My name is Lynn and I live in St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. I have recently become very interested in the scourge of Aspartame. I am a sufferer of migraine headaches, and have been so for many years. I have concluded that the culprit of my problem is indeed Aspartame.
Unfortunately, after being diagnosed with the problem my doctor did not inform me that one of the possible causes of migraines may be Aspartame, even though she did give me a list of many types of food that cause the disorder. At the top of the list was the warning that foods containing phenylalanine may be a problem to sufferers. However not even a hint as to any problems derived from consuming Aspartame. I continued to suffer from migraines even though I discontinued eating every food on that list.
What a shock I received one day when I was purchasing ‘sugar-free’ yogurt at the supermarket. In the ingredients list it said that the product contained Aspartame and that Aspartame may contain phenylalanine. I immediately stopped using the product in my diet and the symptoms went away entirely. I was Amazed. Why wasn’t I informed about the possibility that Aspartame may be the very thing that was making me sick?
I have been looking through the net and the symptoms listed on some pages include some of the scariest I experienced during what I called a migraine. These included memory loss (to the point where I couldn’t remember my brother’s or my roommate’s name), and slurred and jumbled speech. I revisited my doctor to tell of these symptoms which were getting progressively worse (before the Aspartame halt) and she said that she has had other patients complain of similar symptoms and that everyone experiences migraines differently. I question whether doctors are informed about the effects of Aspartame or if they are just as blind as I was.