GABA makes my headache/nausea worse, while Coca Cola helps, WTF?

pattismith

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My headache/nausea was very bad this morning, I took GABA (high dose supplement) and went worse within about an hour, unable to leave my bed.

Then I took Coca cola (it occasionally helps me when I get headache/nausea after taking Tramadol), and slowly recovered. I was able to wake up about three hours after starting my Coca cola diet, and was totally cured within about 1 more hour .
Six hours after starting Coca Cola, I felt a little unwell, so I took one more bottle and felt quickly great...

I can't get this effect with any other food or supplement, so I guess it's not an effect from the sugar nor the caffeine.

I wish I could understand what is helping me in the Coca!
 
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Maybe the combination of carbonation and the caffeine helped you. Caffeine is supposed to be a mild analgesic. It could be that the caffeine in Coke's form helps you although you don't get that effect with other caffeinated products.

If I have a really upset stomach, I go for ginger beer. It's non-alcoholic and fizzy and less sweet than cola. I like to have Reed's on hand.

https://www.amazon.com/Reeds-Extra-Ginger-Soda-4-pack-48/dp/B000R9A28Y
 

pattismith

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Maybe the combination of carbonation and the caffeine helped you. Caffeine is supposed to be a mild analgesic. It could be that the caffeine in Coke's form helps you although you don't get that effect with other caffeinated products.

If I have a really upset stomach, I go for ginger beer. It's non-alcoholic and fizzy and less sweet than cola. I like to have Reed's on hand.

https://www.amazon.com/Reeds-Extra-Ginger-Soda-4-pack-48/dp/B000R9A28Y
interesting theory.

Do you think that if I open the coke bottle long enough, all the carbonate will be gone?
I wish to do some more experimentations to find an explanation.
 
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If I have a really upset stomach, I go for ginger beer. It's non-alcoholic and fizzy and less sweet than cola. I like to have Reed's on hand.
Reeds Ginger Ale is outstanding...I just enjoyed getting re-addicted during my recent stomach flu. The ginger is really soothing when the mouth and throat are inflamed..just a tiny sip helps.
 

LINE

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It has a number of natural ingredients, perhaps these are helping? Online sources say it contains lime juice, vanilla, orange, lemon, nutmeg, coriander, neroli and cinnamon oils.
 

Wishful

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Experiment further, starting with the list of ingredients. Try other colas, and see what the ones that work have in common. Try it flat (stick an antacid tablet in it) to see if the acidity is important. I did that sort of experimentation with cumin, and found that cuminaldehyde was the most likely active component.
 

pattismith

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Experiment further, starting with the list of ingredients. Try other colas, and see what the ones that work have in common. Try it flat (stick an antacid tablet in it) to see if the acidity is important. I did that sort of experimentation with cumin, and found that cuminaldehyde was the most likely active component.
What is an antacid tablet? I though about adding some sodium bicarbonate to neutralize the phosphoric acid
 

CCC

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Not sure if this helps, but we've had a doctor tell a family member with severe gut issues to sip coca cola just 1 teaspooon at a time to manage nausea. It worked well.

No idea why, though.
 

Cipher

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It could be the phosphorus content of the phosphoric acid. If you mix phosphoric acid with sodium bicarbonate it will react like this: Trisodium phosphate is another bio-available source of phosphorus. You can also try to just leave it until it's completely flat from carbonation, to see if it's the carbonic acid. This thread might be of interest; https://forums.phoenixrising.me/threads/severe-fatigue-due-to-low-phosphorous.60181/
 

geraldt52

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If you can befriend someone in a restaurant or restaurant supply business you could probably buy some Coke "syrup", used to make fountain drinks. It's been a home remedy for nausea for at least 60 years that I know of. It does work, but why, I don't know.
 
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It could be the phosphorus content of the phosphoric acid.
You totally read my mind, @Cipher.

Coke has been an anti-nausea hack for probably close to 100 years, and like other posters here, I'm absolutely befuddled. It can't be the carbonation, because Coke syrup does the same thing.

The mysteries of Mother Nature. Baffling.