Splenda Side Effects Under Scrutiny

I know of people that have bad reactions to Splenda, but I've never had any problems with it, so I use it. It's safer than aspartame, that's for sure. It passes through you undigested, so that could be why some people just get really bad cramps and stomachaches. The same thing happens with sugar alcohols as well. Did the people complaining of the stomachaches consume sugar alcohols (which are KNOWN to have a "laxative effect") along with the Splenda in certain foods? That's my question. I'd be interested in this elimination diet to see what the results are. It could just be psychosomatic too...the power of suggestion is very strong.

I'm curious - what makes you think it's safer than aspartame? It's a chemical. Where did you get the information that it passes through you?

Sugar alcohols spike your insulin. They don't just pass on through without causing an effect.

When I was pregnant, I had gestational diabetes. My midwife told me that Splenda was fine as a substitute for my regular sugar. It was the only artificial sugar that she recommended during the pregnancy. Thank goodness this happened towards the end of my term.

A year later, I still enjoy Splenda in a cup of early morning coffee. I'm guessing that 1-2 cups per day won't harm me.

Oh yes, the baby is bright, good natured, and growing appropriately. So, it appears that she was fine during the gestational diabetes period.

Check out Dr Joseph Mercola (mercola.com) who has researched this topic of Splenda, Aspartame and various other chemicals quite extensively - I would avoid both these if you can, and choose something like Xylitol or the herb sweetener "Stevia"... or try tasting more natural sweetness!!!

Why do we fall for artificial substitues for food. There is no magic.

Aspartame is broken down in your body to produce low levels of formaldehydes. They aren't harmful enough to really do anything in small doses, but if you consume enough aspartame, it could be bad. But so far, the only real evidence of aspartame being toxic is for people with PKU, a disease where your body can't break down phenylalanine, one of the amino acids in aspartame. Sucralose (splenda) is a sugar molecule that has had its hydroxyl groups replaced with chlorine. This prevents the amylase-type enzymes that break down sucrose from recognizing the molecule. So it doesn't get broken down or digested and passes through the gut.

Hi, I am from Argentina, my name is Federico (20 years-old).I suffer from IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) but I had great improvement with alternative therapy a year ago. I was given Splenda (brought by some friends from the US) some months ago, and quickly began to have intestinal problems again. I admit that with IBS you have to be careful with everything you eat, even healthy food may start a stomachache, but I never had any trouble with others sweeteners. Splenda tastes good but unluckly is not for me.

I have been to the ER now 4 times with chest pains and what seems like a heart attack. I get numbness in my arms, some dizziness like I will pass out and my heart feels like it is pounding. After every cardiac test twice over, they have cleared my heart and believe I'm having panic attacks. I have no history of anything like this nor am i stressed. I'm 33 year's old and a very calm person. Why am i telling you all this? Because these episodes started about 6 months ago at the same time i started using Splenda in my Coffee. My entire life I have had my coffee with only Milk (never using sugar). A girlfriend turned me onto the sweetener about 6 months ago. At first I thoughts these attacks were caffeine related, but I've always had a lot of caffeine. I have on a couple occasions just poured my coffee (w/Splenda) on the ground, because i started to feel numb and dizzy with-in minutes of drinking the first sips. Trying to connect the dots I asked the doctors and they didn't believe there was a connection. Reading more about Splenda and possible side-effects I am starting to believe there is a connection. I'm absolutely stopping all Splenda to see what happens.

I have heard estimates that as much as 15% of Splenda actually is absorbed. I have also read that the chemical structure is similar to DDT which is also disturbing. The advertising is certainly misleading – “made from real sugar.” I don’t think the jury is in, so to speak, on this one.

http://www.antiagingatlanta.com

One last comment on this one: I doubt it will be taken off the market, at least in the near future, no matter what problems the scientific community finds. It is used in too many high profile products produced by large companies.

http://www.antiagingatlanta.com

loved this sweetner in hot foods as well as cold foods hope they never take it off the markets

I have to agree 110% with a few of you above about this Splenda product. Splenda, which I have used DAILY since my wedding in August 2003 to Feb. 2006, has caused me some great health related problems and I am certain. I have always suffered with IBS & Acid Reflux until I was put on 40 mg of Nexium daily. I was fine and have had no problems with using Nexium daily up until, I started using only Splenda, and products containing only Splenda. I almost completely stopped using real sugar except for those found naturally in foods. Anything requiring sweetness in cooking, etc.. I used Splenda only. Well let me tell you, Splenda I think has made my life a living nightmare and that is being NICE about it. I have been to visit doctor after doctor with side effects and have had test after test. Including various heart scans, blood tests and poked and pried on numerous of times. NOTHING was EVER found!!! I was released one night at the ER with having chest pains and other health problems with a clean bill of health! I have STOPPED using Splenda and all products containing Splenda sweetener. --- ALL health related issues have also completely STOPPED! If Splenda is so wonderful, --- Explain this, I'm very curious. My life is back to normal finally. I would love to see Splenda off the market and with good reason.

I decided to do a search on Splenda and the side effects because I have recently started using Splenda in more things and more often and lately I have not been able to sleep due to itchy skin. The only change I have made is to add the Splenda to my diet. I have been plagued with allergies all my life and have had to watch what I come in contact with. I am going back to sugar to see if things change.

I've had off and on these HORRIBLE episodes that no one has ever been able to pinpoint their cause! I've even had a colonoscopy to find out what the cause was. Extreme bloating and intestinal spasms/cramps that feel like LABOR pains! They render me useless for about an hour and then POOF all goes away! I didn't think about it being related to Splenda until I started doing some internet searching! These episodes started when I was doing the South Beach diet and wanting to cut sugar from my diet. I had some of those sugar free chocolates with the same effects and thought it was from them. But I stopped having those and would still get the horrible episodes of pain every so many weeks or months! I'm pretty sure now the reason is Splenda because I'm using that as a sugar replacement! That will NOW stop and I will go back to good ol' sugar to see if things change! Hopefully once I stop, I have no more of these episodes again!

I have the same bloating, but i don't have pain,it is just like someone has inflated my stomach. I am trying to determine what food will trigger this. I USE TONS OF SPLENDA AND ALSO NUTRISWEET. BUT I CANT SAY THAT I NOTICE ANY BLOATING AFTER USE.

Dude, people! Common sense! O.K we have four different choices of sugar stuff. Pure sugar, the Equal brand, Sweet n' Low or Slenda. 1. pure sugar- you need like a whole gallon of it to make your tea sugary + it never mixes in w/ the tea, it just sits there at the bottom of the glass. 2. cancer-causing, enough said, but then again what doesn't cause cancer these days. 3. My personal favotite, kind-of cancer causing, but I heard that it doesn't. Who knows. 4. I use this too, it has never given me any problems- ever. Maybe you people are just to old to handle it.- no offense. And maybe you are just eating the wrong foods with it, and get bloating and stuff w/ that instead, did you ever think of that? I vote go for Splenda. I mean cancer or some "digestive problems"

Dr. Mercola is right. Splenda, saffrin, and aspartame is toxic, especially towards diabetics.

Stevia should be used instead.

Hey hello again!! So I heard that Sweet n' Low was safer than Splenda. I also heard that the scientists just got done with another huge study and found that aspertain(or I think that's what it is.) is actually not cancer - causing. When are people just going to find an overall cure for this. I blame it all on columbus and otherearly settlers because they brought over all of these diseases, but then again they couldn't have known what they were doing. Oh well, we are all going to die someday. My advice- live life to its fullest. I have missed so many oppurtunities because they could have had a bad consecence. LIVE YOUR LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is in response to Craig's posting. FYI, my husband has just gone through the same experiences that you have been dealing with. 5 trips to ER. Chest pains, palpitations and PAC's. Was told he was fine and that he may be having "panic attacks" and to "de-stress." He was also experiencing severe "digestive" problems and dizziness with heavy sweating among other unexplained reactions. This went on for about 18 months and countless doctor visits--Lots of "well you look good to me" comments. Finally last summer we figured out that it was the 2 packets of Splenda in his morning cup of coffee that were causing the problems. Once he dropped the Splenda (substituting raw sugar or nothing) he steadily improved. It takes a long time to work out of the system but a year later he is feeling "back to normal" again. BTW he has inadvertently eaten a few foods containing Splenda (a piece of Halloween Candy and a bite or two of sugar-free Jello) and the symptoms came back in a RUSH and lasted until they had cleared his system again...be careful! Just wanted to let you know that you aren't crazy or a hypochondriac. This was a very difficult time for all of us and there was no one out there to validate how he was feeling. Hope this helps. Stay off of Splenda and you will probably feel much better in a few months.

Ever since I was a teenager I have been treated for a couple of mental illnesses. Bipolar disorder, Obssesive Compulsive disorder and sometimes panic attacks. A few years ago my wife decided to switch us to splenda as a sugar substitute. All of a sudden I began having severe panic attacks. Constant anxiety and agoraphobia. Even tho I had managed to keep my bipolar under control I suddenly began having severe mood swings.

After several trips to my doctors and changing medications I began cognitive behavioral therapy. Nothing seemed to work. I would feel better for a few weeks or months then I would be back to feeling bad again.

I finally had enough and I realized that the one thing that was constantly coming and going was the splenda. We would use then run out of it and switch back to regular sugar then back to splenda. Recently my wife switched us back to a big ol bag of splenda. I have had constant anxiety, panic attacks, chest pain, stomach problems, head aches, muscle twitches and cramps, racing heart and funny heart beats, itching all over my body with no apparent rash, difficulty breathing.

The list go on and on. I have had every blood test and ekg I even wore a heart monitor for a week recording the racing heart. I have finally put two and two together. I wake up, I feel great, a cup of coffee with splenda, 15 minutes later, I feel like crap.

Sam

I have never had stomach problems or a weak stomach. It is usually like iron clad. I recently had a smoothie sweetened with Splenda and had severe cramps, nausea, distended stomach, severe diahrea and body aches all over which lasted more than 24 hours. do some people just not tolerate it? and can it make an individual that sick. I was in bed for almost 2 days and am still weak and not at 100%. I will never intentionally ingest splenda again .
Karen

thetruthaboutsplenda.com is a great website for info...The research area is particularly interesting

Does Dr. Mercola sell Stevia? Just asking.
I've used used Splenda since 2003 and things have been fine.
"Natural" does not always equal "good" There are plenty of
"natural" things that can kill you. When speaking againts a sweetner
please reference sites besides thetruthaboutsplenda.com, mercola.com, ihatesplendabudonthavediabetes.com ... etc.
Thanks,
Vinny

To Mrs. Pesimistic: Many of those contributing to this forum have done so because the Splenda appears to have adversly affected their lives. To "live life to the fullest", one must take proper care of him/herself. To say "Oh well, we are all going to die someday" is true but showing little sympathy for those who have suffered from the side affects of another FDA product which was not studied long enough to determine whether or not it is safe for long term use. I believe these people have a serious concern and am happy that they may have discovered the problem. As have many of those who have posted here, I have also suffered the side affects of Splenda and in order to "live my life to the fullest", I must take the steps necessary to feel good while I am alive! Christopher Columbus did not bring over the mind that discovered dangerous Splenda!

This seems to be a differnt side effect then other are seeing. My daughter, mother and I all have problems with our mouths being sore after drinking using splenda. We all have had to stop using it.

I have had several problems over the last year and a half. Chest pains, and mostly horrible loud hiccups that are quite explosive when they occur. They have such an impact that my chest is left sore alot of the time. They are forceful and uncontrollable which casues loud noises as they occur. I have been to the heart doctor, as well as the hospital with chest pains. I am a 34 year old active phiysically fit female. I just realized lastnight after several tests, and alot of confusion as to why this could be occurring- that I started using splenda about the same time these symptoms appeared. I came in to work this morning with intent to just have a look if anyone else has experienced side effects from splenda. I was surprised to find this website. While I cannot confirm it is indeed spelnda as only today will I begin to cut it out of my diet. Will keep everyone posted.

I am a female, fitness instructor @ an all womens gym. Whenever I hear of one of my ladies are using splenda as a substitute... I go to this website and print them a copy to read, then let them decide whether or not to use the artificial sweetner. I recomend a natural replacement called stevia. Thank-you,Jo Mikell

For the last 9 months or so I've used Splenda ( a lot of it) on my oatmeal every morning and throughout the day eaten other sugar substitute foods. During this time I've been experiencing muscle twitching under the eyes and itching skin of which both have about driven me crazy. I have tried to figure out what was causing it and now I believe it must be the Splenda or other sugar substitutes. I thought I was doing something good. I guess if it seems to good to be true it probably is.

Hi. I just started the South Beach diet last week, and being a HUGE sugar lover am having a hard time just adjusting to the taste of the splenda. Coffee is just not the same....however what brought me here, is that I have been experiencing body aches. At first I was concerned I had Lyme disease again, but I am beginning to think it's the artificial sweetener. Thanks for the info, guess I'll have to keep looking. I have lost 5 pounds already though....

Hi,I just want to say, I WILL NEVER USE SPLENDA AGAIN!!!. Craig you are not alone. I was having the same reactions as you were having. I also thought i was going crazy, one day healthy, 6 months after using splenda i was not healthy. I started on the south beach diet, you cannot have sugar. I was never a fan of artificial sweetners but when the commercial said it is made from sugar i believed this to be true. I was wrong!! I did not know at the time it was the splenda wrecking havoc on my life, it affected my job because of the panick attacks. I am a nurse and deal with people everyday. So can you immagine being normal and healthy one day and the next day you dont even know who you are or what happened. I was seen by specialist, had all types of test done. They could not find anything wrong. Then i was seen by a neurologist, he asked me if i have been doing anything different. I said i started a new diet 6 or 7 months ago, (South Beach diet) and added splenda to my diet. He said i bet that is your problem, you are having side affects from it. Splenda is not made from sugar. It is made up of chemicals. He advised me i was not the only one having these problems.

Seems all the problems being caused by Splenda is like an allergic reaction. But the only way someone will know if they are allergic is to use it.

But that isn't any basis to eliminate Splenda or any other artifical product from the market simply because some people are reacting badly to it. Some people are allergic to peanuts (I'm guessing the oil) but we don't see peanuts banned from the market. Some people are lactose intollerant, but we still have milk on the store shelves. There are many people who can't use monosodium glutamate (I love MSG, adds so much extra flavor) due to bad reactions to it.

Maybe Splenda does have genuine health concerns for everyone after long term use (years of use), but until we know what they are, either don't use it if you fear the possible health hazzards down the road, or if you react badly to it. But to make all this noise about it needing to be banned BECAUSE its artificial and yet another failure of the FDA, is pretty silly to me.

Besides all that, nothing wrong with good ol' sugar...So what if has calories. Simply regulate how much you use or the foods you eat. Than you can enjoy a good tasting natural substance and not worry about unknown affects on the body.

I understand what a lot of you are going through. I started using splenda to help support my mother in her efforts with dibeties. I started having the chest pains and pain up my back. I have broken out in a rash. And just today my doctor called i have a problem with my liver because of Splenda ( and no it is not because of drinking because I rarely drink, only once a year on my aniversary.) before i got to the doctors figured it was the splenda bothering me, so i stop using it and the pains began to stop. but a couple of days after the pain stopped I had a low carb ice cream since mom was counting carbs for the dibeties. this low carb i cream was made with splenda and i didn't know. Because of the one ice cream I was sick and couldn't keep anything down for 2 days. The doctor told me to stay away from the splenda. But now i am going to have to have all these test to find out how much damage was done to my liver and find out if it can be reversed.

I am telling you this so you can take it in to consideration. Everyone has to make their own choice in life. But My choice is that splenda will not be in my home. I have 2 small childern to think about. If i end up having to deal with a health issue in the future where i have watch sugars i will do without any of the subsitutes. But that is my choice.

Any of you having problems with Splenda should also make sure your liver and kidneys are okay.

I was excited when Splenda hit the market, but like all things in existence, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. There will never be a substitute for the real thing. With that said, I have to say at first I was kinda weary to use Splenda (because of the whole too good to be true thing) and I started using it off and on in tea and coffee, you know, just like 1-2 packets a day. Well then my mom decided to start baking with it, and I started buying more products that had it......and well the last two days have been hell for me. I already have IBS (AND I'M ONLY 22 BY THE WAY!) and before these past two days usually other foods set my stomach off.

Well yesterday I had two cups of green tea which was sweetened with two packets of splenda (two packets/cup) and then later that night (about 3 hours later) I bought some berry Mentos that were sugar free (aka sweetened with Splenda....) ate a couple of those.....and then came the stomach cramps.......OH GOD!!!!!! First my stomach got bubbly like when you start to have gas....but then it progressively got worse where I could actually feel the bubbles rolling around inside my intestines.....and then came the burning sensation...my entire stomach and intestines felt like they were on fire......This lasted well into the night, until finally my mom gave me one of my dads stomach pills that settles it down and relaxes it. That was just enough to let me get some sleep. I honestly think those Mentos had a lot to do with it, I think they were like PURE Splenda!

Then there was today. First I ate a bowl of the NEW Cinnamon Toast Crunch with less sugar (because it's mostly sweetened with Splenda) I didn't realize this until after I'd eaten it either. I bought a can of DIET Arizona Green Tea. Of course sweetened with Splenda. (Again, I didn't realize it was Splenda sweetened until AFTER i'd started drinking it)and I ate like 2 of those damn berry mentos again also. It wasn't until I started reading that Splenda might be causing all of my digestive problems that I realized that I've been ingesting more than usual. Today isn't as bad as yesterday, but my stomach has the same bubbling and burning. I feel nauseated too.

I am 110% posititve that it's because of the Splenda and I'm cutting it out of my diet completely!!!! I'd rather eat the real thing then have to deal with feeling like this. It's to the point that it's debilitating! I'M ONLY 22!!!!!!! I shouldn't feel like I'm 60!!!!

I started using Splenda when it first came out. I was going to Weight Watchers trying to loose wieght and this was the answers to my prayers so I thought. For 2 years I suffered with sever Vertigo. I thought for a while I even had brain tumors my headachs were so bad and the dizzyness was just unbearable. I went to the Dr. who gave me stuff to help my syptoms... alergy medicine, motion pills we tried everthing. Finally one day I was sitting in church literally wondering why I felt so horrible. Reached for a stick of gum... and it dawned on my husband. We got home and started researching and read that one of the side effects of Splenda was vertigo. He asked me to try to give it up for 3 days. Mind you I used it in everything... but I wanted to be healty more then to be thin. So I did within 3 days the spinning lessen... with in 3 weeks they were gone. I have not had many "episodes" of vertigo since. I word it this way because I am more careful then every now because I was at the store and "tried" some demonstration food... did not read the lable it had surclose derived from you guessed it Splenda with in 20 min my head was full congested and by that evening the room had started spinning again! Will it be taken off the market? Probably Not! Will I ever use it NO... my family has seen such a difference in my health that they will not use it either. Yes I have gained my wieght back... I'm still trying without the aide of Splenda. I loved the way it taste but hate the side effects. I write this only to inform people they also need to watch out for things like surclose and other items derived from Splenda. I understand many of you who read this won't ever had a side effect and be thankful becuase those of us who have understand. Those of you who are questioning... please please for you own health don't use if for 3 days and see if your symptoms don't go away.

I am wondering if anyone on here has had surgery on the intestines and is experiencing severe bloating due to use of Splenda? I had surgery for a bowel obstruction several years ago. After surgery, my stomach was supersensitive but that graudually subsided. A few years later, due to constant dieting, I started experiencing ridiculous bloating. Probably due to artificial sweeteners. So I dropped aspartame for splenda thinking it was more natural. Since I don't drink enough water and carbonated beverages caused bloating, I trained myself to start drinking flavored bottle water with splenda. I usually would drink 2 to 3 bottles of flavored water a day. Needless to say I am experiencing terrible bloating. Everyone thinks I am pregnant. I suspect it is the bottled water. Has anyone else with surgery of the stomach experienced this sensitivity post surgery, especially with artificial sweeteners? My doctor could not explain the cause of this bloating. It does not appear to be IBS. Dieting or not, I am dropping the artificial sweeteners.

I thought I was coming in contact with people whe had had a GI virus and until I re3d the comments on this website, I did'nt realize that my intestinal bloating, pain, cramps and loose stools could be related to splenda. I will not use it again and will relay another statement to you all, after a couple weeks to be sure that splenda was the culprit, which I am sure it is.

glad to have found this website

I have used Splenda since its debut on the market, what, two years ago? However, after reading 'here and there' articles on its possible side effects and detriments, I began to look inward at my own physical symptoms and quit using Splenda immediately. I'm embarrassed to admit that for over 2 years I consumed 14-20 packets of Splenda in my morning coffee regimen and continued dosing the product throughout the day with my "Splenda-sweetened" tea - a gallon of tea made with over 2-3 cups of the stuff. I would sometimes down 4-5 glasses a day of that! I thought I was doing a service to my body by staying away from sugar. I mean besides, wasn't this stuff "made from sugar?"
What stopped me was a slow progression of always feeling bloated. I felt like my digestive system was never "on track." I was also constipated very frequently, which was something new to me. I had never had problems with this before. These symptoms became more frequent and more intense over the past year. Also, I was often feeling "blah" and unfocused. After reading other people's testimonials, I decided to quit Splenda just to see what would happen with these "symptoms." I figured I had nothing to lose.
It's only been 1 week and I already feel so much better. I went back to using sugar, and I will start using something call Stevia to sweeten my coffee and tea from now own.
To conclude, I'm not sure what exactly Splenda does to the human body; however, I am sure that my own body functions better without the stuff. If you're not sure whether you're overall well-being is being affected by this product. I encourage you to cut it out of your diet for a week or two just to see if any improvements occur. What have you got to lose?

In response to those of you who posted about having chest pains directly related to Splenda use - THANK YOU! I am a healthy 38 year old woman who over the past 4 months has made 3 trips to the ER with chest pains so bad I could only assume I was having a heart attack. After a slew of tests, each time I was told that I was perfectly healthy...no signs of heart problems - go home. My doctor (probably) thinks I'm a nut because I've been telling him about this since it started. He says I'm having panic attacks - well, YEAH...when your chest, aorta, and left arm hurt so bad you want to cry - you do tend to get "panicky"! Anyway, I've been using Splenda (lots of it) for the past 5 months (one month before the chest pains started) and after reading the posts here, I have no doubt that this is the culprit. I'm throwing everything containing Splenda in the trash TODAY where it belongs. I can only hope that this toxin gets pulled off of the market before someone actually dies from it.

Amy

Please help a newbie and thanks in advance! I had become completely hooked on 7up Plus made with Splednda and suddenly it was GONE of every shelf with no warning or explanation. Is this the reason?? Could the Splenda and the Aspartame be causing any skin problems?? I have to add that I have the genetic disorder of Multiple Sclerosis that has just moved into the secondary phase.
I also have Vertiligo (where the skin pigment dies out in circular batches wherever it decides it wants to). I am at my wits end with this weird white bumpy crap on the back of my arms and the tops of my thighs. Once the hair is free from the small whitish bump, the skin gets HARD and therefore perpetuating the problem!! Any guidance you can give would be so greatly appreciated!
Ali

(splenda) is a sugar molecule that has had its hydroxyl groups replaced with chlorine. Its as simple as that. probobly one of the safest substances ever offered on the market. The sugar industry is backing most of the negative reports you see about this stuff and for a good reason. Its hurting their business. Now you have these hypercondriacs out there claiming its causing all these medical problems for them. Nonesense. I cook with it and drink stuff with it all the time. Modern technology at its best. And as far as the fear of a Chlorinated compound goes..... Hmmm can anyone say TABLE SALT.