Aspartame

[WonderfulDreamer2]

Well crap on a cracker. I guess it'll just be water until I can research more. I want to cut all that stuff out. I didn't realize the Propel had Splenda. I need to stick with just water any way. I'll get used to it.

 

[helenabear]

It sucks trying to avoid all these things doesn't it? Honestly I admit I have gotten used to drinking ice cold water plain. I love it now

You can always do your own iced tea or lemonade from scratch and add regular sugar if you like. There is a company that makes pretty pure orange juice, lemonade and limeade. I believe they only use natural ingredients (though juice is from concentrate) http://www.simplyorangejuice.com/products.shtml
It's pretty good and I get it on occasion. While I still drink some high fructose corn sryup, I have eliminated it greatly. If I want a soda I also get Target's Archer Farm brand. They have an awesome sasparilla made with sugar. Some true kosher drinks are decent as well.

 

[WonderfulDreamer2]

It sucks trying to avoid all these things doesn't it? Honestly I admit I have gotten used to drinking ice cold water plain. I love it now

You can always do your own iced tea or lemonade from scratch and add regular sugar if you like. There is a company that makes pretty pure orange juice, lemonade and limeade. I believe they only use natural ingredients (though juice is from concentrate) http://www.simplyorangejuice.com/products.shtml
It's pretty good and I get it on occasion. While I still drink some high fructose corn sryup, I have eliminated it greatly. If I want a soda I also get Target's Archer Farm brand. They have an awesome sasparilla made with sugar. Some true kosher drinks are decent as well.

Thanks a bunch for all the info. You have been a great help.

 

[helenabear]

Glad to help! While I am no expert at it, I have gotten very good at reading ingredients and knowing what is "okay for me" and what is not. If you want any more ideas let me know. I'm sure I could think of more when I am more awake

 

[Michie]

Just curious as to the number of people here who think they may have had problems with Aspartame.
For months now I have felt tired, irritable, my muscles and joints ache, my head is always hurting. I can't seem to get enough sleep (although I take Ambien), at times I feel jittery for no reason. I don't do caffine due to an irregular heartbeat. Almost 2 weeks ago I ended up in the ER due to sudden and rapidly progressive muscle pain that went from my head to my knees...it was the kind of muscle pain you would feel the day after an intense workout when you haven't done one in a while. My knee's and hands were so swollen the next day I couldn't move...literally. My DH has been having a lot of the same symptoms. I feel like I have been living on Tylenol and Ibuprofen for a while now and it never seems to quite do the job...I still hurt all the time.
Today we were talking about the number of diet drinks we consume. It hit us both that perhaps that was the problem since we were BOTH having these issues.
So who out here in DIS Land has cut the Aspartame and found it made them feel better....not just a little better, but a lot? I just got off the Fibromyalgia site and have every symptom. Just curious about your experiences.

Isn't this some of the possible side effects of Ambien?

 

[Tiffer]

I get terrible headaches from it. I can use Splenda though.

 

[Christine]

I was using Equal (aspartame) in my tea 2-3 times a day plus having one diet caffeine-free soda.

I was having some unusual things going on--urinary frequency, fatigue, and rapid heart rate.

I finally quit the Equal, switched to regular sugar. My urinary frequency totaly disappeared, my heart rate is much more regular, although I still get some days where it is fast. I also have less fatigue but still some (I have iron defiiciency anemia). I will say that stopping the asparatame definitely gave me an improvement. I think the use of it exacerbated conditions I already had--maybe didn't cause them but certainly made them worse.

 

[minnieandmickeymouse]

Are you kidding me!! You guys sound like me! I never thought it could be the diet soda!!!! Say it isn't so, I live on my diet sprite. I can't have caffeen, and I'm so used to the diet taste, that regular soda tastes yucky. But OMG, for the last 4 years I am so tired, my memory is just awful, I get pains, one Doc. mentioned Fibro, but I didn't believe that. BTW I'm only 32, and I feel like I am 50. I'm only about 10lbs over what my weight should be. So you guys really think that it's the Aspartame???? How long after you stop drinking it do you feel better?

 

[cybrkitn]

I drink a lot of Diet Coke... a lot! At my age it's not always easy to determine what causes what aches and other symtoms, but as for the headaches, I get them if I don't have my Diet Coke in the morning. My neighbor across the street is the same way. Neither of us drinks coffee or tea.

I'm diabetic so I'm not sure switching to regular Coke is such a good thing and I've really gotten used to the diet flavor. I should probably try the Diet Rite and see if that changes anything. I've also read that Aspartame can mess with diabetics. So, why do I still drink about 6 Diet Cokes a day? It's probably my only addiction. Do you think there's a patch for this?

If you find one, let me know It might help curb DH's addiction to soda!

ETA: DH is also diabetic.

 

[Christine]

How long after you stop drinking it do you feel better?

Some reports say that it takes several months to get the stuff out of your body. I think it might "store" in the fat or something--can't remember. I think I felt good after about a month.

Also, I agree with others--when weaning yourself, try some of the natural sodas. One I am particularly loving (and it was written up in Health Magazine) are the Izze sodas. They come in either very small cans (at Target) or in larger bottles at some grocery stores. My favorite is the Grapefruit flavor. Kind of like Fresca. Anyway, they have no additives--on juice and sparkling water. But they taste more like sodas than sparkling waters.

 

[cybrkitn]

Well crap on a cracker.

Thanks for that visualization at 8:45 am I was drinking my hot tea while I was reading that

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

Some reports say that it takes several months to get the stuff out of your body. I think it might "store" in the fat or something--can't remember. I think I felt good after about a month.

I think I can attest to the several months thing.

Last October my DSis was diagnosed with MS. I didn't know anything about it, no one else in the family has had it, and I started researching. Started reading the stuff about how aspertame may contribute to it. I also had not been feeling well for a while, achy, jittery etc. Was a huge diet pepsiholic also. I've been drinking the stuff like water since aspertame was introduced, back in the 80's.

Well, I decided to give it up and went cold turkey on the caffiene and aspertame at the same time. Let me tell you it was a miserable experience, I was a substance abuser without my substance and had terrible withdrawal. Most noticably my hands shook. I did NOT feel better right away. It took about a month to get over the major withdrawal feeling, 3 months for most of the hand shaking to go away and 6 mos for it to go away completely in one hand.

I went to the doctor, went to emergency, have had all kinds of tests, cat scans, and a heart stress test - the only thing they found was my potassium level was slightly low. I truly believe it was the aspertame and caffiene. Now I'm all better. I didn't try substituting other soda drinks. I now drink boring but good for you water, an occasional non diet sprite and decaf tea.

I heard a stat on the news the other day that MS is being diagnosed in women much more and four times more than in men. I wonder if women are 4 times more likely to drink diet soda?

Good luck. I just wanted to let you know that feeling better may come after feeling worse. Hang in there and you'll get through it

 

[minnieandmickeymouse]

Oh my goodness, I just did a google search for aspartame side effects, and it lists allot of things that I have going on with me! I am truely shocked. Why aren't we told this??? I have one pack of 12 diet sprites left, and that will be my last. (I hope!!) I hate, hate, hate water, so this will be interesting to say the least.

What about splenda? Has it been known to cause all these problems as well?

 

[Christine]

Oh my goodness, I just did a google search for aspartame side effects, and it lists allot of things that I have going on with me! I am truely shocked. Why aren't we told this??? I have one pack of 12 diet sprites left, and that will be my last. (I hope!!) I hate, hate, hate water, so this will be interesting to say the least.

What about splenda? Has it been known to cause all these problems as well?

First of all, the "side effects" are heavily debated. The FDA says aspartame is "safe." Apparently, if you do any internet reading, several scientists didn't believe that it was and have reports; however, these were not deemed to be evidence enough and were discarded.

I think in most people they do fine with asparatame. Or maybe they don't and they are attributing it to something else. Who knows? I think *any* substance can cause adverse reactions is some people and still be safe for a lot of the population.

I can't give you any info on Splenda. I just decided not to bother with it. I figure that I'm a pretty sensitive individual--I don't need to keep dumping more chemicals than necessary into my body.

 

[KristiKelly]

I love Diet Dr. Pepper but have to limit myself to about 2 a day. A few years ago I was drinking 3-5 a day, I started feeling really depressed all the time. Stopped drinking them for a few months and started feeling better. They will give me headaches as well. If I drink 2 (and sometimes 3) a day I'm fine but more than that and I get headaches.

 

[LadyyRedd]

Are you kidding me!! You guys sound like me! I never thought it could be the diet soda!!!! Say it isn't so, I live on my diet sprite. I can't have caffeen, and I'm so used to the diet taste, that regular soda tastes yucky. But OMG, for the last 4 years I am so tired, my memory is just awful, I get pains, one Doc. mentioned Fibro, but I didn't believe that. BTW I'm only 32, and I feel like I am 50. I'm only about 10lbs over what my weight should be. So you guys really think that it's the Aspartame???? How long after you stop drinking it do you feel better?

Regular Sprite doesn't have caffeine.

I 100% believe that aspartame can cause problems. It does with me. Now, with that said, I don't think it affects everyone the same.

Kimya

 

[Poohnatic]

I used to have 4 or 5 migraines a WEEK. I'm sure it also exacerbated various chronic health issues I have. I lived on diet sodas

My sister also consumed tons of diet sodas, but her DH recommended cutting them out one day 'to see what happens'. After a week of no migraines, she called me. I did the same.

I now get 4 to 5 migraines a YEAR. If I have so much as a sip of a drink with aspartame, I do get a migraine.

I miss my Fresca and I think I finally lost the 50 pounds I gained from cutting out diet sodas. Frankly, after all the problems I had with Nutrasweet I am leery of even having Splenda.

Suzanne

 

[Princess_Michelle]

I developed Gestational Diabetes when I was pregnant, about 3 yrs. ago, and had to switch to Splenda. I lost weight at first and thought, oh this stuff is great! Well, soon after my son was born I started having all kinds of problems. Depression, joint pain, sleep issues, etc. At any rate, at first I thought it was all part of being a new mom and being a little overweight. But by the time my son was 2 years old, I was starting to worry that something else was wrong. Went to the Dr. plenty of times, said I was fine, just needed to lose some weight and try to sleep regularly. It wasn't until a few months ago that I read about how Splenda was made. They take the sugar molecule I guess. They remove something and add Chlorine molecules! It is not healthy. I stopped using it and 2 months later I feel so much better!! I was so mad after reading about the crappy FDA. The reason they let this stuff into our markets is b/c they are getting PAID. You should do reserach on Stevia and other sweeteners. Even though Stevia has been used for HUNDREDS of years by Native South Americans and used commercialy by the Japanese for over 30 years (with no recorded side effects) the FDA banned it for a while in the US and now it can only be used as a supplement. WHY? B/c it is incredibly cheap to produce AND natural; ie, it would put artificial sweeteners out of business.....

I have decided that I will only use sugar and just use it very sparingly. NEVER trust a government or corporate agency to tell you what is healthy or not. All they care about is money and covering their butts. I started shopping at Whole Foods Market, b/c they say that they don't allow any artificial stuff to be sold, but I STILL check the labels, just to make sure.

Anyways, I'm not a conspiracy theorist or crazy person or anything. I just learned the hard way that you can't trust everything you are told. If you want to know the truth, you have to research it yourself. The FDA has all kinds of loopholes that companys use just to sell you their products. Never forget that these companies could care less about your health. Companies who make junk food and stuff like cigarettes COUNT on you to get addicted to their stuff. Same with aspartame, I read it actually affects your brain and makes you crave sweets and gain weight, which is why you keep running back to the stuff......