I am a type II diabetic and had been taking NutraSweet for years. I had noticed that stress and anxiety in my body, especially in the morning on waking up and stretchy legs at night. I felt uncomfortable with this unexplained stress but the doctors could not identify it. I had also noticed over the last several years, difficulty in memory and attributed it to old age. I am 48 and thought that this is what starts happening when you get old. Oh yes, I had also noticed severe joint pain especially in shoulder, hips, and knees. I recently had some intense periodontal work done and was put on tetracycline medication for infection. Within one week I had an acute vertigo attack. I thought I was having a stroke and was whisked to the ER at the hospital. I was told by doctors that there was no explanation for this and given medication. The vertigo subsided as I told the doctors of my now morning stress and anxiety, and that my body was telling me something.
About a week later the morning anxiety got so bad that I had to go to the ER again and beg for help. A triage nurse talked to be and both she and the doctor tried to convince me that since I was recently looking for a new job, the anxiety was in my head. They put me on Buspar. I kept on saying something is not right and even though the Buspar took the edges off the anxiety or panic attacks I felt like life was soon coming to an end. Very scary and depressing.
Searching the net with my symptoms I started to see a pattern and then one morning last weekend a got a severe anxiety surge just after I had eaten some cereal with NutraSweet sprinkled on it. Could it be that I am allergic to Aspartame? I stopped using it and within several days felt like a new person. I can sleep at night and life is looking great.
I thought I would pass this on to you. You can repost it or use this information as you see fit. Please in return let me know of possible organizations or others, especially diabetics that I can pass this on too. I wish I had known sooner, since I would imagine that serious damage has been done to my body and I am sure overall affected my life span. I am angry at how such a damaging product is still being used.