----------- Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996 01:10:16 -0500 (EST) To: xxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx Subject: Nutrasweet NBC show today spurred me to explore the internet and write you re: my experience with Nutrasweet. I was a diet coke aholic for 12 years and had the following symptoms on occasion: 1: "classic" migraines 2. panic attacks 3. irregular heart beat (I was put on medication) 4. hip pain Then, last November, I started experiencing the following: 1. Chronic brain fog to the point of thinking I was dying 2. "classic" migraines much more than usual 3. sense of urgency from bladder with no infection Dr. ruled out bladder infection, was willing to put me on medication (Prozak I assume) I was so addicted to diet coke that I only considered seeing if getting off might help out of total desperation because I was feeling so terrible. I knew I was not crazy, but felt I was being treated as such.(the Dr. pooh-poohed me when i asked if I should get off Nutrasweet). When I did, ALL of my symptoms disappeared within a week or so. I was thinking clearly for the first time in several months. I have had no migraines. I think back and my first migraine was in l983. Did it build up in my system to the point that I was having an extra strong reaction? ----------- http://www.hotwired.com/cgi-bin/interact/replies_all?msg.30913 T H R E A D : Ask Dr. Weil T O P I C : Subtract the additives NutraSweet / Aspartame Ryan Ross (spotorola) on Sun, 17 Nov 96 01:10 PST Mmm...poison. Stop ingesting this crap NOW. Anyone who thinks they are doing their bodies a favour by substituting aspartame for sugar are foolish. Aspartame breaks down into poisonous constituents, the most being methyl alcohol. Yes, wood alcohol. Go to the drug or hardware store and read the warning label on a jug of wood alcohol. Yes, blindness. Read on... Personally, I have seen the effects of persons ingesting too much aspartame, particularily in the form of diet soft-drinks. Having researched aspartame in my spare time, I can see one particular case of aspartame poisoning (no, that word is NOT too harsh) in hindsight. My Grade 13 Calculus teacher was a self-professed Diet-Coke-aholic. I dropped by his house once to help him out with his computer, and confirmed his self-confession by the cases and cases of it in his fridge. He often had one or two during class, especially in the summer. He seemed fine in the colder months of the year since, as I suspect, he was drinking less fluids. When, in the final months of the school year, when summer came about, he started having these terrible lapses while lecturing. He would start copying down an equation to the board, and then completely lose his train of thought and not be able to finish it. Relatively simple textbook homework questions would sometimes baffle him. Many times he had to dismiss us, he had become either so flustered and frustrated, or just disoriented. My first thought was that it was the heat, and his slightly overweight condition. The classrooms, however, were air-conditioned. Something else, he constantly complained about having to update his glasses prescription. Most likely, he was drinking more diet colas in the summer months, and hence, the symptoms manifested much more severely. Go and look up some of the confirmed and most notorious effects of aspartame...what are they? Memory loss, and vision impairment. The cases of alzheimer's have increased since the approval and mass usage of aspartame as a sweetener in the late 70s. Aspartame does NOT cause alzheimer's syndrome, but is sure as hell produces some similar symptoms. My own mother, for heaven's sake, was big into those "Free and Clear" fruity sparkling drinks in a big way until I faxed her some papers on the subject of their magic ingredient. NOW she can actually remember my phone number. NOW she no longer complains about eyestrain and blurred vision. She doesn't forget where she put things minutes ago. In other words, take heart...her symptoms seemed to turn around when she got off the aspartame / NutraSweet products. The effects may not be permanent. ASPARTAME IS NOT A DIET PRODUCT. It was not discovered out of efforts to produce alternative sweeteners. Some chemist just HAPPENED to taste this stuff one day, and got excited $$$ when he noticed how damned sweet it was. If you're already smart enough to be here, in this discussion forum, you're smart enough to go off and research this poison for yourself. Please do it, and tell all your friends. ASPARTAME IS POISON. (and no, I am not at all into any conspiracy theories) ------------- http://www.hotwired.com/cgi-bin/interact/replies_all?msg.30913 T H R E A D : Ask Dr. Weil T O P I C : Subtract the additives nutrasweet alyson coburn (coburnah) on Fri, 15 Nov 96 05:43 PST I avoid nutrasweet most of the time--it gives me terrible hearaches, and I've heard that it may cause neurological damage. ----------- http://www.hotwired.com/cgi-bin/interact/replies_all?msg.30913 T H R E A D : Ask Dr. Weil T O P I C : Subtract the additives Aspartame Ronda Foust (rondaf) on Sun, 17 Nov 96 16:53 PST In some people, aspartame seems to irritate both kidney and bladder. Neither my mother nor sister can use aspartame without having a kidney or bladder infection. While it could be related to not enough water, it seemed odd that the difficulties would disappear when they quit drinking products with aspartame. ------------ Subject: Nutrasweet and Migraine Date: 1996/11/19 Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine Hi, I'm new to this list, and I'm sorry if this has already made the rounds, but I feel it is too important NOT to say anything. I'm 40 y/o f, and have suffered migraines since teens. My grandfather had them also, and a few cousins and my brother suffers also. I started off mainly getting them (hormonal), but the've increased throughout the years. I've been getting both classic and common for the past 12 years or so. I've been on Inderal 160 x2, and Elavil 50 x1 for about the last 10 years. I abort with Imitrex injections. It works great for me. About 5 years ago I started waking up around 3 or 4 am with pounding throbbing pain. Doctor of course increased my rx. I felt like a zombie. The last 2 months, the classic aura has become a every other day thing, sometimes twice a day. I again called my DR. and he increased my rx again. I was having migrain every day, and taking imitrex injections every day. I finally called again and got an appointment for tomorrow. This is the kicker! Last week, my mom told me to try 'stopping all nutrasweet'. Guess What! No more migraines. Now, it's only been a week, but I feel soooooooooo much better. My energy level has increased. I really thought I was going crazy, and I deal with ADD (attention deficit disorder) also, and my short term memory is totally gone. So, I got to looking into this Nutrasweet theory, and what do I find at the top of the list....YUP, migraine. I'm sure my hormonal headaches will still plague me. I'm wondering why it isn't published more that Nutrasweet can be a BIG trigger of migraine. I want to sue... I'm so mad that I (and who else) has suffered oh so bad, for the sake of the mighty $$. I say we get a class action lawsuit going against Nurtasheet. Any one else??? If anyone else has had similar stories, I'd love to hear from you. You can e-mail me at Laurie.Casares@Clorox.com. I'm just using a 50 free hours on AOL I got in the mail at home (TEMP). So contact me at the above address. Thanks! Oh, I cancelled my Dr. and called the nurse. I wanted to know why they never told me about Nutrasweet being a possible trigger. The nurse was very snobby about it (like we can't list all the possible......) The nerve.... [still headache-free] Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 15:14:50 -0800 To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xx Subject: Aspartame poison After approx 10 years of being addicted to diet coke, and suffering of migraine headaches which got progressivly worse, to daily migraine's, someone suggested I stop drinking diet coke, and guess what! No more daily headaches. Since, I have found 2 other migraine triggers. I'm so mad at the government for allowing this poisen to be considered safe. Let me know what I can do to help! ----------- Subject: Re: gharlane of Eddore Date: 1996/11/16 Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv What can you tell us about "aspartame" and its effect on beta-sites and possibly calcium channels? Or does it just mess with midbrain receptor sites? My blood pressure has dropped fifteen points in the last week and a half, just from eliminating diet soda pop from my diet.... It appears I'd have been better off with the sugar! ----------- Re: don'tholdyourbreath!! Date 13 Nov 1996 03:30:10 GMT Newsgroups alt.support.stop-smoking I have a friend with panic attacks ..the Mayo clinic discovered thru elimination that it was Nutrasweet!!! As soon as she stopped with the diet drinks and using qual..and other things made with NutraSweet..the attacks went away for good...whatever it is accumulates in your body.. ----------- Date: Wed, 13 Mar 1996 Weights Digest 1205 http://network23.cso.uiuc.edu/search.html Subject: Re: Nutrasweet About aspartame: I have to relate my experience. I had never been bothered with very bad headaches until we had been using the product instead of suger for several months. I was having debilitating headaches until I stopped using Equal to sweeten tea, etc. Didn't consult physician, but haven't had such bad headaches since stopping. I you're having headaches, I'd stop using it for a while and see what happens. ----------- Subject: Re: sugar cravings Date: 1996/11/16 Newsgroups: alt.support.anxiety-Panic But then there are those of us who are allergic to NutraSweet, makes my mouth numb and therefore sends me into a hell of a PA. My throat sometimes gets involved and headaches are then added on for good measure. ----------- Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxxx.xxxx Subject: Re: RE-OK> DIET SODA-POISON No i live in the States now but my ex husband was stationed in Germany when i was pregnant with our second and third children. i wrote Robert more about what we believe the aspartame did to our son, Jonathan. Unfortunately, i don't have his medical records from that time and i don't know for sure that there is any confirmation of him being what the German doctors called a "Nutrasweet baby"..or maybe it is "aspartame baby". Either way, he still cannot tolerate aspartame, nor can i and the other two children. We don't consume it deliberately and i can taste the stuff a mile away. :-) ------------ Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 To: xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxxx.xxx Subject: Re: Aspartame I believe that I have suffered some of the effects of Aspartame after being a diet coke drinker for over 12 years. It began with symptons of insomnia and then severe joint pain. I am currently being treated for rheumatoid arthritis, but I eliminated aspartame completely from my diet about two weeks ago. I have noticed a marked improvement in my joints and I have also lost about 6 pounds. I understand that it also causes weight gain in some people. I am very interested in more information on this subject and am prepared to help spread the word. [followup] Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 09:16:14 -0500 To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx Subject: Re: NutraSweet update As promised, I have enclosed my case history about aspartame and intend to give the information about it to my rheumatologist when i see him in the new year. In order to give a complete chronicle of my aspartame problems I will start at the point that I began to have physical problems and continue up to today. I will follow up with more information in another sixty days. In the fall of 1995 I began to have some problems in my right knee and left shoulder. My family doctor treated me for migratory bursitis. The medication seemed to work as the symptoms would go away in a couple of days At first it would only happen every few weeks or so. By the spring of 1996, I began to have joint pain about once or twice a week. A couple of more months with anti inflammatory drugs and they seemed to help mask the pain, but not deal with it effectively. In early summer, my family doctor sent me to a rheumatologist. I was put on a daily dose of ibuprofen and chloroquine in late August 1996. The pain joint had then progressed to the point where it occurred daily and in several joints at a time. I began to feel that I might be crippled with this disease for life. It began to affect my physical, social and mental life. I stopped exercising for fear that I might do more damage to my weakened joints. After a couple of months on the program I began to feel marginally better, but then began to search the internet for a solution. I first looked at my diet, since that can be the cause of many ailments, and realized that while not perfect, my diet was not that bad. The only thing that I consumed too much of was diet coke. I had known for quite a while that I was addicted to diet coke, but never wanted to quit. After all, it contained no sugar and only a 20% of the caffeine of a regular coffee and I don't drink coffee. On the internet I found Mission Possible who sent me information on aspartame. So in early October I completely quit ingesting aspartame, almost exclusively from the consumption of diet coke. I didn't think that I would be able to do it, but it was quite easy because of the side effects of aspartame and the potential benefits of removing it from you diet. Since quitting aspartame about two months ago the improvements to my life have been: 1. My joint pain has been reduced to a manageable level. I still get pain in my joints when I am sleeping or sitting for long period of time. However, once I get moving the pain goes away very quickly. 2. The biggest surprise is that I have lost 10 pounds in the 2 months that I have eliminated aspartame from my diet. I have not changed my diet with the exception of the fact that I drink a lot more water and have the or regular coke. It is way too sweet and rarely finish a full can. 3. I have begun to exercise on a regular basis again and feel much better when I am exercising that when I am resting. I even have the ability to play squash. 4. My short term memory seems to improve, but that one is a bit harder to put a finger on. 5. I have much more energy at the end of the day than before I quit aspartame. ----------- Date: Sat, 2 Nov 1996 21:50:56 -0500 (EST) To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxx Subject: Re: HTML version? My mother had complained for some time about aches in her joints or muscles when she would exert herself at all. After she read that email, she quit aspartame, and her problem disappeared. My friend also had problems, with vision and skin, which went away when he quit using nutrasweet--after reading your warnings. On behalf of them, and all the others who benefit from your work, thank you. ----------- Date: Sat, 2 Nov 1996 21:46:37 -0500 Subject: Nutrasweet/Formaldehyde/MCS To: Multiple recipients of list ALLERGY Hats off to Lieberman, another knowledgeable member on-line, who conveyed the message about the metabolizing of Nutrasweet into Formaldyhyde ! [update] Date: Mon, 18 Dec 1996 To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx My story: Back in 92 I was on a diet, and consuming sugar free bubblegum, alot, and my vision started going out , I mean completely to black for about 2 minutes at a time. It was extremely scary, and my neurologist said it was due to aspertame, as well as MSG. Now, I stay away from the stuff like its poison, and tell everyone I can. Alot of people get horrible migraines as well. My twelve year old son is allergic to it as well with disabling headaches. Secondly, could you tell me other names that aspertame commonly disguises itself under, such as other AKA's? Oh well that's probably coming in when I send my request to you. ----------- Subj: Thanks for helping me lose weight Date Mon, 4 Nov 1996 12:54:23 -0800 Newsgroups alt.support.diet I read in great detail the postings on the warnings against consuming Aspertame, or "Equal". I just didn't understand why I was putting on weight. I was blaming it on the Seattle winters, it was the large consumptions of equal packages and diet aspertame teas daily. Aspertame does mess with your sorotin levels. I was craving carbohydrates excessively. I would eat a whole bag of rice cakes at one setting and a 1/2 bag of fat free corn chips, etc. Now it's been 4 months that I don't consume that product and I have lost the 8 lbs I had gained during the last two years. I still watched my weight, but my unusual cravings were anathema to me. I'm so glad I read the warnings and postings against this unnatural product. I hope it helps someone else to see the cause of those cursed and unwanted carbo cravings. ----------- America Online/Diabetes/Diet & Nutrition Discussion Subj: Aspartame Date: 96-08-23 12:44:37 EST I'm amazed that there aren't more posts reguarding NutraSweet. I drank a lot of the stuff plus all the extras(gum, puddings,ice cream etc) thinking that it was safe...WRONG!. I had vision problems, neuropathy, pains in my shoulders, headaches, ringing in my ears etc. All symptoms but the pain were gone within two weeks after i stopped. Aspartame triggers fibromyalgia which I now have and it doesn't seem to be going away. When you are diabetic there is a tendancy to blame all the little aches and pains on that...but it's not always diabetes. I've told non-diabetic friends who have stopped drinking diet drinks and lost their migranes. They are always surprised - and grateful. One of the most disturbing symptoms is a mental clouding and lack of concentration. It's nice to have my brain back and be able to read a book. comments? ----------- Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx Subject: Re: NutraSweet Horror - TO EMBALM..OR NOT TO EMBALM I am a type II diabetic diagnosed less than three years. Yesterday, suddenly, I am having trouble with my right eye. I cannot imagine how anything come on so fast. Yes, I do use Nutrasweet, and i would like some information. [continued] Date: Sat, 18 Oct 1996 To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx Subject: Re: NutraSweet Horror - TO EMBALM..OR NOT TO EMBALM My right eye is much better, although there are still floaters. They are somewhat faded. The flashes are gone. Of course, no more nutrasweet headaches. Did you know that at the initial diabetes classes at the hospital, aspartame is encouraged, pushed for your sugar substitute? You can sign up and see for yourself, actually. ----------- Re: Irregular heartbeat Date 28 Oct 1996 12:16:06 -0800 Newsgroups sci.med.cardiology >What _is_ this Snapple-diet-iced-tea ? It sounds diabolical. *8-( It's this Nutra-Sweet poisoned, caffeinated garbage so many people seem to like. Someone begged me to try a bottle a month ago, sent my ectopic heart beat into high gear. Drink more water people! ----------- Date: Wed, 16 Oct 1996 21:46:42 -0700 To: xxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Questionnaire Medical problems that you believe are caused from using aspartame: Peripheral vascular collapse, anaphalaxis Why do you believe aspartame caused these problems? It was a process of elimination. I tracked the reactions, and what I had eaten just before. Then I had a collapse shortly after eating something I had no idea had nutrasweet. I've since had at least one other similar event. Did the symptoms go away when you stopped using the products? Certainly. Did you see a Doctor about symptoms? Long ago. He couldn't figure out what was causing it. He suggested tracking what I ate. Did Doctor think it related to aspartame? Didn't know. He's dead now. Haven't consulted another about this since I can control it if I'm careful. Did you report your symptoms to the FDA (Food & Drug Admin.) or any other group? No. Didn't know I could. What specific products(s) containing aspartame were you consuming when you experienced these symptoms? Diet drinks - served at restaurants in place of regular drinks ordered. Cookies with dietetic jam. On the average, what quantity were you consuming (how often, how much each time, etc.) First time, full glass of diet soda. Now, only a few sips, or half a diet cookie. How long had you been consuming these products before you experienced the symptoms? Events take place from 15-30 minutes after consumption. FOR THOSE CONCERNED ABOUT WEIGHT: Did you begin using products with aspartame when you began a restricted calorie diet? No. Did you use aspartame products only for some of your meals to save calories? Never intentionally consumed Aspartame ----------- Re: NUTRASWEET Date 14 Oct 1996 23:36:22 GMT Newsgroups sci.med.nutrition,sci.med.immunology,sci.med,sci.med.pharmacy,mi sc.health.diabetes,alt.conspiracy,alt.drugs,alt.med.allergy,alt.support.epilepsy I too used to consume sodas with Nutrasweet. I used to get headaches, severe mood swings, etc. I finally figured out where it was coming from: Nutrasweet. Then I researched and information made me believe even more so this was the case. My wife received a liver transplant 4 years ago and the hospital suggested that she stay away from dark colas, and one person suggested to stay away from Nutrasweet. Neither of us touch anything with this substance. It is definitely bad stuff. We bought Vita Mix mixer/juicer and what we made blows anything a soda could ever taste like. And it is way cheaper too when you handle fruits right. Nutrasweet. Bad stuff. Very bad. ----------- Date: Tue, 22 Oct 1996 12:14:29 -0400 (EDT) To: xxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx Subject: sendme help I've been staying away from aspartame for a while now, ever since I found myself experiencing incredible periods of depression for absolutely no reason (other than the fact that I was constantly drinking Diet Coke!). Fortunately, my grandmother gave me a bit of Old-World advice when she told me to stay away from any of that "synthetic junk." Now, I can't even look at the stuff. Please send me any information you have on aspartame--you're right, it is *POISON*. ----------- Hello, I'm new to all this. Date Tue, 01 Oct 1996 18:34:31 -0500 Newsgroups alt.med.fibromyalgia I got diagnosed with FM about 2 years ago after I was in a bad auto accident. I'd love advice on how to deal with the chronic fatigue and sleep disturbances.. and achyness in the morning. I've already read enough to realize I need to give up caffeine.. I already gave up diet coke and nutrasweet... which helped alot with the hip pain. ----------- Date: Wed, 9 Oct 1996 To: xxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx Subject: Re: The poison aspartame. xxxxx, I, like xxxxxxx also suffered from aspartame poisoning From June of 1995 to June of 1996 I was using about 3 1/2 pkgs of Equal per day. During this year I suffered from diarrhea (all the time), painful sore eyes, two blackouts similar to those suffered by xxxxxxx, painful upper arms, painful neck, sharp pains of unknown origin, bleeding stomach, disorientation, and constant intestinal problems. I too found the answer on the internet. I immediately quit using aspartame. Two days later almost all my problems disappeared! The pain in my upper arms is almost gone and my neck pains are greatly diminished. There is no question that aspartame caused my health problems. ----------- Date: Sat, 19 Oct 1996 12:36:03 -0700 To: xxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx Subject: Aspartame and the Eye >Dr. Roberts just wrote a paper >on Aspartame and the Eye that I have available on email Could you please forward this article to me. I need it to forward to my opthamologist. Several years ago I was diagnosed with Anterior Membrane Corneal Dystrophy and have had one surgery because of it and was told to expect more. A few months ago I learned of the connection between Aspartame and eye conditions and gave up drinking diet drinks and any known product with aspartame. I stopped having corneal tears and my vision stabilized (my vision would change as the day progressed).. I still had my doubts and wondered how much was pyschological. After a complete eye examination yesterday it was confirmed that my eyes have improved! ----------- Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 14:14:36 -0500 (EST) To: xxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx Subject: Aspartame questionnaire Medical problems that you believe are caused from using aspartame: Headaches Short dizzy spells (10 seconds or so) Why do you believe aspartame caused these problems? They seemed to increase the more I consumed the stuff (Equal in tea, Diet Coke) Did the symptoms go away when you stopped using the products? Yes (and in two cases when I fell off the wagon, I had enormous headaches two hours later). Did you see a Doctor about symptoms? I mentioned it to my doctor during my annual pelvic exam. Did Doctor think it related to aspartame? She seemed a little skeptical, but told me to report back to her how I felt after kicking it for a week. Did you report your symptoms to the FDA (Food & Drug Admin.) or any other group? No. How would I go about that? What specific products(s) containing aspartame were you consuming when you experienced these symptoms? Equal, Diet Coke On the average, what quantity were you consuming (how often, how much each time, etc.) Tea: once or twice a day, two Equal packets 3-5 Diet Cokes a day How long had you been consuming these products before you experienced the symptoms? I've consumed them for several years, and I've also had headaches for several years; I just didn't see a connection for a long time. The brief dizzy spells happened in the last two months, when my schedule became more hectic (my husband and I have started a business) and I began drinking more caffeinated, artificially sweetened beverages in order to cope. FOR THOSE CONCERNED ABOUT WEIGHT: Did you begin using products with aspartame when you began a restricted calorie diet? Several years ago, but it was out of concern for cutting down on sugar, not calories. Did you use aspartame products only for some of your meals to save calories? No. Did aspartame seem to help you lose weight at first? No. I've noticed that my weight is affected far more by whether I watch my fat intake and exercise rather than which sweetener I use. What were the long term weight loss effects of using aspartame. Not much (for reason stated above) ----------- Re: NUTRASWEET Date 24 Oct 1996 21:31:00 GMT Newsgroups sci.med.nutrition,sci.med.immunology,sci.med,sci.med.pharmacy,mi sc.health.diabetes,alt.conspiracy,alt.drugs,alt.med.allergy,alt.support.epilepsy I know people who have no reactions to the above products whatsoever, however, if I ingest anything that contains these products, I get violently ill, ranging (depending on the quantity ingested) from hives and headaches to anaphylactic shock. I, for one, MUST AVOID ALL USE of these products in any form and any product. Believe me, I read labels VERY carefully. ----------- Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1996 22:38:44 -0400 Reply-To: "PARKINSN: Parkinson's Disease - Information Exchange Network" Subject: Re: Hello: Aspertame?! I advocate for special needs children. I can't tell you how many mothers of children with seizure disorders have told me about the dangers of Nutrasweet. Apparently, it increases seizures and decreases mobility in children with some neurological defects. I've heard the warnings so many times that I've taken to cautioning parents with impaired children about diet drinks. ----------- Date: Sun, 29 Sep 1996 To: xxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx Subject: Re: How to tell if aspartame is in a product? Newsgroups: sci.med.nutrition My daughter got a seizure when she had diet orange soda. It was a grand mal one. I now do not allow her to have nutrisweet, or MSG. Is there a chemical test that can be performed on food to test it for this poison? .... I am afraid of giving my daughter this poison if it is included in foods and not so labled. When I think of all the children out there that could be poisoned I feel I should do something about it. Our "government" now seems to be involved in dealing crack. Somehow, this does not suprise me since they allow this poison in the supermarket. Where do these FDA criminals by their food? Or don't they care? It seems tht the govenments top priority is reducing the population, by whatever means. ----------- Diabetic Mailing List Nutrasweet & Weight Gain Fri, 04 Oct 1996 08:46:14 -0400 (EDT) xxxxxx noted: that there have been some studies to suggest that large amounts of Nutrasweet can possibly increase your appetite. This is true, xxxxxx. Usually I'm in the sack and sawing wood by 8:00, but last night I stayed up till 11 p.m. reading email notes that were posted by several people who belong to various lists. A lot of people said they had started using Nutrasweet/Aspartame as part of their diet to lose weight. Instead of losing, they gained, as their appetite increased. Some people have even experienced tingling and/or numbness in their extremities and once they removed N/A from their diet their symptoms decreased and even went away. I've noticed that with myself. HOWEVER, YMMV. I've been w/out any N/A for over 24 hours now and this is the first morning I've been able to get ready for work and not feel like I was going to throw up. [update] Diabetes Mailing List Aspartame/NutraSweet Wed, 17 Sep 1997 10:27:47 -0400 First, it's my opinion that considering the FDA's track record of late, that you not rely heavily upon their judgement, for now at least. I'm sure you read the same article many of us have that exists on the interent. Anyway, I've been w/out any Aspartame or Nutra-Sweet in my diet for a year now and I can tell you my life's been a lot less complicated physically. Each person reacts or doesn't react differently to Nurtra Sweet. For me, it was gastric upset after gastric upset. No dx of gastroparesis was made after expensive tests for it. Only until I cut out the Aspartame/Nutra-Sweet in my diet did my gastric problems go away. I also lost 7 pounds after discontinuing the "embalming" ingredient. My two sisters and my niece get severe headaches from injesting it, so they avoid it like the plague, as well. YMMV. ----------- Re: NUTRASWEET Date Tue, 01 Oct 1996 10:35:02 GMT Newsgroups sci.med.nutrition,sci.med.immunology,sci.med,sci.med.pharmacy,mi sc.health.diabetes,alt.conspiracy,alt.drugs,alt.med.allergy,alt.support.epilepsy I'll add my 2 cents here: I personally know one woman who was hospitalized with a severe headache that wouldn't go away. After all the testing to rule out tumors, etc, he doctors finally discovered that her problem was caused by NutriSweet. She stopped consuming the stuff and had an amazing recovery. Is this an isolated case? I don't think so. Personally, I avoid all products that have the NutriSweet logo like the plague because I think they taste disgusting. Do people actually *enjoy* the taste of diet sodas??? It seems that our foolish desire to think we are consuming something that keeps us from getting fat prevents us from listening to our own bodies telling us what is good and what isn't. -------------- Re: NUTRASWEET Date Tue, 1 Oct 1996 17:10:45 GMT Newsgroups sci.med.nutrition,sci.med.immunology,sci.med,sci.med.pharmacy,mi sc.health.diabetes,alt.conspiracy,alt.drugs,alt.med.allergy,alt.support.epilepsy I only add to this thread because I blame Nutrasweet for a symptom haven't seen mentioned yet. Nutrasweet makes me stupid. I'll try to remember somthing that I know I know - and I know is there in my head but I can't get at it. Anyhow, haven't had Nutrasweet in 2+ years and I'm back to my normal stupid self. ----------- Re: NUTRASWEET Date 9 Oct 1996 20:01:30 GMT Newsgroups sci.med.nutrition,sci.med.immunology,sci.med,sci.med.pharmacy,mi sc.health.diabetes,alt.conspiracy,alt.drugs,alt.med.allergy,alt.support.epilep Some more anecdotal evidence. I have avoided Nutrasweet for nine years now. My symptoms were not as dramatic as some mentioned, mearly headaches. Sort of sore eye/thudding headaches every second day or so. Since I was 16 and taking a lot of exams. I didn't think much of it I had been having headaches at this frequency since I was about 9 year old. My headaches got a lot less frequent when I stopped the nutrasweet, despite the fact that it was three weeks before my O'levels. I would have expected the stress to increase. I don't think I changed anything else in my life, although another explanation may be that it was a placebo effect: I believed the headaches would go and they did. However I think this is unlikely, as like other people I have had headaches having unwittingly eaten nutrasweet. ----------- Date: Thu, 24 Oct 1996 23:24:31 -0400 Subject: Re: excitotoxins (MSG & NutraSweet) To: Multiple recipients of list ALLERGY Any time I eat or drink anything which contains aspartame, I get an instant, violent migraine which will last for up to 12 hours despite medication. My neurologist says that this is not uncommon. ----------- Re: NutraSweet causes weight gain? Date Sun, 06 Oct 1996 09:32:25 -0500 Newsgroups alt.support.diet NutraSweet gives me nasty cramps, so I don't use it at all. .... ----------- Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 22:16:39 CST Subject: Re: Feeling out of sorts? NutraSweet? To: Multiple recipients of list ALLERGY > Initially, he was feeling great! But for past few weeks has severe >headaches daily, complains of feeling foggy and has a difficult time >consentrating at work (he is an engineer), and pain in eyes on focusing. (eye >test was 20/20) He also has had what sounds like a panic attacks. All of these reactions have been reported by those who have adverse reactions to NutraSweet. I tried NutraSweet (aspertame) ONCE and the adverse reaction was so strong I never tried it again. ----------- Date: Tue, 1 Oct 1996 23:28:07 -0400 (EDT) To: xxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx Subject: Re: WE'VE MOVED. UNPACKED THE NEW COMPUTER.... I actually stopped using Nutrasweet after reading Constantine's book. I now have a lot less headaches, but I don't know if much else has changed. My wife says I sometimes forget little things, but that's probably more because my mind is cluttered up with a lot of work, etc. I used to drink a lot of diet coke with Nutrasweet (or limonade with nutrasweet)-- often a couple of liters a day. Any long-lasting damage that can be expected, or anything I should have noticed when I quit many months ago? ----------- Has knowing family history helped your treatment? Date 6 Oct 1996 02:32:49 -0400 Newsgroups alt.support.headaches.migraine .... My causes/triggers include dropping barometric pressure, hormonal, cigarette smoke, perfume/other fragrances. sunlight/heat, nutrasweet, sometimes dairy products, sometimes wine, and probably others I can't think of right now. ----------- Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 11:01:10 -0400 (EDT) To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx Subject: Aspartame testimonial from xxxxx xxxxx, DN To Whom It May Concern: I, xxxxx xxxxx, DN, am a nutritionist who has had physical problems due to consumption of Aspartame. In 1989 I made the connection between the consumption of Aspartame and gastro-intestinal symptoms, including pain, gas and bloating. This was discovered by my keeping of a diary of food consumption and associated symptoms. I confirmed this assumption by way of multiple trials and abstentions. Upon realising the connection I contacted the manufacturer, the Searle Company. I was informed that the company would not take complaints. Since that time I have read articles which tell of the dangers of Aspartame. In counseling patients/clients I always warn them of the dangers of the uae of this product. Thank you for helping to spread the truth about Aspartame. ----------- Re: NUTRASWEET Date Sat, 28 Sep 1996 21:49:28 -0500 Newsgroups sci.med.nutrition,sci.med.immunology,sci.med,sci.med.pharmacy,mi sc.health.diabetes,alt.conspiracy,alt.drugs,alt.med.allergy,alt.support.epilepsy I used to be in the same boat. I started drinking Diet Coke since it first came out with NutraSweet. I liked the Taste (that kinda burning-lots of carbonation taste). In the past few years, I was drinking about 6 1-litre bottles a Day! Geez. It seemed that I would start to develop a headache, and when I drank anything with Nutrasweet, it would go away. After years, my headaches just would Not leave. It was the kind of Dull Pain headache, all over. I started to read some stuff on nutrasweet, and was horrified. I decided 2 years ago to Quit cold turkey! I Quit, and for the next 3 days was bed-ridden with the most intense Migrane's I have had ever had! The pain was so intolerable. It was like Ice Picks and C-Clamps going into my head from all over. After 3 days of torture, the just suddenly stopped. I have had only 2 headaches since that last day. One was attributed to my Aunt making some Jello for Thanksgiving later that same year, and she is diabetic. I didnt know she used Nutrasweet, but about 30-45 Minutes after finishing Dinner, I started to get a Migrane again. It lasted for about 3 hours and then subsided. The Other Headache was attributed to Beer (Superbowl Party). I have been Nutra sweet free for 2 years now, and I now dream! Since I can remember, I never had dreams while drinking Diet Coke. After quitting Nutrasweet, I really dream vividly. I dont remember ANY dreams until I quit. In any case, its bad stuff. Stay away from it. ----------- Re: NUTRASWEET Date 27 Sep 1996 18:12:39 GMT Newsgroups alt.support.epilepsy The nutrasweet/epilepsy connection is not nonsense -- it has been well documented both scientifcally and anecdotally. If I consumer over 16oz/day of anything containing nutrasweet, my normally-controlled grand mals return with a vengence. ----------- Re: Nutrasweet warning? Date 21 Sep 1996 18:18:19 -0400 Newsgroups misc.kids.health I am the Director of the Childrens Health and Nutritional Aid Foundation. Our goal is to teach parents and children as well as schools to make correct food choices. As well as nutritional awareness... Yes, the rumor is correct. NutraSweet as well as other sweetners have harmful effects on the human body. That starts with bad eye sight, blurry vision, upset stomach, loose stool, hair loss, urinal trac infections and much more. ----------- Re: NUTRASWEET Date Mon, 30 Sep 1996 17:15:21 -0500 Newsgroups sci.med.nutrition,sci.med.immunology,sci.med,sci.med.pharmacy,mi sc.health.diabetes,alt.conspiracy,alt.drugs,alt.med.allergy,alt.support.epilepsy It's easy to ignore reality, if that is what you choose to do, Bill. I have been a reseach chemist for 40+ years, and have been working in the position of a senior principal research scientist for many years. I feel that I have the qualifications to make intelligent decisions regarding the subject of Nutrasweet. I have suffered from food allergies for years, and I, and many of my friends have presented markedly alleviated symptoms upon the elimination of aspatame from our diets. If even 1% or less of the claims made against the use and political manipulation of aspartame are true, it would still be something to seriously consider for further scientific investigation. .... ----------- chest pains Date 25 Sep 1996 05:31:39 GMT Newsgroups alt.support.anxiety-panic i have also found drinking things with nutra-sweet increases the chance I will suffer chest pain and headaches. which really sucks because I, not unlike models and lab rats, have developed a taste for the stuff. ----------- Re: NUTRASWEET (> 300 lines) Date 6 Oct 1996 05:05:39 GMT Newsgroups sci.med.nutrition,sci.med.immunology,sci.med,sci.med.pharmacy,mi sc.health.diabetes,alt.conspiracy,alt.drugs,alt.med.allergy,alt.support.epilepsy Perceived? PERCEIVED? Would you like my doctor bills? I loved my caffeine-free Diet Cokes - had to have 3 or 4 every day. Then one day, I ended up in the emergency room (C-F diet coke in hand) with major heart disturbances...PVCs, they called it. Said to get the heck off of nutrasweet, but beware - it would take a while. After a couple of weeks, there was a significant difference. After a year, the PVCs were *almost* a memory. Now after 17 months, I KNOW that my PVCs are the result of nutrasweet. I still have them, but I am hopeful that in five year's time, they will be completely gone. *Perceived* my foot. ----------- Subj: Re: Lupis * Nutrasweet Date: 96-09-22 11:08:56 EDT To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx INCREDIBLE! xxxxxx, I had already made a similar discovery a few years ago. I used to drink diet coke by the gallon, and would suffer these monster migraine-type headaches lasting for days at a time. My boss mentioned reading that there can be a connection between such headaches and nutrasweet. I was grasping at straws, but stopped all nutra immediately and --- as if by magic: no more headache. My lupus symptoms were pretty bad at that time, but have lessened over time. Remission finally came with a combination of three factors: an agressively positive attitude change about my health; carefully moderating everything from stress to diet; and (I give the prize to this) the two drugs Plaquenil and Zoloft. Needless to say, I strictly avoid nutrasweet and its sisters, because hey - what else might it be doing?! ----------- Date: Thu, 26 Sep 1996 01:36:41 -0400 (EDT) To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxxx Subject: Re: Aspertame Several winters ago my wife was having headaches, and she didn't know what was causing them. Then we got a cold spell, and she stopped drinking iced tea - it's popular down here even in the winter - but during this cold snap she switched to warm beverages - and the headaches suddenly stopped. She had been using an iced tea mix that contained aspertame, and so she postulated that it was the aspertame that caused the headaches - so she abandoned it, but was afraid to share her experience for fear of being ridiculed. One Sunday morning that spring we were sort of listening to television - you have it on the channel that you had last listened to, but you're not paying attention - until we heard them talking about aspertame - and then we both listened to the show and learned how bad it could be. Well, I am blessed with not having headaches, so I agreed with her staying away from it, but I kept on with my diet drinks. She had suggested that I try stopping them for a while. I'm hard headed, Nancy, but no so much so that I didn't jump on your article to try to learn more. The URL suggested by Kathrynne Holden was particularly damning. To be fair, I'd like to see some defense, but I doubt that there could be much. ----------- Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 14:45:31 -0400 To: lowcarb@manual.com Subject: Weight loss and aspartame/Nutrasweet I am growing to believe the aspartame critics are right. In whole or in part I can't say, but my own personal experience, and stories I'm hearing from others, is getting too hard to ignore. My wife an I both had frequent mild headaches for years. We never attributed this to aspartame. They headaches were mild enough (a couple of aspirin or Tylenols would fix them usually) we just thought they were normal, or that they were allergy-related. Within days of giving up nutrasweet we both noticed a drop in the frequency of our headaches. The longer we were off the more it helped; it's been about a month now and headaches are starting to seem unusual rather than a part of everyday life. More compellingly, we started noticing only a week after quitting that our cravings for sweets dropped dramatically. -----------