I just read the testimonials on Dr. Mercola‘s Web site regarding sucralose and a light went off inside me. I have been taking an anti-aging product with a small amount of sucralose in it--a small enough amount that if I take one scoop at night, I don‘t notice any adverse effect. However, when I increased the dose to two scoops, which is the recommended amount, I woke up feeling like I had a hangover and allergic reaction together--headache, stiff achy body all over, tired, and fuzzy-brained for much of the day.

That occurred a few weeks ago also when I tried to take two scoops, so I cut back to one scoop, thinking my body would be getting used to the main ingredient in the product. A few weeks ago, I took one scoop of this product with the sucralose in it just before going to bed at night. I felt normal upon awakening.

The next day, I got a fish meal for lunch at a place where I rarely get cooked food. About 15 minutes after eating the meal, I felt so tired I stopped at a beach (I live in Hawai`i), and lay down on the sand--for five minutes I thought, but I had conked out and woke up about 30 minutes later. It was as thought somebody had "pulled out the plug," and all my energy drained out of me. I woke up with bright red hives all over the front of me. It was not from the sun, I had been lying face down. I felt hot and itchy, like a niacin flush.

I was concerned because I have never had this type of allergic reaction before. When I read some of the testimonials on your Web site just now, I started to believe it was probably the combination of something in the sauce they put on the fish, and the sucralose I had been taking in small amounts every night for a month or so.

So this is both a question to Dr. Mercola, and others, and a sharing. I‘m interested to know about how we react to combinations of toxins. Of course that is a difficult question to answer. Hopefully my sharing this will help others figure out what is going on.

The person who formulated the product I took must have known the kind of information about sucralose that Dr. Mercola and others are sharing. I am dismayed that I didn‘t do adequate homework before. I was using a protien powder previously with sucralose in it and never noticed side effects. Now I‘m thinking that reactions will be not only dosage dependent, but depend on the other kinds of toxins we may also inadvertently ingest while the sucralose is in our bloodstream.

Anybody know how long it stays in the bloodstream? Liver?

Thanks & aloha. May the blessings of vibrant health be yours.

Karuna Thal
Holistic Health Coach
Kaua`i, Hawai`I

I am writing this testimonial hoping this will help those people who are suspecting that perhaps they are having a bad reaction due to the consumption of Splenda.

I am a 71-year-old man who is in very near perfect health. Due to a vegetarian diet and a good exercise regime, I have managed to avoid all medications and enjoy life to the fullest. I had completely eliminated processed sugar from my diet but did miss it so I was delighted when Splenda came out and advertised that it was actually made from real sugar but contained little or no calories.

I began using two packets twice a day in my coffee, and used two teaspoons a day on my morning oatmeal or cereal. I began having symptoms of extreme fatigue, particularly tiredness of the eyes, and noticed myself dragging my feet during my five-mile walks. I also noticed that my mood was depressed and I felt very lethargic. I just didn‘t feel like doing anything.

I thought at those times that maybe I was developing a blood sugar medical problem and made plans to have tests done by my doctor. I did not relate it to the consumption of the sweetener, but noticed that the low energy episodes seemed to occur at almost the same times each day. At these times, I was literally washed out, and often slept it off with a two-hour nap.

I ran into this Web site quite by accident and immediately pondered what if ... I stopped using the sweetener immediately. The fatigue episodes continued that day, dropped off significantly the next, and by the third day they had stopped. Now my mood has greatly improved and I have my usual high energy back. It has been over a week now with no return of those bad symptoms. I realize that we all have different body chemistries and can be allergic to different chemicals, so perhaps this was just unique in my case. Also since my diet is so pure, I do overreact to foreign man-made substances such as medications.

Hopefully this discourse will reach others who are having similar unexplainable reactions.

Charles E L

I recently bought a 30-pack box of EAS Advant Edge Carb-Control Shake from Costco and started drinking a shake for dinner. I‘ve taken about five or six of them and in the last three to five days have noticed some rashes in my body. The rashes were really red, but not itchy. I couldn‘t fathom where they might have come from. I had to go back and think about what I have taken or done differently in the last three to five days to get these rashes. I couldn‘t think of anything other than the EAS Shake.

Last night, I took a few sips from the 11-ounce pack--I didn‘t finish the shake--and this morning I had a terrible sore throat and a migraine. I finally connected the dots! I looked at the ingredients on the EAS packaging and found that it has Splenda. I looked up Splenda and found your Web site. I read the testimonies of others who‘ve had reactions and I am now convinced that it was the EAS shake that‘s been causing my rashes and feverish symptoms.

As I write this I feel some congestion in my lungs & intermittent throbbing pain in my chest.

I am trashing this bad EAS stuff. I am so glad I found your Web site before I consumed all the 30 packs of shake.

We should all just stick to natural, organic food. Hope this testimonial helps others as the other testimonials have helped me.

Carol

I have been using Splenda for about two years, I guess. I was researching the dangers of aspartame and thought I‘d research Splenda. I thought it was a God-send--but apparently not! I have noticed after drinking Diet-Rites that my memory was really bad, so I stopped drinking them, never associating it with Splenda.

I have also had welts appear on my body at times. Something could just bump my body slightly and it would welt really badly. Since I had problems with hives as a teenager, I thought that was what it was. I am 41 now--I should have realized. I have noticed my eyes feeling blurry or feeling like I was in a tunnel. I had my eyes checked and they were fine. I believe Splenda is the culprit. I threw it all away. We need to get the word out.

Sherry from Indiana

The first time I had Splenda I had gas and stomach cramps. I actually figured out that it was the Splenda, but do you think I stopped there? No, I told myself that I needed to test it again just to make sure. I had it another two times and I had the same symptoms. I went online and read about the dangers of it and I haven‘t had it since. This is a really dangerous product. I‘m so glad that my body sent me a message telling me something was wrong. So many people can ingest this product and nothing happens. It‘s important to know what you‘re putting in your body.
Thank you for getting this information out to the public.

--Crystal

I am a type 2 diabetic. I have used numerous sweeteners, both natural (stevia) and artificial (Equal, Splenda). I do not like using anything but natural ingredients. I have controlled my glucose levels (70-100) very successfully using glipizide (one-quarter of a 5mg) once a day for seven years.

Recently I bought Breyers low-carb ice cream and Edys No Sugar Added. My blood sugar levels started staying elevated about two days after I started having one small bowl a day of either product. Elevated by staying over 150!! The whole day, I increased the glipizide to one-half and then a whole pill with NO DIFFERENCE.

I stopped eating anything with SPLENDA five days ago and nothing else has changed. Within three days my BGL dropped down to 105 and I reduced my meds back to one-quarter of a 5mg pill. Today, five days later, it is completely back to normal. No other artificial sweetener affects me like this, also the bloated, distended stomach I had is gone!

--Garry

I am a retired professor of mathematics from the University of California, Irvine in my late 70s. I have been a myasthenic since 1945 and type 2 diabetic since 1991. I was taking metformin 2000 mg daily in addition to mestinon 120mg every three hours or as needed. I developed a huge dark red rash gradually on the insides of my thighs, which on grand dermatology rounds was finally suggested to be a drug eruption, although MF and a glucogonoma were also candidates. I discontinued metformin and, except for scarring, the rash disappeared.

About 2 years ago my BGs started to climb and I was placed back on metformin 500mg daily and slowly the rash returned while my BGs dropped to desirable levels. About six months ago as a result of reading your newsletter I discontinued use of Extra and especially Splenda. Today the rash is hardly discernable. The photo of the lady with the drug eruption helped me make this possible connection that I am relating.

--Frank Cannonito

Wow! I still cannot believe what horrible effects Splenda had on me. I started a low-carb way of eating last summer and checked out some low-carb recipe books from the library. ALL of the recipe books hailed Spenda as the greatest thing since sliced bread. One author even lamented that the liquid form was available in Europe, but not here in the United States. Having seen the commercials where children are shown eating cookies made from Splenda, I immediately went out and purchased the large baking bag of Splenda as well as packets for coffee and tea.

Well, within a few days after starting to consume Splenda, my entire personality changed radically. I became very irritated almost constantly at everyone and everything. The normal and occasional whining of my 18-month-old drove me nuts, I felt sad and overwhelmed, and started getting migraines again. (I had previously discovered that NutraSweet was the main cause of my migraines and they had disappeared after I stopped using it).

Luckily, I receive Dr. Mercola‘s e-mails, and when I read about Splenda and the horrible reactions others have had, I knew immediately that this was the cause of my uncharacteristic personality change. I immediately threw out all the Splenda I had purchased, and within a couple of days was 100 percent fine.

I was recently horrified to read the label on the OTC medicine called Simply Stuffy, which is made by the makers of Tylenol for children‘s colds. I had purchased it for my daughter who had a slight cold. The ingredient list shows sucralose!! What on earth is this doing in a children‘s medicine?? I wrote an angry letter to the manufacturer, but I‘m sure it won‘t have any effect.

Thank you for getting the word out about Splenda. I pass along this information to everyone I can.

--Marilyn Dombey

I‘m not sure if it‘s Splenda or not but as of six weeks ago I started having severe anxiety attacks. My husband and I had a year ago went on a low-glycemic diet (no grains) and took all the sugar out of the house and substituted Splenda in everything. After seeing Splenda on your Web site I‘m suspecting I have been poisoned by it, too. I‘m allergic to chlorine.

I suspect this because during a well time in this six weeks I used Splenda again and that night I started having anxiety that lasted for four days. It‘s truly unbearable. My question now is how do you get it out of your system? I have other symptoms that are on your list too. How is everyone else getting it out of their systems? I haven‘t seen this issue addressed. If this turns out to be Splenda related, I would stand up anywhere and refute this product!! Agonizing in Washington ...

--K

I almost don‘t want to share this because I will have to admit I cheated ... but here goes ... My family stopped by Penquin‘s Ice Cream Shop. I do not eat ice cream normally, but today I wanted some. Maybe because of the Neurosarcoidosis and all that it entails, I was just tired of eating healthy all the time. It‘s been such a balancing act every minute of the day for over seven years
now.

I‘m not sure now what I ordered, but it used to be one of my favorites ... probably strawberry with strawberries. By the time we got home I had a severe headache. I haven‘t had a real headache now for seven years and I was having one again. I didn‘t attribute it to my cheat escapade.

Several weeks passed by and we went back to the same place. I hadn‘t had any further headaches since. I ordered the same thing and behold! I had a terrible headache again. At first I thought I was starting to have symptoms of Neurosarcoidosis again (I have pituitary gland involvement.) Nope that wasn‘t it because after a third trip to Penguin‘s it happened again.

The first time at our visit I had asked about aspartame in their products and they said no--never did I think to ask about sucralose. Before I had brain surgery in ‘97 I use to drink and eat about everything that had aspartame. I would drink two 2-liters of diet soda a day, and if not that, then Crystal Light with aspartame. I totally stopped using any products with aspartame after the surgery.

Back to what happened. I finally put it all together with the ice cream. I felt guilty for eating it for one and thought ... serves me right for cheating. However, I decided to call Penguin‘s and ask what they were using as a sweetener. Sure enough ... sucralose! I have never been back, nor have I ever eaten ice cream again.

Gloria Smith
Tucson, AZ

Hi, my name is Hugh Ramsdell. I used 30 packets a day of Splenda in my gallon of iced tea that I took to work. After two days of doing this my kidneys shut down. I had the most horrible pain I‘ve ever experienced, right in the body location of the kidneys. I had to stay off of work for two days because I couldn‘t stand up from the pain. My extremities began filling up with water. I switched to stevia and haven‘t had any more trouble.

Hugh Ramsdell

Without getting into great detail, I bought a jar of pickles and had a few before dinner. I noticed the pickles had an intense, somewhat artificial, sweetness. While fixing dinner I started to get an intense headache. The headache became so intense I had to leave dinner and go lay down for the rest of the evening. The next morning I read the ingredients on the pickle jar and Splenda was listed. Needless to say the pickles went in the trash and I now read labels more closely.

Rick

For several months I had been having ‘episodes‘ of flushing face accompanied by headache and a general feeling of being ill. The episodes ranged in length from one-in-a-half hours to four or five hours. They also varied in severity. I was puzzled and tried to associate them with anything. My blood pressure did not seem to be affected and I never had a food allergy, but could not associate the episodes with any food or medicine change. While trying to lose weight I began using Splenda. Once I stopped using Splenda I noticed the symptoms I had been having stopped altogether:

"About the first of the year I had begun using Splenda instead of sugar in drinks and on cereal. But, I didn‘t think of the connection. Last week I ran out of Splenda - a couple of weeks before payday. I have not replenished. I have not had one episode now in five days. This morning, as I sugared my coffee, it suddenly occurred to me, "Could Splenda be the cause?" After reading the information on your site, I am certain that I have found the cause. Thank you so much for providing the information."

Name Withheld

I have oral allergy syndrome and cannot eat many fresh fruits, such as apples, peaches and pears. My mouth and throat become itchy and tight. My doctor explained this is common in people with tree allergies. Cooked and processed fruits are OK, because the proteins are broken down, which is what causes the allergy.

Several months ago, I purchased Hawaiian Punch Light for my children. I experienced the same reaction after drinking a glass of this punch. I read the ingredients, and found Splenda. Since then I have tried to avoid any foods containing Splenda. Last week, I saw Pepsi Edge at the store, touting one-half the calories of regular Pepsi. I searched the can for Splenda, and did not find it, so I bought it. I drank a can, and had a sudden onset of severe headache, itchy, tight mouth and throat, and nausea. I later had several bouts of diarrhea. I reread the ingredients and found sucralose was the only thing I was unfamiliar with. I did a little research and found that sucralose is Splenda.

I believe Splenda should be PROMINENTLY displayed on every product that contains it.

--Gretchen B. Derr

"The dioxins and other toxic chemicals, when consumed, accumulate in the fatty tissues. These contaminants are also hormone disrupters because they mimic estrogen. The EPA has observed and documented hormonal imbalance, suppressed immune systems, reproductive infertility and alterations in fetal development of animals. In viewing the big picture, these factors are perhaps the most frightening results from the widespread use of chlorine."

This is so bizarre that I am reading this now.

I have been ill and the doctors are running tests to find out what is wrong. My periods are irregular and I recently became sick to my stomach (vomiting) several times and developed a sudden severe headache. I am hungry and have weight gain. I thought I was having blood sugar problems or was pregnant (both were ruled out)! I have had migraines in the past and this one was atypical and more painful than any headache I‘ve ever had in my life.

Tests on my liver, kidneys and thyroid are being run now and results are pending. Extreme fatigue is a factor too so they are running tests for mono, Epstein Barr virus and even the West Nile virus. I was so sick I thought it was food poisoning. That is no longer indicated considering that it would not have lasted this long.

I have no proof or indication this is related to Splenda, but because I do want to feel better and cannot rule it out entirely, I will take measures to avoid it. I have been consuming it in products for years now, more so recently as the ‘low-carb‘ craze has taken hold and it‘s in just about every ‘replacement‘ comfort food product out there for sale (such as prepackaged frozen foods, cookies, also drinks, bread mixes, dressings, chips and so on). I can honestly say I must have a Splenda-containing product a day at least if not more, without consciously thinking of it. Like soy, it‘s everywhere. I do not maintain an entirely low-carb diet, but do avoid white flour, white potatoes, etc. and get my carbs from high fiber vegetable sources mostly.

My friend‘s husband is actually a neurologist and research scientist. While he has not run any tests on this product himself, from what he has read, he does not recommend its consumption--Splenda and aspartame are both banned in his household. What I find so odd is that in your article it is mentioned about the estrogenic effects … I cannot eat much soy because of this reason, so one more valid reason I will DEFINITELY avoid Splenda!

--Penelopea

I had purchased some Splenda to add to my coffee in the morning and a few weeks later purchased coffee creamer with Splenda in it. Almost immediately I noticed that my face was breaking out in large bumps like pimples only worse. I hadn‘t had acne since my teens and at 40 could not figure out why I was going through this. I thought it must be early menopause.

Soon after my lower tummy became very bloated. I have always had a very flat tummy. It was so big my coworkers would make fun of the alien baby I was having because it was like I became pregnant overnight. I was so fearful that it was a tumor I went to the doctor and she couldn‘t find a cause for the bloat.

At the same time I was very forgetful and getting angered easily. About a week ago I had a day where I was so filled with anger I ended up taking four days off work to try and figure it out. In those four days the only thing I changed in my diet was the removal of Splenda. In five to six days my mood was back to normal, my alien pooch was gone and my face was starting to clear.

I think this product should be taken off the market. I am very worried about the long-term effects it may have had on me. Readers beware, Splenda is in many of the products we consume. Please read the labels, I don‘t want any one to go through what I did.

--Pam Hair

About three days ago my boyfriend and I got some iced coffee syrup at the grocery store. It says nothing on the label about containing an artificial sweetener. The first time I drank some of the iced coffee I got what seemed like an allergic reaction to pollen or something. I couldn‘t figure out what it was, the only thing different about that day was the coffee stuff I drank, but I didn‘t see how that could be the cause because I always drink coffee. The next day I drank another glass, and I was getting the same allergy symptoms plus I was itching all over, my stomach was really distended and I had diarrhea all night. Plus I couldn‘t sleep at all and I stayed up all night.

I still wasn‘t sure if it was the coffee syrup. So I drank yet another glass the next day and the same allergic reaction (red eyes, sneezing, nasal congestion) occurred, plus a rash on my chest, which spread to my stomach, and nausea. So I went and looked at the label of the coffee syrup, and there at the end is this stuff called sucralose. I looked online and found a few sites, including this one, and the stuff is going back to the store tonight. My boyfriend is going to send the manufacturer an e-mail also. I never Have had a problem with other artificial sweeteners. This stuff is awful, now everything sweet I eat I am going to check the ingredients list to make sure there‘s no sucralose in it.

--M.J. Felix

Began using Splenda on a more daily basis about six months ago. Mostly in my morning coffee and/or occasionally on cereal. Noticed a few weeks ago how I was nauseated each day, having abdominal pains & urinary pain. Also, twitching of my eyes, which I have never experienced before. I am careful as a diabetic to what & when I eat, so narrowed it down to the Splenda. Sad discovery, but using the product every day is not for me. Spreading the word for others to be aware!

-- D. Stanfield

By all means, include my story - all or any part of it - in anything or anyway you wish. The word needs to be spread and I would like to be a part of that. Yes, my symptoms have disappeared. My HUGE abdomen has subsided to nearly a normal size. Before I stopped using the Splenda, it was the size of a 7 month pregnant woman. I was swollen all over. I will email you a before and after picture within the next few days. You will be amazed at the difference after only a week without this poison.

Do you know if any one has done any kind of special program dedicated to aspartame or Splenda poisoning ... i.e, Oprah, 60 Minutes, etc??

I am so elated to be nearly back to normal but I have so much anger after all the suffering I did. I have done additional research and discovered more than one article indicating that aspartame can cause ovarian/uterine tumors. I wonder how much a jury would think mine were worth?? I never had any health problems at all until I began to use artificial sweeteners. How very sad to think many people will go through life feeling as I did and not have a clue why. That‘s why I want to help in any way I can to reach everyone!

Below is my history:

Since I have been using Splenda, I have been seen by:

• family practitioners
• gynecologists
• urologists
• neurologist
• gastroenterologists
• phlebotomists
• allergist

Since I have been using Splenda, I have had the following procedures/surgeries performed:

• hysteroscopy
• colonoscopy
• cystoscopy
• laparoscopy
• hysterectomy

Since I have been using Splenda, I have been prescribed the following medications:

• anti-depressants
• anti-inflammatories
• anti-biotics
• anti-pain pills
• antacids
• anti-water pills
• hormone shots

Since I have been using Splenda, I have had the following complaints:

• head pain
• neck pain
• hip pain
• back pain
• shoulder pain
• joint pain
• abdominal swelling
• abdominal pain
• abdominal tenderness
• vaginal bleeding
• amenorrhea
• interstitial cystitis
• ringing in ears
• tingling in hands
• unexplained weight gain (17 lbs)
• fatigue
• insomnia
• seeing spots
• blurry vision
• breathlessness

Since I have been using Splenda, the following are the tests I have had performed:

• MRIs
• abdominal CT scans
• brain scan
• bone scan
• x-rays
• ultrasounds
• blood work
• cartoid ultrasound
• bladder scan

Since I have been using Splenda, I have been checked for the following (in addition to many more) conditions:

• lupus
• kidney disease
• ovarian cancer
• thyroid

Since I have been using Splenda, I have attempted to lose weight (unsuccessfully) by trying the following weight control programs:

• weight watchers
• Atkins diet
• South Beach diet
• joined a gym

There is no warning on the box of Splenda - in fact, the box claims it is ‘suitable for the whole family.‘

Would you know where or who to contact to start lobbying to get this poison taken off the market? I have been suffering from Splenda poisoning for 2-3 years.

Thank you
Leslee Scurlock

Source: http://www.janethull.com/newsletter/0704/splenda-case-history.php