IVF and caffeine

[Hope752]

I feel I have a big addiction to Pepsi max. I don’t drink any tea or coffee. I probably drink up to 5 cans a day 😬 is this having and effect on my treatment?! Anyone heard anything regarding this xxx

[Kookypie]

I've not heard anything definitive but if you've identified it's an addiction then you may want to take steps to reduce your intake. Otherwise if treatments keep failing you'll always have it in the back of your mind. Plus even if it doesn't affect treatment I think that much Pepsi can effect your stomach lining so good to reduce it regardless.

Rather than go cold turkey just try reducing the amount you drink a little each day.

Good luck

X

[Ivfgotadream]

There was actually a study which showed drinking diet fizzy drinks like Diet Coke and Coke Zero can reduce the success of an ivf cycle by as much as 25% mostly due to the aspartame in them? Pepsi Max is full fat though so not sure if the same applies? Regardless 5 cans of a full sugar drink is probably a bit too much.......so I would look at lowering your intake

[Whatever098]

This is true, there is no sugar - however Pepsi Max is the Pepsi version of Coke Zero so the aspartame/“fake sugar” thing could apply here!

Correct me if I’m wrong but there is also caffeine in these drinks and they say to lower your caffeine intake to 200mg of caffeine a day (equal to 1-2 cups of coffee depending on how strong your coffee is) so would definitely be worthwhile cutting down the Pepsi intake

[Whatever098 in reply to Whatever098]

*lower your caffeine intake for the purpose of ivf that is

[ashbb]

Sorry you're having a tough time. Debating whether to quit a bit of a habit was really hard. I had to quit a couple of things while watching my husband carry on as normal. It's brutal."Cold Turkey" worked best for me. Any time i had urges I wouldn't beat myself up if i gave myself "just one". Then I'd start a fresh the next day until I eventually weaned off. I also just kept telling myself what I want my end goal to be. A wee baby in my arms. I also thought about not wanting to harm my baby through pregnancy and breast feeding so would have to quit my habits for at least a year.

It's a process of accepting I had to change. Took a while. Addiction is hard. Hope that helps and you have success soon. Xx

[AVL1987]

Hi Hope.

I was the same, before Ivf I was drinking 4 cups of coffee a day and possibly 2 extra cans of Pepsi Max or Diet Coke on top of that. I too read that not only is caffeine not positive to your overall success but neither is the artificial sweeteners that go in these diet caffeinated drinks.

Before I knew I was starting i weaned myself of all of it so by the time I started my injections I was on 1 cup of decaf coffee a day. It was hard.

I’m now 18+5 weeks pregnant and I am not saying this was the reason for success (so far) but I’m glad I did it. If it had failed I would have always wondered what if I just gave this or that up.

The nurse at the ivf clinic said “don’t do anything during that period of time that you will look back on and think “if only I hadn’t...” and that was the best piece of advise I had.

Hope this helps and best of luck for your next cycle/transfer xx

[jengi]

This most recent review of the scientific evidence suggests to avoid caffeine ebm.bmj.com/content/early/2... but here is an opinion on this review by the Royal College of midwives published last year which advocate for keeping all sources of caffeine (tea, coffee, fizzy drinks, chocolate) below 200mg. Personally I gave up all caffeine drinks as I embarked on IVF & still only drink decaf tea or coffee. I’m currently 32 weeks pregnant & do allow myself the odd hot chocolate or chocolate bar though! Hope this helps rcm.org.uk/media/4395/caffe...

[jengi in reply to jengi]

You can also calculate your caffeine intake by using this calculator tommys.org/pregnancy-inform...

A useful easy to read article dietinpregnancy.co.uk/pregn...

[try2020 in reply to jengi]

Hey that calculator was really helpful thanks! Now I know I need to cut back

[anz07]

I’m a Diet Coke/Pepsi addict too. I switched to decaf as you can get both in these forms and I only have 1 a day. I don’t taste a difference with the decaf so it could be worth switching? Good luck! x

[Rabbit89]

Hi Hope,My daughter also drank high amounts of Pepsi Max but was advised to cut out all artificial sugars and sweetners and caffeine..... not easy but she knew this journey was going to be even harder. As a lot of the other girls have suggested try to cut down with the aim of cutting out if you can do. It’s surprising which foods actually contain them !! Quite an eye opener. She has stopped to some of the flavoured teas like raspberry leaf and peppermint and when fed up with water has tried Dash Water which is sparkling and flavoured with natural juice and No nasties.

She went cold turkey and headaches went after around 4 days ...... for her it has been worth it.

Wishing you so much luck in your journey xx

[AmbieLondoner]

The best thing you can do for your health in general is to cut out fizzy drinks. All fizzy drinks have sugar - whatever marketing label they're given. You don't mention whether you drink water. Becoming a water addict instead of a Pepsi addict will help your chances far more. Good luck!

[Whatever098]

Okay.... I was actually agreeing with you that there is no sugar in Pepsi max And when I say “they” recommend that you lower caffeine intake, I should have specified that it is advised by medical professionals at my IVF clinic, they give you a hand out stating that before every stimulation and transfer - so I would assume it’s based in science. Just passing on the advice I have received to a fellow stranger on the internet

[Hope752]

Hiya. I also drink 3L of water a day x

[AmbieLondoner in reply to Hope752]

That's brilliant. Chop out the Pepsi Max and you'll be away!

[JustAGirl21]

I don’t drink tea or coffee at all. I do love my coke which I had reduced to twice a month but my specialist told me to cut out all fizzy drinks this time.

[UnicornKisses]

Hi there,

After reading “it starts with the egg” I decided to cut caffeine after my failed round of IVF. I did it slowly, going down to even 1/4 cup at the end ( otherwise I had massive headaches). My second round of IVF was successful, but I did make other healthy changes as well. The book goes into detail about the various studies on caffeine & its affects on fertility, and it was enough for me to try it!

[Maui2020]

Hey Hope, Caffeine aside, I have been to a lecture on the effects of sweeteners on the body as part of my work. They obviously have a better effect than sugar, but long term they affect the receptivity and lining of your gut, which could affect how you absorb other nutrients. So worth keeping it in moderation at least, as it may have a knock on effect.

I know how hard it is, I’m a coffee addict and I find the whole thing torture.

Xx

[IVFat40]

I don't know if this is helpful but I've gone for what I hope is a balanced approach to caffeine and IVF, I still allow myself some and try not to feel guilty or beat myself up, but also do try to keep to the 200mg daily limit (for me that usually looks like 2 cups of tea on a work day and a bit of chocolate).Overall I've wanted to look at my diet and make improvements where I can, but I've also wanted to be kind to myself and remember that holding down a job while doing IVF is hard, so if a bit of tea helps me do that, that's ok too.

Good luck

😊

[Rainbowhope]

I went to caffeine free versions of everything. Cut out coffee completely and reduced tea. Caffeine free coke is nothing but still gives u the cold hit we love. Before I got pregnant I started drinking loads of water. Interestingly after I was pregnant I absolutely craved fizzy drinks. I still stuck to caffeine free for the most part but I drank loads if fizzy drinks and felt hugely guilty but it was the only thing my body craved. Anyway, my son is healthy and well. Find your balance and don't punish yourself or feel guilty.