Aspartame Injuries 1-500 +

This is David Schakett's story about his personal involvement with aspartame (a poison and brain cancer-producing food additive). It's hard to believe what he went through after drinking just 6 diet cokes - Shocking! (11 minute audio) HERE


Tourette Syndrome and Food Reactions: Seeing is Believing - HERE
A child's health was compromised after cosuming Aspartame

Most of these reports below originated from various sources such as Dorway.com, Mission Possible and The Aspartame (Nutrasweet) Toxicity Info Centre. There are more HERE.

But first, a short account from a whistleblower...

INFORMANT:
Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2008 16:43:57 -0500
To: bettym19@mindspring.com
From: "Dr. Betty Martini,D.Hum." <xxxx xxxx>
Subject: xxxx xxxxaffidavit

Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:32:23 -0800 (PST)
From: xxxx xxxxx <xxxx xxxx@yahoo.com>
Subject: my experience w/ the cover-up
To: xxxx xxxx

Dear Betty:

I lived near Columbia, MD and worked as a temp. It was the late 80's and Regan had been elected president. I was a national officer in the largest christian singles organization and needed to travel a lot so I worked as a professional temp.

I was sent from a Laural, Md tem agency to an office complex at a corner intersection near Jessup, Md ( I can find out the exact location if you really need it). I am an executive secretary w/ high skills and made top dollar. This job paid top dollar. I was asked to take piles of paper and COPY, THEN SHRED them. I was told very sternly NOT to read the material and that if I did I would be fired. Well, I grew up in the military in the 60's w/ secrets all around and I'm very curious. I am afterall a paralegal. So, I read while copied and read while shredded.

Here's what was going on. The copies were being sent to France, then I was shredding them, too and the originals were being shredded. They were about the new product not yet on the market, EQUAL. They were the lab results from the tested rats and other animals. The results were outrageous. This stuff killed everything it touched.

I overheard a conversation on the second day by the "boss" and the girls who was telling me what to do. She told him what I was doing and that I was also doing the faxing to France. He was livid and started screaming at her, "What if she reads some of this stuff?" she told him I was too stupid to know what I was reading, even if I did.

What she didn't know was that I was a doctor's daughter, that I had 3 years of college and I was extremely intellegent. Nor did she know that all during my father's college years when he was in charge of the animal lab at his college, he would take me to help give the rats their injections. I knew what I was reading.

We know that you know some of this information, but did you know the originals are in France? I should have told someone then, but WHO? I just never touched the stuff when it came out and tell everyone I know it is dangerous stuff. I didn't know it was the Aspartame in it that was the problem until recently. A friend of mine sent me to this web site so that I could finally tell what I know.
I hope you find that the Reagan Administration (which I believe is the case) did this intentionally. though I'm a republican, that has nothing to do with what happened here.

If they can take Neuronton or other drugs off the market because of their effect on people, they can take this off the market. The cover-up is horrific.
Thx for what you do.

God Bless and have a good day,
xxxx


Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:33:11 -0800 (PST)
From: xxxx xxxx <xxxx xxxx
Subject: yes, you have permission
To: "Dr. Betty Martini,D.Hum." <xxxx xxxx>

Dear Betty,
Yes, you have my permission to use my letter. I will help you in any way I can to get this stuff off the market.
-------------

No more soda
Monday, February 24, 2020, (Sparkpeople.com) JOFIE 36
Drank diet dr. Pepper yesterday ... around 20 ounces..... woke up bloated and hands swelled up... yep no more soda.

This account from 'The Migraine Girl'

1. Re: Blinded by NutraSweet (aspartame)
Date           4 Jan 1996 03:29:00 GMT
Keywords       Aspartame poisoning
Newsgroups     sci.med.vision

I am only a physicist, with a private pilot's license, among many other interests.  As such, I keep abreast of a great many publications, some of which bear directly on this topic. Many professional pilots have permanently lost their licenses to fly due to Aspartame-induced epilectic seizures and other severe side effects of that poison.

2. Date: Tue, 2 Jun 98 17:33 BST-1
Subject: Aspartame... the BAD news!
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx

I'm 42, male, in reasonable general health (if slightly over weight) and run a small computer company near Oxford, U.K.

I switched to Aspartame-based sweeteners in tea and coffee several years ago. Over the past 9 months I've been suffering from bouts of diarrhoea on an approximately twice-weekly basis usually without any apparent cause. Over the past two months these had been getting more severe with bouts lasting several days. Unpleasant and uncomfortable but not accompanied by vomiting or feeling really lousy as one might normally expect from food poisoning or a stomach bug.

I tried various modification of diet (already having excluded almost all prepared foods in favour of a low-fat diet of fresh fruit, vegetables, chicken and fish) and exercise which made little difference

Three weeks ago I read 'Aspartame... the BAD news!' and decided to stop using artificial sweeteners or products containing them. Here in the UK this was a pelleted and Granular sweetener marketed as 'Canderel' plus the occasional diet Pepsi or diet Lilt. I did this just as an experiment (I'm a bit of a cynic about 'Internet Scares' I'm afraid!).

The diarrhoea stopped within a day and hasn't (fingers crossed!) returned. Bowel motions are now more normal than they have been for many months. I still have some digestive problems; I hope these will improve as the effects of Aspartame on my system dissipate and that there is little or no
permanent damage.

3. To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Case History - xxxxxx
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 09:46:53 +0100

We have a daughter - Laura born 15/06/94 so she is nearly 3 now. In October 96 we weaned Laura off baby fruit juices onto the more everyday sort of fruit squashes e.g.  Ribena.  We were very aware of the high sugar content of many of these squashes with the link this has to dental health problems. We saw juices in the supermarket labelled "No Added Sugar" and thought this seemed to be an answer to the problem fruit juice and no excess sugar to trigger dental problems.

In late December 96 Laura developed a rash, particularly on her extremities and lower abdomen, her hands were very badly effected. We took her to our local GP and this resulted in a diagnosis of eczema; the Doctor prescribed an application of topical cream, and recommended taking Laura off dairy milk onto Soya Milk.  Laura drinks little milk anyhow so that seemed a strange diagnosis we were unhappy with this and decided to look further into possible causes. The condition became more advanced and a further visit to the GP saw us with a different topical cream and reassurance that it was indeed eczema.

Around that time I subscribed to an Internet provider but due to PC limitations only used the service to access e-mail.  One night I was reading an e-mail from a fellow member of the local Friends of The Earth group in which he sent me details of Mission Possible and Aspartame. As I read I saw similarities with the problem we encountered with Laura, I looked at the label on our "No Added Sugar" concentrate and sure enough found Aspartame on its list of contents.  Taking Laura off the substance, saw the rash has all but gone within 14 days, but for the first 5 or so days,  (Aspartame free) she was like someone in withdrawal, aggressive and craving the substance.

I passed this information to our GP practice and the local newspaper, the former simply added it to Laura's case notes and the newspaper is treating it as too hot to touch.  I sent the case history to the Times and Independent neither followed it up. We are convinced that Aspartame is the trigger for Laura's problems, we suspect it is in children's toothpaste - unlabelled and many other products e.g. low fat yoghurts and Tescos Clear Apple Juice.
Consumption of both resulted in an almost instant rash and return of behavioural problems.

4. 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.

5. Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame

I have bookmarked your page and am printing off the pages to give to my sick friends.  It is remarkable that you chose to post this information to the internet.  My story is that I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.   I am a medical professional and have noted the exponential rise in autoimmune degenerative neurological conditions in the last 15 years.

The fibromyalgia predominantly strikes women and mine was triggered by the birth of my daughter and a surgery. I also used DayPro, but it was quite useless except to make me tired and go to sleep for the total fitfull time of 4 hours per night.  Since the symptoms are primarily neurological, I back-tracked histories of  myself and several of my patients.  We had all had surgery but not all had had general anesthetic and a neuro muscular blocker as I had.  We all had used nutrasweet!!

I am a heavy user and have used about 2 liters of diet soda daily since the day the stuff hit the market.  My symptoms:  screaming leg pain mostly at bedtime. The most defining pain was the intra scapular tearing pain.  There was one panic attack, heart palpitations nearly daily (no cardiac involvement, that was tested).  Joint pain (no swelling and no articular deterioration), teeth grinding and nightmares, evening time rashes, slowed speech and forgetfulness, depression and moodiness, vomiting and coughing in the morning and loss of about 80 percent of my strength.

Previously, I had worked out at a gym and could leg press over 800 pounds. That went down to less than 50 pounds. I couldn't get back up from the floor without climbing up my own legs. There never were any headaches.  I used Prozac for several months until I couldn't sleep at all.  I had physical therapy also at that time.  The prozac was great to get some neurotransmitter back in my muscles and the strength is about 60 percent better but the side effects were bad for me.  It gave me strength to train in physical therapy.  I have discontinued the prozac due to side effected and the ever present stigma associated with the drug.

I've been off nutrasweet for about a week except that I had some gum 2 days ago that was laced with the stuff.  Within the first 3 days the fog has really lifted and my toes are coming back, there's pain where there was numbness.  In order to walk some mornings, I had to soak my feet in super hot water and then stick them on the frozen cement of the garage floor. This is called contrast therapy which shocked the feet so I could walk.
....
As a medical professional who can affect change, I vow to use my experience to help my patients recover their lives. I will write again to tell you of my progress.

[update]

6. Date: Mon, 14 Jul 1997
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: 3 months off Nutrasweet

I can walk.  I can think.  I'm creative again.  I sleep most nights.  Wow!  What a difference without Nutrasweet!

It's great to have my life back; to be able to remember how to use my vocabulary, to not have anxiety attacks and paranoia over common events. I no longer blank out.  I've worked very hard to be able to walk a mile a day at a brisk pace and can do it daily now.

I have incapacitating flair ups but it's nothing compared to how sick I was.  The turning point was at about 80 days. Again, bless you, bless you, bless you for posting this information to the
web. 

7. Date: Sat, 15 Mar 1997
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Diet Coke

My husband and I run our own business. It meant many long hours, specially with the onset of the recession and all its implications. My husband has always drunk coke, but for dietry reasons and in order to stay awake (often working seventeen hour days-I also worked long hours but do not drink coke) drank more and more diet coke. Inevitably this sleep deprivation combined with a certain amount of isolation plus a need to drink up to SIX LITRES of diet coke a day led to a sense of complete despair, depression and poor self esteem. Add to this the pressures of a young family, job insecurity and  little outside help or support and things were pretty bleak. I realized I could no longer
continue this way and began to extend my hours of sleep. My husband still felt all the same pressures and could not be persuaded to sleep better hours, saying that it was the way he worked, and was still drinking large quantities of coke - I believe he was well and truly addicted to diet coke and was unable to help himself. With incredible determination both my husband and I managed to improve our overall lifestyle and overcome the associated problems, however having lessened the amount of coke he consumed my husband was still addicted to it. Now with other problems lessoned I could clearly see the affect diet coke has on him. when he is not drinking diet coke he is like a new person, or at least the person I once knew. BUT after abstaining for a week then drinking it these are the characteristics I see -   

Depression, aggression (pent-up or verbal aggression not physical) a sense of hopelessness, unable to sleep, poor concentration, poor communication, trouble with eyesight, chest/lung problems. Also when he abstained from drinking coke altogether he looked healthier AND lost weight naturally.

8. Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 23:58:30 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: RE:Coke/Nutrasweet

I am 38. Twenty-two years ago (gulp - I must be old!)  I was apprenticing to a ballet company, when the ballet master was harassing everyone to lose more weight, one point driven home was, "If you want to lose weight, DO NOT drink
diet sodas. Drink water or unsweetend ice tea or hot tea.") Therefore, for my entire life, I've never voluntarily consumed artificially sweetened beverages or products. Besides, they all taste foul.

Over the years I've become a working actress and a fitness trainer. Six weeks ago I booked a Crystal Light commercial. During the day's shooting I had to drink a total of about three glasses of the beverage - the shots were such that it was impossible to 'fake drink' or drink and spit. The following morning I woke up with an abdomen swollen to three or four months pregnancy in appearance. I thought I had put on some weight, having been married the week before and eaten to my heart's content. However, my entire intestinal system was upset: gas, tenderness, constipation. Nothing for three days would relieve the bloating, and believe me, I reverted to all the instant weight
loss secrets I've learned over the years. On the fourth day, I woke up, urinated for what seemed an hour, and my system was fine. Obviously, these sweetened actually make one RETAIN water rather than simply running the
system as water does. The only really abnormal thing I'd consumed for three weeks was the Crystal Light - everything else was "real" food. I counsel all my clients to reject all foods containing not only artificial sweeteners, but also - and I dread to learn in a few years what they'll reveal about the artificial fats - artificial fats.

9. 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.

10. Date: Wed, 22 May 1996 12:29:32 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxxx
Subject: Thank You for Awareness Building

A colleague of mine gave me a paper prepared by yourself which discussed the effects of aspartame. It was a real eye-opener, and really highlighted just how ignorant the mass of the general public is about the toxins we readily consume as part of our everyday diet. I am quite careful about what I eat, but being British I had a strong taste for tea (and the sugar that goes with it). To cut down on the sugar I had been taking aspartame-based sweeteners. I am someone who drinks something like 15 cups of tea a day, two sweeteners in each cup.

Fortunately, I had only been taking these for a few months - and came off them a week or so ago. I recollect feeling a little 'sticky' visually, but put that down to general wear and tear. Yes, I had been having headaches, unusual for me, but again put that down to stress.

11. Date: 4 Sep 1996 13:14:04 gmt
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: A Further Thanks!

Well being off aspartame has made me feel so much better. Now when I am shopping I actually take the time to read the contents / ingredients labels. If its aspartame its back on the shelf - soft drinks and squashes are virtually non-consumable because nearly all contain aspartame. Most of my friends are steering clear of those products that contain it. They even make sure there is no aspartame in anything they give me to drink or eat - and that's without me reminding them! I am actually feeling a lot healthier, eye-sight much better (apart from having to use a PC for my work Excel / PowerPoint trainer and application developer).

12. Date: Thu, 9 May 1996 00:51:40 -0400
To: Multiple recipients of list <pilots@cadserv.cadlab.vt.edu>
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......

13. To: xxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Aspartame Consumer Safety Questionnaire
Aspartame Consumer Safety Questionnaire:

Name:   xxxxxxxxx
Age:    39
Sex:    Male
City:   xxxxxxxx, British Columbia, Canada

I have had many medical problems as the result of Aspartame (Sweet Death).

Q. Why do you believe aspartame caused these problems?

A. The problems presented themselves after only a few months of consuming food products with aspartame.

Q. Did the symptoms go away when you stopped using the products?

A. Yes, but it took some time for the symptoms to subside.

Q. Did you see a Doctor?

A. Yes.

Q. Did the Doctor think it related to aspartame?

A. No, he related it to stress, caffeine, etc.  Aspartame never entered the picture.

Q. Did you report problems to FDA?

A. No.  I only reported the problem to my Doctor.  He displayed a lot of interest in my findings and wanted to know where he could find more information.

Q. What specific products were you consuming?

A. Gum (One pack per day) and diet drinks (about one per day).

Q. How long have you been consuming these products?

A. About 5-6 months.  As time marched on, I consumed more products.

MY SYMPTOMS:

1.  Diziness
2.  Severe headaches
3.  Confusion
4.  Numbness and tingling of extremeties
5.  Chronic fatigue
6.  Irratibility
7.  Rapid heart beat, Tachycardia
8.  Nausea
9.  Diarrhea
10. Burning urination
11. Burning of eyes

I hope this gives you an idea of what this stuff does to the poor consumer...

14. Date: Fri, 02 Aug 96 09:33:01 GMT
Newgroups: rec.aviation.military, rec.aviation.military.naval,
    misc.news.internet, misc.health.infertility, misc.legal,
    misc.health.therapy.occupation, misc.health.alternative, misc.education,
    misc.emerg-services, misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Deadline Mon, 7/29 to object to aspartame blanket approval;URGENT

I may have posted this before, but feel it applies here especially.  I have a patient who came to me with a four-year-old medical diagnosis of Crohn's disease (a severe form of irritable bowel syndrome).  One single chiropractic
adjustment and immediate total abstinance from aspartame/NutraSweet products resulted in immediate and total remission of her symptoms.  She is now telling all her friends about the doctor who made it possible for her to be
stomach cramp free and diarrhea free for the first time in years.

It is my professional opinion, based upon both my clinical findings and my training in nutrition, that   http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/ deserves a significant portion of the credit for this woman's recovery.

15. Date: Tue, 5 May 1998 14:19:04 EDT
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Nutrasweet

Tue, 5 May 1998

Last night, I decided to do some browsing on the Internet concerning Nutrasweet.  I have had severe problems in the past for many years with this stuff, but finally tested myself by leaving it alone for 3 wks. and found after just 2 wks. That I definitely could see a change in how I felt. My mother is experiencing health problems and my sister, who has also found that she can't tolerate it, and I started to do some research last night to find out why she is having this particular problem.
...
Haven't been able to convince her of this yet.  I asked her the last time I visited with her, to leave it off for 3 solid wks. and see if she noticed a change. She's reluctant to do it. I can understand it.  It took a friend from October to August, three yrs. ago, to convince me to try leaving it off for 3 wks.   I'm so glad that I did.  I had thought that I was dying.  I could hardly function. For over 10 yrs I experienced chronic diarrhea, severe stomach cramping, isolation because of the diarrhea, dizziness, depression, low energy. I even had one doctor to diagnose me with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  I was experiencing weakness all over, especially my legs.  I've had two MRI's since 1988, thinking that I might be developing MS, also. I couldn't eat out without coming straight home.
If my daughters wanted to shop, I could only go to one store, and then, come home. If we went shopping and they wanted to eat out, we shopped at one store and then ate, and then came straight home. At home, when I cooked a meal, I didn't have the energy to wash the dishes until the next morning. Since going completely off that stuff, I have slowly regained my ability to walk the length of the mall, can stay away from the house for longer periods of time. I don't have to hold on to shopping carts to maintain my balance.  I still have some cramping and diarrhea, but it isn't nearly as bad as it used to be.  I don't break out in cold sweats anymore or feel faint, worrying if I'll make it to the restroom. Please forgive me for being so personal in this letter. No one knows how I've suffered due to this. If my letter helps one person to leave Nutrasweet alone, or help change Diet Coke, or get it off the market, it's well worth my time to write this.

16. Date: Mon, 22 Jul 1996 23:19:55 -0400
To: xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxxxx
Subject: [Fwd: Re: Is Nutrisweet a poison? You bet your sweet ASPARTAME!]

Having worked for government for 30 years I know that the prime directive is self preservation of government. ie:(FDA)  I wouldn't trust any government bureau any farther than I can throw my car!  Why?  Because I saw it from the inside.  I know that I know, that I know! Now as far as aspartame is concerned in that search I found plenty of evidence that many health problems that I had could be explained with my heavy aspartame intake for 12 years.  The final blow came when some time ago I heard, long before I came to the internet that there was a chance that
Aspartame was causing the severe pains in my legs at night. They hurt so bad I could not sleep in bed but had to sleep in a recliner.  I quit aspartame for awhile and sure enough my leg pains subsided and I could stand to wash my legs without pain.  All was well, I thought, but you see I was hooked on the stuff and being diabetic with high insuline
resistance I couldn't resist going back on it.  Well I don't have to draw you a picture what happened all too soon.  Severe pain in legs again and back in the recliner. Now entered the internet.  I did my due dilegance (sp) and again concluded if there was any truth in what I had learned it could stand the test the second time.  I again quit ingesting
aspartame and again within a week or two the pain was gone.  I started being civil to my family.  I could think more clearly again and in general I felt better. Now you tell me, with everything else being equal and having gone through this fiasco twice, would I want to do it again?

17. Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 16:48:49 -0600
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: My aspartame story.

I would like to register a complaint about Nutrasweet. I have experienced headaches, short term memory loss, dizzyness, and seizure-like symptoms while consuming this product.

Because of the above symptoms, I spent several years seeing neurologists who ran a litany of tests.  Amazingly, all tests showed absolutely no abnormailities.  According to the doctors they could not identify any reason for the seizures or other symptoms.  Nevertheless, I should take the seizure medicines tegretol and neurontin.

All along, I new there was a cause for the symptoms even if the neurologists couldn't find it.  I am not one to give up without an answer.  ...and I knew the seizure symptoms did not appear out of the blue....
However, I remembered during a 3 month trip to Malaysia, during which I had no access to Nutrasweet, that I had no seizures, no headaches, no memory loss.  Just a coincidence, absolutely not. Therefore, I decided to try a little experiment.  That experiment was to end the consumption of all aspartame, and of my seizure medicine.  That day was December 27, 1997, my birthday.  Since
this day, I have not had any seizures, any headaches, my memory has returned, and I feel 100 times better.  Coincidence, not at all.

I had been having headaches daily.  I had been having constant memory problems which threatened the completion of my MBA. I had been having seizures regularly even while on neurontin and tegretol.  Coincidence, that all the symptoms ended when I removed aspartame from my life.  Absolutely, positively not.

Seems to me that I may well be able to prove a causal relationship between the my consumption of Nutrasweet and my health problems.  Therefore, I am in the process of searching for an attorney.

For now, I realize that this is just anecdotal evidence, and that Monsanto doesn't give a damn about my health.  Though in an very minute way they care about me because I will never consume that which is poison to me...Nutrasweet.

18. Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 15:52:36 -0400
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Aspartame Victim

I would like to tell you about my personal experiences with aspartame and what I feel that it has done to me....

In the last two years I have become a *heavy* Diet Pepsi drinker (approximately 2 two liters a day, plus NutraSweet in my coffe, and many so called "diet" products once my weight gain began....  and I the more NutraSweet I consumed the more weight I put on....) hearing things about how NutraSweet was bad for you, but never really knowing the facts. I don't know exactly how long after starting to drink that much of the soda my symptoms started to appear, but I would say that it was about six to eight months. For a little over a year now I have had to deal with *tremendous* weight gain. I always had a little bit of extra meat on my body, but I was always active enough to keep it level. I never changed weight much, but in the last year I have put on approximately 70 pounds, all in my thighs and hips. (This may or may not be all from aspartame, obviously, but I don't know....)

In addition to the weight gain, I have had AWFUL mood problems. I have been diagnosed as manic depressive, and have started to have anxiety attacks. I don't know how much of my other physical ailments were caused by aspartame, but before I list them let me say that previous to my drinking the soda all the time, I didn't have any of the symptoms. I was an average, mostly healthy 19 year old girl. I have always had very very minor arthritis (since I was a child) and very light athsma (never "attacks", but it made normal colds worse)...... the rest of these things, I never had ever had wrong with me until I started drinking the soda all the time.

anxiety attacks/panic attacks
bloating
breathing difficulties/chronic cough
burning urination
VERY CHRONIC FATIGUE
depression (Very Badly)
EXTREMELY EXCESIVE THIRST AND HUNGER
face flushing
thinning/losing hair
extreme loss of sexual feelings (has caused huge problems with my fiancee and I)
inability to concentrate
insomnia (Severe)
irratibility
itching
joint pains
VERY marked personality changes
memory loss/poor memory/not as good as it used to be
EXTREMELY MESSED UP menstrual cycles
numbless/tingling of extremities
EXTREME WEIGHT GAIN

I am now 21 years old, and I honestly feel like I'm an 85 year old. (No offense to anyone older, but I think you get what I mean...) I just don't feel young and full of life the way I used to. I thought these things were all wrong with me because of my "manic depression" that the doctor said I had. I thought that all of it was in my head.... I have spent time actively thinking that I am an awful human being, fat and lazy and worthless. Tracing these emotions backwards, I realize that they all started after my HEAVY consumption of Diet Pepsi started. I used to be vibrant, full of confidence and able to spend a day being physically active with the best of them.

Now I can't do any of those things.

[update]

19. Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: My 60 days is over!!

I am just writing to update my personal aspartame story. ;)  Sometime a little over 60 days ago I wrote to you with my horror story about aspartame. I am the 21 year old who felt as though I were 95. I had a list of symptoms as long as my arm, and was convinced that my entire life was on a downward spiral into destruction. But now!!

60 days later and I swear to God I feel like a new person. My personality has just changed so much!! I feel like I did years ago, before I started putting that poison into my body. The panic/anxiety and depression and nastiness has just faded away. My sleeping patterns have returned to normal. I eat and drink like a normal person now, without the excessive consumption. I can move like I used to, without the pains and aches.... Just so many things about me have returned to how they should be.  I'm 21 again and just so happy I could scream!!

I just wanted to write to you and thank you for all the information you have out there about aspartame. I have told friends and family, I have taken the flyer to the supermarkets and other local places and I think that people who I have talked to about it have started to listen! It's wonderful.

I am a tribute to the values of keeping that junk out of your body. It's an awful good thing my boyfriend loved me enough to stay with me through all the horrible mood swings and things I put him through.... He's getting quite the benifits also, from the me he used to know before I started to become a bitter old person.

Thank you xxxxxx, for spreading the word about this. I appreciate it more than I can say.

20. Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1998 18:50:41 -0800
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Recent diagnosis of MS

Hi. Thank you for being here. I have used Aspartame since it came out. I would use at least 10 packs per day! ACHHHH! Well, I started tripping and falling 2 and 1/2 yrs ago; before that, I was told that I was an early [30y.old menopause]! Well I called the tripping part "peripheral Neuropathy". Finally, a brain scan was requested-probable MS. Then 3 wks ago, I learned that ASPARTAME mimmicks MS! I quit anf PRAYED really hard. A spinal tap was done , and there are 4 or 5 bands in my CSF.
....
Oh, and ASpartmae DID make me crave sweets, and I did NOT lose any weight!

[continued]

21. To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: xxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 13:10:07 -0700

I had been OFF aspartame 3mos and was feeling pretty well; THEN I had  a snowball. The tingling started in my legs and feet, I lost my balance, had a headache that persisted for 6hrs, couldn't sleep and had the bathroom urges.Asparatame DID IT!!!!!!!!!! All that money and detoxers have been wasted because there was aspartame in the syrup! No MORE snowballs!!!!!!!!! If I don't prepare it, if it doesn't come from a health dood store, AVOID IT!!!!!!!!!

[continued]

22. Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 11:41:35 -0400
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: aspartame case

Hi. Thanks to xxxxxx, I have been OFF aspartame for three months! I couldn't FEEL my hands and toes and would trip and fall!! Now  I can feel them!!!! Chewing the sugarless gum or anyting with aspartame is really bad since it works through the amalgams and GETS into your BRAIN!!!! Then , the "doctors" will identify lesions and diagnose MS, when actually they are aspartame lesions. It is a deadly neurotoxin, and we need to get it OFF the market! EVERYONE has a side effect. Lord, help us!

[continued]

23. To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: GOOD NEWS!!!!NO MS!!!!!!!
Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 15:13:55 -0700

Well, I have been detoxing from aspartame since Feb 1998, and TODAY, the #1 MS Dr. in N.O. told me that I presented as NORMAL with NO MS symptomology!!!!!

24. To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Thank you
Date: Sun, 14 Jun 1998 19:32:03 PDT

I began to have head tremors about a year or so ago, and they were  getting worse.  Whenever I was tired or sitting still watching TV or  (very embarrassing) in the middle of a meeting, my head would shake.  To the degree that caused me great concern.  I went to the doctors but all test including an MRI told me nothing was wrong.  I knew better.  So I got on the internet and put in "head tremors"  that's when I found the aspertame reaction page.  You have no idea what it was like to "Possibly" know what was wrong.  After 2 months of giving up aspertame, my head still shook and I was about to give up, thinking I must be wrong, but into the third month of not drinking my usual 3 diet cokes a
day, not only have the tremors let up, I can actual think much, much clearer and don't forget what I'm saying in the middle of a sentence.  I feel like the "fog" I have been in has lifted.  But that's only the beginning. 
     Ten years ago I almost died... are you ready for this from seizures that had no cause, no cure. Back then I drank diet soda constantly also and gave it up during one of my "hospital" stays.  They never did find out what was wrong with me.  I was on medication like you would not believe when I was sent to a doctor at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT who decided to remove me from the unbelievable amounts of medications the previous doctors had me on to start from scratch.  I was
even scheduled to have surgery to have a part of my brain removed to stopped the seizures.  But as she began to lessen my medication, I was able to stand up and walk across the room without having a seizure, I was able to remember who had just visited me, I could go on, but you get the picture. The final diagnoses because there was no other answer was and I quote "convulsive syncope brought on by non-epileptic medicines".  I went from an invalid who could not move to an unbelievably busy person.
     When the tremors started, so did the fear.  I will never know if it was the aspertame that almost killed me, all signs point to that fact, but I do know for a fact, that the aspertame caused my tremors and brain fog.
     Thank you for spreading the word, I look forward to feeling better and better every day.  And please encourage people to not give up, the poison takes time to get out of your system.

25. Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 11:46:27 -0500
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame Illness Diagnosed............

I am a type II diabetic and had been taking Nutrasweet for years.  I had noticed that stress and anxiety in my body, specially in the morning on waking up and stretchy legs at night.  I felt uncomfortable with this unexplained stress but the doctors could not identify it.  I had also noticed over the last several years difficulty in memory and attributed it to old age.  I am 48 and thought that this is what starts happening when you get old.  Oh yes,  I had also noticed severe joint pain specially in shoulder, hips, and knees.  I recently had some intense periodontal work done and was put on tetracycline medication for infection.  Within one week I had an acute vertigo attack.  I thought I was having a stroke and was whisked to the ER at the hospital.  I was told by doctors that there was no explanation for this and given medication.  The vertigo subsided as I told the doctors of my now morning stress and anxiety, and that my body was telling me something. About a week later the morning anxiety got so bad that I had to go to the ER again and beg for help.  A triage nurse talked to be and both her and the doctor tried to convince me that since I was recently looking for a new job, the anxiety was in my head.  They put me on Buspar.  I kept on saying something is not right and even though the Buspar took the edges off the anxiety or panic attacks I felt like life was soon coming to an end.  Very scary and depressing.

Searching the net with my symptoms I started to see a pattern and then one morning last weekend a got a severe anxiety surge just after I had eaten some cereal with Nutrasweet spinkled on it.  Could it be that I am allergic to Aspertene?  I stopped using it and within several days felt like a new person.  I can sleep at night and life is looking great.

I thought I would pass this on to you.  You can repost it or use this information at you see fit.  Please in return let me know of possible organizations or others, specially diabetics that I can pass this on
too.  I wish I had known sooner, since I would imagine that serious damage has been done to my body and I am sure overall affected my life span.  I am angry at how such a damaging product is still being used.

[continued]

26. Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 17:48:28 -0400
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: So much improvement off aspartame.

Just thought I would give you an update.  I don't know if this is important in your records but I thought I would pass it on.  When I had my acute vertigo attack and thought I was having a heart attack, I noticed a slurring or drooping of one side of my mouth, I think it was the left, but not sure.  I told the doctors that I had this sensation and the looked puzzled since it is not common with a vertigo attack.  It was temporary just during the initial attack.  I have never had, and hope I never again, another vertigo attack so I really cannot compare the severity of my attack with anything else.  It seemed to me that I was having a heart attack.  Also, the vertigo attack and anxiety attacks were worst in the morning when just getting up.  Just thought I would pass this on since you seem to be the  center of data collection.

Right now I feel great.  My energy level has skyrocketed and my daughter who is 21 complains when she visits now because we are always walking or going somewhere.  She used to like coming over to visit because we would just sit and veg.  Have already lost 15 lbs in the last couple of weeks.  It will be time for some new clothes pretty soon.  This reversal in my body in no way can be a coincidence.  Enjoy your list messages.

27. Date: Mon, 23 Feb 1998 11:13:01 -0500
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame reaction

I found your site just in time and it has stopped me cold.  I no longer use anything with Aspartame.  In 1992, I was diaganosed with Severe Hypoglycemia.  I was told to not ingest any sugar whatsoever, and I was put on a strict diabetic exchange diet.  Months went by and in october I began finding a bunch of sugar free alternatives to those things I loved so much - ice cream, candy, hot cocoa etc.  Well, after several months I began to develop acne.  Keep in mind that I had never had a pimple in my life and I was 22 at the time.  Well, I tried ewverything - accutance, retin a, euryderm etc.  - It helped a little.  Then in 1995, I began ingested a lot more nutrasweet - on my cereal, in my tea, several diet  cokes a day.
Well, I began to develop anxiety and sleep disorders - I did not sleep for a week.  I became obsessive and plagued with worry.  I thought it was caffiene - si I stopped it.  It became a little better.  Well, I still had pimples and in 1996 I got cystic acne and was still wired. After going from doctor to doctor and having my hormone levels checked and told that there was nothing wrong - I became frustrated.  My face looked like hell - swollen and oily and it hurt - my self esteem was in the crapper.  I needed to do something - so, I thought about the time when this started coming around.  I traced it back to when I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia.  That is when I started with nutrasweet - so in december I stopped.  WOW, My face cleared up in about a month - totally.  I have slept through the night for
the last two months - no anxiety - nothing.  I am happy to say that after having quit music from "performance anxiety" that I am able to do that again.  Another thing I noticed was I no longer have back aches and my PMS is not as bad.  Pretty amazing huh?  And they say this stuff isn't bad for you.  Well, I am living proof, as are all of the other people on here, that it is bad - VERY BAD - even life threatening.   Thank you

28. Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 06:20:01 EST
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Final submission - Symptoms complete

This is a very accurate account of my life on aspartame.  Seems to me that anyone who is using aspartame and having problems could find correlations with their symptoms as I did with mine.  I connected dates with employment and events that I was certain of dates and that is how I have develped this list of symptoms.

Symptoms of Aspartame Poisoning
Actual Case History

Seizures and Convulsions - First grand mal nocturnal seizure was 01/96,
then: 03/25/97, 03/29/97, 04/29/95, 10/25/9 (two during the night),
01/05/98.

Dizziness & Tremors - Severe dizziness and unbalance at my mother and father's 40th Aedding Anniversay mass--brother caught me from falling (that was 1990).  Intermittent unbalance and dizziness from 1993 to 1997.  The symptoms disappeard afer April 1997 after completley quitting
the ingestion of Nutra Sweet.

Severe Headaches - Yes - For 15 years I thought I had sinus headaches.  Generalized in the post-surgical area on the left side of my head.  Occasionally, the headaches would involve either my whole head, my frontal region or just the left side. Headaches severity subsided after April 1997. Became intense after that, but completely went away after January 25, 1998 to the present.

Memory Loss  - Yes - very noticable in 1994-1997, especially when I worked for an attorney's office Disappeared after April 1997.

Slurred speech - Yes - very noticable in 1994 - 1997, especially when I worked for an attorney's office.  Disappeard after April 1997.

Confusion -  Yes-occasonally since 1993 -- totally disappeard after April 1997

Numbness or Tingling of Extremities - Yes--occasional - totally disappeared after January 25, 1998.

Chronic Fatigue - Yes--very noticeable from 1993 to 1997.  Still lingered after that but not as severe.  Most severe when working in the Attorney's office.  Subsided after April 1997, but totally disappeared after January 1998.

Depression  -  Occasionally down, but not extreme--seems to be gone also since January 25, 1998

Insomnia - Severe since 1993. Severe up until January 1998.  Very infrequent now.

Irritability - Yes--I blamed it on the career change from 1993.  But  I still was irritable doing what I loved doing  for a living--being an artist.  I didn't understand.  Some still lingers, but a noticeable
positive change since January 25, 1998 after quitting the creamer.

Panic Attacks - Yes - severe at night upon awakening and right before I would have a grand mal seizure. It was so much  improved since April 1997, but still present until January 25, 1998--once I quit the creamer, this symptom has occured one time without the threat of a seizure.

Marked Personality Changes  - Yes--most noticebly withdrawn (so one family member noticed) and didn't feel like I fit in since 1993 - the career change into being a full-time artist in 1997 helped
improved that, but I still knew  something wasn't completely right.  My shyness was to a greater degree.  I feel like I am the person I once was before 1993, but I am still very shy and intimidated at
times, but all of that seems to be better since January 25, 1998.

Phobias - YES--extreme---afraid of going to sleep because I thought I would die during a seizure. After January 25, 1998, that symptom completely disappeared.

Rapid Heart Beat & Tachycardia - YES--very extreme at different times since 1993.  This symptom didn't disappear after April 1997.  It got so severe at times, I was over 120 BPM, and  my blood pressure was very high.  This symptom completely disappeared after January 25, 1998.

Asthmatic Reactions  - Yes--in the form of sneezing and apparent sinus congestion.  Would wake up sneezing, and discolored drainage from my nose was present most of the day.  Sneezing very infrequent since January 25, 1998.  No change in this symptom after April 1997.  Still severe up until January 25, 1998.  Now moderate drainage remains.

Chest Pains - yes-- off and on since 1993 - Completely disappeared after January 25, 1998.

Hypertension High - First noticed March 1997 - 144/96.  Only one time was it critically high, and that was in October 1997 - 168/102.  It has been low since January 25, 1998 - 120/84.

Nausea or Vomiting - Yes-only nausea - Usually accompanied the low blood sugar reactions I seemed to have during different time throughout the year of 1997.  My first clue should have been years ago when I tried Diet Pepsi--I got nauseated right away and didn't know why.  Diet Pepsi is the only product that gave me immediate nausea.

Diarrhea - Yes--very noticable after a meal, but not frequent. First noticed in early 1997.
....
Blood Sugar Control Problems - Yes--severe, even though I am not a diabetic. Approx. 4 times during 1997, I had severe low blood sugar reactions where I would start shaking and  have to stop and get some sugar in me.

Craving for Food - Yes--always wanted something, but never knew what I craved. Mostly since 1993.  Since January 25, 1998, I have not had cravings.  Now changing over non-processed foods.

Weight Gain - Yes - 30lbs in the last 3 years.  I never ate that much and rarely snack, but my body just gained the weight which was and still is impossible to lose until I detox my body from the formaldahyde I feel.

Hair Loss (Baldness) or Thinning of Hair - Thinning of my hair has been very noticeable since 1995. [snip lots of symptoms: severe infections, itching, burning urination,  excessive thirst, etc.]

Joint Pains - Yes---As far back as 1993, I remember having joint pain every day and feeling like I was "old" at the age of 42.   Since January 25, 1998, that all disappeared unless I eat something that contains MSG or hidden NutraSweet.  My immediate reaction to those things is first sneezing, not feeling well and joint pain the next day.

April 1997 was a significant time for me, because after 3 grand mal nocturnal seizures in less than 45 days, I completely quit ingesting nutra sweet in all foods and beverage.  Throughout 1997 and as late as January 5, 1998, I had nocturnal grand mal seizures after not ingesting nutra sweet for all those months.  That led me to believe that there was a real physical problem present OR it led me to believe that I was still ingesting nutra sweet unknowingly.  The only thing I was still ingesting that DID NOT state anywhere on the container was the Nestle's French Vanilla Creamer. Afer completely quitting that on January 25, 1998 (I had enjoyed it since 1993), most all of my symptoms immediately disappeared and I have not been having any seizure activity.  Though it is too early to tell, I have a hunch that the creamer does have nutra sweet in it, even though the company denies that it does. 

29. Date: Sun, 24 May 1998
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: ASPARTAME -- PROOFS OF HARM

Unfortunately, my own husband, Ken, was one of them.  Late last summer he was having a bad headache located mostly on one side of his head.   He went into the Univ. of Utah Medical Center for an MRI.   They discovered a mass, more like a brain lesion.  The Dr who first examined him up in Payson  (a town located between us here in Price, and closer to Provo) is a specialist in those sorts of problems, and recommended the MRI.
Anyway,  Ken cut out drinking the diet Coke, or anything at all which contained Aspartame or other artificial sweeteners.  His headaches soon stopped, and when he went back for another MRI in early Feb. everything was clear,--no more brain lesion, or beginning of a tumor or whatever it was.   When I contacted the Dr. again by E-mail about a month ago, he said that several of his other patients, who had also stopped drinking any diet sodas, had all of their similar problems cleared up, too.

There are several other articles which I posted last fall, perhaps when you were away from the List.  Among them was one describing how Japan had banned all Aspartame for the last 10 years or longer. STEVIA is being used instead, and Japan is now cultivating the sweet-leaved bushes there.

30. To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject:  Aspartame---Nutrasweet
Date: Sunday, March 22, 1998 10:37 PM

Had to send in my personal experience before stumbling off to bed.... I did have neurological symptoms that I feel were the result of consuming sugarfree desserts and drinks sweetened with aspartame. I had muscle tremors that made it feel like we were having an earthquake when I was trying to go to sleep at night.  Since I completely stopped consuming any of these products the last 5 years I have had no shaking sensations... My son gets zero of these products.  I noticed that when I ate desserts sweetened with aspartame the tremors returned.  I think the stuff is VERY questionable.

31. Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 23:48:33 GMT
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspertame Adverse Reaction

I would like to add my own story to that of the growing list of people who have suffered adverse reactions to aspertame.  My story is actually an old one.  Back when the cola companies first started putting nutrasweet in their drinks I decided that it was a good time to begin the use of artificial sweetners.  Up until then I had avoided diet sodas because I didn't like the taste of sacharin.

Well, I came home with my first can of diet Coke.  I drank it with dinner - around 7 p.m.  At around 10 p.m. as I lay down beside my husband to go to sleep I bagan to feel strange.  It felt as if electricity was building up in my limbs and the next thing we knew I was having seisures in both arms and both legs.  My limbs jerked around uncontrollably.  My head  swung from left to right as I lay on the bed.  My husband was very upset; so was I.  The seisures continued intermitantly for two hours, lessening with intensity as the time went by.

I told my husband that I  thought it had to be the soda doing it to me because I'd never had any kind of seizure in my life.  Needless to say I did not have any more of the Diet Coke. I allowed a month to pass.  During that time my husband waited to see if the seizures would reoccur.  They did not.  I, was convinced that it was the aspertame; he was not convinced.  As an experiment, after one month had passed, I purchased a diet-Pepsi. I drank it in the presence of my husband one Saturday afternoon.   The adverse reaction proceeded just as it had the month prior with the diet-Coke. After wating a few months I tried diet 7-UP. I really did want to lose weight without giving up sodas.  Again, the same reaction as the first two instances.

32. Subject: Re: Do you drink crystal light?
Date: 27 Mar 1998 12:58:40 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.med.fibromyalgia

NO!!! I sure don't! I did when it first came out(I was in about 10th grade),and it made me very sick. I was using it in everything-"Diet coke" "Extra" gum "Equal",etc.....   Finally my doctor figured out that I was most definitely allergic to it. It gave me intense headaches,blurred vision, balance problems (which was very embarrassing as a member of a dance company!) and many other problems which I can't remember now due to the "fog" in my head! Anyway, I abruptly stopped using it and felt much better immediately. I avoid it now for those reasons, but I don't entirly trust it as "safe" either. That's my personal opinion. I'm not a person that trusts chemicals much, drugs, or altered food. So that's my 2cents!

I don't use anything with Nutrasweet either - soon after it came out, I tried it and twice got quite sick from it.  Once waas a headache, body aches and the other time, it made me throw up!  So I think I'm allergic to it.  We just don't *know* longterm what the affects of that are.  I discourage my hubby/kids from having lots of the stuff too.  Real sugar has been around a long time, so we know more about that!

I really don't like soda/pop at all - don't like the bubbles.  I'm still on my apple cider trend adn thinking that the FMS might be causing that.  As long as the store keeps carrying it - every half gallon I wonder if that'll be the last, but they still have it, so I'm thankful for that!!

33. To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Questionairre
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 16:13:00 -0600

Medical problems that you believe are caused from using aspartame:
I have experienced severe abdominal pain, bloating, feeling of being tremendously  full all of the time even though I would hardly eat.  Pain to the point of not being able to bend over.  Regurgitation of food.  I would become tremendously gassy.

Why do you feel aspartame caused these problems?
Because this went on for over one year.  I thought I had a food allergy. I slowly began to eliminate foods that I felt could be causing it.  I eventually had eliminated almost everything.  It was by accident that I did not consume any asparatame one weekend, and felt better than I had in over a year.  I thought it could be it, and completely stopped consuming it.  I have not had one symptom since.

Did the symptoms go away when you stopped using the products?
Yes, 100%.

Did you see a doctor about symptoms?
Yes, they ran numerous tests.  Sent me to a digestive healthcare clinic. Put me on medications that required me to take up to 12 pills a day.  I am not one to take medication, so I continued to attempt to figure it out on my own.

Did Doctor think it was related to aspartame?
No, I did mention it one time, but he did not feel that was it.

Did you report your symptoms to the FDA or any other group?
No, I have read a lot about affects of aspartame since I was so sick, but did not know where to report to.

Specific products I was consuming:
Crystal Light   approx. a pitcher a day
NutraSweet in every cup of coffee I would drink  (2-Cups/Day)
Trident ( I would chew a lot of gum) (1/2 pack/Day)
Equal - on my cereal in the morning (1-Bowl / day)
Sugar-Free Jolly Ranchers
Sugar-Free Frozen Yogurt (1-Cup per day)

I have since found other products (ie. gum) that is not sugar-free but contains asparatame yet.  I look at every label now.

I probably started experiencing these symptoms soon after using the products.  I am very health conscious, so I began adding more to my diet over time.  The symptoms definitely got worse overtime.  I have consumed on occasion without my knowledge, small amounts since I have given it up.  I can tell immediately, that my body cannot tolerate it.

I am so against the use of it since I became knowledgeable of it making me so miserable for so long.  I would just cry because I was so uncomfortable at times. It began to interfere in things I would do, I wouldn't go places.

I truly believe that this product should not be on the market.  I would be interested in any information related to my experience that you might have.

34. Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 08:38:43 -0500
Newsgroups: alt.support.diet
Subject: Re: Nutrsweet Lies

hi...i read your post and thought id tell you my story the short version.I drank 5-6 16oz of diet soda a day im small 100lbs (not anymore but i was)ive been doing this for atleast 3yrs.anyway about 8 months ago i got ill dizzy, weakened immune system trouble swollowing,tired etc...drs couldnt find anything so i took it into my own hands i was havind tachycardia so i gave up caffiene still drank diet sprite nothing well time went by and tuesday i gave up nutrasweet well can i tell you my dizziness thats been plaguing me day and night is almost gone of course my immune sys. is still shot but i heard it can take 60 days to detox im taking detox herbs to speed it along this cant be coincidense.just wanted to tell you my story (as you can tell by my spelling my fog has not tottally lifted yet)

35. Subject: Re: xxxxxxxxxx approved in U.S.!
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998 21:03:22 -0800
Newsgroups: alt.support.diet

I don't know about Nutrasweet being bad for every one, but I know that it makes me deathly ill.  Headaches, sick to my stomach, really raunchy taste.  But I am one of those that just can't stomach it.  My mom has been using saccharine and aspartame for years and she is just fine.
...
When I was 16 my step mom told me that I had to drink it, and told me it  was a matter of taste and sat me down and made me drink a 6 pack of diet Pepsi...I ended up in the hospital with gastric distress, that was the last time I willingly drank it.  One sip and I am wanting to heave.

36. To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: aspartame problems
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 1998 18:46:06 -0600

I am a 37-year-old teacher, who has always been in good health.
....
I eat healthy foods, but I have one bad habit.  I began drinking Dt. Coke three years ago, and I am up to two 20 oz. Diet Cokes per day.  I don't drink coffee or tea, so my Dt. Coke habit began as a want for caffeine.  I switched to caffeine-free Dt. Coke after one year of the regular diet kind. Unfortunately, about six months ago, I began having terrible headaches.  I would go to sleep with one, and wake up with one.  I didn't seem to have any organic reason why I was having them.  Everyone seemed to think they were stress related, BUT I really felt happy - my career and colleagues are great, my husband and kids are fantastic, our money situation is better than ever --  why would I be stressed?  On a hunch, I gave up pop.  Within 10 days, my headaches went away.  After being headache-free for a few weeks, and I guess, finding it hard to believe that pop could cause problems, I went back to drinking caffeine-free Diet Coke. 

Then three weeks ago, I began to have light flashes occur in my eyes.  I thought it was our fluorescent lights we have in our classroom, which seem to shine brighter on dark, dreary days, and the reflection off of the dozens of mostly white papers I grade on a daily basis.  My eyes need a
rest, I thought.  Then it happened two more times, once when I was at home. When the flashes occur, I can't see in the center of my eyes, only around the edges, and the flashes are as bright as photographic bulbs.  I have a check-up next month, so I thought I'd bring it up then, since otherwise I
was O.K.  It was strange, too, and I didn't want anyone to think I was hallucinating, etc., etc. 

This week, I have had constant heart palpitations.  These frighten me, enough that I mentioned it to family members and even a colleague of mine.  I have no pain -- just frequent heart "fluttering."  I  have read enough to know these symptoms are related to certain health problems (and my brother is a doctor, which helps!)  I have no thyroid problems and my blood sugar level is fine.  I have a doctor's appointment in a few days, but, being a teacher, I'm naturally curious.  So I thought about my lifestyle (I don't smoke, drink, or do drugs), my eating habits, etc., and looked for excesses.  Dt. Coke, of course!  I followed a hunch and did a search on "aspartame."  I'm going cold turkey on the Dt. Coke.  I'll let you know when or if the palpitations stop, or if another cause is found.  I would have never thought that diet soda could be toxic.  I guess I'll find out first hand if my fears are correct.  Why hasn't this been brought out before?  I'm beginning to feel like a victim.       

[update]

37. To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 20:19:27 -0600

I stopped using all products containing aspartame on February 11, 1998, after suspecting caffeine-free Dt. Coke was making me sick.  I drank some as a "test" on Friday, February 20, and got really sick.  I also tried tea (not herbal) on Feb. 25 to see if it triggered anything.  It didn't affect me.  Still thinking it a coincidence, I tried caffeine-free Dt. Coke again on March 9th, but only four sips.  Yikes!  Was that a bad decision!  I'm just glad I have strong willpower, because I feel now that I was addicted to Dt. Coke.  This and the fact that it has made me so sick, has frightened me enough to give it up for good, plus other aspartame-containing products. I've never drank alcohol or tried any addicting drugs, but I feel that Dt. Coke is as addictive and dangerous.  I'm telling everyone I know to be careful of what they eat and drink.  My colleagues cannot believe this has happened to active me.  I still have some heart palpitations now which occur randomly (not specifically after exercise or eating, they just occur in an irregular pattern) even though I am now on 200 mg. Lopressor per day.
My memory is improving slightly, although I think I may be compensating for my problem somewhat (more lists, sticky notes to myself, etc.).  The sensitivity to light, and light flashes have stopped so far.  My doctors want to do another thyroid scan next week.  I'll update you.  Thanks for the information!  I'm glad there are people out there who care!

38. Subject: [LC] aspartame dangers
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 1998 19:32:11 -0800
Mailing List: LOWCARB-LIST@maelstrom.stjohns.edu

If you do some searching on nutra sweet you will find many articles detailing the side effects of aspartame including increased risk of brain tumors, and numerous other health problems resulting from methanol and formaldehyde released during digestion of nutra sweet or aspartame.

Last year, I developed Bells Palsy (I did recover) and then I got Shingles. both of these have to do with nerves and run along the path of nerves. You only get shingles when extremely run down such as the elderly or cancer patients.  I was 36 years old.  this scared the s?&* out of me. I started doing some research and discovered all the "BAD" things nutrasweet can do.  It can mimic MS which both Bells and shingles are symptoms of.  I did have an MRI which ruled MS out.  I stopped it cold turkey.
....
I was drinking gallons of diet iced tea a week.  enough.  Never  again!  I also felt like a cloud had been lifted off of my brain within a few days of stopping it.

39. Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 14:31:19 -0500 (EST)
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: You're a victim of mass poisoning

I am SO angry.... I and my 10 year old son have been off of this  since August and almost all my symptoms are gone!  He no longer has asthma and now no longer needs to wear glasses!!!!

I don't have to wear glasses either!!!! But those are minor.  I have been using Nutra Sweet for at least 7 or 8 years!!!  I had gained weight!  I now only weigh 118-120 (I am 5ft 2in), I have been up to around 200 lbs, and using this to LOSE!!!!  I had Endometreosis and Menstrual problems...Had a Hysterectomy at 24, developed Hyperglycemia and so increased the Aspartame intake.  Soon after I started having bladder and bowel problems.  Had a colonoscopy...to examine my insides and bladder surgery to diagnose.  I was told to have Chronic Spastic Colon Problems, and that I no longer had a bladder lining...a condition called Interstistial Cystitis.  The symptoms are blood in the urine ...pain ...and no infection. I have been treated for all of the above for 7 years.  They only worsened. Then about 4 years ago I started have major muscle problems.  I was constantly in a fog, and falling down and running into things. My legs would give out while I was walking.  My knees could not hold me up.  At this time I only weighed about 145 lbs.  Finally, I was pre- diagnosed with MS. I was sent to a Nuerologist for extensive tests. Including a spinal tap and MRI and Brain electrode testing. MS was not the problem.  My muscle Spasms in my back got so bad that I was bed ridden and having to be carried to the bathroom. The pain was almost unbearable. I was then diagnosed with Fibromyalgia by 3 separate Drs.  My memory loss became a joke to the whole family.  And I use to sit down and feel like I was in a well looking out into the world...a sort of sur-real feeling.  I was lossing hair, and having allergy problems, and constantly in pain in my abdomin  and back.
I finally decided to get healthy and started "working out".  I ended up in the hospital for heart palpatations and chest pain. I would have tremors that no one could control. I was told they were panic attacks, but over what, I would ask? I would be asleep and wake up in tremors!  Someone mentioned this info to me, and so I cut down on the aspartame, just because I was willing to try anything.  I joined a weight loss class called weigh down.  She said that your body basically metabolizes everything natural and to just try to eat "Real" food and not the diet foods with artifical fat and sweetners. This would allow your body to work natuarally.  I started this in June.  I finally quite all nutrasweet in August. By December I am almost totally well.  I am no longer in pain and not in need of ANY medication except for hormones for the hysterectomy.  I am 32 now. This has made me so angry!  I am warning everyone, and intend to contact my insurance company....since they have helped me foot the bills.  No one can however give me back the quality of life I lost during the last few years. Nor can they make up for all the pain and the tests I had to endure.  I feel betrayed, and yet I am so glad that there is information out now before it is too late.  I am thankful my son is off of this stuff, and I pray he will be ok in the future.   Thank you for all you are doing.  Let me know what I can do to help.

40. CompuServe
Natural Medicine Forum, Corner Juice Bar[1]
Re: Aspartame: Nutrapoison?
Mon, Dec 15, 1997, 8:20 PM
Message # 274332

I was intrigued by the posting for the conference Aspartame:Nutrapoison??, unfortunatly I was unable to make it.  However, I have had personal experiences with aspartame that I would like to share.  About 10 years ago my grandmother became ill and the illness progressed until it became so violent that it  forced her to the emergency room.  It began with flu like symptoms and progressed to the point of effecting her vital signs with boughts of extreme stomach illness.  At the time of her hospitalization they were unaware of the cause of her illness because the symptoms disappeared shortly after her hospitalization.  The correlation was drawn to aspartame when family members brought in "diet Ginger Ale" and the illness returned.  At this time they determined that she was "allergic" to it.  I had assumed at this point that it was not harmful to everybody, just her because of some rejection by her body.

I myself was unaware of its negative side affects until recently when I had to seek several forms of treatment for debilitating migraines.  It wasn't until a mere coincidence that my eye doctor warned me that the cause may be aspartame.  I immediately stopped consuming diet soda and have been migraine- free for 8 months!!  I have grave concerns however, because I have seen several primary care doctors and not one of them warned me of the possible aspartame/migraine correlation.  Is there anyway that this information can be educated to the public, especially the physicians?

41. Date: Fri, 06 Feb 1998 15:54:15 -0500
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Aspartame + Epileptic Seizures

My little girl was seven when she started to experience problems. She is a tubbly little thing - it runs in our family and always has. When I was expecting her I stuck to low call drinks and food. As she grew so did her wieght and one day I had a call from the school nurse about it. She referred us to a hospital dietician and the diet sheet told us to switch to low call drinks and low call foods.

I followed all of this with gusto and got some artifiical sweetner as well. Within a short space of time she started to be not so well. Somethimes she was not with it and sometimes she would look real bad. She started to have funny turns and would lose the muscle power to one side of her face and loose her speech. Eventually she had a full blown fit that was very bad indeed.

When all your information arrived it prompted much discussion. My eldest child told me that my daughter loved the artificial sweetner and if may back was turned she would help herself to a couple of spoonfuls at breakfast time. She always had her fits in the late morning! EEG's and Brain Scans produced no sign of any problems but she was and still is diagnosed as Epileptic.

They gave her medication but it did not seem to have much effect. My daughter was pale with dark circles under her eyes and a blue tinge to her lips. She did not seem to be with it and she became breathless very easily yet they could not find anything wrong!!

Life was awful but then xxxxx xxxxx Asked a question on the Net about this subject and you replied. When I read all the information you sent I was horrified. I threw out any and everything that had Aspartame in it.

Three weeks late I was looking at a healthy alert child with vivacious bright eyes, rosy cheeks and red lips. She has never had a fit since and needless to say she now avoids anything with Aspartame in it. My daughter felt the improvement so much that she is convinced that this awful substance caused her problems. She has only ever been on a low dose of seizure controlling drug and we are finding it very hard to get the medical authorities to recognise that there is a realy high probability that this was the cause. Our family are convinced of it because we saw no improvement for some time after she started on medication but a wonderful improvement when we started the no Aspartame regime.

Im sorry to have taken so long to let you know the outcome of your efforts. I have just gone on the net and the first thing I did was look you up. I just wanted to let you know that you have restored peace of mind for my daughter and myself and that I support your campaign to the full. Once again thank you so very much.

[Update]

42. Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 19:42:57 -0500
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Aspartame + Epileptic Seizures

Thanks for your note and all of the information - You will never understand just how grateful I am for the trouble you took on that one night to send that information. I suffered post traumatic stress syndrome for two years after my daughter had her first fit and I am so convinced that we have the cause that I can now sleep at night. My eldest child has just had an eeg and guess what? it is showing irregularities - I feel so guilty because I used to drink this stuff when I was pregnant because I was always being nagged about my weight.

I refuse to buy anything with it in and I now write letters of complaint to all those manufacturers who insist on putting this rubbish into non low cal products ie. normal orjage drinks etc. We only have mineral water and fruit juice in our house and I take every opportunity I can to recount our story to whoever will listen. As a result our local schools no longer give the children anything with Aspartame. So many people on this Island now are aware of the dangers of this substance.

I will keep fighting the good fight and will continue to do battle with our local hospital - can you believe it? THEY ACTUALLY GAVE ME A DIET SHEET FOR MY DAUGHTER WHICH STATED THAT I SHOULD GIVE HER LOW CAL PRJODUCTS!!
....

43. Date: Sun, 14 Jun 1998
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: I took the test!  Aspartame

On Jan 1, 1998, I quit eating anything that had Aspartame in it.  It used to be an important part of my diet since I have always been horizontally gifted.  My first recollection of Aspartame was when Tab was removed from the market and replaced it with Diet Coke.  (Who even remembers how long ago that was?)  Since I have quit Aspartame I have noticed that my headaches have gone, my memory has improved and I think my current food management plan is successful because aspartame is no longer part of my diet.
....

43. Date: Wed, 17 Jun 1998 06:07:05 GMT
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame

My story? I was drinking a lot of Ribena light (a reduced sugar blackcurrant drink) and using a lot of low sugar chewing gum in January this year. I started getting severe heart rhythm abnormalities (known as "ectopic" beats) which have stopped since I removed all Aspartame products from my diet.

I feel I have a duty to let more people know about this poison. Do you have an info pack you can send? Is Monsanto likely to take legal action (or have they done so) against people campaigning against Aspartame? I'd be interested to take this one to court...

44. Subject: Re: [EARTHSAVE] Weight gain and aspartame
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 1998 10:55:11 -0600
Mailing List: EARTHSAVE@maelstrom.stjohns.edu

I don't know whether Aspartame weight gain was psychological or actual.  I do know that I developed increasing headaches and vision problems due to Aspartame which I stopped consuming over a year ago.

In its place, I simply changed my diet.  That change did not mean drinking sugared Pepsi instead of Diet Pepsi.  It meant changing from junk food diet drinks to a more natural diet without any added sweetener.  I stopped consuming soft drinks, tea or cofee, and drank herbal teas that did not need sweetener, Mountain Valley Water (which I use for all cooking and beverages, even for my pets) .  I've returned to eating fresh fruits and fresh fruit juices or shakes and avoiding anything with sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Since I've stopped using Nutraseet, my vision is becoming better and the headaches have seized.   In fact, I can now see with eye glasses that I used 6 years ago.  Whereas, when I used Equal, I was contantly getting new prescriptions.

Since I rarely buy food at the grocery store, the food I am able to buy is not yet contaminated with artifical ingredients.  And, although I've had a weight problem for years, it is not due to buying natural food, but rather what I had eaten while also consuming Equal. I'm losing weight now.  In the last two weeks, I've lost about 8 pounds.

45. To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Nutrasweet
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 15:37:16 EST

I just read your long article on Nutrasweet.  I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which I attribute to chemical/pestacide poisoning which altered my immune system so that I was susceptable to the yet to be discovered virus that causes CFS. That's my educated guess after over a year of "internet study and research".

Nevertheless I do have a Nutrasweet story. When Nutrasweet first came on the market in the '80s, I was drinking Diet Pepsi with nutrasweet and noticed migraine headaches were increasing in  frequency and severity.  On mother's day 1987 I had such a severe migraine that I thought it was a stroke.  I was in my 30's so you can imagine how worried I was.  I had a CT scan at the Wellington Regional Medical Center in West Palm Beach, and it was negative for a stroke, so they gave me some pain medication and sent me home.  I have never had nutrasweet since then, and have been a fanatic about keeping my young children off of it.  As the years have gone by, whenever I read something negative about nutrasweet, I am not surprised. It is sickening that most children's medicine has nutrasweet in it. It is a crying shame that you and others have been/are going through such hell, and ill health.  All because of corporate greed on the part of Searle.

46. Date:        Sat, 21 Mar 1998 20:51:36 CST
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re[2]: sendme: brain-cancer

Yes, I got the information I wanted.  Yes, I am a victim and I have known that for over 10 years now.  However, I was unaware of the awareness groups as well as the other major side effects.  As a child, I was misdiagnosed with hypoglycemia due to vertigo I experienced due to aspartame in diet soda.  I was only 11 and they put me on a low sugar diet, meaning I actually consumed more NutraSweet and the dizziness continued.  I finally lied to the Dr. because I was sick of appointments and being treated like a freak.  I said they had stopped and went back to eating normal.  After I stopped consuming NutraSweet, the dizziness stopped.

47. Subject:      Re: Nasty lil toxin
Date:         1998/03/16
Newsgroups:   soc.singles.moderated

Yup.  Both with having side-effects and with digging through long list of ingredients to make sure that something I'm going to eat doesn't have aspertame in it.  (A good indicator is if it warns phenylketinurics (sp) not to eat this.)

My side effects varied.  From food and sodas, I get nasty, nasty headaches.  I really think it's had a negative effect on my memory, too.  For awhile I tried to do the SlimFast thing, and the powdered mix gave me the most bizzare sensations--like I was kinda drunk but with a serious caffeine buzz.  My insides just quaked and I could feel my blood rushing through my veins with each pump of my heart.  After the second "meal", I stopped.  (Note, though, that the pre-mixed, canned stuff doesn't have aspertame, just the powdered mix.)

I even get headaches now from breathmints or chewing gum that has aspertame in it.

My suggestion for you (if you have to beware the stuff) is to avoid anything that has the word "lite" in it.  Nine times out of ten, it'll have nutrasweet in it.  You'll have to learn how to diet without using
those products.  (Which sucks rocks if you want my opinion, but, what else can you do??)

48. Subject: Re: please help
Date: 7 Mar 98 16:15:54 GMT
Newsgroups: sci.med

I suffered for about a year with what my doctor thought was some kind of "chronic mono" or "chronic fatigue symdrom."  In addition to fatigue, I had extreme difficulty concentrating, and felt like I never came completely awake all day.  It turned out that my symptoms were caused by aspartame when I switched to diet soda, and went away within 48 hours of ceasing to drink it.  The suggestion that it might be the diet soda came from a coworker, and I never expected it to turn out to actually be the cause.

49. http://www.wdworkshop.com/wdwd_frm.htm
Re: Diet cokes SODAPHOBIA
Date: 06 Mar 1998
Time: 23:51:39

xxxxxxx, You may be skeptical of the research and comments made on that particular web site - and sometimes I am also skeptical of everyone who  always seems to want to be suspicious of EVERYTHING - BUT - I truly believe that aspartame is a bad thing for me.- and I no longer use it in any way, shape or form, nor do I allow anyone in my family to use it! I began drinking diet coke about 2 years ago - because i wanted to save some calories - even tho it tasted awful - i got used to it and really enjoyed it - then about 1 year ago i began having horrible headaches, foggy thinking even optical migraines (lost my vision for short periods of time) I never, never had a migraine or foggy thinking before - anyhow, did a lot of reading up on aspartame - and decided to give up my diet coke - this wasnt easy - i craved it - 3 different occassions i have tried some diet coke and all three times within an hour or so i developed a sever migraine and/or the foggy brain thing! that's all the research i need to know i will stay away from it forever!! sorry so long - but thought you might be interested in hearing from an "average woman" not a crazed person out to find bad in everything Praise the Lord for the wonderful things He has done in my life through WDW!! In His Love.

50. Subject: Re: Ginea Pig Volunteers Wanted
Date: 2 Apr 1998 12:09:55 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.support.mult-sclerosis

Thats a great idea, xxxxxx. I for one can vouch that aspartame played a major part in some of my health problems. I was a heavy user in that I don't really like hot drinks and I lived on Diet Cola. I actually felt it took a few months to wean myself off it. I missed it a lot. And an extra point, some chewing gum and sweets contain aspartame as well. I found mints that I never knew were sugar free and they had aspartame. So check the labels on stuff as well.

51. Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 14:02:44 -0500
To: aspartame <webmaster@aspartame.com
Subject: Re: IC

We have known, for years, that nutrasweet is a significant bladder irritant for Interstitial Cystitis patients.  With the small open wounds in the bladder membrane that most IC patients have, nutrasweet is one of those compounds that appears to easily penetrate and further inflame those tissues.  IT is one our top ten list of forbidden fruits.. and, between you and me, I think that those people who have lived on diet sodas for years and then developed the incurable IC can blame nutrasweet as the trigger for their particular condition.

52. Subject: Re: nutrasweet?
Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 08:58:21 -1000
Newsgroups: alt.med.cfs  [i]

Did anyone use alot of this before CFS?

Not before but after in attempt to lose all the weight lying in bed created.  I got major urinary pain, but the urologist couldn't find anything.  He even did a biopsy, because my bladder was covered with red spots like the beginning of lesions.  He said, "It's going to turn out to be an allergy, I bet, but to what, I have no idea." By process of elimination, I discovered it was NutraSweet.  No symptoms since.

53. Subject: Off Nutrasweet for two months....
Date: 26 Feb 1998 16:46:32 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.support.inter-cystitis

I had an epiphany about nutrasweet and quit using it two months ago and guess what?  the tiny flareups i had a night are gone, gone, gone. not a twinge. just want to let you-all know...i observe all the other nutritional no-nos but couldn't say goodbye to nutrasweet. i have replaced it with the herb STEVIA which research shows to actually balance blood sugar, not wreck it! and i lost five pounds...wow.

54. Subject: Re: effects of aspartame?
Date: 2 Mar 1998 16:20:42 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.drugs.smart

Does this stuff give you somewhat of a mental block? I'm hypoglycemic and i can't have anything with a lot of sugar in it… Around last october i started drinking lots of Sparkling soda, ice cream, candy..etc. sweetened with aspartame.. and the last few months i've been kinda..  blank..  unable to come up with new ideas and stuff, and just bored.

The same thing happened to me.  I also after several months began to get slight dizzy spells.  3 or 4 days after stopping, I felt brighter, less bored, and the dizzy spells vanished completely. Now I use Sweet&Low with no ill effects.  Unfortunately there's no ice-cream with S&L instead of sugar, so once in a while I indulge a little.  It's still better than using aspertame.

55. To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame
Date: Tue, 5 May 1998 23:05:22 EDT

Dear Dr. Friedman:

My beloved wife Kelli died last month.  She was 37 years old.  She left behind an 8 year old daughter.

Kelli died of a brain tumor.  She was a heavy user  of Aspartame.  On a typical day, she would consume between 6 - 12 cans of diet cola.  I used to joke to her that she drank so much diet Pepsi, that she should cut out the middleman and have them deliver the stuff right to our house.  Her use of Aspartame did not end with diet cola.  She consumed it in many products everyday.  Like most women, she was obsessed with watching her weight.

I have heard representatives from Monsanto claim that the product is the most widely tested and safest product on the market.  It's not a coincidence that the studies they quote to support their claim were funded by Monsanto.

There are so many doctors and scientists who are questioning the safety of Aspartame, that it is time the FDA took action.  I'm not a scientist, and don't claim to understand all of the studies.  However, it seems to me that when you can find a direct correlation between the introduction of Aspartame into the market and a sharp rise in the number of brain tumors, it's more than a coincidence.  It needs to be investigated.

Lives are at stake here!  I do realize that it's too late to bring Kelli back.  I can't tell you the hell we went through for the past three and a half years.  Her illness took a toll on our entire family.   We will suffer from her loss for the rest of our lives.

Dr. Friedman, please have the courage to stand up against Monsanto and the other big business interests trying to hide the facts.  Get Aspartame off the market!

56. Subject: Re: Aspartame question...
Date: Sun, 3 May 1998 08:13:20 -0700
Mailing List: ATKINS-NEW@maelstrom.stjohns.edu

Has anyone else on this list experienced headaches or a feeling that your eyes were going to pop out of their sockets at night (when you're trying to go to sleep).  This latter symptom has happened to me twice and it doesn't hurt but it is extremely uncomfortable and makes me feel like I have to hold my eyes in w/ my hands!  I toss and turn and can't go to sleep when this occurs.  Very strange!

I had the same problem. At one point I was consuming either two glass or diet soda or copious amounts of powered drink formulas, all laced with aspartame. The headaches got so bad that it took two aspirins, twice during different time of the night, just to get a decent night's sleep!

Finally, I researched the matter on the Net and found PLENTY of reports about the same thing. I immediately quit ANY drink, mixture, or envelope containing Aspartame or Nutra-Sweet. The headaches stopped and haven't returned. That's all the proof  I need!

As for Stevia, don't give up! Go to Web and look of "Paul on Sweetners" at

57. To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Aspartame Poisoning
Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 02:48:38 EST

I am off this poison and feel much better. However, my friends son is 37 and has been rushed to the hosp. twice now for severe chest pains and was just told that it is not a heart problem. He drinks too much diet soda. Hve you heard of Aspartame causing heart pain? I told my friend to tell her son to speak to the DR. about this. I understand he drinks at least 5 cans a day to control his weight.

58. Subject: Re: Other days off ......{was:NOT AGAIN!}
Date: Wed, 01 Apr 1998 14:11:49 -0800
Newsgroups: alt.support.childfree

Not everyone has the option of "take a water pill and a couple of advil" - I was originally put on the Pill because I had to spend the first 48 hours of each period _in bed_ with what my gyn basically considered labor pains while I bled through a "super" tampon and an "overnight" super-maxi in an hour, passed huge clots, spent hours in the bathroom with vomiting and diarrhea, fainted when I stood up.

Boy, did this bring back horrible memories. I went through very similar months while I was in high school. What a nightmare! It turned out that it was my body's recation to aspartame (nutrasweet) and Diet Coke had just come
out.

59. http://wdworkshop.com/_wdwd/00002f6f.htm
Re: Daily Headaches
Date: 28 Jan 1998
Time: 15:12:30

I am wondering how Cindy's cat scan turned out. I know she didn't mention anything about Nutra Sweet, but for those who did, I also have had an experience with it and it was most unpleasant. It was about 8-10 years ago. I had been drinking diet soda for a good while when I started having these spells. The closest thing I can think that they would be like is a stroke. I would start to get a headache, then become dizzy or light headed and pretty quickly too. Then my speech wouldn't cooperate with me. I could think of someone's name and see their face, but not say their name and I felt slurry too. I also would have pain in my left arm. I know this sounds crazy, but I experienced it. I stopped drinking diet things and it stopped. I don't have that happen anymore. I have to give God the credit for me being able to find out what it was. It had to be His hand and I sure do thank Him for it!! When I read these other posts about the Nutra Sweet, I thought I would share. Hope it is of some help to someone.

60. Subject: Re: Nutrasweet
Date: 13 Jan 1998 23:43:03 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.med.fibromyalgia

Hi,  I also do not have concrete info on nutrasweet.  I know for me I get horrible headaches, extra foggy, and horrible pains in my stomach with any artificial sweetener.  I finally talked my husband to try not drinking diet pop for one month.  I just figured all his weird symptoms----rash on face at all times, constant sinus nasal drip, and bad breath had to be connected.  Well, one week off of diet soda and it all went away.  He has not had any diet pop for over a year now.  I do not believe that putting that chemical in your body is good for you.

61. Date: Sat, 3 Jan 1998 01:53:27 -0500
Newsgroups: alt.med.cfs
Subject: Re: MED: other: chat Aspartame

Unfortunately - tis the truth. I have a HUGE file on this stuff - BAD NewS!  Avoid it like  a STD! I fouled up back in the hot summer of 92, and was consuming a 24 pack of diet pop a week - tried to give up coffee - what a dope! After about 6 weeks of the diet pop  - I found myself going down hill and it was only the beginig of July - This was NOT supposed to happen to PWC's at that time of the year.... the downward spiral is due here mid November - not mid July. I quit the diet pop, and within a couple of weeks was BACK to the level of activity I was accustomed to that April, May and early June.

It you want a copy of the aspartame file let me know back channel – but I warn you - it is HUGE, VERY HUGE, HUMONGOUES even - really - it is one big blighter! Best wishes for an improvement once you quit poisoning yourself with EQUAL,  (AKA - Aspartame)!!!

62. Re: MED: Aspartame
Date           Fri, 2 Jan 1998 14:12:21 -0500
Newsgroups     alt.med.cfs
                                     
I know from personal experience that aspartame, nutrasweet etc. gives me horrible, and I mean dreadful, migraines.  Aspartame also stimulates appetite, I don't know where I read this, but I have read it in a paper or somthing.

I have heard anecdotal that when aspartame heats up, it can become toxic to your body (like when the truck delivering bottles of diet Coke gets hot).  I have also heard, on some tv program that it is causing serious eye problems. I will never touch the stuff again.

63. Subject: Re: Anybody take this?
Date: 16 May 1998 19:56:48 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.support.mult-sclerosis

I cut that garbage out of my diet in December.  I found the dizzy spells I was getting have almost disapeared!  I never heard of swelling as a side effect of apspartame, but I wouldn't doubt it!  Dizzy spells, headaches, stomach problems. . .and now edema. That stuff is poison.

64. Subject: Re: ASPARTAME?
Date: 09 May 1998 13:55:16 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.med.fibromyalgia

My own experience with aspartame (Nutrasweet) is that is gives me screaming headaches.  Several years ago when I was dieting and constantly complaining of headaches, my neighbor (a nurse with an epileptic son who was also affected by aspartame) suggested that I eliminate the diet pop I was drinking .  Lo and behold, that particular type of headache disappeared.

65. Subject: Re: Anybody take this?
Date: 16 May 1998 07:24:43 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.support.mult-sclerosis

I found this spring that my feet were swelling for the first time in my life. My internist suggested I walk more (this during the rainy spring we are having in NYC--rain makes my legs feel like each one is encased in a 75-pound concrete block).  I followed his advice, but the swelling persisted. Then I found the cause: diet colas with Nutrasweet, which I had just begun to drink.  As soon as eliminated them, the edema (swelling) disappeared. I later read that aspartame (Nutrasweet and Equal) causes foot edema in some people.

66.Subject: headaches, non-migraine
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 09:51:06 -0800
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs

Aspertame (a.k.a. nutrisweet) gives me unbearable headaches -- it started slowly, and built up with my use of any diet substances containing aspartame.  Within the first month after it was introduced, the insides of my elbows and the backs of my knees would be speckled with bruises if I had anything with aspartame in it, even one stick of gum.  Needless to say, I do not use anything with aspartame!!

67. Date: Wed, 25 Feb 1998 17:59:06 +0530
Newsgroups: alt.support.diet
Subject: Nutrasweet...my experiences

I have struggled with weight all my life and I have tried most every type of diet out there. I have found that I have one really big problem with Nutrasweet. Every time that I use it, I get really bad migraine headaches. I have tried lots of different products containing it and they all have the same effect. I have family and friends that have the same problems with it. I know that if something gives you a bad side effect such as headache then it can't be that good for you!

68. To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: l-phenylaline ?
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 17:57:47 -0500

xxxxx, this is very interesting to me.  I react badly to aspartame/NutraSweet.  It makes me feel (mentally) something like a combination of caffeine overdose and a "fever delirium."  High-speed, jumbled thoughts, with (physically) twitchy nerves and jerks... the mental part is similar to a "moderate" Anxiety episode.  Any thoughts on this?

69. Subject:      Re: Aspertame...???
Date:         1998/03/21
Newsgroups:   alt.sport.weightlifting

I lived for the best part of a year with an allergy no doctor could explain,a skin crawling and sometimes pins and needle itch you would not believe.I went everywhere to find the problem, I was told to just accept it and get on with life.I was taking antihistamines which made me drowsy and apathetic.

I had lived away from home for years and the trouble started soon after moving back. My mother was putting EQUAL (a artificial sweetener)in my tea. My father had some put in his tea by accident and he got the symptoms. It took me a few days without Aspartame and antihistamines but the problem slowly went away.FREE AT LAST.

70. Subject: Re: Aspartame and MS
Date: 26 Mar 1998 11:59:25 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.support.mult-sclerosis

Aha, panic attacks. Mine are gone (fingers crossed) and I gave up aspartame about three months ago. I'd been taking it in Diet Coke for a good few years. Don't miss it one bit.

71. Subject: Re: Nasty lil toxin
Date: 12 Mar 1998 21:55:49 -0500
Newsgroups: soc.singles.moderated

A headache?  What I got was a technicolor headache with vision impairment and a feeling that I was going to die, die, die, and an emergency trip to the doctor.  *Just* a migraine. (and now there's olestra)

72. Subject: Re: Melatonin (was sleep)
Date: 25 Mar 1998 05:14:06 -0000
Newsgroups: alt.support.menopause

I've had two classic migraines, including aura, both triggered by aspartame.  Bleah.  I now occasionally have a sinus headache morph into a migraine, less severe than the aspartame ones.

73. Subject: [LC] MSG/Aspertame ... long
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 1998 09:53:47 -0800
Mailing List: LOWCARB-LIST@maelstrom.stjohns.edu  [i]
Ok, now to aspertame.  While surfing the net about MSG, I ran across a site about aspertame and it's affects.  Yeah, I've read that there are lots of controversy over this product, and I don't want to start anything with anyone about it, but I'm just going to state what this product does to ME and how it affects my life.  In addition to all those nasty side effects *dizziness, brain fog, blacking out,* (I have experienced these effects personally) I have also found that the maltodextrin used as the filler for aspertame converts to MSG when ingested.  SOOO, with that in mind, it is very frustring to also find that Sugar Twin (and the guy from the Stevia page has told me that the free sample that he is sending me) has that as it's first ingredient also.

74. Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 19:39:29 -0500 (EST)
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: RE: Headaches and aspartame

Thanks for your email.  I have been meaning to write to you.  My wife has been off aspartame for approximately two months and has noticed a significant reduction in her headaches.  The few that she still gets are much less severe.  There was a definite change immediately after she stopped using the aspartame.  The list of alternate sweeteners was also very helpful.  It will take a while before all of the aspartame is out of her system.  I am sure she will continue to improve.  We'll keep in touch.

75. Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 15:32:18 -0700
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: re:aspartame

I just received your story and was amazed.  My husband drinks at least a 6-pack of diet pepsi a day and has no effects.  However, since I quit nursing our son I felt free to again drink caffeine and started to drink diet pepsi.  I didn't drink it every day and also drank regular pepsi. After a few weeks I noticed I started to get headaches, had trouble focusing my eyes and was getting dizzy.  I at first thought that it was from the caffeine since I hadn't had much for a couple of years.  I then noticed I only got symptoms after drinking diet pepsi.  I wondered why but didn't think much of it, I just quit drinking it.  Now I know why and it scares me because my husband and I have both allowed our 2 year old son drink small amounts of diet pepsi.  Not to mention other drinks and foods containing aspartame.

76. Subject:      Re: Aspartame Poisoning
Date:         1998/02/25
Newsgroups:   alt.support.eating-disord

Nutrasweet has Aspartame in it, and Aspartame< thins out the lining in the blood vessels. For those who suffer from frequent headaches or from migraine headaches, this can become a serious problem, as the thinning of the blood vessel lining will produce higher levels of pressure in the blood vessels - especially those in the brain. I suffer from Migraines, and I'm Hypoglycemic. It took a couple of years to figure out why I was getting headaches after meals, et al. Fortunately, I did the research and consulted my doctor before I ended up blowing a blood vessel.

77. Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1998 17:23:15 -0400
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Problems with nutrasweet

Dear xxxx, how in the world do we get the word out about the harmful effects of aspartame?  I have had many symptoms for over a year now and I am doing better since I stopped using this poison. The national news media won't touch it , do you have and ideas? I am telling everyone I know and I am making copies of info off the net for anyone who will read it. Please advise, and thanks for all that you do on this issue.

78. CompuServe
Natural Medicine Forum, Corner Juice Bar[1]
Re: Aspartame test
Date: Tue, Dec 16, 1997, 3:11 PM
Message # 274430

About 10 years ago I participated in a double blind study of the effects of Aspartame at Duke University. I was asked to be included because I had complained to the FDA and some medical doctors interested in the substance's side effects.

At the time I was previously very healthy, and I was consuming 10-20 ounces of Diet Coke daily. I started having migrane headaches (I didn't know they were migranes until my doctor diagnosed, I had never had them before), confusion, dizziness, memory loss, and I just felt very "old".  I was only 25 yrs old at the time.

I read an article about the "possible" side effects of aspartame, and it sounded just like me so I wrote to the doctor who wrote the article, explaining my experience. It was several months later that I went to Duke for the study. I was very concerned about the effects of Aspartame and wanted to contribute what I could to the cause, in this case I contributed my body! They checked me out head to toe, inside and out first, then gave me capsules to take each day. Some with Aspartame, some without. Then each day they ran many tests on me again. The results showed that I have an allergy to some chemical in it. I guess it is a common allergy, many people have it, therefore many people can have side effects to Aspartame.

I believe this is only one problem with Aspartame, it is very much a poison to our systems, and should be avoided at all costs. Every person who knew me at the time I had the symtoms now avoids Aspartame, they saw what it does to a healthy person.

79. Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 07:09:40 -0700
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: ASPERTAME/NUTRASWEET  STUDY

We tried the NO ASPARTAME TEST! Here are two results:

A.  My brother is a company president, used to drink 4 to 6 cans per day at work, of diet soda.

After I forwarded him your info, he quit. Then he thanked me, saying, I used to get KILLER headaches every day, now they are completely gone.

B.  I myself  used to drink 3 to 4 cans per day, thinking it would help me lose weight. I quit and guess what, I LOST WEIGHT.  What happened was, my stomach was no longer irritated by aspartame. When I drank diet coke, I would get a caffeine high and also a stomachache. To soothe my stomach, I would eat. Guess what, I have lost about 15 pounds without trying, because my stomach does not ache any more from the aspartame!

80. Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 02:04:50 -0500 (EST)
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: personal experience, Mission Possible Finland

Hello xxxxx. This is xxxx from xxxxx. I wanted to share a personal experienre concerning aspartame. A couple of weeks ago I bought this rasberry juice concentrate. A week later I started to feel weird. I was tired out of my mind. I had problems with my long vision (it took time to focus my eyes on the object that I was looking at). I thought I was getting something. Then when I reread the label of the concentrate to my astonishment I noticed that it had sugar but it also had aspartame. I poured it down the sink and in a few days time the symptoms disappeared. I failed three of my exams besause of this. I was sitting in the examroom looking at my exampapers. I knew I could do them but somehow I couldn't get my thoughts organized. I think this was due to aspartame I was prepared for the exams so it wasn't because I hadn't read enough. I've known the negative effect of aspartame for a long time but this kind of personal experience is frightening and it motivates me to try more here in xxxxxx.

81. Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 23:27:54 -0400
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: I am convinced

I have been off diet sodas, diet anything with aspartame, for three months now and I can really tell an improvement in how I feel.  I have now convinced my great aunt, daughter and several of my daughter's friends to get off the stuff and I no longer have it in my home.  My aunt was having the classic symptoms you described and since she has been off it, she has not had a single headache.  My daughter was a little reluctant, but being 23 has to be difficult, I think I can remember that far back.  The one thing my daughter noticed immediately was the loss of water retention.  Her face has now broken out, but mine did too. I told her that I thought it was the toxins coming out because after around 10 days, my face cleared up. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for informing me and others of what this horrible chemical was doing to our bodies.  I salute your work and may God's blessings be upon you.

82. Subject: Re: Caffeine, Eggs, and Brie Cheese
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 19:27:10 -0800
Mailing List: LC-DIABETES@maelstrom.stjohns.edu

I must beg to differ with you. There is something terribly wrong with NutraSweet. I drank lots of Diet Sodas for a long time, and always had terrible migraine headaches. I couldn't figure out what the problem was. I went to drs. and then to a Special Chiropractor to fix me up. Nothing worked. Drugs just took the edge off. To no avail.

Then one day my very concerned husband said stop drinking diet soda for a while. Guess what. My headaches went away. They have gone completely. When I try to drink something like Crystal Lite, the next day the headache is back with a vengance.

83. Date: Fri, 2 Jan 1998 06:58:32 -0500
Newsgroups: alt.med.cfs
Subject: Re: MED,CHAT: Aspartame

I have found that anything with Nutrasweet (aspartame) I think it's pronounced as/par/tame, gives me a"blow my brains out" headache. I can tolerate one diet coke or anything with Nutrasweet in it, without the headache, then real trouble.  It has always made my sister very dizzy and she does not have CFIDS or anything else, Thank God.

84. To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 14:48:18 -0500

Appreciate your commitment to aspartame and its inherent problems.  I worked for Coca-Cola for 25 years and understand what is happening.  With a young family, soft drinks in the house was not a luxury but a necessity. We drank Coke and subsequently Diet Coke as a matte of fact.  Sure I was aware of caffeine but as a devoted coffee drinker I certainly had no problems with the caffeine that was part of any Cola drink.

I became addicted not only to Coca-Cola but most important Diet Coke. Inherent problems were written off as old age.  I did not realize until I started reading articles on aspartame that there could be a problem.  I quite drinking Diet Coke and my life changed. 

85. Subject:      insomnia and antioxidants
Date:         1998/05/27
Newsgroups:   alt.support.sleep-disorder
....
For instance, MSG and Nutrasweet cause insomnia for me.
....
Thursday June 11, @08:53

it's sugar free. And aspartime gives me a headache (as well as a bad aftertaste). If it were available w/sugar, I'd definitely buy some.

Thursday June 11, @09:08
Finally, I don't have to worry about getting confused while popping Altoids and Vivarin and chewing the Vivarin...believe me, it's not an experience you want...I'd order a case if they came with sugar...Aspartame makes me nauseous...

Thursday June 11, @09:56
These mints look promising but for two things. A) They're sugar-free. Aspartame is legalized poison. B) They couldnt possibly be as strong as Altoids.

Thursday June 11, @11:44
Aspartame gives me severe migranes (about the only way I ever experience them!). Damn shame about these neato mints- I guess I won't be buying them any time soon.
....
It's this witches' brew of poisons that actually tastes "sweet", not Aspartame itself. It's amazing what the FDA will approve for public consumption, isn't it?

Thursday June 11, @12:07
I too suffer 12 hour migraine headaches after drinking a single diet soda. The first time it happed was after staying up all night playing "Empire" on the VAX-750 at Interactiv Graphic Systems back in 1984. When the sun came up, I got up from the ADM-3 terminal and raided the fridge for something to drink. The only choice was "Diet Dr. Pepper." I guzzled the 12 ounce can and started to drive home from Woodland Hills, California to Northridge, California. About five miles down the road I started to experience the worst headache of my life. I thought that I was going to die. But I made it home alive. I simply cannot believe that Aspartame is legal! Yet it is.

Thursday June 11, @12:33
The engineering students at the university I atteneded would never drink the stuff. They called it "NutriStupid", because they could tell the effect that it had on their mental performance. I never touch it either, and you'll never catch me eating olestra, either. "Anal leakage" just doesn't sound like a pleasant side-effect.

Thursday June 11, @02:26
Where can I find more information about aspartame and its nasty effects?

I've stopped drinking Diet Coke (used to down at least 6 a day) and I feel much better for it, but I'd like a little more information to help my friends quit their "Diet Coke habit".

86. Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 20:09:09 EDT
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: aspartame

Thank you for the aspartame information.  I have migraine headaches when I ingest aspartame thus I try to make certain I do not eat or drink anything with aspartame.

87. Date: Sun, 14 Jun 1998 10:50:19 -0400
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: STAR list and Restores

As I originally told you, each morning of my life  for approx. 15 years, I consumed an entire pot of coffee with  approx. 3-5 packets of NutraSweet or NatraTaste or Equal in each cup per day.  Along with a high consumption of fat free yogurts, ice cream, etc.  It is true, I craved sweets constantly.  Since not using aspartame, I don't even use or want sugar or sweets.  I  actually don't even drink coffee anymore.  My system is so clean, it only wants the purest things.

88. Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 16:23:40 EDT
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: I have no problem accessing your site.

I just wanted to applaud you for revealing the problems with aspartame.  I KNOW I have problems.  I would be willing to submit to tests just to prove it. I have replied to several newsgroups about this poison, and hope, as I am sure you do, that I have stopped even one person from using this stuff.  It  should be labeled with a skull and crossbones, because it is a killer.

89. http://wdworkshop.com/_wdwd/00002e91.htm
Weigh Down Workshop Encouragement
Re: Daily Headaches
Email: none given
Date: 25 Jan 1998

Concerning your headaches...have you considered a possible allergy to Nutra Sweet? I experienced migraine headaches for many months, often drinking a diet soda when the headache started, thinking the caffeine would help the pain. A friend suggested the headaches might be related to an allergic reaction to Nutra Sweet. Apparently they were. I stopped using it in any form and the headaches stopped.

90. Subject: Re: Nutrasweet
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 20:40:28 -0600
Mailing List: ATKINS-NEW@maelstrom.stjohns.edu  [i]

To my point, in desperation I decided to ditch all discernable forms of nutrasweet, and am amazed at how much more my food cravings have let up (haven't thought about pop tarts all day long!).

91. Subject: \Re: Atkins Diet - Feel Sick - HELP
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 14:01:16 -0800
Newsgroups: alt.support.diet

The nutrasweet and coffee might also be a problem.   They can both be trouble for some people as they are very sensitive to it.  I cut out the nutrasweet and went to stevia and I immediately dropped weight.

92. Subject: Re: Migrane sufferer
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 17:36:39 -0700
Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine

Welcome to the newsgroup!  I hope this finds you well. I too have a problem with nutrasweet, but not with my migraines - I break out in a strange rash around my neck from it.

93. Subject: Re: caffine
Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 14:48:54 -0500
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.autism

Whenever we give Nathan a regular soda (not often) he is a super great angel, behaving and sitting and happy.  The nutrasweet in diet cokes is BAD and gives an adverse reaction. 

94. Subject: [LC] equal knocks me out of purple
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 15:33:12 -0400
Mailing List: LOWCARB-LIST@maelstrom.stjohns.edu

I had the same problem. My stepmother is a herbologist and acupuncturist and says that the nutrasweet can also stunt your weight loss. I don't have any real scientific evidence to support that, the fact is I lose more when I don't use equal or nutrasweet. Stick to stevia.

95. Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: tamoxiphen

I guess that is the test i am talking about....I don't think it is a problem with me though because I can not take anything with nutri-sweet or anything like nutri-sweet...It gives me severe headaches...So needless to say i stay away from anything like that...Also MSG gives me headaches...So i watch for that also... I am just learning about the milk...i have gone to soy milk...

96. Date: Mon, 02 Feb 1998 23:03:18 -0600
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: aspartame/phenylalanine

I tried to quit diet Pepsi, cold turkey, and almost died when my metabolism essentially shut down.  I was taken to the emergency room at a local hospital, and no one knew what was wrong with me or why I was drifting in and out of a consciousness.  I'm now on oral phenylalanine (of my own doing) which miraculously reversed an almost comatose state and brought me back to where I am, now.  I'm trying to get off of the phenylalanine as fast as I can; it seems like a horrible drug addiction.  I've never taken any "drugs" in my life, but this seems as serious as any drug adiction I've heard of. 

97. Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 21:58:37 -0400
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: nutrasweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i to chring at the thought of people drinking/eating stuff with the ingredient known as aspartame............i find it to trigger my headaches...............besides people should realize that it leaves an after taste in their mouths as well...................alot of people still do not understand that nutrasweet is bad stuff especially ones that are prone to seizures too.............it's a chemical that our bodies can do without........the less chemicals the better off our bodies will be...........i'm a very concerned professional(health field)................

98. Subject: Re: Aspertame (Was Re: Caffeine, Eggs, and Brie
Cheese)
To: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 17:12:36 -0500
....
I must tell you and others that had it NOT been for the aspertame discussion, *I* would not have found out what was triggering my desire for carbs...it was the diet sodas.  There have been topics of discussion that did not affect me either, but I am sure *someone* was helped by reading them!

99. Subject: Re: Atkins and diarrhea
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 01:18:19 -0500
Mailing List: ATKINS-NEW@maelstrom.stjohns.edu

My gastro doctor told me several years ago that many people have a hard time digesting NutraSweet.  At that time I was chewing a lot of sugarless gum (w/ Nutrasweet)....it bloated me and cramped me.  When I switched to regular gum (pre-Atkins), I fared much better.

100. Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame

I wrote you in August.  I got off of aspartame on August 22nd. It just sent FDA a message, I hope it got to the right place.  I couldn't find what I wanted.  It had a comment page that I sent but I think it
was for comments for Internet page.

Here is what I sent to them:

I am sending you notification that I think that aspartame is a very dangerous substance.  It is what caused me to have slurred speech, lost most of my reflexes, dizziness, hives, balance and coordination, my heart would pound hard when I would be sitting, I had trouble sleeping, nightmares, I had to have help tying my shoes.  I was having a terrible time concentrating. I had to have my daughter do my bills at work.  I was tested for all kinds of things.  I was checked for stroke, heart trouble, Lupis, Multiple Sclerosis.  I had a Cat Scan, and a MRI.  I had about $5000 dollars worth of tests, and the Doctors couldn't figure out what was the cause.  I have fibromyalgia, and aspartame made it much worse.  I have been in terrible pain for years.  It took me about 70 days to get aspartame out of my system and now I am in less pain than I have been in for years.  All of my symptoms left except one, I am still having difficulty concentrating.  Please consider taking this hazard off the market.  Since I have been free of aspartame, my husband and many other people have noticed that I am able to do many things that I haven't been able to do in YEARS!  I had drank aspartame in diet drinks evetry since it came out.  I had no idea that aspartame was what was
causing most of my problems until I started doing research on what could cause slurred speech.  I don't want anyone to go through what I have been through.  I thank God that I found out before it was TOO LATE!

101. Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 18:40:35 -0500 (EST)
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: nutrasweet/hypoglycemia/seizures

I am 26 years old and I have never had a serious medical condition in my life.  Recently, I began having blackouts, feeling rather run down, and I was having frequent mood swings.  I consider myself to be in excellent physical condition and watch my diet religiously.  Not very long ago, I was taken to the hospital while having one of my supposed seizures, or blackouts.  I tend to stray away from "seizure" because as soon as the word is brought up you are labeled epileptic.  While at the hospital, I was put through all of the usual tests when someone is said to have had a seizure.  The tests, C-T scan, MRI, and ECG, did not reveal any obvious problems.  So, for lack of anything better, my brilliant(Hahh!!) neurologist diagnosed me with epilepsy.  At the same time I was also having problems with my blood sugar being too low.  He didn't even try to link either of my two problems together into a feasible diagnosis.  You can understand that I was feeling angry, depressed, and thoroughly confused.

It wasn't a week after I had been released from the hospital and I had another "seizure".  My girlfriend and I thought back through the events of the prior days and nothing seemed irregular.  While in the hospital my physician placed me on Dilantin, an anti-convulsive medication, and it was supposed to alleviate my problem.  Obviously it wasn't working.  My girlfriend and I then began thinking of anything that we had changed in our lifestyles in the last six months since these problems occurred. 

We found an article on the adverse effects of nutrasweet and became very curious.  Then we discovered it.  With our efforts of keeping a strict diet I began consuming large amounts of Crystal Light.  I liked the powdered drink mix because by the package I just assumed it was flavored water.  I never drank any diet sodas so I really never encountered Nutrasweet to a very high degree.  Soon I was consuming 6-10 gallons a week along with my normal water intake.  I did not experience any immediate problems, at least we don't think so.  Then came the problems that I have discussed.  Since then I have found a doctor that believes in my reaction to Aspartame, and has discontinued my medication.  I am now trying to restore my life to the way it was before my Nutrasweet problem. Due to my seizures, my driver's license has been suspended for six months.

102. Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Legal Action against Monsanto

I have been off aspartame for some time now and I have been under the care of a fine doctor to rid myself of the chemical.  My confusion (getting lost on the way home) disappeared as soon as I stopped consuming aspartame.  But it is apparent that brain damage has been done, because my memory has been seriously reduced.  I have difficulty remembering the names of my students, or any other new information.  

I am considering a suit against Monsanto and/or the FDA seeking damages, but have not yet consulted an attorney.  Are you aware of any law suits by individuals like myself against Monsanto or PepsiCo?   I would appreciate any information you have that could be of assistance to me in this effort.

Thank you for everyting you have done.  If it weren't for you I would still be doing brain damage to myself courtesy of these criminals.

103. Date: Tue, 04 Nov 1997 11:07:52 -0500
Subject: Aspartame
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx

Let me first commend you and your "partners in crime" for the work that you do in reference to aspartame and it's ill effects on the human body.  As a sufferer of aspartame poisoning, I feel quite strongly that you and your people may have gone as far as saving my life. At the least, you people are responsible for improving my quality of life by an exponential amount. I was diagnosed with type II diabetes a little over 3 years ago. Like a scared little diabetic, I was concerned for my health enough to make several changes in my lifestyle, to improve my overall health and to try to keep my diabetes under control. I began using Equal in my coffee, (4 cups/day) and I began drinking diet
Pepsi, about 4 per day.  I tried to use as many products with aspartame as possible.  During the next 2 years, I lost 55 lbs, much to the delight of myself, my family, and my doctor. But during these 2 years, my health began to suffer, and I started experiencing many problems that no one, including my doctor, associated with aspartame useage. As a matter of fact, everyone, including myself, thought that most of my problems were my "advancing age" (46 now).

The problems I had were as follows; indigestion (used Rolaids like candy), headaches, almost every morning, (used Advil almost everyday). severe mood swings, memory loss (mostly short term), my vision deteriorated, insomnia, and finally vertigo.  When I began the dizziness associated with vertigo, I again went to the doctor thinking maybe I had a clogged artery to my brain. My doctor could find absolutely nothing wrong with me. He scheduled me for a "fasting" blood test the next morning. The next morning I took a thermos of coffee sweetened with aspartame in the truck, to drink on the way to work after the blood test. That morning, I felt great...no dizziness and no indigestion. When I got to work, bam...I had a dizzy spell. I thought for a minute as to "what did I do from the time I left the lab, until now?"....it hit me like a ton of bricks....an almost forgotten memory of the controversy over the approval of aspartame.  I searched the Web and ended up at your sight.  The rest is sort of history. I stopped using aspartame products, and all the symptoms went away, almost immediately, except...I fear my eyes are permanently damaged, and my short term memory has improved, but is a long ways from what a man my age should be experiencing. I am now on a "one man" crusade in work, to educate my fellow workers and friends to the dangers of aspartame. I have been successful with 4 individuals, who are now on the mend, and who also NEVER associated their medical problems with their use of aspartame.

104. Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 08:09:41 GMT
To: MSLIST-L@techunix.technion.ac.il
Subject: Re: Effects of alcohol? Now also Diet Coke

I have had more than 1 doctor warn me about nutrasweet.  Funny, I don't use it anyway... because my first time ingesting it resulted in hallucinations and the most incredible anxiety I have ever experienced.  I ran into my mother's bedroom crying and insisting that my room was haunted.  I told her that things were flying around and my digital display on my clock had changed from green to blood red and was dripping.

Thing was.... I didn't even know I had had nutrasweet.  A friend of mine had made kool-aid with it, and we had gone for a picnic at a fishing peer.  I asked her if she had put "anything special" in the kool-aid and she said.... just "equal."  I put it in the back of my mind, until one day (about a week later), I hear on the radio that there were people having bad reactions to nutrasweet, including hallucenations.  I called the FDA that afternoon.  They sent someone over to interview me, and gave me Searle's address (the manufacturer). I sent for more information and FDA reports and such.  This was before the internet and before they began putting it into every diet food on the market.

What I read about aspartame (nutrasweet) astounded me, and I never touched the stuff again.  I got very habitual about reading labels and asking people if what they had given me had aspartame in it.  I also made a point of educating people about it, as much as I could. My sister has had a seizure disorder since she was a child.  The constantly told her it wasn't epilepsy.  Oddly enough, her new neurologist and a second opinion just confirmed that it IS epilepsy. ROTFL  (as if we didn't know).  Anyway, she had been on her usual "epilepsy" meds for her seizure disorder (that still cracks me up) since she was in 3rd grade.  Only one grand mal seizure when she was about 13.  We felt that had to do with her getting her period the first time and the hormonal changes affecting her brain.  From the
time she was 32 or so, she started to have petit mal seizures again. No one could figure out why.  Then, one day, about 2 years ago, she revealed to me that it was very common for her to drink 3-5 diet cokes a day.  I was so upset.  Here she was... just the person who shouldn't be drinking that poison!!!!  and now she is having small seizures again?  I asked her to promise me that she would quit the diet cokes and drink regular ones for 2 weeks.... just as an experiment.  She hasn't touched one since, or had any seizures at all.

105. To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Aspartame
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 1997 13:14:02 -0400 (EDT)

Yes I am off of Aspartame completely!!  Have been feeling good.  Haven't had any seizures and have been able to cut back on my Dilantin.  I am also cutting out caffeine now.  Of course my neurologist won't admit that Aspartame has anything to do with seizures, he just laughs when asked that question.  But I do know that I didn't have seizures until I was 19 years old, (after I started drinking diet soda) and am not having them now (off of diet sodas and all other Nutrasweet).  My CT scan and MRI were both normal and doctors can't explain why I had seizures.  EEG did show seizure activity, so I know I was not just crazy.  I would be curious to see if my EEG is now improved.  But that costs a lot of money, so I guess I'll just enjoy my new and improved lifestyle and keep my fingers crossed.  Cutting back on the Dilantin has also given me more energy!

106. Date: Sun, 19 Oct 1997 22:54:11 -0400
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: xxxxxxxx Guestbook

I have been plagued with unknown health problems for 3 years. Been to several doctors, had all kinds of tests run, and after the tests confirmed I had nothing wrong, and I was still having seizures, I begin to eliminate foods from my diet, I still had all kinds of problems, such as fatigue, heart palpitations, hypertension, abdominal pain, hair loss, memory loss, vision loss, to name a few, but the seizures were the worst. When I eliminated Equal from my diet 6 weeks ago, I have not had another seizure, and all other ailments except the irregular heart beats have improved. I wish I knew the long range damage of Equal to my body, and I might have a better outlook on life. Do you know a lawyer working on this for the people with damage to their health from Nutrasweet, and where can I contact them.

107. Date: Fri, 7 Nov 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Detox update - good news!

I just wanted to let you know how I'm feeling after two weeks away from Nutrasweet.  You may remember I had spoken to xxxxx xxxxxxx about a non-pharmaceutical for my excruciating insomnia - well, I no longer need one, as I sleep through the night now.  The only lifestyle/dietary change I've made is the elimination of aspartame (Diet Pepsi, more specifically).  Istill consume caffeine every day.

I was very concerned about gaining weight, because of my history of eating disorders, but so far, so good.  I think I'm eating more, but haven't gained an ounce. The flashing lights in my eyes have settled down, and I can't wait until my retinal specialist examines me Monday - he's skeptical about the aspartame link, but when he sees my improvement, perhaps he'll be more convinced. My kids have noticed changes in my demeanor -  I meet them outside when they get off the school bus, rather than them finding me exhaused in bed at 3 p.m. I'm also much clearer in the morning, and not prone to agitation. I'll keep you apprised of my progress along the way, and thank you so much for all the valuable information to which you have directed me.

[update]

108. Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Aspartame

December 25 marked the last day of my 60-day withdrawal from aspartame, and I just wanted you to hear how things are going.  I'm still having an awful lot of vision problems - legally blind.  What is now apparent is that this particular part of my affliction my be life-long, because of damage to the optic nerve and retina that is irreparable.  My eyesight "waxes and wanes", and the flashing lights sometimes make me feel like going insane!

However, on a more positive note, I am sleeping so much better, and I do not feel the rage and ensuing depression I felt when I was using aspartame on a daily basis.  My heart has stopped fluttering, my mouth doesn't burn any more, and I feel a little more "there"  I have not experienced any more grand mal seizures, either ( you may recall I had four in the period between 1994-1997 with no history of epilepsy, tumors or massive head injuries)

Monsanto has used the general population as guinea pigs, as far as I'm concerned.  And in light of Fen-phen, Rezulin, and other drugs approved, then abandoned by the FDA, I am a firm believer that the FDA is not qualified to be a regulatory body when it it comes to the public well-being.  To me, FDA approval is meaningless - as they say, you can put syrup on it, but that don't make it pancakes!

109. Date: Wed, 22 Oct 1997 16:56:50 +0800
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: allergic to sweetners

I found your list of reactions to nutrasweet while searching for something else.  I thougt I would let you know i finnally discovered the cause of my terrible itchy skin afer 4 monthes of lotions potions doctors and even a naturopath.  No one could help it was only after discussing with someone the possiblity of it being  something I was eating that I began  a process of elimination.  After one week of no I felt better after 2 no more symptoms.  So now to loose weight I am exercising more.  After reading your list I will now stop all my family having any.


110. Date: Fri, 26 Dec 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: apertame

im a long haul trucker whos been driving safely for 20 years.last year i was in a accident caused by a dizzy spell or seizure.i would drink large amounts of coffee with a aspertame sweetner along with chewing large amounts of gum containing aspertame.usually 8 to ten packs a night.i believe my accident was a result of aspertame

[updated]

Im sorry i just read your last e-mail. I am fine. I dont use aspertame.honestly Im not happy about the lack of awareness about the problems with this piosen. im going to restart looking for a lawyer again in a last ditch attempt to hold them responcable for the dizzy spell that i had.I dont think the law firm Ive got for my workers compensation thinks its worth his time.but I know what happened. i know what i did to stay alert [chew lots and lots of gum with this product.and drink diet sodas .but in the end if it fails at least [thanks to your web sites] i know what caused my dizzy spell and also my wife and kids avoid this poisen to.

111. Date: Wed, 29 Oct 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame and choking

I try not to eat anything, chew gum, or drink anything that contains NutraSweet.  A few years ago I realized that sometimes when I chewed gum, I would choke and lose my breath for several seconds, which is VERY scary. It then became apparant that it only happened when chewing gum with NutraSweet in it.  I know only one other person that this happens to—we call that kind of gum "choker gum".  Do you know why it affects some people that way?  I read what you had to say about phenylalanine on the internet. Why isn't it banned?!  It's disgusting!

112. Subject:      Re: Aspartame
Date:         1997/12/22
Newsgroups:   bit.listserv.autism

I also was interested in the aspartame post.  I've taken myself off it for years because it caused migraines, irritability, cloudiness in thinking.  I used to consume large amounts in college when I was trying to conform to the anorexic body image prevailing at the time.  Now  I wonder how many people out there are drinking diet Coke while conversing with their shrink!

113. Subject:      Re: Aspartame
Date:         1997/12/22
Newsgroups:   bit.listserv.autism

Thanks for the info.  I took Logan off it totally about a year and a half ago, and his language and "with-it-ness" increased dramatically within a week. Been suffering ffrom depression for a couple of years now.  Don't know why I didn't think of it. I am addicted to diet coke.  Guess I am now "on the wagon"

114. Date: Sun, 22 Jun 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Aspartame Poisoning?

I have spent much of this afternoon reviewing, with interest, the material on your web site, along with that on the xxxxx web site and that of xxxxx, as well as the xxxxxx Web Site. This was prompted by a several weeks of ongoing severe headaches and throat irritation that had gone unexplained.  I had come to the conclusion that perhaps allergies were at play, and started to watch for what brought on the symptoms.  The last two evenings, symptoms were brought on severly by the same apparent cause: extra large, fast food Diet Cokes!

Over the past 3-4 months, I moved from my prior job to create a startup business.  I am a software designer and developer and have spent a great deal of time at home creating a new software program.  As a result, my intake of Diet Coke has increased dramitically.  However, I did not begin to expect this was a problem until the past two evenings. I have cut out these drinks as of today, and will monitor whether this causes the symtoms to subside.  If you would like, I will report back to you after a period of time.

Thanks you for your efforts to make this informaiton available.  The first site I found was the xxxxx site.  I was quite discouraged as I though I had identified the problem.  Only when I followed my other search links did I realize the whole truth might not be there.

[update]

115. Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Aspartame Poisoning?

Thanks for the follow up.  Yes, I have sworn off aspartame since my first message on 6/22/97.  My symptoms disappeared and have not returned.  Frankly I was amazed.  This has caused me to look more carefully at other stuff going into my body. Note that I did not give up coffee initially.  This was on my list of possible causes also.  Much later, I did give it up, but long after (months after) my symtoms had disappeared.

116. Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: NutraSweet victim

some very disturbing information on Nutrasweet on the WEB a few months back.  After reading the information I stopped drinking Diet Coke and diet sodas immediately.  I had been drinking Diet Coke for about four years or so, pretty much on a daily basis (Meaning one or two a day).  For about the last two years I had some increasing pain on the inside bone of both elbows.  I thought it may have been an old hockey injury.  I started to get very concerned when the pain was persistant and seem to be getting worse to the point of having great pain when lifting not so heavy objects.  I remembered when I had started drinking diet sodas.  That was the only constant variable in my diet in the past years.  The pain got to the point of being  too severe to ignore.  I happened to look up on Nutrasweet on the WEB and found an abundance of negative information.  One particular report mentioned that sore joints was one of the symptoms.  I have not injested diet sodas since then and am happy to say the pain is 90 % gone.  Coincident? Maybe.......I don't think so.  I hope that I haven't done anything too irreversable at this time.  I did coincidently drink a couple of quarts of freshed squeezed vegetable juice each week during those years.  A friend of mine owned a juice store at the time and (like a bar) I would stop in a couple of nights a week for a :drink".  During that time (approx. 5 years) I only had the flue once.  (note: I am not a health or excersise fanatic)  I am sorry about the long winded note, but I thought you might like to hear my story.

117. AOL/Allergies, Immune Disorders/Food Allergies
Subject: Re: "Diet" Drinks
Date: Tue, Dec 23, 1997 9:40 AM

However, I have had a different encounter with Nutrasweet and all aspartame-based products.   This summer I was diagnosed as not only having asthma/allergies (already knew that) but also chemical sensitivities to phenol & formalin (formaldehyde precursor).  In my reading, I found an explanation for the aspartame reaction I had.  Once ingested, there is apparently a reaction with aspartame in the intestines which produces formaldehyde. 

Even a small breath mint with Nutrasweet can make my bronchii inflame to the point where I can't even get enough air to speak. My face turns grey-blue, I get agitated (I usually stay calm during an asthma attack), and I'm exhausted for several days.  Once I cut out all Nutrasweet, it stopped.  Although you have not run into this extreme, you may want to look into chemical sensitivities.  It's possible that you have run into a chemical sensitivity rather than a straight allergic reaction. 

118. AOL/General Health Discussions/NutraSweet
Subject: Help re: PKU sensitivity
Date: Tue, Dec 23, 1997 4:05 AM

I have had several episodes of sensitivity to Nutrasweet. I try to avoid it but have accidently ingested it in punches that contained diet sodas. It seems to affect my brain function & I feel irritable & edgy.

119. Date: Mon, 8 Dec 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Looking for brain tumor information

Since that day that you wrote me I stopped completely the use of neutrasweet. My intake per day of this molecule was huge. Now, the dizziness is gone I hope that it did not kill too many neuron cells or created any genetic damage. What is very interesting is the participation of Dr. R. Wurtman in this issue. As long as it was politically convenient for him he helped the struggle against the FDA. When he needed approval from them for Redox (another medical disaster), Neutrasweet became O.K. It makes me very angree when he appeared on the CNN after 24 patients already were diagnozed with valve damage and stated that Redox is the safest drug on the market for this purpose. At the same time the damage to the neurns was showed in tissue culture. I am a scientist myself and I know how political and monetary advantages can change their scientific opinion and kill many people.


120. Date: Wed, 22 Oct 1997 21:16:50 -0400
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: aspartame

Thank you very much for your time and devotion to this cause. In the first week of August, I was searching for a cause for my mom's neuropathy and abdominal pain. Thanks to your website  I have an answer. I can't convince mom's doctors that this is the cause. Most doctors seem to be brain dead. They just think it is normal in diabetics to develop severe abdominal pain.

Since I am convinced, I am going full swing into educating the public. I am going to hand out flyers entitled DIET COKE ALMOST KILLED MY MOTHER at the store where mom bought her poison as well as picket the FDA. My parents live about 5 miles from the FDA. I don't want to step on anyones toes. Let me know if you would like to in anyway coordinate my efforts so that I don't go off half-cocked so to speak and do no good!

Mom has passed the 60 day mark with little improvement except her arthritic pain is gone and her B/G level is much more stable. She still has severe abdominal pains which is treated by percocet and weak legs. She is using about 1/4 as much insulin. She is confined to a nursing home because it became impossible for my 76 year old father to care for her.

I have talked to so many people who are affected by this poison. I rarely consumed it but couldn't understand about 8 months ago feeling very strange every time I ate dinner at my folks. At one time I had to stop my car on the way home because of a rapid heartbeat. Thought I was having a heart attack. While writing this letter, I went outside to talk to a friend, a junk dealer named "Popeye". He told me about getting tunnel vision and convulsions after consuming crystal light at his brother-in-laws house.

121. Date: Wed, 22 Oct 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: nutrasweet danger

I AM xxxx FROM MEXICO CITY, SORRY FOR MY BAD ENGLISH, ALL I WANT TO SAY IS, I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING IN THE WEB, FOR THIS POISON CALL ASPARTAME. NOW I  KNOW MANY THINGS ABOUT IT, I AM AN HYPOGLUCEMIC PERSON, BUT I ALWAYS REFUSE TO TAKE NUTRASWEET. IF I HAD JUST ONE DIET COKE, I FELT REALLY BAD, CAFFEINE AND NUTRASWEET ARE LIKE A BOMB FOR ME.

I AM AN AEROBICS INSTRUCTOR, AND I LOVE TO SEARCH FOR  NUTRITION FACTS. WHEN I TOLD MY CLIENTS ABOUT THIS, THEY QUIT TAKING NUTRASWEET, AND BELIVE IT OR NOT NOW THEY IMPROVED, AND NOW THEY CAN FOLLOW THE CLASSES AND THE RUTINES MUCH BETTER.

122. Date: Tue, 02 Dec 1997 16:30:01 -0500
Newsgroups: alt.support.epilepsy
Subject: Re: Warning to all with seizure disorders

I don't know how it works with seizures but eliminating aspartame from my diet made my migraines go away..from an average of 3-4 month down to none

123. Date: Fri, 17 Oct 1997 20:06:49 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: So glad you're better

When you last wrote I couldn't see any change in my health.  Shortly after that, about 80 days after stopping aspartame, I am feeling much better.  I may still have seizures, but I'm managing WELL on only 400 mg. dilantin daily.  Before even 500 mg every other day was not helping.  I hope to decrease the dilantin sometime and see if, by any chance, the seizures are gone.  I will do that under my neurologist's direction.  Right now, I do not feel like changing anything.

124. Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 00:01:09 -0500 (EST)
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Nutrasweet/seizures

Got off Nutrasweet and am MUCH better.  Thanks.   Letitia

125. Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame keeps diabetes out of control

This is not very scientific but I wanted to write to you about my mom's experience with aspartame.  She takes medication to control her sugar and never is able to get it under control.  She also drank lots of diet soda and ate things with nutrasweet, jello, pudding, cookies, etc.  The doctor told her to give it up and start taking shots.  She decided to find a new doctor.  About this same time.  (Last April, I think)  I got your articles via e-mail after reading about you and immediately called my mom.
My dad answered and I told him about it.  From that moment on no diet soda etc.  And immediately her sugar count began going down and came under control.  About 2 months ago she drank Crystal Light for 3 days.  Because she had it around for my nephew and she thought what the heck.  Well her sugar went sky high, so she stopped.  Two weeks ago she had 3 diet root beers in one evening.  The next morning, it was sky high again.  I think she is now convinced.  I wish we could convince my sister to stop (weight problem) and not allow my 3 yr old nephew to drink it.  But she said she is cutting down.  I did share the recent article with her about it affecting conception, as she is trying to get pregnant again.  At least she didn't drink it while pregnant.  Thanks for all your information and I hope this helps prove even more what you say.  My boyfriend is a pilot and he has quit drinking any diet soda.  He never ate foods with it, and he is sharing that info with other pilots.  Keep up the good work and have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a Blessed Holiday Season.  I hope my story makes sense. I am not a great writer.

126. Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 11:57:39 -0800
Newsgroups: alt.med.fibromyalgia
Subject: Re: Caffeine, aspartame and sugar.

Thumper I get a horrible headache and diarrhea from nutrasweet. It took me a long time to trace it back to diet pepsi. I read an article a few years ago that suggested nutrasweet had been linked in some way to some type of neuro problems. I don't remeber if it was brain tumors or strokes. Headaches were a symptom though. It seems to me that saccharin causes bladder cancer in rats. But like you said, the human equivalent was an outrageous amount. I don't recall the human equivalent in the nutrsweet tests. It is probably the same way.

127. BiSleep Discussion Forum
http://bisleep.medsch.ucla.edu/discussions/clinicalP/messages/msgs00179.html
RE: Subject:Nutrasweet & Vitamin B 12 for DSPS

I would be interested in the Nutrasweet correlation myself. I have insomnia and a digestive disorder, The digestive problem got lots better when I stopped Nutrasweet products. The insomnia is always worse when my digestive problem is active so . . . I just am very curious.

128. Subj:    Re: Aspartame and Immune Disorders
Date:    97-07-14 23:27:10 EDT
To:      xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx

I have not had aspertame for at least 6 months.  I do drink regular sweetened drinks and overall feel better than before, hard to explain, but definitely there is a difference.

129. Subject:      Re: Aspartame
Date:         1997/12/22
Newsgroups:   bit.listserv.autism

I am allergic to Aspartame (I have CFS or ME) as is my son with autism. We both get a bad sore throat.

130. Subject:      Re: Skipping Beats
Date:         1997/12/18
Newsgroups:   sci.med.cardiology

Funny you should mention them going away.  It seemed to me at the time, that they [the PVCs] occurred sporatically throughout the year.  I went through the Holter monitor test and the doctor pretty much said that I didn't have anything to worry about.  Since then, I started surfing the web and various other journals in the library.  I have all but eliminated the following two chemicals from my diet; phosphoric acid (found in cokes, diet cokes and pretty much any caramel colored soda pop) and nutrasweet (equal, etc).  The PVCs rarely occur these days (that was a year and a half ago).  I still consume caffeine (2-3 cups per morning) and I exercise moderately 2 to 3 times per week.  I am 34 years old and have a history of heart trouble (I was born with a hole in my heart - the hole was repaired but a severe murmur remains to this day).

131. Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 23:11:24 -0600
Newsgroups: alt.support.crohns-colitis
Subject: Re: Nutrasweet question

I was a frequent user of Diet Coke and used Equal for sweetening breakfast cereal.  I gave it up about 4 yrs. ago.  It seems to aggravate my guts and I have some very frequent, severe headaches.  I seldom get the headaches now, but the gut problems come and go (CD for 18 yrs.)

132. Date:         Thu, 16 Oct 1997 14:37:05 -0400
Sender:       Low Carb Support List <LOWCARB-LIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Subject:      Re: artificial sweetners

I seem to have an intolerance to Nutrisweet whereby I break out all over when I use much of it. I don't break out, but I have found that if I use more than a couple of packets a day, my gums will bleed. If I stop using it, the bleeding stops. I've decided to switch to stevia. ....

133. Date:         Fri, 3 Oct 1997 20:22:46 -0700
Sender:       Low Carb Support List <LOWCARB-LIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Headaches

If I were you I would look to aspartame.  It gives me terrible headaches - but it took forever for me to make the connection because they show up during the night after an indulgence and they feel a lot like sinus.   I take one feverfew capsule every day now because I believe that the aspartame triggers the migraine type pain. ....

134. Date:         Sun, 26 Oct 1997 21:44:53 -0500
Subject:      Re: [FIT-L] Aspartame and appetite
To: FIT-L@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

I too wrote a couple of postings to this list regarding the same subject. I am an active male, age 50, non-drinker, physical fitness devotee. I quit drinking four to six(average) diet soft drinks per day. I lost ten pounds!

135. AOL/General Health Discussions/Nutrasweet
Subject: Serious side effects
Date: 23 Jul 1997 01:32:50 EDT

I had a very bad experience with Nutrasweet--it caused severe headaches, visual disturbances, hemispheric numbness and parasthesias in my face and head (one side only). It took me quite a while (and a complete neurologic work-up) to figure out for sure if it was the aspartame--but when I figured it out and tried Nutrasweet by itself I knew for sure. I felt really terrible while using it. I think it is a dangerous chemical--and have since read that there have been convulsions and deaths from using it.  I won't touch it ever again--nor do I want my children, or grandchildren consuming it.

[Followup]

136. AOL/General Health Discussions/NutraSweet
Subject: I have Mastocytosis and Nutrasweet is poison
Date: 23 Jul 1997 01:53:17 EDT

I have mastocytosis, mast cell disorder--due to to the degranulation of mast cells in my blood and in various organs, I have weakness, parasthesias, fatigue, pain, facial swelling, respiratory problems, hypersensitivities (looks like severe allergy) to food additives--and NUTRASWEET IS the VERY WORST, followed closely by sensitivity to MSG. Both these chemicals trigger mast cell degranulation for me, which if severe enough, leads to anaphylactic shock. If I do not treat the shock symptoms immediately I could die rather quickly. I also have had severe neurologic problems from these
chemicals which mimic stroke.  I hate Nutrasweet and the companies which are putting it into the food chain. We are going to have millions of people so ill they will have to live in nursing homes before they are old--if we do not get the POISONS out of our food chain, starting with aspartame, and monosodium glutamate.

137. Subject: Re: Alzheimers/NutraPoison
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 1997 16:48:12 -0600 (MDT)
To: xxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx

I think the people who have immediate reactions are indeed "lucky".  I had a friend who drank several NutraPoison sodas every day.  She developed severe, debilitating headaches but never made the connection to the NutraPoison.  Over the course of a year she spent thousands of dollars on specialists and tests (she even had a brain scan).  Spent hundreds of dollars on different kinds of drugs to alleviate the headaches, all to no avail.  Someone mentioned to her that NutraPoison has been known to cause headaches, so she decided to stop ingesting it.  Her headaches stopped 2 days later.  A couple weeks later she tried drinking one soda and got a horrible headache.  She then became an anti-NutraPoison activist, trying to warn others.  Too bad I didn't listen.  She told me she started doing research on how dangerous it was and practically begged me to get off it, but I just didn't want to listen. I kept saying that it was only bad for certain people, but I "obviously" didn't have any problems with it, so I kept on drinking it.  I wish I had had a severe reaction so I would have realized how damaging it is.  I kept drinking it for years, thinking all along that I just wasn't "allergic" to it.

My family and friends were all worried about my NutraPoison  intake, but I kept telling them it was certainly safer than sugar.  Finally I decided to try to stop drinking it for awhile to see if there was anything in what people were telling me.  After being free of NutraPoison for 2 weeks I noticed that I wasn't tired in the morning anymore (didn't need caffeine to wake me up), I stopped craving sweets, I lost weight, and I felt better.  A few weeks later I decided to try it again.  I had muscle aches, joint pain, and I almost threw up.  It tasted like poison. I used to actually crave the taste, but now it just tastes like the poison that it is. It converts to formaldehyde even in the retina of the eye and has caused enough blindness that in l986 the FDA was petitioned to ban aspartame for this reason.  It ravages every organ in the body. I just found out (at only 43) that I have glaucoma, even though I don't have any risk factors.  Perhaps its from my years of drinking NutraPoison?

Also, the wood alcohol in aspartame literally destroys the immune system. Would you get up each morning and take a little pill that you knew little by little would breakdown your immune system? I also got MCS, FM and CFS while drinking NutraPoison.  My liver simply doesn't do phase II detox anymore.  Maybe NutraPoison didn't directly cause these illnesses, but I do know that it added to my total toxic load. I can think of no redeeming value for NutraSweet except a good rat poison. I think I remember reading somewhere that given a choice, rats won't eat NutraSweet (or maybe it was cockroaches?) so it may not even make a good rat poison.

No redeeming value does NutraSweet have.  It is addicting and it makes billions for Monsanto.  I'm sorry to say that for years I helped support Monsanto with my NutraPoison habit.  I cringe at the thought today. I can't believe I wouldn't listen to all those who were trying to help me.

138. Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 14:24:11 +0100 (BST)
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: re: toxic reaction to aspertame

The following is my brief account of recent experiences of a toxic reaction to aspertame and/or acesulfame k.
I had never heard of aspartame (or acesulfame k) and recently suffered my first ever panic attack. More than anything else I could not understand why or how this could possibly happen to me since I am very fit and a reasonably calm person who performs well under stress. Then, thanks to reading an account on the internet, mentioning aspartame, I did an analysis of recent changes in my diet.

To my surprise and horror I discovered that I had been taking some chewable vitamin C tablets (purchased at Boots the Chemist here in the U.K.) which contained both aspartame and acesulfame k. I had consumed 35 tablets at the rate of one a day. I was immediately convinced that this was the source of the problem since my usual diet never includes anything containing artificial sweeteners or other artificial substances and I have always kept a close watch on my diet. Of course, I stopped taking these tablets and within days my symptoms changed dramatically. I had suffered palpitations and tightness across my chest and the bridge of my nose, and my anxiety level was extreme. After stopping the tablets the palpitations came less often and were less profound and my anxiety dropped considerably. As the days have gone by I have felt continually better.

I cannot believe that this wretched substance is out there in so many products just waiting for the next unsuspecting victim. It really is time for the big food giants to admit that aspartame, acesulfame k and products like them, are not fit for human consumption. If aspartame can do this to me (and it really was one of the most harrowing and nightmarish periods of my life) then what is it doing to our children.  Here in the UK more and more children are suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome... How do the scientists know that this is not a side effect of the consumption of aspartame in diet coke and other products?

Clearly, there is more to aspartame and acesulfame k than we are being allowed to know. Many people's experiences are more tragic than mine and if it were not for the access to information via the internet I may never have known what the source of my problem was.

139. Date: Wed, 15 Oct 1997 23:20:59 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Thank you so much!

After reading your web page, I have finally figured out why I have been feeling so weird.  Mood swings, panic attacks, heart palpitations, chest pains, and since I have cut out aspartme and any other artificial sweetners, I feel like a new person.  You never hear anything about this in the media, and the only reason I figured it out is because I am a vegetarian, exercise like a banchee, drink tons of water, take vitamins, am 5'6 and weigh 112 pounds, and Diet Drinks were my only vice.  I feel like a totally new person after cutting them out of my diet.  Thanks for you information!


140. To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 19:44:47 -0500
Subject: Aspartame

I found your name & address on Internet today.  I wanted to share my experience.

Several years ago I started drinking a lot of Diet Coke.  Gradually I began to feel tired all the time.  I am a librarian and by noon every day all I wanted to do was sit at my desk and close my eyes or stare into space.  Not only was I tired, my back hurt all the time.  And it was like my brain was in a fog.  I was in my early 40's at that time and had decided I would never be able to learn much of anything new.  Then one day I was reading magazine at my desk because I was to tired to work.  I don't remember what magazine - only that is was a woman's magazine. There was an article about nutrasweet possibly causing loss of brain power.  (That might not have been exactly how it was worded)  I decided right then to quit drinking diet Coke and see what would happen. 

It only took about a week and it was like the fog lifted from my brain. And gradually my energy came back.  And my back quit hurting all the time.  Now I can work all day with out excessive fatigue.  And I have learned how to use a computer - something I might not have wanted to trya few years ago.  I did not realize I had Aspertame Disease.  I did not even know there was such a thing until my mother taped a radio program about it.  I recognized my systems from among the many!  I have not drank diet drinks in over years five years. 

I plan to tell others about the danger of aspartame.

141. AOL/General Health Discussions/Nutrasweet
Subject: Re: Blah, blah, blah
Date: 20 Jul 1997 06:56:34 EDT

I feel I must repond here.  i have been having problems craving diet foods like diet pop and iced tea that contained nutra sweet. However, at the time I did not realize it, was sick, and the doctor brought it to my attention! I quit consuming it just to see if it made a difference and it did! I have a problem with the seratonin and dopamine neurotransmitters. Noone will ever convince me otherwise. My family saw the change in me and they even voluntarily cut it out of their diet!

142. AOL/General Health Discussions/NutraSweet
Subject: Re: Nutrasweet
Date: 13 Jul 1997 16:40:07 EDT

Nutrasweet! Bah, I hate to even see the word.  It made my life so miserable for 10 years.  I thought when it came out it was the best thing that ever happened.  I could drink all the pop I wanted with nutrasweet.  I got daily migraines.  Had every kind of medical test to try and figure out what was causing the migraines.  Finally when the headaches were coming 4 times a day and I was banging my head against the wall because I was so frustrated, I started taking a look at what I was eating.  The first thing I stopped was pop, mainly because there wasn't any, and noticed that I DIDN'T GET A DAILY HEADACHE!!  I hadn't had a migraine in a very long time, UNTIL today.  So the only thing I had eaten was a container of yogurt and sure enough, there was nutrasweet in it.  I haven't allowed nutrasweet in the house in 2 years and here I'm the one that brought it in with the yogurt.  Have to pay more attention to labels!! 

143. Date: Thu, 2 Oct 1997 16:23:27 -0500
Subject: Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Questionnaire
To: xxxx@xxxx.xxx

Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Questionnaire

Please fill in and return to ACSN - PO Box 780634 Dallas TX75378 or

EMAIL to ACSN Founder: marystod@airmail.net [and CC -- mgold@holisticmed.com]

(Please feel free to attach a letter with more details, preferrably typed. Thank you.)

Age:_29_ Sex:  M
City: Edmonton_State: Alberta___________

Medical problems that you believe are caused from using aspartame:
Headaches, fatigue, memory loss, weight fluctuations

Why do you believe aspartame caused these problems?
I had several instances that I stopped using aspartame for a 1 or few weeks.  I notice that the symptoms went away after I stopped. My short term memory improved, the headaches went away, I was no longer fatigued and my weight stopped fluctuating. Although the headaches and fatigue may have been caused by the caffiene in the beverages.

Did the symptoms go away when you stopped using the products?
Yes

Did you see a Doctor about symptoms?
No

Did Doctor think it related to aspartame?
Did you report your symptoms to the FDA (Food & Drug Admin.) or any other group?
No

What specific products(s) containing aspartame were you consuming when you experienced these symptoms?
Diet Coke

On the average, what quantity were you consuming (how often, how much each time, etc.)
2 litres of Diet Coke each day

How long had you been consuming these products before you experienced the symptoms?
unknown

FOR THOSE CONCERNED ABOUT WEIGHT:   Did you begin using products with aspartame when you began a
restricted calorie diet?
yes

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

What were the long term weight loss effects of using aspartame.
No effect. The calories saved by drinking aspartame were made up by eating too much of other things.

144. Doomed to a life of diabetic misery
Date           Tue, 09 Sep 1997 17:28:47 -0600
Newsgroups     soc.support.fat-acceptance

I can't even use sugar substitutes because saccharine makes me gag and NutraSweet gives me headaches and diarrhea.

145. Date: Mon, 4 Aug 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: little history

I started taking the contraceptive pill when I was 17/18. Took Ovranette, a combined estrogen/progestogen on and off until I was 30. I smoke, so when I hit 30 I tried a progestogen only pill. It made me bleed continously, so I stopped taking it. Started taking Mercilon in 1991. I had always had heavy, painful periods, bad cramps in my lower back and down the fronts of my thighs, as well as bad depression for 2 weeks out of every 4. Being on the pill relieved these symptoms.

After about two years on Mercilon, I started getting cramps again with the monthly bleed, this didn't bother me too much. The actual bleeding was really reduced, only a really tiny amount. Two years ago, in July '95, I was on the week off, and was due a bleed. I started to feel quite ill, no fever, just queasy and tired, then I got bad back cramps for 5 days, then a very small bleed just one showing of blood, and then the cramps turned into a really bad pain on the left hand side of my back, just above my hip. It wasn't movement related, I felt like I had the 'flu, and after a few days went to the doctor. I don't and didn't have good doctor, just one I went to for the pill prescription. She gave me some anti inflammatories and sent me home to bed. The pain didn't go away, so I went back to her. She sent me for a back XRay.

That night, I had really severe diarreah and cramps in my stomach every 20 minutes, with blood in the diarreah. I called the doctor at 8.00 am, and my husband went and picked up some lomitol (anti-spasmodic). That stopped the cramps and diarreah. I went for the XRay, no problem with my back. She took a urine sample and a stool sample. She sent me to a physiotherapist. The physio said it wasn't muscular or skeletal. She suggested some kind of pelvic inflammatory problem. The doctor found blood in the urine, sent me for an ultrasound. No problem. Sent me for an IVP - she insisted that it must be my kidneys - no problem with IVP, noted some small areas of opacity on my pelvis (rear), kidneys just fine. The doctor was really horrible, so I decided not to see her again. She wouldn't believe me when I said it was gynae. She refused to send me to a gynaecologist. Went to another doctor who agreed I should see a gynaecologist. Saw the gynaecologist who said there was nothing wrong with me, and it must be my kidneys.

Doctor sent me to a urologist. Urologist was the only doctor I met during this entire business who listened to what I said. As he asked me questions, I heard his questions and my own answers - by this time I had been sick, with constant diarroreah and pain for nearly 3 months. I was also severely run down. As we talked I realised there was something I could do to help a bit, which was to start taking a multi vitamin! He said that he didn't think it was urological, but he'd do a cystoscapy just in case. Did it, no problems. Sent me for a CAT scan, because he suspected something ovarian. No result, other than a retroverted uterus.

I got the really bad, flu like sickness and back pain a second time after a bleed, couldn't get out of bed. I stopped taking the pill.  The sickness passed after about 10 days, and I got a bit better. Diarreah didn't stop. Went to another gynaecologist who did a laparoscopy. Had suspected possible endometriosis. None found. Only result of note, the retroverted uterus. I started going to the physio for pelvic strengthening excercises, the bad pain came back with the next period. Went to the gynaecologist again, with letter from the physio, he put me onto depo-provera to stop the cycles.

In between all this, there would be days when suddenly, my back would be okay. I also saw another 3 back specialists, who insisted that my back was fine, and that where the pain was was not back pain. Anyway, went on the provera in Dec 95. OK for about 2 weeks, then back came the pain - lower back, particularly left side, above hip. Pain not worse with movement or position. No actual position helped to alleviate it. In late January I started a bleed, with cramping and back pain - this went on for 2 and half weeks. The gynaecologist was away and his replacement was the first gynae I'd been to see, and I never wanted to set eyes on her again!! So when he came back, decided I would be better on 8 week shots rather than 12 week shots. In addition to the back pain, I now had one in my groin, like elastic being pulled from the front. Diarreah had begun to settle down, and I didn't have the sickness any more.

I stayed on the provera until Dec 96. No improvement with the pain, still having 6 weekly bleeds, and bad cramps continually. Back cramps, like when menstruating. The last bleed I had was in the middle of Nov. 96. Between the middle of Nov. and two weeks ago, I had no bleeding, but frequent back cramps and pain.

In Mid February and again in Mid June, I had terrible PMS. Sore breasts, which I never used to get, weepy, cramping, back pain. I started on the Atkins diet six weeks ago. Two weeks into the plan, and just after the induction phase, I had some chinese food. I got back cramps. I realised I hadn't had them for two weeks, thought about it and realised that a lot of the time when I had cramps it was after having chinese food. MSG!!

The following week I felt a stirring in my uterus as the pain moved from the lower to the middle back - sort of a rising upwards – got the usual menstrual constipation, followed by some bleeding, for 6 days! not terribly heavy, but real bleeding. No cramps. Some back pain, but not too bad, and no sickness afterwards. Whilst I was researching low carbohydrate stuff on the net, some of the articles mentioned Aspartame. I used to drink gallons of the stuff. Three days before the period started, I stopped taking any at all. I don't know if that's long enough to make a difference. My back is quite good now, I'm getting some disk pain – like when I walk the sciatic nerve is getting upset, so it feels like my back is trying to put itself back to normal. I have some pain still in my groin, but it's discomfort rather than pain.

I think I have mixture of several different allergies. I've been lactose intolerant for years, and totally allergic to full fat milk since I was 3 or 4 years old. Right now, I think I have to let my body clear out all the stuff that was poison to me, like gluten, and get my hormones into some sort of balance as well. I think it will be a while, but I feel well, and can cope with the pain a lot better, particularly when it feels like "good" pain, repairing rather than damaging -

146. AOL/General Health Discussions/Nutrasweet
Subject: Re: Nutrasweet
Date: 08 Jul 1997 11:13:36 EDT

I would get sleepy after drinking a Slice when Nutrasweet first came out.  I just wanted to close my eyes and put my head down on my desk.  I was getting plenty of sleep and couldn't ask for a more interesting job but I attributed it to fatigue because Nutrasweet was touted as having no side effects.  The last straw came when I drank a diet Coke on an empty stomach and later that day (but after I had dinner), I experienced a strobe effect as though my brain were clicking on and off.  It was very frightening and I quit Nutrasweet cold turkey.  I didn't experience any more sleepiness at work until I was in my ninth month of pregnancy.  I really like pop so I sip it in a juice glass if I've had my limit for the day. 

147. Homeopathy Mailing List
Re: Diet Coke proving!!
Mon, 7 Jul 1997 17:42:41 +0000
      
I can vouch for those symptoms!! I tried to drink diet coke for about a month and had much the same results (along with blinding headaches) - and can vouch for the mental state it would put you in. To say the least not only do I stay away from any nutrasweet product - but keep it from my children as well. Sugar may not be the best -but it is definatly better than the effects of diet products.

148. Subject:      Help at last... please read
Date:         1997/09/13
Newsgroups:   alt.support.tinnitus

On 07-11-97 I received information on the fact that aspartame(Nutrasweet/Equal) could cause tinnitus by destroying the central nervous system.  I had been a large user of diet sodas which contain aspartame.I  figured I had nothing to lose by switching to plain water. The results were not immediate but took approx. 2 months. I can now honestly say that my tinnitus has been greatly reduced and completely gone much of the time.

149. Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997
To: xxxx@xxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Case History

In 1985 I was a marine stationed at Quantico Va.  I drank nutra sweet. I was an analyst and I had to use my brain power to make it thru the day.  I noticed that when I drank nutra sweet I would have trouble remembering.  It took awhile  to figure it out.  I was lucky.  I quit drinking diet soda and my memory power returned.  I told few people about this.  some did not believe me.  I did so I never drank the stuff again.  Now 12 years later you have explained to me what that was all about.  I was lucky.

150. Forwarded message:
Subj:    Re: Recall of aspertame !!!
Date:    97-10-03 01:44:19 EDT
To:      mfriedman@oc.fda.gov  (head of the fda)

It is an emergency that you find the strength as a man to recall such a deadly substance as aspertame. I always thought that I would first get my message through to FDA to remove sodium benzoate from food and drugs..WE BLEED SEVERELY WITH THIS PRESERVATIVE...NOT TO MENTION THE HEADACHES THAT MY SON ALWAYS HAD PRIOR TO A BAD HEMORRHAGE...
However; the fact that I haven't had success in being heard for sodiumbenzoate, perhaps you will consider the severe reactions we have had to Nutrasweet...headaches, blurred vision, dull ache in head days following severe headache and poor focus with eyesight during the days following...nausea, etc.

The MOST IMPORTANT THING I WANT YOU TO KNOW IS THE TERRIBLE THINGS MY BROTHER HAS BEEN THROUGH SINCE THE 80'S WITH A DIET COKE ADDICTION...I FIRST COMPLAINED TO FDA IN '85 AND '86, only to be told there was only information about short-term memory loss related to aspertame...nothing about addiction, depression..vision problems..personality changes..or anything else...I was told that FDA would need at least 10 years to study the effects of aspartame.... Following the refusal of FDA to listen to my complaints for both my brother and my family...I knew I had to get someone to listen to me since my brother displayed such Diet Coke addiction that I feared for his life...I found a name back then...Dr. Louis Elsas, Prof of Pediatrics at Emory University...I communicated with him by telephone...he wrote to me...and I felt better once I had found someone who believed me...I knew he was the doctor so talked about at that time in the 80's as the one who was warning pregnant women to avoid aspartame to protect their babies brains and to keep it from babies after birth at least until the babies were 6 months old...he had seen brain damage from the substance in babies in these age groups...he told me that at that time (late 80's) someone in Washington was tracking Nutrasweet Victims....

It was a little encouraging to find someone who didn't think I was crazy to believe in a Diet Coke addiction... It would be too lengthy to try to explain all that aspartame DID TO MY BROTHER...but I feel better knowing how hard I worked to convince my family and his doctor of his addiction to aspartame...I feel even better now that he is off Nutrasweet products... especially happy that his psychiatrist is weening him off all the big time medications he was on for symptoms that had gotten so out of had with increased use of aspartame...TO WATCH SUCH AN INTELLIGENT COLLEGE GRADUATE GO DOWN THE TUBES AND LOSE MORE THAN A DECADE OF HIS LIFE IS PAINFUL...BUT THANK GOD HE IS ONE OF THE FORTUNATE ONES WHO STILL HAS A LIFE !!!  WE FEEL IT WILL TAKE SOMEONE WITH A REAL CONSCIENCE, NOT A NEED FOR GREED OR PRESTIGE WITH ASPERTAME MAKERS, TO STEP UP TO THE MIKE AND ANNOUNCE THE RECALL OF THIS DEADLY NEUROTOXIN...If anyone backing Nutrasweet thinks the whole public can be changed into believing that aspartame is safe...let me share with you the answer I got from an ATTORNEY concerning aspertame safety....We were at a wedding 2 weeks ago...I speak with him often since we were on a cancer board together years ago...I know of his love for flying, so I asked him about his knowledge concerning the aspartame "unsafety" at high elevations...His answer was that Nutrasweet is no longer allowed in his home...he said once he determined that Nutrasweet made him depressed and made his wife's moods bad, he banned it from his house quite some time back....

Now maybe you can see that many people are intelligent enough to make healthy decisions for themselves...BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR KIDS AND OUR GRANDKIDS... WASHINGTON NEEDS TO WAKE UP AND FEED OUR KIDS BETTER FOODS (LESS NUGGETS, HOT DOGS, JELLO, CHOC MILK, INSTANT POTATOES, ETC)..THEY NEED SOME REAL HOMECOOKED AND FRESH FOODS, FREE OF UNNECESSARY ADDITIVES, AND CERTAINLY ASPERTAME SHOULD BE BANNED FROM ALL FOODS AND DRUGS, FIRST AND FOREMOST THOSE WE PUT IN FRONT OF OUR KIDS...LET'S GIVE THEIR BRAINS A CHANCE... PLEASE STAND WITH THE PEOPLE WHO CRY OUT FOR YOUR HELP IN GETTING THIS DEADLY NEUROTOXIN OFF THE MARKET...RECALL IT PLEASE.

151. Date: Fri, 17 Oct 1997 00:47:28 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspertame Posioning

Thanks for your work on this subject.  I was suffering dizziness and memory loss for many months that was getting progressively worse. I had all kinds of medical tests including an MRI and ear tests for balance problems.  All results were negative.  I decided to search the net for answers and found the Aspertame Awareness Network.  After reading their information and yours I stopped drinking Diet Pepsi and my symptoms have been greatly reduced (90%) after 5 weeks of quiting.  I am forwarding this information to my ENT.  He is very interested in this work, he had not heard of this controversy.

Thanks for your hard work and please let me know if anyone would like to file a class action suit against these bandits.

152. AOL/General Health/Nutrasweet
Subject: Re: More Information
Date: Sun, Sep 28, 1997 11:38 PM

Just to add one more adverse reaction to your file; I don't touch nutrasweet or any preprocessed foods, for that matter.  I have never mentioned my reaction to any doctor manily because they would probably lock me up.
Nutrasweet gives me a feeling of not being where I am. I feel like I'm watching a movie.  I'm sitting there, but, I'm not there, Feel like I'm looking through people.  I have no ambition to do anything, I know whats going on around me ,but I don't care.  It also makes my stomach feel really strange.  Does this make any sense to you?  Crazy, Huh!.   It also makes me think, and react differently than I normaly would. Thanks for the space.

153. Date:         Sat, 13 Sep 1997 17:53:59 -0400
Sender:       New Diet Revolution List <ATKINS-NEW@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Artificial Sweeteners Question

I quit And after reading that about the apartame I'm glad I did so! I think i't's been over a week and I don't seem to get the intense headaches I use too during my cycle. I grew up on equal I'm 29 now so i've been using it as long as it's been around. Not any more. I just wish that a safe alternative would be available in the U.S. I use stevia now and a little sweet & Low but I would love to be able to have some of the stuff that we make here in the states , but sell in other countries ( would that be clymates andsplenda?) Anyway I'm glad I stopped using the aspartame ( and I was a die hard user)

154. Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 01:47:21 -0700
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame

I have had a brief, but distinct experience with Nutra-Sweet that I would like to share. You may include it in reports to appropriate agencies. Two summers ago I experimented with drinking one or two diet Seven-Up sodas perhaps three to four days a week. I don't believe I ever drank more than six to eight sodas a week. Normally I don't have anything "artificial" in my diet, but I wanted something sweet tasting and didn't want the sugar intake. Within a month I began to notice increasingly numbness and tingling in my hands. This concerned me because I work with my hands a lot. I wondered what I had done to cause this. The only difference I could think of was the Aspartame intake, so I stopped all intake of it. Within another month the symptoms had vanished completely!

I am grateful to have noticed this sooner rather than later and to have been able to stop these problems before they got more serious. xxxxxxx xxxxxxx, L.Ac.

155. Date: Fri, 04 Apr 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: THANK YOU!

I've always known I had problems with anything with Nutrasweet in it, and I finally convinced my family of it, but most people look at me like I'm crazy when I refuse a diet cola...  Now when they tell me it's all in my head, I can send them here and they can read this for themselves!  Thanks so much! I've learned to avoid it like the plague after several bouts of almost crippling headaches immediately after drinking a diet cola, and itching for several days after I got even the slightest amount.... I'm allergic to so many things though, I thought it was just another weird quirk of being me.  Now I know I'm not the only one with problems with it.

156. Again, THANK YOU!
Date:         Fri, 3 Oct 1997 02:46:45 PST
Subject:    [FIT-L] Re[2]: [FIT-L] Aspartame
To: FIT-L@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

I can't back this up with a source, but I used to eat & drink a lot of this stuff, and got a lot of terrible-need-to-lie-down headaches.  One time, as I was lying down with one of these headaches (about 6-7 years ago when I was living in Austin, TX), I picked up the paper and read an article about aspertame, and how it has been proven to cause migraines, seizures, and a bunch of other symptoms that I can't recall today.  So I quit nutrasweet and never had another headache like that again.  Since then, (and as I said, I can't remember where I read this) I have read a couple of times that the good ole USA is one of the only countries in which aspartame is not considered a poison.  It does not pass the USDA's standards, and the only reason that it is everywhere is that there is SOOOOOO much money to be made on this stuff, they went ahead and approved it anyways. Attack if you will, but I really believe that there's at least an element of truth in this.  I know way too many people who have adverse reactions to think it's harmless.

157. Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997
To: xxxxx@xxxx.xxx
Subject: Another case

I have been using diet products (Soda and gum) for years.  I swore by aspartame  for the longest time - until I realized that every time I chew a "nutrasweet gum" i.e. - Ice Breakers, my throat starts to close up and I feel like I am choking.  Every time I drink Diet Snapple, my throat feels very uncomfortable.   I have also had irregualr heartbeats - the doctors can't attribute it to anything.  Any possible link.

158. Date: Fri, 26 Sep 1997
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Mission Possible Branch?

My husband [Bill] and I have read the information you sent to him. I have pulled some information off the internet.
Because of the information we received from and through you, we both no longer use anything with aspartame.  Bill, has better control over his sugar ( he is diabetic) and his memory has improved. 

159. Date:         Sun, 5 Oct 1997 15:48:54 EDT
Subject:      [FIT-L] Aspartame
To: FIT-L@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

I used to guzzle diet soft drinks (I've since elimanited them completely from my diet.) with aspartame and I noticed  when I drank them I'd start gobbling food also.  Anytime I drank/ate something with aspartame in it, I wanted more and more to eat.  I thought it was just me but since then I've heard from many people that aspartame suppossedly triggers your appetite.

160. Re: meds and memory loss/aspartane
Date           Sun, 28 Sep 1997 17:53:49 -0700
Newsgroups     alt.support.depression.manic,soc.support.depression.manic
                                      
Maybe this is just coincidence, but I gave up everything "diet" months ago. This topic is very timely because it made me realize that for "years" I have been complaining about poor cognitive functionality and memory loss to my pdoc. We blamed it on everything from the meds to depression, which we all know definitely does cause a certain degree of both memory loss and cognitive functioning. However, I can say that my functionality has much improved over the past months, as has my memory. Granted my depression is improved, never gone, but improved and I am on fewer meds than I have been on in a long time, but maybe there is something to this. I've personally always been convinced that aspartane, especially, did something unpleasant to the way I felt.

161. Re: Depression and NutraSweet ( aspartame )
Date           3 Oct 1997 11:35:09 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.support.depression
                                     
I used to call Diet Coke "PMS in a can" because it weirded me out instantly, but that's the only thing ever to have such a noticeably relational effect. It it were Aspartame, wouldn't half the world be sobbing???

162. Re: OT:migraines
Date           Sat, 27 Sep 1997 01:27:22 -0400
Newsgroups     rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
                                      
I have cut two things out of my diet which triggered migraines for me: Nutrasweet and caffine. I also take a preventative once a day and what a world of difference it has made in my life !!

163. Date: Wed, 9 Jul 1997 19:40:06 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Natural Nutrition #105 - Special Issue - Aspartame

I have waited a respectable amount of time to send this post, to be sure what I am about to report to you is in fact, accurate.  I am now satisfied that I have enough facts to do so.

After reading the special issue report on Aspartame, I decided that since I had already been without the additive for 10 days prior, because of a diet plan I was trying out (that I since abandoned), I would continue to refrain from aspartame and see if there was any credence to this information.

You see, I was diagnosed with FMS in 1992, suffered horribly from hip joint pain and morning immobility.  Being a hypoglycemic since childhood, artificial sweetners were always a part of my diet - a substantial part. Because I am an advocate for complementary medicine and nutritional healing, I gave this bulletin very serious consideration.

At the same time I gave up aspartame, I also started Physical Therapy, as my hip joints and lumbar area of my back had become so immobile, I could no longer toilet properly.  Now, I'm a senior in school for Occupational Therapy - there is nothing that can set an OT reeling more than the loss
of an Activity of Daily Living - trust me on this. 

After 4 weeks of therapy, I saw little change, but some.  Magically, in the 5th week, which corresponded to a little over 6 weeks without aspartame, something magical happened.  A rapid progression that I know from my training as an OT, is not something that occurs in therapy -progressions in therapy are usually slow and steady.  Having a scientific mind, I decided to be my own test subject and I completely discontinued the Physical Therapy, but continued to avoid aspartame.

Guess what - it's now been 8 weeks without the dreaded chemical and I (and those around me) am happy to report that I am pain-free, mobile and feel better than I have in as many years as I can remember.   Almost all of the signs of the FMS and joint immobility are gone.  I am working on
regaining my muscle tone, now that I have proven my theory to me.

Needless to say, my husband is thrilled to have his wife back, and is telling everyone he knows and meets of my story - in his words - he lost his wife to something as stupid as diet soda and all of the doctors and health practitioners could not help.  It was his sharing the post about the Nutrition Newsletter with me that ultimately led to my recovery.

xxxxxxx, and xxxxx, and xxxx - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.   I am grateful for the service you provide and will continue to spread the word.  Anyone with questions that wishes to address me directly may do so at:  andrea_keil@juno.com.

164. Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Attention All Dieters - Important Info About Aspartame

I have been experiencing unexplained joint pain for the past couple of years.  No one can figure out what's causing it....are you saying this could be the result of Nutrasweet???
Curious...and a little frightened,

Absolutely.  Take the challenge - no aspartame for 60 days.  I can't tell you what it feels like to have my life back!

165. Re: The Bitterest Sweet
Date           Tue, 15 Jul 1997 07:39:41 -0500
Newsgroups     sci.med.nursing
                                     
being an avid fan of diet drinks (I drank the first diet drink as a kid...diet rite cola, moved to diet dr. pepper, and then to tab and diet coke, I can speak the truth........LISTEN TO THIS WOMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I had to quit secondary to arthralgias, memory problems, massive edema problems, arrhythmias, etc. I also started having problems at higher altitudes due to aspartane.  I drank a 32oz-1liter/day maximum only on days I worked.  I quit and my problems have resolved 100%.  It took 6 months, but it was worth it.

166. Date: Sat, 6 Sep 1997 16:15:41 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Another Aspartame Testimonial

I am 49 years old and first experienced disorientation/confusion spells while at work starting in 1986.  I had always drank other soft drinks and only began drinking diet coke in 1986 when my company replaced our other drink machines with Coke machines. 
These disorientation spells progressed in frequency and severity when, in 1990 I suffered a grand-mal seizure at work after drinking 2 diet cokes and a chocolate candy bar.  I suffered another grand-mal seizure in 1991 and have had 8-10 grand-mals since that time experiencing spells of severe disorientation almost regularly every 3-4 weeks.  The most recent experience was this prior weekend after attending a party in which I drank 5-6 diet cokes - much more than my usual 1 or 2.  This grand-mal resulted in my heart stopping and quitting breathing.  Had I not been in the company of my girlfriend who is an RN, I am sure I would be dead right now. I have been on dilantin, tegretol, felbatol and after this weekend's experience my neurologist plans to put me on lamictal since none of these medications have been able to eliminate my disorientation spells which I have continued to experience at least monthly. I was alerted to aspartame in 1994 by a co-worker who provided me several articles which I found alarming.  I quit drinking diet cokes for about one year and experienced no grand-mals and only one or two minor disorientation spells. I guess I resumed drinking diet cokes as I either forgot their potential impact or didn't really believe the connection.  I DO NOW !!

I can't believe the volume of testimonials on the Web.  I accidentally hit print and went through all my paper stock.  I find it very gratifying that people are taking the time to share their experiences on the Internet.  I have had every test known to mankind, numerous times.  These included MRI's, CT, EEG, blood, blood and more blood.  Cysternogram (?) to check for infection of the brain fluid and proper flow.  NOTHING turned up in any of these tests.  All very, very frustrating as I have always been very active and this condition was becoming debilitating. I had also experienced grand-mals over the pacific on the way to Hawaii vacationing as well as numerous other vacations that ended in a 911 call.

My family has no history "anywhere" of epilepsy and I have found it very trying to be labeled with this stigma.  I have also lost one job as a result of excessive absences when I experienced 3 consecutive grand-mals toward the end of a 2-week vacation.  My childred are petrified for me to visit them at school (embarassment I guess) as they witnessed one of my grand-mals while dining out. Irealize now there is ONE COMMON ELEMENT - DIET COKE !!!  For some reason, the other diet drinks don't affect me as severely. Is it  possible that diet coke has a higher concentration of Nutrasweet ?? I DON'T GET IT !   IT SEEMS THIS PROBLEM COULD BE EASILY VERIFIED WITH A CONTROLLED TEST.  SURFING THE INTERNET, I SUSPECT THERE WOULD BE PLENTY OF VOLUNTEERS OR SUBJECTS.  I CERTAINLY WOULD VOLUNTEER.  ALSO....HOW ABOUT A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT ???  IF THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY CAN EVENTUALLY BE DEFEATED, I SUSPECT THE MAKERS OF NUTRASWEET COULD AS WELL.!!!!!!
What is this drug doing to our children who are being weened on it ?  What will the effects be on them when they get older ??  Hopefully all this documentation will still be around for evidence of negligence on the part of the NutraSweet makers and those food/drink companies that have elected it as the food additive of choice.
I personally plan to post warning posters on all Coke machines at  work and anywhere else I can as I feel this has had such an adverse affect on my life that I am going to take this as a personal vendetta. I AM PISSED !!!!    My quality of life has suffered for 10 years +.  I KNOW it is directly attributed to aspartame as I can demonstrate its effects.

HELLO FDA - ANYBODY HOME ???   OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK !!!!

[followup]

167. Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 16:25:57 -0700
To: xxxxx@xxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Asparatme Settlements ??

By the way, I quit drinking Diet Coke on September 2nd this year after suffering a "Status Epilepticus" (as in "dead") and immediately my seizure, disorientation spells, chronic fatigue, migraines, sore muscles and joints all went away completely !

This was the only change in my diet and prior to that time I had been experiencing seizures, disorientation every 2-3 weeks at a minimum. Also, my "woman-friend" is an RN and has witnessed my condition, seizures etc. for the past 1 and 1/2 years.  She also was the one who administered CPR after my September 2nd incident.  She has also kept a very detailed log during this time (as I find out) which has come in very handy at this point.

168. Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: What a difference quiting Aspartame has made!!

My name is xxxxxxxxx xxxxxx. I am 28 years old and started drinking Diet Coke back in 1990 after a friend convinced me that the sugar content in normal coke was bad for me. Earlier this year (Jan-Feb) while surfing the net I stumbled across the article on your home page entitled "The Bitter Truth About Artificial Sweetners".

As I was "addicted" to diet coke and consuming around 1-2 litres a day, I was absolutely horrified to read about the dangers of aspartame. I was so shocked I gave up the stuff that day and have not had another drop since. Prior to stopping,I suffered from alot of the symptoms mentioned in the article - terrible muscle spasms, vertigo, dizziness, nausea, depression, slurred speach etc. Within 7 days of stopping, most of the above symptoms had disappeared and to date I have not had any recurrences of these.

There is no doubt in my mind that aspartame causes the ailments mentioned in the article. As I live in Australia, I would like to know if there is an action group here that I can offer my assistance too. If not I will continue to warn those that I come into contact with. It is an absolute crime that this substance has been offered to an unsuspecting and ill-informed public. It must be stopped.

169. Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Overwhelming Thanks!

I am writing to thank you for your crusade against nutrasweet.  I am a type 1 diabetic for 25 years now.  I received my first article from you by accident, as I was a member of the email users list for xxxxxx xxxxx when your article accidently got posted to all of us last year.  I wish I could say I followed your advice at the time, but I chose instead to believe the "other side", and thought you were simply a reactionary (very sorry).  I did lay off nutrasweet for about a week just for laughs at the time because I was starting an exercise program, and wanted to rid my body of all artificial stuff.

However, when my blood sugars improved, I attributed it to the exercise.  Eventually, I added the nutrasweet back into my diet, nothing too much, just a diet snapple here and there - maybe 3 a week.  And my blood sugars were no longer quite as good, and I began having what I refer to as "knock-down, drag-out hypoglycemic reactions.  I just thought I needed to do more exercise!   Last December, I was told by a dietician that nutrasweet was perfectly safe, and I just went wild eating it in everything and upping my snapple intake to two or more a day.  Who knew?  Well, my blood sugars went from difficult to horrible.  My appetite was running rampant, I was waking up with 500 blood sugars and going to be with lows of 35-40.  I was depressed and angry all the time.  No one could figure out what was wrong with me.  I didn't want to have sex with my husband and I even began having hot flashes (I'm 36).  Some minor tingling, which I have always passed off as "just one of those diabetic things", which never was more than just a minor sensation, was getting worse.  I was gaining weight, feeling uncoordinated and spacey, like I always had a hangover, and felt like death.

One day, I was looking up menopause in my medical advisor, and happened by the section on multiple sclerosis.  I read the symptoms and it sounded just like me, with all the tingling and stuff.  I panicked, then I remembered your email from a year and a half ago that talked about nutrasweet possibly causing MS-like symptoms, and decided to give up nutrasweet to see if it would help.  The next day, my blood sugars were perfect, and I re-read the article and saw that nutrasweet has been implicated in swinging sugars!!
My blood sugars have been perfect for almost two weeks now.  It is uncanny. I am so beside myself with glee I can hardly stand it.  I have energy, my vision is better, my constipation is gone, I can think far more clearly, my stamina has improved, and I want to live life again.  My blood sugar meter average has dropped from 200 to 165 in the time span of 10 days, and still falling.  It is once again easy to correct low blood sugars, and they are very minor occurances now.  My insulin dosage has gon efrom 30 to 17 total units per day.  I have, simply put, been reborn.

A chemistry teacher in my diabetes support group says it is true that aspartame converts to  formaldehyde and methanol in the body.  A very respected neurologist where I work (I work at a research institute within a medical center) said that she had a patient who was having seizures and eating lots of nutrasweet.  As you can guess, the seizures stopped when nutrsweet was eliminated from his diet.

I am telling everyone about this.  I have forwarded the info to my diabetes educator at the University of xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.  She theorizes that if the nutrasweet was the culprit, it may have caused a mimicking of gastropherisis (delayed emptying of injested foods), which in turn caused my swinging sugars.  A research tech also told me she systematically eliminated foods from her diet to find out what was causing her constipation and severe abdominal pains.  Her search was over when she tested the nutrasweet.

I am going to fill out one of the action report forms.  Is there any other way I can help in this effort?  I don't even know if you respond to emails, but I just wanted to add my testimony to the growing list of nutrasweet recoveries.
Deep thanks and God bless you.

170. Subj:    Thank-you
Date:    97-06-09 18:06:24 EDT
To:      xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx

Thanks so much for the information you sent.  I was off aspartame for awhile and was so much better that I started using it again.  I am in big trouble right now with dizziness, memory, and ms symptoms.  It is frightening what it does when it gets above 86 degrees.  I have left cases in my garage before. I am unloading my Montsanto stock as fast as i can.

My husband has taken all the info to the nurses at the radiology department. They can't believe it.  My hubby specializes in mammography.  I'd love to do some research asking ladies with diagnosed breast cancer how much aspartame they have in their normal diets.  I bet there is a huge connection.

Course all these symptoms can come from so many things.  The proof is when you improve by being totally off the darn stuff.  Then you know. Thank-you, thank-you for your knowledge and sharing.



171. To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Answer to Aspartame Questionnaire
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 15:42:05 -0500

          Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Questionnaire

Name_xxxxxx   xxxxxxx____________________________________________
Age: 23___ Sex: Female

Medical problems that you believe are caused from using aspartame:
Every single time that I eat or drink something that contains aspartame I get very dizzy, and very strong headaches to the point of being unable to leave my bed. When I get like this I can't even move my head nor stand due to the extreme pain.

Why do you believe aspartame caused these problems?
I don't know for sure, but I truly believe in all of the papers I've read about the toxic and poisonous effects of aspartame. When I first read "The Sweet Poison" I opened my eyes, and began to identify with some of the symptoms.

Did the symptoms go away when you stopped using the products?
Yes, definitely, but it takes time: once I took a free sample of "I can't believe it's yogurt" on Friday, and I was sick the whole weekend, I wasn't feeling OK until next Tuesday.

Did you see a Doctor about symptoms?
No, at that time I didn't think I was sick because of the aspartame, I thought it wasn't important.

Did Doctor think it related to aspartame?
Later on, I did consult a physician, I told her about the symptoms I experience every time that I take aspartame  and about the time that I took some vitamins with a Scooby Doo shape (originally meant for kids) that contained phenylalanine and that caused me to get sick, again with dizziness and headaches. She said that phenylalanine was a substance that my body had difficulty to methabolize it or synthetize, and that it was hazardous for all people, but that some of them show the symptoms more quickly than others.

Did you report your symptoms to the FDA (Food & Drug Admin.) or any other group?
No, I live in Mexico, and I think that here, there isn't much information about these issues.

What specific products(s) containing aspartame were you consuming when you experienced these symptoms?

"I can't believe it's yogurt" vanilla yogurt, Scooby-Doo shaped supplement vitamins (for kids), Diet Coke

On the average, what quantity were you consuming (how often, how much each
time, etc.)
They were very low doses, for instance the yogurt was just a free sample (just one in my life); I took about 3 tablets of the phenylalanine vitamins; and one Diet Coke was just enough to give me a headache. I've taken I think about six diet cokes in my entire life, and I learned that I shouldn't take no more.

How long had you been consuming these products before you experienced the symptoms?
I noticed the symptoms immediately.

172. Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 13:13:35 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Welcome Back To Life, Aspartame Free

I wanted to write to let you know that I have now been completely off of aspartame for one month and I can feel the results! First, for two years I have had fibromyalgia-like symptoms.  I hurt all over. Shoulders, legs, back, neck ankles, all were painful most of the time.  I had chronic insomnia and could hardly sleep at night.  My vision was getting worse all of the time.  In the single month that I eliminated aspartame, I feel 100% better.  I don't hurt.  The carpal tunnel in my wrist and shoulder has finally subsided.   My memory seems to be improving. I have more energy and I don't get as hungry.

I found that I was drinking 3-4 diet Cokes everyday.  Fortunately, I did not use Equal in my tea or coffee.  I use either sugar or sweet n low.  I don't know much about saccharin testing but I cannot believe that it is as bad as aspartame.  I am going to get some stevia and try that. I have made copies of some of the articles and sent them to a number of people who have also "sworn off" of aspartame. 


Obviously the FDA does not care one bit about product safety.  If a company is as big as Monsanto, they can market any kind of poison they please without a whimper from the FDA. And, it appears that Congress is powerless to stop them.  Or, that Congress is too busy with their "in-fighting" to do anything for the people who voted them into office.

173. Date:         Mon, 18 Aug 1997 06:48:46 -0700
Sender:       Low Carb Diabetes Support List <LC-DIABETES@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Subject:      Re: New to List

I, too, suffered severly from neuropathy.  My feet would hurt so badly at night that my husband had to rub them.  I work on my feet all day and they were either numb or hurting.  I would elevate them every night and my doctor recommended pepper cream.  The cream was terribly expensive so I never bought it.  Through research, I started to wonder if nutrasweet was my demon.  Sure enough....I went of ALL nutrasweet and artificial sweetners.  Within one month.....I could make a fist again and I have NO pain whatsoever in my feet, legs or hands.  My fingers were to the stage that they would buckle on me.  NO MORE!!!!  It would be worth a try for you.

174. Date: Wed, 3 Sep 1997 15:19:55 -0400
Subject: toxicity review
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx

The summer is over and I missed it thanks to aspartame. This is my toxicity reaction summary. It started on Father's Day June 9th. My husband and I went out for breakfast. In the middle of the meal and "out of nowhere" I felt like I was fainting. I was so shocked by this sudden onset, I went to the restroom and splashed cold water on my face trying to regain my composure. I felt weak the rest of that day.

A few days later I had another fainting spell at work only this time it was worse - accompanied by rapid heart beat and shortness of breath. I left work saying I didn't feel well. I thought I had too much caffeine and if I went home for a while it would pass. It didn't. In fact it got worse – to the point I called 911. I thought I was having a heart attack. My resting heart rate was 120. They gave me 02 and my heart rate came down to 80. I declined a ride to the hospital still thinking it would pass.

I then started having nighttime tremors/panic disorder. I would wake up in the middle of the night with a dry mouth and then the tremors would  start. At one point I think I had a seizure becuase I was shaking so badly. Then on the fourth of July - I was in the emergency room with the same symptoms.

They ran all kinds of test, EEG, Thyroid - all fine. The only thing abnormal was my blood count. Hemoglobin was 11 and the red cells were small. I was diagnosed with iron-defiency anemia. Told to get off my vegetarian diet and eat some red meat! Great advice from a doctor huh? Followed up with a visit to my doctor. She was surprised that my blood count was 11, she expected it to be 5 or 8, normal is 15. I started taking a prescription for iron.

Well the night tremors and shortness of breath continued. I kept calling my doctor and she thought I might be having panic disorder as a result of the anemia so I started taking Valium and Prozac. This helped the nighttime panic attacks. I started researching Prozac and Seratonin and this is what led me to you. Thank goodness someone is watching out for us! I had developed a bad chewing gum habit. Chewing 1 large pack of Extra surgarfree gum daily. I stopped this immediately and here it is Sept. and I am finally staring to sleep and feel like a normal person! I am no longer taking Prozac or Valium but switched an herbal remedy called St. John's Wort. I'm convinced the aspartame destroyed the Serotonin level in my brain and destroyed my blood. I don't drink or smoke and had been in perfect health prior to this.

I am schedculed to have a complete blood count done this month with a test for Ferritin. Is there any blood test for aspartame toxicity? Why not? How should I approach my doctor? Everyone thinks I got sick because of my vegetarian diet. I know it's not so. I probably consume more iron than the
average carnivore! What happened to summer?

[more information]



175. Date: Thu, 4 Sep 1997 12:50:45 -0400
Subject: toxicity review reply
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx

i have not ingested asp since july 10, no caffeine or alcohol either. trying to eat pure foods as much as possible. lots of orange juice, fresh fruits, organic garden vegetables. now i am watching msg intake as well.  To tell you the truth i'm afraid to eat in a restaurant.

176. Date: Wed, 07 May 1997 09:23:04 -0700
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: NutraSweet

I need some questions answered.  I have a 14 year old son, xxxxxx, who has been having what the doctors are calling optical migranes. At the age of 11 years old xxxxxx was diagnosis as hypoglycemia.  I was a mother who never believed in letting her kids to eat or drink anything with NutraSweet in it until xxxxxx became hypoglycemic.  Since then he has drank Diet pops. 

Since January 1997 he has been having problems that he loses his peripheral vision.  The first time he lost it for around 20 minutes and then when his vision came back his lips went numb. (He got a headache after his vision returned, it lasted through out that day.)  I took him to the doctors and he sent us to an opthomoligist.  He then a through check of his eyes and said everything look good and healthy.  He thought that he may have had an optical migrane.  He said he may never have another one but if he did he would like an CAT scan ran.

In March he had another episode.  This time it lasted 20 minutes and the headache lasted for two days.  I called the doctor and he had a CAT scan ran.   The test came back normal.  Still they feel that it is just an optical migrane.  If it happens again he will see an pediatric neurologist. In April he had another episode, this one lasted 10 minutes and the headache lasted two days.  He was set up to see the neurologist.  The neurologist said he felt that it was just optical migranes.  That he should just take an extra strenght Tylenol and a benadryl then sleep. He also said he would set up a EEG to be ran to make sure he is not having seizures or mini strokes.

Five days after seeing the neurologist he have another episode.  This time it lasted 45 minutes with no periphial vision and during this time his tongue on the right side and his right thumb went numb.  I panic and took him into emergency.  The checked him and refered to his neurologist.  They both decide that it was an optical migrane.  (this headache lasted for one and a half days.)  He is set up for May 12 to have an EEG ran.

What I am wondering is if he is toxic from the NutraSweet?  Has anyone had this symtoms?  I am trying everything.  I told xxxxxx he is not to eat or drink anything that has anything with NutraSweet in it for two weeks.

[more information]

177. Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 09:56:39 -0700
To: xxxxxx
Subject: NutraSweet

Thank you for all the information you sent to me.  xxxxxx had his EEG ran yesterday, everything came back normal.  The only thing he saw was that he had two irregular heartbeats.  But he felt this is someting that he will outgrow. 

While reading some of the information I see that maybe the NutrSweet can be causing this.  We are going to eliminate this from his diet for the next 60 days, to see if this is his cause.  Again, I thank you for the information and if there is anymore you can send me please do.

[update]

178. Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 13:50:06 -0700
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Nutrasweet

Just an update on how xxxxxx is doing.  I last e-mailed you in May. Since then xxxxxx has had nothing with aspartame in it and he has had no problems.  Everthing seems to be going good.  I would like to thank you for all the information you sent me and I have passed it on to alot of people.  Please let me know if there is any new information.  Please pass on xxxxxx's symptoms and reactions so other people may be aware of what aspartame can do to your body.


179. Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 08:05:25 -0700
To: xxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: resent information

Hi. I am writing in regards to my resent letters to you about my son Brent.  Since we have ellimated Nutra Sweet from xxxxx's diet he has only had one episode of a migrane, it could have been from he started taking vitamins which I am not sure if they had apartame in them. 

180. Date:         Sun, 10 Aug 1997 22:59:49 -0700
Sender:       Thyroid <THYROID@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Aspartame --adverse reaction

I had looked at several of the Internet references on Aspartame recently, but about a year ago I had also become aware of a report (or reports) regarding airline pilots losing their licenses because of problems with aspartame.  It took a while for them to figure out what was causing the problem.

Personally, I cannot tolerate aspartame at all.  It causes confusion,  memory loss, and other nasty reactions.  The last time knocked me out  for almost 2 weeks. How I got it the last time was a fast-food establishment had their hoses crossed -- the diet cola was hooked to the regular cola faucet.  This is the second time that has happened -- at different chains.  And the kids they have working their are have not lived long enough to realize that people can die from this stuff if they have a bad reaction.  The first time this happened, I realized that the cola tasted like "diet" instead of like regular.  I asked them to check and sure enough the hoses were crossed, and they fixed it.  This last time, it was hot, I was dehydrated, my husband was in the car suffering, so I didn't ask them to check the hoses -- I just drank it -- and suffered the consequences for almost 2 weeks.  Never again!

181. Date: Sun, 20 Jul 1997 22:16:21 -0500
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: NutraSweet & UTIs

Have read through part of your NutraSweet web page with great interest. I used to regularly consume 2-3 cans Diet soda/day. I also used to live with urinary tract infections averaging one/month. I work in a medical lab and these are confirmed infections by routine urinalysis and culture.

Two years ago I had a terrible UTI, and had been having some resistance to antibiotics by this time. I had to go to California for a meeting, so I trudged onward with antibiotics and my soda. When I arrived in my hotel room, I went to get a pop and found out it was $1.50/can. On grounds of principal, I couldn't buy it. I recovered from my UTI, bought a soda and was ill by the afternoon. After doing some of my own cause and effect, I figured it was the soda and thought maybe it was carbonated beverages. SO NO MORE SODA FOR ME!. It took awhile to pinpoint the NutraSweet, but I have been free of urinary tract infections for 2 years and you can't believe the relief! I tell everyone I know who has a UTI, to stop the diet drinks if they take them. Thanks for your web site.

182. Re: Astrology Testing Farce
Date           Sun, 13 Jul 1997 00:45:51 +1100
Newsgroups     alt.astrology,sci.skeptic,alt.paranet.metaphysics,alt.astrology. asian,alt.divination,alt.consciousness,alt.consciousness.mysticism,alt.paranet. channeling,alt.paranet.metaphysics,alt.paranet.psi,alt.metaphysics.lightwork,al
t.religion.course-miracle,talk.religion.newage,alt.paranormal,alt.metaphysics.a-a-bailey

I had incredible stomach pains for about two years. They seem to have stopped since I stopped drinking diet drinks. Aspartame (Nutrasweet) is another story though (hint - don't go near the stuff!).

183. Re: Aspartame(was Healthy Fast Food)
Date           Fri, 25 Jul 1997 02:13:27 GMT
Newsgroups     misc.consumers
                                      

I do get headaches from it -- I have occasional severe headaches (basically, migraines) and I found that consuming aspartame either started or promoted an attack.  And it makes me a bit dizzy, too.  :(


184. To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: the dark side of aspartame
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 21:49:10 -0600

I had been drinking aspartame in diet coke/coffee/crystal light and eating it in snack foods for about six years and began to have chronic urinary tract infections - at least two major episodes per year for three years.  Medical professionals blamed it on caffeine.  So I gave up all caffeine which, of course, decreased my aspartame intake, which caused my symptoms to improve slighty.  However, even without caffeine, I was still having infections.  My friend who is a nurse suggested that artificial sweeteners can cause bladder irritation.  Because I love coffee and coke, and was hoping caffeine was not the cause, I gave up all aspartame, in foods and drinks.  For one year I had no infections while continuing to enjoy about 1 cup of coffee and 1 coke per day (my usual intake).  Everything was going along well when all of the sudden, I had an infection.  While I'm wondering what could have happened (was it really caffeine after all?) I started looking at the foods and drinks I had recently purchased.  Although I am fastidious about checking labels, I had missed a very small label on the corner of a box of Fiber One cereal.  It did indeed contain aspartame and it only took eating a small bowl of cereal three days in a row to cause a major urinary tract infection.  I have had no reactions for three years since that last episode, and I can enjoy as much coffee and coke as I like as long as I do not ingest aspartame in any amount.  I will not even chew a stick of gum that contains aspartame. I also noticed, about a year after I stopped ingesting aspartame that I felt more alert.  I hope this information is helpful.  I would be interested in working towards having aspartame pulled by the FDA (even if that hope is slim).  Luckily, as a health educator, I have the opportunity to increase awareness of the dangers of aspartame.

185. Date: Fri, 1 Aug 1997
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: If You Want To Get Fat NutraSweet Is Where Its At!

I have found your site very informative and helpfull.  I have now been off Nutrasweet containing products for approx 3 months and I have found this very benificial.  The symptoms that I had been experiencing after 10 years or more ingestion of aspartame are begining to subside. One of the problems I have is that after 10 years of dieting I am now 54lbs heavier than when I started!! I read somewhere that the methonal is stored in the fat and I'm worried that my symptoms will continue as I loose weight and re-release the accumulated poisons back into my system.  Do you know of any source of information on the storage of the poison in the human body?

186. Date: Thu, 14 Aug 1997 12:21:51 PDT
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Questionnaire

Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Questionnaire

Name: xxxxxx xxxxxxx
Age: 29   Sex:  Female

Medical problems that you believe are caused from using aspartame:
Migraines, memory loss, weight gain, rash all over body.

Why do you believe aspartame caused these problems?
Because whenever I would eat or drink something with Nutrasweet in them within 30 minutes I would get a horrible migraine and my skin would turn red.  I also felt really "strange", almost like I was drugged.

Did the symptoms go away when you stopped using the products?
Yes!  Completely.  I have not had anything with aspartame in it for 5 years now.  I avoid it like the plague.

Did you see a Doctor about symptoms? 
Yes.

Did Doctor think it related to aspartame?
He thought it was unlikely.  I disagreed because the symptoms disappeared when I stopped using aspartame and would reoccur when I accidentally did.

Did you report your symptoms to the FDA (Food & Drug Admin.) or any other group?

No, because I didn't think my symptoms were that profound....(compared to others with seizures and the like).

What specific products(s) containing aspartame were you consuming when you experienced these symptoms?
Diet Rite sodas and Crystal Light drinks mostly.  And chewing gum. 

On the average, what quantity were you consuming (how often, how much each time, etc.)
I would have roughly two sodas a day, and 2 servings of Crystal Light.

How long had you been consuming these products before you experienced the symptoms?
Only a few days. 

FOR THOSE CONCERNED ABOUT WEIGHT:   Did you begin using products with aspartame when you began a restricted calorie diet?
Yes, I did.

Did you use aspartame products only for some of your meals to save calories?
No, I never didn't eat.

Did aspartame seem to help you lose weight at first?
Yes, at first I lost 20 lbs.

What were the long term weight loss effects of using aspartame.
I started retaining huge amounts of water and my face always had a puffy look to it, while using those products. 

It wasn't until I realized that consuming anything with aspartame in it was causing me problems, that I stopped and then was able to regain my health.  Now I tell everyone that it's poison. I have a friend who was in an accident many years ago and suffered brain damage.  She has seizures often, and seem to have them more frequently when she consumes anything with aspartame.  I've tried to get her off of the products, but she said she's addicted.

187. Date: 2 Dec 1996 11:20:34 -0600
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: How Are you?

Yes, I'm doing much better since I swore off NutraSweet!  Most people I know can't believe I quit drinking diet coke.  They've always known me to carry a can or bottle of it around with me.  That was part of my image:  long blond hair, Ray-bans, and a can of Diet Coke.

I have been waking up feeling rested.  I'm not as achy.  I'm not as tired.  I don't crave sweets anymore.  I haven't lost any weight, but that's probably because I drink a lot of Coke Classic now.  I don't NEED a coke first thing every morning now like I did a Diet coke.  I used to get headaches if I didn't have my Diet Coke within an hour or two after waking up.  Now I can go all day without a coke and not have any problems.  I kept telling myself it was caffeine withdrawals, but if it's not happening now, that can't be the case.  I drink as much caffeine now as before, only now my caffeine is Nutra-Sweet free!

My son's behavior problems are improving now that he's off NutraSweet and mostly off artificial colors.  He's working better in school, and he's doing really well at learning to read and to add and subtract.  He seems to be sleeping better now, too.  Now when he climbs up onto my lap it's not painful like it used to be.  Uncomfortable, yes, since he's 50-something pounds!  But not painful.

My vision is improving and so is my memory.  I've been working full-time for more than 6 months, and I just completed a quarter of college full-time as well, making two B's and an A.  I'm still prone to depression; in fact, I've been depressed lately.  But my bouts are not as bad as they've been in the past.  Before when I'd get depressed, I couldn't drag myself out of bed or have enough interest to do housework.  I'd sit around eating brownies by the panful and Ben and Jerry's by the pint.  Now, I can still get my day-to-day work accomplished if I'm depressed, just not as quickly and efficiently.  I think when I start taking my anti-depressants again, they may actually work since I'm not constantly depleting my seratonin levels and counteracting the effects of the medicine with aspartame.

I'm working on losing the weight I've gained in the past couple of years (some 40 or 50 lbs--thank you Diet Coke, Duncan Hines, and Ben and Jerry!), and I think I might have a fighting chance now that aspartame isn't tricking my body and brain.  I honestly can't believe how my taste buds react to sweets now.  Thanksgiving day I ate pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie for dessert instead of reaching for the chocolate cake and chess pie.  I couldn't even bring myself to taste the chocolate dishes!  That is so unlike me!  I remember when I was younger I used to crave salty foods and protein, like ham slices or something. That's what I've been craving again lately.  That and healthy foods like salads and vegetables.  Amazing!  Incidentally, I decided to drink a Diet Coke about a month ago just to see what it tasted like and made me feel like after a couple of months without it.  Blech!  That tasted nasty!  Made me feel funny, too.  Gave me a headache.  Funny how I could come up with all sorts of explanations for symptoms instead of facing the truth that I was poisoning myself.

I talked to a woman at church a couple of weeks ago who was puzzled why she had been feeling bad lately.  I found out she had just started drinking Diet Coke about a month earlier.  She had been drinking only water before.  I asked her if she felt like she'd been beaten with a baseball bat every morning when she woke up, if she felt like she hadn't slept a wink, if her kids were finishing her sentences for her, if her vision was a bit blurry, if she'd been craving sweets lately, if she got headaches more frequently especially if she'd missed her morning cup of diet coke, and if her muscles hurt when her kids climbed up onto her lap.  She answered yes to all those symptoms, most of which she hadn't really thought about or noticed until I brought it up!  I told her my story and gave her the info I got from you, and she said she'd quit drinking it and see how she felt.  I haven't talked to her in about a month, but I should see her soon and I'll ask if she's doing better.

Thank you so much for helping spread the word.  I probably would've kept drinking the stuff until I killed myself if it hadn't been for you and your crew.  If I can help, I'd be glad to.  I'd like to have an even better success story for you 6 months from now since I feel better physically and better about myself after getting off the poison.  I feel like I can accomplish more of my goals now!  My depression and achy body won't get the best of me anymore!  Hey, if I can work 43 hours a week and take 3 college courses and make a 3.33 average while being a single mom of a kindergartener, I think there's probably even more that I can do!

188. Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Thanks for your story

Thank you kindly. And thank you for your great work against the deadly genetically engineered drug aspartame.

We all owe you a debt of gratitude. I had my own aspartame story also. I was having lots of problems concentrating and thinking clearly for over two years. I was drinking a half gallon of Diet Coke most days. I had no idea!! I never would have suspected that stuff as the cause had it none been for your work. Now they want to screw up the rest of the food supply.


I gave up aspartame almost a year ago and I do feel much better. Now I also am avoiding the other genetically engineered foods.

189. Date: Sat, 9 Aug 1997 18:26:50 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: ASPARTAME

Thank you for your quick and informative answer.  I am a seven year drinker of DIET PEPSI and just quit drinking that poison 45 days ago, and I can not believe how great I feel.  I am only 56, and my doctors and friends told me that it was old age creeping in.  Well, they were wrong! I FEEL GREAT!!  If I can do anything other than just get the word out let me know.

190. Date: Tue, 9 Sep 97 07:32:21 -0400
Subject: Reaction
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx

I have had arythmia and severe headaches from aspartame.  In my teen years I consumed quite a bit of NutraSweet.  Eventually, my family realized that the "heart palpitations" may be connected and I stopped consuming it. In my early 20s I decided to try it again.  Same thing.  After just a  small amount, I was again experiencing the arythmia and severe headaches.  I get a headache almost immediately after consuming as little as four ounces of a nutra-sweet laced product. I've never believed in activism, but since I started studying NutraSweet, I've been interested in spreading the word.  Especially to the people who are risking their children's lives.

191. Re: NutraSweet
Date           7 Sep 1997 05:18:49 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.med.fibromyalgia

I still wonder why nutrasweet is allowed to be on the market. I no longer touch anything that has it in it. When I was drinking the diet soda with nutrasweet I started having serious memory lapses and my short term to long term memory transfer ability was debilitated. Even though I haven't touched nutrasweet in 5 years I still feel that I haven't regained my full memory back. I know some of my memory trouble is due to "fog" but "fog" can't cause everything.

192. [aspartame and other stuff]
Subj:    Re: Preservative ALLERGY??
Date:    97-06-22 21:19:04 EDT
To:      xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx

Thank you so much for your report on Aspartame.... I am 47, female, and I truly feel that aspartame has been a big part of my problem along with MSG, cheese, and caffeine.  I have given up all of these for the past 40 days and my symptoms have improved by  85% I would guess.

I had all the tests like you - over seven months......and they said they also felt I was beginning with seizures - the partial kind.  I hadn't lost conciousness yet but was feeling close to it.......that diagnosis just didn't sit well - it didn't feel right, you know what I mean?  They put me on anti-seizure medicine (Neurontin) for 3 months... to see if my symptoms would go away.... (I was still using Nutrasweet alot) the medicine didn't phase one symptom.......then they put me on Inderal thinking it was a migraine type problem - migraine equivalents they called it - but Inderal didn't phase my symptoms either - plus I gained weight !!  I got so disgusted I tried the avoidance of migraine trigger foods  - a list my sister sent to me thru E-Mail. Nutrasweet was on the list.   As I said in a few weeks my symptoms were so much improved I couldn't believe it!!  How long does it take for that chemical to get completely out of your system?  I suspect it might take a while - what do you think?

193. Re: Betty's info on eye problems in diabetics using aspartame (NutraSweet)
Date           21 Jun 1997 04:20:00 GMT
Newsgroups     misc.health.diabetes

There have been questions about aspartame since it's inception. I've recently stopped ingesting it and to me it's quite noticeable that I feel better. No headaches or memory lapses which could have come from it.

194. To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Questionnaire
Date: Fri, 27 Jun 1997 14:02:58 -0500

Name:___xxxxx xxxxxxxx__________________________________________
Age: 32  Sex:  F

Medical problems that you believe are caused from using aspartame:
I get violent headaches when I consume aspartame

Why do you believe aspartame caused these problems?
Because I don't get that kind of headache when I don't consume aspartame.

Did the symptoms go away when you stopped using the products?
Yes.  I noticed this in 1991.  I would have a diet sprite with lunch, and along about 1:30 or 2:00, I would get a pounding headache.  I mentioned it to someone I worked with, and since he is extremely sensitive to aspartame, he mentioned that I might be having a reaction. I had been out of the country for a couple of years and hadn't had any aspartame before.

Did you see a Doctor about symptoms?
No, they went away when I stopped drinking the diet pop.

Did Doctor think it related to aspartame?

Did you report your symptoms to the FDA (Food & Drug Admin.) or any other group?
No, I didn't know there was any recording going on.

What specific products(s) containing aspartame were you consuming when you experienced these symptoms?
Diet pop.  That was about it.  I'm not a candy or gum person.

On the average, what quantity were you consuming (how often, how much each time, etc.)
One can of pop with lunch, maybe one later in the afternoon.

How long had you been consuming these products before you experienced the symptoms?
As previously stated, I had been out of the country for some time. Nutrasweet was being introduced when I left.  When I came back, everything was Nutrasweet.  I noticed the headaches right away after I started consuming large quantities of it.

FOR THOSE CONCERNED ABOUT WEIGHT:   Did you begin using products with aspartame when you began a restricted calorie diet?
Sort of.  I grew up drinking diet pop, so regular sugar tastes too strong to me.

Did you use aspartame products only for some of your meals to save calories?
Yes, just pop.

Did aspartame seem to help you lose weight at first?
I didn't consume enough to notice any difference.

What were the long term weight loss effects of using aspartame?
At the time, learning to eat properly was more important than weight loss, so I didn't focus on losing weight.

FOR THOSE WITH DIABETES: Any trouble controlling blood sugar while using aspartame?
I'm hypoglycemic rather than diabetic.  After drinking a diet pop, it seemed my blood sugar levels dropped dramatically.

Did using products affect the types of food you selected to eat? How?
Yes, my bg levels were low, so I'd crave something to eat.  Sweet things looked more attractive.

Did aspartame affect your desire for sweet tasting food or drink?
increase

195. Date: Wed, 09 Jul 1997 00:16:20 -0700
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspertame

I discovered a few years back that aspertame gives me migraines.  I am very careful about what I purchase and read all suspect labels.  Aspertame shows up in the darndest places! The other day I bought some Welch's juice bars.  They were labeled 'No sugar added'.  For some stupid reason, I did not search for the dreaded nutrisweet on the label.  I thought that 'no sugar added' meant they were naturally sweet.

I ate one.  Now I am on day 3 of a aspertame headache.  I threw the rest of the headache bars in the garbage. I'm not sure how to contact Welch's about this misleading label.  I'm sure that an upstanding company like Welch's would not knowingly mislead the public.  :-o

I just read on your page that aspertame can hurt the optic nerve.  My mother has been using Nutri Sweet for 20 years and now she is almost blind.  She has had glaucoma for all this time, but has been
using eye drops and her pressure has been under control.  Her eye doctor says that her blindness is caused by optic nerve damage due to the glaucoma.  I'm sure Nutri Sweet hasn't helped.



196. Date: Sat, 12 Jul 1997 10:43:55 +0100
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Artificial Sweetneters

My wife is so sensitive to any artificial sweetener that any amount no matter how small causes a severe reaction.  Even one drop of Diet Coke will make her sick for days.  A gulp of diet soda is so deadly to her that it requires an immediate ambulance ride to the hospital.

You should know that these sweeteners are used in many things you don't realize.  Toothpaste for example.  Last year she discovered by accident that her toothpaste had aspartane in it and she was being poisoned by it on a daily basis.  We check every single thing she consumes but outside of the United States this is difficult because of the lack of labeling laws.  England is especially bad.  Last week while trying to buy off the shelf cough
medicine, the pharmacist had to call each manufacturer to check what they contained.  We found that every single brand on the shelf contained artificial sweeteners except one.  Just a few days later she was almost poisoned again by a Sangria drink she ordered at a restrurant – the lemonade in the drink was made with artificial sweeteners instead ofsugar.

Because of her I've become more informed of how these sweeteners work and I can hardly believe it.  They can only be described as mind altering drugs.  The war on drugs should begin with artificial
sweeteners.  In summary, beware.  This dangerious stuff is not just in soda -- it's in all kinds of seemingly innocient stuff you buy at pharmacies and elsewhere.

197. Date: Fri, 27 Jun 1997
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Aspartame and It's Effects

My mother and I both have been a victim of aspartame.  Are you aware it's almost impossible to get children's vitamins or yoghurt without it?  My mother broke out in a terrible rash up and down her arms like hives that remained on her for a month after the aspartame was discontinued.  I got intense headaches.  It was awful.  This is not a case history, but just a comment.

198. Date:         Wed, 25 Jun 1997 23:57:12 -0500
Subject:      Re: Persistent Sore Throat
To: ALLERGY@postal.tamu.edu

The beginning of my allergy discovery began this way.  After reviewing my medical bills for insurance reimbursement, I noticed that I had lost my voice and had either an ear or sinus infection every month since I moved to California from the Pacific Northwest.  Allergy tests by one doctor showed I was slightly allergic to dust.  Another doctor's test showed I was negative to everything.  He suggested I look into eliminating milk from my diet.

What I now understand two years later is that I was causing my own damage through preservatives.  When I moved to California and began my long (1-1.5 hour) commutes, I drank a lot of soft drinks especially diet with Nutrasweet.  I also am a lazy cook and ate a lot of preprepared foods.

I wish I understood then that additives in my diet were the problem.  I wouldn't be on such a restricted diet today if I or the doctors could have seen the real issue. By the way, the moment I cut out preservative from my diet, I felt remarkably healthy and energetic.  I have not had a sore throat from nasal drip since.

199. Date: Tue, 8 Jul 1997 20:46:25 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Nutrasweet

I've noticed over the past few years that after using Equal for several months, I will have serious pains in the stomach area.  The first time I went to a MD who fully examined me and told me to use Zantec, to no avail. I then started to omit various foods, etc and found that whe I eliminated nutasweet for a week the pain went away.   
After a call to the company, without any meaningful comment by them, I then started using Equal after a month or so without difficulty for about a year. When the same pains started again I at once stopped using nutrasweet and the pain disappeared almost at once. 

After the past eight months of usage, again, I today began the same pain and have stopped neutrasweet.  If I am correct that the source of the pain is neutrasweet (Equal) the pain should stop in a day or so.

[update]


200. Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 16:05:54 -0400
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Nutrasweet

Did the stomach pain disappear?
Yes it did.  I did what I had done before and that was to stay off Equal for a few weeks and went bacj to sugar and at times the pink stuff.

201. To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame review after  75 days
Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 14:26:43 -0400

I have been Aspartame, caffeine, and sugar-free for about 75 days now.  When I went off these three items on April 30, my main complaints were: shaky handwriting and tremblor of hands; flickering lights in the outer field of vision and joint pain. These have disappeared almost completely. I have not gone back to Aspartame at all, but I have begun to drink regular coffee without suffering any ill effects, except one day when I overdid the caffeine bit by having about six cups.  Then the shaky handwriting and the flickering lights were back.  While I am happy to be rid of most symptoms, I cannot really say that all of the good effects were solely due to quitting Aspartame. Thanks anyway for the information. Maybe we all consume too much caffeine, also. If that is true, then the coffee and softdrink industry will really be mad!

202. Date:         Sat, 16 Aug 1997 17:35:41 -0500
Sender:       New Diet Revolution List <ATKINS-NEW@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject:      Re: I'm Not Making The Progress I Thought

I was a total Diet Coke addict, and eating cold cuts like crazy.  When I learned about all the additives in cold cuts, and read so much about Nutrasweet on this list, I cut them out and have lost 14 lbs in the intervening four weeks.  (I also have a tendency to abuse the heavy cream allowance, making myself elaborate flavored decaf coffee drinks at night to assuage my dessert cravings.)

My ketostix weren't turning anything darker than a medium beige, and a week after I made the changes they started turning a medium purple and I started losing. Also I wasn't drinking enough water.  I now go through two 1-liter bottles a day, and I believe it's helped.

Man, giving up the Nutrasweet was HARD.  I had headaches for a couple of days, but after about five days my cravings for sweets really diminished ... I don't think I'm ever going back to Nutrasweet, after all the bad stuff I've read/heard about it.

203. Date: 05 Jun 1997
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Apartame side effects (fwd)

I was alerted to the effects of aspartame through reading the message board under the better heart health site on the internet.  I was new to computers and anxiously read all I could access about tachycardia, arrythmias and high cholesterol.  I found a posting from xxxxxxx that listed side effects from aspartame.  I had some of the same symptoms that she had experienced like;  fast heartbeat. She kindly sent more information about aspartame.  I experimented by listening to my body when I consumed aspartame and sure enough it was a cause of rapid heartbeat. I cut it out completely.  I used to consume quite a bit of the stuff in diet drinks and by adding it to coffee. 
I am also cutting out coffee, fat and am starting to exercise regularly. I told the story to my brother, two aunts and two uncles who also have heart problems as well and they have also found a connection. 


Thanks alot to xxxxxx, I'll continue to share your information with anyone who I think might benefit from the news. 


204. Date: Fri, 27 Sep 1996 21:22:46 -0700
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: 60 day aspartame abstinence

I have been noticing gradually improving memory and mental acuity since I have quit aspartame. I've had very few headaches. A side effect of quitting aspartame is drinking much less soda since I can't afford the calories. Thank you for your tremendous efforts in behalf of all you may be helping. My reading concentration is much improved also. God bless you in this unique ministry.

205. Date: Thu, 1 May 1997
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: send me help

Just read the article from xxxx xxxxxxxx about artificial sweetners.  I have been drinking diet sodas since they first came out.  I have a bunch of the symptoms listed, the worst being swollen stiff joints, attributed to rheumatoid arthritis.  I easily drink 2 liters of diet pepsi a day. Your message is really shocking and upsetting.

[update]

206. Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Regarding update

Thanks for your last e-mail.  I have mostly not had any aspartame for a couple of months, but,every once in a whilef I had a diet soda.  No more.  The last time I drank diet pop a bunch of symptoms
returned and I'm blaming them on te pop.  The joint pain has not completely disappeared, unfortunately.  So maybe that's not all aspartame.  Thanks for the info and concern.

207. Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Nurenburg Trials/Responsibility for NutraSweet?

My name is Lynn and I live in St John's, Newfoundland, Canada.  I have recently become very interested in the scourge of aspartame.  I am a sufferer of migraine headaches, and have been so for many years.  I have concluded that the culprit of my problem is indeed aspartame.

Unfortunately, after being diagnosed with the problem my doctor did not inform me that one of the possible causes of migraines may be aspatame, even though she did give me a list of may types of food that cause the disorder.  At the top of the list was the warning that foods containing phenylalanine may be a problem to sufferers.  However not even a hint as to any problems derived from consuming Aspartame. I continued to suffer from migraines even though I discontinued eating every food on that list.
What a shock I received one day when I was purchasing 'sugar-free' yogurt at the supermarket.  In the ingredients list it said that the product contained aspartame and that aspartame may contain phenylalanine.  I immediately stopped using the product in my diet and the symptoms went away entirely.  I was Amazed. Why wasn't I informed about the possibility that aspartame may be the very thing that was making me sick.  

I have been looking through the net and the symptoms listed on some pages include some of the scariest I experienced during what I called a migraine. These included memory loss (to the point where I couldn't remember my brother's or my roommate's name), and slurred and jumbled speech.  I revisited my doctor to tell of these symptoms which were getting progressively worse (before the aspartame halt) and she said that she has had other patients complain of similar symptoms and that everyone experiences migraines differently.  I question whether doctors are informed about the effects of aspartame or if they are just as blind as I was.


208. Date: 22 Aug 1997 03:07:17 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.support.diet
Subject: Re: Coke Vs. Diet Coke

Hmm... well I find that if I have more than 2 servings of Nutrasweet a day I get a nagging sore throat... that is as long as I drink a lot ofwater... if I'm subsisting on JUST Diet Coke (and yes I HAVE done it :->) I do get really tired.

209. Re: aspartame (was: caramel)
Date           Sat, 06 Sep 1997 11:01:31 -0700
Newsgroups     alt.folklore.herbs

I'd like to add my .02 to Sandy's post.  NutraSweet (aspartame) is also dangerous for people with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).  Most doctors will tell hypoglycemics to stay away from sugar, but mine never mentioned aspartame.  If I eat or drink *anything* containing aspartame, my blood sugar plummets and I get a horrible migraine.  It's even worse than eating a sugary snack.  I read a few months ago that the reason for this is that it "tricks" your body into thinking it's had sugar (because of the sweetness), but the "energy" (calories) of sugar aren't even there to temporarily raise the blood sugar before it lowers the sugar in the blood.  Now, when I get cravings for something sweet, I make tea and add stevia.  I've never had an unfavorable reaction from it.

210. Date:         Mon, 21 Jul 1997 11:17:49 -0500
Sender:       Paleolithic Eating Support List <PALEOFOOD@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject:      Re: Non nutritive sweeteners

My daughter has seizures if she drinks or eats anything with Nutrasweet. I have also heard that it has been banned from Japan.

211. AOL/General Health Discussions/Nutrasweet
Subject: More Information
Date: 04 Aug 1997 21:12:30 EDT

I'm glad it made me sick when I first drank it, so it never had a chance to do me in. It's really a shame that they don't remove it from the market, but then with Monsanto people being placed in positions of authority at the FDA, what do we expect?

212. Date: Wed, 23 Jul 1997 12:42:54 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: How are you?

Within about 10 days there was a substantial reduction in headaches. Particularly the ones behind my eyes that hurt so much and caused eye problems.  As for other problems, I have seen nothing.

213. LUPUS-L Mailing List
Re: MED: FDA "PIVOTAL" SAFETY STUDY: ASPARTAME CAUSED BRAIN SEIZURES
Sat, 21 Jun 1997 22:17:19 -0500

Aspartame causes me to have headaches and be more light sensitive.

214. Date: Tue, 8 Jul 1997 19:02:55 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame Disease mimics MS

Have a friend who has been diagnosed as a "probable" MS patient. Last week she learned thru a friend of a friend that Nutrisweet might be her problem. She has cut out Nutrisweet from her diet entirely and, although it has only been less than 2 weeks, says she feels significantly better and has already reduced prescription drugs.

215. Re: The Bitterest Sweet
Date           11 Jul 1997 15:23:58 GMT
Newsgroups     sci.med.nursing

Are you refering to a study or did you state your opinion (I agree with you in a way because nutra swt makes my mouth sore and gives me an overall ill effect everytime) I believe in good old sugar

216. Re: Joe Parsons Rides Again
Date           28 Jun 1997 11:41:36 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.support.attn-deficit,sci.psychology.psychotherapy, news.groups

I know that nutrasweet gives me one hell of a headache. Don't know if that has anything to do with ADD, however.


217. Re: PVC's unchecked
Date           Sat, 28 Jun 1997 10:00:26 -0400
Newsgroups     sci.med.cardiology

My PVC's have recently returned - the cause once again is plenty of stress. I also found out that the aspartame (Nutrasweet) in diet soft drinks was aggravating the condition - I'd get PVC's within about an hour of drinking a diet soft drink.  No more aspartame, and the problem has lessened. Still, though, one of the primary underlying causes is certainly stress. So I'm back on Lopressor again, for a little while anyway.

218. Date: Wed, 3 Sep 1997
To: xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame causes allergic reactions

I have been plagued by a rash along the insides of my fore-arms for several years.  I saw a dermatologist who said it was due to extra-dry skin and told me to use lotion after my showers.  (This didn't work.) 

Strangely enough, about a week after discovering I was pregnant, my rash disappeared.  I had been a real diet coke junkie and vowed to stop during my pregnancy.  When the baby was about 3 weeks old, I had my first diet soda in 10 months.  Within hours, my rash returned.  It took a little testing to confirm my theory, but now I am certain.  Anytime I have been rash-free for weeks, if I drink a diet soda or have a "lite" cup of yogurt with aspartame, the rash is back the next morning.

219. To: xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 20:52:09 -0400

I am an RN and have who has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I am aspartame free since 6-97. So far so good!  But I ahve a nurse friend that has been diagnosed with Meniere's Disease and  am wondering about that and aspartame.  She is on a very restricted Sodium diet and is better.  But, mentionerd the aspartamne and she notices that when she drinks diet epsi, her Meniere's flares reall badly. She thought maybe it was the caffiene. But I am wondering about the aspartame.

[update]

220. To: xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 22:28:41 -0400

I don't know if you remember, but I contacted you about the possibilty of a connection between aspartame and Meniere's disease.  My friend gave up her diet Pepsi and has not needed to take her diuretic except 3 times in one month .  She was taking them daily to reduce the dizziness.  She hasn't needed it.  She said she really wasn't keeping track, but suddenly realized that she did have a decrease in symptoms. I am now known as the Nutrasweet police, but I have given your infoe to everybody, including several physicians.  I have not noticed much change in my fibromyalgia symptoms, but some times you don't know how good you feel until you feel awful again.  I have had some sort of virus, we think. Jokingly we have decided that it is aspartame withdrawl.  I will tell you that on reflection, I had a seizure disorder and the worst seizures were when I worked 11 PM-7AM shift and lived on diet pop for caffeine. Two years ago, I had an EEG and No seizure actitvity was present!  Imagine that.

Please forgive me for going on so long. I want to say THANK YOU!! And please continue your work.

221. Diabetes Mailing List
Re: Headaches and DM?
Sun, 10 Aug 1997 22:42:08 -0500
                                      
When I was first diagnosed and made the transition from REAL soft drinks to diet... I started getting a lot of headaches. It seems that one of the most common side effects of Nutri-Sweet (aspartame) is headaches, until your system becomes metabolized to it... And then from time to time when the aspartame builds up to toxic levels, it has been known to cause migraines.

222. Re: Aspartame is unhealthy? (was Re: Meal Replacement without Aspartame?)
Date           7 Sep 1997 21:27:00 GMT
Newsgroups     misc.fitness.weights

I know that Nutrasweet in foods or drinks gives me violent headaches...and my siblings recently confirmed the same about themselves. So, my drink of choice is...WATER! LOL

223. Date: Sun, 24 Aug 1997 15:06:21 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.support.diet
Subject: Re: Lots of Non Diet Soda's

I don't personally recommend that diet soda, I know that nutrasweet will give me a migraine 9 times out of 10 I have something with nutrasweet in it.

224. Date:         Tue, 20 May 1997 05:58:26 -0500
Sender:       Paleolithic Eating Support List <PALEOFOOD@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject:      Silly question

When I was on Atkins, I used to eat a lot of Sugar-Free Jello (especially with whipped cream or cream cheese or cottage cheese. Eeeps! No wonder I was so messed up and gained weight!) but gave it up when I realized I was having physical reactions to NutraSweet.
....


225. Date:         Sat, 28 Jun 1997 08:00:24 +0000
Sender:       Thyroid <THYROID@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject:      Nutrasweet

Nutrasweet gives me headaches so I do not drink it.

226. Date:         Fri, 8 Aug 1997 01:23:16 -0400
Sender:       Thyroid <THYROID@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Fw: aspartame info (Long)

Great letter...I was "hooked" on diet Coke...I mean I liked it better then regular!   I drank it morning ...noon...and night!  What a gimik...you can have all you want...and no calories. I was also experiencing panic attacks. When the first letter hit the list....I stopped drinking it!  Thank you all!!!   I (knock on wood) haven't had a panic attack in over a week...:)  I never gave in totally to my panic so I haven't been house bound....but  it so much more pleasant when I don't have to experience them at all!!!!!!!!

227. Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 22:54:53 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Copy of email to Dr. Friedman

I used to drink vast quantities of Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi ( both caffeine free) -- they never seemed to quench my thirst and I suffered from terrible headaches. I quit using any products with Aspartame and the headaches have gone away. I don't think this is merely anecdotal. There is mounting evidence that aspartame is NOT safe. Please remove this dangerous drug from the market.

[husband's case history]

228. Date: Fri, 1 Aug 1997 14:14:11 -0400
To: xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Fw: NutraSweet

I know how hard it is to give up Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi -- I was addicted to the stuff. Do you remember how much I used to put away? Athol (my husband) as almost as bad.

Here is my NutraSweet story -- I used to get horrible headaches and was thinking of taking out shares in Johnson & Johnson I was sucking down so many Tylenol! Mary Beth had told me that NutraSweet gave her terrible headaches and I poo-pooed her until it eventually got so bad that decided to try. The headache used to sit at the base of my skull and my neck would crack horribly when I stretched it in an attempt to alleviate the pain. After going through a few weeks of withdrawal symptoms -- I was fine. I haven't taken ANY pain killer for over three years.

Now Athol's NutraSweet HORROR story. A couple of times in South Africa and then a couple of times here Athol had unexplained blackouts. It wasn't a faint -- he didn't crumple like a faint -- he would go down like a felled tree! We saw an endless parade of heart specialists and neurologists, he had MRI's, EKG's, EEG's, zillions of blood tests. No answer.

Eventually one collapse (about 3 or 4 years ago) was so bad we thought he'd had a stroke -- he had all the symptoms of a stroke. Paralysis down one side, slurred speech -- the works. He was hospitalized -- more tests including a Doppler scan of the carotid arteries (clear). They finally let him come home after three days and we were really none the wiser. The doctor and hospital decided that a perfectly healthy 33 year old male with NO predisposing factors had had a TIA (transient ischemic attack) -- doctor-speak for mini-stroke. He had several more collapses after that.

Finally one at work which freaked everyone out. His boss insisted that he stay home until he was properly diagnosed. He saw yet another neurologist in the city and this one finally diagnosed  epilepsy. Athol then went through a series of four anti-seizure drugs -- Dilantin (caused a suicidal depression), Depakote (came damned close to destroying his liver -- the liver enzyme SGOT measured 240 when it should be under 40), Tegretol (made him unbelievably moody and aggressive) and finally Lacmictal which seemed to be OK.

Problem was the initial dosage wasn't preventing the seizures. They kept increasing the dose until Athol was like a zombie. In the meantime I had read that NutraSweet  could cause seizures. I begged Athol to stop using the stuff, figuring that someone who was already having seizures didn't need anything that could cause more.

Finally in October of last year he did stop. Unrelated to this he had decided to start reducing his medication because he hated how he was feeling. He decided that he would take his chances with the seizures rather than feel so lethargic and spacey all the time. He gradually reduced his dosage and on Christmas Day 1996 stopped using medication altogether. He has not had one seizure since. Co-incidence? I think not. He only started these seizures after he'd met me and I used aspartame.

When I think of the harm I must have done to myself, Athol and my kids by having us all use this poison in the mistaken belief that sugar was actually worse for us -- I feel physically sick. I can only hope that we quit in time.


229. Date: Mon, 02 Jun 1997 20:08:29 -0700
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: OVER 30 DAYS WITHOUT ASPARTAME,,,,

Thanks for the e-mail today, it has been 34 days without any aspartame, and I feel great. Looking back, it amazes me that I was just going along, not really thinking about how I was feeling, when Jim said that he had really noticed that I wasnt in as much pain, as before. As he said, I wasnt twisting all over the sofa trying to get comfortable.  My pain level has gone down by at least 60% if not more. I am doing my gardening, and general housework, and other things without to much pain. I can carry on now, even when I am getting tired. Whereas before, I would have to lay down, and nap or at least rest.

I really havent got any down side, to anything, as yet. I really feel like I am getting my life back.  I am much nicer to be around, my friends have noticed that, and I can even joke around now, I am not always spending my energies on fighting the pain. I just hope that it continues to get better for me.

230. Don't Buy Stock In Monsanto :)
Date           Thu, 9 Jan 1997 13:33:30 -0500
Newsgroups     alt.med.cfs
                                     
Right on Ilena! - 9 days off of Aspartame; I feel a little better already. I can hardly wait for the 60 day countdown to feel how I am then.

[update]

231. Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 08:55:46 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: Don't Buy Stock In Monsanto :)

I feel much better, thanks.

I no longer get blurry vision, have less tremor in my hands (although this isone symptom which I think will never go away completely), no more chronic "tickle" in throat which caused me to constantly clear my throat, less chronic depression, and best of all, I don't feel that deep down fatigue that I used to feel in seemingly every bone in my body. Overall, I seem to sleep better also, although I still occasionally get one of those sleepless nights. I no longer get those inexplicable monster "back-of-the-eyeballs headaches" when I read anymore; although I used to be an enthusiastic reader at one time before aspartame, I couldn't tolerate reading for more than 15 minutes when I was on aspartame.

I still do get tired more than I feel I should, but I definitely am doing better than just 6 months ago. I believe that an important residual effect of aspartame use is that due to chronic fatigue and basically feeling sick all the time had led me to become much less active which caused me to gain weight and to lose endurance from lack of enough aerobic excercize.

xxx, in addition to removing aspartame from my diet, I have also cut my caffeine down to only one cup of coffee (seem to still need that jolt in the morning) per day which really minimizes that 2pm to 4pm "valley of fatigue" crash which used to hit me very hard usually right after lunch.

Other diet revisions which I have made: 1) almost compete substitution of soft drinks with fruit/vegetable juices such as V-8, oj, cranberry, grape, etc. about the only soft drink that I'll still have is ginger ale but even that I have rarely; 2) major reduction (but not fanatic abstinence) in consumption of red meats especially cold cuts; 3) we make a couple of big pots of different soups every weekend made with a lot of fresh veggies which we use as left overs which last through the week; 4) also have increased intake of vitamins upto at least 1500 mg of vit C and 400iu of vit E  per day along with a multi for B vitamins which I always make sure to take along with meals to ensure more complete digestion and adsorption.

I really did not start my diet change until after my 60 day countdown of stopping aspartame use. So I guess it was somewhat "scientific" for whatever it's worth. We have also started experimenting with natural non-caffeine teas and oriental herbs.

The main idea that I have brought away from following the CFS and aspartame post lists and web info is that everyone has a right to actively take care of his own health and to have free access to the materials and information to do so. I think that the modern medical system has become too bureaucratic and unresponsive to individual needs, especially if your symptoms don't happen to fall neatly into an easy to diagnose and prescribe ailment. As time pemits, we're trying to read more books about holistic health approaches.

232. AOL/General Health Discussions/NutraSweet
Subj: Re: nutrasweet/indigestion
Date: 29 May 1997 00:07:23 EDT

Nutrasweet makes me sick, my husband and daughter. It started with me. Several years ago, I took two nutrasweet packets in several cups of coffee and had one pop a day. I noticed my eyes were always burning. I read a story in the tribune about two women who sued for blindness caused by it. I stopped taking it. The burning in my eyes went away. I was afraid to have my daughter take it and wouldn't let her drink pop with it in it. She stayed over at a friend's house where a diabetic grandma lives and drank some of her nutrasweet pop. She was sick all night and half the next day with a horrible headache. When my husband accidentally had a drink with nutrasweet in it -- he believes in sugar -- it made his head hurt, his nose run and his eyes burn.

I think this stuff is poison and i don't care what the FDA says is safe. they're acting more like a shill for corporations than a consumer protector. A friend of mine pulled a story off the net about a worker at the Searle plant dying from nutrasweet exposure. Apparently, all the workers have to wear space suits and this guy wasn't careful. Kind of like the food additive version of who killed karen silkwood. She also pulled a story off about the woman who died in the ER and smelled so bad? It was from nutrasweet. The chemicals in nutrasweet tuned into methyl...something that smells bad. Anyhow. I don't use it and I tell people it's poison, don't use it.

233. Re: Lyme & Nutrasweet
Date           Sun, 25 May 97 13:27:46 EDT
Newsgroups     sci.med.diseases.lyme
                                     
About a year ago I stopped drinking/eating anything with nutrasweet. This was truly amazing, because I practically lived on Diet Coke. I have noticed a marked difference in my mental abilities since giving up the nutra-sweet.

I made the decision after reading a newsletter from a group that was trying to inform the public about the dangers of nutrasweet. I can't find the publication now, or the name of the group, but I can tell you what some of their issues were. They claimed that Nutrasweet only barely passed the FDA approval process, and if it were not for appointing an additional researcher to the panel that was approving/or not nutrasweet it never would have been approved.

They claimed that in experimental animal studies, nutrasweet caused holes in the brains of animals given the product. If I remember correctly, this was not massive doses that caused this damage. Also, this group claimed that studies showed that one of the metabolities of nutrasweet (what the product brakes down into in the body) is formaldehyde!!!! Just what I want running through my body!!!

As far as helping you lose weight, they claim it fails here too. This is what they claim happens. When you eat sugar, the brain detects the sugar and produces substances to metabolize it. When your body doesn't do this, it results in serious medical problems because of the inbalance. When you consume something super sweet as nutrasweet, your body is tricked into producing the same substance to metabolise the sugar it thinks you consumed. This creates an imbalance in the body. Your body uses cravings to help you to correct this problem. You end up craving sweets, and most likely you will end up consuming them one way or another. So the benefit from drinking diet sodas is negated!

Anyway, I have sweared off the stuff, and think I am better off for it. I used to have the "lyme brain fog" when out and about running errands. I would go crazy looking for a diet caffinated drink to help "clear my head"  It was only making it worse.

I tested this on myself by not consuming nutrasweet for about a week or so, then drank a diet soda or two during the day. The increased confusion and brain fog was so marked, it convinced me to stop using nutrasweet.  Now if I have 1 every once in a while it doesn't affect me, but if I have more than one, I'm feeling pretty bad. I noticed this one day when I was eating a birthday cake made without sugar and only nutrasweet. I did not know this at the time I was eating it, but I got very sick afterwards. Later, I heard the woman who made the cake boasting how it contained no sugar and was made with tons on the "blue stuff".

234. Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: aspartame/xxxxxx

Shortly after aspartame came on the market I started using it frequently.  In 1983, desparate to take off some weight, I gave in to all the commercial hype and started using it regularly - everyday.  I had gone to Florida to start a future there.  I was consuming products with Nutra-Sweet in many of the things I ate daily.  I started to feel like I was moving in slow motioin.  The headaches - they were unbelievable.  I would just lay on the bathroom floor (closest proximity to toilet) and just cry and throwup. Finally, one night, after being in terrible pain and confusion my roommate took me to Boca Raton Hospital.  I thought my head was about to explode.

Before being shot up with demeral, the doctor asked what I had been eating. I told him I was dieting and he immediately asked how much nutra sweet I was consuming.  I was honest and told him I had been passing over healthy foods for things like pudding with aspartame in it or jello.  As a compulsive eater, I couldn't settle for just one serving, I would eat the box at one setting instead of a regular meal.  Then I ended up with what I call the nutra-sweet hangover.  It took me days to get back to normal. That was it for me.

I moved back to Buffalo shortly after that and went back to college.  I did my own little study for a graded project, which was video taped.  I got an A.  After reading some of the stories, I'm really glad my professer kept my project to show to future classes. Every once in a while I used to tempt fate and see just how much I could get away with.  I would actually try to consume a can of pop, and naturally, I would get sick. 

My sister, who is very athletically inclined used to drink diet pop on the volleyball court.  She told me how she would start to feel like her body was slowing down, as well as her reaction time. I certainly made a believer out of her.  She won't go near the stuff.  I'm so glad I ran into this extremely important info on the net.  Thank you for your organization.

235. Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: Aspartame experience

Thank you for your enlightening information regarding Aspartame.  I would like to share my personal experience with you.

When the product hit the market in the early 1980's, I was a teenager. Because I was always watching my weight, I drank lots of diet soft drinks. At the time, as you will recall, Aspartame was added to soft drinks without any other type of sugar additive available.  Since Nutrasweet was touted as safe, I, along with everyone else, continued to drink diet soft drinks. Approximately two months after the switch over, I started to have mild seizures.  At the time, I was not sure what was happening and continued to drink diet soft drinks unknowingly.  As the seizures continued, I went to a physician to find out why this was happening to me.  They tested me and concluded that I must have had a mild form of epilepsy, although nothing conclusive ever showed up to indicate epilepsy.  I was prescribed an anti-seizure medicine, Dilantin, at the age of 18.  After being on the drug for perhaps six months, my father had heard a TV news report (back in the 80's) that some people were having a reaction to the sweetener.  At that time, I went off of anything containing Nutrasweet, as well as my Dilantin, and within six months was completely normal again. 

I am now 32 years old and will not touch Nutrasweet in any form.  My children are not allowed to drink diet soft drinks or have anything that contains Nutrasweet.  I feel that Aspartame is a dangerous food additive and should be taken off the market.  What makes me angrier still is that no choice was ever given to the consumers regarding what type of sweetener they wanted. Saccharin had been on the market for years and I had had no problems at all with it.  The lab mice that were injected with the Saccharin were injected with doses so large, no human could ever consume the quantity given to these animals.  I'm angry because I was not given a choice.  I would have rather continued to been able to purchase products containing Saccharin, instead of going through what I want through with the Nutrasweet products.

Please continue your good work!  Hopefully, through your work, we will be able to see Nutrasweet come off of the market!  Thanks again. 


236. Re: Lyme & Nutrasweet
Date           24 May 1997 05:43:17 GMT
Newsgroups     sci.med.diseases.lyme
                                     
My daughter drank diet coke until about 3 years ago.  The diet brand started to make her sick gradually until she dropped them altogether and drank regular (classic) coke with no problems.  She has to avoid all diet products with aspar. or nutrasweet or her symptoms make her very sick.  Maybe there's some truth in your question.  (But then again, both products make my brainstem swell.  Think it could run in the family?

hmmm.....seems there's something not hit on yet with the excacerbated symptoms and brainswelling, then with the nutrasweet with it.  Because of my seizures I have to do without it.  And also the right temporal lobe of my brain is swollen.........Ok, that's all i know:).....will leave the details of this one for another brilliant researcher out there:)

237. Re: other/nutra sweet
Date           Wed, 28 May 1997 11:28:24 -0400
Newsgroups     alt.med.cfs

I agree with what you said about nutra sweet not causing CFIDS.  But it can cause problems.  About 2 weeks ago I ate large doses of this in a jello salad (for 2 days!) without knowing it was sugar free jello.  I have had a major set-back with SEVERE joint aches, esp my right knee which was hard to walk on, fever, sweats, chills, HEADACHES, & extreme exhaustion which put me back on the couch unable to function.  I finally went to my Dr. for pain pills & he said, "What did you eat?"  as it was an allergic reaction he said, & it would take about 2 weeks to clear out of the system.  Much sorting out, I awoke late at nite saying I bet the jello was nutra sweet.  And after tracking the source, it was.

Now the most pains have subsided, but he headaches are still here.  I get up in the morining and cry because I feel so bad.

238. Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: Thanks for the info

I just wanted to say thanks for the information that you made available on the web about aspartame. I am a 27 year old male. For the past 10 or 11 years I have consumed large quantities of diet sodas. All of which contained aspartame. I would drink soda all day long. When I wasn't drinking diet soda, I was drinking coffee or ice tea sweetened with sweet & low or equal. All this time I was figuring I was doing my body good by not consuming all that sugar. That was until I heard about aspartame.

On December 31 my mother and my wife told me about the 60 Minuets show on the aspartme. I like to check these things out for myself, so I spent hours today on the web reading about this stuff. Most of this information came from Dorway. I was sickened to read about my own governments sell out, not this type of thing surprises me.
I went down the list of reactions. At one time or another, all of us experience some of these things, but they can usually be explained. I am in good health. I am overweight, but I work out and do cardiovascular exercise a few days a week. I am often surprised at how fatigued I am. I have been getting headaches out of the blue for the past two years. I have experienced some hair loss from time to time. I lately have become dizzy a few times with no warning.

My joints ache, at times I have memory loss. I don't drink very often, and I don't use drugs. I try to eat right and take care of myself, and I generally stay well all the time except for these unexplained symptoms that I get from time to time. I don't go to the doctor unless Something is major is wrong, so I have never talked to anyone about these problems. I was glad to hear about this from you. This might well be my problem. I have decided to try the 60 day test. I probably will never use the product again, but for the next 60 days I will not go near the stuff. I am also telling everyone I know about the Dorway website.

[Update]

239. Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 20:14:52 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: 60 day No Aspartame Test

It has been about 120 days since I kicked the habit. I thought maybe my letter was lost in cyberspace since I had not heard from you in so long. My headaches are gone. Surprisingly my dizzy spells are gone as well. That was what was worrying me. I was keeping a record of these spells, and the last one I that accrued in early Jan. They would come at any time even watching TV. They are gone. My joints no longer ache, memory is better and I feel great. I will say I do miss diet coke etc.... I now drink allot of water, mostly sparkling or seltzer with only lime or something. I want to thank you again for the info.

240. To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Nutrasweet Symptoms
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 10:23:02 -0400

I had gotten used to living with headaches and fatigue.  I thought I wasn't getting enough sleep (7 1/2 to 8 hours per day).  Each day, I  used around 6 packets of equal -- three in a large 20 ounce coffee in the morning and three in a large 20 ounce tea in the afternoon.  The reason I used the stuff was that it disolved quickly compared with sugar, and I actually do prefer the taste to sugar.  Add in lots of sugarless gum and a diet soda from time to time, and it was consuming a lot of aspartame.

I am otherwise in good health and exercise frequently. Almost immediately upon giving up Nutrasweet, my symptoms went away.  No more fatigue and fog in the morning, and a clearer head throughout the day. It was your web site listing hundreds of pages of toxicity reactions that convinced me to change my habits.  You have got to keep getting the word out.

241. Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 12:18:12 -0400
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: aspartame

Just for the record, I stopped using aspartame and my vision problems disappeared. I suffered for years, tried all kinds of treatments and it was simply caused by aspartame!

242. AOL/General Health Discussions/NutraSweet
Subj: Re: Nutrasweet
Date: 14 Jun 1997 23:09:14 EDT

I don't have any documented proof by article.  But I can tell you that I am positive my brilliant daughter lost her photographic memory the first year nutrasweet was out - that first summer.  She is an electrical engineer now, but was afraid she wasn't going to make it during her last year of high
school as valectorian.  She did!!!  But boy did she have to kill herself working on her studies.  It would have been so much easier without the photo memory loss.

I myself, have a time with short term memory loss on just a couple cans of diet pop with aspartame.  I can't even remember who I just talked to on the phone sometimes. That stuff is really bad and it aggravates my fibromyalgia I found out just recently.

243. AOL/General Health Discussions/NutraSweet
Subj: Re: Re:NutraSweet and fibromyalgia
Date: 10 Jun 1997 22:08:36 EDT

I'm another one with Fibromyalgia.  When they first switched to Nutrasweet in the diet sodas, I started itching so bad from head to toe, that I had to be on Benedryl for a year.  That's how long it took me to find out the cause of the itching.  I suspected the itching was related to a food allergy, but when I went without the diet soda for three days, the itching continued.  I found out the cause when I went two whole weeks without any sodas and the itching stopped.  It takes two weeks for it to leave the fatty tissue in your body.  It definitely effects people with Fibromyalgia.  I wish they would wake up and realize how harmful it is.

244. Re: menopause joint pain?
Date           Sun, 11 May 1997 11:21:30 -0600
Newsgroups     alt.support.menopause
                                     
I am 50 years old and also have had joint pain for a few years which I attributed to approaching menopause.  Accidentally, I discovered that the source of my pain was the use of Nutra Sweet.  Once I stopped using it in my coffee and didn't eat or drink anything containing aspartame, my joint pain completely went away.

245. To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 10:49:00 -0400

Last friday, 5/10/97, I discovered what caused a peripheral vision loss that was diagnosed in 1994. Aspartame. I couldn't believe it when I found out this crap has methyl alcohol in it.Everyone knows wood alcohol makes you blind, and here I have been drinking it since 91. I have also had headaches, memory loss, confusion, anger and who know's what else. In just 6 days without Diet Coke I have come to feel a heck of a lot better. I am writing to thank you for your efforts at educating the public (me) on the dangers of Aspartame. Keep up the fight.


246. Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 18:29:05 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: Whey to go!!!!!!

I loved your article.  Just recently I found out the EVILS of Aspertame. As soon as I did I called my Mother and told her not to drink any more of her diet Pepsi, which by the way she has been drinking for 20 years plus.  Well even though Aspertame hasn't been the market 20 years it was still wrong to change what ever they were using before.  Well she hadn't drank diet Pepsi for a couple of weeks and she was starting to feel better. Out of habit she bought a diet Pepsi and drank a little, and soon after realized what she had done.  With in the hour she starting having pains in her sides and the old familiar headache came back.  She also just felt like crap the rest of the day.  Needless to say she'll never do that again.  By the way she has had continual stomach and intestine problems as far back as mid '86. And every doctor has given her one potion or another to treat the problem (poison in her system).  I have introduced my mom to vitamins and minerals and she loves the results.  The other day she bought some vitamin B complex.  Well she took it and laid down took take a nap.  When she awoke she had a headache, well guess what the vitamin had, ASPERTAME.  I am so glad people like yourself are standing up and making the FDA take responsibility for its BIG mistake. (one of many) If we can get the politics out of the way maybe some common sense will kick in(fingers
crossed). By the way I call Yoplait and grilled them on there use of the poison.  Of course I fell on deaf ears.  Well keep up the great work.  And if you need any more info on my story let me know!!!!

247. Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 11:50:54 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: Anxiety Attacks

This makes sense to me...even though I'm taking medicine to guard against  panic attacks I started having them constantly a short while ago. I never realized until I read your post that I had been bingeing on diet soda (we just had a new fountain installed in our breakroom). After the novelty of the fountain wore off, I went back to drinking water -- the panic attacks stopped!

Thanks for giving me an idea as to what caused their resurgence.

248. Re: Nutrasweet (Equal, etc.)
Date           Mon, 26 May 1997 16:13:22 EDT
Newsgroups     alt.med.fibromyalgia
                                     
That stuff is like poison to me.

249. Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 23:27:25 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: nutrasweet

Here is another testimony to add to your thousands of others just discovered by me on the web.  I have used aspartame for years, usually going back and forth between regular sodas and diet sodas as my "health consciousness" fluctuated.  I knew that diet sodas caused me severe gastro-intestinal problems, but figured that was the price I had to pay for that "great taste and refreshing fizz".  It wasn't until my husband informed me that he was sick of having to "rub my stomach" and maybe I should consider cutting back on the diet drinks that I decided to research Nutrasweet and found your website. ( My stomach cramps were so severe that I was unable to sit down or eat or do anything other than go to sleep for the evening, and I also was a chronic headache sufferer.)  Now I vow that I will never knowingly ingest aspartame again, and just regret all the years that I've allowed this harmful substance to ruin my body.  What disturbs me the most is the children's vitamins I have religiously given my 3 kids...all containing aspartame, ofcourse. 

250. Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 22:29:36 -0400
Newsgroups: alt.support.diet
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: Nutrasweet

I agree! Nutripoison gives me migraines that feel like a brain explosion!
Really, a half a diet coke will give a four day headache...

251. Date:         Wed, 7 May 1997 20:05:28 EDT
Subject:      Aspartame
To: MBS-HEALING@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

Carol's right.  This stuff is so bad, it would take a month just to dent the surface. And I get angry every time I see it or hear about it.  It's bad stuff....and Carol didn't overstate it at all.

I'm one of the lucky ones....it makes me sick to even take a sip of something w/ aspartame in it.  Makes my mouth feel greasy (like sorbitol does, only slimier).  And if I'd been able to keep it down, I know I'd have been using it, since I'm one of the PWCs with the weight problem. It took me a year to get my husband off aspartame after we met.  Once he got off and the addiction wore away, he was  *stunned*  at what it had been doing to him.

If you have to drink carbonated stuff (also bad), do as Carol suggested, please, and mix soda water w/ your favorite juices.  I can't even imagine what aspartame does to sick people.  Honest.  This stuff really screws up your thinking, too.

252. Date: Sat, 10 May 1997 18:25:55 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Aspartame case

No, I never did receive the info on joint pain, but I did go off nutrasweet (avid diet coke drinker) and the results were wonderful.  Within days the pain in my hips and legs subsided!!!  It's nice to roll out of bed in the morning and not cringe all the way to the bathroom!!

253. AOL Post
Subj:  Allergy?
Date:  97-02-02 13:07:24 EST

My son, who is 7, developed an allergy to nutrasweet when he was about 3.  It alters his behavior.  It is like Jekyl and Hyde right before your eyes.  He gets so aggressive and hyper and he can not be controlled.  Any one else have this problem?  I thought it was sugar that was making him hyper and we put him on a sugar frre diet when he was 3.  About 30 minutes after ingesting it, he went crazy.  We tried this off and on for about a week and had the same results.  He has had nutrasweet since then and it still makes him crazy.

254. Date: Sat, 12 Apr 1997 21:30:49 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Aspartame Reaction

I spent January through February aspartame free by cutting out Diet Coke.  I am diabetic and have spent most of the 20+ years drinking diet sodas.  I thought I was crazy cuz my husband said I had become belligerent and "testy." I've had back and shoulder pain (what I thought was bursitis) for most of these 20 years.  And it's always been difficult to control my diabetes in all this time. 

I had been going to an accupuncturist for the back and shoulder pain.  It worked but was only temporary and expensive.  Well, it didn't take long in those two months for the headaches and back and shoulder pain to go away. And my attitude has improved tremendously. The unthinkable has now happened.  I backslid and drank one diet coke, which then became three a day within a week's time.  For the last six weeks I have been suffering from back and shoulder pain and headaches, and have become a bear again and very "emotional."  And when I wake in the morning, my hands are stiff.  Have been drinking probably 5-6 diet cokes for the last 5 weeks, and am trying desperately to get off the diet cokes again. 

255. Re: aspartame
Date           Mon, 14 Apr 1997 07:27:52 -0700
Newsgroups     misc.consumers.frugal-living
                                     
All the studies in the world are not going to convince me Aspartame is okay when my husband AND I get excruciatingly painful headaches when we ingest the stuff (and since we're not genetically related, that's pretty scary), and only when we ingest the stuff, and when we stop ingesting the stuff, our headaches go away. I will also never forget being told BY MY DOCTOR not to ingest Aspartame when I was pregnant, because it might cause fetal brain damage. I think this is a dangerous product, and I won't let my kids go near it.

256. Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 14:47:25 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: NutraSweet case/headaches

Read with great interest the information on aspartame.  What a tragedy!  I repeatedly found myself plagued with severe migraines if I consumed as little as is found in four cans of diet soda.  I thought I must be crazy; surely they can't be caused by the Nutrasweet.  After testing my theory, the cause and effect finally became clear to me.  I thought I was the only one until I found various sites dealing with the issue.  Thank you for confirming what I really had already known in my heart - aspartame is very dangerous.


[update]


257. Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Nutrasweet -Reply

Headaches are all but gone.  I've only had one or two migraines which were clearly hormonally caused.  I am spreading the word, Betty, and so admire all you're doing...

258. Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 10:43:41 -0400
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Aspartame

I just wantedto say THANK YOU for taking the time to put this vital information on the web.  So many consider the subject taboo. I am 33 years old and have kidney disease. Two years ago Duke University performed nurmerous test to find out why I had so many headaches, and other symptoms.  I was told that I had an allergic reaction to aspartame which is found in most all diet products.  Doctors would not comment if this was related to the kidney disease I have, but I believe it is possible. As a diebetic, I have great concerns about nutrasweet.  Several letters to the Nutrasweet Corporation have gone unanswered.  God help all that are using these products to try and make themselves thin and beautiful for society.  They are putting themselves in the grave.

259. Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 01:05:21 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: simple case history

my wife used to drink diet coke religously.  we live in south texas, a hot and humid climate.  Several nights, she couldn't sleep.  She had heart palpitations and flutterings.  (she's only 36)  She is a non smoker, non drinker, exercises regularly and is 5'4" and 107 pounds. I hate doctors. ( I also have worked for American hospital supply co, been around the hospital long enough to know that they don't have all the answers.)  We have used acupuncture and chiropractors, so use some alternate homeopothy treatments.

Anyway, after 2 nights of no sleep, I did what doctors do; I asked questions.
What did you eat differently?
"          "    "   drink?

ANd the only unhealthy thing I could fathom was the Diet Coke. The coke left our home that day. She has been in the pink ever since- with one exception.  The day she drank 4 oz of the stuff her sysmptoms reappeared-albeit mildly. Now, for the first time in a long time, she perspires, sleeps and feels just fine.

Much more (filtered when possible) water, and an occasional herbal tea are the only changes in lifestyle. Glad to have my wife back. All this, and I had never read your stuff before!

260. Re: Nutrasweet (Equal, etc.)
Date           Sun, 25 May 1997 16:57:42 -0400
Newsgroups     alt.med.fibromyalgia

I stay as far away from it as possible. I discovered that it triggers terrible migraines for me.

261. http://www.dorway.com/  Guestbook page
Wed, 13 May 1997
Tue May 13 20:26

Thank you for compiling SO MUCH information! My diabetic husband used to go through times where he would do anything to find an argument. We finally connected these episodes to his Nutri Sweet comsumption. I have a book titled something like "The Handbook of Food Additives". It has a whole page (instead of a couple lines for most other additives) dedicated to this lovely product, but you've fleshed out the description and supportive details. It is SO hard to find soft drinks without it. Right now, he primarily drinks home-made iced tea with Sweet & Low. I'm fighting my own battle with a relatively mild case of environmental illness. What we DON'T need is another chemical that our bodies have to deal with. Keep up the good work.

262. AOL/Allergies, Immune Disorders/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Subj:  Re: aspartame
Date:  97-02-09 20:01:34 EST

I have the same reaction to aspartame as I do MSG, horrible head-in-a-vice headaches, I also have the samereaction to ibuprofen which is SUPPOSED to be an analgesic.  Go figure.

263. Diabetes Mailing List
Chockaholism & Nutrasweet
Tue, 03 Jun 1997 01:56:09 -0700
  
By the way, packets of Nutrasweet powder are loaded with dextrose which is, guess what, a sugar!  The Nutrasweet tablets are dextrose free. I have found that even two tabs a day promote water retention and some degredation of short term memory. Artificial sweetners should be taken with (hmmm) a grain of salt?

264. Re: sodas
Date           Mon, 2 Jun 1997 04:52:46 GMT
Newsgroups     soc.motss
                                     
Aspartame also does bad things when it gets hot, and can have lots of other nasty side effects. In any quantity at all, it makes me dizzy.

265. AOL/General Health Discussions/NutraSweet
Subj: Re: nutrasweet/indigestion
Date: 06 May 1997 04:10:32 EDT

I have a really hard time with my stomach about 1 hour after injecting anything with nutrasweet in it.  My stomach hurts, I have heartburn really severe.  Anyone else have similar symptoms.  Thank goodness I recognized them right away.  So I have to watch it close.  I read labels a lot.  Atleast I realized what was causing the problems.

266. AOL/Diet, Exercise and Fitness/Zone Discussions
Subj: Re: Diet Jello in the Zone?
Date: 29 Apr 1997 16:26:49 EDT

MTZ about NutriSweet not being  good in the Zone

I would suggest that NutriSweet (aspartame) is not good in or out of the Zone.  A growing number of people are discovering that their headaches and memory problems were directly related to this stuff, and the problems disappeared after stopping all use of it.  In my case, it was headaches. Although fond of sweets, I'm even more fond of being pain-free.  :)

267. Re: Meal Replacement
Date           Sat, 24 May 1997 01:18:31 GMT
Newsgroups     misc.fitness.weights

If I chew sugarfree gum I get a pounding headache. Why put something with a possible negative effect if you can avoid it.


268. Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 19:42:20 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Aspartame/asthma
On Mon, 17 Mar 1997, xxxxxx xxxxxxx wrote:

I've been having increasing problems with mood swings, loss of memory and asthma.  I have, unfortunately, been using aspertame is much of my cooking and soft drinks.

[update]

My symptoms have indeed subsided.  Mind you, the biting cold, dry winters we have are definitely something that can worsen asthma.  But I do know that if I drink more than one Diet Coke, for example, I'm reaching for my inhaler within a couple of hours. My mood swings haven't changed much.  However, I am going through a very stressful time in my life, so heaven forbid, I may just be experiencing real emotions instead of something chemically introduced!!  8-)

269. Re: Nutrasweet as a trigger?
Date           8 May 1997 02:34:08 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.support.headaches.migraine
                                     
I concur with xxxxxx. Nutrasweet is a potent trigger for me, but sorbitol is no problem at all.

270. Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 12:25:36 -0700 (MST)
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: Transient Loss of Vision ?

thank you very much for the info. there is a strong possibility that I may indeed be a victim of aspartame. for the period in which I experienced my vision problems, I was drinking 24-32 oz. of diet coke on a daily basis. (of course, I'd love to be able to tie these symptoms to something external that I can eliminate.) during the period in question, I suffered strong symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). I am prone to this condition, and have learned to control its severity. however, during my "aspartame" period, its intensity was so strong I couldn't manage the symptom. just by happenstance, I took another job in a work environment without a soda machine and stopped drinking the stuff regularly...

271. Date: Sat, 10 May 1997
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: brochure

Dear xxxxx. Thank you for the very prompt resonse to my request. They arrived yesterday. So far they are airing out in my garage, because of my severe chemical sensitivities, but by tomorrow they will be fine. I know it will help a numberof peopel who have no idea why they have so many problems. I lived in Skokie, Il when Nutrasweet first came out. took one sip and turned red as a beet. Since Searle was in my home town, I called and reported it,and they told me just a rare thing peculiar to me. So, I waited a year , tried again, and same thinghappened, only worse. Called again, and they said well, a few isolated cases, but do not worry!!Needless to say I never took another sip, and started a long time ago to wan people. but still no one will believe me unless they are really sick. So much to do, and thank you for your efforts, xxxxx

272. STOP: NutraSweet / Caffein / Smoking
Date           Wed, 07 May 1997 03:02:34 GMT
Newsgroups     sci.med.prostate.prostatitis

I had/have a case of prostatitis. 1st Urologist put me on Floxin 2/day - 3 months. At the end, pain lessened, but not gone; sex painfull. 2nd Urologist did a good exam, and asked if I drank coffee, used Nutrasweet or smoked.  Answer was "all three" I learned that all three things (nutrasweet and/or sacharrine, caffein, & nicotine) are "known bladder irritants".  Urether too I'd guess. Have now cut out all artificial sweeteners & coffee/tea for 3-4 weeks. RESULT:  Pain almost gone, sex drive returning.

273. Sulpha Drug-Sulpher-Candida
Date           2 May 1997 13:20:12 GMT
Newsgroups     bit.listserv.autism

My wife is also highly reactive{allergic, intolerant} to sulpha drug and I started wandering if there might be a connection between her candida and food problems and her sulpha problem. It turns out that certain dyes in foods and aspartame in her diet Coke would cause negative mental effects.

274. From: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxxx
Date: Sat,  1 Mar 97 23:39:26 PST
Subject: Aspartame
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx

Found you via web search for aspartame to show a friend who had purchased a 'health' product containing aspartame and acesulfame-K. The product is 'Redoxon' vitamin-C, from, wait for it, Roche Consumer Health. Acesulfame-K is unknown to me and will remain so. My experiences (2) with aspartame were involuntary and only identified after I nearly died both times. The headaches caused were of such severity that 2 grams aspirin were required each time to alleviate them. The tension in the muscles of my neck would otherwise have broken it! This stuff is seriously bad. I cannot understand the continued marketing of it. The people who make and manufacture are seriously insane. Please notify my report to any interested parties. Please do not worry about hiding my identity - I don't care who knows what I think of this kind of misbehaviour by the Megagreedies of this world. May they die in agony! Peter Sault

275. Date: Sun, 23 Feb 1997
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Update from xxx xxx

You requested that I give you an update after 60 days without Aspartame.   I have made some progress.   I have no more migraine headaches, no leg cramps, the joint pain is at least 95% gone, the skin lesions are going away, and I have lost 6 1/2 pounds without changing my eating habits any more.  Something else has happened that I can't explain.  For years I have not been able to drink tea because it hurt my lower back (which I thought was my kidneys). When I bought the cali tea for detoxification, I didn't think about that not bothering me.  After I had been drinking it for at least 2 weeks, it occurred to me that I wasn't having any pain from drinking tea.  Could it be because I'm not consuming aspartame anymore?  Anyway, I've been drinking tea now at fast food places instead of diet coke and getting by with it.  I could not even sneak in one glass of it before without it causing me pain right away. I have a long way to go but I didn't get this way in two months and I won't get rid of it in two months. It took me 14 years to get this bad and I will keep trying.  I have reached a lot of people and hope they will listen.  I want to get enough better that when I tell someone about this, they will listen and take notice of my getting better.

A Note from her daughter, xxxx: xxxx,   mom didn't mention these other improvements:
Her balance seems better at times. Several have noticed that her handwriting is better - isn't as shaky. Her last eye exam, only 1 of her eyes had changed.   I don't know if it got better or worse and she didn't ask.   She did say that with her double vision that she saw 2 distinct items where now the two overlap again.

276. Date: Mon, 30 Dec 1996
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Aspartame History

I've had problems with buzzing ears since 1984 that could not be diagnosed by various ear doctors over the years, as well as chronic depression. After hearing a radio program on the bad effects of aspartame in early November, I stopped all use of products containing aspartame. My ears havent' buzzed since, and I feel a definite improvement in my mood. How can I support the movement to remove this substance from the marketplace?

277. Date: Fri, 04 Apr 1997 13:31:17 -0500
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Class action suit against Nutrasweet/Equal people

I am one of the many people who have experienced significant side effects from the use of Nutrasweet  (if I sip a diet coke, I'm a space cadet for the rest of the evening...) I was wondering if anyone was considering a Class Action law suit against the makers of Equal. While I don't use it anymore, I honestly feel that it is a dangerous product. My story is pretty typical - I was using Equal in my coffee at work, had really bad headaches, anxiety, dizziness, confusion, etc...and I really think that stuff did some long term damage -I stopped using Equal 3-4 years ago, but I still have Equal 'flashbacks' that I never used to have.

278. Date: Wed, 02 Apr 1997 12:18:17 +0000
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: nutrasweet reaction!

Have just discovered your effort to combat aspartame/nutrasweet use. After eight (8) years of suffering and being seen by every specialist in  my area, I have finally discovered (through a God-sent Kinesiologist) that I was actually "allergic" to all the nutrasweet I was consuming (sometimes in excess of 6 cans of Diet Coke per day, not to mention all the "diet" things it may have been hidden in!  Even after an MRI brain scan, no medical doctor questioned my "habits" !! I awoke one morning in 1989 with a funny sort of "dizzy" feeling and tried desperately for the next almost 8 years to solve or get to the bottom of my problem.  After eliminating nutrasweet from my diet for a couple of weeks, my symptoms disappeared!! Miracle!!  Please share this hope with others and register my toxic reaction with any and all organizations your can! Greatful in Atlanta.

279. Re: Nutra Sweet - long
Date           Fri, 21 Mar 1997 09:04:53 -0600
Newsgroups     alt.folklore.herbs,sci.med.nutrition,misc.health.diabetes
                                      
I had major joint problems for some time about 5 years ago, my doctors thought that I had either lymes, lupus or arthritis, non of which was a particularly good option.  Howver, after testing for everything they determind that I had "non specific tendonitis from and unspecified source" great diagnosis right!  They put me on massive antiinflamitories and left it at that.  Soon I couldn't even pick up a coffee cup as my elbow was so bad.  Then someone suggested that I stop eating anything with Nutra Sweet.  I decided that it couldn't hurt. I think that I actually went through withdrawal - I wanted a diet soda so much it was ridiculous.  Anyway that pains in my joints started to leave with the last new pain leaving first and so on until finally my elbows which were the first to show symtoms were ok too.  About 6 months later I had to see my Dr. for something else and told him about what had happened with my non specific tendonitis.  He then told me that he hadn't thought of it but that he was reading more and more about symptons from the stuff and that migranes and joint pain were two of the most common.


Nutra Sweet free for 5 years with no problems and loving it.


280. Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 12:22:27 -0500 (EST)
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: RE: Detoxify

Well the headaches have not exactly vanished, although i'm hopeful...the aspartame connection has not really panned out for me...YET!...however i think i'm noticing a little less nervous energy especially at bedtime, my legs were restless and moving around alot, (kramer from seinfeld calls them "jimmy legs"!!)...this seems to have calmed down a lot...i'm definately convinced of the deadly hazards of this poison and i wish the migraine had stopped as soon as i quit the soda but it didnt, again your mention of formaldyhyde poisoning is something i dont feel has played out in me yet, right now i'm doing the 60 day test and seeing what happens (including a probable detoxification of some kind)...

[update]

281. Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 12:29:06 -0500 (EST)
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: update: my head

well i have some good news, it seems that my migraines are disappearing...for the last two weeks they have almost completely stopped... as you know i've been off ASP for almost 4 weeks and just 10 days ago you said to take a magnesium tablet which i did, and things have been rapidly changing, i haven’t had a migraine at all in one week...i put off taking my homeopathic remedy for a while to make sure i was onto something which i think now i am (onto something)...i really think the ASP connection is it, i havent done a detox yet but will soon...also another thing i noticed is my wife is not having bad gas problems since quitting ASP too...

so good news huh? i havent had to take my imitrex in over a week and that makes me happy because i dont want to be on a super drug like that although I am grateful for it because it does work on the migraine quite well...so i'm hoping i'm done with the migraines, my intuition says i'm right and why should i question such divine advice!!

PS...i feel somewhat compelled to have a business card printed with the dangers of ASP on it to hand out to people i see drinking diet sodas...i tell everyone i know about it and print info for them to read and it amazes me how some people just dont get it...i'll pray for them!

282. Re: Caffine or Nutrasweet?
Date           10 Mar 1997 03:38:27 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.support.headaches.migraine
                                     
If I drink a diet soda, within 10 minutes I will have about a 8-9 HA, complete with nausea and sometimes vomiting, and fever and chills alternating at about 120-second intervals.  This will last for several hours, until I can finally get the pain under control enough to sleep for 7-8 hours. Also have a friend who is affected almost exactly the same way by the stuff. Nasty stuff.

283. Subject:      Re: CONJ: NutraSweet and Caffeine
Date:         1997/07/08
Newsgroups:   alt.med.fibromyalgia

I think it was my post last month, reporting on how I am in almost total remission after stopping all Neutrasweet cold turkey that got this threat started.

At the expense of sounding harsh, let me say this:  I reported on being a heavy user of Neutrasweet. I was very very sick with FMS and CFS.  For some irrational reason, I felt that you could take my Diet Coke from me when they pried my cold dead hands from around it.  When I finally was so bad that I quit cold turkey--not an easy task for a diabetic--I reported to you that within a few days I felt much better and within 90 days I am in almost total remission.  Stopping was not my only action. I take B-1, B-6, B12, Chromium, Multi-vit, C, melatonin and E daily along with eschenacia.  I also drink water and get to bed early. (8 hours of sleep starting at 2 am is not the same as 8 hours starting at 9 pm--that's a fact.) I also exercise daily whether i feel like it or not. But I'm telling you that stopping Neutrasweet played a major role in my recovery. I don't care why.  But I know it did. So why is it that so many of you will cry "I give anything for a good night's sleep" or "Please can't someone stop the pain".  for God's sake, how can you write to this newsgroup and say that you drink a couple of liters of Diet Coke per day as though you are bragging about it, then complain about how bad you feel.  God helps those who help themselves. Stop the Neutrasweet for 90 days and go to be early and get up early. Your ass will drag for a few days but you'll get on a normal cycle. What the hell do you have to lose, people.  Don't complain if you don't try. You'll live.  i promise you, Stopping Diet Coke never hurt anyone. It ain't heroin. You can do it. Just do it.

Flame me.  But if it saves one person from the hell I went through it will be worth it. A dozen people have emailed me to say that they feel much better after stopping Neutrasweet.. A few have said it didn't help them at all. You could be one of those thinking clearly and out playing with your kids.  all ypou have to lose is 90 days of Diet Coke. Sorry for the attitude but it is worth a try!!

284. Date: 19 FEB 1997 16:25:52 GMT
Newgroups: alt.support.anxiety-panic
Subject: NutraSweet/Aspartame

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one having a problem with NutraSweet (aspartame).  I did alot of research on it and it seemed Pro-aspartame research was funded by companies that benefit from
NutraSweet sales.  And anti-nutrasweet reports were from other companies (like Rodale Research).

Anyway......I was having vision disturbances and mental "gaps" that were momentary gaps where I couldn't remember where I was going or what I was doing.  I thought for sure I was over drugged with Xanax and Buspar. After alot of experimentation, two weeks with no NutraSweet and the mental gaps are gone and haven't had a vision disturbance since.  (It's been about 6 years)

I drink alot of Pepsi in a day (used to drink at least a 6-pack) so I got alot of nutrasweet, interestingly, since I changed to regular sugar-loaded Pepsi, I haven't had any significant weight changes.


285. Re: Nutra Sweet
Date           31 Mar 97 17:50:02 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.folklore.herbs
                                     
But a few years ago I isolated some severe headaches and mood swings, attention problems to Nutrasweet.

Boy, does this look familiar.... My husband for several years started to drink beverages with Nutrasweet in it..  The rest of the house noticed that he was getting very testy (I say that with a smile, and also was trying to think of a better description)...  So we started to pay more attention to what he was eating and drinking, and also started to make certain absent from his menu... Lo and behold, when we took him off Nutrasweet, he was back to his jolly old self again...

He now jokingly tells people "Give me Nutrasweet, and then give me a $100 dollar bill, and I will be blast you for doing it wrong."   So we keep him completely away from Nutrasweet.... I can relate a few other stories about people we know well who stopped drinking anything with Nutrasweet who had personality changes....

286. Date: Wed, 02 Apr 1997 13:58:21 -0800
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: aspartame

It was the 380 manuscript. I was addicted to 2-3 liter diet Coke consumption a day? I will say this-It is addictive!!! My wife said my behavior became "less aggressive" - in fact I felt calmer after coming off Aspartame. Your article scared me shitless-I even did followup research to make sure you were right! You were right!!!

Boy do I have faith in our "system" now??? I believe that the powers that be know that this substance is addicting-it took 4-6 weeks to come off withdrawls. Addiction leads to sales and more money. What a bunch of psychopathic sicko's!!!

287. Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: I quit three weeks ago!

Some friends at work who knew that I consumed massive quantities of Diet Coke on a daily (hourly) basis told me about a TV news story they saw re: the dangers of aspartame.  It got me thinking "maybe I ought to check this out."  I found your web site and was alarmed to read about many symptoms I'd been experiencing, including (from your list): headaches, change in mood quality or level, diarrhea, memory loss, fatigue, sleep problems, change in sensation (numbness, tingling), change in activity level, joint and bone pain, eye irritation, change in body weight, nocturnal, change in thirst or water intake, and sinus problems. 

Three weeks ago I quit DC cold turkey, and lo and behold, many of the above symptoms are clearing up, especially the numbness and tingling that was concerning me the most.  For several months, my left hand tingled, especially in the morning, often lasting all day.  I was also experiencing numbness in my legs when sitting for any length of time. These symptoms so concerned me that I visited my physician to obtain his opinion.  He told me to get used to it, that I'm just getting older (I'm 39).  I'm relieved to tell you that after quitting the use of aspartame, I'm feeling younger!  The tingling and numbness are gone.  Other symptoms seem to be clearing up as well!

288. http://neuro-www.mgh.harvard.edu/neurowebforum/
MultipleSclerosisArticles/2.17.975.53PMMSandNutra-Sweet.
 MS and Nutra-Sweet
This article submitted by on 2/17/97.

I just wanted to share with everyone that Nutra-Sweet can cause attacks of MS. I know that with MS we are spossed to be eating low-fat, but watch out for the artificial sweetners. Also, if you suffer from Migranes, Nurta-Sweet causes migranes (or at least seems like it does). One night, I drank an entire bottle of light cranberry juice before I realized that it had Nutra-sweet in it. That entire night, I had more sleeplessness than before and stomach cramps like you wouldn't believe. Over the next few days, my MS got worse, my vision became more blurried.

Here is a list of responses that have been posted to this article...

   * I agree! (2/20/97) 6:42 PM
   * Old Aspartame = Methanol (2/18/97) 2:12 PM
   * yeah, me too (2/17/97) 10:35 PM
   * to nutrasweet victim (2/17/97) 7:27 PM

289. Date: Sat, 1 Mar 1997
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Take the 60-day no-aspartame test

I did take the 60 daty test and never went back to aspartame.  I do feel better in spite of the stroke.  I think I've had quicker healing because I quit the aspartame.  I am able to walk somewhat without a cane.  I am a noticing increase in memory that was a problem even before I had the stroke.  I am gaining more energy, however, that process is rather slow and I think more due to the residual affects of the stroke.  Well, this might tell you something.  I took my drivers test this week and passed. (except for high speed driving.  I chose not to do that one yet.)

I am not 100% but am improving all the time.  Thanks for your efforts in this much needed cause.  Perhaps I'll get the energy back soon and be able to assist you.

290. Re: Nutra Sweet irritates bladder?
Date           Sat, 22 Feb 1997 02:57:56 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.folklore.herbs
                                     
I can't give you 100% good information on this but, ever since the Nutrasweet/brain tumor issue came around I have been using sugar again and have noticed quite a difference in the "urgency" problem.

291. Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: My brother is suffering from Aspartame Symptoms

Thank you for your immediate response.  My name is xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx and I'm concerned about my brother.  He is 46 years old and since 1988 (approximately) he has deteriorated health wise.  At the age of 40,  all his friends would continuously tell him to "lighten up" and that "life begins at 40" but he could not share their optimism since he felt like "hell"!  During this time he experienced several seizures and doctors who examined him told him he was epileptic,  even though this is not traced in our family history.  He was also told that he was diabetic.  Diabetes does occur (mildly) in our grand-parent.  He was put on a special diet to control his blood sugar and the doctors prescribed medication to control the seizures.  Nevertheless,  he continued to feel exceptionnally fatigued and generally un-well and the seizures continued.  He went to many specialists,  trying to identify what was causing the seizures and underwent a multitude of state of the art tests without any real positive results.  They eventually diagnosed him with Multiple Sclerosis but were unable to identify the real cause of the seizures. 

On November 18, 1996,  my brother was driving on the highway when he had his most recent seizure and of course he woke up in hospital with fractures and bruises (and luckily for him) he was still alive!  On the 19th of November (the following day) while resting on his bed, at the hospital,  he happened to be watching a report on the news stating that Aspartame had been found to cause seizures,  MS and etc...  This is when he realized that Aspartame might very well be the reason why his health had deteriorated to such a degree.  He had been a habitual user of Aspartame for easily 15 years.  He drank Diet Coke,  he used Aspartame to sweeten his coffee and he also would look for foods that were prepared with artificial sweeteners to control his diet.  He drank a lot of coffee!  And he also enjoyed peanut butter sandwiches with Aspartame sprinkled on it instead of honey. 

He has not had any foods with Aspartame since that day and he has been extremely careful about
his food intake since January and he says he feels much better.
                                                  [^^^^^^^^^^^]

292. Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Report on aspartame's history

Sure....I had been having headaches a lot and feeling tired a lot.  Since I have quit using the nutrasweet the headaches have pretty much gone and I have been a lot more energetic.  Also, I haven't gained weight, even though I've been drinking regular pop. 

293. Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 06:33:18 -0600
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Aspartame

We threw out all these sugar substitutes and no longer buy "diet" drinks or "diet" anything.  My husband seems to be doing better. For example he no longer takes Zoloft for depression.  The MD says his walking difficulty  is caused by peripheral neuropathy, but as a RN I have never seen his particular type of problem before.  He has very poor balance and would fall over unless he stands holding onto something. I think it's caused by a combination of things ... diabetes plus years and years of using sugar substitutes in coffee and food.

I have plastered articles on aspertame in the hospital where I work, and have persuaded some to get off the stuff.  Thanks for your diligence in trying to get this poisen off the market. Keep me posted on your progress and let me know what I can do to assist.

294. Date: Sat, 22 Mar 1997 11:47:40 -0800
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: aspartame

I had a reaction to aspartame in the late 80s when durring that summer we decided to get off sugar and began drinking drinks with aspartame as a sweetener. It was very hot in Louisiana that summer and I was consuming as much as a gallon of lemonade a day,made from Crystal Lite Drink mix. I suffered 3 grand mall seiziers in a month. The hospital could find nothing wrong with me physically so I was diagnosed as epiliptic and told I would have to take an anti seizier drug for the rest of my life. I had heard about the nutrisweet danger and decided on my own that that may be the problem. I did not take the seizier medication rather stoped drinking or consumming anything with aspartame in it and to this day have had no more problems.

I wonder how the government can let this happen? I would like to do somthing about this but know of no avenues to react.I hope somehow tis product can be banned from the market before other
people are hurt.

295. Date: Thu, 03 Apr 1997 02:35:15 -0800
Newsgroups: misc.health.diabetes, alt.folklore.herbs, sci.med.nutrition
Subject: Re: NutraSweet

I found, in addition to the headaches, I was swelling, ankles and other extremities, which did manage to abate after ceasing the nutrasweet, probably because of its pharmacologic similarity to msg,
which has become horrid for me, with 3 days or so recovery needed after accidental ingestion.....if you're really msg sensitive, you might also be nutrasweet sensitive.

296. Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 18:47:56 -0500 (EST)
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: case history

My name is xxxx and my sister Txxxxxxx asked me to write to you with myinformation.  Txxxxxx visited me on January 19 and was telling me about the nutra-sweet information.  I have tremors.  They are called familiar or intentional tremors.  They occur when I try to do something deliberate like drink a cup of coffee, eat, use the computer mouse to play solitaire.  Well the dr gave me medication that didn't seem to help much and I couldn't drink a cup of coffee with my right hand and I couldn't play solitaire without holding my right hand down with the left one.  When Theresa came up on 1/19 I decided to stop drinking diet soda and drink regular soda.  Within two wks I could hold a cup in my right hand and play solitaire again. 
I am a home health aide and it can be embarrassing when I shake worse than the people I am caring for.  A couple of weeks ago I was caring for a 43 year old woman recovering from surgery and had to put a bandaid on her and she noticed the slight tremor and asked me if I had familiar tremors and I said yes.  She said she did too.  Then I told her about the nutra-sweet and she was amazed because she was drinking a two liter of diet coke a day and then quit soda altogether and noticed that her tremors had gotten better.

297. Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Glad they know aspartame is poison

Thank you for your latest information on the subject.  I have had a couple of victories with friends who drank alot (1 quart a day) of diet coke.  They ceased drinking it, and are now in the best of health.  Furthermore, they now believe me when I said that it was poison, and are now converts at getting people off the stuff.  Here in xxxxxxxxx Nutrasweet has not invaded food to the same extent -yet.  However, I am keeping up with the campaign.  xxxxxxx who works with Dr xxxxx is also part of your group, and when she advised me to avoid diet coke, I told her that I was and then gave her all the reasons why.  Then she told me she was aware of your work, and is also spreading the news.

298. Re: NutraSweet/PKU
Date           17 Mar 1997 05:17:59 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.support.food-allergies
                                     
All of the medical jargon aside... I know I'm allergic to NutraSweet.  If I eat the smallest amount I break out in hives, other skin rashes and have from a mild to sever case of diarreah with severe intestinal cramping.  The severity depends upon how much I have ingested. Funny... I never had these reactions to saccrine, go figure it.

299. AOL/General disABILITIES Discuss/Seizure Disorders Support
Subj:  Re:Nutra Sweet Problems
Date:  97-02-16 11:05:10 EST

i get dizzy whenever i drink anything with nutrasweet in it.  asparatane is the same as nutrasweet


300. Date: 18 FEB 1997 20:55:16 GMT
Newgroups: alt.support.anxiety-panic
Subject: Re: Vitamin Supplements & MSG / PhD's response

I have a sensitivity to both aspartame and MSG..I can take aspartame in tiny bits <like 1/2 can diet soda> before I get sick. Same with MSG. I am also sensitive to saccharin :) I break out in the hives with it..on top of all the other fun sicky feelings.. How it effects my PD I don't know..I get too sick physically to care.. And aspartame makes me feel like my brain is sloshing around in my head.

301. Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 21:47:17 -0800
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspertame in Clorets Breath Mints !!

My mother has suffered from migraines since the early '70's and the frequency and severity has increased in the past two years. She avoids all migraine triggers she can identify, including aspertame, but has always chewed two Clorets after each meal to help her digest. Well, only in December did she discover that aspertame is in the ingredients of Clorets. Her migraines have diminished significantly since. Buyer beware!! Does anyone have info on aspertame in instant coffee, ie Tasters Choice? Please post this so others can be aware.

302. Diet soft drinks - alleged health hazard (was: sewing dresses)
Date           Sun, 23 Feb 97 08:54:58 NZT
Newsgroups     alt.support.big-folks
                                     
From my own personal experience (and yes I realise that a sample size of 1 is not statistically valid) I found that when I switched from diet coke to regular my depression reduced, and what's more I didn't get any fatter. It took me a while to get used to the overly sweet taste though.

303. Re: Caffine or Nutrasweet?
Date           Sun, 09 Mar 1997 22:07:36 -0800
Newsgroups     alt.support.headaches.migraine
                                     
I cut all diet soft drinks, and artificial sweeteners out of my diet..After having used tons for years and years...That's one of the lifestyle improvements I made and am attributing to being relatively pain free..oh...I never gained tons of weight when I put sugar back in my diet...

304. To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 22:36:58 -0500

I just finished reading through an enormous list of "toxic" experiences with Aspartame.
This is the first time I have heard of someone other than myself with dramatic reactions to this chemical.  I suffer from chronic migraines and get an almost immediate reaction from any product with Aspartame in it. One sip of a diet coke and I immediately begin with a twitch in my temples and then...the aura.....and BANG! the Migraine!  I have had many instances where I have ordered soft drinks in restaurants and after taking a mere taste, knew I was doomed after sensing the taste of nutrasweet.  After one sip, there's no turning back.   It's amazing to me to see this chemical added to so many products! The one that is the most unsettling is children's vitamins.

305. AOL/Allergies, Immune Disorders/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Subj:  Re: aspartame
Date:  97-02-08 15:49:19 EST

I had to eliminate all forms of this substance.  I DID use lots of diet products, especially diet sodas.  I wish I could say that ALL my symptoms disappeared.  But some of them did. One day I decided I could drink a diet soda again...and the worst exhaustion symptoms returned!

306. Re: NutraSweet
Date           Sun, 30 Mar 1997 21:46:26 -0600
Newsgroups     misc.health.diabetes,alt.folklore.herbs,sci.med.nutrition

Nutrasweet does cause headaches in me. I can't use it because every time I've tried it I got a bad headache. So that means there's something in there that just isn't right. I also have heard from many other folks who have the same problem with it.

307. Re: CONJ: Nutra-sweet
Date           Sun, 16 Mar 1997 10:41:23 -0500
Newsgroups     alt.med.fibromyalgia

xxx,  nutra sweet hits me, my oldest daughter, and my father like a brick wall....the horrific migraine headache is totally UNBEARABLE and it can only wear away as your body gets rid of the nutra sweet...Haven't had any since dxd with FMS/MPS...and I ain't gonna try it either!

308. Re: CONJ: Nutra-sweet & comment
Date           17 Mar 1997 01:44:48 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.med.fibromyalgia
                                      
Not only do I have severe physical responses to aspartame (the chemical name for Nutra-Sweet) but they're often delayed a day or two which made it tough to figure out what had happened...

At one time, I believed that I was becoming too dependent on the reaction to aspartame (as in the theory which claims that if you crave a food item, you're allergic to it and the craving is a way for your body to NOT have to go through the withdrawal) and that's actually what convinced me to avoid it altogether.

I think my ob/gyn said it best when he told me that "women in China have been drinking tea and having babies for thousands of years, but no one knows what aspartame REALLY does to the human body over long-term - and no pregnant woman should ingest aspartame".  So why should I take better care of myself when I'm pregnant than when I'm not?  Thank God I can still drink my tea! Our family drinks a great deal of 'earth juice' (water) now, and we're all pretty happy about it.  I'm a distilled water fan, myself.

309. NUTRASWEET aka ASPARTAME
Date           16 Mar 1997 22:55:55 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.support.headaches.migraine
                                     
12 months ago I stopped using Nutrasweet and my chronic headaches have been cut by over 75%.  After 6 years on Fiorinal for pain, I can treat them the occasional headache with Advil!! :o)

310. Date: Sat, 22 Mar 1997 12:40:38 -0800
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Artificial Sweetners :)

Personal testimony: I stopped using artificial sweetners when I become pregnant with my first child. I experienced horrible headaches for about two weeks while going through what I can only account to as withdrawl effects. I irresponsibly took up being lazy about it and would have more artificial sweetners than I should have had up until I was pregnant with my second child, whence I gave up artificial sweetners again. Same withdrawl symptoms......It was at that time I realized that these sweetners were the direct cause of many of the symptoms I was having and I have not had headaches per se' since, unless accompanied by a virus :)


I do have multiple sclerosis and do not account that to the A. sweetners, although they did irritate my already pre existing condition tremendously. My mother has the same reaction to these kinds of sweetners. My father is diabetic so he does indlge in the consumption of artificial sweetners. Not willing to change his ways, stubborn :) but wonderful.


311. Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: my nutrasweet story

greetings.  my insomnia and the search for a graduate thesis topic has brought me to your e-mail address.  for what it's worth, here is my stream of consciousness story. 

i'm a 25-year old pharmaceutical chemist named kathryn.  i've always been fairly healthy except for an inherited case of primary dysmenorrhea, and an occasional bout with hay fever. when aspartame first replaced saccharin as the artificial sweetner of choice, i was an oblivious junior high schooler who drank about two glasses of diet soda a day.  two to three weeks after the switch, my mother (who also drank diet soda daily) and i started getting bad headaches, usually accompanied by nausea.  we were quickly able to isolate nutrasweet as the culprit.  after giving up diet soda cold turkey the headaches went away.  during my college years i was always able to tell if i had eaten something containing aspartame by the tell-tale headache that would result.  for years now i've been warning friends and family that i don't trust nutrasweet - but i've never had the time to do any research on the subject until now.  what i'm reading scares me.  i hope this can be of help to you - i realize it's not much. (i apologize for the lack of capital letters - i can't stand them after midnight.)

312. Subj:  Re:Nutrasweet (Aspartame)
Date:  97-03-17 18:09:27 EST
AOL/Diet, Exercise & Fitness/Nutrition & Diet Help

I cannot tolerate aspartame. The dizzines and headaches that came with aspartame usage were very bad.  I have challenged this several times over the last 13 years with the same results.  About 10 years ago I saw a Newspaper article, with a lot of similar problems, including blindness.

313. Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 13:58:23 -0800
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Aspartame Intake

I have since detoxed from aspartame. I now drink herbal (no caffeine) teas. My cravings for sweet foods has been curbed dramatically. Also, small mole-like areas on my neck have disappeared. If I have any more time I will send you more information on my progress.

314. Date: Sun, 16 Mar 1997
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Poisoned by Aspartame

I just want to thank you for getting the word out on aspartame. My husband is diabetic and started having shaking of the arms and legs and would become very ill, he would be down in bed for days at a time. We notified the doctor and he ordered a MRI. The doctor could not give us a reason for these symptoms. We started noticing that when he ate anything with aspartame alias NutraSweet in it, he would have these symptoms, sometimes severe. We finally decided to no longer use anything with aspartame in it, and he has not had a attack since, except he does still have some trembling of the hands. I just want to thank you and all others that are taking up the fight to remove this poison from our food.
                                                        
315. AOL/Diet, Exercise & Fitness/Ask the Nutrition Expert
Subj:  Re:Nutra-sweet
Date:  97-02-20 01:00:26 EST

I get headaches from diet sodas with nutrisweet and from Equal.)

316. Re: Diet soft drinks - alleged health hazard (was: sewing dresses)
Date           Mon, 24 Feb 1997 21:11:25 +0000
Newsgroups     alt.support.big-folks
                                     
My partner adds that artificial sweetners have given him headaches whenever he used them.

317. AOL/Women's Health/Headaches & Migraines
Subj:  Re:Eliminate NutraSweet!!
Date:  97-01-12 18:18:14 EST

I used to get a bad headache everytime I drank a Diet Coke with NutraSweet. I still have migraines, though, even though I avoid NutraSweet, but I know that caused my headaches then.

318. Re: Nutra Sweet irritates bladder?
Date           Fri, 21 Feb 1997 17:47:30 -0800
Newsgroups     alt.folklore.herbs
                                     
My whole family gets migraines from NutraSweet except my dad, which is fortunate because he's diabetic.

319. AOL/Diet, Exercise & Fitness/Phentermine and Fenfluramine
Subj:  Re:Nutrasweet
Date:  97-02-02 12:52:14 EST

When I started taking Phen/Fen last October, I also decreased my intake of Nutrasweet considerably. I stopped drinking diet sodas all together. I did this on the advice of the messages I read on this board. Now that I'm on maintainance, I'm fairly convinced that the Nutrasweet was a big cause of my intense cravings. I would drink 2-3 Diet Pepsi's in the evening, and within the hour, I'd be uncontrollably hungry. It was a viscious circle.

320. Subject:       weight loss and protein powders
Date           Mon, 31 Mar 1997 09:53:04 -0500
Newsgroups     bit.listserv.celiac
                                     
Since I am also hypoglycemic, I need something with very little sweetener. (Nutrasweet gives me instant diarehha and heart palpitations.)

321. Re: Nutra Sweet
Date           Thu, 20 Mar 1997 15:33:19 -0800
Newsgroups     alt.folklore.herbs,sci.med.nutrition,misc.health.diabetes
                                     
I for one am glad to have read about the problems that some people have had with NutraSweet.  I have recently discovered that my borderline hypertension gets appreciably worse when I drink any quantity of diet soda, and subsides to near-normal levels when I stop drinking it.


322. Subject:      Re: Deciding what our triggers are
Date:         1997/03/13
Newsgroups:   alt.support.headaches.migraine

Anyway,  I don't go near nutrasweet because before I understood about chronic daily headaches I once complained to my opthamologist that I frequently woke up with a headache. Among the triggers he mentioned was nutrasweet and I realized I had gotten into the habit of drinking decaffinated chrystal lite iced tea in the evenings and that I was waking up with a headache the next day.  When I stopped drinking the stuff, I stopped waking up with headaches at least for that period of my life.

323. Training-Nutrition, Number 553
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 1997 15:57:52 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Nutrasweet

Have a problem that maybe some could handle?  Anytime I drink or eat anything with nutraweet in it I get devastating headaches.  So I usually avoid them if possible.

324. Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: aspartame

Well, I don't know for certain what symptoms I've experienced (thnat I can attribute specifically to aspartame) but I can tell you something I've noticed this week (a whole week without diet Coke...who would have thought?) : I was anorexic at age 12, when I began drinking Diet coke. After I recovered from anorexia, I continued drinking diet soda. In the yrs that followed I developed ammenorria (not spelled correctly, I know) --cessation of menstrual periods--My drs attributed this to the anorexia. Yet in the past seven yrs, since my recovery from anorexia, I still have had to deal w/ this problem (no menstrual periods). My dr. tried provera pills and when that didn't work, a provera shot, and when that didn't work 2 proivera shots plus pills...all to no avail. She couldn't figure it out--and I became scared that I had some serious problem that would affect my ability to have children....Remarkably enough, after 1 week without aspartame--and seven yrs later,I discovered my ammenoria was suddenly "cured." Is this ironic timing--or is there a connection? I know what I think...

325. Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: A few more questions/my story

After a lifetime of health, in April of last year, I developed an onset of fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, joint aches, burning in my upper back, neck aches, numbness in my lower legs and feet, nerve pain (legs and lumbar), mental confusion, dizziness and depression.  By the end of August, I was in such severe pain I could hardly walk, and the lumbar pain had become so extreme that I couldn't sit in a chair very long.  I was taking 18+ ibuprofen daily and was using a heating pad round the clock.  I didn't sleep well or on my right side, due to the nerve impulses which had begun shooting through my right leg.

The x-rays, MRI (cervical/lumbar), and blood tests all came back "normal." After the EMG and nerve conduction tests, the official diagnosis was "peripheral neuropathy."   The neurologist either ignored or minimized the other symptoms of which I complained:  debilitating fatigue, headaches, mental confusion, cold hands & feet.    I felt totally lost and walked away with no concrete answers. My sister-in-law, who many years ago was diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FMS), kept suggesting I had the symptoms, so I kept researching that angle.  I knew I had some of the symptoms of FMS, but some of my symptoms didn't fit - if it was fibromyalgia, then something else had to be going on, too.

In December, while researching the net, I came across a list of symptoms which contained not only my complaints to the neurologist, but also, *on the same list,* were other ailments I'd also suffered for 3-5 years, yet never thought to associate with aspartame: cloudy vision, loss of equilibrium, tinnitus, slurring of speech, tingling of the extremities.  I was shocked.  Here was one list with all the things I'd been suffering. It was a list of symptoms of aspartame poisoning.  Reading further, I learned that aspartame poisoning can worsen or mimic MS, FMS, Chronic Fatigue, Alzheimer's and more, because it attacks the nervous system.  Now it all made sense to me for the first time. 

And no wonder I got sick!!  I'd been drinking 3+ diet pepsis daily since aspartame was put into them - 13 years at least!  My husband also had been consuming aspartame daily for years as well, in Equal, and in such products as yogurt and ice cream; and, unbelievably, for nearly 2 years he'd had a bizarre hip ache and hamstring pull that wouldn't heal, no matter what he tried.  Turns out, it was aspartame, too!!

The reason we both know this is that on Jan 1. 1997, my husband and I gave up all aspartame-laced products, and within days most of our muscle aches and pains, and my nerve pain, subsided considerably!!!  My dizziness, cloudy vision, and "foggy thinking" have improved noticeably, too.  It's only been 5 weeks, and my husband feels like a new person.  I feel better, too, but I still have the leg numbness, tinnitus, and some dizziness, but since it supposedly takes over 60 days for major improvements, I am hopeful. I will never knowingly consume aspartame again, and I tell everyone I know what happened to me and to quit consuming this poison!!

326. Subject:      Re: aspartame vs. sugar experiment
Date:         1997/02/10
Newsgroups:   misc.consumers.frugal-Living

When Nutrasweet first came on the market 10 years ago, I switched to it from saccharin for my soft drinks (sodas made with sugar taste too "sticky" for me).  Shortliy thereafer, my short-term memory started going.  I would be in the middle of a sentence and totally forget what I was talking about.  I would walk down the hall in my house to go to another room and forget what room I was going to, much less what I was going *for*, by the time I made it down 12 feet of hallway.

I was 29 years old and convinced that I was having advanced symptoms of Alzheimer's, it was that bad.

But then a friend of mine said that her doctor told her to stay away from Nutrasweet, as it destroyed the synapses (the little gaps in the brain that keep your memory circuits running), and after I stopped using Nutrasweet, my memory came back.

327. Re: Atkins: why is it not working?
Date           15 Feb 1997 02:57:01 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.support.diet
                                     
Another thing I found is that when I quite drinking soda with nutra sweet that awful foggy feeling disappeared
alsmost instantly.

328. Date: 10 FEB 1997 02:41:14 GMT
Newgroups: misc.consumers.frugal-living
Subject: Re: aspartame vs. sugar experiment

I suffer from migraine headaches (have all my life), and Nutrasweet triggers the most intense, debilitating ones for me. I don't buy anything with that stuff in it.

329. Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 12:17:11 -0500 (EST)
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Darrell xxxxxxx

I cannot use any artificial sweetners myself since they give me bad dizzy spells.  Not a good thing if I am flying and drinking Diet drinks...  :)

330. Re: aspartame vs. sugar experiment
Date           Fri, 07 Feb 1997 17:16:19 GMT
Newsgroups     misc.consumers.frugal-living

aspertame  > it's not nice to fool mother nature

Does anyone know if aspertame causes a higher rate of tooth decay than sugar?  I always feel a plaque coating on my teeth after I consume any. I am not even going to describe what it does to my gastro intestinal system and willspare you the gory details.

331. AOL/General disABILITIES Discuss/Chemical Sensitivities Support
Subj:  Re:Food additives
Date:  96-12-28 19:45:56 EST

I have to avoid all artificial sweeteners, including the "natural" Nutrasweet.  I get awful, head-splitting migraines and cognitive dysfunction to the point I can't name the street I live on.  Stay away from fake sugar; if you must eat sweets, you're better off with a few extra pounds!

332. Artificial Sweeteners
Date           Sat, 01 Feb 1997 10:08:14 -0800
Newsgroups     alt.support.asthma
                                     
I have had the most interesting recovery.  It isn't complete because I am still asthmatic but the change is EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL.

I have been choking and coughing for almost three years now.  It seemed to start with a very bad cold.  And, the coughing and asthma that accompanied it stayed.  No mucous, just wheezing, coughing and asthma. I have never been given an asthma medication that I liked.  Most of them made me feel "angry" all of the time and some of them gave me Thrush and Vaginal Candida infections.  So, I suffered along.  I couldn't put more than 5 words together without coughing and talking because an unpleasant exercise.  I have avoided most of my allergic causing things i.e.
cigarette smoke, animals, dust, mold, mildew, etc. but it stayed and staying.  Then I got a stomach flu and could only take liquids for about 4 days.  During that time I was drinking Gingerale and it got worse.  I was thinking about a hospital visit because I was having so much trouble breathing. 

My first day back at work, my partner suggested that I stop drinking DIET SODA.  That's when I realized that all I have touched for about the past four years in the way of soft drinks is DIET SODAS (root beer, ginger ale, and coke).  So I stopped drinking the stuff and within 5 days my breathing had improved immensely.  It has now been three weeks and the difference is remarkable.  Yes, I still have asthma---but now do not need any medication at all because I am no longer wheezing all the time.  It will come back when I get sick with colds. Oh yes, it also comes back when I inadvertently eat something that contains artifical sweeteners. (Like 2 days ago I ate a dessert and as soon as I finished it, realized that it had started to affect me.) The asthma has lasted 2 days, not severe, but enough to make me cautious. Now, I will always read labels and if I don't know what's in it, I won't have it...

333. To: xxxx@xxxx.xxxx.xxx
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 15:25:56 -0400
Subject: Aspartame

I found your articles and research on aspartame to be extremely enlightening.  I have suffered with many of the symptoms that were described in your research, all of which have disappeared since I stopped using this product.

[updated]

334. To: xxxx@xxxx.xxxx.xxx
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 1997 16:55:49 -0400
Subject: Re: Aspartame

I was drinking about 32 ounces of caffeine free Diet Coke every night, (during and after dinner).  Some of the symptoms that I had were as follows:

Frequency of urination through the night, (5 to 7 incidents each night).  I saw my physician about this problem.  He thought that I may have either a prostrate problem and or a thyroid problem.  All tests were negative.  He also sent me to an eye specialist because my eyes were not tearing enough. The eye specialist had me use over the counter eye drops 4 times a day.

Frequent headaches.
Anxiety and panic attacks through the night.
Muscle cramps in my fingers and toes.
Difficulty remembering things.
Insomnia. (The doctor perscribed a mild sleeping pill, which I refused). These symptoms disappeared immediately when I stopped using aspartame.

Also, I had been off of aspartame for about 2 weeks when one night I had a mild anxiety attack through the night.  I then remembered that I had chewed quite a bit of Freedent gum the previous day and evening.  I checked the package and found that this product contains aspartame and phenylalanine as well as sugar.  I had never suspected this, as Freedent is not a sugarless gum.  I now check the ingredients of everything that I drink and eat.

335. Newsgroups:   alt.med.cfs
Date:         Fri, 10 Jan 1997 14:28:00 -0500
Subject:      Re: MED: FM, CFS, and aspartame
To: Multiple recipients of list CFS-L <CFS-L@LIST.NIH.GOV>

Hi all !!!!  I can't use aspartamane/Nutrasweet in any form at all.....It causes me great diffculty cognitively/mentally and physically.  My daughter's pediatric neurologist vehemently opposes the use of Nutrasweet in my daughter's diet at any means.  She has a seizure disorder.  Must mean somethin' ..........

That stuff scared me 15 years ago when I read a study about it at a hospital I was working at in Calif....I've never felt it was "safe"......My oldest daughter was having terrible menstrual problems and we stopped the Nutrasweet and "Bingo", guess what else stopped????

336. Re: MED: FM, CFS, and aspartame
Date           Fri, 10 Jan 1997 01:17:04 -0500
Newsgroups     alt.med.cfs
                                      
I'd been drinking aspartame-sweetened sodas for fifteen years, and I hadn't realized I had a problem with them, but last year I stopped drinking sodas for a while because I thought I might be pregnant, and I noticed that my brain fog lessened quite noticeably.  Experimentally, I tried drinking sugared sodas rather than diet soda, and my brain fog continued to lessen.

The final evidence, to my mind, came one day when I ordered a Coke Classic at a fast-food restaurant and I was served a Diet Coke by mistake.  I was thirsty, and fountain sodas usually taste odd to me at the best of times, so I downed most of it without thinking.  By the end of the meal, I was having trouble making sense of my surroundings; I asked my husband for help and he had the sense to take a sip of the drink -- that's how we know it was diet soda. It's now been almost a year since I switched back. I still have some brain fog, but not nearly as much as I used to, and my short-term memory seems to be coming back; I can remember phone numbers again now.

337, AOL/Pain Message Boards/Headaches & Migraines/Headache Triggers
Date:  97-01-30 17:53:14 EST


I am a twenty-seven year old female who has suffered with cluster migraines since the age of five years old.  Two years ago, on a self-betterment binge, I cut Nutrasweet out of my diet after a particularly horrible cluster of migraines.  In two years, I have not let the stuff pass my lips.  I have stuck to this dietary change and not deviated, and in two years, I have had two migraines.  Cut this out of your diet.  Put the teaspoon of sugar in your coffee, the honey in your tea, and walk up an extra flight of stairs to work of the 16 extra calories.  My life has changed!


338. Date: Fri, 9 Jan 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxxxx
cc: MCS-CI@mail1.bellglobal.com
Subject: Re: MCS-CI aspartame...on cfs list

[forwarded from MCS-CI list]
On a personal note, my mom and two sisters began experiencing chronic feelings of anxiety, paranoia, clostraphobia, and accute episodes of panic... which subsided completely when they finally stopped drinking diet pops.

339. Date: Wed, 05 Feb 1997 22:23:50 -0600
To: xxxxx@xxxx.xxxx
Subject: asparatame

I was out cruising on the net again and ran into your info on asparatame. I have already found an abundance of info and want to tell you what I know to be true. In the last ten years, two different chemists at two different labs (for the plastic company that my husband works for) told him that this food was dangerous and never meant to be put into soda because it was toxic. At the time we were both drinking diet pepsi to help us lose weight, and were experiencing many headaches. I decided to eliminate diet pepsi from our diet and the headaches went away.
      Also about the same time as this happened, I read some information from the food coop that I belong to. They always do a spread sheet on different fats, cereals, flours, sugars etc. One month they had a big article on different sugar and sugar substitutes.  The information on aspartame was frightening; methonal, phenalanine, and formaldyhide frome it's metabolism. Well, it didn't take any more bad news about this for me to eradicate diet pepsi from my home.

340. Re: MED: FM, CFS, and aspartame
Date           Thu, 9 Jan 1997 11:56:27 -0600
Newsgroups     alt.med.cfs
                                     
Wow!  I used to get swollen legs at work after drinking diet pop. Stopped drinking it even though the doctor I saw then said it was PMS! Since then, I have avoided nutra-sweet and I don't have the problem.

341. Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 15:50:51 -0500 (EST)
To: xxxxxx@xxxx.xxxxx

I have known for years now that the sweetner is "deadly" to my own body because of the severe, almost paralyzing stomach cramping, gas etc. that it causes.  I avoid it at all costs but am particularly distressed about one thing.  Each time I am admitted to Ben Taub Hospital here in Houston (3 times since Sept. and will be again next week for what I hope will be my final radiation implant...had a radical histerectomy in October) I list Nutrisweet as one of the things that I am alergic to.  And since I have to be on a liquid diet it really tics me off when my tray arrives and I taste the jello and it has...you guessed it...Nutrisweet!  And complaining dosen't do a thing!

Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Questionnaire

 Age:  Sex: 41  Male

 Q. Name medical problems YOU experienced while using aspartame (tm NutraSweet/tm Equal).

 A. Headaches, gastrointestinal, vertigo, numbness, suicidal depression, rashes, anxiety/phobia attacks, twitching, joint pain,  fatigue, impotency, heart attack symptoms, mood swings, body aches.

 Q. Have you been diagnosed with any form of malignancy that coincided with your aspartame use? (Aspartame caused brain, uterine and mammary tumors in lab animals in the original tests.)

 A. No, not at this time.

 Q. Did your symptoms go away or diminish when you stopped using the sweetener?

 A. Today is day four, (December 7, 1996),  but I feel better already and have more energy.

 Q. How long have you been Aspartame-free?
 A. Four days.

 Q. Did you see a Doctor about any of these symptoms?
 A. Yes!!!!!!!!

 Q. Did your Doctor think it could be related to aspartame?
 A. None of the doctors I saw came close to this possibility.

 Q. Did your Doctor advise you to stop using aspartame?
 A. No

 Q. Did you report your symptoms to the FDA (Food & Drug Admin.) or any other group?

 A. Not yet but I plan on doing so.  Should I do this myself or thru your Network?

 Q. Name the specific products(s) containing aspartame you were consuming when you experienced these symptoms. (Brand names.)

 A. Diet Coke, Diet Rite, almost any kind of diet soft drink.

 Q. On the average, what quantity were you consuming (how often, how much each time, etc.)

 A. On average 6 to 8 cans per day since 1980.

 Q. Did you ever feel addicted to your sweetener? (Describe)

 A. Not really.  I was sold on no calories since I have always struggled with my weight.

FOR THOSE CONCERNED ABOUT WEIGHT:

Q.  Did you begin using products with aspartame when you began a restricted calorie diet or joined a weight loss program?

A.  I was drinking diet colas before aspartame was introduced. They tased so much better after aspartame was added.  In looking back I have had repeated episodes from the early 80's on that I now think were a result of this product. 

Q.  Did you use aspartame products only for some of your meals to save calories?

A.  Yes, I used the product to reduce calorie intake.

Q.  Did aspartame seem to help you lose weight at first?

A.  I guess so since I was able to keep my weight down along with exercise.

Q.  What were the long term weight loss effects of using aspartame.

A.  I seem to be able to keep weight off but had a hard time really losing any.

Thank you for helping me out.  I would be interested in getting any information you have on what the best way to rid my body of this stuff.  Are there any special vitamins etc.  Also I want to report this to as many places as possible to voice my rage that this was able to take place.  I want to help others and stop this stuff from being on the market.  I am really scared about what the long term affects will be on my health.  Since I drank this stuff for many years I can bet some damage was done. The 60 days that I have seen published to feel better can't come soon enough.

[update]

342. Date: Sat,  8 Feb 1997 00:25:31, -0500
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: 60 Days

Things have been up and down during the last 30 days.  I had some good days yet still seem to fall back.  In the past three days I have felt very good.  Today is the best day I have had in months.  I was starting to wonder if I would ever feel normal again.  In looking back over the last 60 days I am feeling much better.  I just keep hoping that it will keep up and not go away. 

343. Re: Poll: Vaccine reactions
From           Patricia McDermott <pattymcd@erols.com>
Date           Sat, 18 Jan 1997 02:50:09 -0800
Newsgroups     bit.listserv.autism
                                     
This is a great idea, and I'd be happy to complete the form. Other information (sibling reactions, family autoimmune disease or further details)

He cannot tolerate nutrasweet (aspartame).  On the two occassions that he did have soda with nutrasweet, he had a grand mal seizure.

344. Date: Fri, 31 JAN 1997 13:55:59 GMT
Newgroups: sci.med.nutrition
Subject: Re: ASPARTAME; CHRONICLE OF CRIME (aviation and aspartame)

I received quite a bit of information from xxxx regarding NutraSweet some months ago. After reading it over and doing some checking on my own, I stopped using the stuff. In my case, I have experienced an improvement in muscular control while walking. It is pronounced enough that I, for one, intend to continue avoiding Aspartame.

345. Date: Wed, 4 Feb 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxxx
Subject: Re: Re[2]: Send me help

I don't have  adequate time to truly respond to your message re: the "why" of my interest -  but I have been mistrustful of aspertame for years after finding that it caused  me a horrible headache whenever I knowingly or unknowingly consumed it.  Within the past few months I was diagnosed with a prolactin-secreting pituitary tumor and am furious and curious as to its origins.  Prior to that I have had other hormone/endochrine related conditions - melanoma, ovarian tumor, uterine fibroids, bone tumor, fibrocystic breast disease....All conditions of undeterminable origins.  Genetically, I come from incredibly healthy "stock," I live a health "lifestyle," live in a reasonably uncontaminated environment (except for farm pesticides that must be present in the waters here in Iowa), etc.

I want to know more about aspertame and saccharin for my own sanity, and because as a parent, I want it as far away from my daughter as possible.  (I called the Tylenol makers yesterday when I had learned they put it in their chewable children's tablets.....WHY???????????)

346. Date: Sun, 2 Feb 1997 03:08:33 -0500 (EST)
To: xxxxxx@xxxx.xxxxx.xx
Subject: Re: Aspertame

Since I've stopped using aspartame, the numbness and tingling in my hands has stopped and so has a very slight edema around my ankle bones.

[Updated Info]

347. Diet, Exercise & Fitness/Zone discussions
Subj:  Re:Aspertame
Date:  97-01-21 15:24:21 EST

The undesirable side-effect I get from aspertame is numbness and tingling in my hands. Caught on to this when my daughter who had surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome told me that after her surgery she got terrible pain and sensations in her hands when she ate something with aspertame.

348. Re: MED: FM, CFS, and aspartame
Date           Fri, 24 Jan 1997 17:31:22 -0500
Newsgroups     alt.med.cfs

I am still way behind in my mail reading, but wanted to comment on this thread.  I went to the web sites that have been mentioned and read "The Bad News about Aspartame" etc. and was shocked at the list of symptoms that they reported.  I had never heard anything more than people saying "It gives me a headache,"  which didn't seem to be the case with me, so I thought it was ok.

However just in the past few weeks, I had noticed something that had not been apparent for me before.  I had been having problems (again) with heavy attacks of sweating, both day and nite, and found that drinking even a couple of sips of Diet Coke would bring on a heavy sweating attack almost immediately. Anyway to make a long story short, the sweating is much improved, down to just mild ones at nite, and my sugar cravings also seem to be reducing dramatically.  Will let you know how I progess.

349. Re: Sugar Substitute Was: Re: Off topic-kids vitamins
Date           Fri, 24 Jan 1997 13:33:00 -0600
Newsgroups     misc.consumers.frugal-living
                                      
I thought for a minute I had been sleep surfing...as my name is also Stephanie and I have suffered from migraines since I was 8.  I still get migraines every once in a while but have seriously reduced the number of headaches I get by cutting out all aspartame.  I had my mom do this too with the same results.


[another post]


350. Date:         Wed, 22 Jan 1997 10:46:04 -0600
Subject:      Re: Water
To: Multiple recipients of list FIT-L <FIT-L@ETSUADMN.TAMU-COMMERCE.EDU>

I am prone to headaches and I have had migraines since I wa 8 years old.  Nutrasweet or aspartame gives me headaches and doesn't help with my depression.  I stick with sugar or sweet and low.
  [^^^^^^^^^^]

351. Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 10:54:20 -0500 (EST)
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Personal Nutrasweet Update

I first wrote to you last July to tell you about how I would break out in a rash whenever I did anything heat related (eg, sunbathing, exercising, etc.).  It was as if my body was allergic to my own sweat.  These big, usually oblonged-shaped, sometimes itchy welts would form on my arms and upper legs. You suggested that I take the Nutrasweet challenge.  I did and I noticed major changes within 60 days.  I don't seem as sluggish as I was.  Also, I'm readily losing wait on Atkins diet which worked when I was younger but seemed to be ineffective in the 80's (after Nutrasweet was introduced to the market).

But here's the big test:  I went down to Pompano Beach, Florida over Christmas.  The weather was wonderful - 80's and sunny.  You know how chancey the weather in Florida is over the holidays.  Anyway, the five days I was down there I sat in the sun hour after after, reading and sipping rum
and orange juice, just like I could in my 20s.  NO WELTS!  Three years ago, a mere four hours in the sun and I was a bumpy itchy mess.  Only one thing has changed:  I have eliminated Nutrasweet from my diet.

I am now totally convinced that stuff is poison!  ....

352. AOL/Pain Message Boards/Headaches & Migraines/Headaches
Subj:  Eliminate NutraSweet?
Date:  97-01-16 20:38:36 EST

For months I have seen postings here about the "evils" of NutraSweet but I really didn't pay much attention.  I thought I had a handle on all the other things that triggered my headaches.  However, I decided to eliminate it for 2 weeks and for 2 weeks I was headache free.  Halfway through my first Diet Coke (after this test period) I started having the usual tightness in the back of my head soon followed by migraine symptoms.  Despite meds the headaches lasted 2-3 days.  So, I'm off the fake stuff forever and join the ranks of folks who say keep away from NutraSweet!

353. Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 12:53:23 -0800
To: xxxxxx@xxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: aspartame

After using aspartame for six months, I started to get rashes and swelling on hands and face. Allergy tests showed the usual dust and mold sensitivity. Only after I stopped using aspartame did the symptoms cease. I tested it later by taking aspartame, and the symptoms re-occurred.

354. Date:         Sat, 28 Dec 1996 22:12:35 -0500
Sender:       "PARKINSN: Parkinson's Disease - Information Exchange Network"
              <PARKINSN@LISTSERV.UTORONTO.CA>
Subject:      Re: Concentration of the mind

THIS is true: Many years ago I purchased a book "How to Improve Your Memory", I misplaced it before  I had a chance to read it! I recently found it, and one day soon, I plan to read it, cover to cover! Another truism: I stopped using nutrasweet and Equal, a few weeks ago, and I DO seem to have an improved memory, moreso on longterm than short term. I have been having episodes of remembering things when  I was under 10 year of age, I am 53 now.  I don't know if the brain tumor or alzheimers scare is true, about the Nutrasweet, but I do believe it affects memory.

355. AOL/Diet, Exercise & Fitness/Nutrition & Diet Help
Subj:  Re:Nutrasweet (Aspartame)
Date:  97-01-07 08:09:32 EST

I cannot have aspartame, when I tried it a few times years ago, i got very dizzy and almost passed out, followed by a terrible migrane! I have to read every label to make sure I stay away from it.

356. AOL/Pain Message Boards/Headaches & Triggers/Headache Triggers
Subj:  Aspartame....AGAIN
Date:  97-01-15 12:31:50 EST

I have been reading about this and am horrified to learn what I have been doing to my body by ingesting this poison.  I am now Aspartame-Free and have found that my headaches have completely stopped.

357. Subject: AOL/Pain Center/Headache Triggers
Subj:  Re:Aspartame
Date:  96-11-16 15:30:36 EST

The first time I drank something with Nutrasweet, it made me feel weird. The first time I drank a lot of something with Nutrasweet, it gave me a blinding headache. So I stay away from Nutrasweet.  But nowadays, things with aspartame don't have the Nutrasweet label, so I stay away from things that are artificially sweetened, no matter what! Give us back our cyclamates, damn it!!!!!!!!

358. Re: shooting the sh*t and drinking beverages :)
Date           22 Jan 1997 02:35:12 -0500
Newsgroups     alt.support.dissociation
                                     
I despise any "beverage" with aspartame in it. makes my brain go skitzy doodle!!!! firget lots an lots of things. don't know what else, but just that it's bad an usually we don't remember what does what to the body.

359. Re: Sugar Substitute Was: Re: Off topic-kids vitamins
Date           23 Jan 1997 12:49:43 GMT
Newsgroups     misc.consumers.frugal-living
                                      
I suffered from migraines for years. I stopped drinking Diet Coke and stopped having the migraines. It took about 6 weeks to totally flush the chemicals out of my system, but since that time, I haven't had a migraine (headaches - yes; just not the kind that put me in bed).


360. AOL/Pain Message Boards/Headaches & Migraines/Headache Triggers
Subj:  Re:Aspartame....AGAIN
Date:  97-01-15 13:12:36 EST

I had headaches before nutrasweet...but quickly discovered it was a trigger....(give me back saccharin..at least I could have a diet soda once in awhile)...my mother and sister do not have migraines unless they have nutrasweet...it sucks....I knew it all along

361. Subject:      Diet Coke
Date:         1997/01/27
Newsgroups:   alt.support.tinnitus

After reading on the group that Aspartmene may be indicated in some types of T, I decided to cut out my 3 glasses of it a day. After about a week the T seems reduced. It is not gone, but it is easier to live with.

362. Date: Sat, 01 Feb 1997 09:02:34 -0800
To: xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Who'd a guessed?

I live in the Denver area and recently consumed Aspartame unsuspectingly. Not knowing why I kept having strange headaches all week, along with feeling being "out of it," I read the back of the package of Alka Seltzer Cold Medicine that I had been taking.  Guess what!?  Yes, there was Aspartame listed as an ingredient.  I stopped taking it, and the next day my headaches went away but my cold symptoms persisted as expected.  I also went to the drug store to buy some Vitamin C, and all the chewable types had Aspartame listed as the sweetner.

I have no other food or drug alergies that I am aware of.  However, I have been very sensitive to Aspartame from the 1st day it came on the market.  It triggers nasty headaches for me and sometimes migranes. The public is being deceived by companies who use Aspartame as a sweetner in their products and not providing clear labeling indicating such.  Who has time to read the fine print listing ingredients on the back of every package?

363. Neurology Web Forum
http://neuro-www.mgh.harvard.edu/neurowebforum/MultipleSclerosisArticles/Nutrasweet.htmlANutrasweet
 This response submitted by on 9/18/96.

3 years ago(pre-MS) I stopped drinking diet drinks(except the occasional Tab which has saccarine not nutrasweet) because the Nutrasweet was giving me daily headaches. I don't know if it affects MS but I think it's bad stuff, I only use sugar or sweet and low now. Of course, when I got MS (just this spring) I also got migraines at the same time, oh well! (at least it's not every day!) :)

364. Re: Coke Vs. Diet Coke
Date           Fri, 10 Jan 1997 10:23:59 -0800
Newsgroups     alt.support.diet

I cannot tolerate Nutrasweet sweetened drinks. When I drink a diet soda I get the same symptoms as when I have extremely low blood sugar-faint, sweaty, irritable, nauseated. ....

365. Re: aspartame vs. sugar experiment
Date           Tue, 04 Feb 1997 20:50:11 +0000
Newsgroups     misc.consumers.frugal-living
                                      
A few months ago, I saw Richard Simmons on "The Tonight Show".  Jay mentioned to Richard that he looked thinner than the last time they had seen each other.  Richard said that he had quit drinking diet sodas and teas, and just started drinking water.  The change resulted in losing 15 pounds.  Richard described the water as getting all the "ca-ca" (Spanish for sh*t) out.  Obviously even when a drink doesn't have calories, there's stuff in it that isn't doing your body any favors.

366. ANN: Protein Supplement for Vegetarians
Date           Sun, 02 Feb 1997 15:22:52 -0500
Newsgroups     alt.med.fibromyalgia

I am still looking for a balanced protein/fat/carbos snack bar without aspartame (makes me ill.) Any suggestions would be appreciated!

367. AOL/Pain Message Boards/Headaches & Migraines/Headache Triggers
Subj:  Nutrasweet/Chocolate
Date:  97-01-03 12:43:47 EST

I'm new to this so excuse me if I'm repeating earlier advice.  I'm 36 and have experienced migraines for 10-12 years (I'm thinking I started getting them about the time Nutrasweet was introduced heavily into the marketplace). I get the aura before I experience the migraine (I'm learning this is a relatively uncommon experience for migraine sufferers).  Anyway, good news for you women....when I was pregnant and/or breastfeeding, my migraines went down considerably.

However, when I weaned my daughter, they came back with a vengence.  So I finally decided to cut out chocolate and Nutrasweet...Voila...only 2 migraines in 3 mos!!!!!  PLEASE try this...I always thought my migraines were hormone induced (some of them are, I still believe).  But now, I'm certain chocolate and/or nutrasweet are my triggers...AVOID THEM.  worked for me!

368. Re: Sugar Substitute (long)
Date           Tue, 04 Feb 1997 23:29:41 +0000
Newsgroups     misc.consumers.frugal-living
                                     
xxxxxx, thank you for posting that information about the dangers of aspertame.  I just sent the info. to everyone I know.  My mother has long said that she gets hives using anything with aspertame.  I also know some women that suffer from chronic fatigue and I'm going to give them the URL for the aspertame commission.

369. NeuroWeb
http://132.183.145.103/neurowebforum/MultipleSclerosisArticles/ASPARTAME.htmlASPARTAME
 This response submitted by on 9/18/96.

I read an article not long ago in this forum from someone who had done some research about the chemical make up of Nutrasweet & how it is altered in hot drinks like coffee. It basically produces a gas similar to methane at a certain temperature. Would you ever put methane into your body? Stay away from it if you can & use real sugar or nutrasweet. My headaches have ceased without it in my diet.

370. Date:         Sat, 21 Dec 1996 18:12:29 -0500
Sender:       "PARKINSN: Parkinson's Disease - Information Exchange Network"
              <PARKINSN@LISTSERV.UTORONTO.CA>
Subject:      Aspartame update

Some time ago *someone* on the list asked me to post a report about what--if anything--changes when Peter and I stopped using aspartame (Equal) as a sugar substitute.  It has nowbeen several months, and the only thing I can report is something that I'm not sure is related, except that it coincided with going back on sugar for both of us:  Peter had had almost continuous swelling of feet and ankles, which is not uncommon and which had now disappeared completely.  I had developed a swelling of my left foot only, which the doc said was probably from arthritis, and that too has gone for good. Was the swelling due to Equal, of which we used a lot? Who knows???  In any case, that's the "update" FWIW,for whoever it was who asked and whoever is interested.

371. Date: Wed, 1 Jan 1997
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: aspartame & blood clots...

You see, I am a 31 yr.old female, with brain clots (2) and jugular (2), and subclaclavean vein clots on both sides.... and I have clots in my arm..  I don't have children, and now they say I can't, due to the clotting and damage to my veins..... anyway, the brain clots were causing alot of pressure in my head, and the dr's. called it pseudo-tumor cerebri, due to the pressure from the clots.in my brain.... somone with a small inoperable brain tumor told me to get off all aspartame products..... she said it made a big difference with her pressure head pain.... I was drinking equal in my tea in the morning, diet coke during the day and koolaid and crystal lite sweetened with nutrasweet, all evening.... nothing touched my lips unless it was aspartame.... anyway I stopped using and I am doing so much better!!  THey may not even do the brain surgery now to relieve the pressure..... 

372. Re: PVCs and Magnesium revisited
Date           7 Jan 1997 11:13:59 -0800
Newsgroups     sci.med.cardiology
                                     
Like to mention you may want to look into any relationship between heart problems and Aspartame/NutraSweet. I've had several bad attacks of PVCs following consumption of NutraSweet products and to this day will still have a reaction if I consume the junk. I also remember one or two other people in this group posting similar reactions.

Speaking of which, did anyone see 60 Minutes a week or so ago? Seems that many Doctors and Scientists are convinced NutraSweet is not a healthy substance. The head scratcher is it was mentioned during the segment that the then head of the FDA approved NutraSweet even though several of his collegues suggested further study. That former head of the FDA soon left for the top position in the public relations department of the manufacturer of NutraSweet. Hmmm.

373. To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Aspartame Poisoning Victim
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1996 12:14:09 -0600

I am a victim of aspartame/monosodium glutamate (MSG) poisoning.  I use to develop headaches all the time.  My symptoms ranged from minor headaches to migraine headaches and vomiting.  I also have memory loss. Once I discovered the cause, 95% of my headaches went away.  I read product labels and avoid Aspartame/MSG like the plague.  Try as I might, I still occasionally get poisoned due to the use of these drugs by restaurants and/or disguised labels.  I am very concerned about this occasional poisoning because in addition to getting a headache, I also feel as if my mind gets very cloudy.  Memory recall and concentration are definitely affected as well as vision.

374. AOL/General disAbilities/  ** Seizure Disord  **
Subj:  Re:Nutra Sweet Problems
Date:  96-12-08 13:12:15 EST


Nice to know there is someone else who has BIG problems with this poison. I spoke with someone who works for the FDA, they are aware of the serious effects of it and can not do anything because they approved it as a Food Substance not a chemical additive. I tell everyone I know, especially those who are tryng to conceive, the serious problems it can cause.


375. Re: Nutrasweet/Aspartame
Thu, 26 Dec 1996 21:47:06 +0000

Also from personal experience, I do know that aspertame causes me extreme confusion, stress, and general mayhem the few times I have tried to use it and this was years before I found out it was just not me. and last, just about a week ago, I heard a doctor on a local talk radio list aspertame as the 2nd most deadly food we could possibly ingest. With the advent of olestra (synthetic fat) that the FDA says will definitely make you sick if you eat to much, I see no problem with them approving a sweetener that can kill you.  just my $0.02

376. LUPUS-L Mailing List
Re: Aspertame Report
Sat, 23 Nov 1996 11:08:50 -0500 (EST)
  
I personally avoid aspartame like the plague. it makes me moody, achey & just plain yuckey feeling. (how's that for a scientific description?) i've gotten my mom and some of my friends to stop using it and they all said they felt better after stopping their use of it. drinking regular sodas instead of diet didn't increase my weight or anything else detrimental. i wasn't as hungry after returning to regular soda. nutrasweet seems to make me hungry (huh, how's that for a diet food?)
  
i really don't recommend anyone use it. i know that saccharin is not exactly good for you but it seems to be a hell of alot better than aspartame.

377. Subject:      Re: Let's all SUE Monsanto - maker of Nutra-Sweet. The non-sugar sweetner that is KILLING US ALL!
Date:         1996/12/11
Newsgroups:   alt.mock.the.court

I have always been alergic and/or experienced awful side effects from diet soft drinks and from nutra sweet in gereral. My throat swells up and I can not breathe. I just don't use it and thanks to this posting my suspicions have been realized.

378. To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Date:  3 Jan 97 13:24:43
Subject: RE: Aspartame Effects

Thank-you very much for your advice.  I am just in the process of printing out material from your web page to give to my Doctor.  She told me that she would  be very interested in reading any of the information that I had obtained, because she said that a large number of her patients complained of head-aches (that were often unexplainable).   She said that she hadn't heard much about  aspartame, but she obviously wants to learn more (which is a good sign).

Since quitting aspartame my health / wellbeing has undergone a significant improvement.  For me, there is no doubt that this product is dangerous.  I am very grateful that you have included information on the internet.   You have helped me enormously.

379. To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Nutrasweet
Date: Sun, 15 Dec 1996 23:59:26 EST

Everyday for 3 months I had throbbing  earaches .I drank approximately 6- 8 cups  of coffee a day and would use 2 packets of Nutasweet for very cup.   In addition to this I would consume diet soft drinks  and food products with Nutrasweet. 

Since reading your page on the Net  I started to use sugar again.  My throbbing earaches stopped within 3 days!   After a few weeks of  not using Nutrasweet I drank a diet soda  by mistake.  Almost immediately my ear started to throb. I have also notice an improvement in my short term memory.

380. Subj:    Aspartame
Date:    97-01-05 14:24:30 EST
To:      xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx

Thanks for the information on Aspartame.  I have never been able to intake anything with Aspartame in it.  People thought I was crazy when I told them that I would have a  reaction to the "Diet" stuff.  One night I drank some fruit punch with NutraSweet in it  without knowing.  I thought I was going to die before it began to wear off.  Never again,  I always read labels.  At least now I know why.  Thanks again.  I will pass this information along.

381. Elimination of Aspertan
Date           Tue, 17 Dec 1996 12:02:15 -0500
Newsgroups     misc.health.diabetes
                                     
After reading articles on this newgroup and the literature referred to, I decided to give up anything containing Nutrasweet (at that time I consumed a large quantity of Diet Coke (4-6 bottles per day) and diet Yogurt).  I now take nothing with Nutrasweet (having substituted water for Diet Coke.

At the time of the above decision, I took 20 units of U in the morning and also the evening in addition to 13 units of R at each mealtime. The bloodsuger was frequently unpredictable.  After 3 months on the lack of Nutrasweet, I found that I had to reduce the insulin which I have done gradually over the past month.  Now I take 15 units of U twice a day and 10 units of R before each meal. Note that nothing happened for the first 3 months.

382. Date: Sat, 21 Dec 1996 20:18:37 +0500
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: aspartame reaction..?

I am going crazy keeping everyone I talk to supplied with copies from your site. Talk about reactions..! It seems everyone I know is using (or was anyway) aspartame for weight control. Now they're questioning the use. I feel like a one-woman Paul Revere! I have been off the drug for 1 month & am having no headaches. That in itself is amazing!! I'm getting my vision checked 12/31/96 and we'll know if that has gotten any worse. I can't thank you enough for what you are doing..I'll try to stay in touch.

383. Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 22:02:46 -0500 (EST)
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Nutrasweet poisoning

 XXXXXX, after reading your article I stopped drinking 4 cans of diet coke a day, and the bad headaches I have been experiencing several times a week are just about gone after two weeks. Also the pain and stiffness in my neck and shoulders is getting much better.

384. AOL/Pain Clinic/Headache Triggers
Subj:  Re:Aspartame
Date:  96-11-15 22:23:11 EST

Wow!  I have found others with the same trigger!!!  Most of the folks act like I'm some kind of freak!  When I started reading labels and avoiding aspartame, not only did the ha's ease off, but the hives, and 'thick' throat and all did too.

385. Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 20:04:44 -0500
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: FYI:FDA on Aspartame-An Aside

As an aside <chuckle> I am finally off aspartame (knowingly ingested) for ONE
(1) WEEK now... My daily splitting headaches have 90+% reduced in frequency and severity... The first three days it felt like my body was going through some sort of withdrawal...was THAT foggy and disoriented and unwell feeling...

The fog is clearing... Am not discounting the "wishful thinking" factor...BUT... i think we can add another anectdotal account to the file...actually add two...husband has been off aspartame as well for the same short period and is reporting a reduction in headaches also.

386. Re: Nutrasweet and Migraine
Date           Sun, 15 Dec 1996 12:58:55 -0500
Newsgroups     alt.support.headaches.migraine

I have found that cutting Nutrasweet from my diet has stopped my migraines by about 90%


387. Re: Diet drinks question
Date           Mon, 16 Dec 1996 01:29:02 -0800
Newsgroups     alt.food.fat-free
                                     
Besides these problems, large amounts of aspartame have been shown to increase anxiety.  I know, I found out the hard way from drinking too much diet 7-Up.

388. Re: Nutrasweet and Migraine
Date           Tue, 03 Dec 1996 10:37:46 +0000
Newsgroups     alt.support.headaches.migraine
                                     
For what it's worth, Nutrasweet definitely seems to contribute to my various types of headaches, (migraine, tension, sinus) so I just stay away from it.

389. Re: amitriptyline and migraines
Date           Wed, 4 Dec 1996 15:11:39 -0500
Newsgroups     alt.support.mult-sclerosis

390. On the subject of migraines, I discovered the cause of mine to be nutrasweet. I cut out all the diet drinks and sugar free food and they went away. Rarely do I have them now, which I can handle considering I was having them almost everyday.

391. Date: Mon, 30 Dec 1996 11:39:17 -0500
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Aspartame

Has anyone considered a class action suit to get this dangerous product off the market?  I had a reaction to it and feel my quality of life has suffered to a great degree.  I try to warn my friends but until their symptoms appear, they do not seem to believe.   

Happy New Year! and looking for a very special buddy
Date           2 Jan 1997 10:31:46 -0500
Newsgroups     alt.support.diet

Now, I'm ready.  And I have some thoughts about what I want to do, and do differently.  So, here is my strategy and New Year's resolutions: - Avoid Nutrasweet.  Without getting into the whole debate about the nefarious nature of Nutrasweet, I did find that it seemed to make me, shall we say, less than mentally alert.  Also, while I don't think I really became addicted to the stuff, I did definitely use it as a crutch.

392. Re: 60 Minutes: What's the deal with nutrasweet? Safe or not?
Date           3 Jan 1997 15:24:19 GMT
Newsgroups     sci.med.nutrition

The headaches seemed to be the most common side effect, but those with CFS, FMS, MCS and organ disease should be particularly careful....*we* can get horrible symptoms from things that don't bother a healthy person. I was drinking 2 liters a day of diet soda to assuage my craving for sweets. I would have drunk more if I could have afforded to. I was drinking a can of diet Pepsi as I was reading the data on Gold's website...I couldn't even finish it. I kept thinking of Monsanto and all the chemicals they make for home products and how bad they make me feel when I'm exposed to them. I also remembered a huge exhibit they had at Disneyland (telling my age here) when it first opened---indoctrinating innocent children <vbg>...the ride was pretty cool tho. Well, I went cold-turkey off this stuff and within 3 days, my craving for sweets stopped!!! Just like that! I still eat them, but I don't *crave* them the way I used to. This has made me feel the whole thing is even more insidious than I previously thought.

393. AOL/General Health Discussions/Migraines
Subj:  Eliminate NutraSweet!!
Date:  96-11-23 23:06:00 EST

I suffered with migraines for years.  After trying several drugs and stress reducing methods, I discovered I was sensitive to NutraSweet, a.k.a. Aspartame.  This artificial sweetener is made up of three chemicals one of which is methanol (wood alcohol). 

394. Date: Sat, 30 Nov 1996 18:44:59 -0500 (EST)
To: betty@pd.org
Subject: nutrasweet

You do not have to convince me how bad nutrasweet is.  After I lost my significant other I lost my appetite for a few days.  Well I was thirsty and decided to have a diet coke.  I found that it was affecting my heart beat.

Since I had only had the diet soda I immediately came to the conclusion that the nutrasweet was giving me the heart palpitations.  I had only just begun to drink the diet drinks, because frankly I couldn't stand the taste.  Luckily I found out early what affects the drug was causing and I am very careful not to eat anything which lists it as an ingredient.

395. Subject: Re: Antidote to Nutrasweet?
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 03:54:15 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.support.diet.low-carb

I learned a lot about stevia, but nothing about an antidote to Nutrasweet.  I was accidentally given Nutrasweet (someone had earlier mixed Coke and Diet Coke into a Coke bottle) and had a major reaction to it (headaches, hot flashes, sensitivity to light and noise, etc.). A can of Coke will only add weight.  A can of Nutrasweet-sweetened soda will knock me out of commission for days.

396. Re: artifical sugars
Date           Mon, 23 Dec 1996 07:05:50 -0500
Newsgroups     misc.health.diabetes
                                     
I can't use NutraSweet as it makes me sick to my stomach.

397. Subject:      Re: META: <OFF-TOPIC AND PROUD OF IT!>
Date:         1996/12/31
Newsgroups:   rec.arts.comics.misc

I'd definitely drink too much, but the hot lemon drink flu medicine I grabbed off the shelf the last time I HAD to venture out of the house had aspartame in it.  Nutrasweet, by any other name, would still give me a nasty headache.  Oh great...  I get something to make me feel better and the main (inactive) ingredient makes my head hurt.

398. Subject: ASPARTAME
To: XXXXXXX@XXXXX.XXXXX.XXX
Date:    Mon, 04 Nov 96 15:17:31 EST

HI THERE - I AM A 22 YEAR OLD COLLEGE STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE. I SPENT APPROX. 10 YEARS DRINKING 1-2 LITERS OF DIET SODA A DAY.  THIS PAST YEAR, THAT FINALLY CAUGHT UP TO ME. I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE DAILY BOUTS OF DISEQUILIBRIUM, MEMORY LOSS, AND OTHER ADVERSE EFFECTS.

[continued]

399. Date: Fri, 29 Nov 1996 21:39:52 -0500
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Follow up


I cannot tell you the difference in my disequilibrium, memory loss, etc... Wow! I wouldn't say it's 100% gone or over.  But I am 75% of the way thanks to your info in both your e-mail and on the internet.  You're doing something wonderful and necessary.  I'm spreading the word to all my friends and they've dropped the stuff instantly.  I know sometimes you must feel like you don't do enough and wonder what it all means in the grand scheme of things.  But let me tell you, it means EVERYTHING to me.  You've done what half a dozen doctors, thousands of dollars, and months of my time and misery couldn't do - Given me the information that gave me my life back - freed me to be a 22-year old college girl again.  Free to go out dancing instead of sitting in a bookstore pouring over medical books.  Free to spend my days in classes, not doctors' offices. Free to spend my time thinking about who did what with so-and-so, instead of analyzing the human neurological system and its correlation with the central balance center. Free to spend my money on a dangerous black dress that will surely get me in trouble, not a CAT scan or a blood test. Just free.  And that feeling, xxxxx, that freedom to just be, is absolutely priceless.


340. Subject:      Re: Aspartame
Date:         1996/11/30
Newsgroups:   sci.med.diseases.lyme

This is truly interesting... It so happens that I care for a head trauma patient, who is severely damaged. His Mother had caught the last few sentences of a documentary on TV, of not to use Aspartame with any neurological defects. My patient is over 200lbs, an ex-wrestler and gave us a big fight.  Here was uptight, biting on his clothes, legs outstretched......very tense....we had him on a diet...yep he got a low fat yogert at least once a day....(contained Aspartame) Its been three weeks since we stopped it..and hes 90% better.  More relaxed....still bites but not anything like before.  I have noticed that now, however he's got swollen feet (pitting pedal edema) I'm wondering if Aspartame has a diuretic affect also. Has anyone heard of that?

341. Re: Aspartame
Date           Fri, 29 Nov 1996 00:04:37 -0800
Newsgroups     sci.med.diseases.lyme
                                     
ASPARTAME!  Nutrasweet!  How I hate those two words.  From first hand experience, I know that this stuff is really bad for some folks.  My experience was with my Son (Autistic & has CNS damage), who, 10 years ago suffered a grand mal seizure after a few months of using diet soft drinks containing aspartame.  Then again last year, the folks at the sheltered workshop where he is employed, didn't read my notes, and allowed him to have sodas containing aspartame; and again, he suffered a grand mal seizure.  He is 30 years old and those are the only 2 episodes of seizures he has EVER had.
[continued]

342. Re: Aspartame
Date           Mon, 02 Dec 1996 01:13:00 -0800
Newsgroups     sci.med.diseases.lyme
                                      
No, Suz, sorry.  I haven't heard about Aspartame having any diuretic effect.  But I'm glad that the young man is off of it and that his behavior is so much better.  This Aspartame is so dangerous for some.  I can still remember how my son's behavior steadily deteriorated during the few months that he was ingesting it...and then the seizure.  The worst part was that if my husband and I hadn't read that article, we never would have known what caused the seizure.  And in 1986, the docs actually laughed at us when we told them about what we had read.  Sound familiar?

343. Re: NutraSweet Making World News/Brain Tumor Issue: Now as Paul Harvey would
                   say: This is the rest of the story! (fwd)
Date           29 Nov 1996 00:26:06 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.support.attn-deficit

Nutrasweet causing cancer?  I beleive ya' but that's not the worst of it!!!!  Nutrasweet makes me go ballistic!!  My ADD symptoms--the bad ones--become severe if I get near nutrasweet.  My mind gets all fogged up, my anger/frus. level increases and my brain functions, overall, diminish.  I do think there's a horrible connection between that toxic junk and brain functions in ADD brains!!!

344. Date: Tue, 26 Nov 1996
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: nutrasweet

JUST A SHORT MESSAGE .  FOR YEARS I WAS SUFFERING FROM SEVERE HEADACHES ALMOST DAILY.  I COULD NOT BE SURE, BUT FELT IT WAS CAUSED BY A NECK PROBLEM OR POSSIBLY MIGRAINES. EACH EVENING CARPOOLING FROM WORK, WE WOULD STOP AND GET A MUG OF DIET COKE.  THIS WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY A BOWL OF CEREAL SWEETENED BY EQUAL BEFORE BEDTIME.  THE NEXT DAY-HEADACHES. FOUND A WARNING ON THE INTERNET ABOUT NUTRASWEET AND DECIDED TO STOP DIET COKE AND SUBSTITUTE GOOD OLD SUGAR COKE WHICH AS WE KNOW ISN'T ALL THAT
GOOD FOR US EITHER. IMMEDIATELY THE HEADACHES VANISHED AND I CAN FUNCTION WITHOUT CONSTANT PAIN.
AN INTERESTING NOTE HERE: A MORMON FRIEND STOPPED DIET COKE JUST BEFORE I HAD, THINKING IT WAS THE CAFFEINE CAUSING HIS HEADACHES.  HIS HEADACHES CEASED.  HE FOUND HOWEVER, THAT BY DRINKING REGULAR COKE HIS HEADACHES DID NOT RETURN. WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES I FEEL, BECAUSE THE HEADACHES WERE THE WARNING THAT WE WERE BEING POISONED.  HOW ABOUT THE UNLUCKY FOLKS WHO DON'T GET THEM AND SUFFER SOMETHING MUCH WORSE DOWN THE ROAD. ITS TOO BAD THAT IN THIS SO CALLED DEMOCRACY THERE IS APPARENTLY NOT ONE HONEST POLITICAL GROUP LET ALONE ONE POLITICIAN WHO WOULD STAND UP TO THIS CORPORATE GIANT.

345. Re: Immune System and ALS
Date           27 Nov 1996 16:45:16 GMT
Newsgroups     sci.med.diseases.als
                                     
I will tell you everything I think I know right now. I have tried many variations, but excess is best and avoid chemicals.   This means no soda, aspartame, msg, hydrolized protien or fats, artificial flavor (you get the picture). I felt 1000 times better the day I stopped dring diet cokes.

346. Date: Mon, 4 Mar 1996 05:22:36 GMT
To: epilepsy-list@calvin.dgbt.doc.ca
Subject: Re: [EPILEPSY-LIST:3325]

After reading here that epileptics should avoid artificial sweetners, I threw out the aspartame (a ten year habit). Since that time (about 10 days) my seizure activity has lessened significantly and the intensity is much milder. Based upon what I'm feeling, aspartame may be a trigger for me. My doctor says any stimulant (caffine, cigs, stress, ect.) will trigger seizures. While they are not the "Cause" of the seizures, stimulants aggravate the condition, so he says. I have cut back on the caffine some, but I continue to smoke. short of death, I have not yet figured out how to rid my life of stress. Ha! 

347. Re: Aspartame & Brain Tumors
Date           Tue, 26 Nov 1996 09:40:11 -0800
Newsgroups     rec.food.cooking
                                     
Members of my family have a sensitivity to this artifical sweetener.  We don't all live close by one another, so it took a few years for each of us to put together that a severe headache always followed drinking diet pop or eating something else sweetened with aspartame.  One niece and I have the same reaction each time:  the headache is felt in the part of the skull right behind the right ear.  If we read labels and watch carefully, we don't have problems.  But, if by mistake we get something with aspartame, we'll know in short order.

348. Aspartame Responses to CNN article and Reactions
http://cnn.com/feedback/comments.html#0
Tuesday, November 19, 1996

. . . I recently chewed a stick of gum that had aspartame in it and I got an immediate headache. I couldn't figure out why at first why my head was aching so badly. When I spit out the gum the headache subsided in about two or three minutes. I also use and like Equal sweetener in my coffee but haven't noticed any unusual side effects although sometimes I do develop a headache shortly thereafter. I attributed this to my job but I guess that affects me too.
xxxxxx xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx.xxx

My experience with aspartame has been very negative. For months I would have reactions such as horrendous headaches accompanied by violent regurgitation. It would only happen when I traveled by van so I thought it was related to motion sickness. After months of having these reactions, I went to the doctor. What was different from my normal, everyday pattern was that I was drinking diet pop to settle my stomach when traveling (I do not drink pop normally). The doctor surmised it was an allergic reaction to aspartame. I quit using aspartame in any way, shape or form, and have not had a reaction since.

xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx

349. To: epilepsy-list@calvin.dgbt.doc.ca
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 17:08:22 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: [EPILEPSY-LIST:5130] aspartame

Some time ago someone posted regarding aspartame and that it could be a seizure-inducing drug.  Does anyone have any further information/proof about this theory?

I read an article a few years back [coulda sworn it was in the NYTimes] about this sudden onset of adult epilepsy. Article was more slanted to how-smart-scientists -figure-things-out. but the bottom line was that the summer NutraSweet overthrew sacchrin, there were thousands of new cases of seizures all over the country. I personally stay away from the stuff as it does trigger seizures in me after heavy use. Well, more than 16 oz. of diet soda per day and I'll seize.



350. Date: Wed, 20 Nov 1996 21:46:58 -0600
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxxx
Subject: RE: request for info

I had been drinking large amounts of Diet Coke for years and over that time my vision  (nearsightedness)  went from -.75 to -4.25.  Focus/ resolution has remained good.  The worse part was (and remains) a feeling of the loss of alertness.  I find it harder to learn new  things (computer programming) and reading to comperhend is really difficult.  There was a point in time just before I stopped drinking Diet Coke that I could sit for hours and read the same page and still not know what it said.  I remember thinking if I underline or highlight the words the meaning of the thought would become clear. It did not work.

After stopping, I lost 35 lbs and started working out and eating low fat food.  I have now gained some of it back, but have not drank a diet soda in 5 years.  I do not believe I have regained the full functioning of memory.  I can now point to other problems on the list and identify with them.  I was told I had 'functional Hypoglycemia' and the mood swings (and a list of others) were a result of it.  I told the doctor that I was drinking large amounts of Diet Coke and he did not seem to think it was a problem.

I have taken your information and printed it and have been making copies for people I know that are drinking a lot of diet sodas.

351. Re: *I* Migraines
Date           Sat, 23 Nov 1996 00:53:17 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.fan.pratchett

Have found one migraine trigger - aspartame (Nutrasweet) - no diet sodas for me any more...

352. Subj:          Not Typical
Date           20 Nov 96 01:01:33 UTC
Newsgroups     alt.support.ibs

I had my first onset of this when I was under a great deal of stress and now I am aware of certain foods that set me off like pork, beef and aspertame.
....

353. 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)

354. 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.

355. 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.

356. 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 xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxxx.  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]

357. 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!

358. 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!

359. 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..


360. 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.

361. 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.

362. 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. :-)

363. 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]

364. 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.

365. 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.

366. Date:         Sat, 2 Nov 1996 21:46:37 -0500
Subject:      Nutrasweet/Formaldehyde/MCS
To: Multiple recipients of list ALLERGY <ALLERGY@TAMVM1.TAMU.EDU>

Hats off to Lieberman, another knowledgeable member on-line, who conveyed  the message about the metabolizing of Nutrasweet into Formaldyhyde !

[update]

367. 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.

368. 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.

369. 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?

370. 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]

371. 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. 

372. 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!

373. 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

374. 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.


375. 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.

376. 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.

377. 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!

378. 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.

379. Date:         Thu, 19 Sep 1996 22:38:44 -0400
Reply-To:     "PARKINSN: Parkinson's Disease - Information Exchange Network"
              <PARKINSN@LISTSERV.UTORONTO.CA>
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.

380. 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.

381. 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]

382. 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.

383. 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.

384. 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.

385. 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.

386. Date:         Thu, 24 Oct 1996 23:24:31 -0400
Subject:      Re: excitotoxins (MSG & NutraSweet)
To: Multiple recipients of list ALLERGY <ALLERGY@TAMVM1.TAMU.EDU>

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.

387. 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. ....

388. Date:         Fri, 25 Oct 1996 22:16:39 CST
Subject:      Re: Feeling out of sorts? NutraSweet?
To: Multiple recipients of list ALLERGY <ALLERGY@TAMVM1.TAMU.EDU>

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.

389. 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?


390. 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.

391. 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.

392. 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.

393. 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.

394. 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.

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.

395. 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.

396. 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?!

397. 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.

398. 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.

399. Date: Sun, 22 Sep 1996 19:11:15 -0400
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Regarding asparatame
From the Desk of: xxxxxxx
Sunday, Sep 22, 1996

I attach a virus free text document Ascii, dealing with my own case history and aspartame. I've more , two of the three of the other line pilots at Xxxxxxxx Air developed side effect from diet soda, supplied via; Mcdonnalds,
and the Company vending machine. That's three out of five employee's!
Sincerely Yours,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

To Whom it may concern;

In reading : Aspartame: :"What you don't konw can hurt you",  I rememberd an expriance with this substance a few years ago, It  really wasn't until this year I through independant research, I could link my own medical problems and those of my colleagues to Aspartame poisining. The case hisotry I will relate is frightning, and I hope serves as a Warning to others that are obese to avoid Aspartame in their diets.

It was summer of 1992, After loading my aircraft the load master told me if I didn't lose weight, they would have to get a new pilot; Is that motivation? I went to the Aeromedical examiner; was put on a 1000 caloire diet witch included, diet soda, inclusive in my instructions were ."you can have as much diet soda, tea or coffee you desire". So my Cokacola's became those sweetied with Nutra sweet, and I started using it in baking etc. to reduce the calorie content of my meals anyway I could.

Within six months I stated to experiance joint aches, difficulty remembering, ,mostly number strings and so did my aged father; a diabetic, The symptoms were insidious in onset and to be honest it started with difficulty copying instrument clearances, so I insatlled a computer to do that; then it was vertigo-, time for a innner ear check?; then the joint pain, dismissing the vertigo to wieght loss and an increase my exercise bringing on the joint  pain, then it was inritablibility; outburst of temper over the smallest incident. I then developed skin liesions, on my scalp, and arms, which required surgical exorcison. By accident while , I was crusing the net, that I found information about Aspartame, I then computed the amount of the toxic subtanse I had recieved; and discointued using any product that constained aspartame. My symptoms are  reversing; the Ironic thing is, I did lose my job, and the  Company had to get a new pilot it wasn't becasue of my wieght; it was due to the fact I couldn't function at my job. The FAA sent me a  letter wishing to review my qualification to hold  an airmans medical -- saying I may not be qualifed, due to a known medical problem-- Were they was really saying; "you've been using aspartame and because of that you are sick"!

I'm glad to get the heads up on this, at least it afforded me the opportunity to do somthing for myself, and I do feel a lot better, and my mental confusion, is no longer present, my ability to rememebr number strings is improved, along with my ability to transfer objects to long term memeory. My skin lesions are healing; and any intestional probelms I expeianced are diminishing. even my wieght loss is improved, in that I no longer battle a craving for chocolate.

My symptoms have reversed, I don't know if I'll be able to ever get a medical; both my father and I feel, we've been made part of a beta test in humans without our knowledge and consent, and as a result of Aspartame, have lost our health to some degree. Now like any other medical illness it's time to heal-- if that is\ possible! I intend to persue any legal remidy, in that I have lost my ability to be employed, and fully believe that it was due to Asparatame poisoning!

Respecfully,

xxxxxxxxxx


400. Re: What do you wish you liked? (was Re: Uncanny resemblance...)
Date           22 Sep 1996 20:10:11 GMT
Newsgroups     rec.food.cooking

No!  Be glad!  NutraSweet breaks down into BAD things in your body!! In my case, it breaks down into migraines.

401. Date: Sat, 21 Sep 1996
To: xxxxxx@xxxx.xxxxx.xxxxx
Subject: Re: Aspartame

Mt mother, a faithful PD'er, tells me you have info on Aspartame (NutraSweet). Since I stopped using it, I have not had a single migraine headache, which I have had since I was 13 years old.  Will you share your info with me, please?
(P.S.  A friend told me earlier today that Equal was the only thing he'd ever heard of that even roaches wouldn't eat!)  Thanks so much.

402. Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1996 11:56:48 -0800
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: stevia

You certainly have permission to use my "story", although i don't know how much of a story it really is...I stopped
using nutrasweet and products containing aspartame about 2 months ago...I have hypoglycemia and ADD and also have many food allergies -- yeast, wheat, sugar, etc.  Since I stopped using nutrasweet and drinking diet sodas (I used to use about 1 to 2 packets a day, and drink about 1 diet soda a day) I feel 100% better....my blood sugar level is now under control, and i no longer crave sugar or unhealthy foods...i no longer have that "dieter's" mentality...i simply eat whole, natural foods when i'm hungry...

The reason that i say i do not have much of a story is that i am not sure whether to attribute this to getting off of
aspartame, or just adopting a more healthy diet overall and eating lots of sunrider stuff...however, i have no doubt
that getting off of the nutrasweet and diet soda helped...In addition, I used to suffer from short term memory loss and have other symptoms which I attributed to candida...after reading a lot of your testimonials, now i believe that it
was probably because of the aspartame in part, if not entirely...

403. Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 20:57:19 -0800
To: xxxxx@xxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: stevia

I am doing much better now that i am off of nutrasweet (which has been about 6 months).  The one or two times that i have had nutrasweet in that period (such as in a non-sugar latte), i have experienced detectable "brain fog" and confusion.  I just wish that stevia tasted better in coffee, but i'm really getting quite used to herbal tea...

404. Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 20:56:32 -0000
To: xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxxxxx
Subject: RE: send me help

Yes, I got it to work and downloaded several reports.  Thanks to your effort, my family is now aspartame free.  We have noticed numerous benefits including better memory and less fatique.  Two weeks ago, I accidentally got a can of pop with aspertame, and decided to go ahead and drink it. Never again.  It actually gave me stomach cramps and nausia.

405. Re: Nutrasweet, ok or best to avoid it?
Date           15 Sep 1996 07:22:38 -0400
Newsgroups     alt.support.diet
                                     
I am not related to the sugar industry in anyway, but I am definitely anti-nutrasweet.  Now if a person has diabetes than fine, it is an o.k substitute, but it causes migraines, gas, diarreah, uncontrollable shaking and weakness in me if I even accidentally ingest some (sometimes idiots assume that I want diet coke instead of regular coke, because I am
overweight).  My husband also gets headaches from it, but his are minor. I know a few people who have problems with it, so I would suggest that if a person can have a healthier alternative that they try to find it.

406. Re: Diet Soft= Migraine Trigger
Date           Sat, 14 Sep 1996 19:32:07 -0700
Newsgroups     alt.support.headaches.migraine
                                     
Most definitely, aspartame in anything triggers my worst headaches, especially at certain time of month.  MSG is second worst culprit, followed by pickled or brine-packed foods. 

407. Diabetic Mailing List
X-Url: http://www.Lehigh.EDU/lists/Archives/diabetic/0890.html
Re: A1C & more :)
Thu, 12 Sep 1996 00:18:20 -0400 (EDT)

It does mine! Two cans of Diet Pepsi raised my bg from 121 to 309, and held it there for 7 hours. Weirdest thing, that was the only time I've had 4 widely spaced tests come out at EXACTLY the same figure! I must mention here that I AM ALLERGIC to NutraSweet. YMWACV (Your Mileage Will Almost Certainly Vary)!!!! Oh well, heck of a reason to
be harassed for 5 years then laid off by AT&T and become active online,

408. Diabetic Mailing List
X-Url: http://www.Lehigh.EDU/lists/Archives/diabetic/0890.html
Re: A1C & more :)
Thu, 12 Sep 1996 13:35:02 -0500 (EST)

I know in my case, Nutrasweet has been known to cause migranes.  I have always tried to stay away from the stuff myself, but with getting under control, there is not a whole lot out there anymore.

 409. Subj:           Re: Nutrasweet
 Date:    96-07-17 00:11:10 EDT
 To:         xxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxx

 I have a very good health fooe store here and the owner is the first one who told me about the danger of aspertame. The day she told me, I had just missed a talk at her store by an ex FDA employee who told them Nutrasweet paid a big chunk of$ to someone in the FDA to slide it through. Wish I knew more about it,but I don,t.  Seems like everyone is afraid to say anything. Do we already have a"big brother is watching you"  government?

410. Re: Diet Softdrink = Migraine Trigger?
Date           Mon, 16 Sep 1996 01:23:13 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.support.headaches.migraine

I can't have anything diet without a migraine attack lasting several days. The last time was a piece of gum with nutrasweet.  I was in bed 2 days.  I'd say there's a link, but that's based only on my own experience. I know that I can't take much nutrasweet.  It gives me headaches big time!  There has been research on it and I know for a fact that pilots are strongly advised NOT to drink/eat any Nutrasweet before a flight. I don't think it's good stuff for a lot of people.

411. Re: It's my Birthday -- everyone's invited!
Date           Sat, 14 Sep 1996 00:57:03 -0500
Newsgroups     alt.books.m-lackey
                                     
Well, I can't eat anything with nutrasweet in it because it gives me a kidney infection.  I don't know if it affects everyone's kidneys, or if it's just because I was put together with Superglue and rubber bands.  I have heard that you should not give it to children, though.

412. Re: It's my Birthday -- everyone's invited!
Date           12 Sep 1996 11:20:25 -0400
Newsgroups     alt.books.m-lackey

If that's the case, remind not to make a banana milkshake, because I'm allergic to the stuff.  I get the nastiest migraine from it in any quantities over thatcontained in a stick of gum.  Might as well put me in a black, soundproof, padded room until it's out of my system.

413. Re: Diet Softdrink = Migraine Trigger?
Date           Thu, 12 Sep 1996 05:42:40 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.support.headaches.migraine

Yeah, I've heard that NutraSweet has long been considered a cause of headaches as well as other things. I also have the suspiscion that MSG makes me headache prone too. Could this be possible? Both are major triggers for me.  I really find that Chinese food is a killer, and I will not drink diet drinks no matter what, if you do, follow up with as much water as you can, it seems to help flush your system.
Leslie

414. Re: Knowledgable Fitness People PLEASE HELP ME
Date           Thu, 12 Sep 1996 16:30:01 GMT
Newsgroups     misc.fitness.misc

I can play 'psychic' now with people who use lots of it by describing their symptoms to them without asking. I stopped using it because I needed to remember my home phone number.  But that's just another blip on the list of things people experience with this wonderful product! The whole story is such a classic example of Americans and
the world being hosed by some truly evil pinheads, it almost reminds me of my other favorite food ... Olestra! ;)

415. Date: Sun, 21 Jul 1996
From: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxx.xxxx
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: Thanks xxxxxx

My brother-in-law is an aspartame junky (drinks several diet pop drinks a day) and he now has many health problems.  I've tried to get him off that poison, but he's the sort who figures that if it's legal, it must be safe
kind of nonsense.  But, I figure with your articles, maybe it will help set him straight.  Problem is, with some people, they are addicts or... just plain stubborn.

[continued]

416. Date: Thu, 12 Sep 1996 12:50:09 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: Thanks xxxxxxx (2)

It was difficult to get him to initially quit.  But he finally decided to stop drinking diet soft drinks (and all other Aspartame tainted stuff) after his symptoms worsened.  His doctor was about to prescribe him all sorts of wonderful anti-inflamatories, however, I pleaded with my brother-in-law to give up Aspartame first, before trying all those drugs. After a couple of weeks, he called me up thanking me... Apparently his achy joints, fatigue all disappeared.  My sister said he's a new man now. They came up last weekend, and he was definately looking better.  We
talked about it, and he now realizes that the Aspartame was responsible.

417. Date: Thu, 12 Sep 1996 10:13:09 -0400
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxxx
Subject: Re: Pop or Soda? (was Re: Canadian Shows)

I've been interested in the aspartame thing since its introduction. While I'm not the person who brought the subject up, I did respond (stroke, blindness, etc.). I recognized the problem the first time (only time) I ingested it -- I
had the worst blinding migraine, veins bulging in forehead, etc. This was within the first month that it was on the market, and I had been given a diet Coke when I ordered a regular one. I had only had one really bad headache in
my life prior to this episode.

418. Re: Too much diet coke
Date           9 Sep 1996 02:30:48 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.support.diet

You should watch the aspertame in the DIET drinks.  Since giving up Diet Pepsi, my chronic UTI (bladder infections) are gone!!!  I do drink regular Pepsi now with no problems.

419. Re: Is Coke a poison?
Date           5 Sep 1996 21:36:52 -0400
Newsgroups     sci.med.nutrition

My mother-in-law has problems with diet Coke, particularly aspartame. I saw some interesting (and scary) postings recently on: http://www.vitawise.com You should check it out if you drink anything with aspartame.

420. Date: Tue, 09 Jul 96 08:44:58 cst
To: xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxxxxx
Subject: Alzheimer's notice

I live and work in San Antonio, and I received the message on "aspartame" with the letter accompanying it.   Is this a "REAL" world problem that really does do what the letter says it will to humans? Of course, I am concerned since most of my family uses Sweet n Low and drinks diet drinks.

[continued]

421. Date: Thu, 05 Sep 96 07:34:23 cst
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re[4]: Alzheimer's notice

Thanks for asking.  My wife and I both quit drinking diet anything and actually threw out some cooking stuff that had aspartame in it, and now after 8 weeks+, we both feel much better, have more energy and memory has returned to even better than before, but that's hard to comprehend since I never knew it was going.  Haha But, I have since made several copies of the information that you sent me, plus others, and distributed to my entire family and as many friends as I can find that will listen to me about this killer. 
    
 Every time I see someone at work drinking a diet soda, I give them a copy of the original thing you sent me, and so far, most have complied to see if it does make a difference in them or their family members. It's a shame that the damned FDA will not pull this substance from the shelves, but we both know the power of money and politics, so it may be a moot point for some time to come, unless you can find a STRONG politician to get this banned from human consumption.
Your efforts are appreciated by those of us who have experienced the effects of this drug, and your efforts will one day pay off, so please keep pressing and the good work will pay off some day.

422. Subject:      my wonderful daughter
Date:         1996/08/17
Newsgroups:   alt.support.mult-Sclerosis

My name is xxxxxx. I was diagnosed about two years ago. In that time my most persistant and consistant symptom has been muscle spasms. These got to be so bad that I couldn't sleep at all and could barely walk. In my search for relief, I met an osteopathic doctor who told me to cut out diet soft drinks.Now I am somewhat overweight and have been drinking Diet Coke as a way of life for years. Within five days of stopping, my spasms dissappeared. Shortly after that I had a small glass of Diet Coke to see if I could at least have a little. The spasms returned immediately.

The reason I called this "my wonderful daghter" is we were given a report by my doctor about aspartame as a neurotoxin.My daughter posted that report here hoping to save some of you from the same kind of agony that I experienced. I know that some of you have heard more than enough about the dangers of nutrasweet, but please read just this one more piece. I know from personal experience just how nasty this stuff can be.


423. Subject:      Re: diet 7 UP
Date:         1996/08/18
Newsgroups:   alt.support.anxiety-Panic

I, too, have strong reactions -- blazing headache, dizzyness, irritability after consuming aspartame (NurtaSweet).  Best reason I know of to remain a sucrose abuser!

424. Subject:      Re: No Aspartame
Date:         1996/08/19
Newsgroups:   misc.health.diabetes

I quit using aspartame around the end of June. I'm drinking LOTS more water, which has to be good! When I want to enjoy a "social" beverage or have a taste for something just a little sweet and fizzy, I've been trying all kinds of fruit juices in mineral water -- about 1 to 3, fruit juice to mineral water. Obviously we can't overdo the fruit juice, but I usually drink about one of these a day, and I really enjoy it. Also, you can get somewhat of the same thing in a can at the health food store. Knudsen makes a Light Spritzer -- about 100 calories for 12 ounces -- just fruit juice and mineral water -- in interesting flavors. Good luck. I won't enter into the war of words on the aspartame subject,
and I don't know which studies to believe. I do know that I'm feeling much, much better.

425. Subject:      Food and drinks
Date:         1996/08/20
Newsgroups:   alt.support.crohns-Colitis

I have a spastic colon. I find that fruit juice or cider irratates it. Also recently I've been drinking diet 7up with nutra sweet and it seems it gives me alot of gas and dirrea after I drink it.

426. Subject:      Re: My Personal Nutrasweet Nightmare
Date:         1996/08/22
Newsgroups:   misc.health.alternative

Nutrasweet is horrible!!  After drinking it for years, I finally realized it was the cause of intense migrane headaches and short term memory loss.

427. Subject:      Re: Aspartame
Date:         1996/08/22
Newsgroups:   ne.food

I've recently switched to Stevia - an herbal sweetener that comes in liquid or powder form. It doesn't effect my blood sugar levels at all, unlike Nutrisweet or fructose. I had a hard time finding Stevia at health food stores. Found it in the *dietary supplement* section at Bread & Circus, strangely enough not in the sweetener section. Its hard to bake
with because it doesn't do the same things to the consistency of the baked goods as sugar, but I don't bake much so it hasn't adversely affected my life.

428. Date: Tue, 10 Sep 1996 12:02:07 -0400
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx

xxxxxx, here is my story. A few years ago I decided to lose a few pounds. So I watched by fat and cut out the sugar.  I bought diet jello, soda, etc. and it all contained aspartame. Within a week I started having headaches, my head felt stuffed up and generally not feeling like myself. I made an appointment for a physical. A couple of days before my appointment, my mother saw on our local news a story about aspartame and the sideeffects. My mother said to me you have all the side effects. Lets cut out all the aspartame and see what happens. So I stopped all the aspartame and and within a few days I started to feel like my old self. I know it was the aspartame because about a month later I accidentally had a piece of gum with aspartame in it and within 15 min. had a splitting headache. I know avoid aspartame all together.

429. Subject:      Re: DHEA
Date:         1996/08/08
Newsgroups:   alt.folklore.herbs

I was recently very pleased to find that I could purchase DHEA troches here in Sydney Australia. What I need to know is- what do they make the actual troche from. Mine is very green and has a very strong mint flavour as well as being quite sweet. The Pharmacist trained in the USA so I presume he follows the same recipe. I am concerned that the troche may contain aspartame (nutrasweet) and artificial coloring. The day after a use a troche I have a migraine and visual disturbances much the same as if I inadvertently ingest either of the above mentioned substances.

430. Re: lost memory
Date           Mon, 2 Sep 1996 12:57:26 +0100
Newsgroups     alt.support.headaches.migraine

BTW it's been a lot better since I eliminated aspartame.

431. Re: soft drinks as triggers?
Date           2 Sep 1996 05:05:14 -0400
Newsgroups     alt.support.headaches.migraine

I stay away from diet soda due to the fact I react negatively to the asparatame and/or nutrasweet. (are they the same)?  Anyway, those give me a headache so I stay awa from it in all products.

432. Re: nutrasweet and diarrhea
Date           Mon, 02 Sep 1996 19:17:14 GMT
Newsgroups     misc.health.diabetes

[diarrhea]

The very same thing had been happening to me, so as an experiment I stopped drinking anything with Nutrasweet in it. The d_____ .problem stopped cold, and hasn't recurred. I now drink tea with sweet & low.

433. Date: 23 AUG 1996 13:29:36 GMT
Newgroups: misc.health.diabetes, rec.food.drink, sci.med.pharmacy, misc.health.alternative
Subject: Re: Artificial Sweeteners was Re: My Personal Nutrasweet Nightmare

I have totally eliminated my migrane headaches by eliminating aspartame from my diet.

434. Date: Fri, 30 Aug 1996 23:09:44 -0400
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxxx
Subject: Nutrasweet Story

I remember when Nutrasweet first came out.  I liked it and started using it. I drank diet sodas (a couple each day) and used it in my coffee.  After a year I became mysteriously ill.  I had headaches and was nauseous most of the
time.  I would have dizzy spells. The doctors could find anything wrong.  I became desperate after being so sick for so long and eliminated everything that contained chemicals from my life--I even quit smoking I was so desperate to find some relief.  I only ate food I made myself from fresh ingredients--no prepared mixes.  I finally felt well again.  In time, I added things back into my diet.  (I even went back to smoking--oh well) but the one thing that turned out to be a trigger was the nutrasweet.  A year after I quit using it I wondered if maybe I had just been consuming too much so I tried 1 diet soda.  I had the worst reaction I had ever had.  I had the airplane spins and was sick as though I'd been drinking lots of alcohol (I hadn't had any alcohol).  I've avoided it religiously since.  Sometimes sodas get mixed up in a restaurant.  Even a small amount makes me sick to my stomach.

I am concerned because my reaction and others seem to be neurologically related.  I am very concerned because they now use it in children's food.  Everyone is so worried about Joe Camel appealing to children--what about nutrasweet! It's scary to think the affects it could have on children as they are developing.  Yet it's put in foods that are specifically targeted to children.  I don't get it.  I cringe everytime I note a new children's product with it. 

And now that it's going off patent people can't rely on seeing the Nutrasweet trademark prominently displayed.  Now people like me will have to read ingredients labels carefully.  Most won't even notice.  People will be less
likely to suspect they are having a reaction to it when it becomes an ordinary food additive like riboflavin so reactions to it will be less likely to be diagnosed.  At least get it out of children's food!

435. Subject:      UPDATE- caffeine and Nutrasweet
Date:         1996/08/30
Newsgroups:   alt.support.anxiety-Panic

I recently stopped using anything with caffeine and Nutrasweet (aspartame) in it.... I am happy to tell you I HAVE noticed a difference in my anxiety levels. It took a few days for the effects to start, and perhaps for my body to detoxify itself. But I now believe I will avoid these altogether. I was a diet soda Junky and now am drinking regular (non-caffeine) Pop and lots of flavored water. The results have been worht it for me.... Just thought it might help someon else out there...

436. Subject:      Re: Diet Softdrink =3D Migraine Trigger?
Date:         1996/08/28
Newsgroups:   alt.support.headaches.migraine

Is the a link between diet softdrinks and migraines? YES YES YES!!! One of my worst!  I think it is the nutra sweet.

437. Subject:      Re: Nutrasweet
Date:         1996/08/09
Newsgroups:   alt.support.eating-Disord

I missed the original post, but this is an interesting subject.  For a long time while "dieting" I used to get really bad headaches and just passed it off to stress, hunger, whatever.  I finally came to realize that they were being caused by Nutrasweet.  It never fails, every time I imbibe the stuff I get a raging headache, and I don't normally suffer from headaches.  It's happened to me accidentally, too, so it's not just "in my head".  Since I started bringing it up to people, I've found out that I'm far from being the only one to suffer such side effects.  Anyone else notice anything similar?

438. Subject:      Re: Novel words and repetition and popsicles!
Date:         1996/08/12
Newsgroups:   bit.listserv.autism

My son loves popsicles.  His favorite was orange until I moved him to sugar free and then he got hooked on Dole!  We finally had to take them away all together -- between the Nutrasweet and the food coloring, he was out of
control.

439. Subject:      Re: MY EYES HURT HELP!
Date:         1996/08/15
Newsgroups:   alt.support.diet.rx


I had a problem with dry eyes, very thick mucousy tears, etc. for quite some time.  My doctor (and my eye doctor) mentioned allergies and getting older, but didn't really help.  Then I read in some holistic publication that aspartame contains something like 10% wood alcohol, and excess use can cause eye problems.  Since I was drinking about 6 diet sodas/day, I took note of this and decided to quit.  My eye problems cleared up immediately.  I don't use aspartame (Equal) any more,, and find that cold water is just as satisfying to me as the diet sodas used to be.  Hope this is of some help.


440. Subject:      Re: Aspartame
Date:         1996/08/24
Newsgroups:   ne.food

Back in the early '80s I was a bit of a Diet Pepsi fiend – probably consuming 4 to 6 cans a day at work.  One day I was in the John reading the newspaper when I noticed a odd flickering.  The flickering became so bad that I couldn't read any more.  Aside from flickering, everything had rainbow fringes around it. Now I suppose 10 years earlier, I might have paid good money for a drug that did that, but the accompanying headache - and the need to be able to read - made this an unpleasent and frightening experience.   I drove home (foolish youth!) and in about 2 hours of laying in a dark room the headache disappeared.  My opthomologist said I had a classic migraine headache.  Maybe, although I never heard anyone describe symptoms like that to their migraines. I don't remember how many additional episodes it took before I decided to heed a co-workers earlier advise that I stop drinking that poison. Aside from an additional episode when I drank some Crystal Lite at a picnic, I've never had those migraines again.

441. Subject:      Re: WARNING! NUTRASWEET IS A NEUROTOXIN
Date:         1996/08/24
Newsgroups:   alt.support.mult-Sclerosis

Look, I don't know exactly how badly it reacts with others, but most of my symptoms faded when I stopped drinking diet coke. I'm not trying to tell people to stop or keep going, just relating my own experience. For all I know, it could just be a remission. I've been off diet coke for several months now, and the only thing that still bothers me from time to time is the fatigue.

442. Subject:      Re: Diet Softdrink =3D Migraine Trigger?
Date:         1996/08/25
Newsgroups:   alt.support.headaches.migraine

Is the a link between diet softdrinks and migraines? I have definitely found a relationship between aspartame and my ha's. I have eliminated diet sodas, etc. from my diet and found some improvement.

443. Subject:      Re: Diet Softdrink =3D Migraine Trigger?
Date:         1996/08/26
Newsgroups:   alt.support.headaches.migraine

Nutrasweet is murder for me!  I tried to start drinking diet/caffeine free cokes, and developed terrible headaches almost on a daily basis. I can use saccrin in my ice tea w/o any problems, but n/s is a major trigger.

444. Re: UPDATE- caffeine and Nutrasweet
Date           Fri, 30 Aug 1996 17:20:37 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.support.anxiety-panic
                                     
I also stopped drinking diet soda and anything with NutraSweet in it a few years back.  Within a few weeks there was a noticeable difference. I stopped feeling shaky and sick all of the time and the panic and anxiety symptoms didn't disappear (I am still dealing with it) but they did get better.  I hope this can help someone else!

445. Re: Need supplement advice
Date           Sat, 31 Aug 1996 05:29:43 GMT
Newsgroups     bit.listserv.autism

I can't help with the aggression,  but as far as the itchy back goes, several members of my family had this and a medical friend suggested the removal of nutrasweet and other artifical sweeteners ....and it worked!   No more itchy back, sounds crazy but you might want to try it,  I doubt you're letting him drink diet soft drinks   :-)    but you'd be amazed at what nutrasweet is in (ie like childrens vitamins...).  I could swear I've also read about it in relation to
aggravating exzema,  maybe someone else can comment.

446. Date: Thu, 29 Aug 96 00:52:14 PDT
To: xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: My lack of response

I am feeling better, in fact I haven't felt this good in years! Thanks for the concern.  I ended up going in the hospital for 2 weeks.  The week before I went into the hospital I weighed 378 lbs. on a very broad but only 5'6" frame.  When I got out I weighed 315 lbs. and I now weigh 310 lbs.  I was so full of fluid that I could hardly move.

I am still aspartame free.  The joint pain in my hands and fingers, though still there, is not debilitating.  I suspect what I am feeling is probably arthritic.  I am going to paste the diary I never finished here and then notate the complaints:

May 12, 1996
I have been free of aspartame now for 2 weeks. Today I received all the articles from Betty, and printed them out. I noticed that dry mouth is a symptom of aspartame poisoning( what I choose to call this situation ) and that I have not experienced this for over a week now. I also started noticing yesterday that I am getting some more feeling
in my legs and feet. It is in short periods like a light switch being turned on and off but mostly off. But it's there.

I need to list the problems that I am experiencing:

1.)  Dry mouth  [ * mostly gone I am on a ton of diuretics]
2.)  Loss of feeling in my legs,feet, hands, and to some degree my forearms.[* diminished but some probably due to fluid expulsion]
3.)  Joint pain in all the joints of my 10 fingers, wrists(mostly), elbows and shoulders(frequently) [* 90% gone]
4.)  Insomnia  [* better but I have sleep apnea]
5.)  Vision--Blurred( snaps in and out ), floaters(occas.), "fogginess" both vision and mentally(occas) [* about gone but I need to have eye exam because of diabetes]
6.)  Depression--- Dr. has given me an Rx for Paxil
7.)  Fatigue- always tired  [* great except when sugars get too high]
8.)  Palpatations  [* gone]
9.)  Sudden aprehensions  [* gone]
10.) Vertigo, different degrees(occas.) [* very, very rarely]
11.) Locomoting--unsteady gait, loss of balance  [* not even close to the degree I experienced in the past]

     * Indicates 8/29/96 notation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      May 13, 1996
Today I am having a terrible time with joint pain in my fingers, but worst of all in my shoulders.  It's rainy today. I have been disoriented most of the day and have had to really think hard to accomplish mundane tasks in the lab. My vision is foggy and at times blurrs. Today is day 18 without aspartame.
_____________________________________________________________________________
                                                             
                      May 14, 1996
Ditto fingers and shoulders. Vision ok
__________________________________________________________________________
                                                                 
                      May 15,1996
Fingers are much better even though it's rainy! Rt. shoulder is still painful.

------------------------------------end of diary----------------------------

I hope this is of some help to you.  I'm sorry I didn't keep it up but I was already getting sick at this time.  I'm sure there was a profound withdrawal reaction that I experienced, and it was really bad for a time.  If you can use this info or any of my e-mails you have my permission to use it to help others.  I am carrying on the crusade but people are difficult to convince, or they are playing ostrich with their heads in the sand. Thank you!

447. Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 22:54:01 +0600
To: xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxxx
Subject: RE: Your aspartame story to Betty Martini

I broke my hip in 1975 and the doctor told me to expect the onset of arthritis.  Four years later I had severe neck pains that became a stifling dull ache.  The VA hospital diagnosed me with osteoarthritis in the neck. About that time along came aspartame and because my six-foot frame was carrying 195 pounds I decided to use it vice four spoons of sugar in my 12 ounce mug of coffee.  For upwards of fifteen years I consumed aspartame in the product Equal... approximately 32 packets a day. Since around 1982 I have experienced long periods of time with strong arthritis-like (very limiting) pain and over the years I tried just about every arthritis medication brought to market.  Only one, Daypro, did much of anything positive. When it first came out I got a prescription for it and it made me feel ten years younger (pain-level and limitations wise).  But only two and a half months later it quit!  I have since learned that many doctors prescribe it for its painkilling capabilities, and that a large percentage who take it for an extended time discover that it stops working.

Since 1979 I have visited approximately twenty different doctors, and NONE of them ever told me that my problem was NOT arthritis. By 1989 my pain had become so bothersome and limiting I spent $17,000 borrowed dollars to build a home addition, in which to house a heavy-duty two-seater medical-grade jacuzzi that cost $5700.  Two to four soaks a day kept me suitable for work (not much else) until 1995, when I had progressed to the point where getting in and out of the tub was becoming dangerous (tinnitus and a balance mechanism I could no longer trust) and more significantly, a fifteen to twenty minute soak at 105-108 degree water only benefited me until I cooled down.  This very expensive aid was no longer worth the effort.
   Over the years I did have some very significant mood changes, all negative, and dark.  My ability to recall events, people and even electronic procedures (things I have done often during my 41 years in the business!) became severely degraded, and often this was a source of embarrassment.  My eyesight also changed for the worse, almost as if though on a schedule. I saw a specialist on the tinnitus and he could find no cause.  
   A little over three years ago I was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  No history of it on either side of my family.  At 83 my grandfather Firring had a grossly enlarged prostate that made him stop working (self-employed) and finally made him bedridden until he had an operation... but no cancer. Eight years ago, my father who had complained of severely limiting arthritis pains expired from his decision to not treat a urinary problem... but no cancer.  I seriously entertain the idea that aspartame had a role in my cancer, which has destroyed all capacity for completely enjoying my wife of thirty-five years, cost thousands of dollars to treat, and continues to cost around $800.00 a MONTH to contain!
Sometime after radiation treatments for cancer my left hand slowly became numb.  Later, in early 1996, it began in my right hand.  The muscles and joints on my right arm between the elbow and shoulder became a serious limitation to dressing, work, and everything else.  Starting around early 1995 I began to experience very severe shooting-stabbing pains... anywhere and any time.  Pains bad enough to stop me from whatever I was doing, cause me to wince, grimace, and sometimes cramp up... and almost always embarrassing.  The heels of both feet had long bouts of what I called burning heels, very painful and limiting.     I had not slept well in years... and purposely stayed up very late (one to three in the morning) so I would be tired enough to overcome the pain.  (Over the counter pain
products such as Motrin, Advil, and the like were out of the question because in order to be effective I had to take far too many of them, and I had already been told I had liver damage.) 

Of course, this compounded the problem, and during the last three years the lack of decent rest has also
affected my work.  Between diminished mental powers, ever increasing pain, and falling asleep on the job things were going downhill very fast.  Like the proverbial snowball going down the hill!  The only thing that made my desk job palatable was several years ago I purchased an expensive executive-style high-back (on casters) chair that minimized the discomfort. About the beginning of this year I began occupying in an identical chair I have in my home-office, all day long... and often slept in it as well. Around 1994 I stopped taking baths (I used to enjoy sitting and soaking in very hot water because it helped reduce the pain) because getting in and out of the tub... even changing positions, became too much of a painful problem.

My lovely wife is less than half my size (100 pounds vice 245, four foot eight vice six foot) and she was not able to help much.  So despite my onetime insistance on looking sharp, my appearance and hygiene suffered, as well.  Around the beginning of 1996 I settled for what the hospital calls "sponge baths". On several occasions during 1995 I started to walk down four steps from the kitchen to my home office... steps I had used for 22 years, and without
warning I found myself at the bottom, sprawled on the floor, wondering what had happened.  I am still wondering, but now that I have discovered the SOLE cause of my most major affliction... aspartame, I wonder a lot less.  During
1995, realizing my condition seemed to be getting worse at an accelerating rate, I installed a heavy-duty bannister going up those four steps. Where once I was an excellent mechanically-inclined handyman, installing it was no
longer an easy task.  For the first half of this year the bannister was essential to my entering and leaving my house.  I often used a cane.  Once, at dusk, I stumbled while in the middle of the street, lost my balance, and wound up spraining my foot and had to use crutches.   On one occasion I felt so bad I had to use a motorized cart to do the shopping with my wife.  (I used to do all the shopping, without any problems!)  After that I contented myself with driving my wife to and from the store... until I stopped doing even that around the end of May.
 
In essence, I was not unlike a large ship with a significant leak that had taken on the critical mass of water, just to the point of beginning to plunge to the bottom. In the words of my wife.  Over the past two years, in particular, she
could only sit by and pray, and watch me rapidly degenerate on all fronts: mood, capabilities, attitude, memory... you name it.  She confessed to my daughter how frustrated she was that she could only watch, and brace herself
for the day that I would no longer be around.  There were several crushing episodes of me crying like a baby on her shoulder, in total agony at my loss of control and worsening condition.  Those episodes reinforced her feelings that my days were numbered.  After her tragic childhood in Spain, losing her mother to cancer, and many of her family to other tragedies... she didn't deserve to have her primary reason for living... die! Yet, after seeing the rhumatologist, spending lots of money on tests and exotic drugs to perhaps counter some equally exotic disease, all to no avail, I actually wondered to myself if Kevorkian had a full dance card! The ONLY thing good that came out of seeing this specialist... was his assurance that my pain should NOT be from arthritis.  So when all his remedies failed, I knew to keep looking for something else.

Then, around the fifteenth of June, shortly after writing that specialist off as yet another waste of time and money, I chanced to discovered the real cause of my affliction while surfing the Internet... one of the few things I could still do and do well.  The cause of years of worsening pain, ever-greater physical limitation, negative and marriage threatening mood and attitude changes, failing memory, failing eyesight, and perhaps even the cancer and tinnitus... was a US GOVERNMENT APPROVED POISON called ASPARTAME!   Now, going on ten weeks after stopping all use of aspertame, I have no more shooting-stabbing pains or burning heels, no more use for the bannister, greatly reduced pain, almost no numbness in either hand, a fluctuating visual condition that makes me believe my body is trying to
repair the damage, and now that I can see the light at the end of that proverbial tunnel, my mood and attitudes have improved dramatically.

I am once again shopping with my wife, working around the yard, picking up after myself (mainly because I can bend or kneel... and get UP again!). Only time will tell how much of the damage is permanent.  Of course, the prostate cancer can't be erased.  Likewise, the years of lost participation in family life, and the significant income wasted on non-cures, can never be undone.  The knowledge that this was allowed to happen by my own government, and further condoned by a powerful senator through inaction, sickens me at heart.  With all my being I wish for them all the hottest spot in hell!

448. Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 12:04:22 -0500 (CDT)
To: xxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: aspartame case history

I took the "no aspartame test" some ten years ago now after hearing that it caused headaches and depression.  I was in the middle of a major depressive episode, and had been drinking some 6-8 Diet Cokes per day (I was in college; it was available at meals and I was trying to watch my weight).  After a couple of months off of the soda, I was at a speaking competition and doing very well, so in a good mood and functioning well.  I purchased a can of diet soda and drank it; within minutes I felt teary and was shaking.  I've not had so much as a stick of nutrasweet gum since
that time and have had no more depressive episodes.  I attribute this to staying off of nutrasweet.

Thanks for spreading around the information--I've passed it on to friends and family too.

449. Date: 5 JUL 1995 00:03:00 GMT
Newgroups: misc.health.diabetes
Subject: ALTERNATIVE SWEETNERS/STEVIA


I agree with you:) I am one who gets seizures from aspartame and I am also chemically injured from formaldehdye. I cannot use this artifical sweetner as per my medical situation and Drs orders...


450. To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Nutra Death
Date: Tue, 13 Aug 1996 11:36:22 -0400

For years I have been wary of NutraSweet and products containg aspartame. Me and my father managed to convince my mother that nutrasweet was responsible for her aching legs and migraines. Since she quit, the aching in her legs has gone away, and she has had only one migraine since she quit, and it has been at least three years.  I also had a friend at college who had crippling menstural cramps, and convinced her to quit nutrasweet as well.  The cramps all but disappeared.

451. America Online Email
 Subj:     Nutrasweet
 Date:    96-08-25 13:48:04 EDT
 To:         xxxxxxx

I don't mean to be an information pig, but could you please send me all of the articles you mentioned in your message board posting?  I am new to this board, and I was just passing through on my way from the Lyme Disease board and it caught my eye.  I have noticed for three years, ever since I got Lyme disease, that I have had strange reactions to diet drinks.  I get very shaky before meals, especially if I've had a diet Coke.  I also cannot drink more
than two per day or I get shaky.  I used to drink Cokes by the two-liter bottle.  I've noticed that sometimes my stomach gets very upset just by drinking a small amount of aspartame or from chewing gum.  I've had bad
migraine headaches also.  I've blamed all these problems on Lyme disease, but now you all have me wondering if aspartame could be a contributor.  Thanks for the info!  (I've also noticed that I feel better on weekends, at home.  I
don't drink this stuff on weekends!)

452. Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 12:40:55 -0700
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: aspartame experience

I quit using aspartame about a month ago because I was experiencing fuzzy headaches, memory loss, and word poverty in my speech, along with chronic fatigue. Some of the symptoms occurred immediately after drinking diet cola. I am feeling much better with my energy level much improved and words are coming to me much more fluently in  my conversation. I haven't had any more of those fuzzy headaches that make it difficult to concentrate or even read. The most noticeable improvement is the disappearance of chronic depression and anxiety. Where can I get more information on the documentation of aspartame health affects? The newsgroup called ?"nutrapoison" was responsible for leading me to believe that aspartame could be the root of some of my problems. Let me know what I can do to help spread the truth about aspartame. I'm a  registered critical care nurse so I need to be able to back up my assertions with good research.            

453. Date:         Tue, 6 Aug 1996 11:41:14 +0000
Subject:      Re: What is Nutrasweet?
To:           Multiple recipients of list HERB <HERB@TREARNPC.EGE.EDU.TR>

NutraSweet is anything BUT natural.  In addition to potentially causing headaches it can also induce asthma attacks along with a host of other problems.  Also, it really hasn't been studied for "long term" effects.  I was having headaches which ceased once I stopped using it. There is a natural herbal sweetener that is not derived from sugar called Stevia.  It has zero calories and no chemicals.  Stevia is under scrutinization by the FDA for safety although its been used in Europe for many years. From the articles I've read it would appear that NutraSweet was very
expensive to develop.  As you know, you can not patent an herb and so Stevia is a huge threat to the makers of NutraSweet and they will do anything and everything to prevent the product from being developed into an over-the-counter sweetener (including lobbying the FDA to disallow the distribution of the herb).  Right now in the USA you can buy Stevia at the healthfood store but the label may not contain any information of product use as a sweetener.

454. Date: Tue, 20 Aug 1996 07:05:29 -0700
To: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx
Subject: Re: Aspartame (NutraSweet)/Brain Cancer

I sometimes get head aces from aspartame and therefore will avoid it,  but also  it tastes absolutely terrible (bitter)
to my mouth.  I am 56. My younger sister actually becomes ill from ingesting this chemical.  She is 46. I don't know how accurate all of your posting is but there is definitely something wrong with aspartame!

455. To:                YEAST-L@PSUHMC.BITNET (Multiple recipients of list YEAST-L)
Date: 96-05-31 14:42:03 EDT
Subject: Re: Nutrasweet, was Re: Small towns

Quite interestingly, I had absolutely no problem w/ nutrasweet or MSG 'till I consciously went w/o them for 8 months or so.  I did it because Nutrasweet can cause intestional spasming (amongst other things)--the last thing I needed when my gut hurt all the time anyway.  Also, I found all carbonation (even Perrier) to be irritiating when I was in die-off.  MSG was giving me headaches so I decided to hold off on it for awhile too.  I looked at it as an experiment.  As my above diet coke episode indicates, I recently tried to have nutrasweet and I reacted.  And I react worse to MSG than ever before.

My naturopath says that the body's immune system can get worn down so much that it doesn't send off red flags for some harmful things. Once we give the body a rest and heal the immune system, then it has the energy to set
off red flags for harmful substances.  I think this is what happened for me.

456. Date:         Mon, 15 Jul 1996 14:54:09 EDT
Subject:      BLADDER PROBLEMS
To: Multiple recipients of list ALLERGY <ALLERGY@TAMVM1.TAMU.EDU>

I also found that I was fairly severly affected by aspartame. However, this would send me into a depressed sleep, impossible to overcome. I gave up Nutrasweet rather easily.  It always gave me a disgusting aftertaste, and I'd drink it only if there was nothing else available.   A few months ago I found that someone had given me a "diet" drink despite my request for the straight variety.  I waited for the inevitable collapse, but none came.  Therefore I assume that it is in the type  of allergy that can be controlled by rotation diets or other means of avoiding frequent use.
I'm not going to experiment with caffeine.  I've been in great shape without it for at least ten years.

457. Re: Nutrasweet
Date           2 Aug 1996 21:33:12 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.support.eating-disord

At the urging of a fellow addict, I gave up NutraSweet, cold turkey. That was just this Tuesday. The first few days were rough. Would you believe that I no longer crave carbo's??? I no longer crave really sweet things?? I used to drink 2+ liters daily. Now I drink at least a gallon of water..sometimes with some natual fruit juice. Do you know the worst thing about NutraSweet??? Since I started drinking a lot of it, I gained 100+ lbs. Some peoples bodies store NutraSweet just as they would sugar. What does stored sugar turn into??? FAT. As a result of going cold turkey this past Tuesday..I stepped on the dreaded scale...I LOST 5 LBS. in only four days. Give up NutraSweet...you will find your cravings less..Drink that water...

458. Date:         Wed, 31 Jul 1996 19:52:16 -0400
Subject:      Re: Attn: Lisa
To:           Multiple recipients of list HERB <HERB@TREARNPC.EGE.EDU.TR>

I break out in an itchy rash and get a headache when I eat MSG or
Nutrasweet, so I stay far away from those additives. ....

459. To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx (Aspertame Consumer Survey)
Date: Fri, 02 Aug 1996 09:52:20 -0400
Subject: No Subject

Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Questionnaire

Medical problems that you believe are caused from using aspartame:
arthritic and joint pain, chronic fatigue,

Why do you believe aspartame caused these problems?
Problem cleared up afer discontinued use.

Did the symptoms go away when you stopped using the products?
YES.

Did you see a Doctor about symptoms?
no

Did you report your symptoms to the FDA (Food & Drug Admin.) or any other group?
no

What specific products(s) containing aspartame were you consuming when you experienced these symptoms?
Diet Coke and other soft drinks.

On the average, what quantity were you consuming (how often, how much each time, etc.)
3 to 4 sodas a day

How long had you been consuming these products before you experienced the symptoms?
5 to 6 years.

FOR THOSE CONCERNED ABOUT WEIGHT: Did you begin using products with aspartame when you began a restricted
calorie diet?
yes

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

What were the long term weight loss effects of using aspartame?
none


460. ASPARTAME - my 2c worth.
Date           Sun, 28 Jul 1996 11:51:17 GMT
Newsgroups     misc.health.diabetes

I have for some time now been suffering strong burning feelings and numbness of the toes. (And yes,  I *KNOW* I should have seen my doctor ... I just hadn't got that far yet)  The burning feelings have been mostly felt in the late afternoon and evenings.  This largely coincides with the times spent at my computer desk (a neccessity as I earn my living at the computer),  and had not been experienced while away from the desk, as for example, out for the evening with my wife,  Along with the burning, I have also had some numbness of my toes.    I had come to the conclusion that the condition as such was something to be expected as a not-as-controlled-as-I-should-be type 2 diabetic, and that possibly my chair at the desk was aggaravating it by interfering with circulation.  I was getting to the stage where  I was going to buy a new chair to see what happened.

Then I spotted John's posting,  and I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if I stopped drinking Tab, and it's aspartame content.  The way I saw it, it couldn't harm me, and if there was anything in the postings, it might even help. The results were, to me, amazing ....

Up to Thursday, the burning feelings were strong, long lasting to being almost continuous, and bordering on downright painful. I stopped drinking Tab on Friday afternoon.   This was the only change I have made in the past 3 days.    Friday evening,  the burning feelings were drastically reduced.  Saturday they were practically non-existant,
and what few there were, were very mild, and went away very quickly. As I write this, Sunday morning, the numbness has definitely eased, although it is, I admit, difficult to quantify.    The feet just feel somehow "better" this morning. I realize that 3 days is hardly a definitive test, and it seems impossible, but all I can say is that my feet are feeling MUCH better in that period, and the only change I've made is to stop drinking Tab.   If thats what
giving up Tab can do, I can live without the Tab, thank you very much.

 After a month I tried it again and within a day I was getting uncomfortable feelings in my legs again which again vanished on ceasing ingestion of this drink. Obviously I haven't got this far yet, but assuming that I have no
recurrances within a week, I fully intend to try this test as well. The bottom line, as far as I'm concerned, is that one should at least TRY before de-crying, and getting hot under the collar about the qualifications or otherwise of those opposing aspartame.. Certainly most, if not all, of the problems aspartame is being blamed for are very likely things that will be experienced anway, but as far as I can see, they can be agravated or advanced by aspartame, and thats an unacceptable price to pay.    It's bad enough that these "nasties" are in the future without advancing them.

From what I've seen in various postings, and from information I have received yesterday from xxxxxxx, one of the problems with aspartame is that it breaks down into methanol/wood-alcohol ....(which nobody seems to be
disputing) I think we all know what consuming methanol does to humans .....

461. Date: Fri, 26 Jul 1996 18:12:44 -0500
To: xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx
Subject: Nutra-Sweet

I was shocked to read all the negative information on N-S.  I have used it for years and recently stopped, for the most part.  I don't add it to foods usually, but do buy products that contain it.  Since not adding it to coffee ect... my daily headaches have stopped.  I must admit to have felt fuzzy headed for a while now, without any real reasons why.  I assumed it to be alergies.

462. Re: What's going on
Date           Wed, 24 Jul 1996 10:05:53 -0400
Newsgroups     c20.0056

My wife has rather violent reaction to Nutrasweet.  Manifestation is nightmares.  She can tell you that real Coke has Nutrasweet in it even though they claim not to.  Must still be enough in their pipes from the Diet Coke run.  It's kind of like the princess and the pea.  I never notice but she does.

463. Reply to Steve Marshman re K.D. Qwitt
Date           Tue, 23 Jul 96 15:52:48 GMT
Newsgroups     misc.health.diabetes

With reference to your request for information on how I reached the concklusion that aspartame was responsible for the pain in my legs, I established this very simply. I was guzzling between 1 and 2 litres (I live in Canada 1 litre is
approximately 1 U>SQuart)of a pleasant tasting Key Lime flavoured "low calorie sparkling water beverage".  The ingredient list is as follows:
Carbonated water, citric acid, natural flavour, potassium citrate, aspartame (on the label it staes in brackets "contains phenylalanine"), potassium benzoate.

Listed under Nutritional Information per 250 mL serving (1 Cup)
Energy 4 calories or 20 KJ, protein 0.1g, fat 0.0g, carbohydrate 0.0g, aspartame 132 mg, sodium 12 mg,potassium 82 mg.

At the rate of 2 litres/day and therefore 8 cups/day I was ingesting 1056 mg or a little over 1 gram per day of aspartame. I stopped all ingestion of this product completely with NO OTHER changes in my diet.  Within a week the pain had almost entirely gone and feeling was returning in my feet.  After a month I tried it again and within a day I was getting uncomfortable feelings in my legs again which again vanished on ceasing ingestion of this drink.

I believe that this in itself is adequate evidence that the problem was caused by the product, and since the body does require levels of potassium and sodium they were unlikely the causative factor especially since my diet contains considerable quantities of sodium.

As a trained investigator I am well aware of procedures for establishing causative factors and have a lot more than a psssing acquaintance with chemistry and physics and other scientific fields.  I am not an ill-informed or uneducated adolescent, being 68 years old with many diverse fields of interest and have travelled widely.

464. Date: Sun, 21 Jul 1996 21:25:56 GMT
To: xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: Nutrasweet Poison?

Lastly, about Nutrasweet. I have been drinking several cans of diet drinks a day for the last six months. The first thing that was noticed was the drop in visual acuity from 20/20 to 20/25. Since there was no history of any eye problems from heredity, I was perplexed why the change had taken place. My eyes were checked again after four weeks
and still the change was there. I accidentally saw xxxxxxxxxxxx's Nutrsweet waring on usenet. I immedately stopped all sugar substitutes including drinking diet drinks which all contain Nutrasweet. When talking to a friend of mine,
I was told billberry is very good for diabetics with vision problems. Billberry tablets and capsules are available in most health food and vitamin stores.

Lo and behold. My vision has improved. The slight haze or blurriness is gone. The colors are more vibrant. In the past my eyes could not tolerate the glare in bright sunlight. I notice that it is also gone. I am *fully* convinced that Nutrasweet in the diet drinks was the cause of all my eye troubles. Bless xxxxxx for bringing Nutrasweet Danger to everyones attention. But for her message, I would still be consuming Nutrasweet and be losing my vision irreversibly.

Moral of the story is very simple:  DIABETICS SHOULD KEEP OFF NUTRASWEET COMPLETELY.

[update]

465. Date: Tue, 28 Oct 1997
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Update

Couple of days ago I visited my opthamologist who checked my vision and told me that my vision has become crisper that he saw me last time about a year ago. I am still keeping off of Aspartame and all other sugar substitutes. I am terrified to think what would have happened if I had not found your msgs on Internet and stopped Aspartame.

466. Re: History of fellow sufferer
Date           Sun, 21 Jul 1996 14:21:12 +0100
Newsgroups     sci.med.prostate.prostatitis

For what it's worth, when my prostate was acting up diet soda irritated it quite a bit. The same soda with sugar didn't bother it at all.

467. Re: History of fellow sufferer
Date           24 Jul 1996 14:24:31 GMT
Newsgroups     sci.med.prostate.prostatitis

One of my worst flare-ups was after a few weeks of drinking diet soda.  The sugar type is bad enough.  Switch to water, fruit juices, or diluted juices and you may feel better.

468. Date: 19 JUL 96 03:01:31 UTC
Newgroups: alt.conspiracy, alt.destroy.the.earth, alt.drugs, alt.education.disabled, alt.kids-talk, alt.med.allergy, alt.med.cfs, alt.med.fibromyalgia, alt.politics.ec, alt.support.attn-deficit, alt.support.cancer, alt.support.depression, alt.support.diet, alt.tv.tv-nation, bionet.biology.cardiovascular, bionet.general, bionet.neuroscience, misc.health.diabetes, sci.med, sci.med.immunology, sci.med.nutrition, sci.med.pharmacy
Subject: Re: FDA POISONS THE WELL/NUTRASWEET/PRESS RELEASE

It provokes nausia and headaches faster than ANYTHING... if I drink a can of diet soda... (IF I can drink the whole thing), I'll feel terrible for hours.  Not only does it taste terrible, it makes me sick.

469. Re: KILLER NUTRASWEET [Re: Warning Bulletin on ...]
Date           23 Jul 1996 20:01:56 GMT
Newsgroups     misc.fitness.weights,sci.med.nutrition,sci.med.immunology,sci.mi sc,alt.support,epilepsy,alt.support.headaches-migraine


Personally, I have experienced NutraSweet side effects.  I can get a headache from eating something as small as a Cert candy.  Diet drinks may me very sluggish and headachy.  Once I fell in love with a banana Gelato ice cream and ate a bowl full, the next morning I awoke to a severe case of morning sickness (I'm sure this was not for some other reason...) and a migraine.  This lasted for a couple of days, until I realised that the icecream had aspartame in it and I gave it to my roomate.  I am positive that the aspartame was the reason for my illness.


470. America Online / Abdominal & Digestive Disorders / IBS
Subj:  Re:artificial sweeteners
Date:  96-04-01 16:04:02 EDT
From:  Lzcait         

I'm positive that diet Coke creates great problems for me...lots of stomach cramps, etc.  I have also found that anything with sorbitol (often found in sugar free chocolates) sends me running for the bathroom. Works better than prunes!  Good luck.

471. Re: NutraSweet Horror - TO EMBALM..OR NOT TO EMBALM
Date           Thu, 18 Jul 96 00:31:23 GMT
Newsgroups     sci.med.pharmacy,

The same thing happened to me.  Blinding headaches (never had headache before) appeared.  It took me about a week to figure out it was the yogurt.  It had aspartame in it.  Headaches disappeared.

472. Re: aspartame
Date           Fri, 19 Jul 1996 20:43:24 -0400
Newsgroups     alt.med.allergy

I have fibrocystic breast disease but have had no effects since I stopped drinking caffine (over 15 years now).  However, recently I started eating a high fiber cereal and all of a sudden my breasts started to hurt.  All of the ingredients were benign except aspertame. I asked my doctor if that could be causing my problems; she said no.
However, I stopped eating the cereal and no more pain.  I never eat anything with aspertame and have never had pain again.

473. Re: aspartame/nutrasweet
Date           15 Jul 1996 17:19:11 GMT
Newsgroups     misc.kids

Me, too! If I drink too much Diet Coke, I get addicted in a big way. And it isn't the caffeine, because regular coke doesn't do it.  I got very irritated and annoyed in the morning before I got the diet coke, then I had to have one in the afternoon. And nothing but Diet Coke would do.  I quit drinking them and felt better. I imagine if I cut out caffeine,
also, I would feel even better, but that's a huge hurdle.  I had a friend who was a diet coke fanatic. She would leave parties to go to the convenience store to get a diet coke.  And movies, and your house, and whatever. It was weird. I don't think it is psychological, either. I think it is truly addicting.  It's a plot...(insert sarcasm) against women by coca-cola.  :)

474. Aspartame
From           anon@the.net (Anon)
Date           Tue, 16 Jul 1996 22:26:19 -0700
Newsgroups     alt.med.allergy
                                     
Just remember, we each are in control of what we eat.  No one is force feeding you products with aspartame.

When a product appears on the store shelves in this country the public assumes that the appointed "health care professionals" have done their duty. The public has the right to be able to trust the particular "health care professionals" whose PAID responsibility it is to warn and protect them from toxic substances. When the very people who are accountable for protecting the public against such things allow the toxins to be mixed into food and beverage and then tell the public after they have been poisoned for years that no one is forcing them to use it, it is the absolute pinnacle of unmitigated arrogance as well as a breach of the public's trust. I won't even get into the exploitative aspect of this travesty of "service to humanity."

It is time to wake up. It is obvious that you don't realize that your denial does not release you from the ultimate resposibility for the fruits of what you say.

Signed,

An Aspartame Victim

475. Date: Sun, 14 Jul 1996 18:20:30
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxxx.xxx
Subject: ASPARTAME

I am a former diet-soda drinker.  Approximately six months ago I  discovered (on my own with NO help from the 3 Family Physicians, 2 Psychiatrist, or the 3 Pschologist) that this was what was responsible for my five years of anxiety/panic attacks, insomnia, heart palpitations, and the list goes on and on.

[updated information]

476. From: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx
To: xxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: Warning Flyer

I suffered from panic/anxiety attacks, insomnia, heart palpitations, tachycardia, shaking, numbness and tingling in toes and hands and arm, nausea, dizziness, memory loss, muscle spasms, breathing problems, depression, slurred speech, and a constant feeling of uneasiness.  Somewhere around December of 1995 I quit drinking diet drinks.  Two weeks later I noticed I was feeling somewhat better.  About two months later I was feeling and doing so much better I decided to start drinking diet 7Up.  Even though I had stopped using caffeine several times in the past without noticing any change I thought maybe that was what had made the difference this time.  Within two days of starting back drinking the diet 7Up I started having symptoms again. That's when I decided to take a good look at the ingredients in diet drinks.  I had never heard anything negative about NutraSweet but I decided to try to find out what it was.  I went to a public library and found something that said it could cause several different symptoms including panic attacks.  I didn't have very much time so I wasn't able to read the whole thing.  So, I wasn't aware until June of 1996, when we bought a new computer and started using the internet, what the real scoop was on aspartame.  I now tell almost everyone I see, and it is unbelievable how many people have or either know someone that's had bad reactions to aspartame.  I can't believe I lived five years of my life frightened and constantly feeling bad beause of a diet drink.  I'M FURIOUS!

477. Date: Mon, 15 Jul 1996 11:58:56 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: Scanned and edited Press Release (fwd)

Dear xxxxxx,

Thanks for your concern about the withdrawel symptoms.  My headaches are over and I am feeling much calmer still.  I am sure that the asp was affecting my serotonin levels.  When I was drinking the diet drinks I must have been
constantly "buzzed".  I can breathe through my nose for the first time in years and my sinus infections have stopped.  I am however still experiencing nervous system/hormonal problems.  I seem to have developed hypersensitivities to some foods, food additives, medicines, birth control pills, and airborn particles. Even though I eat a pretty good diet, I am having problems with constant low blood sugar.  Your release with the clip about pancreatic tumors concerns me.

478. Subj:            Nutrasweet
 Date:    96-07-14 14:08:37 EDT
 To:         xxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx

 Hi, I read your info about Nutrasweet on xxxx. I am severely allergic to aspertame and I have to look at the ingredients of everything to be sure it isn't there.

479. Veg Web Board/Health http://vegweb.com/wwwboard/misc/
   Subject: Re: Healthy substitutes for Diet Coke!
   Date: July 05, 1996 at 16:47 GMT
  
I, too, am a former Diet Coke addict.
   ....  
Aside - when I had to give up caffeine, I discovered just how toxic aspartame can be. It gave me horrible headaches. I guess having it in Diet Coke and in my coffee had been cancelling out the headache due to the caffeine. When I feel the need for flavor, I drink fruit juice. Watch the calorie content, but juices are more filling than either water or Diet
Coke, and so I find I don't overdo on them (which it is possible to do because of the natural sugars they contain). Keep an eye out for added sugar.
  
[continued]

480. Veg Web Board/Health http://vegweb.com/wwwboard/misc/
Subject: nutrasweet
Date: July 25, 1996 at 16:46 GMT

I don't come onto this board too often. So I was surprised by some of what I read on this topic further down the page. Someone actually thinks nutrasweet/aspartame is safe? (All right, it can ONLY cause blindness.) I can't believe I actually used to ingest this stuff! It was definitely responsible for (or at least contributed to) my chronic headaches (which subsided drastically when I stopped ingesting the stuff), and may be responsible for my memory loss problems.

I'll take bee barf in my tea, thank you. Dump the Equal.

481. Re: aspartame/nutrasweet
Date           Sat, 13 Jul 1996 09:36:59 -0800
Newsgroups     misc.kids.pregnancy

I think this is real excessive.  I looked up aspartame and pregnancy in the medical journals and found no cause for alarm.

I really believe the medical community doesn't have a clue as to its real nature. Eight years ago when pregnant they told me they didn't *think* it would be bad.  Five years ago they told me they weren't sure and to avoid it if I thought best. "Fortunately" for me, I'm one of those who gets terrible headaches if I use it, so I never took any anyway. This time, my caregiver, in telling me what definitely to avoid, included Nutrasweet on the same list as cigarettes, drugs and alchohol.

482. Re: confessions
Date           Sun, 14 Jul 1996 09:02:32 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.punk
                                     
Aspartame has been implicated as one the probable aggravating factors in clinical depression in a number of people.  When I was suffering that lovely affliction last year my doctor suggested that I avoid aspartame absolutely.  He said that in his experience he had found that almost 75% if his patients that were sufferin from depression they were regular drinkers of diet coke or diet pepsi.  It aparently affects the levels of seratonin in your brain.

483. Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 00:44:44 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx
Subject: Re: NutraSweet

Thanks xxxxxx for posting this info. I got flamed for saying that a person should do a word search on Nutrasweet on the webb. There are a lot of NASTIES out there. God Bless you. Keep up the good work. My legs used to hurt so bad I couldn't sleep at night but when I suspicioned (sp) what it was and stopped using Nutrasweet the pain went away. That stuff is POISON. I know because I've experienced it!  Thank You!!!

484. Re: Will he ever 'go' again???
Date           12 Jul 1996 21:06:52 -0400
Newsgroups     misc.kids.breastfeeding
                                     
Are you drinking or eating anything with aspartame in it or anything else that might be constipating?  The reason I ask is that I gave aspartame up about a week and a half ago (thanks to this news group) and my daughter seems to go more frequently now.  Sometimes she would go every other day and now she goes at least twice a day.

485. Re: aspartame/nutrasweet
Date           Fri, 12 Jul 1996 21:28:10 -0400
Newsgroups     misc.kids.pregnancy
                                     
Agreed.  I always felt slightly ill when I switched to aspertame/nutrasweet in my morning coffee.  No headaches, just
"queasy".  My father also had odd symptoms from long-term use of nutrasweet.  He had tingling and numbness in his extremeties, and also had trouble losing unwanted pounds.  He stopped using it about two months ago and the tingling & numbness went away immediately, and he's lost weight as well.  He hasn't looked so good in 25 years!  Just because the AMA hasn't documented something, doesn't mean that it won't in the future.  Better safe than sorry, ESPECIALLY when you are pregnant!

486. nutrasweet
Date           Fri, 12 Jul 96 14:56:47 EDT
Newsgroups     alt.support.mult-sclerosis

After reading about the dangers of Nutrasweet on the Web, this list, and in the library I gave up Nutrasweet earlier this year. Oddly enough, I've lost about 10 pounds (no, I haven't been on a diet or changed my eating habits at all, nor have I taken up extra exercising).  And I've noticed that I don't get as many headaches as I used to.  Those are the only changes I've noticed, but they're enough for me to believe that Nutrasweet isn't very good for humans. ;-)

487. Re: Equal-allergic
Date           12 Jul 1996 14:32:58 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.food.fat-free

You are not far off.  It is estimated that 25% of the population is sensitive to nutrasweet(aspertame).  A small percentage of these being potentially fatal reactions (stroke, anaphylaxis).  You will find plenty of people to sign up for your new group.  Many of the people won't even know that they are sensitive either from mild symptons or blaming it on something else.  I discovered that I was sensitive after not having nutrasweet for about 6 weeks then drinking a diet soda water.  I developed a raging headache.  One can build up a tolerance to anything when under constant exposure.

[updated case...]

488. Date: Wed, 08 May 1996 09:51:22 -0800
To: xxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame Poisoning remedies

Dear xxxxxxx,

I think that I may have had an adverse response to aspartame. I used it for about 15 years. I am experiencing some
problems with motor control, specifically in my arms. I obviously don't use it any more! I have been off the aspartame for two weeks now. I no longer have unexplained headaches and I sleep much better but the motor control is still a problem.

[update]

489. Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 14:12:00 -0800
To: xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx
Subject: Aspartame Poisoning

xxxxxx, I wrote to you some time ago about my motor control problems (in my arms) which I suspected were related to my use of Equal (6 or more packets a day for nearly 15 years!). You gave me some good suggestions. I stopped
using Equal in April and now, 3 months later, I can say that the motor control problems are completely gone. In have also changed my diet. I am now following the regime of the "Zone" diet by Dr Robert(?) Sears. In any event, I no longer have unexplained headaches, I sleep like a baby and my arms play guitar just fine!!

Thanks for you advice.


490. Re: aspartame/nutrasweet
Date           Tue, 09 Jul 1996 14:34:27 -0500
Newsgroups     misc.kids

I have always been of the opinion that Nutrasweet (as well as saccharin) has been allowed to stay on the market because the companies that make all this diet, sugar-free crapola (oops!) did not want to lose their business,
nor do inveterate dieters and those on sugar-restricted diets want to lose their "easy" way to satisfy their sweet tooth.

Now, for the personal story. I was a Diet Coke fiend for many years. I could drink 2 liters a day, easy, never mind all the other stuff – diet pops, puddings, cookies, etc.  When I was 26, I started having seizures, and was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy.  No evidence of head trauma, and the doctors could never give me an answer of where it came from. Medication helped, athough the enormous amount of it I had to take was debilitating (every time I had another seizure, the neurologist upped my dosage).  I was pretty much a potted plant at that point.  I read an
article (sorry, kids, I lost it years ago) and read in a book (Jane Brody's Nutrition Book) about aspartame's connection to seizure activity. I gave up Diet Coke and all other forms of nutrasweet then and there. Gradually my seizures decreased, and I weaned myself down from 1000 mgs a day to 400 of my medication, without my doctor's okay (I know, I know, but the doctors dismissed  my questions about aspartame as silly, and I simply could not live the poor excuse for a life that 1000 mgs of tegretol a day afforded me).

Coincidence? Maybe.  But from 1000 mgs a day and at least one seizure a month, I  take 400 and haven't had a seizure in a year and a half (and it had been a year and a half, at least, before that one).  I was frightened when I became pregnant about what the medication could do to the baby, but a seizure could have hurt him worse than the amount of medication. Luckily, he was perfect. So that the story of why I think aspartame is bad for you.  I'm not trying to run anyone's life, just relating what happened to me.  And yes, I gained some weight when I ditched nutrasweet.  But for me, better that than seizures.

[continued]

491. Re: Equal-allergic
Date           Wed, 10 Jul 1996 13:52:44 -0500
Newsgroups     alt.food.fat-free

Wow, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who is allergic to nutrasweet!  I have the same reaction - debilitating migraines.

Me too!! Big old mother headaches after having aspartame in any quantity. We're not alone!

492. Date: Sat, 6 Jul 1996 18:58:14 -0400 (EDT)
To: xxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxxxx.xxxxx
Subject: Re: NutraSweet

What is all the fuss about NutaSweet?  I would be VERY courious to find out because I, my sister, and my Father have a reaction to it.  I even suspect It was a contributing factor in my mother's stroke. It gives me and my sister almost migrain headaches.  With my father, after he eats aspartame, he gets an upset stomach- very upset!!

493. Date: Mon, 1 Jul 1996 18:17:47 +0000
To: xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxxxx
Subject: Re: FDA POISONS THE WELL/NUTRASWEET/PRESS RELEASE (fwd)

I avoid it at all costs - it gives me a terrible headache.  It is especially pronounced if I chew it in gum.  It is behind my eyes, almost like a sinus headache, but sharper and there's no way to get rid of it, it eventually goes away.

494. Re: NutraSweet is poison - PERIOD! (fwd)
Date           4 Jul 1996 12:37:10 -0400
Newsgroups     alt.support.diet

I don't use nutrasweet or other aspartame products.  They simply effect me like nothing else does.  They make me feel shaky and week.  They also kind of wire me up in a way I don't like.  I stopped using them long ago and haven't gone back.

495. Re: Equal-allergic
Date           5 Jul 1996 14:32:01 GMT
Newsgroups     alt.food.fat-free
                                      
xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

I am allergic to Equal.  I have the most dreadful migraines after I have it. Does any one know of a source of recipes using saccharine instead?

Hi xxxxxxxxx!

Wow, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who is allergic to nutrasweet!  I have the same reaction - debilitating migraines. Anyway, I'm wondering if you are on a diabetic diet, or just trying to cut down on sugar.  I don't use saccharine (lab rats and all, plus I don't like the aftertaste), so I just reduce sugar in recipes as much as I possibly can.  I sometimes substitute fruit puree in recipes. If you can't use sugar, and must use saccharine as a sweetner, I would
try your public library for cookbooks using saccharine.

496. Date: Mon, 27 May 1996 10:55:55 -0700
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx
Subject: Re: CFIDS NEWS-CFS (fwd)

Thanks for the inquiry. Actually getting off the stuff is harder than one would anticipate. I can say that we have both
cut our intake by at least 80% and in general feel much better for it.

497. Re: Nutra-sweet
Date           2 Jul 1996 17:15:21 GMT
Newsgroups     misc.kids.breastfeeding

However, I am very skeptical about nutrasweet, even in small quantities.  I developed a nutrasweet reaction in the early 80s after they started using it in diet soda (I was a diet soda addict).  I finally found I had to give it up ENTIRELY to avoid the reaction -- even one or two sodas a month, or "mistakenly" getting it in a drink, was enough to cause the problem.

498. Re: Med: "false hunger"
Date           Sat, 29 Jun 1996 06:43:50 -0500
Newsgroups     alt.med.cfs

Recently I had a problem with bad water.  My "false hunger" became almost constant and turned into heartburn.  I went to distilled water and quit drinking Diet Coke with Aspartame - my stomach improved almost immediately.

499. Subject          Missing Aspartame Person
Date           29 Jun 1996 15:10:02 GMT
Newsgroups     misc.health.alternative

I'm looking for the individual who gave me advice about 3 months ago regarding aspartame and a burning tongue. I wish to thank this person, since stopping the use of aspartame has cured the problem. This burning tongue has been ongoing for years and after a week of eliminating aspartame the burning is gone. If you see this - thanks again -and send e-mail.

500. Re: migraines and p/f
Date           29 Jun 1996 08:16:07 -0400
Newsgroups     alt.support.diet.rx

ASPARTAIME!  If by chance, you're using Nutrasweet on foods, drinking diet soda, coffee, etc. you may be taking in too much!  It's known to promote headaches...lasting much of the day for me.  It may also inhibit the production of seritonin, which I understand is an appetite suppressent.  Be careful out there!

Ann Hensz's story (addicted to Aspartame via drinking top brand diet drinks)



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