My story:

On my last visit to the chiropractor, I was informed, much to my amazement, that my recent bout with swelling in my left leg and ankle, headaches, and joint pain could be related to Splenda consumption. Now, as I sit at my computer in shock from reading all the reported side effects from Splenda, I know that cold turkey is the only way to go.

Of the list of 42 possible symptoms on your site, I have discovered 19 of those listed are plaguing me right now.  Currently, I have:

• abdominal pain and cramping
• bloating
• constipation
• dizziness
• dry mouth and sinuses
• eyes crossed or unfocused
• fatigue, weakness, loss of fine motor control
• headache
• heartburn and indigestion
• heart palpitations, accelerated heartbeat, elevated blood pressure
• irritability and nervousness
• joint pain
• leg and foot pain
• memory loss - short term
• migraines or severe headaches, stabbing head pain
• numbness of the limbs
• spaced-out, unfocused, lightheadedness, drugged sensation
• difficulty verbalizing ideas, confusion
• upset stomach
• weight gain

I started using Splenda sporadically when I first saw 7-Up Plus in our local grocery store about a year ago.  I was thrilled to find a caffeine-free soda without NutraSweet. This was because I realized in 1992 when I was expecting my son that the NutraSweet was causing my severe headaches. Then, last fall, I joined Weight Watchers and, for the first time, I was having success with weight loss.  This last until about March of this year.

It was about that time that I bought a box of Splenda packets to use in my tea at work.  The weight loss started to slow down, which was fine, and even expected. However, I started gaining weight around early April. My reaction was to stay away from sweets and soda unless they had Splenda in them. This translated into more Splenda use. Since returning from spring vacation in April, as the weather was starting to warm up, I found that I really enjoed the Aquafina Splash.  It was water and I needed lots of water, so I drank that as a treat each day. The weather kept getting warmer and I found that if I took a 32-ounce cup with a 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 10-12 packets of Splenda, I had a very, very tasty lemonade. Since school let out in June, I have had at least one of these lemonades every day, sometimes 2 or 3. This meant that on most days, I was getting at least 20-30 packets of Splenda.

Since I started using this much Splenda, the symptoms have attacked me to the point of almost crippling me. I have fibromyalgia and the winters are usually the most difficult for me since moving to New England three years ago from Washington State. The cold drags me down and causes extreme pain.  The summers have been a soure of relief from the pain and symptoms.  This summer is different as I feel like I'm headed for a wheelchair. The pain in my joints--head to toe--is horrific. Much worse than what I experience in the winter. Despite my daily stretching, my feet and legs are in knots in constant pain. No matter what I eat, I end up with indigestion, upset stomach, or constipated. I'm exhausted and my fingers feel numb and tinly. They barely work to perform even the most menial tasks. Day and night, my mouth feels like I have cotton in it and my nose is dry and irritated. My blood pressure has been under control for two years, but is suddenly up again despite my initial weight loss. I'm edgy. I can't think in complete thoughts most of the time. My words don't form to the point of my own kids poking fun at me for not being able to speak. I find myself dizzy and unable to focus visually, especially when driving, watching television, or working at the computer. My husband and kids find me irritable and cranky all the time and nothing seems to alleviate this.

I'm a fairly active person, but with all of this going on, I truly have been thinking that my body is shutting down on me, especially the last month or so. Cold turkey starts right now with regard to Splenda. I am going to use only real sugar when neessary and see if things change. I had an Aquafina Splash this afternoon, but that was the last of it. If Splenda truly is the root of what is going on, the FDA shouldn't be allowing its use. There were no warnings on the products, and there should be at least that. This is very frightening."

Thank you K.G. for sharing your story with our visitors. We look forward to updating this story.

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