Artificial Sweeteners and Their Serious Side Effects

Reader Feedback

Posted by Pat (OFallon, Mo) on 10/03/2007
0 out of 5 stars

I've been using alot of splenda over the lase few years and having different things to happen to me. I have sores on my arms and neck, Depressed, and RLS. I haven't tried to stop but I have been reading about others who had the same trouble. Do you think this is my problem?

Reader Feedback

Posted by Tina Erwin (Whitney, Texas) on 10/01/2007
0 out of 5 stars

I have a question maybe someone can help I have been drinking diet soda for the last three years and lately I have been feeling realy tired and sick to my stomach and achy bones and joints heart palputaions and on ocassion dizzy I have been to my doctor he checked me for arthritus and that came back clear and so have several other test we cant figure out what is wrong could it be the diet soda I drink about 3 to 6 a day has anyone else had all of these same symptoms and quite drinking the diet soda and there symptoms go away let me know what you think thank you

Reader Feedback

Posted by Kel (St. louis, Missouri) on 09/28/2007
0 out of 5 stars

I have suffered from heart palpitations for years and just recently discovered they are triggered by artificail sweetners.

Reader Feedback

Posted by Fia (Cartagena, Columbia) on 09/25/2007
0 out of 5 stars

Equal caused severe headaches. What is your thought on Stevia? I use it in place of artificial sugars and appear to have no problems. It comes in liquid or powder form and is about 20 times sweeter than sugar. It is also a natural product made from leaves and used extensively in South America.

Reader Feedback

Posted by Colleena (Nanticoke, USA) on 09/11/2007
0 out of 5 stars

I just recently found a correlation between eating sugar-free ice cream sweetened with splenda and breaking out into hives around and in my mouth.

Reader Feedback

Posted by Larry (Chula Vista, CA) on 09/11/2007
0 out of 5 stars

A while back, I decided I needed to cut back on sugar and tried to switch to Equal (aspartame). Within a few days I noticed that my nipples (I am a male) became very sore to the touch. Just a slight bump or rubbing against my shirt was really beginning to hurt. After a few weeks, I went to see my doctor, who, being stumped after the ointment didn't work, sent me to an internist. In the course of his diagnosis he asked a lot of questions; one of which was have you changed anything in your diet recently. I told him about the Equal. He asked how much sugar I had been using. When he told me that calories in a tsp. were just 16, he suggested I quit the aspartame and see what happens. Within a week or so, the pain was gone. I thought it was possible that it was coincidental and not really the aspartame to blame, so I started taking it again. The pain returned almost immediately. I quit it again, the pain went away. I waited for several weeks and tried it again (gluton for punishment); the pain returned. Without a shadow of a doubt I can associate that pain in my nipples with the use of aspartame. I don't know what it was doing to me, but it wasn't worth it. I've never gone back. I have been using Splenda (sucralose) for the last several weeks without any ill effects that I've noticed. I especially like that fact that there is no after-taste associated with the Splenda either. I logged onto this site to see if there was anything to worry about with this stuff, but so far, I haven't found anything wrong with it personally.

Reader Feedback

Posted by Linda (Harrisburg, PA) on 09/11/2007
0 out of 5 stars

I recently stopped taking Aspartame, and have gone through horrible withdrawal- mood swing, nausea, headaches. I read that increasing your vitamin intake can help to offset the symptoms. I found Fuse drinks, which are labeled as natural, no preservatives, etc. And, they have vitamins in them. Unfortunately, they also have sucralose, which I now know means Splenda. I thought I was having another withdrawl symptom, but after reading here and other places, I know my wheezing/hacking/hard to breath feeling was from the Splenda. Looking back, I realized that it occured shortly after drinking the Fuse drinks. I was beginning to wonder if I hadn't developed asthma. I can't believe that they allow these products into our food, and even out toothpaste!

Reader Feedback

Posted by Glen (Valdosta, GA) on 09/09/2007
0 out of 5 stars

I heard from a friend that he didn't drink diet soda because of the RLS [Restless Leg Syndrome] he experienced. I realized that when I'm on the road (truck driver) drinking diet sodas I'm fine, but when I get home all I drink is tea with splenda. Within one week I'm experiencing RLS and, as mentioned in one of your posting, herpes outbreak. I think this is pretty conclusive. The word really needs to get out about this.

Reader Feedback

Posted by lma (Chicago, Ilinois) on 09/03/2007
0 out of 5 stars

When I added an artificial sweetner to my tea while waiting for service on my car, I had no idea a few minutes later I would be gasping for air unable to breath. My throat closed making it difficult to catch a deep breath. The service people called the paramedices who gave me oxygen and took me to a hospital. The doctor examined me and gave me benedryl. I did not receive a diagnosis. Two years later I learned Asparteme most likely caused this problem. The technician who used a computerized biofeedback electrical devise, highlighted that I am sensitive to Asparteme. So much so that my simply placing a packet of this artificial sugar on my thigh, she was able to easily push down my arm. Without the packet on my body, I prevented her from pushing down my arm. A remarkable demonstration that a tiny bit of this substance adversely affects my body. Asparteme is an ingredient in diet soft drinks. I once had a sip of a diet cola which produced a similar reponse - coughing, inability to catch a breath for several minutes, but I didn't make the connection until evaluated by the technician.

Reader Feedback

Posted by Arlene (Norfolk, Virginia) on 08/24/2007
0 out of 5 stars

I have just read the site relating to various artificial sweetener causes of herpes outbreaks. I was diagnosed over 20 years ago with Genital Herpex; having only one outbreak and only one other very mild outbreak a couple of years later. Since then, nothing. Anyway, I have been a steady and constant user of Splenda since it came out, using 5 packets for each cup of coffee. I don't drink too many sodas but do drink Crystal Lite and consume other products with Splenda. Over the past several years, I have developed this type of constant hack which comes from my throat, not my lungs. Initially my doctor said it was caused by acid reflux and I was given an upper gi to make sure I had no damage to my esophagus which showed no damage. I was told to take Prilosec but that doesn't help much either. Well, a couple of months ago, I switched back to Equal and it seems like my symptons disappeared. I have now stopped using Splenda again and the symptoms have greatly reduced. They are not totally gone, but again, I do consume Yogurt with Splenda and Cystal Lite and also the lite sugar free ice creams. I'm thinking that the Sucralose, which is the only different ingredient than that of Equal may just be the cause. Can anybody relate to this or have had similar symptoms? I'm thinking maybe its some type of lo-grade mild outbreak???

Reader Feedback

Posted by Sylvia (Tillsonburg, Ontario Canada) on 08/21/2007
0 out of 5 stars

I was suffering unexplainable joint & muscle pain and, at least, 70% of my pain disappeared when I eliminated Aspartame in my diet. I have done great research on Aspartame and it poisons people. All diet products contain Aspartame and it is in over 5000 food and beverage products.

Reader Feedback

Posted by Pam (Columbus, MT) on 06/09/2007
0 out of 5 stars

To say I was horrified as I read all the info about aspartame on this website is an understatement!! I too was a diet coke drinker for years, anywhere from 2-5 a day. In the spring of 2004, I began experiencing severe pain in my left heel. As it got worse, I got a cortisone shot. The first shot worked great. However, about 5-6 months later when I started hobbling around again (I teach in an elementary school and am constantly on my feet)the second cortisone shot did not work. I used to use castor oil to treat carpal tunnel syndrome acquired during my previous employment. Or was it aspartame poisoning? Anyway, the castor oil worked really well--I massaged the foot every day for over 6 months, and then I read something in our local paper's "Ask the Doctor" column about a woman who had burning and pain in her feet, and she quit drinking diet coke. So did I, and lo and behold my symptoms started disappearing. I made the mistake of drinking a couple of diet sodas with Splenda (after reading all this I see that's not such a great idea either), and while the symptoms haven't been as pronounced, I'm going to quit those too. I still massage my foot about every two weeks or so, and, oddly enough, the pain has moved from my heel to the top of my foot around the ankle area. I'm hoping all this will go away once I've eliminated splenda also. Thanks to everyone who took time to write---what an eye-opener!!

Reader Feedback

Posted by Anna (Ft. Myers, FL) on 06/07/2007
0 out of 5 stars

I just came from the hospital from severe reaction to an artificial sweetener that was put in a T. v. dinner. Any time I eat or drink anything that has artificial sweeteners in it I get an allergic reaction. Each time it is more severe. This time my face, tongue, and throat started to swell. Thank God for Epi-pens. I also had hives covering my entire body. And this all happened within 1 hour of eating. They need to put it in big letters on the box or whatever that the product has artificial sweetener added. If not someone could die from an allergic reaction.

Reader Feedback

Posted by Betty (Ferndale, MI) on 06/07/2007
0 out of 5 stars

Artificial Sweeteners send blood sugar sky high. I have had diabetes for a few years. I control my diabetes with exercise and diet. In order to find out which things have an effect on my blood sugar, I test my blood often and I have noted that the only time it goes way higher than it should is when I drink diet soda or when I eat anything with artificial sweeteners

Reader Feedback

Posted by Dwight (Shawnee, KS) on 05/19/2007
0 out of 5 stars

Stopped drinking diet sodas. My symptoms included severe rash, coughing, chest pain, swelling of upper lip and gout like symptoms. My sister had similar issues and advised me to stop drinking diet soda. I stopped and the symptoms went away. I started again and they came back. I am convinced it was the Aspartame.