I drank Diet Coke for years before I knew any better. I did not drink any water, I drank only Diet Coke. I gained a whole lot of weight and was sick. My back hurt so bad I used to lay in bed for days. It would get so bad I could not even stand up and walk through Walmart or any store. You know it is bad when a woman cannot go to Walmart ! *LOL* I finally decided to quit drinking it shortly after I became aware of how bad Aspartame really is. It was NOT easy to give up my Diet Coke addiction. It has been about two years since I quit drinking it. I will not go back to drinking it, it is truly poison.