Splenda is Not Splendid - Splenda Poisoning and Allergy

After high school graduation, I cut sugar out of my daily diet and stopped adding salt to foods at the table. Expressly, I was able to do this, because no one was salting my plate of food before allowing me to have it any more. The thought of undissolved salt covering on the top of fried eggs still is unpleasant to me.

A few artificial sweeteners were touted as unable to be recognized as non-sugar and I wondered who was taking the taste tests. Coca Cola's Tab® tasted like cellophane to me. I inadvertently insulted friends that like this diet soft drink with that statement, but not everyone has a pleasant result from artificial sweeteners. Some are allergic to at least one of them. Beyond that, some of these allergies can be fatal. Approximately one year ago, one of my colleagues was rushed to the hospital ER with a severe allergic reaction to his first intake of Splenda®.

My allergy to this product is not as severe as my friend's or as deadly as that of patients whose case studies we can read online. However, I am allergic. The last time I looked at the list of symptoms compiled by the medical profession for this artificial sweetener, I found 28 symptoms, while while I suffered from 13 of them. The accumulation of product use resulted in an allergic reaction after about six months. This entailed one smoothie a few times a week, two diet beverages or iced teas a week, and one dessert every week or so. After the reaction, I returned to unsweetened ice tea. My colleague stays away from all artificial sweeteners. One other friend (female) experienced 5 or 6 allergy symptoms after about 6 weeks of losing weight successfully with Splenda® and discarded it from her diet.

Not everyone and perhaps not many are allergic to this product, but the Splenda® allergy is real, by my own expereince.

It is very important that allergies not be treated lightly, because they can result in death among the worst cases. Others sometimes accuse sufferers of faking or imagining allergies. This is dramatically not the case when a person experiences anaphylactic shock. Minutes until treatment can mean life or death. An acquaintance that did not believe in allergies because she had none herself, once was determined to put Splenda® into my food unbeknownst to me, in order to prove that I was "faking." I caught him in the act and never ate anything she prepared again and still do not, to this day. Interestingly, he began having allergies of a few types - long-term accumulation of allergens in the body, perhaps. The allergies began with pollen and fluffy, opened seed pods from trees.

I don't like much refined sugar or very much sweetness in foods and beverages, so I use honey or some raw sugar - and brown sugar (although I know it's refined) - and stevia. Stevia is a natural sweetener and seems best, to me, in beverages; but I've used it well in cooking and baking. The sweeteners in the pink packets and the blue don't taste good to me, so I don't use them.

Natural Baking Substitute

In baking, I use unsweetened applesauce, mashed ripe bananas, or crushed pineapple in place of a large part of the fat, sugar, and eggs required by some recipes, like oatmeal-based cookies with raisins and nuts, and some other baked goods. The fruits also makes the baked product very moist.

The following symptoms and groups of symptoms may result from an allergic reaction to Splenda®, but also may be the result of other causes. Additional symptoms not listed could be related to the product. Consult your healthcare professional in order to be certain in your own case. Find out for sure.

• Abdominal cramping or discomfort, heartburn, and possibly bloating and gas.
• An itchy skin rash can result from an allergic reaction. It is often pink and sometimes accompanied by feeling flushed after ingestion of the product.
• Acne
• Headaches and migraines, most often the latter. In fact, just before I had the first allergic reaction, I experienced the “aura” that comes before some migraines.
• Dizziness – Lightheadedness or vertigo (room spinning)
• Diarrhea, constipation, or both, alternating
• Nausea
• Muscle aches and stiffness
• Joint swelling and pain
• Hair loss
• Numbness of extremities (my arms and hands “fell asleep”)
• Dry mouth and/or sinuses, swollen lips, burning tongue, similar.
• Constricted airway and difficult breathing, shortness of breath
• Blurred or unfocused vision
• Tinnitus
• Memory problems and/or confusion
• Tremors
• Sensitivity to light and sound without migraine pain
• Irritability and anger behavior
• Fatigue and restlessness; sleep changes
• Clumsiness and loss of fine motor movement direction
• Depression, anxiety, PMS
• Weight gain instead of loss
• Other: Bleeding that is quick and will not clot, blood in urine, seizures, chest pains, cardiac involvement, elevated liver enzymes.

So far, I've been able to use Sugar Twin® in baking without an adverse reaction. It is hard to find in the supermarket here, so I don't use it very often. I have not enjoyed it's flavor in tea or coffee.