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To all interested in my Nutrasweet Poisonig: I rec'd too many notes to answer individually, so I will try to answer all at once. I will try to make this as short as possible. I have had Lupus and Fibromaylgia for 17 yr., my husband Parkinsons since Feb., but probably a little over a year that went undiagnoised. I am very overweight, my husband about 20 lb. overweight. So, we drank diet pops, ate diet fudge bars, etc. the diet range. I was a heavy pop drinker...if it was hot and I was working hard, I could drink 10-12 cans a day. My husband only drank 2-3 a day. My pain just kept getting worse and worse. Then these crazy symptoms started happening. Some were so weird that I didn't even tell anyone because I was afraid they'd think I was "nuts". Soon the pain was a 44 on a scale of 1-10. 53 steps from my desk to the restroom and I would sit and cry from the pain of getting there and then have to get back. I had reached the point that I was considering quitting and trying for my soc. sec. dis. but didn't as I needed my insurance. One day while "playing" on the net...I found this piece about nutrasweet affecting Lupus and Parkinson's so I read it....Oh, my gosh, there is someone else in the world with these weird symptoms that I was having... I wasn't going nuts. So, I wrote and they wrote back and sent a lot of information. Now, as a friend once told me...."Nancy listen to every thing people tell you, then go ahead and do as you please...something they tell you might make sense." So, I say to you, read and if it fits you, give it a try...it can't hurt you to go off the nutrasweet, the most it can do is cause you to miss a little "poison". ha.ha.... Here are the symptoms I had...now these didn't start all at once...some I can't tell you when, it's like they just were there. The "spells" were the last to start big time and were what scared me the most. Spells-little ones- like for 3-4 seconds, everything would go black and I would think I was going to pass out...but I didn't lose consciousness. These started with one every once in awhile until I was having 20-40 a day. Very scarey. Never knew when I was going to have one. Spells-big ones-Did you ever have a severe inner ear infection? One that made you "spin"...well, that was what my big ones were like. Started happening every couple of months, built up to daily or at least every 2-3 days. very scarey. Dr. sent me to a nuerologist, heart dr., ear specialist...couldnt' find anything...was just told, "it's probably your Lupus" which is a good catch all for anything they can't explain. I have found out that you have to take your healthcare in your own hands sometimes and insist on further testing, etc. Other symptoms were: memory loss--I carried a paper and pen with me at work and wrote down everything they wanted done...I could no longer trust my mind to remember anything more than 10 seconds. headache...small continuous headache..never went away, ringing in the ears, which I first thought was a buildup of my medicines. An unexplained earache. The Dr. would say he didn't see anything but pressure. But, I have an earache...they even sent me to a Dentist to rule out TMJ. Extreme fatigue..so tired all the time. My feet hurt..I can't remember my feet not hurting for years. Blurry vision..couldn't read early in the morning or late at night. Eye Dr. said my vision was fine. All these DRs. telling me they couldn't find anything, and I knew these things were happening to me. I started to think that maybe I was losing my mind. Confusion, nerves on the very edge, muscle spasms, shooting pains, numbness in my lower legs and feet, vertigo, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech...I knew what I wanted to say, but sometimes something totally different would come out...or I love you might come out "I slobe zoo". Memory loss, sweet craving, dry mouth, difficulty in swallowing, constant indigestion, unsteady gait, heart flip flops, choking on food. Now, do you see why I wouldn't tell anyone all the symptoms...sounds like a real nut, don't I? But, all these things "were" happening to me. I went off the Nutrasweet/aspertame (it's other name) and slowly these things began to taper off. The 20-40 small spells a day are down to 2-3 a month, the big spell are down to 1-2 a month. One day I woke up and realized I could see color...why I hadn't even realized that my color had gone....It was a funny thing. Then as each day came, I began to think, "wonder what will go away today?" My profs. here where I work even got caught up in the "what has gone away today?" It's wild. I can see now, I don't have an earache...I do still have some ringing in my ears. The headache still comes and goes. The pain...remember a 44 on a scale of 1-10 is running about a 6-8, but is probably what it should be running. I have walked as much as 6 miles in one day since going off the nutrasweet. Me, who cried after 53 steps...walking 6 miles one day. Now, I did sit and rest during that day, but I did make it. My rheumathologist told me that to be sure I would have to go back and try the nutrasweet again...not on your life lady....BUT, I got into some nurtasweet gum by accident...and within minutes the big spells/ small spells started....now I know.... My conservative husband insisted that the diet pop wasn't bothering him, so he continued to drink the diet coke we had until it was all gone. It was probably May when he went off it altogether. As I said, two weeks ago we were able to cut his sinnetcr and elderpyl (sps.) in half. I honestly think it was due to going off the nutrasweet. I will give you two e-mail addresses where you can obtain a lot of infor- mation on nutrasweet/aspertane. Read it and form your own opinions. But, best of all, go off of it and test it for yourself. Maybe you won't be affected with it like we were. Testing yourself is the only way you will really know. We have a granddaughter that is slightly hyper. The Dr. advised us to take her off "sugar, red dye and pop". So, we put her on diet pop... Wrong....now she is off it....if anything, it made her more hyper. The addresses are: http://www.tiac.net/users/mgold/health.html dig around and you will find his nurtasweet articles...don't know a thing about the author but his remarks about nutrasweet certainly hit home. The other is: Betty Martini Mission Possible P.O. Box 28090 Atlanta Ga 30358 or [log in to unmask] I was told that from the symptoms and previous people, I was about 6 weeks from death by the poisoning. Give it a try, if it helps, great...I think cutting Johnny's medicines in half is marvelous (yes, with Drs. approval), and I know from all the things that were happening to me, I wouldn't touch it again for $20000......that's how convinced I am. Sorry this has gotten so long...but I'm just trying to impress on you that if you're into nutrasweet/aspertane and have parkinson, consider it and see if going off it helps you...what have you got to lose? I enjoy this group so much and have learned so much about parkinson's... thanks everyone!! nancy CG John 1yr [log in to unmask]