The following is my brief account of recent experiences of a toxic reaction to Aspartame and/or acesulfame k.
I had never heard of Aspartame (or acesulfame k) and recently suffered my first ever panic attack. More than anything else I could not understand why or how this could possibly happen to me since I am very fit and a reasonably calm person who performs well under stress. Then, thanks to reading an account on the internet, mentioning Aspartame, I did an analysis of recent changes in my diet.
To my surprise and horror I discovered that I had been taking some chewable vitamin C tablets (purchased at Boots the Chemist here in the U.K.) which contained both Aspartame and acesulfame k. I had consumed 35 tablets at the rate of one a day. I was immediately convinced that this was the source of the problem since my usual diet never includes anything containing artificial sweeteners or other artificial substances and I have always kept a close watch on my diet. Of course, I stopped taking these tablets and within days my symptoms changed dramatically. I had suffered palpitations and tightness across my chest and the bridge of my nose, and my anxiety level was extreme. After stopping g the tablets the palpitations came less often and were less profound and my anxiety dropped considerably. As the days have gone by I have felt continually better.
I cannot believe that this wretched substance is out there in so many products just waiting for the next unsuspecting victim. It really is time for the big food giants to admit that Aspartame, acesulfame k and products like them, are not fit for human consumption. If Aspartame can do this to me (and it really was one of the most harrowing and nightmarish periods of my life) then what is it doing to our children. Here in the UK more and more children are suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome. How do the scientists know that this is not a side effect of the consumption of Aspartame in Diet Coke and other products?
Clearly, there is more to Aspartame and acesulfame k than we are being allowed to know. Many people’s experiences are more tragic than mine and if it were not for the access to information via the internet I may never have known what the source of my problem was.