Blasted sugar tax - is there anyone else who is ultra sensitive in their digestive system to artificial sweeteners?

[Ephellova]

I have an unspecified inflammatory bowel condition - basically it flares up every now and then, I get horrendous super urgent diarrhoea, lose weight, get malabsorption. I don't have it all the time (have seen a gastro and had all tests done at hospital).

problem is that since the sugar tax came in, i am really struggling. It appears as though any artificial sweetener really triggers my symptoms. Last night, in a bar, someone got me a G and T. I always ask for the full fat tonic but the other people in the round were having slimline so mine came like that (poured already so I didn't notice). Within 1.5 hours, I had to rush to the toilet and literally only just made it.

I've tried to look up the ingredients to see exactly which ones might make it worse but it also appears that on the labels they don't always have to say which sweetener it is which is no help at all!

I don't know if there is any way around this because so many things you think don't have sweeteners in now do (so e.g. some foods now have them in to avoid having too much sugar where they didn't before). Does anyone else suffer from this or have any solutions to it?

Yes, I gave up artificial sweeteners about 6 weeks ago. I now drink water and posh squash that has no artificial sweetener. Waitrose stocks sugared squash - it is expensive though.

Thanks I will look out for it!

Yes, it has a similar effect on me! Have to be so careful as they are in so many things.

The Sainsburys own brand high juice squash is sugar only.

I was trying to buy a cold drink when out and about the other day. I'd been on water all day so wanted something else. The only thing I could find out of the shelves of refrigerated bottles was full fat coke or plain fruit juice which I don't find particularly thirst quenching.