I finally had the thought that it might be the caffeine and if I stopped drinking it, the headaches would stop as well. I gave it a shot when I started college. It was a good time for it, as I was too lazy/cheap to go buy Mt Dew (my main source). I had a headache for a week straight, which was annoying, but then they stopped. Over 20 years later and I can probably count my yearly headaches on 1 hand.

I went several years without having any soft drinks at all, as the headaches weren't worth it for me. The soft drinks weren't good enough to risk the pain. Eventually I did try one after probably at least 8 years, and it tasted gross to me.

I will occasionally have caffeine, but use it as a tool... or it's just a mistake. If I eat some dark chocolate (a lot of it), that's a mistake as I don't always think about the caffeine in it when I eat it... I'll be up all night. As a tool I'll use it if I am tired and need to drive for some reason. This happens less than once a year. If I'm just tired in a place where there is no risk to my life if I fall asleep, I just suck it up. I spent 6 years working the night shift with no caffeine as well. It's all about what you get used to and what you'll allow. I just really don't want to go back to having chronic headaches.

Maybe if I was a coffee drinker at some point it would be different. There was no ritual to Mt Dew. I've never even tried coffee, and with the way people seem addicted to it, I'm not sure I want to.