirded out why it showed up so suddenly. Granted, bodies are gonna body, what can you do. The last time I had an out of nowhere reaction like this was when Coke Zero first came out and it took about half a can before I noped the hell out; it was similar to cherry cola, but like ten times worse. (According to my DW, that was 2007ish, dear God.)

I'm ninety-nine percent sure cherries themselves aren't the problem; I literally eat them by the pound in season and out. However, the basis of testing methodology demands I take nothing for granted and all variables controlled for and/or explored; looks like I'm going to have to buy some cherries today. For science.

[basingstoke]

I was going to suggest food coloring as well. It's such a pain. I have a friend who's allergic and I'm sensitive to various colorings (I can taste some artificial colors and they're horrible).

[belleweather]

If you actually like the cherry flavor but can't hack the additives, you can do a homemade (or fancy hipster store bought) grenadine instead. It's pomegranate, so it shouldn't bother you the way cherry/faux-cherry does.

(Also, my Sodastream changed my life... I didn't realize how much diet coke was fucking me up until I started drinking other types of fizzy water. I don't know what we're going to do when we leave Israel and can no longer do a tank exchange at any corner store, though...)

[nic]

I'm sorry. :( Cherry coke is my favourite and I would be so sad if I had to give it up.

[winter_elf]

Good 'ol Red Dye #5! :)

Yea, my sister reacts horribly with some food colors - especially very bad back in the 70's/80's before they figured - oh, hey, those are bad... and changed the formula. I remember Red Dye #5 as one of the worst offenders, there was also a yellow - but I forget the #. It's been "reformulated" since then... but maybe they have been 'tinkering' with it again lately.