To whoever wrote the thread about Aspartam a bout 1 1/2 month ago Thank you so so much!!!

[gorionine]

Sorry I cannot find the thread anymore, nor can I remember who was the OP. It was about Aspartame (I think it was the fact that they had given it a new name to fool people avoiding it) and amongst the posts was a link about bad effects it could have.

For over a year I had felt I had a personality transplant, and definitely not a good one. GP ruled out depression and said I was most probably exausted. I felt tired yes but also very aggressive all the time even to the people close to me that I absolutely adore. Also felt that everybody hated me.

Now I have totally stopped aspartam (I was sweetening most of my hot drinks with it)and a month or so on I am so pleased with the difference. Even the Dcs have noticed that I am "nice" again. In fact I cannot remember having shouted at them in the last few weeks at all.

So again Thank you, a 1000X

exactly the gp will say what the government says, unless you are very lucky to have a good gp.

And I agree with you this stuff about cholesterol and fats etc. is debatable and they often get it wrong and do a volte face every decade.

OMG just went and checked my Tesco own brand sweeteners which actually has sodium cyclamate (SC) in it. A quick google gave me this

Also "Cameo" chemicals research site stated that in England SC caused pregnant woman to vastly increase Down's Syndrome babies, and reiterated the cancer risk and high blood pressure information. Also causes diarrhea, irritation to mucous membranes, and is considered a poison in "high" doses.

1969, the Food and Drug Administration banned its sale in the United States with citation of the Delaney Amendment. In the same month, cyclamate was approved for use in the United Kingdom and is now used in low cost sweetener products.

I have about 4 in a cup of tea (I know I know) and have at least 10 cups of tea a day!! What the hell have I been feeding myself!

I am so strict about what I eat, even 40 years ago as wee girl I know that if I ate cheap ice lollies or squash it would effect my asthma and I would start wheezing! It is now well known that some Es cause allergic reactions in people who suffer from asthma.

How did I miss the whole sweeteners debate!

you missed it because they keep it quiet.

It's not just sweeteners that they keep quiet.

I cut aspartame out of my diet nearly 2 weeks ago. Already my hands have stopped shaking.

I was totally addicted to Diet Coke 13 or 14 years ago when I lived in the States. Man...I LOVED it!!!!! But it was a vicious circle - I was putting on weight at a staggering rate, so I cut down on the amount of food I ate whilst at work... to the point were I was eating a banana and 3 cans of diet coke all day at work and then just having dinner at home. I was so bloated and couldn't work out why. I didn't have a period for over a year (and there was no hope of sex, let alone pregnancy!)
When I gave up Diet Coke I lost two and a half stone. Seriously. Although, obviously eating just a banana all day screwed my metabolism up or something, but I really do credit the weight loss with Diet Coke. It is so addictive - there should be a Diet Coke Anonymous club or something.

""I don't understand why anyone would eat or drink anything that contains chemicals rather than naturally-occuring ingredients.
Why does it come as a shock that food manufacturers put crap in food and governments allow us to eat it?""

Ideally yes, I would not dream of giving it to my Dcs but am rather overweight and thought I was really helping myself by putting sweetners in my tea/coffee. Problem is I drink a lot of it and the level of the stuff I was getting must have been really high. There is no aspatame in other things I eat. I do not ever buy "diet" things anyway because we all eat the same at home and my Dcs definitely do not need low fat or low sugar food (I do need portion controle though!)

I hope that the fact I feel so good now will boost me enough to loose a bit of weight as well!

I just created another thread because I couldn't find this one:

C&P the OP from the other thread I created.

Read Gorionine's thread a couple of weeks back (can't find it) saying that she gave up stuff with aspartame in and she felt a lot happier in herself, less moody and angry.

I have been suffering from quite severe depression for some time now, I think mainly caused by an unhappy childhood etc. Anyway, have had therapy, CGT and 3 types of ADs (one of which, Venlafaxine, is very strong) with no real result. I gave up ADs about 3 months ago as the side effects were severe and they weren't helping anyway.

I have also put on about 2 stone in 4 years - I am not overweight (was probably too thin before really) however I put this down to passing my test and not walking anywhere.

Anyway, I read Gorionine's thread, and it made me think. It had lots of links to say that it may cause depression and anxiety. I drank loads of diet coke - probably getting on for 2.5 litres a day. Also squash with aspartame, and yoghurts and low fat puddings with aspartame in. Plus sweeteners in coffee.

I thought I would give it a rest. So, 2 weeks ago tomorrow I gave up all diet coke and things with sweeteners.

It was quite hard actually - almost as bad as giving up smoking. I felt lost without my bottle of coke. Odd.

Now, I am normally a sceptic where things like this are concerned, I am aware that the results could well be psychological, however there has been a marked difference. I have lost 10lbs without cutting down on eating. The weight seems mainly to have come off my stomach area - I really notice it in clothes. Muffin top near enough gone.

Also, my personality seems to have changed somewhat. Previously (aside from the depression and feelings of being worthless) I was getting into rages. I would wake up in the middle of the night and feel absolutley murderous, aboyt god only knows what. I would get almost in tears of rage at stupid things, say if I dropped a sock whilst doing the laundry. I could feel myself being unreasonable, and not know how to stop it. Odd. Anyway, that has pretty much gone, no more waking up in the night feeling angry. I just feel a lot calmer, and can put things into perspective.

Now, I don't know if there is anything in it, I am well prepared to think that the anger reduction and weight loss can be explained by other measures, however just thought I would share as I know there were several people on that thread talking about what aspartame does. I am personally convinced that the stuff must be pretty pernicious, and I am going to remain off it.

It's nice having sugar in tea again!

I have been on MN a few times for advice about DS having been unhappy (for no real reason) since starting secondary school. He has bought a bottle of flavoured spring water every day with his school lunch since he moved to secondary school. I am going to ask him to stop drinking them and see what happens.

I'll give up the diet coke too.

Not been on this thread for a while but still doing fine without any aspartame in the house!

""Also, my personality seems to have changed somewhat. Previously (aside from the depression and feelings of being worthless) I was getting into rages."" this is exactly what I was going through, I do not miss it one bit, nor do the Dcs!

Have lost a stone as well in the last couple of months but it has been hard work! I wish I would just "melt" like you GOML!, I can say that on this side of things, cutting Aspartam off has done nothing to me even though I went "cold turkey" off sugar in all my hot drink! I suppose I cannot have it all, the new fantastic personality and goods looks might be asking for too much !

Thank you Claig for your many great links here.

Anyone see the documentary "Food, Inc."?

DS was recently diagnosed with corn, soy and peanut allergies, after having a funny tummy for years, and a recent outbreak of terrible acne, plus hay fever that was way beyond bad for about three years running. Since giving up the corn and soy (we never had peanuts to any degree, or peanut ingredients) the acne has receded and he no longer has a very red and inflamed look to his face. The hay fever has gone down too, possibly because of the seasonal nature of the pollen, etc. and possibly because of medication, but possibly because his immune system is not working overtime any more. One thing I've noticed, however, is how hard it is to find any kind of processed foods without something he's allergic to in them.

I remember back when I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes while pg with DD4 the dietitian recommended low fat, sugar free yogurt for me as a healthy alternative to the usual yogurt I ate -- all the sugar free kinds had aspartame, so I passed, as aspartame gives me a headache.