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On 13 June 2004, we received this note from L.F. of Ridgewood, NJ, concerning their use of sucralose.
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"I have been on a low-carb, high protein diet for about two and a half months. I have been going to a nutritionist who recommended that I add a soy-based powder to my yogurt in the morning. You could get the soy powder either sweetened or unsweetened, but I chose to purchase the sweetened with Splenda.
About 3 weeks ago, I started to have problems with my stomach, notably, severe stomach cramps, bloating, and diarrhea. These problems were often severe, but they were not daily, so they were not consistent. The worst of my experiences was one night when I had cramps, diarrhea and bloating for over 1 and ½ hours until I finally fell asleep. There are also a few other problems that might also be associated with Splenda, although the problems were more subtle: increased sleep, falling asleep earlier than normal, difficulty in losing weight - even with proper diet and exercise, and apparent competition with anti-thyroid medicine to control my double vision, thereby negating the impact of the medicine.
I went to my primary care doctor three times over these three weeks and she gave me prescriptions for an infection (symptoms were comparable if I had travelled overseas to a third world country and drank the water, but I didn't), to stop the gas, bloating and diarrhea. I had another attack on Monday of this week and went again to see my primary care doctor again.
She did not prescribe anything this time, but felt that I need to start eliminating items from my diet to identify what was causing me so many problems. The list of food items was not that large, as I have been trying to follow the nutritionist's advice about what to eat.
My first thought that I had developed an intolerance to lactose. However, when I was looking at the internet on Monday evening, I found that the sweetener Splenda was also associated with diarrhea. The next day I called the manufacturer of the soy product I was using and they told me that my symptoms were indeed caused by Splenda. And in looking at the internet further, I have found your web site and found that I shared many of the side effects of this product that others have also documented. So I immediately stopped taking Splenda.
This is now five days since I realized that my problems were related to Splenda. It has taken a few days since I felt better and I feel great now. And I am thrilled that I have found the source of my problem. I am grateful for your web site and the internet search engines which provided me with the information that identified the source of my illness."
Thank you L.F. for sharing your story with our visitors.
On 14 June 2004, we received an update from L.F.:
"The name of the manufacturer was Revival Soy. Their internet address is www.revivalsoy.com. They have been really helpful to me with my splenda problem.
I am now trying the unsweetened soy and adding sweet and low to it. I'll have to see if the taste is ok (I originally started with the unsweetened product, but I didn't sweeten it enough, and it left a bad aftertaste in my mouth. I have to get the sweetening right, otherwise, I won't use the product).
Of course, I will never use Splenda again. Today is one week since I diagnosed my own problem and I have felt fine for several days now. That whole Splenda experience was very unfortunate.
And thank you for your very informative web site."
On 14 June 2004, we received an update from L.F.:
"But I am happy to report that it's a month since I figured out that Splenda was my problem. I've had no further problems at all. I did figure out the sweetening for the unsweetened soy and so I am using that on a daily basis.
I have also sent a letter with my experience with Splenda to my primary care doctor and my company's medical department, both of whom tried to help me with my problem.
Thank you so much for your website!" |
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