Does Anyone Have a Problem with Aspartame (Equal/Nutrasweet)?

[Christine]

A heart rate of 60 is great, Christine.

Only if you're an athlete!! It's quite another matter if you are a couch potato...

 

[RadioNate]

It also triggers migranes for me.

I have a cousin who was a reasearch pharmist for a major drug company and worked closely with FDA officials and getting new medications approved through the FDA.

She has told me countless stories about how dangerous and nasty aspertaime is. I guess it becomes unstable and starts to break down at tempertatures lower than human body temperature. She says putting it in hot beverages or anything that could become hot (like soda sitting in a warehouse) is the worst.

Appairently there are also a lot of conspirency theory's about how it got approved. The story goes something like...it failed tests several times and then a former executative from the company who invented it was appointed to FDA leadership and it was approved.

As a side note - people have asked me before about why my cousin, if she is such a know it all, no longer works in the pharmaceutical industry. Her mother has several kinds of cancer (breast, lung, bone) so she took a job at her father's company so she would be available to help care for her mother.

 

[Christine]

I guess it becomes unstable and starts to break down at tempertatures lower than human body temperature. She says putting it in hot beverages or anything that could become hot (like soda sitting in a warehouse) is the worst.

Apparently it turns in to methanol or formaldehyde or something at temps over 92 degrees. And here I've been sprinking it in my (very) hot tea.

 

[Figment2]

Triggers migraines in me (even just a little bit). I worked for a medical advertising agency when I was in my early 20's (30 years ago). When I started there they talked about aspartame and what a great product it was going to be and it was going to be approved any day. Five years later it still had not been approved.

Fast forward to my next job and one of our Sr. people told me that a friend worked for Coke or Pepsi (one of those) and they were having trouble putting it in carbonated sodas. Apparently it would float to the top so they ended up putting even more chemicals in the pop to make it work.

I now read labels on everything including breath mints. I was getting bad headaches and couldn't figure out why. Started reading labels and it turned out it was the mints.

Cyn

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

Years ago I was on the Nutrisystem diet and had a terrible reaction to the food and general malais, went to the Dr. and he told me that it was because of the nutrisweet etc. in the food. I went off of the food and felt better immediately.

Went on nutrisystem years ago also. Started having very bad headaches for first time in my life. Gave up aspartame and headaches stopped.

 

[irishbosoxfan]

Back in the 80's, my mom who is heavy set, started buying Crystal Light when it first came out to aid in weight loss---As there were pitchers of it in the fridge I would drink some---The headache started as soon as it hit my tongue but thinking the headache was caused by the drink being cold I continued to drink===About the 3rd day of this I ended up passing out on the floor of the kitchen---When we got to the ER they had no clue as to what had happened and they just sent me home--About a week later I was at my job at Burger King and filled my cup w/I believe Pepsi Free(I know the drink I drank stopped being made not long after) and ended up passing out at work and off to the hospital I go again--After that I swore I was never going to drink another diet drink=====Now when the drive thru messes up and I get a diet instead of a regular I still get the same symptom of a severe headache the second it hits my tongue and know to not drink anymore thereby avoiding the whole passing out thing.

But the sad part is they still advise you to drink diet soda when you go on a diet---And at that time your system is at it's most vulnerable.

My mom quit drinking it about the same time because she was noticing that she would get dizzy,nauseous,and trouble getting a deep breath and would have diarrhea after drinking it.

 

[bsusanmb]

DH suddenly broke out into a rash about 8 months ago. He looked awful - it would come and go. It was a combination of contact dermatitis and eczema. He finally went and had skin patches at the dematologist and he is allergic to formaldehyde - which is in all permanent press clothing, and nutrasweet which breaks down into formaldehyde. When we eliminated both things, the rash cleared up - if he drinks a diet softdrink other than splenda, he breaks out all over. He was a diet drink junkie!

 

[TEENEE]

Personally I can't stand the taste of any of that artificial stuff. On top of that I have always been of the opinion that it is not good for you. I have a friend that can't tolerate any artificial sweetners. One swallow and she's in the bathroom for two days.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I put Equal in my morning coffee. Never had any problems with it at all. I used to use the pink stuff all the time and never had a problem with it either.

I do think there are people who have aversions to artificial sweetners, but I do think this "panic* about them is quite over the top.

 

[Buckalew11]

I was hooked on Crystal Light Peach Tea for quite some time. I was also having body pain and think they were tied together somehow. (joint type pain) I thought I might have that Fibromalga (sp) or something but after i got off the Peach Tea, the pain subsided.

I use sugar or splenda now.

 

[jonestavern]

My son's neurologist, along with her advice for a healthy lifestyle, made absolutely sure DS17 knew not to ingest Equal.
DS17 has epilepsy & his neurologist is very much against the use of that artificial sweetner.
She did tell us also, that it was best to avoid artificials altogether, but most definitly Equal

My DNiece's allergist told her to stay away from it, too. DNiece22 has very bad asthma~

Jean

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Triggers my migraines.

Mine too and same for DD12 and DD7 - both kids get horrid migraines with artificial sweeteners. I dont let my kids have artificial sweeteners of any kind. I cringe when I see kids drinking Diet Soda - if they need "diet" drinks so bad then give them water, milk or juice.

I wish those Lemonade-to-go packs would come with regular sugar so we could carry some of those with us to Disney! I know the packs would be bigger b/c of the sugar but that is fine with me.

 

[Snowysmom]

I tried Nutrasweet when it first came out and it gave me terrible migraines so I stopped using it. So many people have problems with it that it is probably best to avoid it.

 

[LVSWL]

It causes me to have migraines and makes my stomach upset It's bad to feel like you have a hangover when you haven't done anything to earn it!

 

[magiccouple2004]

dh gets really bad migraines if he uses it so i have to read everything before i buy it he also cant have caffeine after 6 pm cause that causes him headaches as well so i just totally took caffeine out of our household

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

I normally drink about six Diet Cokes a day. I've never had any problems from it.

I drink that or more.... and never any problems.

 

[Christine]

I drink that or more.... and never any problems.

Lucky!!! Really, though, a few months ago I would have said it doesn't bother me at all. Now I'm just not so sure. I guess after being off of it for 60 days will tell the story. If I keep all my maladies, then I know that aspartame isn't the problem.

 

[Poohnatic]

I have issues with Nutrasweet. Even two sips of a soda with it and BOOM, a migraine that nothing but an injection of Imitrex can kill. I had been taking two 100mg tablets until my doctor told me that it was a toxic dose.

My sister's DH figured it out-we're both allergic to it. After we'd both been dealing with several migraines a week, life is much more pleasant when migraines only show up about 4 times a year.

Suzanne

 

[Blondie]

I wish I had the link and could remember where I read that there is a study trying to establish a link to artificial sweetners (mainly Nutrasweet) used by pregnant women who went on to have children with ADHD.

It's been a few years since I read that, but I have to wonder. It's probably a stretch linking the two, but ya never know.

 

[Talking Hands]

I have a very severe problem with nutrasweet. Until I stopped using I was almost totally wheelchair bound due to severe arthritic pain. I could barely walk from my bedroom to the bathroom. My doctor had me stop it for 6 weeks and I started to get better. Added it back and back to the pain. I can't use it at all without a reaction within a few hours. Also can't use sugar alcohols. React to those within half an hour.
So now it is Splenda or no sweetening at all.