A WOMAN has revealed she is so addicted to Pepsi that if she goes without it, she falls violently unwell.
Natasha, 20, guzzles up to four litres of the fizzy drink daily – and has done so for four years after a doctor recommended it.
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“The first thing I do in the morning is have a glass of Pepsi,” she explained.
The aspiring beauty blogger from Southampton said she initially started drinking pop to fix her low blood sugar levels.
“I was recommended [by a doctor] to drink sugary drinks, so I would do that every day, but eventually, that led to getting addicted to them,” Natasha said.
She now drinks between two and four litres of Pepsi Max daily – spending up to £90 per month to fuel the habit.
Low blood sugar, medically called hypoglycaemia, can be caused by not eating enough carbs.
If not treated, it can leave sufferers feeling weak, slurred speech, feeling drunk, and it can even cause seizures or fainting.
Natasha said she “struggles to eat food” and “doesn’t enjoy eating”, so she knocks back lots of drinks instead.
“Some people like to snack on foods, whereas I like to drink things – everything from water to coffee, milkshakes, tea and, of course, Pepsi Max,” she said.
But her “obsession” with fizzy drinks has left her with some serious health issues.
“My heart rate is very fast – just walking upstairs gets me close to passing out,” she explained.
“However, I am already anaemic, and I struggle to eat food, so I’m unsure if it correlates.”
She also suffers from “bad withdrawal” when not devouring a bottle of Pepsi Max.
She said: “I shake and sweat, and I get a terrible migraine if I don’t drink Pepsi in 24 hours.”
Often, her migraines are so bad she can’t walk properly.
“That should be the wake-up call, but it’s not.”
Pepsi has been approached for comment.
DIET FIZZY DRINKS RISKS
Free of calories, carbs, and sugar, diet drinks like Diet Coke and Pepsi Max seem like a healthy and refreshing alternative to sugary soft beverages.
But, bubbly soda has been linked to several side effects and affects both long- and short-term health.
This year, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued guidelines advising people not to drink sweeteners if they want to lose weight.
It said although short-term weight loss may occur, there could be “undesirable effects” in the long term, such as an increased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
A recent study found artificial sweeteners found in drinks like Diet drinks could increase your risk of depression.
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French scientists found those who drink lots of the stuff could be at increased risk of heart disease, like strokes and heart attacks.
NHS advice says sweeteners are safe and can help to keep blood sugars low for diabetics and reduce the risk of tooth decay.