----------------- Date: Sun, 24 DEC 1995 15:58:30 GMT Newgroups: sci.med.nutrition Subject: Betty and Nutrasweet experiences My own experience took place long before I ever _heard_ of Betty or the s.m.n aspartame wrangle. I'm an aerobics instructor. During classes, I chew gum to keep my mouth and throat moist for cueing. When I started out, I was using an aspartame-sweetened chewing gum, and I chewed quite a lot of it. Over a period of about three months, I began experiencing joint pain in my elbows mostly, but also wrists and fingers. There didn't seem to be any source for the pain - I don't do heavy weights, nor am I a proponent of the use of handweights during my classes, so overuse injury seemed out of the picture. To make a long story short, I started examining my routines, both physical and nutritional, to determine what was causing the problem. The only thing which I could identify as being a major change from the time prior to teaching aerobics, was the gum, so I changed over to a sugar-sweetened gum just to see. Now, this is the part which makes little sense to me - the pain stopped within a couple of days. Mind you, it wasn't ever severe or debilitating, just a nagging, annoying little ache, but it really did exist, and now it was gone! I wasn't entirely out of the aspartame-sweetened gum, and I didn't see any way it could really be the problem, so I took up chewing it again, and the aches came back within days. It is well to note that I was not using a single brand-name of the gum - just grabbed whatever was near the checkout. So, I stopped chewing the stuff again, and the pain went away again. Now I don't use aspartame _anything_ any more, and the only time I get joint pain is when there is some identifiable cause. As I said, it's anecdotal. Your mileage may vary, and you may not believe it at all. I don't really care whether or not you do - I merely present it as my own experience - not as any sort of scientific evidence for or against aspartame use. ---------------- Date: Sat, 23 Dec 1995 23:29:19 -0500 To: xxxxx@xxx.xxx Subject: Aspartame and Floaters Ok xxxxxxx, You've gotten my attention. I rarely had problems with floaters until I started drinking 3 Diet Cokes daily. I got large floaters in my left eye, flashes, as well as headaches over the bridge of my nose and some strange malady that caused me to be very sensitive to bright lights which lasted about 45 days. I figured out that the aspartame was causing the headaches thru the process of elimination, but have not heard anything in regards to the aspartame causing floaters. If this is true, I'm really pissed off! How about sending me the info on aspartame. ---------------- Date: Tue, 19 DEC 1995 16:45:06 GMT Newgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine Subject: Re: Triggers, Triggers, Triggers! >>possible. E.G. Should I stop my diet yogurt with NutraSweet? I spent three years in total agony before I found out that the NutraSweet was the cause of my headaches. I've never been *right* since. The answer to your question is: Yes, it certainly won't hurt you to stop eating it. -------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine Subject: Re: Triggers, Triggers, Triggers! Date: 5 Dec 1995 16:43:45 GMT Hi: you probably will get many responses, but I would say YES to stopping Nutrasweet. I definitely get headaches from it, as well as wine of any sort, cirtus fruits....but I also find environmental and weather triggers to be among the biggest factors. Good luck. ---------------- Date: Wed, 13 DEC 95 00:59:22 GMT Newgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom Subject: Re: Brainwipe via Aspertame (was Re: Dim Sum!) I too would be interested to know more. Some years ago, back in the days when I used to diet, I took to drinking Tab (when it was a cola not a clear drink) and Diet Pepsi/Diet Coke. Long after the diet was abandoned, I found myself drinking vast amounts of diet coke. I cured this addiction by switching to real coke, which I still drink, but not addictively. I refuse to drink diet drinks, though I quite like flavoured mineral waters (except that some of them also have aspartame in them, so I don't drink those). Anyway, all those years ago, I was convinced that there was Something Not Quite Right about diet drinks. I'd be delighted to find out that my hunch was supported by, like, real evidence.... ---------------- Date: 14 DEC 1995 06:52:25 -0500 Newgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom Subject: Re: Brainwipe via Aspertame (was Re: Dim Sum!) Well, absent a reply from Steve, or someone more knowledgeable about psychopharmacology than I, here's my anecdotal evidence from personal experience and chatting with other folks. For one, I've noticed degradation of control in the speech center -- I'm likelier to stutter, lose track of what I'm saying, experience synaptic hang-fire, when I've had aspartame than not. I've had others confirm experiencing speech center related anomalies. For two, I find aspartame puts me in a more agitated and ineffectual frame of mind, and seems to affect fine motor control so that I have trouble managing tasks like typing or operating a sewing machine without making errors at an increased rate. A rough and ready loadie's description of the effect would be to say that I get a mild and unpleasant buzz from aspartame. About two diet Cokes in a row will do it. ---------------- Newsgroup: rec.org.mensa Re: M&Ms (no, not Mensans and morons) Date: Tue, 12 Dec 1995 15:29:10 GMT > But you know about studies. One recent study cited that sugar has > no affect (in regards to hyperactivity) on kids as compared to the > control group given artificial sweeteners. You would be hard pressed > to find one parent who would agree to this. (This statement discounts > all those whose position is "they're the experts - they must be right") That doesn't surprise me at all, if I take anything with Nutra-Sweet in it there is a very high probability the my heart will fibrillate. I am on drugs to control it and I am hyper sensitive. But the speed of the reaction leads me to think that it would be a very poor control in tests of this kind. Die_t coke could be the end of me. ---------------- Date: Fri, 15 Dec 1995 17:12:16 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: Aspartame and diabetes (fwd) On Fri, 15 Dec 1995, xxxxxx xxxxxxx wrote: > I just so damn glad that finally someone else is saying what I've been > saying for the past 20 years. NutraSweet is poison. I began noticing > the rising incidence of brain tumors about 5 years ago. Until then brain > tumors were extremely rare, brain cancer even rarer. Not so any more. > When I discuss this with some of my "medical" colleagues they point to > improved technology - Pet Scans - MRI - as the reason, since diagnosis is > now easier. > > Brain tumors weren't hard to miss when the only diagnosising tool was an > X-ray. > > I've always disliked NutraSweet. For me it has an aftertaste and I > noticed early on that I often got a headache after consuming a diet > beverage. I've tried to convince friends to eliminate it from their diets, > but it's like asking them to give up breathing. -------------- Date: Fri, 15 DEC 1995 20:14:54 -0500 Newgroups: alt.med.fibromyalgia Subject: Re: Aspartame on MedLine In a message dated 95-12-15 20:03:20 EST, you write: >I get severely sick >from aspartame (without alcohol) So do I and my 8 year old! ---------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.diet Subject: Re: Changing Lifestyle & Diet Sodas Date: 30 Nov 1995 17:19:59 GMT I am not sure you will find the exact truth. I used to drink a fair about of diet sodas and then I started collecting information of the effects of Aspartame (used in most diet drinks) about some of the side effects. Although I am not sure I beleived everything that I read, it turned me off enough to try a diet soda free eating program. So, I stopped drinking soda and have tried (painfully I might add) to increase my water intake. Honestly, I would say that a 'cloudy" feeling in my head boarding on a 'headache' disappeared. I feel a lot better. However, I do treat myself to a soda once in awhile because anything in moderation is not bad for you. [Not quite!] -------------- Date: Fri, 1 Dec 1995 11:13:17 -0800 To: xxxxx@xxxx.xxxx Subject: Re: How Safe is Nutrasweet? (fwd) xxxxxxx, Just wanted you to know that after about 4 months of no nutrasweet, my hypoglycemia symptoms have almost disappeared and I can eat dairy products without discomfort (I'm not sure whether the last benefit is due to now aspartame or no carbonation!). -------------- America On-Line Post Subj: alternative sweetners Date: 95-12-12 08:23:44 EST From: Raggy40590 To: xxxxxxxxxx I, too am a n insulin dependant diabetic for over fourty years now. Nutrasweet makes me deathly ill and now I find I really have to go easy on sweet& low, and at present, I can find nothing else out there. Could you e-mail them to me??????? ----------------- > Date: 29 Nov 1995 15:23:59 -0500 > Newsgroups: alt.support.anxiety-panic > > Nutrasweet makes me ill. Through trial and error I figured this out. Maybe > some people can tolerate it but for me it is a NO NO. Does it cause > depression or anxiety, that I don't know???? [continued in another post] Re: ASPARTAME...............LINKED TO FIBROMYALGIA...? Date 8 Apr 1996 13:33:55 -0400 Newsgroups alt.med.fibromyalgia I stopped drinking diet soda for quite sometime because I suspected that it was making me feel pretty bad well I don't know why I did this but last week I decided to try a diet drink to be more specific I had two and became extremely ill all my FMS symptoms were in full force for a good week after that. I am one of those who just can't tolerate it no more experimenting for me. In fact I had the drink guy remove the diet soda from our soda machine in our shop. --------------- From: schwartz@fshops.sfsu.edu (JSchwartz) Newsgroups: alt.support.food-allergies Subject: Re: Nutrasweet Date: Mon, 04 Dec 1995 13:26:35 -0800 I don't drink any more Diet Coke and I have noticed a decrease in my nose stuffiness, congestion in my throat, and headaches. (No, I didn;t have the flu for years...) -------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine Subject: Re: Triggers, Triggers, Triggers! Date: Sat, 09 Dec 95 13:19:53 GMT I would strongly urge against nutrasweet. It is probably not too bad in very small quantities if you are not sensitive to it, but my experience when I drank it to "lose" weight had the opposite effect. I craved more sweets instead and got whopping headaches. -------------- Date: 19 NOV 1995 18:10:46 GMT Newgroups: alt.med.allergy Subject: Re: ALLERGY TO NUTRASWEET (ASPARTAME)???? When I consume a lot of Equal (in packet form) with my coffee or tea, I notice that the skin of my hands seems to dry out, to the point that the skin develops fissures (cracks). But even if this is so, who knows whether it is due to the Aspartame, or one of the inactive ingredients in the Equal? One of the inactive ingredients is silicon dioxide; consuming sand might have its own drying effect. :-) ---------------- Re: ALLERGY TO NUTRASWEET (ASPARTAME)???? Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1995 11:14:30 GMT Newsgroups: alt.med.allergy Aspartame gives me immediate cramps and diarrhea -from breath mints, ice cream,etc. I've had one violent attack right after drinking a diet soda by mistake- on an empty stomach. Thought I was having a heart attack, couldn't breathe, pulse racing. I was reaching for the phone to call 911 when I looked in the mirror . When I saw I was bright red from head to toe, I realized what was happening. FDA August report of 92 documented symptoms from coma to death. Aspartame is a seizure triggering drug and most of the symptoms are neurological in nature. In lab animals it caused brain tumors, mammary tumors, ovarian tumors. ---------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine Subject: Re: Migraine Triggers Date: 15 Nov 1995 15:05:10 GMT Gives me slight headaches, when I used to drink 16oz Diet cokes with lunch, I would feel a slight disorientation a short while after even a light lunch, --------------- Date: Fri, 24 Nov 1995 17:33:21 -0500 To: xxxxxxx@xxxx.xxxxx.xxxx Subject: Re: NutraSweet makes you Fat I discovered by accident 4 years ago that diet drinks with nutra-sweet gave me migraine headaches. I haven't intentionally touched nutra-sweet since. Please send me a list of alternate sweeteners and where to get them. Thanks in advance, ---------------- America Online Post Subj: Nutrasweet Causing Problems Date: 95-11-23 20:47:40 EST From: JENROD Hi. New to this area. Didn't realize it existed. Wondered if anyone had gastro-intestinal problems related to Nutrasweet. I have cut it out completely and feel 100% better. Far less headaches and also less stomach problems. Anyone else have this? ---------------- Newsgroups: bionet.neuroscience Subject: Re: WARNING! Aspartame (Nutrasweet) Labelling Need Date: 23 Nov 1995 18:35:15 GMT I've used aspartame containing drinks as a self-treatment for ADD-like symptomes for about a year now. I find that 1 can of diet soda resolves a lot of the symptomes within about 10-20 minutes. The problem is that it only lasts for about an hour. I've also noticed that it causes pretty sever visual disturbances: strangely enough I didn't notice this until I read about it in this thread. If aspartame is really as bad as it looks, I will probably stop taking it but I've definately noticed an effect. ****Please don't take this as an endorsment for aspartame.***** ****If you have ADD dont start taking it as a medicine ****** ----------------- Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 09:53:51 -0500 Reply-To: Brain Tumor Research/Support Subject: Re: Aspartame - More lovely stuff I consider myself "sensitive" to Aspartame. When I drink more than 1 can of diet soda a day - I get headaches. Before I figured that out (took me a few years - I am a slow learner) I had mild headaches every day, and occasional vertigo. (Guess what I thought caused those:) Since I stopped, I would say I get maybe 1 headache a week or less - and no more vertigo. I tested it a few times - since I didn't really beleive in it - by drinking a few cans of diet soda a day. After about 3 cans of soda in 1 day - I would ALWAYS have a headache. Now I just avoid it and feel much better in general (except for a nagging back problem:) --------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.epilepsy Subject: Re: Homepathic supplements? Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 08:09:23 I also am concerned about my health, but now I am much healthier than before... especially after getting into a regular excercise routine and quitting aspartame (Equal). (continued in another post) Newsgroups: alt.support.epilepsy Subject: breakthrough seizures Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 09:34:11 I have been on dilantin for 2+1/2 years for grand mals, but was having some auras or partials(deja-vu, uneasy panic-attack type feelings, twitches in one arm or leg in bed at night) until about a week ago when I discontinued aspartame use. --------------- Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 08:03:40 -0500 (EST) CC: immune@weber.ucsd.edu Subject: Re: Aspartame Thank you for the posting on aspartame. When it first came out my endocrinologist told me to stay away from it. I have hypoglycemia and considered a sugar free diet. He noted that he still had a lot of questions about the safety of the item and was routinely warning his patients to watch for adverse reactions and to avoid this additive if possible. So I cut down my sugar intake, stayed away from diet foods containing nutra-sweet and felt better. I found out a couple of years later that I was allergic to aspartame because I had difficulty breathing and a severe headache after consuming coffee containing it. I drank that brand of coffee regularly at that time with no problems. It only took a short amount of time to pin it down. Now I stay far away from the stuff and list it as an allergy on my medical alert card. -------------- Date: 13 NOV 1995 23:46:13 GMT Newgroups: sci.med.nutrition Subject: Re: Any bad affects from nutrisweet? >I get severe headaches from consuming products with nutrisweet. The >headache doesn't last long--a half hour or so, but it is enough that I >avoid the product. When I have mentioned this to friends, they speak of >a similar problem. ---------------- To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx Subject: Re: aspartame and depression Organization: Jaxnet Date: Wed, 15 Nov 95 02:53:04 GMT I have severe headaches due to aspartame. I first realized what was causing it when that EXTRA gum cam on the market. we were chewing it like it was going out of style!! I can't even have a few certs with the stuff in it... [continued] Re: NutraSweet Horror - TO EMBALM..OR NOT TO EMBALM Date Tue, 16 Jul 96 21:34:58 GMT Newsgroups sci.med.pharmacy, Have you walked in anyone's shoes that has a problem with nutrasweet. I knew years ago before betty even was in the picture that it caused problems. I was having extreme headaches. and I stopped with the discontinuation of extra gum. I am not one to have headaches that keep me home and in bed. but at 18 I was very incapable of going to work several days during my process of finding out what it was. My parents also quit nutrasweet before I ever knew (i was 18 and never home for that kind of daily news) they had a problem with it. ---------------- Re: Nutrasweet (Equal, etc.) Date 28 May 1997 04:31:57 GMT Newsgroups alt.med.fibromyalgia I too must say that I'm affected by Nutrasweet (aspartame), and will get very disoriented, dizzy and feel weak. My daughter has the same reaction. She was given a piece of gum by a classmate once, and within 20 min. has a bad reaction. I do not buy anything that has that poison in it. Heard it turn into formaldihyde (sp?) after being in your body. Doesn't surprise me, though, that it's approved by the FDA, as it is making money, right? I also heard that it can cause seizures and that there have been over 50 documented deaths due to aspartame, which "is" Nutrasweet. --------------- Newsgroups: alt.med.allergy Subject: Re: ALLERGY TO NUTRASWEET (ASPARTAME)???? Date: 17 Nov 1995 09:44:38 -0500 xxxx> I've developed unbearably itchy hands. I think it xxxx> might be from using Equal sweetener. Anybody heard of xxxx> an allergic reaction to aspartame? Help! Actually, you can be allergic to Aspartame. It gives me headaches when I use it. What would happen if you touched it I am not sure, but the most common reaction to drinking it that I have heard is headache. -------------- Date: Sun, 15 Oct 1995 21:10:05 -0400 To: xxxx@xxxxxxx.xxxx Subject: Re: Aspartame and Obesity, Clinical Effects Forwarded from xxxxxx xxxx Date: Sun, 15 Oct 1995 09:43:53 -0700 Subject: Re: Aspartame and Obesity, Clinical Effects To: xxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx Status: R I have had several opportunities to live abroad, UK and NZ. Both times, I lost weight and gained health, because they do not have available the glut of "fake foods". Even though I try to maintain a natual diet when I return to the US, I still find that I gain weight, uncontrollably. I have also suffered from long history of depression. The one thing that I have used throughout is Diet coke and sweet&Low. I cut both of those out over 6 months ago, and am losing weight again, as well as gaining physical health back. --------------- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 07:14:39 To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx Subject: Re: Autoresponder Instructions (fwd) I got online this morning to send you a Thank You. After reading your post on I_See and requesting the info that you have sent me today I took my father in law off the aspartame. He is 85 and is on insulin for adult onset diabetes. He has had a horrible skin rash since the first of August and I realized that was about the same time that I started replacing his sugar with aspartame. His doctor was trying to treat him for an allergic reaction and nothing would work. After one and 1/2 weeks of being off the aspartame,the rash is almost totally gone. We both thank you for the information --------------- Date: Tue, 7 Nov 1995 10:34:40 -0500 (EST) To: xxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxx.xx Subject: Stevia Information Thank you for your information regarding aspartame. I went off Nutra Sweet for 3 months and lost 5-10 lbs. in that time period. 23 years old, 5 yrs IDDM ------------------ America-Online Post Subj: NutraSweet Date: 95-11-06 10:31:16 EST From: Van Asch 7 To: xxxxxxx I understand you have some info about NutraSweet. Could you e-mail me some of your info? My sister has epilepsy and NutraSweet seems to trigger her problem? Her Neurologist is non-committal but said, "If it seems to bother you don't use it". I have no major health problems, but when I drink or eat something with NutraSweet I notice that my skin is excessively oily for days afterward. ------------- Date: Tue, 07 Nov 95 16:39:29 -0700 To: xxx@xxxxx.xxxx Subject: (no subject) I have been drinking Diet Pepsi every day for about 10 years ( I am now 27) and pop my entire life. After reading your articles I went cold turkey on the Diet Pepsi (which my friends refer to as toxic soup), It has only been a week now, but I am feeling a bit better. I don't know if this is related to cutting out aspartame, but my desire for sweets has gone down considerably. ---------------- America On-Line Post Subj: Checking In Date: 95-11-03 10:45:13 EST From: SASTEW Hi there....Its me after a long time...I am continuing to try to avoid nutrasweet...I am not always good about it but I try. If I drink any I can tell the next day, I am fatigued and I have trouble urinating. In fact if I stay away from diet coke I have no bladder problems. .... I think it has helped...and to answer the gal who asked about fibromyalgia...I think that my diet Coke habit and my fibromyalgia are directly linked. -------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.dissociation Subject: Re: nutrasweet article Date: Mon, 30 Oct 1995 22:08:53 GMT I noticed that I was being pretty affected by Diet Pepsi. I was drinking at least 2 liters a day. (eeek, gag!!) I noticed that burning sensation several times, but never thought anything of it. Finally, I realized that D.Pepsi was unhealthy for me. I thought it was the caffeine. It was really difficult for me to "come down" from it, and I've been d-p free for about 3 weeks! :) *cheers, applause* This article helped me to think about whether or not the caffeine was all that was making me ill. I've been drinking water and natural juices, and feel much better. (However, better is very relative because of the time of year/unholy days lingering over my shoulder) ------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.dissociation Subject: Re: nutrasweet article Date: Wed, 01 Nov 1995 01:15:26 GMT >I noticed that I was being pretty affected by Diet Pepsi. I was drinking >at least 2 liters a day. (eeek, gag!!) I noticed that burning sensation I drank Crystal Light at work for a week. I got headaches and dizziness. Ginally I realized it was the aspartame after not being able to drive. I stopped and the headaches stopped. My girlfriend gets migraines. She stopped too, but the lithium weight gain is urging her to start again. My best friend's left ankle swells when he drinks it. (!) The stuff is dangerous. ------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.dissociation Subject: Re: education on drugs... Date: 27 Oct 1995 17:54:21 GMT It seems that aspartame has been implicated in aggravating both MPD and attention deficit disorder, among others. I experienced my first uncontrolled switching when I was doing a lot of aspartame. I was also getting severe migraines and visual disorders including tunnel vision, moving shadows, and color dropouts (I would lose the green/blue range). All of these are known side effects of aspartame, it seems. In some people, aspartame is known to inhibit seratonin production. Swell. But what was scariest was the shaking fits (like I was having an epileptic seizure) and hypoglycemic problems so severe I was known to pass out. (Sugar revived me.) This last is why I stopped doing Nutrasweet. I'm borderline hypoglycemic. When I stoppped Nutrasweet, the uncontrolled switching stopped, too. It took a while for the migraines and visual disorders to work out, but they were gone within a few months, as was the switching. (The switching was severe enough that friends thought I was "drunk" because I was acting so strange, but alcohol was not involved!) [continued in another post] Newsgroups: alt.support.survivors.prozac,alt.support.depression.manic, alt.support.depression,alt.support.anxiety-panic,alt.human-brain Subject: Re: aspartame and depression Date: 10 Nov 1995 00:31:10 GMT Well, in my personal case, I was at a party a few months back, and consumed quite a bit of punch. Within 8 hours, I started getting a migraine headache, color dropouts in my vision, and loss of my night vision. Realizing that these previously-experienced symptoms (for which I spent several years and doctors trying to find causes) seemed to be linked to aspartame, I checked back and asked about artificial sweeteners . Yup, Nutrasweet in the punch. ---------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.depression,alt.human-brain,alt.pagan, alt.support.anxiety-panic,alt.support.depression.manic, alt.support.dissociation,alt.support.survivors.prozac Subject: Re: Regarding Prozac Date: Sun, 29 Oct 1995 14:56:38 +0000 Thats interesting as I avoid drinks containing this substance as it rapidly makes me feel slightly nauseous and I also trembly. That's after one can of diet drink. Goodness how are they allowed to poison people...strikes me sugar is quite natural and safe. ---------------- Newsgroups: alt.med.fibromyalgia Subject: Greeting's from the Armadillo Dude Ranch... Date: Tue, 31 Oct 1995 05:31:18 GMT For those of you still huring, I hope you find your way back too....and I really believe that the LESS chemicals we plug back into our overburdened bodies the better..esp. the nutra sweet products. THey alone tend to bring on a bout of pain, but lately I have been able to work thru it with excersie. --------------- Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.psychology.psychotherapy, alt.support.attn-deficit,alt.support.depression Subject: Re: Distinguishing ADD from depression? Date: 31 Oct 1995 19:04:15 GMT I am normally quite skeptical about "X is the root of all evil/disease/behavior" but I'm inclined to agree with the Nutrisweet warnings. I've always had ADD symptoms and I've never used aspertame products until about a year and a half ago when I started dieting. One Diet Coke would leave me in a depressed fog about thirty minutes after drinking it, unless I ate a high carbohydrate food along with it. It would leave me irritable and edgy and I was prone to spells of cold-sweats, which I attributed to low-blood sugar (see below). I've quit drinking them and decided that exercise, balanced diet with smaller portions, and reducing my overall soft drink intake (got to have my caffeine) was the best answer. >Dr. Roberts explains in his book (and has done 30 years of research on >Alzheimers) that the two amino acids in aspartame, phenylalanine and >aspartic acid without the other amino acids in protein are neurotoxic and >go past the blood brain barrier and are deteriorate the neurons of the >brain. This is, of course, the cause of Alzheimers. He says in his >opinion that aspartame is escalating Alzheimers Disease, a 20th century >disease now the 4th leading cause of death in adults. This is interesting. I self diagnosed my dizzyness and weak spells this way: I have always drank lots of soft drinks (mostly Coca-Cola). When I drink a diet drink, my body says, "Hmm, 220 calories of sugar coming in, better step up my insulin production." All of this insulin gets into my system and doesn't find any digestable sugars, so my blood sugar drops and I get foggy and weak. I had read about the decreased neuro-transmitters from Aspertame consumption, but the study I had read had one of those, "the equivalent of twelve diet Cokes in a one hour period" kind of doses. If the biological theories of ADD are correct (decreased neurotrasmitters in the frontal lobes) is true, then ADDers might be much more susceptible to the Aspertame reaction. >So, if you don't want to be fat and depressed and suffer memory loss, >ADD, learning disabilities - and a host of other problems - be warned - >get off NutraSweet. As I said before, I'm not drinking anymore and I do believe that Aspertame might be complicating my ADD, but I'm sure its not the cause of it and I don't know if casual consumption of Aspertame by non-ADD adults is likely to cause the same symptoms. I do know that I don't let my kids anywhere near products containing Aspertame. BTW, if anyone wonders about the efficacy of TV ads, my four year old daughter sat in a restaurant the other night doing the Cher NutriSweet commerical with the artifical sweetener packets at the table. "This one is saccherine, it doesn't taste good. This one is NutriSweet and you can pour it in your hand and eat it, because it tastes good." It was a good opportunity to explain that you can't believe everything you see on TV. --------------- Date: Thu, 26 Oct 1995 00:35:50 -0400 Sender: Parkinson's Disease - Information Exchange Network Subject: Re: DRUG INTERACTION: Nutrasweet & l-dopa - Request for Info Thanks for posting the info on Nutrasweet and PD. I consummed tons of Nutrasweet until recently when I started having a strange gut feeling that it might be affecting me. I was getting restless legs, especially at night and felt sort of depressed. As a person who has PD on both sides of my family (dad and uncle) I appreciate your posting. I quit Nutrasweet about 9 weeks ago and seem to feel better. ---------------- Date: Thu, 26 Oct 1995 10:12:39 -0400 Sender: Parkinson's Disease - Information Exchange Network From: Allan Rosenberg Subject: Nutrasweet My wife (PD) has been a long time user of diet colas. After seeing the discussions on this Mailing List, she has stopped them completely and when she has tested the impact by going back to a single can (twice) she claims to have felt an adverse effect. ------------- Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 16:24:41 -0500 (CDT) To: xxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxx Subject: Re: Nov. 3, 1987 Hearing, NutraSweet - Health and Safety Concerns (fwd) Well, I haven't been on the NutraSweet at all since I wrote last. I haven't had the panic attacks/nervousness that I had had, at least I haven't noticed it. I still have had some depression, but not too bad, guess it could be one of those monthly things :-) --------------- Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 17:01:27 +0100 To: i_see Subject: PCM I have also eliminated aspartame (Equal(tm)) from my diet. I usually don't drink diet drinks, but when I need something cool to drink I would pick up a diet drink if nothing else was available. I no longer do that. I also suggested to my wife that she quit drinking diet drinks. She did and noticed that her joints no longer gave her pain. She is a doctor and has to travel to about 3 hospitals and round on her patients. She has to do a lot of walking. She also bought some vitamins for our children the other day. I looked at the label and discovered that the number one ingredient was aspartame! We did *not* give this to our children. If you are trying to eliminate aspartame from your diet beware of anything labeled sugar free. I have found it in gum, jelly, and cough drops. ---------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine Subject: Re: nutra sweet and headaches Date: 25 Oct 1995 22:07:40 GMT Hi xxxxxxx, many migranes are triggered by different foods. When I consume Nutrasweet I might as well put a gun to my head because sure enough I will have a killer migrane. I also noticed that caffeine, or should I say lack of caffeine, can also trigger a killer headache. When I was first diagnosed with migranes two years ago, my neurologist suggested changing my diet. When I stopped drinking my morning 16 oz cup of coffee, I would get a killer headache. Because most foods are filled with crap , it's really difficult to pin down migrane triggers, but Nutrasweet is definately one of mine. If you give up your daily dose of diet coke and begin to get headaches you might want to try another caffeine substitue. ----------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine Subject: Re: nutra sweet and headaches Date: 25 Oct 1995 19:37:18 GMT Well, as the years go on, and I find myself becoming more and more 'natural', I find that my migraines are becoming less and less frequent. Not that they could ever be kind enough to leave forever, though...of course not... But anyway - First, I quit harmful substances excluding alcohol, then I stopped eating mammals and poultry, then I reduced my caffeine intake, then I quit soda, and I have drastically reduced my alcohol intake - and NEVER drink hard alcohol, wine or anything except microbrew beer, and FINALLY I have stopped using Nutrasweet. AND I have definately noticed a decrease in my headaches since I stopped using my Equal. (Whew, all that just to say that since I stopped using Equal, I can definatley see a reduction of occurances) ----------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.tinnitus Subject: Re: aspartame Date: Thu, 26 Oct 1995 08:11:22 GMT I was a longtime user of aspartame, because I consume a lot of soft- drinks. Sugar has a stimulating effect on me. Since I stopped using Aspartame (approx 2 litres/day) 2 mo. ago, I have had a lot less head pain, but my t is not better. I did try using aspartame again and immediately had severe head pain, so I am pretty sure it is the aspartame. -------------- Newsgroups: alt.med.fibromyalgia Date: Sun, 22 Oct 1995 10:02:44 PACIF Subject: Re: Irritable Bowel I've found that I can't tolerate anything with aspartame in it any more. It not only irritatates an already irritable bowel, but gives me a blinding headache and ?? makes me retain water. Sounds like an allergy, and after all those years of being on Weight Watchers where they push anything sugar free. I have a friend who's brother is a pediatrician in New York City and Bill says that his brother will not allow anything with Nutra Sweet in the house and his kids aren't allowed to have it PERIOD!. Something to think about, eh......... ------------- America On-Line Post Subj: Re: nutra Date: 95-10-23 20:02:06 EDT From: TazRobStar To: xxxxxxxxxxxx I already feel a difference!! Thank you- you have done more for me than any doctor has- and I didn't have to pay thousands of dollars or take off my clothes!!! I was wondering, is it okay to use sweet and low (saccarin)? Robin ------------- Date: 20 OCT 1995 01:46:56 GMT Newgroups: misc.health.arthritis, alt.support.arthritis Subject: Re: "Of course aspartane could be a problem." Just my 2 cents: aspartane does not make my RA worst (I don't think), but it does make me extremely dizzy and disoriented. Not good stuff! ------------- Date: Thu, 19 Oct 1995 14:49:00 PDT Subject: artificial sweeteners To: Multiple recipients of list HERB ...much nutra-sweetener and an eventual trip to the hospital because of it later, I avoid nutra-sweet etc., like the plague. one natural sweetener that I use is stevia. ------------- Date: Thu, 19 Oct 1995 19:09:15 -0400 Subject: Re: artificial sweeteners To: Multiple recipients of list HERB When it first hit the market several years ago, I was exposed to it in samples of "Crystal Light" and marketed iced tea mixes. After two weeks I was waking up with tremors and cold sweats during the night. Leg cramps too. That was the end of nutra-sweet for me! And, I avoid it altogether with you xxxx! ------------- Date: Thu, 19 OCT 1995 12:58:47 GMT Newgroups: alt.support.arthritis Subject: Nutra Sweet (R) / Aspartame Hello All, Greeting from New Zealand, I am a 54 year old male with RA for 3 years and (partly because of my medicines) overweight. So trying to cut down on sugar I used sweeteners. A couple of weeks ago an article was posted about Aspartame in Nutra Sweet. After Reading the post I decided to stop my intake of Nutra Sweet and my Diet Coke to see what difference it would make, after two days (to my utter surprise) the aches and pains were a LOT less. ------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine Subject: NutraSweet = Mega Migraines Date: Tue, 17 Oct 1995 03:40:32 -0400 SOME DIETARY CAUSES OF MIGRAINES I HAVE DISCOVERED In a desperate attempt to find a cause for almost daily migraines that seemed to start not long after a meal, I decided I had to go on a fast. After fasting for two days, I began adding items back item by item so as to identify what if any item might be causing my pounding immobilizing headaches. I found major answers that have brought peace back to my life. .... (C) NutraSweet As soon as I added the diet sodas back to my diet, wham ! Bowled over by the killer head banging pain. Now that I have cut them out I have had virtually no headaches for many weeks. Praise god (and I am an atheist). The only puzzle I have yet to solve is why after using NutraSweet for many years, on and off, was it hitting me so hard this summer? Perhaps it was only mild before. I have had headaches, albeit milder, for many years. Perhaps it was building up in my system. ?? But indeed it was the main causative agent. I can but curse NutraSweet -- A.K.A. aspartame -- to the darkest hells. The stuff was litterly killing me. I spent many days in bed w/ pounding head thinking my life is over. I still get a very mild throbbing related to eating out, during which time I often eat cheese. There may also be some other factors I have yet to uncover. But the number 1 leading cause of the hell I was going through was NutrSweet. Its abolition from my diet has been a significant new lease on life for me. |^) YES ! ------------- Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 10:25:49 -0400 (EDT) To: xxxxxx@xxxx.xxx Subject: nutrasweet I just thought that I would drop a quick note to you... Thank you for your article regarding Nutrasweet. When Nutrasweet came out with that little gumball, I had headaches all the time. When i figured out what it was ( about 3 weeks later, I was shocked that a new product could do that. I stopped taking Nutrasweet immediatly and do my best to avoid it, but still, Friends or restuarants will make something like Jello using NS, and the headache will return. I learned quick.....and I hope my body is better because of it... ------------ America On-Line (AOL) Post Subj: Migraines Date: 95-10-04 00:12:00 EDT From: StephieDiB I reviewed the message board on Nutrasweet. I suffer terribly from migraines. I'm swearing off diet pepsis. I don't drink coffee so I guess I'll have to start drinking ice tea with good old fashioned sugar. what is this product stevia ? .... I am a 51 y.o. white post-menopausal female on estrogen therapy. I have high blood pressure and increasingly frequent migraines since I was 19. Normally, my migraines arrive in the wee hrs of the morning - 3 or 4 am, and by noon I have re-bounded enough to function. For my bp I take 240 mg cardizem and 20 mg lotensin, both of which should help to screen out migraines. However, I frequently have to resort to cafergot, although I do limit the amount of cafergot that I take over the period of one week. i do not drink any alcohol and never have, i do not smoke. After having read the Nutrasweet messages a few minutes ago, I'm going to swear off of Diet Pepsi. I also know that chocolate and aged cheeses can trigger migraines -- but not always, so there must be a tolerance level that i exceed to trigger one. Can anyone give me any input as to why my headaches always seems to start when I am trying to get some sleep ! .... Thank you, thank, thank you. No Nutrasweet yesterday (or any soft drink for that matter) and no headache this morning ! ------------ Newsgroups: misc.health.diabetes Subject: Re: 'free' drinks Date: 5 Oct 1995 14:58:52 GMT I find that all drinks with aspartame give me terrible migraines. Splenda drinks seem to be fine, but I am worried there might be side effects that I don't know about. I am wondering why it is not available in the U.S. but is here in Canada. I just stick to bottled water and herbal tea. --------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.diet Subject: Re: Aspartame (Nutrasweet) danger Date: 6 Oct 1995 10:46:03 -0400 Nutrasweet gives my mother headaches -------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.tinnitus Subject: Aspartame and T Update Date: 10 Oct 1995 03:06:24 GMT Hello All. I have not taken any food with the A for 1 week. I don't think it has lowered the T but my balance seems better. Also less dizziness. I will lay off the A for another week and see what happens. I might just make it a permanent move. That will be hard. I like my diet coke and pepsi[:}>. [continued in a later post....] Re: Dizziness and Diet Date 28 Dec 1995 03:17:16 GMT Newsgroups alt.support.tinnitus I don't have Meniere's but have had T for about 2 years. One thing I discovered that was giving me a lot of problems was Aspartame. There was an artice posted on this group back in Aug. about the problems Aspartame can cause so I decided to layoff it for a while. I have been off it since the end of Sep. and ALL of my dizziness is gone and my balance has improved 100%. I also think I have less motion sickness. I flew to FLA in Nov. and had no problems with motion sickness but the T was pretty bad. I have laid off the caffine and that has helped. [continued] Date: 18 MAY 1996 02:40:59 GMT Newgroups: misc.health.diabetes, rec.food.drink, sci.med.pharmacy, misc.kids.pregnancy, misc.health.alternative Subject: Re: NutraSweet Horror - TO EMBALM..OR NOT TO EMBALM I doubt if it was the caffine that was causing my symptoms as I still drink regular tea and us other artificial sweetners. So far the other artificial sweetners have not caused any problems. ------------------ Newsgroups: alt.support.diet Subject: Re: Aspartame (Nutrasweet) danger Date: 8 Oct 1995 03:42:33 GMT Nutrasweet does this to LOTS of people. Apparently they forgot to consider the possibility that an amazing percentage of the population would have at least minor side effects when consuming aspartame. I personally get headaches and nausea. ----------------- Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 13:02:18 -0400 (EDT) To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxx Subject: nutrasweet Dear xxxxxxxx, I have noticed the effects of Nutrasweet myself. It scares me to see how many of my friends and family consume these products thinking they must be safe or they wouldn't be sold. I would greatly appreciate a copy of aspartame's history to pass along to friends, family and institutions that do not realize the reprecussions of their actions. -------------- Date: Sun, 1 Oct 1995 15:54:17 +0000 To: xxxxx@xxxx.xxxx Subject: aspartame It has been almost 4 weeks since I have stopped using aspartame. It is amazing the changes that have occured in me! I willgive you my history so that you may understand. I have always been a diet soda/artificial sweetner user since I have had a problem with low-blood sugar as well as my father and sisters. Using saccharin, I never encountered any problems. Many years ago when they started offering Nutrasweet I slowly made the change over. I have always been a slim person with my weight in the 115 to 120 range at 5 feet 4 inches. A few years ago my weight went up a bit to 129 (god I was fat). In July 1992, my husband and I both went to Jenny Craig and also enrolled in a health club. In the first couple of weeks I only lost a couple of pounds. When I switched from Diet Pepsi to Diet Rite (because of the sodium) my weight just fell off. I didn't drink as much Diet Rite because it just didn't have the flavor. I had reduced/eliminated my coffee intake because they said caffeine interferes with fat metabolism. In no time I was 118 pounds and my body was PERFECT. I had only 16% body fat and I looked like one of those health ads. I was wearing a size 3 and I looked and felt FANTASTIC! Once I had achieved my goal (September 1992)....I had gradually added reduced caffeine coffee to my diet and started drinking a few Diet Pepsi's. I no longer did the Jenny Craig thing but was eating low-fat and had started drinking Met-RX (has aspartame) to enhance my diet. I maintained my weight but at that time my shoulder had started aching me where it would go up into my neck. I visited a shiatsu guy because I thought it had been a muscle strain from the gym. I was still maintaining a 5 day a week workout with 20 minutes of aerobics and a very fast paced 45 minute weight routine. The shiatsu helped a bit.....but then I noticed my glands were swollen on that side and my ear on that side had a burning/itching sensation. In in short while my throat was inflamed and burning. I went to my doctor who prescribed potent antibiotics which didn't do it so I had to go for another ten day course. He had also given me a cortisone shot for the major inflamation. This all left me soooooo fatigued that I couldn't even work out. After a month (November 1992), I returned to the gym but it seemed that I could never get my old energy level back. I still worked out hard and my weight maintained, but I seemed to have lost some strength and endurance. I maintained this until June 1993, with some problems of my weight fluctuating and experiencing stomach bloating, puffiness in my thighs and increased sinus problems. I had always been allergic to a couple of blooming trees but nothing major. In June, hubby and I both decided to stop smoking. It went well for a couple of days. In mid June, a few days after stopping smoking, my body bloated out real bad and my weight jumped despite not eating more and still working out as usual. I left for a trip to the EasT Coast for a couple of weeks. My blaoting continued and my sinuses were puffy and burning and I started bleeding from my sinuses. BY the time I came home from my trip I was at 135 pounds. Since the trip from the East Coast to Hawaii is a long one...(15 to 20 hours depending on layovers) jet lag is a real problem. When I came back I couldn't sleep and I was horribly fatigued (worse than any jet lag I had ever experienced in my life) A trip to my doctor started rounds and rounds of antibiotics, decongestants and steroid inhalers. He eventually ordered blood tests, a full thyroid panel and CAT scan....nothing there! The doctor acted as if I was eating things that made my weight skyrocket!The fatigue got worse and worse with my body vacillating between not being able to sleep and sleeping too much. We had returned to Jenny Craig in hopes of repeating our prior success but my weight just went up! Hubby and I then consulted a nutrionist and a trainer at the gym. We followed the plan but I had to drop out....I could hardly keep my head up! To say the least my job was suffering. IN October my husband marched me down to the doctor. He was convinced I was depressed. He had heard depression can cause some of these problems. At that point I was! I was defeated! The doctor prescribed Paxil. It made me sleepy...so at least I was able to sleep. The sinus problems continued....to the point I was sent to an ENT specialist. He kept me on the same drugs...but said that all I was complaining of was not related to each other. He wondered if I was under stress at work. I was because it was ill, tired and having mood problems. Add to it the weight...I couldn't bear another comment about my weight! I tried various trainers to find the magic workout/diet plan...each time my weight went up! They all thought I was cheating. In January 1994, the ENT guy decided to do a fiber optic scope of my sinuses...the burning/bleeding/pressure continuted despite all the drugs. He found a lesion in the area behind my nose (adenoid area). A CAy scan with contrast (they shoot iodine on your veins to light you up) revealed there was something there and 4 days later I was in surgery! They found is what they called a "soft tissue mass". It wasn't cancer! I felt an improvement in the fatigue and pressure! BY then I had been demoted at work. Despite the improvement, I still wasn't myself. By July, the company I worked for was laying everyone off (not just me, due to financial booboos). I had a planned vacation to Italy to see friends so I extended it to 5 weeks instead of the original two. Hubby thought the break would be good for me. ON my return, despite still eating good and all the damn walking up and down the steps EVERYWHERE in Italy (elevators are almost unheard of)....I was 158 pounds. I returned to my doctor in tears. I told him I refused to take all this medicine anymore...it didn't help.He decided to send me to an allergist. (this is beginning of Oct. 1994) I had over 250 allergy tests. I am now SEVERELY allergic to cats, both kinds of dust mites and dust. To a lesser degree....I am allergic to acacia trees, mango trees, juniper trees, eucylyptus (SP?) trees, palm trees, coconut trees, mock orange bushes, cockroaches, horses and a few more I can't even remember. Alas I thought this was the answer. I started bi-weekly allergy shots. After a month...I started feeling much better. I had stopped working out entirely....it did me no good, especially looking as I did...I was embarressed. BY that point I had said the hell with it all. I just ate whatever...it didn't make any difference weight wise what I ate. I had stopped eating all that diet food with the exception of drinking Diet Pepsi and using Nutrsweet in my coffee and tea! I had started a new job...it was going well! I felt better. I thought it strange that I started to lose weight eating junk food but had attribuated it to the allergy thing! My weight dropped to 148 in no time! This was an improvement but I still felt bad! In November, I suddenly started having migraines which coincided with my periods getting horrible. The cramps and bleeding were horrible. They had gotten a bit worse the year earlier but this was far more worse. Also my periods had gotten closer together...every 3 to 3 1/2 weeks. The migraines would be more likely to happen in the week prior to my period until my period had stopped. I had never been a headache person before. The doctor asked about stress. I told him if it were stress I would had had them the year prior...not when I was feeling better. My stress levels had dropped. The frequency and severity of the migraines would vary a lot. I had a few outside of the time frame that I normally had them. He prescribed a painkiller and a vascular dialator. Sometime they would kick it and sometimes it didn't even matter that I took them. One time it was so bad I had to go in for a shot of Imitrex. A few months back I started having back and leg pains. I previously had intermittent lower back aches, aches in the legs and shoulders but nothing like this. It didnt seem to coincide with exertion or strain of any type. Motrin used to be of help but it didn't seem to phase it. It bothered me every day for 3 months at least. Sometimes sitting down my leg would have a painful spasm. One day I was surfing the Web...I found a link to your information. Reading your info was like reading my medical history. I gave it a try. Within 2 days my leg as well as my shoulders and back stopped hurting and it hasn't returned. I have dropped 8 pounds doing nothing but stop drinking Diet Pepsi and coffee/tea with Nutrasweet and any other foods that contain it. My energy levels have increased five-fold and my sunny dispostion has awakened from hibernation. My stomach is happier too.I used to be bloated all the time with problems of constipation. My hubby has been wondering if I have been doing sit-ups because my tummy has gotten much flatter. The gas I had experienced before is gone. I don't get as hungry as I used to and I don't seem to crave or desire to eat any sweets. Most people think I have lost more than 8 pounds. I wake up in the morning easily and am energetic all day. I just had my period a week ago....I had less cramps and less bleeding. I had only one minor flare with a migraine on the worse day of my period. My sinuses have cleared up quite a bit. I haven't taken any antihistamines or decongestants in a while. I stopped having the burning sensation in my throat and this weird pimply rash on my shoulders disappeared too. I had been having a problem with my hair being real dry. In about a week after stopping, my hair got softer and less dry. And on a weird note...I had noticed that the hair on my legs seemed to grow back mush faster in the last couple of years. Since stopping Nutrasweet, I can go longer without shaving...use to have to shave every day. To be honest I don't want to even try and drink a Diet Pepsi right now. I am convinced that Nutrasweet is the problem. My problems started with my increased use of it and has been the only consistent thing in my life since I have been ill. In retrospect, I can see where my worse episodes have been when I was drinking lots of coffee in addtion to the 6 to 8 diet sodas I would drink in a day. MY weight gain started many years ago when I increased my usage of diet soda. Prior, I was always skinny. I don't want to feel that way anymore. I have started back bicycling and my daughter is teaching me how to rollerblade. It feels good like exercise should. Before, when exercising, I would always feel more bloated and swollen after exercise. Now, I don't feel that way.....I feel rejuvenated. Others have noticed the change in me. They are shocked when I tell them my story. I have been giving your info to as many people as I can. I printed Dr. Roberts 167 page report from Mark's Home Page and mailed it to my sister. She has had many problems too! I hope that my husband the skeptic will get the message. He loves his Diet Pepsi....I won't buy it anymore...he has to buy his own. I know he has reduced it but hasn't completely eliminated it. It is also time to show my doctor this info! This will be a tough job. Most of my problems seemed to be serotonin related (depression/migraines etc.) The medical profession is not much help here. I have lost faith in the FDA to protect us and our doctors depend on them. Sincerely and with great graitude for your help, PS This morning I wieghted 138...a 10 pound drop! -------------- Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine Subject: Re: Nutra_Sweet affecting anyone else? Date: Tue, 26 Sep 1995 23:37:34 GMT Yes the Nutrasweet is a trigger for me, the yogurt (anything cultured or aged) can also be a trigger for me and the frozen yogurt would probably give me a ice cream headache to boot. All three would guarantee me a real boomer. --------------