Date: Fri, 24 May 1996 17:15:13 -0700 To: xxxxxxx@xxxx.xxxx.xx Subject: Throwing out all Aspartame products I want to thank you for the information that you have been posting in the sci.med.nutrition news group. I must admit that at first I thought you to be a little fanatical about the subject of NutraSweet being bad for you... but trust me, I don't feel that way now. My mother (70 this year) is diabetic and has been consuming NutraSweet for quite some time. She enjoys her sugar-free Jello, gum, Swiss Miss hot chocalate, Equal on a bowl of cereal, and many other things. After reading the information by you (and xxxx) I approached my mom with the idea that she should stop using NutraSweet for two weeks and see how she felt. She was not happy to say the least. After some nice, convincing prodding (and her reading the information on the web) she decided to give it a try... To make a long story short, after only two days of not consuming Aspartame she called to tell me that she had packed up everything in the house containing it and threw it in the trash. SHE FELT THAT MUCH BETTER!. No more waking up in the middle of the night with burning, stiff neck muscles. She walks easier and with less limping (she has phlebitus(sp?)). I think that this is absolutly wonderful. I am very proud of her for biting the bullett and giving it a try. I know that it was very hard for her, and will continue to be until we get her something like Stevia. Thank you so much for sticking to your beliefs in spite of the negative feedback being generated by your posts. You are saving peoples lives by sharing this information. And if this extends my mothers life, even just a couple of days, then it is most surely worth it. ------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jul 1995 16:11:42 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Aspartame Training-Nutrition Mailing List (trnutr@dgs.dgsys.com) http://www.dgsys.com/~trnutr/index.html I have a strange reaction to aspartame, saccaharin and sorbitol. After consuming a 12 oz artificially sweetened soda, I experience significant dizziness, blurred vision and a severe headache. Is this common? .... ------------ PathFinder / Time Magazine Bulletin Boards http://pathfinder.com/@@0Hk9NpDrwAMAQPjW/time/bbs/ Aspartame / NutraSweet Toxicity Reaction Samples ------------------------------------------------ [Toxicity Reactions Brought To You By Monsanto / NutraSweet] ---------- Date: Thu, 28 Mar 1996 17:02:33 -0500 To: xxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xxx Subject: "you have my undivided attention/resources/help." .... I have been for the last year almost completely debilitated and dysfunctional because of a spiral into full-blown MCS. I have been blaming sulphites and S related molecular connections.. and while I think they are partly to blame.. it's blood chillingly clear to me now.. that the origin of the spiral was very possibly Aspertame. .... [continued] Subj: Re: Nutrasweet, was Re: Small towns (was: Neck problems) Date: 96-05-31 12:19:38 EDT To: YEAST-L@psuhmc.bitnet It appears xxxx was warning you and xxxxxx about the dangers of Nutrasweet. Unfortunately... xxx's dead right. I know from my own experience, the levels of devastation this product are real. I have lesions on the left temporal lobe of my brain and a series of seizures to prove it. Forgive me for being personal... and while I am no longer enraged about the subject... I am cognizant of the problem., and believe it needs to be looked at rationally. (well, as rationally as using methanol (wood alcohol); aspartic acid; and phenylalanine. in a FOOD source can be) I drank diet coke for YEARS.... loved the stuff.. and 'tho everyone told me (vaguely) that Aspertame was bad for me.. did I listen?? Noooooo. (smile) Annnnd I paid the price. Albeit I was already in a spiral into MCS as well as Candida undercurrents.. but the Aspertame on its own did serious harm. Permit me one small clip here... " NutraSweet, a.k.a. aspartame, is a compound of the following chemicals: methanol (wood alcohol); aspartic acid; and phenylalanine. Aspartame readily breaks down into its component parts, and this decomposition is hastened by heat. Methanol breaks down further into formaldehyde and formic acid (ant sting poison). " (from an article written by a former FDA invesitgator- I will post it to anyone who's interested in it's entirety) That "breakdown" occurs at 86 degrees F.. pretty low level when you consider the summer temps we have in North America.. not to mention the internal temperature of a transport truck sitting in the sun. You wrote: >You sure have a vendetta against nutrasweet. I don't have a >problem with >the stuff. I think people that can't handle it shouldn't >consume it, but >they shouldn't freak out and try to insist everyone else can't >have it >either. I also consume MSG. It doesn't bother me, either. I >have enough >things that do bother me that I don't have to overreact to >those that don't Hmmm... Oh can I EVER appreciate that sentiment. However, at the time, I never realized that chemical additives like MSG and Aspertame..that I didn't think bothered me.. or didn't "manifest" an immediate reaction.. were adding to the total "toxic load" that eventually took my immune down. If you're on this list for Yeast-related problems...your immune system is already in serious trouble. When those people familiar with the Aspertame issue.. try to warn others against it... it's not because we can't have it..(would you REALLY drink wood alcohol or formaldehyde by choice????).... its because.. the people on this list and other truly care about the welfare of our listmates. After all, none of us would be here if we were in perfect health would we? Do I still miss Diet-coke? You BET I do. Would I pick up a can? No.. not for all the tea (herbal of course... grin) in China. I noted at the end of your post you mention "bi-polar" disorder". I'm very familiar with that issue having flirted dangerously around the edges of it myself and have a dear friend who has suffered with it for years. It's a hell in its own right. The psycho-neurological reactions to this product are equally as frightening as the physiological ones, and in my opinion bordering on criminally negligent. I have always wanted to ask the "boys" at Monsanto and Searle.. if they allow their children to consume this stuff. So xxxxx, with all respect to you, (having been there and not listened myself)...whether symptoms are "presenting" or not... believe me... this little toxic cocktail is not doing you any good.. and in all probability, is exacerbating problems that do exist. Please reconsider....the info we share here is because we do care.. and in most cases have "been there". For anyone that's interested... I have a "robot server"...(if I can find it)... that gives you access to numerous articles on this subject.... as well as the articles themselves. ---------- Aspartame eliminated.... Date Sun, 2 Jun 1996 03:34:10 GMT Newsgroups alt.support.headaches.migraine Okay....I've finally bitten the bullet and urgings from concerned folks who kindly e:mailed about my hormonally triggered migraines and have pulled all the aspartame/Nutrasweet/etc. from my diet. I've been off caffeine for a couple of months now and have been aspartame free for about three weeks. My period came yesterday. This morning I woke up with my usual pre-fullblown migraine pain.....I downed an analgesic and guess what? NO MIGRAINE!!! Just a little pesky headache that has been gone since this afternoon. I may have at last found the culprit. I didn't have a single migraine until Aspartame hit the market. And I have been a heavy user. I think I can get used to sugared sodas....I didn't drink much diet anyway, so I'll just work the calories into my diet when I want one. I can get used to using real sugar in my cereal and sugar or saccahrin in my tea. And if what I've read is true...that Aspartame inhibits serotonin production....then I can definitely get used to feeling more up. I'm still taking Valerian occasionally, but stopped taking the Feverfew (got out of the routine). I take an aspirin at night before going to bed and am now proactive again on allergy control, taking chlorphenramine at night. I'm feeling strong and healthy and full of energy. I'll keep the group posted on my Aspartame-less progress. -------------- Re: Beware of Coca-Cola Date 2 Jun 1996 16:57:34 -0400 Newsgroups alt.support.tourette Do all diet soft drinks; or do all diet, caffeinated soft drinks; or do just Coca Cola diet drinks cause the undesirable symptoms? There are issues of aspartame, caffeine, caramel color, sodium benzoate, carbonation additives, etc. Jason has stopped drinking any caffeinated, diet, and caramel colored soft drinks. He is very adversely affected by especially aspartame and caffeine. ^^^^^^^^^ ----------- Re: Beware of Coca-Cola Date 1 Jun 1996 23:06:29 GMT Newsgroups alt.support.sleep-disorder,alt.support.social-phobia, alt.support.spina-bifida,alt.support.step-parents,alt.support.st, alt.support.depression,alt Message-ID <4oqidl$4lc@nuacht.iol.ie> vvvv I have found as a Stutterer that Coca-Cola Diet has a detrimental effect on my speech. It also has a bad effect on me as a Manic Depressive. Some time ago I contacted Coca-Cola through their "EQ (E-Queries)" service to seek information for my doctor on what chemicals are in the Diet Coke that are not in the Coca-Cola. I did not even get the courtesy of a reply, indicating that they are only interested in the commercial aspect of their product and not in the health of their customers. SO BEWARE OF COCA COLA. ----------- Date: Fri, 24 May 1996 17:15:13 -0700 To: xxxxxxx@xxxx.xxxx.xx Subject: Throwing out all Aspartame products I want to thank you for the information that you have been posting in the sci.med.nutrition news group. I must admit that at first I thought you to be a little fanatical about the subject of NutraSweet being bad for you... but trust me, I don't feel that way now. My mother (70 this year) is diabetic and has been consuming NutraSweet for quite some time. She enjoys her sugar-free Jello, gum, Swiss Miss hot chocalate, Equal on a bowl of cereal, and many other things. After reading the information by you (and xxxx) I approached my mom with the idea that she should stop using NutraSweet for two weeks and see how she felt. She was not happy to say the least. After some nice, convincing prodding (and her reading the information on the web) she decided to give it a try... To make a long story short, after only two days of not consuming Aspartame she called to tell me that she had packed up everything in the house containing it and threw it in the trash. SHE FELT THAT MUCH BETTER!. No more waking up in the middle of the night with burning, stiff neck muscles. She walks easier and with less limping (she has phlebitus(sp?)). I think that this is absolutly wonderful. I am very proud of her for biting the bullett and giving it a try. I know that it was very hard for her, and will continue to be until we get her something like Stevia. Thank you so much for sticking to your beliefs in spite of the negative feedback being generated by your posts. You are saving peoples lives by sharing this information. And if this extends my mothers life, even just a couple of days, then it is most surely worth it. ------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jul 1995 16:11:42 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Aspartame Training-Nutrition Mailing List (trnutr@dgs.dgsys.com) http://www.dgsys.com/~trnutr/index.html I have a strange reaction to aspartame, saccaharin and sorbitol. After consuming a 12 oz artificially sweetened soda, I experience significant dizziness, blurred vision and a severe headache. Is this common? .... ------------ PathFinder / Time Magazine Bulletin Boards http://pathfinder.com/@@0Hk9NpDrwAMAQPjW/time/bbs/ Health & Medicine Section / Aspartame Postings Title: Diet Vernors/Aspartame Date: Apr 29 1996 10:50AM I have been reading the notes on aspartame with great interest. I have been a 2 0r 3 bottle a day drinker of diet Vernors for quite a while. I have been having arthritis like pain in shoulders and hips . I am wondering if this could be related. I am seeing a Dr. this A. M. and will get his input. Thanks to all who will reply. [continued] Title: Aspartame Date: May 12 1996 5:22PM I have been off Aspartame for two weeks and I can see a definite difference in how I feel. The general all around achiness is pretty much disappeared. I know I will be more careful about what is in my food and drink from now on. ------------ Date: Wed, 29 May 1996 19:25:41 To: xxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xx Subject: Re: NutraSweet Horror - TO EMBALM..OR NOT TO EMBALM Hi xxxx, I am sorry that you have had so much negative thoughts on your Nutrasweet posting. I took my family off the stuff around 3 months ago. My daughter apparently had multiple allergies, intolerances and sensitivities. My husband has recently been diagnosed as type 2 diabetes and I have fibromyalgia. I didn't want the family to ingest anything that might compromise our health in any way; we already suffered enough problems! Since then my daughter's problems have cleared up almost entirely. She can now eat wheat, dairy products, sugar; her asthma has improved and shoes no longer make her feet crack and bleed. She still has a little eczema and is grossly overweight which I now believe is due to Nutrasweet; I only hope it is reversible. I still have FMS but my overall health has improved. .... Nothing would induce me to ingest Nutrasweet any more, and you have to be so careful to read food labels to exclude it. Even regular soda drinks contain the stuff, and yesterday I found some frankfurters which contained aspartame. ------------- Date: Tue, 21 May 1996 08:41:12 -0400 To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx Subject: Re: Lost 2 sizes in 2 weeks when eliminating NutraSweet! What do you know about SweetnLow? I use a lot of it daily for my tea and coffee. I avoid Nutrasweet because it gives me such terrible headaches, but still get it in small doses in things that I don't notice it's in. --------------- Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 17:37:26 -0400 Subject: Diet pepsi Sender: CELIAC Mailing List Has anyone else had a reaction to diet pepsi? My husband verified it was ok with the company but I have had a strong reaction to something and that is the only new item in my diet. [continued] Date: Tue, 16 Apr 1996 21:02:08 -0400 Subject: Diet Pepsi Sender: CELIAC Mailing List Hi everyone. I was not very specific when I tried to summarize the diet pepsi responses so if your interested let me try again. The majoriy of the responses, over 20, said they react to artifical sweetners, sorbital, nutrasweet, sweet and low with gluten like reactions ranging from diarrhea and cramps to headaches and dizziness. No one has info that these sweeteners contain gluten. I think that sums it up. I have not decided what I think caused the problem. The majority of respondents feel strongly that artificial sweeteners are bad so I plan to avoid them. -------------- Date: Wed, 6 Mar 1996 15:56:59 -0500 Sender: Menopause Discussion List Subject: Re: a little caffein?? Nutrasweet is not always the blame for migraines! Mine were definitely tied to my monthly cycle. Since menopause I don't get them regularly and I use Nutrasweet every day. However, both my brother and son get violent headaches from just a little Nutrasweet. I didn't take them very long to figure out what the culprit was. -------------- Date: Fri, 24 May 1996 16:07:55 -0400 Sender: Menopause Discussion List Subject: Re: Weight loss/gain and aspartame (NutraSweet) At the very least, gum with nutrasweet makes me bloat terribly, gives me a headache and gas. I guess aspartame is aspartame. [continued] Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 17:18:54 -0400 Sender: Menopause Discussion List Subject: Re: My Butt xxxxxxxxx--I've been off aspartame for about 2 weeks. Less headaches but I don't notice an ounce of difference in my weight, and I'm sure I don't notice it because there *is* not difference. Happy for xxxx, though, and anyone else who has postive effects from stopping aspartame. Whatever it does or doesn't do to weight, I think it's bad stuff and am forever grateful to xxxxxxxxxxx for giving me the info which convinced me to stop using it. [continued] Date: Mon, 29 Apr 1996 21:21:11 -0400 Sender: Menopause Discussion List Subject: re aspartame I don't want to belabor the aspartame issue--I know other things can be causing at least some of my symptoms. But after the ice cream with aspartame last night, feel pretty bad today. Headache, a trillion hot flashes, tight chest, exhausted--yecch! -------------- Date: Sun, 14 Apr 1996 21:25:22 -0400 Sender: Menopause Discussion List Subject: Re: joint pain (not meno) Seriously, joint aches are a meno symptom and also we have talked about too much nutrasweet causing joint aches. Do you happen to use a lot of it? I have reduced my consumption of it to only my am coffee and *swear* I can tell difference! ------------ Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 16:37:38 -0400 Sender: Menopause Discussion List Subject: Aspertame and weight loss I can't take nutrasweet because it gives me migraines.... ------------ Date: Wed, 22 May 1996 17:33:45 -0400 Sender: Menopause Discussion List Subject: Nutrisweet Sandi - I, too, gave up most of my Equal and diet sodas. My reasons were due to my stomach problems. Had to give up carbonated drinks - which I knew I was adicted to (I love the "feel" of carbonation - anyone else?) When I did that, I lost 8 lbs. in 4 weeks. I was amazed and puzzled, since I hadn't done anything else except start drinking more fruit juice and Gatorade, etc., which contain fructose. However, the posts to this list about aspartmine came at the same time, and I read about people losing weight after cutting out aspartmine from their diets. That must be it. --------------- Date: Tue, 21 May 1996 22:03:24 -0400 (EDT) To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx Subject: Re: aspartame/sweeteners xxx, Just wanted to drop you a note and let you know that I have finally gotten off of aspartame. Got 100% off about 2 weeks ago. One thing that I have really noticed is a greatly diminished craving for carbohydrates. When I was on aspartame my cravings for junk food were almost uncontrollable. I try to stay on a very healthy diet and now that I am off of the aspartame I find it much easier to eat the right foods. Also, I have lost about 10 lbs. in 2 weeks. ------------- Re: Allergy relief and nutrition Date Tue, 21 May 1996 12:27:26 -0600 Newsgroups alt.support.asthma,alt.support.sinusitis, misc.health.alternative,alt.med.allergy Message-ID Actually, I stopped drinking and eating artificial sweeteners in 1989 (2 years before my skin problems began). I found that aspartame especially gave me headaches, made me feel slightly dizzy, and actually seemed to make me crave real sugar even more than usual. ------------ Re: Nutrasweet does bad things (was Re: Mountain Dew shrinks your balls) Date 24 May 1996 04:13:30 GMT Newsgroups alt.folklore.urban Message-ID <4o3d1a$t6r@d2.tufts.edu> : > (Or is that another UL? A pilot friend refuses to drink diet drinks : > with the stuff in it, and says that many European countries forbid : > pilots to drink it, because the stuff has a negative effect on IQ and : > reaction times...) : I was on anti-seizure medication from the ages of 2 to 12, and I was told : to avoid large amounts of drinks containing Nutrasweet because in high : doses it could trigger seizures in susceptible persons. -- Joe anecdotal 2 cents, when nutrasweet first came out, my family swiftly discovered that it gave us all headaches at varying degrees. I haven't had it in ten years, since once you get a reaction three or four times, you don't keep checking to see if it still happens, but it was icky to me way back when. ------------- Re: Aspartame Date 18 May 1996 21:51:27 GMT Newsgroups alt.support.headaches.migraine I too have found that Aspartame in foods can trigger Migraines. Foods and drinks containing this "sweetener" cause me to experience Migraines and severe mood swings. Eliminating aspartame and foods containing this additive has greately decreased the number of migraines, I am experiencing. ------------ Re: NutraSweet Horror - TO EMBALM..OR NOT TO EMBALM Date Sat, 18 May 1996 00:31:05 -0700 Newsgroups misc.health.diabetes,rec.food.drink,sci.med.pharmacy,misc.kids.pregnancy,misc.health.alternative I have never used aspartame, hate the stuff, always made me feel sick. But I thought you might be interested in this: my psychiatrist told me 2 years ago, to stay away from aspartame. He said he was getting infor- mation through his psychiatric journals that people were having bad effects from aspartame. He also said the aspartame business was making billions, so the public wouldn't be hearing about these bad effects for a while. This was two years ago! ------------ Re: Aspartame Date 17 May 1996 20:17:26 -0400 Newsgroups alt.support.headaches.migraine I, like Lona, am testing eliminating aspartame from my diet, and the migraine situation is better, as well as less irritability, depression, mental confusion. I'm beginning to consider aspartame a poison, at least for me. ---------- Re: Aspartame/Nutrasweet warning Date 17 May 1996 17:39:35 -0400 Newsgroups alt.support.anxiety-panic I have suffered from MIgraines for years. As soon as I gave up Nutrasweet my migraines disappeared. All those Cat Scans, MRI's......for nothing. I know a few people who have experienced the same result. "Not tonight, honey...I just had a diet soda" ---------- America Online/Health Online-Foods/Ills and Remedies/Depression Section Subj: Phenylketonurics/Phenylalani Date: 96-05-09 22:15:44 EDT From: EPBLUESTAR Can anyone give me any information on the above referenced ingredient? It is found in diet soda. I think it has something to do with nutrisweet. I have been drinking diet soda lately and find myself depressed and paranoyd. Someone told me it was this Phenylketonurics ingredient in my soda that might be causing it. I have since stopped drinking diet soda and I feel great. Some how this ingredient was causing this reaction in my body and the next day effects, after drinking the soda, seemed to mimic a hangover. Has anyone any information on this. My friend said it is a common reaction in some people. You can't imagine how much better I feel since I have stopped putting it into my body. ----------- America Online/Health Online-Food/Ills & Remedies/Headaches Section Subj: Migraine & Nutrasweet Date: 96-01-08 01:03:38 EDT From: BDewind I have discoverd that Nutrasweet is defintiely one (of many) of my triggers for headache. Another friend started drinking diet drinks to loose weight and had a contant 3 month headache until I told her of my experience. Her headaches vanished when she stopped the Nutrasweet. ----------- America Online/Health Online-Food/Ills and Remedies/Fibromyalgia Section Subj: Re:Fibromyalgia & art. sweet Date: 96-01-03 10:13:58 EDT From: Mgstreet I know that I cannot take a lot of nutrasweet as I will develop a stupor like condition. I also have had FMS for20+ years ----------- Newsgroups: misc.health.alternative,alt.com,alt.support.menopause, sci.med,sci.med.pharmacy Subject: RE: Lost 2 Sizes in 2 weeks! Date: Thu May 16 13:03:16 1996 I haven't had a diet soda in years. I found it much easier to control my weight by just drinking a real Coke when I want one (about 2-3 week)--and avoiding diet sodas. ------------ Newsgroups: sci.med.nutrition Subject: Re: Aspartame/Nutrasweet Date: Thu May 16 13:43:33 1996 I'm a medical research scientist with doctorate credential from polytechic university, etc, and 25 years of experience. We were able to cure 75% of people in the migraine clinic at mount sinai medical center in nyc by simply taking them off aspartame. Of course nutrition is far more than just staying away from aspartame. ------------ Newsgroups: misc.health.alternative,alt.com,alt.support.menopause, sci.med,sci.med.pharmacy Subject: Lost 2 Sizes in 2 weeks! Date: 16 May 1996 07:48:15 GMT I just went down 2 sizes in a little less that 2 weeks by doing nothing more than avoiding aspartame. Anybody know why? Just did it as an experiment and was *not* expecting this!! I've been using it to avoid weight gain. I've done nothing else new - drank water and some sodas with (gulp!) *sugar* in them to substitute for the aspartame drinks. Bingo! My guess is this will only go on for so long but.. it's still happening for now. Love it. Friends say it's water weight. Anybody have ideas? So to heck with brain lesions in rats, and wood alcohol effects - here's the important news! ------------ Re: Aspartame/Nutrasweet warning Date 14 May 1996 19:45:43 GMT Newsgroups alt.support.attn-deficit I just wanted to say that I appreciated finding out about the problems with aspartame. I stopped using "diet" foods and drinks and my depression alleviated. ------------- Re: Migraines from anger Date 13 May 1996 21:18:00 GMT Newsgroups alt.support.headaches.migraine All of my migraines appear to be triggered by aspartame and/or birth control pills. It's easy to totally avoid aspartame, but I take the birth control pills to treat cramps and pms which are worse than the migraines(believe it or not.) ------------- Re: Need help for headaches. Date Tue, 14 May 1996 22:15:19 -0700 Newsgroups alt.folklore.herbs I am one of those people--I used to drink a lot of diet soda in high school, then read the book "Diet for a Poisoned Planet" (sorry, don't remember the author) in which the author described the type of headaches I was experiencing and relating them to intake of aspartame. So I cut out the diet pop, and cut out about 1/2 off my headaches. -------------- Re: shoulder pain Date Sun, 12 May 1996 16:23:13 -0700 Newsgroups alt.med.fibromyalgia I have my own nutrasweet story and stopping all nutrasweet stopped my daily migraines, but I have to mention that the pain in my shoulder that has been constant since I was about 20 is still there (I'm 48 now). I also did not notice an improvement in my other fibromyalgia pain mostly in low back and left side of my upper body. I agree that nutrasweet is very bad for us but I would not blame all the pain from fibromyalgia on it. I think anyone that has FM has many chemical sensitivities - nutrasweet being just one of them. ------------ Re: Allergy relief and nutrition Date Sat, 11 May 1996 18:12:47 GMT Newsgroups alt.support.asthma,alt.support.food-allergies, alt.support.sinusitis,misc.health.alternative,alt.med.allergy My experience with Aspartame is that i get a very clear headache from it within a short time from taking it. So, i don't use anything with Aspartame, but i still have allergies and asthma due to other substances. ------------ Re: NutraSweet Horror - TO EMBALM..OR NOT TO EMBALM Date Sun, 12 May 1996 00:58:00 -0700 Newsgroups misc.health.diabetes,rec.food.drink,sci.med.pharmacy, misc.kids.pregnancy,misc.health.alternative I think I can say that I am healthy yet I break out in a rash whenever I ingest aspartame. I think I'm lucky that I'm sensitive. I believe that the cumulative effects for those who are not so sensitive will become evident...but, the person will not draw the connection. ------------ Re: Aspartame Date 11 MAY 96 14:29:49 EST Newsgroups alt.support.headaches.migraine .... Anyway, the increase in my migraines began about a year ago-about at the time when my Aspartame consumption increased. I thought of it as a possible trigger but lived in denial that it could be because it was such a great substitute for sugar, and as an athlete I was constantly watching my weight. Anyway, after having very little help from doctors and becoming very, very ill while at University, I decided to try to find a solutionmyself. I was being greatly affected and had about 2-3 bad migraines a week. Something that was becoming impossible to deal with and be at University at the same time. Thanks to this news group and a friend, I became aware that Aspartame could be a trigger for me, and decided to eliminate it from my diet. I am very pleased to say that for the last 2 months or so, my migraine frequency dratiscally reduced from 2-3 migraines a week, to 2-3 a month. Some of you may be thinking that it was due to stress, but they began decreasing shortly before finals, and continued to do so during finals, and even now when I am taking very difficult courses. I just wanted to let people know that Aspartame is powerful and can affect your life. Be carefuland don't be to quick to eliminate it as a possible migraine trigger. ------------ Newsgroups: bit.listserv.words-l Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 06:41:33 -0400 Sender: English Language Discussion Group Subject: I'll gladly pay you Tuesday... : > small doses (the occasional single cup of diet soft drink). Most of : > these negative effects have been neurological, and my mind is one thing I : > *don't* want to mess with. : xxxx, could you repeat some of those anecdotes here. -- impaired thinking, sensory illusions (I hesitate to call them , since that carries a lot of baggage), mood changes, "shakes". ------------- Date: Thu, 9 May 1996 00:51:40 -0400 To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Introduction: Betty Martini - OPERATION MISSION POSSIBLE I had not heard anything bad about aspartame until a couple years ago when I was an intern at Continental Airlines. I met a captain who lost his medical certification and his job because of a reaction he had to consuming the sweetener. He went into a seizure shortly after consuming a diet cola. The doctors confirmed that it was caused by Nutrasweet. His medical was taken away because of the seizure and now he is some sort of consultant. Since my talk with him, I've tried to avoid consuming anything with aspartame. Obviously this reaction occurs in very few individuals, otherwise we would hear a lot more about it...but I just don't want to take that chance. Just another point of view...... ------------ Re: ATKINS:disappointing wt. loss Date Wed, 8 May 96 23:42:08 -0500 Newsgroups alt.support.diet As far as cravings go, I've found that both aspartame and caffeine trigger my cravings. The longer I go without these two substances, the less cravings I experience. ------------- Re: Insomnia insanity From eye5@interlog.com (eye WEEKLY) Organization eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper Date 9 May 1996 00:26:48 -0400 Newsgroups eye.news,talk.bizarre eye WEEKLY May 9, 1996 Toronto's arts newspaper .....free every Thursday ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NEWS & VIEWS NEWS & VIEWS INSOMNIA INSANITY by SUSAN WESTMORELAND I'd have warm milk but I'm lactose intolerant. Diet something? Aspartame makes my mind race. -------------- American On-Line Post Subj: Re: Diet Sodas Date: 96-05-03 11:33:26 EDT From: Elise120 My mom IS addicted to diet sodas - but fortunately not the caffeinated ones. First she was "Hooked" on Diet Orange Slice, now it's Diet Raspberry Ginger Ale. She is now experiencing numerous symptoms which seem to match Aspartame Toxicity. I have ben trying convince her into drinking Selzter at least and someone suggest that she mix the Seltzer with unsweetened fruit juices such as Apple & Eve. I cannot believe that the FDA refuses to place a warning label on Nutra Sweet products. I myself won't use it because I know for a fact that it triggers my Migraines. ------------- Date: Sun, 31 Mar 1996 22:02:35 -0500 To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx Subject: Aspartame Thanks for the quick reply on my quesions about aspartame (Nutrasweet). I have been using Nutrasweet for the past six months and lately I've been having twitches and numbness, especially in the hands, legs and lips. I am going to my neurologist on Wednesday for a follow-up. I had an MRI done last September that showed everything normal (or so they say). I'm just wondering if the Nuturasweet is causing most of my symptoms. I really don't use that much, but I use it everyday on cereal. [continued in later email] Date: Wed, 8 May 1996 12:52:34 -0400 To: xxxxxx@xxxx.xxxxxxxx.xxxx Subject: Re: Aspartame Thanks for your note. My symptoms have lessened quite a bit since I stopped using NutraSweet. They still don't know what's wrong with me. I have narrowed it down to some kind of allergic reaction to something in my house or the mercury in my dental fillings, which I have a lot of. [continued] Date: Sat, 3 Aug 1996 10:20:56 -0400 (EDT) To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx Subject: Re: Aspartame I do notice that after I have a diet coke I get some muscle twitches and after a few days they're gone. ------------- Re: Aspartame/Nutrasweet warning Date Tue, 07 May 1996 20:36:49 GMT Newsgroups alt.support.depression I didn't notice the other symptoms, but I used to get the headaches. ------------ Re: Aspartame/Nutrasweet warning Date 7 May 1996 21:41:28 GMT Newsgroups alt.support.attn-deficit Thanks for putting some perspective into this debate, xxx. I personally have zero tolerance for aspertame- nausea and headaches being the most obvious symptoms, even from one piece of sugarless gum. Since I avoid it at all times, I have no idea whether it affects my ADD symptoms as well, but anything that is capable of making me throw up is not something I want to ingest anyways!! ------------ Date: 8 May 96 9:41:35 EDT To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx Subject: Re: Aspartame Yes, I have gotten all the information on aspartame and haven't touched it since the day I first read your e-mail. I do notice a significant difference in the way I feel lately. I am less fatigued, have more energy, my headaches seem to be less frequent, and even though I have replaced the nutrasweet I used to consume with good old fashioned sugar, I've even lost some weight! (I attribute this to my higher energy level). While I doubt that the eyesight I have already lost will be regained, hopefully staying away from aspartame will slow the progression. I will keep you posted. ------------- Re: Food allergies and chronic fatigue Date 5 May 1996 16:00:36 GMT Newsgroups alt.support.asthma Although Nutrasweet doesn't affect my asthma, it DOES give me a weird feeling in the back of my jaw like I've been biting styrofoam. Yuk. My husband gets headaches from it. ------------ Re: Aspartame/Nutrasweet warning Date 3 May 1996 19:31:52 GMT Newsgroups misc.kids.health I am not sure about the other symptoms, but I started having terrible headaches with mild nausea from diet sodas a few years ago, and stopped using them. I have forbidden anyone to give my son diet sodas. The real problem for us now is medicines; many antacids and chewables have aspartame. ------------- Re: ANXIETY AND FOOD/DRINK/ALLERGIES Date 2 May 1996 01:39:01 GMT Newsgroups alt.support.anxiety-panic I have had panic attacks on and off for 10 years. In regards to your question on food and drink. Yes, I believe there are many. One in particular I,m sure about is Nutrasweet. Sugar to me does not make you hyper, and I have converted to that for the last 5yrs. If you read Jean Carpers Food Pharmacy ( you can find this book at any bookstore ) you will find that sugar is actually has a calming effect. If you have any further info on this subject I would be happy to hear from you or anyone else. ------------- Re: Aspartame/Nutrasweet warning Date 2 May 1996 02:56:24 GMT Newsgroups alt.support.diet Just a week and a half ago I quit drinking diet drinks and chewing sugarless gum after reading about the dangers of it on here. I have all the symptoms you wrote about and can't wait for them to disappear. The main things I have noticed so far is that I no longer crave sweets and I no longer feel famished. I used to "have" to eat when I was hungry or I'd experience terrible symptoms. Now I can wait (and not be obsessed) to eat if necessary and don't have to inhale my food when I do get it. Sometimes I'd eat so fast to fill myself up to relieve the symptoms that I'd stuff myself and before I knew it and would feel sick afterwards. I now eat slower and am satisfied with smaller amounts of food. I thought my headaches might diminish but I never expected this. -------------- Re: 10-20% Date: 1996/04/25 newsgroups: alt.support.diet.rx >Please tell me: > >1. The amount of weight you have lost, 75 pounds >2. Your start the drugs weight, 315 .... I think the secret for me was that I stopped drinking diet (Nutra-Sweet'ened) sodas at the beginning of the diet. I have read somewhere that many problems can be traced to aspartame. It was certainly so for me. The way the aspartame 'addiction' affected me was to make me continually hungry for 'taste', or more accurately 'flavor'. I would eat or drink way past I was hungry for 'bulk', often until I was in pain. I started drinking sugar-sweetened soda or tea and a single can or less satisfied my desire for flavor, as opposed to the 2-liters or more per day that I drank before the diet. .... If anyone knows about amino acid metabolism and the effect of aspartame on diet, I would love to hear from you. I think there is a connection there which is of significance. I can't prove anything, but I know in my heart that it is real. Oh, another thing, my continual sinus headaches with migraines have ceased. What a blessing. I can now eat blue mold cheeses without going into a day of migraine headache recovery. -------------- Re: Aspartame/Nutrasweet warning Date Wed, 1 May 1996 1:52:39 Newsgroups alt.support.depression In a message about 'Re: Aspartame/Nutrasweet warning', xxxxxxxxx wrote: >1. Headaches >2. Dizziness >3. Forgetfulness >4. Irritation> >5. Motor skill impairment >6. Word selection problems Classic signs of Aspartame intolerance. My wife also has experanced this problem. We were married 10 years ago. I have always been a person a above average size ;) and was trying to let some of it off. So every thing that could be purchased in a 'diet' version was in our kitchen. The change was so dramatic that I knew she was having a problem but did not know what. Very shortly ofter this started the 700 Club aired a program about this problem. The gave the above list of symptoms and warned people with these signs should discontue use of Aspartame containing products to see if the problems would go away. We did and it cleared up and she was back to herself. The most noticeable with her were the headache and irriation because she was a normal quite and kind person it realy stood out. Take this set a symptems and compare them to BPD and think about it. Am a sure that BPD is a real problem I am somewhat that way myself. It might be a good idea for person with BPD to check out the Aspartame content in the feed they eat. -------------- Subject: Aspartame/Nutrasweet warning Date 30 Apr 96 22:25:59 Newsgroups alt.activism.children Since I am new to this forum, please forgive me if I am dredging up a topic that has been talked to death. However, I would like to share some observations and warnings about the effects of aspartame (Nutrasweet and Equal). Over the past 10 years I have read quite a lot from people complaining about various harmful effects of aspartame, but I have not heard any reports of a particular set of symptoms that my wife has been observing in her clients. My wife is a clinical psychologist. About 10 years ago she began to drink Nutrasweet sweetened soft drinks herself. One day she was talking to her secretary and the secretary commented that since she (the secretary) had started drinking diet drinks she noticed that she was making more typing errors and had become more forgetful. This immediately rang a bell with my wife, because she had observed some of the same effects in herself but had not related it to the diet drinks. Recognizing that her secretary was a very observant person, my wife carefully interviewed her and compared her complaints with what she was observing in herself. The following are the primary symptoms: 1. Headaches -- Usually described as a dull throbbing. Over the counter pain relievers seem to have little effect. 2. Dizziness -- Especially when standing up rapidly. 3. Forgetfulness -- This only affects short- to moderate-term memory, not long term. For example, you are not going to forget your mother's maiden name, but you are more likely to forget that I just told you we have a meeting scheduled at 10:00. Basically, it seems to affect the transference of information from the immediate holding memory area into the medium term holding area. 4. Irritation -- This is usually not a dramatic effect, but the aspartame seems to make some people more irritable and short tempered. Some people report that they can observe themselves becomming irritated and realize that they shouldn't, but they can't stop it. 5. Motor skill impairment -- This is the effect her secretary observed regarding the deterioration of her typing skills. A smaller number of people report clumsiness such as bumping themselves and dropping things. 6. Word selection problems -- It is difficult to find the right words to express a thought. When my wife and her secretary compared symptoms, they found that they had these in common. Naturally, they both stopped drinking diet drinks immediately to see if the effects were due to the drinks. What they both found is that the symptoms _gradually_ went away. However, it took two to four weeks without aspartame for all of the effects to cease. Since observing this, my wife has begun to look for it in her clients and has been able to help a good number over the years by urging them to give up aspartame sweetened drinks. She identifies aspartame symptoms in 5% to 10% of her clients. My wife and I suspect that a fair number of people who drink aspartame sweetened drinks suffer from some or all of these symptoms. However, it is likely that individual susceptibility varies greatly. The symptoms are fairly subtle and come on gradually, making it difficult to connect with the diet drink. Also, the symptoms persist for several weeks after an individual stops the intake, so a brief test would not necessarily demonstrate an improvement. What is really scarey to us is how these symptoms would affect children. Imagine what memory transference problems would do to a child in school. Imagine what increased irritability would do to a child who is already having problems coping with difficult situations. And Nutrasweet is getting hard to avoid. Not only is it in diet drinks, but it is now in breakfast cereal, ice cream, and chewing gum. I was in a restaurant a day ago that had Nutrasweet sweetened pies! Anyone who is experiencing any of these symptoms is urged to totally cease consuming aspartame for a minimum of four weeks to see if the symptoms are aspartame related. -------------- Re: MED: Natural Remedies Date Tue, 30 Apr 1996 01:02:03 -0500 Newsgroups alt.med.fibromyalgia xxxxxxx, I can't give you a lot of medical expertise, but let me tell you what got rid of my debilitating migraines--which caused temporary blindness in my right eye. I mainly attribute my lack of migraines (which were frequent) to three factors: 1) I quit consuming Nutrasweet or aspartame products. I think some people are more sensitive to this than others. My sister and I are both extremely sensitive and we believe it may be causing my brother's vision problems. But there are numerous letters (105 pages to be exact) of people complaining that Nutrasweet was causing their migraines. If you feel like reading a lot of these letters, try the attachment to the aspartame.html that I've included in my email. Check out the Adverse reactions section (I wouldn't recommend trying to print them all. 2) I found a supplement from Achiever's Choice (the name now changed to Sunshine something-or-other)called ANTIOXIDANT FORMULA WITH ALOE 200X AND PYCNOGENOL AND BETASHIELD. You can call them at 1-800-783-9750. It isn't expensive. I've been taking two tablets a day. It has had more effect on me than upon my wife, but she doesn't have FM and doesn't know what a headache is. 3) I quit taking Advil or ibuprofen and only use Alleve to keep the pain at bay. However lately I haven't even needed that much. There are some articles that suggest that ibuprofen may actually have adverse effects on people susceptible to migraines, so you might want to eliminate that if you are using it. Bottom Line: I hope it works for you like it has for me. Getting of Nutrasweet has taken away my excessive appetite. I eat a big lunch, but have little desire for supper and now that I'm off diet drinks, I've lost 10 pounds in the first month. My headaches are gone and joint pain lessened. And the pycnogenol has given me energy I haven't had in the last four years. I have never been a morning person, but I wake up at 4:30 a.m. (not because of a poor sleep pattern) ready to start the day and hit the road. My wife and children haven't adjusted to this new morning me yet. Of course, by 7:30 or 8:00 at night, I am getting pretty sleepy. But I feel so much better than I have in years. I've come from walking on a cane and being on several medications and having frequent blinding migraines to bounding out of bed with a new lease on life and having few complaints and other than an Alleve once in a while for stiffness, I'm totally drug free. Something is working! And of course, prayer really helps! -------------- Re: NutraSweet Horror Date 21 Apr 1996 02:54:04 -0400 Newsgroups misc.health.diabetes I get headaches from nutrisweet. .... ------------ Re: ASPARTAME...LINKED TO FIBROMYALGIA...? Date 22 Apr 1996 08:09:56 GMT Newsgroups alt.med.fibromyalgia I was diagnosed in Jan 96. I have used Aspartame for years with no ill effects until recently. All of a sudden the 'fog' set in. Drove me nuts trying to figure out what was wrong. Also the ringing in the ears. About 3 weeks ago I decreased the amount of Aspartame I was ingesting by about 1/2. So long fog and ear ringing (for the most part). Feeling much much better. I, for one, was glad to see the articles and connection.