Our Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline Continues to Receive Complaints from Consumers Over the Past 27 years.
The following reports are a miniscule sample taken from the tens of thousands I've received, since 1987, from people looking for answers. Tragically, FDA has registered reports of Aspartame Deaths in their files and refuses to release the latest statistics. Injuries to children are probably closest to our hearts, followed in quick succession by adverse reaction reports from Pilots. One doctor called it an Aspartame Epidemic. How long must we wait on a hopelessly corrupt government agency (FDA) to correct this situation? Aspartame is a 'drug' that long ago should've been re-called and retested as a pharmaceutical drug, which is how it was discovered (as a drug for peptic ulcers.) The makers have enjoyed 33 years of profiting off their ill-gotten gains. That's 33 years too many, in our opinion, based on published, peer-reviewed independent studies and research! There should be no statute of limitation on criminal actions of this magnitude. -- Mary Nash Stoddard
____________________________________________________________________________
Report #1.I have had Diabetes for the last 20-years. Started out with just pills and diet but have been insulin dependent for about 18 years now. Recently, I have undergone several major surgeries for Diabetic Retinopathy. I was almost completely blind a few years ago. Now I can see pretty good from my right eye but only partially from my left eye, even after all of the surgeries. I have completely lost my peripheral vision forever, and have been told there is nothing else that can be done for my left eye. Both of my retinas have been detached and repaired, and my left eye also had a hole in the center of it which was partially repaired.
The doctors say it was from diabetes...nobody ever mentioned Aspartame to me. I just found out about Apartame a few months ago when someone sent me an email.
I have been drinking tons of diet coke for the last 20-years thinking I was cutting down on sugar consumption. I also constantly had a sugarfree Certs in my mouth, because I was always thirsty. Turns out Certs also have Aspartame in them!
I have been off of diet coke and Certs for several months now and feel much better. Leg cramps have subsided, muscle aches have gone away and I have much more energy. I also have overcome my insomnia!
Unfortunately, it is too late for my eyesight...what a shame. Any help you can offer me in this area would be greatly appreciated. Keep up the great work. Mike M.
The doctors say it was from diabetes...nobody ever mentioned Aspartame to me. I just found out about Apartame a few months ago when someone sent me an email.
I have been drinking tons of diet coke for the last 20-years thinking I was cutting down on sugar consumption. I also constantly had a sugarfree Certs in my mouth, because I was always thirsty. Turns out Certs also have Aspartame in them!
I have been off of diet coke and Certs for several months now and feel much better. Leg cramps have subsided, muscle aches have gone away and I have much more energy. I also have overcome my insomnia!
Unfortunately, it is too late for my eyesight...what a shame. Any help you can offer me in this area would be greatly appreciated. Keep up the great work. Mike M.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Report #2.
I battled high blood pressure from 1987 until 2006. My blood pressure
had become uncontrollable. I had memory lapses where I could not
remember someone's name. My joints were hurting and aching and my prostate
was enlarged.
My doctor just kept increasing my medications and the symptoms kept getting
worse. After experiencing dizziness and nose bleeds from excessively high blood
pressure, I had to stop eating and only consume distilled water. After several days,
my blood pressure went down to 116/65. I started eating only one food at a time and
checking my blood pressure at intervals afterward to see if my blood pressure went
up. I did not experience a problem until I drank a diet drink with Nutrasweet. My blood
pressure soared to 185/100 and stayed high for hours. As a result, I took diet drinks off my
consumables list.
Then I had a cup of coffee sweetened with Equal and my blood pressure soared
again. So I switched to decaf coffee sweetened with Equal and had the same
thing happen again. My blood pressure soared and stayed up for hours. After
that, I knew that Equal sweetener, (aspartame), was the problem.
I drank decaf coffee sweetened with sugar for a solid week, and it had no
effect on my blood pressure at all. I even went back to regular coffee
sweetened with sugar and had only a moderate blood pressure increase,
(131/80), that lasted for about an hour.
On top of that, I haven't had a memory lapse since I stopped using
aspartame. My joints had been hurting me so bad that I could not sleep
through the night. My joints have not ached since I stopped using
aspartame - that is not a coincidence! On top of that, my prostate symptoms
subsided too. I do not have to take any medications at all since I
eliminated aspartame from my diet. I think I had several TIAs as a result of high blood
pressure induced by aspartame. I wonder how many people have died of strokes
or heart failure from high blood pressure brought on from using aspartame?
It is not a coincidence that my high blood pressure and my other health
problems started when I started using Equal, back in 1987, and ended
when I stopped using it. Sincerely, C. H. W.
had become uncontrollable. I had memory lapses where I could not
remember someone's name. My joints were hurting and aching and my prostate
was enlarged.
My doctor just kept increasing my medications and the symptoms kept getting
worse. After experiencing dizziness and nose bleeds from excessively high blood
pressure, I had to stop eating and only consume distilled water. After several days,
my blood pressure went down to 116/65. I started eating only one food at a time and
checking my blood pressure at intervals afterward to see if my blood pressure went
up. I did not experience a problem until I drank a diet drink with Nutrasweet. My blood
pressure soared to 185/100 and stayed high for hours. As a result, I took diet drinks off my
consumables list.
Then I had a cup of coffee sweetened with Equal and my blood pressure soared
again. So I switched to decaf coffee sweetened with Equal and had the same
thing happen again. My blood pressure soared and stayed up for hours. After
that, I knew that Equal sweetener, (aspartame), was the problem.
I drank decaf coffee sweetened with sugar for a solid week, and it had no
effect on my blood pressure at all. I even went back to regular coffee
sweetened with sugar and had only a moderate blood pressure increase,
(131/80), that lasted for about an hour.
On top of that, I haven't had a memory lapse since I stopped using
aspartame. My joints had been hurting me so bad that I could not sleep
through the night. My joints have not ached since I stopped using
aspartame - that is not a coincidence! On top of that, my prostate symptoms
subsided too. I do not have to take any medications at all since I
eliminated aspartame from my diet. I think I had several TIAs as a result of high blood
pressure induced by aspartame. I wonder how many people have died of strokes
or heart failure from high blood pressure brought on from using aspartame?
It is not a coincidence that my high blood pressure and my other health
problems started when I started using Equal, back in 1987, and ended
when I stopped using it. Sincerely, C. H. W.
____________________________________________________________________________
Report #3.
Mary,
My son has experienced the horrific effects of aspartame and is still in the recovering phase. He has been on singulair for the past three years, and back in April after patch testing at University of Miami, he was found to have a formaldehyde toxicity. It was at that time that we found out that singulair has aspartame in it. Only the singulair made for children does, in order to sweeten it.
He has been off the singulair for 4 months now, but he still has recurrent skin eruptions that reqiure hospitalization. UM has referred him to National Jewish Center in Denver and we are leaving the 4th of September. So many kids are on Singulair for their asthma and I will spread the word in Denver about my findings. His IgE was as high as 37,000 and two months after being off the singulair it is now down to 677.
I am designing my own website to help other moms out there who pray their child makes it through the night almost every night. This is such a serious epidemic. What my son has endured is a sin. I am a neonatal nurse and I want to post all the medications that contain aspartame on my website, although all the ones I have researched are not updated. Singulair is not on any of them. I called Merck to see how much aspartame is in the 5mg chewable and they said I had to write to them. I did and I sent it certified mail, but I have not heard back. I probably never will. Two girls on the singulair lost their hair and it was reported to the FDA 6 months ago, and the doctor who reported it has not heard back from Merck. Please send me any information regarding children and an updated list of all the meds containing aspartame that you have. Thank you, K.G.
Report #4.
Dear Mary, the outer carton of my prenatal vitamins was unfortunately thrown out several months ago. Last Friday, I called my pharmacist to obtain a refill of the Embrex 600 and was told that the product had recently been recalled due to labeling problems. Searching online, one websitewww.hdsmith.com/HD_docs/drugsmith.pdf listed the labeling error by Adrx Laboratories (the manufacturer). This site states the there was "no warning for phenylketonurics" on the label, and that the chewable calcium contained 4mg phenylalanine. There were several other inactive ingredients that were mislabeled, but this one was the most upsetting. I called Andrx Laboratories to find out more information and ended up speaking to a physician that works for that company. He stated that the amount of aspartame was "less than 8mg", and that aspartame is "not contraindicated during pregnancy". There is just so much more to be learned about aspartame and it should not be in a product that is made for pregnant women to take, and we discussed that. Hope this information is helpful. I'm sure there are multiple sources for finding out the details of the recall, I am just not finding them. Thank you so much for your time. K.G.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Report #5.
Greetings,
I have just found information saying that Aspartame causes SEVERE PAIN and symptoms of, or causes FIBROMYALGIA, as-well as other very PAINFUL disease's, and/or can copy the PAINFUL EFFECTS of diseases such as MS, and others. Is this understanding of my readings correct?
I ask this because I suffer from SEVERE PAIN, and have had to under-go two surgeries to have implanted an Introthiceal Drug Delivery Pump for SEVERE PAIN and am also on and in NEED of strong oral pain killers as-well, to be able to survive day-to-day living / existing. So, I guess I'm wondering IF Aspartame IS, or COULD-BE at-least one reason for the SEVERE "FIBROMYALGIC" pain that I daily have to deal with.
Until today,(Wednesday 28 February, 2007) I USED-TO drink approximately 8 to 12 DIET PEPSI's per day(1 liter/1.05qt bottle). I have been drinking this product, ALMOST the same amount as I currently consume, since my mid-teens. I'm now 35yrs-old. Now that I've been informed by a very good friend that there MIGHT be a link to Aspartame (in DIET PEPSI), and the SEVERE PAIN I SUFFER day-to-day with, I have made the choice to NO LONGER CONSUME PRODUCTS with/containing Aspartame, to see if the information sent to me via e-mail is correct, figuring that if I stop consuming products containing Aspartame, HOPEFULLY with-in a few months, I SHOULD be feeling better, and NOT having to exist with as much pain. (This is kind-of my own "case-study" regarding Aspartame, and pain). I AM VERY interested in knowing if Aspartame IS, or MIGHT BE the cause of YEARS OF SEVERE PAINFUL SUFFERING.
Thank-you and Kindest Regards,
Mr. R. A. "Soda-Pop" H.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Report #6. (Sent from Australia)
Hello. Ive been using Equal sugar for about 10 years. For the past 5 years I have been experiencing burning sensations and numbness in my feet and hands and this problem was getting worse every year. I've visited several neurologists and all confirmed that I have small fiber neuropathy but they didn't know the cause. It's only until I googled the problem that I came across several website including yours. I am not alone and I have stopped using Equal. Thank you for your website.
_____________________________________________________________________________
