READER FEEDBACK

[SIDE EFFECTS]  05/17/2007: Leslie from Rocky Mount, NC writes: "After reading the information about what aspartame does to the body and how it is in some gum, I was shocked. I like eating Doublemint gum from Wrigley and while I was reading the information I decided to look at the ingredients in it. Sure enough it has aspartame in it. I was wondering why I was feeling sick and having headaches and kept getting sores in my mouth when I would never get them before. I immediately called my daughter and told her we will not eat this gum again and I threw it away. Thank you so much for the information. It has definitely saved my life."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  05/11/2007: Cindy from Scottsdale, AZ writes: "What are the reasons for a "Fatty Liver"? I was recently diagnosed with Fatty infiltration of the liver, and my doctor said " just watch what you eat". There were no suggestions for diet and it didn't answer the question of why my stomach area hurts off and on. I did get some other answers with your web site regarding Splenda and that it can create major problems! Amazing, I have used Splenda or other sweeteners for years and have just come to realize they could be the cause of several of my problems. Stiffness, headaches, fatigue and a rash that at first was diagnosed as being shingles, but then the doctor told me he didn't know what the problem was. Could these sweeteners also contribute to my stomach issues and or "fatty infiltrations"? Thank you for your input."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  05/09/2007: Roberta from Charlottesville, VA writes: "I had been using splenda as an artificial sweetener I had no idea that it could cause you to break out in a rash until reading it on your site. I broke out in a rash on my elbow, but I never linked it to splenda. But I did use splenda in my tea for about 3 days. It has happened before, on occasion, but when a rash appeared, I thought it came from something else. Thanks! no more splenda!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  05/06/2007: Mack from Williamston, SC writes: "I just received an e-mail from a friend who is a PHD in Nutrition stating that everyone should avoid artificial sweeteners but especially Aspartame. It seem that if aspartame reaches 112 degrees F it converts to formaldehyde. This can easily happen during shipping."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  05/06/2007: Minela from Roswell, GA writes: "I started drinking this energy drink with aspartame, the very next day i got a major throbbing headache and ear infection. One week later i stopped drinking it and it went away."

it accidentally got tasted and found to be super sweet... 600 times that of white sugar. It does not get broken down by the body. Also, the small packets of Splenda are 99% sugar!!! that's right diabetics... splenda is not good for you! or ANYONE! look it up on www.mercola.com i wish you all be healthy and happy."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  03/11/2007: Joseph from Fort lauderdale, Florida writes: "Aspartame MSG Sucralose Splenda Nutrasweet : When accidentally taking any of the above sweeteners I experience a cold sweat the taste eliminates in my mouth and a severe headache and sometimes seizures.. I have Lupus and it also flares up rash outbreaks... Hope this information is helpful in one way or the other."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  03/11/2007: Michael from Broadlands, Virginia writes: "For about the last ten years I have had a pinched nerve in my neck. I am 40 and very active (yoga, lift weights, run, etc) It flared up on occasion when I would work out hard and I would injure my shoulder or neck, putting additional pressure on the nerve. About 18 months ago the pain got so severe that I was seriously considering surgery which would have fused some discs in my neck together (among other things). A business associate had mentioned that he had problems with his knees hurting when he drank diet coke, which i drank. As a last resort I quit drinking diet coke and about 4 weeks later the pain in my neck was down to manageable levels again. This lasted about until recently when it flared up again, I had recently started taking a new weightlifting supplement (powder) and upon closer inspection it contained aspartame. I talked to my doctor who had not heard anything about his particular side effect of aspartame, but we theorized that the additive caused small swelling to muscles which impinged my already narrow nerve openings. needles to say, I have cut aspartame back out of my diet."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  03/05/2007: Regina from Harrisville, West Virginia writes: "Is there any way to help alleviate the side effects while quitting aspartame? I quit drinking Diet soda about 4 days ago and it is harder than I imagined it would be. I have had headaches, muscle twitches, anger, depression and just overall been a different person. My husband is a smoker and I think the comparison of side effects from quitting diet soda is just as severe as quitting smoking. Please help if you have any ideas for me. By the way, I have continued my caffeine intake through drinking tea so the side effects are not from the lack of caffeine"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  03/03/2007: Chuck from Fitzwilliam, NH writes: "Since I stopped using sugar and started using Splenda I am currently experiencing acid reflux and esophageal spasms. Now, according to further researching on the side effects of aspartame,i.e., Splenda et al, I've discovered that this "low fat" sweetener is highly toxic and will disrupt the nervous system besides the natural functions of the bodies organs. I've found that Splenda is made from wood alcohol and at 86 degrees F turns to formaldehyde during cooking. My remedy seems quite obvious- quit using products that contain aspartame !"

. The body attempts to detoxify methyl alcohol by oxidizing it to formaldehyde (a deadly neurotoxin and Class A carcinogen), and then to formate or formic acid within minutes. Formate and formaldehyde each may contribute to toxicity and nervous system/immune dysfunction through various mechanisms. One is the conjugation of formaldehyde with human serum albumin (F-HSA) to form a new antigenic determinant. Patients with multiple health complaints who had been exposed chronically to formaldehyde develop anti F-HSA antibodies and elevated Tal cells (antigen memory cells), consistent with sustained antigenic stimulation of the immune system "

[SIDE EFFECTS]  02/23/2007: Suzanne from Chicago, IL writes: "I worked at a company about 5 years ago, where one of the legal assistants drank 5-6 Diet Cokes throughout the day and had been doing it for a number of years. Those were the days when Diet Coke was made with Aspartame... No Splenda on the market -- yet... She was having medical tests done to figure out why she was shaking with tremors and experiencing severe brain fog, among other symptoms. She admitted that she was going downhill fast and had no idea why. I had known about aspartame causing a slew of neurological conditions and one day suggested she stop drinking the diet coke and research the subject. She didn't take me up on my suggestion, in fact looked at me like I was crazy, and continued drinking the DC like a true addict. I left the company shortly after that, so I don't know what happened to her, but I can tell you that her decline was fast -- she was fine when I arrived there and shaking with tremors 8 months later."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  02/17/2007: Jennifer from Phoenix, AZ writes: "I started to use Splenda as a sugar replacement in my coffee and tea. One day I got out of the shower and had a herendous rash all over my body. The itching was uncontrolable. I knew I was having an allergic reaction but I was not sure to what.I started to take antihistamines. The rash and itching would not go away. When I would itch, huge welts would form under my skin. Then one day I started vomiting uncontrollably. I had no idea what was going on. I told a friend of mine what was happening, she told me the same thing had happened to her son and that he turned out to be allergic to Splenda. So I did some research and found out that my symptoms were very common to others who were also having allergice reactions to splenda. So I stopped using Splenda and all my ailments went away."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  02/11/2007: Joan from Fitchburg, MA writes: "I used to drink crystal light all the time until one day I got a headache and lost part of my eyesight....Like pieces of what I was looking at were missing. I stopped drinking it and tried it again and the same thing happened. I just don't use it anymore and I'm fine. Just recently I had something with aspartame in it and didn't realize it and the symptom happened...I checked out what I had to drink and sure enough there it was.....Aspartame! Dangerous stuff!"

After 2 days of not using this product (though I continued to drink the same amount of coffee) my head cleared up, and my nose stopped running; but I still felt very ill and out of it. After refraining from this deleterious delight for 1 week, I began to completely recover. A common virus normally doesn't last for two plus weeks (at least not for me), so, since I quit using aspartame after a two week stint of illness, and began recovery only after I quit using it during the third week; I can only conclude that the onset and perpetuation of my discomfort was due to aspartame usage. My daughter forwarded this informative web site to me, and now I am more than convinced, that I am not the only one who gets ill from this government endorsed poison."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  07/16/2006: Susan from Morehead City, NC writes: "Haven't tried anything yet but cutting out all aspartame and low-cal sweeteners today!! I consume this sweetener in everything I eat and drink. I'm constantly trying to lose weight so of course I use it. For years I have suffered from depression, headaches, stuffiness, lack of energy, and now dizziness that several doctors can't explain. I've always heard of problems with aspartame but never thought it was true but this time I am cutting it out completely. Hopefully I will feel better because at this point I can hardly make it to work."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  07/16/2006: Christine from Glenview, Illinois writes: "regarding Aspartame.... After not being able to sleep a wink for 3 straight weeks and having restless leg syndrome (and arms also), I couldn't stand it any more and was ready to visit the doctor. My body felt so wired all the time and I felt like punching and kicking. But I decided to analyze what I had been eating that was different from usual. After a week of cutting out items I found it was the new gum I had been chewing that contained Aspartame. I cut that out and I was able to sleep again, and the "wired" feelings went away. After telling my Mother, who had been using sweetener for years and always had trouble sleeping, she stopped using it also and now sleeps well. I use Stevia now with no side effects at all."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  05/11/2006: Lee from NY writes: "ASPARTAME SIDE EFFECTS: Thank you for your wonderful website. I am a 52 y.o. male and started having strange symptoms about 4 months ago. It is very difficult to explain except to say that I had a sensation of a heavy head. This was accompanied by a low grade headache, dizziness and occasional nervousness and anxiety. After I suffered with these symptoms for about 2 months I went to a doctor and scheduled a CT scan. Meanwhile, I tried to research my symptoms on the Internet but had a hard time finding anything for a "heavy head." If I didn't think I was dying of a brain tumor or had something seriously wrong with me, it would have been funny. The scan came back normal and I was relieved that I wasn't dying. It had to be something else. Then I stumbled across information on aspartame and it finally dawned on me -- everything made sense. I had started drinking about 2-3 bottles a day of Diet Snapple several months ago. My symptoms gradually crept up on me and I didn't pay much attention. But when the lingering headaches never went away and I was plagued with dizziness and anxiety, I knew there had to be something in my system. I studied and researched more and discovered a tremendous amount of evidence linking aspartame with nervous disorders and the exact symptoms I was experiencing. Well, I stopped ingesting aspartame immediately. From what I read, it would take a long 2 months for it to leave my system. I could feel my body trying to expel it through my nose when I felt intense pressure there, similar to a sinus infection (which by the way, I was checked for and was found to be normal.) Anyway, it's been several weeks after I stopped taking aspartame I am completely well. I've learned several things from this experience, including it is very difficult for a person make a connection between their symptoms and aspartame -- who would ever think that the Diet Coke in front of them is causing their headache or all sorts of other problems? Secondly, doctors, though well intentioned, are not asking the very first question they should ask patients who are complaining of these mental symptoms. The question out of their mouths in the examining room should be, "Are you consuming any diet beverages or foods?" Third, the next time I complain of a heavy head feeling, I won't have to listen to my wife say, "Maybe you need stronger neck muscles." Haha Again, thank you for your website and the wonderful forum you provide for people to share their experiences."

05/02/2006: Nicole from Miami writes: "While I believe that aspartame is unhealthy, publishing the "Nancy Markle" letter as some kind of substantiated report is beyond irresponsible. There is no Nancy Markle. No one has found her, ever. http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp
Do right by your readers and publish facts supported by studies. Include footnotes and sources. Don't publish anectodal writings and emails, presenting them as facts."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  Tami from Pleasant Hill, CA writes: "I am a 45 year old female and started noticing high levels of forgetfulness and inability to focus. I had been drinking diet Snapple for a few months. By coincidence a friend of mine told me a story about how aspartame can cause forgetfulness. I stopped drinking diet Snapple and noticed an improvement in my memory within a few days. I'm not prone to believing rumors but I experienced the improvement so quickly that I believe it was the aspartame that was causing my problem. I now tell my friends about this in order to help stop the wide spread affects of this dangerous sweetener."