Aspartame Poisoning
Stole 20 Years of Good Health

by Sue B
(WI.)

I suffered for over 20 years with aspartame poisoning. My health symptoms started shortly after I started using the product back in the early 1980's. It started with a general feeling of not being well and then led to swelling of my hands and knees. The symptoms continued with more swelling, joint pain, headaches, restless legs and such. The doctor could not find anything wrong. They finally claimed I had rheumatoid arthritis and began treating me for it, even though the tests were negative.

My symptoms continue to worsen over the years and I had to find another doctor to help. I went to the University of Minnesota but they couldn't find what was causing the problems. I would get lumps on my head like I had been hit in the head with rocks. They would be very sore and painful and would last for days, they came with headaches and difficulty in concentrating. The pain was getting unbearable. Every joint ached and I had muscle pain all over. I had constant swelling in my hands, feet, knees, joints, muscles, making it very difficult to walk. It hurt so bad to move, yet sitting still hurt as well.

I was finally given a diagnosis of fibromyalgia from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN. They gave me pills for pain, pills to sleep, pills for swelling and I would down them with my diet coke. At that time I was drinking about 3-5 per day, along with all the other sugar free products I was using to help me control my weight. Oddly enough, I was still overweight.

I also had problems with carpel tunnel, mortons neuroma in both feet, heart palpatations, chest pain, ringing in the ears, hernia's, hair loss and irregular menstrual periods which finally lead to a complete hysterectomy.

I do not know if all the symptoms were related to the aspartame poisoning, but I sure was a very unhealthy person. The pain just kept getting worse. There was never a day without pain. I would often wonder what it would feel like to have a normal day again. I felt like life was just not worth living in the condition I was in. I do not know how I managed to care for my 2 children and run a child care business in this condition.

I give a lot of credit for my success to my husband. He was very tolerant of me and was always helpful in my suffering. There were times he had to carry me to the bathroom. I would most often not be able to walk for any length of time, my feet would swell so bad. We would often have to get a wheel chair when out in public places.
I continued to pray for an answer that would lead to relief and I did research on my own, thinking there had to be something more. I felt so poisoned, it was as if I could feel the poison running through my veins and making me worse.

It had crossed my mind years before, thinking about the new artificial sweetener that replaced saccharin, since my symptoms started about that time. But I figured it must be safe if it's on the market. How could it not be. Silly me.


Sometime in 2002, the thought popped into my head again about the aspartame, and I decided to rid myself of it. I quit drinking diet coke and started reading labels. I found so many products with artificial sweeteners in them that I never knew about. There were so many names for it as well. It's even in medications and gum.


Within the first few weeks I started feeling better. After a couple of months I had about 60% improvement in my symptoms. After 6 months I was about 80% better and within about a year 95% improved.

Now, I have to watch closely what I eat and I can tell if I ate something that contains disguised artificial sweetners. I will have symptoms immediately. I also find that I will get symptoms again if I am extremely active. I wonder if there is still some of the poisoning in my system. I probably need a serious detoxification program to rid my body of any remaining poisons.

The poisoning began back in 1983 and the nightmare continued until 2003. I regret that I was trusting in the FDA and manufacturers of the products we use. I suffered horribly for 20 years of my life. I was 20 years old in 1983. My twenties and thirties were riddled with pain and agony not to mention the doctors bills. I lost 20 years of my health and the best years of my youth that I can never get back.

I am greatful to God however, that I finally did get an answer to my prayers. I now have pain free days and I never take a single one for granted. I just hope that I can help someone else suffering from aspartame poisoning, before they waste valuable years suffering needlessly.

I do notice that I did start getting noticeable memory loss some time in 2004. I do not know if it is related to all the poisoning, but I can't help but wonder if there will not be more repercussions from 20 years of aspartame poisoning, not to mention any side effects from all of the medications and pain killers I took over the years.

Good luck to all of you working so hard to get the word out about the dangers of artificial sweeteners. Too bad so many had to suffer for so long, but maybe with much effort, more and more people will become educated and less will have to suffer. Thanks for listening, Sue B.