Aspartame Poisoning - My Story

[jen3]

Its allowed because it is completely safe in normal doses. Like any substance, some people will have an intolerance.

Aspartame is the single most tested food additive in modern times. There is no evidence that in normal doses it is harmful.

The OP was not having normal doses, as she explained.

But its in so much stuff now that how do we really know how much we're having? I know people who follow sw that will drink maybe 10 coffees a day with a couple of sweeteners in each, then loads of diet pepsi "because its free" and possibly a few muller lights too and who knows what else that has it in.

I agree it seems like its excessive amounts that probably cause the problems but its easy to have quite a lot of it

 

[gazter]

But its in so much stuff now that how do we really know how much we're having? I know people who follow sw that will drink maybe 10 coffees a day with a couple of sweeteners in each, then loads of diet pepsi "because its free" and possibly a few muller lights too and who knows what else that has it in.

I agree it seems like its excessive amounts that probably cause the problems but its easy to have quite a lot of it

I disagree, it isnt easy. You would need to have about 200 tea spoons of say, canderal, in your coffee a day to exceed the limit.

 

[purple cavy]

I ve had none since I said I would. First few days were hell withoutit but now it doesn't bother me. My head aches are a lot better so I will be cutting it out my diet

 

[new_mum31]

Hon I have a story too about aspartame...not as scary but it scared the heck out of me...


After losing 3ish stone a good few years back at weight watchers I got hooked on sweeter in my tea, diet yogurts, diet cereal bars and diet drinks to help keep full on very low / no points.

After a while my hair started snapping off, my periods which had always been unreliable just got horrific - 80 day cycles, then lasting anything from 1 day to twenty. My skin was awful, and I was getting cold sores, horrendous ones, all the time. but I was at the lowest weight I have ever been and I was eating lots of fruit and veg. But I was eating a LOT of sweetner.

Hubby and I started trying for a baby and nothing was happening. The doctors were not sure I was even ovulating.

As I worked shifts I was getting more and more tired and was drinking more diet drinks but the weight was coming back on.And I was suddenly heavier than I have ever ever been. And I started getting facial hair and just looking like hell. But I was not eating much at all..but it was full of sweetner.

I read a book by Zoe harcombe who is a low carb advocate. I don't agree in a lot she says but her knowledge of sugar addiction hit home with me and I suddenly thought perhaps I might have a problem with sweetner.

So I did tons of research and nearly died when I realised how dangerous sweetner is. I cut it out of my diet and fort the cravings.

I also decided to start taking a multi vit, and a table spoon of coconut oil a day while eating "clean"-fruit, veg and nothing processed for a while.

Within less than a month my hair was growing back, my head aches had gone and I was sleeping like a baby.within 8 weeks my periods were back and normal and I was pregnant within 12 weeks.

Tellingly my midwife said, without knowing my back ground "I tell all patients to cut out cigarettes, alcohol and sweetner". She was a advocate for the dangers of sweetner.

I must admit in the past few months I have started eating Muller lights, but still prefer natural yoghurt with honey. And I refuse to make anything with sweetner in-we don't have it in the house. If I want a treat I have full fat versions.

Although I am about 1.5 stone over weight according to my doctor I'm very healthy.I have very low blood pressure, very low cholesterol and am this weight from eating too much organic dark chocolate, organic wine and chips - you get the organic sweetner free picture!

Good luck with your journey, I too struggle with sw philosophy of sweetner filled food and drink. But by sticking to the free food that is natural I hope to lose this weight x x x

 

[new_mum31]

Ps sorry I didn't realise my post was as long!!

 

[new_mum31]

Pps just to reiterate I was not eating a normal level of aspartame. I was eating far and above what is part of a balanced diet.....it was clearly a problem.

I don't want to frighten any one. I was really eating it with everything and drinking it on anything x

 

[b_44]

Very interesting story and thanks for sharing. I really wish they would ban it in this country. People don't seem to understand just how dangerous it is and can be very blasé about it.

 

[Katiecroc]

Thank you for sharing with us, it must have been hard for you. I am amazed at how hard it is too avoid aspartame.
Best wishes for you in the future

 

[minxie_minx]

Hon I have a story too about aspartame...not as scary but it scared the heck out of me...


After losing 3ish stone a good few years back at weight watchers I got hooked on sweeter in my tea, diet yogurts, diet cereal bars and diet drinks to help keep full on very low / no points.

After a while my hair started snapping off, my periods which had always been unreliable just got horrific - 80 day cycles, then lasting anything from 1 day to twenty. My skin was awful, and I was getting cold sores, horrendous ones, all the time. but I was at the lowest weight I have ever been and I was eating lots of fruit and veg. But I was eating a LOT of sweetner.

Hubby and I started trying for a baby and nothing was happening. The doctors were not sure I was even ovulating.

As I worked shifts I was getting more and more tired and was drinking more diet drinks but the weight was coming back on.And I was suddenly heavier than I have ever ever been. And I started getting facial hair and just looking like hell. But I was not eating much at all..but it was full of sweetner.

I read a book by Zoe harcombe who is a low carb advocate. I don't agree in a lot she says but her knowledge of sugar addiction hit home with me and I suddenly thought perhaps I might have a problem with sweetner.

So I did tons of research and nearly died when I realised how dangerous sweetner is. I cut it out of my diet and fort the cravings.

I also decided to start taking a multi vit, and a table spoon of coconut oil a day while eating "clean"-fruit, veg and nothing processed for a while.

Within less than a month my hair was growing back, my head aches had gone and I was sleeping like a baby.within 8 weeks my periods were back and normal and I was pregnant within 12 weeks.

Tellingly my midwife said, without knowing my back ground "I tell all patients to cut out cigarettes, alcohol and sweetner". She was a advocate for the dangers of sweetner.

I must admit in the past few months I have started eating Muller lights, but still prefer natural yoghurt with honey. And I refuse to make anything with sweetner in-we don't have it in the house. If I want a treat I have full fat versions.

Although I am about 1.5 stone over weight according to my doctor I'm very healthy.I have very low blood pressure, very low cholesterol and am this weight from eating too much organic dark chocolate, organic wine and chips - you get the organic sweetner free picture!

Good luck with your journey, I too struggle with sw philosophy of sweetner filled food and drink. But by sticking to the free food that is natural I hope to lose this weight x x x

I'm so sorry for the late reply! Only just seen this. Nice (in a way) to know someone else went through the same thing.. understanding how dangerous this stuff can be. The same happened with my periods & the Dr mentioned if I carried on it is linked with infertility which is scary. Thanks for sharing! & yeah isn't the greek yogurt and honey a ZILLION times nicer than those icky muller lights!? That don't even fill you up!! Good luck xxx

 

[minxie_minx]

For anyone interested, I recently went back to my optician. She was AMAZED at the change in the condition of my eyes. Last time, when I was on the aspartame, they were horribly & dangerously dried out, completely dry. My vision also went down to a -5.25, the good news is that they were MUCH MUCH better (there was NO dryness at all) & my vision has returned to a -5.00!! I'm so happy. My dr scared me when he explained the links with aspartame and blindness & he said my eyes might have continued to get worse.. but thank heavens they went he other way and got better!
When I told my optician (who Ive seen since the age of 15) about the aspartame thing, she said she had studied this herself & had banned sweeteners from her home as well. The link with eyesight is scary, your optic nerve becomes damaged.. If I had carried on.. I don't even want to think about it.
So yes, good good news! Yay! - I am also on a weight loss roll, losing 7lbs in 2 weeks (3 and a half pounds lost in the last two classes)!
Joined SW at the end of April & already have lost 1 & a half stone - back to my early 20's weight & very very happy, the best thing I have ever done is join SW

 

[sweetierufus]

Fantastic news about your eyes. I avoid aspartame as it gives me headaches and sometimes they lead to migraines. This happened after a couple of cans of diet pop. I still sometimes drink diet cola asda version which doesn't contain that sweetner. I've noticed muller light yogurts contain it too so I now always check labels. I wish I could cut out diet pop completely but worried I'd turn back to full sugar soft drinks and that wouldn't help my weight loss.

 

[gazter]

thanks so much for sharing this information, this is the issue im encountering and trying to find out a genuinely safe Aspartame free vlcd range. Aspartame is a poison and due to my own health issues it is one i want to avoid like the plague. Im glad your out of the worst and wish you all the best for the future and your health.

It is *not* a poison, but a small number of people do have an allergic reaction to it.

 

[Tetris]

Wow, what a horrific story! I am glad to hear you are doig so muh better now off of it!

I read up on aspartame when I started SW as I noticed I was having more cravings from the cheao artificial sweetner than the Splenda.
Sorry if this has already been said or if it is obvious, but I was shocked to find out: Aspartame makes the body produce insulin as the sweetness makes our bodies expect sugar. When there is no sugar to then be absorb, or body tells us it wants sugar to fill that insulin- the cravins are real chemical desires, not just us being emotional eaters or whatever! So basically it SUCKS for weight loss!

Lilt zero always makes me want aweet things- always!
I use splenda but drink a lot of robinsons, wish they had a naturakky sweetened one my mum brought us up on the full sugar stuff knowing it was better than artificial!

 

[Thehungryveganuk]

I'm so glad you're healthier!
Aspartame is evil and is a poison, I also don't agree with Dukan, in my opinion it's very unhealthy.
I'm pleased you're doing so well! I use real sugar in baking, and switched to herbal teas to avoid the sugar in regular tea. If i have a sweet craving I go for cocoa nibs

 

[Thehungryveganuk]

If it was a poison. food manufacturers wouldn't be allowed to use it.

Yea but it doesn't have to be named as one for it to be one. By definition a poison causes illness, disease or death. It's shakey in the US as to whether it should be allowed to be used. Manufactures put all sorts in food that they shouldn't, potassium bromate for one, that causes liver and kidney dysfunction. All they worry about is profits not peoples health. Anyway it's up to the individual what they want to eat. I'll stick with my cocoa nibs lol

 

[Rhianny2244]

Just read this entire thread! Certainly gave me a lot to think about in relation to my partners health! My partner drinks excessive amounts of diet coke and has recently been unable to sleep and is pretty irritable without knowing why. At first I thought it might have been caffeine but I will look into this being a cause too!
xxx

 

[minxie_minx]

Just a quick update on the whole aspartame thing. I've been in & out the Hospital over the last year with kidney troubles - which have been PROVEN to be linked with the aspartame poisoning. I'm just 27 & have never had any trouble with my kidneys & I have recently had a lot of stones & also, just pain. I've been told to drink a LOT more water than I have been doing.. & thankfully the stones/pain is reducing. Still, it's the damage caused by aspartame.. not worth it

 

[Gwella]

Just wanted to say thanks for this thread. I think ultimately there is a lot about the food we eat that we don't know.
For those debating whether aspartame is for them or not... I think you have to go with your own body and how it makes you feel, and also compare the risks of staying overweight with the potential for addiction to something a little bit uncertain.
Myself I like to limit the aspartame I have to my caffeinated diet drinks in the morning (though I hope to wean off them some time). I don't like the aftertaste of Mullerlights or sugarfree jellies or the sense that I don't know what's in them (except for eating out, I don't really like processed food much since I started SW). I know sugar isn't great either but I feel more at home with it and by counting the syns of sugar we have a way to control intake. So thank you for the tip about Danio yogurts - I have got very keen on those in the last few weeks and they are encouraging me to have lots of fruity breakfasts/snacks!

 

[sweetierufus]

Just a quick update on the whole aspartame thing. I've been in & out the Hospital over the last year with kidney troubles - which have been PROVEN to be linked with the aspartame poisoning. I'm just 27 & have never had any trouble with my kidneys & I have recently had a lot of stones & also, just pain. I've been told to drink a LOT more water than I have been doing.. & thankfully the stones/pain is reducing. Still, it's the damage caused by aspartame.. not worth it

Sorry to hear that. I hope you get well soon.

 

[Llamasoks]

What a terrifying thing to have gone through. Fortunately I'm not a sugary person, but even on SW if I'm making something that needs sweetener I'll still use sugar and just Syn it. I'm very wary around chemicals, and I know you were having a lot of them, but I still don't like the idea of them but sometimes have a diet fizzy drink, ignoring the ingredients because I read them once and was horrified - I normally have the logic of "if I can't pronounce it, I'm not eating it", but it's so heartbreaking that a lot of people think this stuff is safe, I know a bit of it in small measures wont do much, but how horrible for this to have happened to you. I so hope you get better soon, it sounds like you've got an absolutely wonderful partner helping you too.
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