March 26, 2003
HOME SICK
For the second time this week, I didn't go into work today (Wednesday the 26th). On Monday morning my left eye was swollen shut and my bottom lip was swollen, also, so I stayed home. Yesterday (Tuesday) I was back to normal and back at work. But this morning I woke up at 3:30 a.m. rubbing my right eye, and by 8:00 a.m. the eye was completely swollen shut. Now, at 9:45 p.m. it's almost back to normal (thanks Benadryl).
While I don't know for certain if it's food allergy or environmental allergy, something in my gut (no pun intended) tells me though that it's somehow connected to something called SPLENDA.
Has anyone reading this ever experienced something similar (eyes swelling shut without being socked in the eye)? Does anyone know anything about this SPLENDA stuff? Please leave me a message in the "Comments" area below if you know something I should know. Thanks!
Posted by Mikal at March 26, 2003 9:46 PM
| TrackBack
Sounds like a bizarro revisit of the old avocado allergy...
Hi Lee... I know, sort of like that, but this time to my eye. Very strange.
I hope you find out what's causing this, but I REALLY hope it has nothing to do with Splenda -- the only no-cal sweetener I've ever been able to stomach. Good luck!
Dude,
I've been having stomache troubles for the better part of a month. The only thing I can pin it on, is this Splenda stuff. I may be wrong, but I'm cutting it out of my diet and see if things return to normal.
I've been eating it in ice cream, so I stopped that. Then, I've felt dehydrated so I get this Fruit-2-0 flavored water stuff. It was so good, I drank a ton of it, and like an idiot, I finally read that it has Splenda in it.
I'm concerned about my health, and I sure hope I've found out what my problem is. If its just this Splenda stuff, I'll never use it again.
I'd appreciate any feedback you have on the subject.
I also am having some problems and I strongly suspect it is being caused by Splenda. My lips are dry and swollen and extremely sore, and this has never happened before. I began thinking if I had introduced anything new into my diet recently. The only change is that I purchased and started using Splenda for a sugar substitute around 2 weeks ago. Today is the first day that I stopped using it, and already I'm seeing improvement and the symptoms are not as severe. Anyone else experience anything like this?
Carrie
I am having severe itching on my legs anad arms. I thought it was because of the dry weather during the winter but it's spring now and I was actually woken up by the itching last night. My arms feel like they are on fire. The only thing different I have done was to add Splenda to my diet. Anybody else have this reaction?
I also believe that I have a Splenda allergy. I've inadvertently consumed beverages containing the stuff on two separate occasions. I look as though I've had collagen shots in my lips and it doesn't feel too good either. Awful. Luckily it goes away in about a day. it also tastes pretty disgusting.
Splenda, huh? Well I've been using it from time to time but never made the connection. I put it in some iced tea yesterday, drank that last night and all day today and my eyes are swollen so badly right now, which is why I'm searching the net like crazy for anyone who has had this problem. I also have hives coming on. I'm going to do some more research because it's driving me crazy. Thanks so much.
Hi,
I'm glad (well, not actually "glad" but relieved) to see others having similar symptoms that I have. About a month and a half ago I got the brilliant idea to make my own "sugar-free" liqueurs with Splenda and liqueur extracts. Boy, were they good. I didn't drink enough to get drunk, but I drank a couple of ounces every night. Well, I developed this horrible rash on my belly and thighs. I thought I had some horrible communicable disease although I'm divorced and have been celebate for 6 months! I've tried all the usual things. Changing to additive free laundry detergent, avoiding foods that I've eaten for years such as shellfish, soy flour, nuts, eggs. The rash persisted. I was almost to the point of going to the dermatologist when I bought a bottle of wine. I didn't drink my Splenda liqueurs for a few days and my rash started to go away. I racked my brain to try and figure out what it was I was doing different and the minus of the equation was Splenda! I love Splenda, and after my rash goes completely away, I'm going to try it again as an experiment. I sincerely hope that Splenda is not the culprit, but I suspect that it is. I wish the rest of you well!
Hi, I ran accross this while trying to find additional sites to warn all of my friends and family against Splenda (Also called Sucralose). For 8 months I have seen many doctors in regards to a horrible itchy rash that broke out on my chest. It "mysteriously" went away when I stopped using splenda. I started using it this week and it's INSTANTANEOUSLY back... now you are probably thinking this chick is just alergic.. well I've never been alergic to anything and found HUNDREDS of other online testimonials of people who have had the same reaction to thsi "UNTESTED" sugar substitute made from CHEMICALS... I wouldn't suggest ANYONE uses this product after a year of hell to my skin and god knows what else inside my body.....
http://www.mercola.com/2000/dec/3/sucralose_testimonials.htm
I too have had really bad allergy problems associated with Splenda. My lips get all red, dry and sore. Each time I come into contact with Splenda it gets worse. The last time it took over a week to heal completely. It's getting harder to avoid because so many of the new sugar free products have it and many of the older sugar products are switching to it. The FDA is so strict about testing everything else they allow into the market; too bad they didn't test this stuff too.
I also had a Splenda reaction and it was anything but splendid. I had hives, itching that drove me out of my MIND. I have never had an allergic reaction to anything, either. This was horrible. I am still itching, even on steroids and antihistamines and I have welts all over my body. I had to go to the ER and was even having trouble breathing. That junk should be ILLEGAL.
I did a search on "Splenda Allergy" today after racking my brain to figure out why I am covered in hives and itching to death and imagine my surprise to find this. I have never been allergic to anything, ever. But I cooked with Splenda this Thanksgiving in the cranberries & the pumpkin pie and have been drinking Pepsi Edge daily since Thanksgiving. One day after Tday is when the problem started. I thought I was silly to suspect Splenda because I thought it was just a harmless "sugar derivative" but now it seems it is the only explanation because it is the only thing new in my life. I'm throwing away my Pepsi Edge, now...
I'm in tears. I've been using Splenda for years (doing low carb) and recently there's been an explosion of LC products with Splenda (Atkins cereals, hood low carb milk, low carb jellies, davinci syrups, yada yada) that allowed me to eat more "normally". Well, for the past couple of months, I've started getting hives, first on my palms and the soles of my feet, intermittently - and they were just red blotches, not the raised hives. Then, that progressed to raised red hives on my wrists, and ankles. Just this past weekend, I made the connection - that it could be the splenda. Sunday I had nothing with Splenda and while the hives aren't completely gone, this morning I only woke up with one or two on my wrists and ankles. Assuming that sucralose is the cause, I am so sad that I'm going to have to eliminate these products. It was such a concvenience, but the alternative is not pretty. And I can only imagine the damage that I've done internally. :-
I've been using splenda for eight months...in all that time I've had an itching on my chest and sometimes other parts of my body...the itching would be intense at times driving me crazy. I put two and two together finally and realized I had been using splenda since it had been recommended in the atkins diet book...but even dr. atkins had warned that no more than two or three at most packets should be consumed in a day. I was using six a day! I have just now stopped taking splenda and I hope this ends my problem. I thank all who have responded here and on other sites. I also thank google...I found this site after I typed in "splenda and itching".
For about one month now I have had a raised rash on my chest, which has now spread to the tops of my hands and arms. At first I thought it was from the new Wisk detergent, since that was new. But, now that I think of it (and the reason I just a few minutes ago Googled "Splenda allergy" and got this amazing site) it is probably the Splenda. I had been using just the packets in cereal, but I just recently bought a bag for cooking. I have used it a lot in batches of apple sauce, which I have been making fresh almost daily. Two nights ago I baked with it in an apple cake. Today my rash is very noticeable and spreading. I am pretty sure it's Splenda. And I thought this stuff was The Answer!
I'm also breaking out with large hives, which I relate directly back to Spenda.. What a shame as I though I could have a few treats while on diet. It also causes severe gas and bloating.
I am really glad to have found this topic. I too started drinking Pepsi Edge as I am diabetic and don't really care for the taste of diet sodas. I liked the idea of drinking a "full flavor" soda and being able to keep my sugars under control. A few days after I started drinking Pepsi Edge, I broke out with a severe rash. It is on my arms from shoulder to fingertips, legs from above the knees to the tops of my feet and on my stomach as well. I am using a cream for diabetics to help with the itching and taking Benadryl as well. I am really upset that there has been no advisory that I am aware of from Splenda or Pepsi that people are experiencing these rashes. As stated above, I am diabetic and have to really be careful where my legs and feet are concerned when it comes to skin problems. I have awakened in the morning with sores opened on my legs which I am sure is from scratching the itch during my sleep. I am trying to heal them as I would hate to think that I lost a leg due to Splenda or Pepsi. Thanks to all of you for sharing your similar problems as I was going nuts trying to figure out what was causing the rash all of the sudden.
Add my name to the list,
I used Splenda for only two weeks when the itching started. Two trips to the hospital, one suspecting the shortness of breath some kind of heart attack, the other due to itching, suspected tension.
Stopped using Splenda and all the symptons vanished in a few days. Could not be sure it was because I'd stopped using Splenda so I put two packs into a cup of coffee. Before the cup was empty, the itching returned with a fury that numbed the fingers as did the shortness of breath and chest pains.
Goodbye Splenda...forever! Am feeling just fine without it. Thought I had to let you all know.
Brandon
I'm right here with all of you. My mother in-law is a diabetic and they came to visit the other day and I used Splenda in everything I needed to cook that called for sugar & now I have hives on every square inch of my body! I have already been to the hospital & they gave me shots of Benedryl & Adrenaline, it worked for a few hours, but its still here. I feel like I have thousands of itchy burning mosquito bites all over my body. Definately NO MORE SPLENDA FOR ME!!!!!!!!
OK, so I'm assuming this hive condition I've been experiencing the past 3 weeks is due to the splendid Splenda. I increased my intake of the stuff dramatically due to a severe cold and ingesting alot of natural teas sweetened with it. This is a new experience for me as I've never had problems with allergies or hives before. The hives come and go and are terribly itchy, especially when they visit my hands or feet. What I'm curious about now is the severe joint pain I've been experiencing in my hips and lower back which started about the same time. The pain has been so bad, it has wakened me in the middle of the night and a heating pad has become a close companion. My hips are "popping" more than they ever have (popping= the sound you get when you break a chicken leg off). Anyone else out there having the same problem?
Thanks, Gale beth
I had been on the low carb diet, starting about 2000, eating all the "regular" low carb items (i.e. meat, salad, cheese, pork rinds) and had great result and felt great. I lost about 40 lbs and kept it off for about 4 years and decided to try low carb again. My first bad experience back on the diet was I loved the subway wrap. I ate it every day for about 2 weeks for lunch. I felt like I had gum in my stomache. I ended up at my doctor in a panic, pulse racing. I gave myself a break for about 3 months and tried again. with all the low carb items at the grocery, I thought this would be a breeze compared to the first time I went on the diet in 2000. I had the bread, dressings, ice cream bars, everything. I will tell you I have never felt so sick. Terrible stomache pains, gas, and stabbing chest pains, pains in my back. After 2 weeks, I went off the diet and started eating my favorite, Mexican food 3 times a week ( Of course I didn't lose any weight, however, I felt normal again) I have been trying to get my system back to normal, but now and again, I have ate low carb bread (last night for dinner) today I have severe chest pains (stabbing) and severe gas. I have only one thing to conclude it to and that is splenda. I must have an allergy. I'm not sure if Subway uses them in the wraps, but that is when it all started. Then again it was back when I was using all the low carb grocery items. The reason I think it is all associated with the splenda is because when I did the diet before anyone jumped on the low carb wagon, The only things you could eat were eggs, meat, cheese. For me I'm done with this product. Has anyone else had this obvious of a problem????
Yeap rash on neck, and now have had tiny prickly feeling rash that itches intensely all over my body. I thought it was poison ivy, but its not acting like poison ivy. I was pretty sure the bumps on my neck were from a toxin: splenda, and now that you others have mentioned it I'm giving up my splenda and turning to just creamer in my coffee as hard as that is, but I will not poison my body with such a terrible toxin that hasen't even been proven. I knew it was too good to be true. I've been using it now for about 3 months. I know when I had to give up sugar completely I also gave up coffee, therefore didn't need to sweaten anything. I am reactive-hypoglycemic so must cut out sugar as well, because it makes me swell and my blood sugar go up. I remembered the two months off sugar, coffee, no splenda the bumps on my neck disappeared. I'm giving up the splenda first and if I have to the coffee also, but thats another hurdle. I thank everyone whose made a comment here. We can put this together even if the FDA dosen't "get it" before we do. I'm grateful to have found this site. Thanks to the lady who is a diabetic who said Splenda is in many products, I'll look out for that. Michelle
i also think i am having a splenda allergy problem. the last few times i have been out to eat ihave been coming home with itchy nose, eyes, headaches, hives, etc. the only thing i have done when i go out to eat i can connect it to is ordering unsweet tea and adding splenda to it. i am going to give it a few days and let it clear out and then try it at home....i almost thought tonight i would need an epi-pen...i drank benadryl and it has improved--but still there??? this is so weird!!!!! my son has food allergies adn now i am beginning to think i have one to this splenda--which i hate because i have liked it?!?!? scary! beth in tn
I started using Splenda and drinking diet drinks about a year ago and I noticed my eyes were becoming increasingly irritated and red. After a few months of eye pain and unsuccessful eye drops, I was diagnosed with allergic conjunctivitus. I have ruled out EVERYTHING else that causes this problem, and I realized that my eye problems started right around the time I started using sucralose products. Tommorrow I am going to stop using ANY sweeteners, and I have a feeling that my eyes and also chest pains will stop. If anyone has experienced eye problems, please let me know..I am very curious. Catherine
I have had the horrible rash too and connected it to Splenda. This website and all or your comments was so helpful. I stopped the Splenda seven days ago and the rash doesn't seem that much better. I still have raised welts that itch like crazy. How long did it take for all of you to get rid of your awful rash? I would really appreciate input on this.
Julia: Thanks for your comment. For me, it took around 48 hours or so for the rash/swelling to fully disappear. If you're interested in seeing more about all of this, type "Splenda" in the search box on the home page of this site.
I have been using Splenda for about 4 months (started trying new bars and cereals for convenience and taste; also ice cream bars and candy for sweets). So the increase in Splenda products went from just one per day to about five or six within the last two months. The itching started on the chest about Jan. 18 of this year. Then I went to the dermotologist and she said it was contact dermatitius and reccommended using some hydrocortisone cream. It worked for a bit. But then the rash moved to the back and shoulders.
Now this week it is all over the torso including the stomach and arms.There are no bumps or sores, just severe itching mostly in the morning and at night. I've been on the Internet for the past week trying to figure out what type of reaction this was... allergic, nervous, internal problems like liver or kidney related, iron deficiency, hyperthyroidism, worm infestations etc... I thought I was truly sick with some type of cancer yet I've been healthy all my life and have no allergies whatsoever. I workout quite extensively every week and have never had a problem. Then I thought that it had to be some sort of maybe poisoning or catalyst of something I was ingesting that may trigger these types of illnesses. I've only used Splenda because I thought it would be a better alternative to sugar in terms of my body's reaction to elvated blood sugars. Wrong!
Through this website I've now deduced that Splenda has caused these things to happen in my body. The first real reaction that I had that made me look for other possibilties was the huge bruises I have on my hips from doing these situps I do on my sides. I rarely bruise like that. So I immediately thought that it had to be some sort of iron deficiency anemia. I researched it online and tried to find out what causes it and the symptoms. Although itching was not the primary reaction it did tell me things that could inhibit iron absorption. From there there were a list of antagonists. It was from here I dedcided that the reason for this rash was from some vitamin or digested food causing deficiencies.
This was my list of deductions causing itching:
- iron deficiency
- temperature chages
- mercury?
- chronic renal failure
- scabies
- hypo or hyperthyroidism
- polyphenals from green tea
- worm infestations
- Atkins diet?
- allergy to wheat
- Splenda??
That was it!!!
From this website I have gotten validation and relief for my stirfe for the last two months. I am writing such an extensive letter because I want to give relief to anyone who is going through what I just did!
I will keep you posted on my progress as this will be the first day off all splends products.
Aloha!
I have been suffering with severe hives, welts, itching and discomfort on my entire body for 6 weeks, exactly 1 week after I began a low carb diet which increased my use of Splenda dramatically. My allergist suggested, on my second visit in a week, that it could be the Splenda. I had a hard time believing that until I came across this site.
I too have had little relief from adrenaline or steriod shots, Hydroxyzine (a medication prescribed by my allergist for relief from hives), Bendryl, Allegra, Zertec or any other antihistime . (No health insurance and two doctor visits, I'm out about $500 with no relief!)
To Julia (or any one else with a comment!): who was still experiencing hives seven days after she stopped using Splenda...How are they now? I'm at my wit's end, I stopped using it almost a week ago and with the exception of a couple good days, I'm still covered in hives. I'm certain that I haven't been exposed to any either as I'm hyper sensitive to reading labels now that contain either Splenda or Sucralose.
Relief tips (although temporary): WebMD.com suggested a bath with Oatmeal and Corn Starch to help soothe the hives - I've tried it and it does help although it's temporary like everything else. I think it calls for 6 tablespoons of each ingredient you can use as much as you want. I've also found that Blistex Medicated Anti-Itch lotion is helpful, especially if you use it immediately after the bath.
Any other tips are appreciated.
Good luck to us all.
Your friend in misery, Sharon
have recently started getting chest pains(between stomach and chest) then got these bumps under my skin in lower back like at the love handels. they stared getting sore and kinda red even, maybe a hives never had in life so would'nt known. looked on net for symptons and here i am. Don't know for sure if caused by splenda yet this is first day off of it will have to let you know later..
I have been having eye spasms or "ticks" for 3 or 4 months. The only thing I can think of as far as a cause is Splenda. Anyone else experienced this?
I have been using Splenda for months. Usually just a teaspoon a day in my tea. Tastes pretty bad, but it's better than nothing. I have not experienced the rash, or swollen eyes, but my eyes have been burning and itching. It made me feel like I was exhausted all the time, even though I knew I probably wasn't. I even had my iron levels tested, but they were normal. I didn't make the connection until I went to visit my parents for Easter. No Splenda. All symptoms have vanished and I can only blame it on the Splenda. Another low calorie option has bit the dust.
I just read the post directly above mine. I too had the "twitch"! I almost froget!!!!
These postings sound just like me. I have looked everywhere for an answer to my suffering. I have had a severe case of hives now for 3 weeks or so. Antihistamines are no help unless I at least double the dose. I have scratched my hives to the point of scabs and bleeding. I will have to examine how much splenda I have here. I know I have stuff for my coffee, ice cream god knows what else. I am gonna favortize this site so I can come back and let ya know. I have also thought and checked out other possibilities,
protein overdose, synthroid overdose, the worm infestation thing you name it. If this is my problem there should be some major lawsuits.
Thanks Penny
Had to go to the ER today. Mosquito like marks covering my body esp on my abdomen. Have been doing south beach for two weeks now and using alot of Splenda. Thank god for all of your posts. The dr coudnt even figure it out. But I did. Its the damn splenda. I will switch to nutra sweet and see how that goes. Thanks
I've been using Splenda for quite awhile, probably at least a year. I've gradually increased it in my diet. Both Sunday and Monday after eating some cereal with Splenda sprinkled on top, my throat felt like it was going to close. I used my inhalers and took a benedryl and felt better. My eyes have been twitching for months. Many times my eyes have been burning. I figured it was other allergies or lack of sleep. My skin is still itchy.
Here's the real scary thing! My mom started using products with sucralose (Splenda) about a year ago. She went for a mammogram a couple months ago. She was sent back for a second one and an ultrasound. Yesterday she had a biopsy. We won't know the results of that for about 10 days. I went for a mammogram last Friday. My doctor called on Monday to say they want to do a biopsy on me!
There is no family history of breast cancer. I was wracking my brain, trying to figure out if it was coincidence that we both came up with problems at the same time. The use of Splenda is the only common thing I can think of. I'll let you know when I find out more and if the doctors think their is a link.
Jean
Well, my two cents worth on this. My husband is diabetic, and generally avoids any commercial products by cooking everything from scratch. However, as a treat, he will occasionally break down and get something that has been made with artificial sugar. Generally speaking, he has no problems with any of the artifical sugars. In the past three months, he has purchased a package of cookies, container of ice cream, and a pumpkin pie. All of them gave him stomach aches. We finally tracked it down to the Splenda, which is now in virtually all sugar-free foods. I wrote a note to the Splenda people, mentioning that my husband has very intense stomach pains from their product. They graciously sent me a letter which stated that their product had NO KNOWN SIDE-EFFECTS, and thus could not possibly be the source of the problem, and that my husband may wish to consult with his physician about this condition which was not related to Splenda.
As a side-note, my husband will generally not ever complain about pain or discomfort, so for him to even mention it means that he was severely effected by this.
About a year ago I tried the Atkins diet, and lost about 30 pounds. However, during this time I developed a rash under my breasts. I went to the doctor to get it looked at, and right away was told that it was a fungal infection and was given cream to use. The cream helped the itching, but the rash really didn't go away until I stopped the diet. I didn't really think anything of it, but tried the diet again a few months ago. Almost immediately, the rash came back, so I concluded that it must be something missing from my diet... maybe calcium or something. I thought that maybe it was a coincidence and maybe not from the diet. Just recently I started the diet for a third time. Again, the rash appeared. I went to the doctor and told her that I only get the rash when I do the low carb diet. She shook her head, and said that it was just a fungal infection, and not to worry about it. I didn't really believe that. I did some research on Atkins and rashes and came across people with the same problem. I then came across some sites that mentioned Splenda, so I experimented. I stopped eating anything with Splenda, and it slowly went away (although there were some marking left behind). Yesterday morning I had coffee with 3 packets of Splenda and by noon the rash was back even worse. I had some ice cream last night with Splenda in it, and again, it spread. I've stopped today, and will see how long it takes for the rash to go away. I'm almost positive it's the Splenda.
ya know, Splenda has been giving me major stomach problems.
it really upsets me that it's in diet sodas now-diet coke and now diet 7-up.
it's not like soda is the only thing i drink, but i wonder--if in a few years--'normal' soda is going to be replaced with splenda instead of sugar?
I have Splenda a lot, and I just got a very bad rash
on my arms. All you people out there--do not use Splenda
splenda is very bad it made my son break out in a very bad rash
If you are looking for a good sugar substitue, try Stevia. It is an herb. I believe that soda companies use it to sweeten drinks in Japan as the government does not allow the other sugar substitutes. I am not positive about this, only something that I have heard. I do know that our government won't allow Stevia to be sold as a sugar substitute but does allow it to be sold as a supplement. There is plenty of information out there on how to cook with it to sweeten food. I love it in iced tea.
Great to know that I'm not alone. For over a year I've been suffering with this rash and intensive itching problem. It felt like bugs biting all over my back, arms and legs. I thought I was hives or maybe a yeast condition in my body. I went on a low carb to get rid of yeast. I continued to use Splenda and each time had to run a take a shower to cool my body off from the intense fire and itching. Since I stopped -- the symptoms disappeared. Please -- be careful using this. I'd rather use natural sugar with the extra calories than have the side effects. It's not worth the weight loss cause you might loss your life!
I am a very healthy 19 year old guy, I run many miles every day (I ran varsity cross country and track for years), and after a only two glasses of diet V-8 splash with Splenda, I'm completely knocked off my feet. I bought it accidentally, I'm skinny as a rail. My eyes burn and ache, my stomach hurts, I feel feverish, and suddenly moving my head is painful. It feels like my brain is rattling around. Even my testicles hurt. Every muscle in my body is aching. I'm glad i found this site so I know to throw out that bottle of V-8. Thanks guys. I can't imagine what would happen if I consumed a large amount of splenda.
I am generally a healthy person - just overweight a bit after 2 c-sections. I try to live a healthy lifestyle and avoid processed foods as much as possible.I even use all natural laundry detergent with out dyes or perfumes. My big culprit with weith loss is my love of sugar - mainly in coffee and tea. So a couple of weeks ago I bought a few bottles of diet green tea with citrimax thinking it would be a good alternative. I also started using splenda to sweeten my coffee. I was only going to do this short term and use less and less to the point of not needing any sweetener at all. After just over a week of this, I got sick of the taste and decided to stick with a less processed regular sugar and just cut down on the amount. Thank goodness I quit the splenda! I have suffered with an agonizingly itchy red hot rash. It began the day after I drank those first bottles of diet green tea. I remember it well because I was away at a convention. The day after I drank the two bottles of diet green tea - as well as using splenda in my coffee, I had these itchy bumps on my right hip. It looked like several little mosquito bites. I remember thinking how weird it was for something to bite me several times like that. The next day I had the same type of bumps in front around my bikini line. They were intensly itchy! I couldn't stop scratching! Then i started having a crawling skin feeling in my legs. It concerned me enough that I bought some aspirin because I was concerned about blood clots ( I had long airplane flights during my trip). By the time I got home from my trip I had more bumps. Clusters of little itchy bumps above each hip. Those bumps turned into large patches of bumps, or hives. I couldn't figure out what was going on. The patches quickly covered most of my behind. I also developed bumpy areas under my breasts. Then it made me think it was the new underwear that I had purchased, so I stopped wearing them. Then the rash really started spreading. I was itching constantly and so severely that it was almost nauseating! I knew it wasn't the new underwear causing it when it spread over my stomach and down my legs. I stayed home and walked around in a t-shirt and no underwear. Like many of you, I frantically searched the internet for a cause. It was starting to sound like some kind of auto immune problem that was going to be serious. Then I thought about the splenda and did a simple search of SPLENDA/ITCHY RED RASH and found this site. Thank goodness!!!! I went to the doctor today because I am still itching so bad I can hardly stand it. I told him I thought it was splenda and all the reasons why. Interestingly, a student doctor came in to help and she stated that she had just went to a medical seminar where they discussed Splenda and how it causes inflammatory responses. My doctor was very intrigued and told me he was glad I came in and that he would really look into this. The student doctor went right to reviewing her notes from her seminar. I was given a cortisone shot and some zyrtec samples. It is 10:15 and I am still itching like crazy! I have been very shaky and anxious - I think just from trying to deal with all of the itching. I am concerned about being able to sleep tonight because last night was so bad. My behind is starting to lose the bumps but it looks like it is burned and bruised. My hips and buttocks are sore and I just don't feel like doing anything. All of this and I didn't even use the product for 2 full weeks. I feel a lot of anger that so many people are unknowingly putting their well being at risk! I have lots of pictures of my rash in different stages. Glad to show anyone. One tip I will give is this - rub olive oil over your skin and then take cool showers to relieve the itching. It is the oly thing that has helped me. I also soak wash cloths in icy water and use them as cold packs on my itchy legs. It helps temporarily. I guess that our bodies have trouble getting rid of an unatural substance and tries to excrete it though the skin.
Good luck all!!!!!!!!
I have been using splenda for about six months now, i noticed every time i used it i would feel really sore all over and have a upset stomach. Last week i used some to sweeten my oatmeal, I thought my throat was going to swell shut!!!I was also having breathing problems.I guess I will just have to get used to being fluffy, cause Iam going back to good ole God made SUGAR!!!!
I can't remember when I started using Splenda. It was quite some time ago. Last week I changed my laundry detergent and the next day started developing a rash. Over the past week it has progressively gotten worse. It is extrememly itchy and at its worst first thing in the morning (I thought from my body heating up under the blankets). I have been racking my brain trying to figure out why it wouldn't be getting better since I went back to my old laundry detergent and re-washed everything. I am going to try to cut Splenda and all other artificial sweetners out of my diet. I spoke with a Herbalist and she has suggested Stevia if I want to sweeten tea or coffee. I am hoping and praying that it is the Splenda causing these hives as it is driving me nuts and I want so badly to get rid of them.
EVerytime I use artificial sweetner, I experience swollen, red, dry lips and sometimes swollen eyes. Glad to find others have the same symptoms. I have carefully watched my diet and have narrowed it down to Splenda. EVerytime, it seems my lips take even longer to heal.
Thank you so much, everyone's comments here have been so helpful. I've been wracking my brain for two weeks trying to figure out where these hives are coming from, and everyone says you can't be allergic to Splenda! I've been using it to help diet for the past month, and my rash has just been getting worse and spreading, and now the hives are beginning to peel. I'm so glad I found this site before this stuff started doing real damage to my body. This is my first day without Splenda, and I can already feel the difference - the rash didn't flare up after breakfast (juice with Splenda), and it's continuing to fade so far. Thanks for the help everyone!
I too have been having terrible hives. Will try no splenda diet today - will post results
I have been experiencing awful hives, rashes and burning itching since August, 2005. I wend to t he allergist and got zyrtec and hydroxyzine, that puts me into a coma, can't take that and go to work. Yesterday, i had oatmeal for breakfast and started breaking out again badly. This morning I just happen to look at the oatmeal box and Splenda is in it. I think this is what is causing this nightmare. No more splenda for me! I hope this works, I am about to go madddd! Renee in NY
I have had eczema for the past 17 years and about 3 years ago realized I was allergic to wheat. Stopped eating wheat and the eczema cleared up. I started the South Beach diet about a month ago (following the book's recommendations I went out and bought Splenda and used it in place of sugar). I continued to eat a wheat free diet. Being used to a certain amount of itching with chronic eczema I have been in absolute tears lately because of the intense itching all over. The worst places are tops of feet and tops of hands, and hips. Clustering of intensely itching red bumps. I've been trying to rack my brain and figure out what was different in my diet. THE SPLENDA!!!! I'm throwing it out IMMEDIATELY... especially after reading this web site. By the way, stevia tastes as bad as splenda... I'm going no sugar or sweetener period.
I have been waking up with swollen eyes, swollen lips and very dry itchy patches of skin on my face. I first thought it was hormonal (perimenopause), then I thought it was a shellfish reaction, I have been eating alot of shellfish lately. I also have been using a lot of splenda lately,,,,,I will give up the splenda and see what happens...thanks for the comments, I never thought of splenda being the cause. I will let you know.. Any other ideas let me know.
I am SO HAPPY (yes, HAPPY), I found this site! About a month ago, I developed a small, itchy rash on my thigh. Five weeks later, it is a full blown, all over body rash that is unbearable in sight and ITCH!!! I have all the docs stumped (3 of them!).....and I am a RN, and kept believing it MUST be something I am doing everyday or injesting everyday as this rash does not let up. Lo and behold, I zeroed in on the fact I drink 2-3 diet sodas a day with Splenda. The only thing I do consistently diet-wise. ALL my soaps and cleansers are organic, mild stuff I have been using for years. Now, I have had diet sodas with Splenda before, but never as much as recently (since my car accident I have been home-bound). I Googled Spenda and rash and TA-DA......my poor husband has been telling me for several months to look up Splenda side-effects and I did not listen! Today is the day I found this site and all the info on Splenda and rashes. Yesterday morning is my LAST drink with Splenda. How long does it take this crap to leave my poor body? I can hardly wait to see if this rash finally goes away and then to wow my docs with this knowledge!! Will let you know if this helps!
Peace,
Rose
I have used splenda for over a year now, and just within the past month I have developed this intense itching. First it started in the back of my neck, now its mostly in my left arm. I thought it may have been Scabies or something but the Doctor said it wasn't, and he had no clue why I was itchin so bad, bad enough to cause bleeding. I am an avid user of Splenda; I never thought Splenda could be the cause, so I am effectively going to stop using it.
Yes, Dan! Don't wait until your entire body itches as it does drive you mad! I, too, got the itching in back of my neck as well as everywhere else. Most of the oral medications and topical stuff did not do much for the itch! As you continue to take in Splenda, the itching and rash begin to spread all over! Will take that much longer to have it out of your system. I contacted the FDA today..they were very interested. I contacted the Splenda people. They could not care less. I contacted the makers of Waist-Watchers, the soda I was drinking with the Splenda in it. They were also very interested. Today, 48+ hours after I stopped with the Splenda, the rash is still there, but much less itchy. No more spreading, some of the redness going away. I want the rash bumps to go away, they are unsightly!
I just bought a 12-pack of the Cherry 7-up with the calcium. I did't realize it was sweetened with Splenda until I got home with it - generally I stay away from the artificial sweeteners.
Since drinking it (about every day for the past week) my eyes have burned, been swollen and itched. I went to the dr. and was diagnosed allergic conjuctivitis. We started going through my diet to see what was new. Splenda. So I googled it and allery and here I am. My symptoms are the same as many people here.
Will see if it clears up once I get it out of my system.
I hate engineered foods.
I started the South Beach diet about a month and a half ago and that was the first time I started using Spleda in my tean everyday instaed of sugar.
About a week ago I started experiencing red rashes on my skin(on the forearms) that was unbearably itchy as well as noticed that my lower lip turned very dark and dry. I also felt a lot more depressed and I am a very happy person by nature, so it was very unusual. I researched the web on the splenda allergy and thanks to these postings and website, I learnt that a lot of people experienced symptoms I was going through.
I have stopped Splenda since a week now, however the rash on my arms and the itchiness still exists. Would really appreciate it if someone could shed some light on how long does this horrible stuff take to get out of ones body and for the itch rash to completely disappear??? I am very concerned!!
Thanks!
About 10 days on a Thursday night I broke out in hives (welts and bright red rash) on my neck which spread down to my chest and arms. I had just eaten a chili dog and drank 2 large glasses of Hawaiian Punch Lite (sweetened with Splenda). The itching was severe and I called the doctor the next day who prescribed Benadryl for the weekend and an office visit if it did not subside. I felt panicky and tingly all over and had diarrhea. Today (10 days later) most of the itching and rash has subsided although I am still having a little bit at night and in the morning. But it has been 10 days..... Curiously, I had just visited my mother the weekend prior, she's 74 and diabetic, who had told me Splenda made her itchy. She cannot it in coffee or eat any of the diabetic pies made with it.... Well, I started on the Hawaiian Punch Lite back in August and loved the stuff. Drank tons of it. Initially, I noticed mild itching and a rash on my chest when I was out in the sun and thought it was a new lotion I was using or the laundry detergent. My family drank the Hawaiian Punch only occasionally. My husband complained of itching (no rash) and my 7 year old had sporadic itching as well (we thought it was a virus), although he mostly drinks plain grape juice, water or milk. Occassionally he would have the Hawaiian Punch.....No one in the family drank as much as I did. I seriously thought I had pancreatic cancer or was allergic to MSG until I read all of the testimonials about Splenda reactions. Thank you for this website. I'm staying off Splenda even though it tastes great! (and waiting for the rash and itching to completely clear up). I hope the word gets out! The reaction to Splenda has been scary, lengthy and hard to pin down until it was full blown.
Hello Kathy!
Well, I think, from all I have been reading on other websites as well, how long it takes for the itching to abate greatly varies. Today is Day 11 since not consuming Splenda. I still have itching, I still have the rash but it is SO MUCH better! I think, for me, Day 8 was the day the really bad itching finally let up. It all depends on your body so be patient! I think drinking lots of water helped, exercise...both help "flush" your body's toxins! For any allergic reaction rash, it can take up to a couple of months for the reaction rash to completely go away ( I am an RN, but my skin doc says the same thing). Good luck! Oh, and my dermatologist seemed kind of, like, "Whatever" when I told him about Splenda. He said, "Well, one can react to any chemical." I said, "Yes, but Splenda is marketed as a "food" not a chemical!"
Peace,
Rose
Yes!
This just happened to me this weekend. Crazy swollen eyelids, distorting my whole face, and diarrhea! Glad to have gotten to the bottom of this ... it was scary. Thanks for your post.
Since my last blog I have not used splenda and i am still itching like crazy. I saw the doctor and he gave me a steriod for the itching, i thought drinking alot of water would help, but it didn't. I am not sure what to do about this itching.
Dan,
I think you need to give it more time. It seems to be different for everyone. I have been 13 days without Splenda, and I still itch. But it isn't as intense as before. Do you see any improvement at all? Nothing in the way of oral medications (I tried hydroxyline and Benadryl) or strong topical stuff helped. What helped was not taking in the Splenda and TIME. Make sure there is no sucralose (aka Splenda) hidden in anything else you drink or eat. A friend of mine said she gave up Splenda due to itching, but she was still itching terribly. Then she read me the ingredients of a drink of hers she was drinking as we talked and it had sucralose! She was still drinking Splenda (aka sucralose). She did not know they were the same thing. Good luck and let us know how you are doing!
Peace,
Rose
My daughter had a rash on her face and swelling under her eyes. She said it was very itchy. After catologueing everything she had eaten and drank, we figured out that the splenda in fruit 2O might be the problem. One day without it and her face looks MUCH better. Thanks for all your postings. I had no idea splenda was in so many products.
I have been 17 days without Splenda, and I still have the rash although much of it is almost gone! Yes, Splenda is "hidden" in so much! And more and more people are baking with this poison so I won't even buy homemade baked goods if I can't talk to the baker! That's how awful the rash was! I cannot bear the thought of ever having to go through a little of this again. I think the product list with Splenda or sucralose in it is up to 3800 and growing. I will only shop at Whole Foods (who have banned Splenda from their stores) or only buy an organic product where every ingredient is listed. I am a truly organic woman now, LOL! Good luck, everyone!
I join the club! my lips have been itching like crazy for two weeks, no idea what it could be apart from inroducing Splenda into my diet as part of Weight Watchers - rather annoyed that they rely so heavily on this and actually promote it in their diet - isn't WW supposed to be healthy!
Started to read online, and am horrified by what I found. Thought Spenda was better than the rest, this article laid it out for me:
http://www.womentowomen.com/LIBsplenda.asp
hope it helps.
Glad to find this blog. Thanks for all your insights. I've been using Splenda for 5 years on a low carb diet and only recently have developed an astmatic cough with mucus that I cannot shake despite anti-biotics and anti-histimines. Originally I thought it was wine because I get a reaction from sulfites if I drink more than one glass, so I stopped drinking wine. Then I thought it was my Devon Rex kitten who has hardly bothered me at all since I got her 9 months ago and I banished her from the bedroom. The I spent $300 for covers for my hypo-allergenic down blanket and pillows. All of which have not produced any significant results.
Most recently I've been eating the Edy's Carb Benefit ice cream which contains a lot of Splenda as well as malitol and some other 'tols that cause gas, bloating and loose stool. I'm going to start backing off the Splenda, eliminate the ice cream and see what happens. I miss the wine and the cat!
After 40 days without Splenda, my rash is almost entirely gone. I still have some itching, and where the rash was left very, VERY dry skin! Strange...almost feels like it isn't even skin! I even FEEL better. NEVER Splenda EVER!! What poison!
When I found out I was alergic to aspartame (Neutrasweet) I started being very careful to avoid artificial sweetners in general. Now it seems like splenda is everywhere and "home baked" goods don't usually have labels! The few times I've ingested splenda without knowing, I started rejecting the stuff an hour after eating it. It has no taste difference from sugar, unlike aspartame which leaves an aftertaste. My body seems really sensitive to it now that I'm pregnant and it leaves me feeling sick for 2 days! This stuff is awful!!!!
I've been racking my brain for the past five months to figure out why this rash on my face has been coming and going.
It's been mostly around my eyes and manifests itself as puffy, itchy red bumps. Most recently, it started appearing at the corners of my mouth as scaly patches and also on my throat.
Initially, I thought it was my eyeliner and over the past five months, I've thought incorrectly that it was cosmetics, eye make up remover, nail polish, down pillows, shellfish, soy, etc.
Until it finally dawned on me that about five months ago I switched from Equal to Splenda. (About a year ago, I had surgery and they discovered the very early stages of stomach cancer, so since that time, I've gone organic as much as possible. I've used Equal for as long as it's been on the market without any side affects. But, I thought that I should switch to Splenda because it seemed to be less of a chemical.)
Boy, was I wrong. It wasn't until yesterday that I put two and two together and made the connection between the flareups and days that I would use Splenda.
I've been Splenda free now for almost two days and already there is a difference.
And although I didn't seem to have the severe itching that many of you report, I was really getting tired of having red scaly skin around my eyes.
Having read all of your previous posts, I can see now that I am not alone.
The good news is that I can now go back to using my down pillows and eating shellfish and seafood which I love so much.
They really need to put a warning on this stuff. Dealing with the side affects can be extremely frustrating, not to mention expensive.
Good luck everybody!
I have also experienced an allergic reaction to Splenda. I was admitted to the emergency room twice for stroke-like symptoms (tingling sensations in the upper arms and legs)as well as the appearance and feel of a rash on my ears. Over the course of a month I became an avid coffee drinker; every day of the week I would use the artificial sweeteners. Recently I drank coffee (with two packs of Splenda) on an empty stomach and within fifteen minutes had a muscle spasm attack. I knew immediately the source of my shaking was that I was having an allergic reaction to Splenda! I'll never touch the stuff again, and I urgently suggest everyone else to avoid this product! It just doesn't work with our natural body chemistry.
I also have the eye twitch!
I started out using Splenda very, very slowly. I moved up to a few packs a day in coffee or tea. I got a twitch on my left upper eyelid. Then it moved to the whole area below by left eye and it is very noticeable. Sometimes it was twitching for hours w/ only a few minutes break. It's very embarassing! I narrowed it down to Splenda, stopped eating it a few days ago, and the twitching has been slowly subsiding. Also, I seem to be having more frequent headaches and feeling a lot of anger. I hope this also goes away. But I do not feel anything else can be causing this but Splenda.
I want to thank you for all the information I have found here today. This just reinforces my suspicions about what is causing my problems. I have just today realized what is going on and
made the connection to Splenda. Around May, 2005 I started having the feeling that my throat was closing up. That gave me a panicky feeling and then came the tingling in my left arm and sharp pain in the left side of my head. After a trip to the emergency room to rule out stroke or heart attack, they said I just had a panic attack. I couldn't pinpoint any cause for my panic attack, and refused to take any prescription medication for anxiety/depression. I continued to have the episodes and after two more trips to the emergency room and refusing any medication, I decided to try another doctor. She understood my position on the drugs and suggested that I take St. John's Wort. In doing this, I decided to also try mostly natural foods and drinks in my diet and leave off caffeine, chocolate, dark diet sodas, Splenda, etc. My anxiety went away and I had no more episodes. I wanted to lose a few pounds I had gained over the holidays, and the Monday after Christmas I started using Splenda again. Just in the last few days I have been getting the tight throat feeling again. Also, I now remember another sensation that I had back in May I had forgotten about. Along with the tight throat feeling, I have thick post nasal drip and the feeling that my head is under water or that my head is full of water. I have also noticed a few red bumps on my shoulders and chest, however they are few and do not itch. It really frusrates me that our government officials are willing to contribute to the dangers of the citizens of our country in order to serve the monetary benefits of the large companies who put out this stuff!!! I am never using this poison again.
I just recently started a new diet where I eat 6 small meals per day in order to get in shape. It was suggested me to that I should use splenda in my meals that needed to be sweetened in order to cut back on sugar consumption. For the past few days, I have noticed that my eyes are not dilating properly...one eye is extremely dilated while the other is not. It is making one eye seem more blurry than the other, and I am really sensitive to light now. The dilation problem has not been a daily occurance, but I have noticed it happening frequently. I recently had a regular eye check-up where everything was fine...I am wondering now if this problem is associated with my splenda consumption. If anyone else has experienced this, please let me know! Thanks :o)
Hi all, I am SO thankful to find I am not alone in this nightmare. I started using Splenda in coffee way back in July 2003 when I started a low-carb diet! I can't remember the exact time span but it was during that same month that I woke up with red bumps on my right leg that itched like nothing I had ever experienced before. Like a million bugs crawling on me. I was tested for all the usual things and there were just no answers. Within weeks, it had spread to my other leg and then with time, at times included my stomach, thighs, abdomen, arms, back and feet. I have dark scars from scratching and bleeding and healing. Over and over again it happened. I went through all the same things with the doctors, lotions, changing of soaps, foods etc.... All this time until yesterday I never once made the connection. Last night after eating yet another bedtime bowl of low-carb ice cream (with Splenda of course) I broke out almost instantly in another HUGE red rash from the tops of my legs to the bottom. Of course this is on top of the rash that already exists. It just never ends.
THEN: it was like a bell went off in my head and I thought for a second, "NO, Oh my God! it can't be the SPLENDA can it?!!" Ironic that while eating the ice cream I was busy searching the web (just like all the rest of you were;it had become my passion) for information on food additives and was reading a website on ribonucleotide rashes!! (All of you might want to check that out because it too is causing a rash these days.) Over the past year I had become so depressed and felt like I must have some dreaded disease that would kill me in time. I have felt so alone and helpless for the past couple years! I know that most of you must know the exact same feeling and it makes me sad and furious at the same time. My body is scarred from the long period of time that this has involved and my life has changed so much due to the embarrasment associated with it. In the past six months or so I have had days where my eyes are so swollen I don't want to go to work or leave the house. Also, I would have days where I felt like I had a film over my eyes and they would be very red. I can't take a warm shower without feeling like my skin is burning off and wearing clothes is unbearable at times. I don't know how long it will take for my body to heal from Splenda but at least now there is hope. I feel nothing but compassion for all of you who have suffered with this and I hope my testimony here will be of help to someone. When I start to see some improvement I will write again and let you know how many days it takes. I know that is my biggest question now. When will the itching stop? What a plague. I wish you all the best and I am going to do my best to help get the word out. Splenda has got to go!!!
I too have experienced itching especially in my hands.Also kept feeling my throat was going to close and had difficulty breathing.
I felt as if I had a boiled sweet in my throat all the time.
Have been to the doctor who has run various tests and given me various creams.Which do not seem to help!
I have now found this page and guess what I have just thrown out the Splenda I have been having.I will keep you posted.
I sure hope all of these testamonies about allergic reactions to Splenda are sincere, because something is really getting to me lately and I want to figure out what it is and avoid it. I get swollen, painful places on my feet, hands, back of my head, back, buttocks, and other places. This happened only occassionally until a week ago. I have been dieting so I didn't think it was food related because my diet limits me to only a very few types of food -- chicken or beef mostly, no gluten, cheese, fruits, etc. BUT, I have been gulping teas and coffee sweetened with Splenda (I have a tendency to increase my drinking when I decrease my eating). I am going to lay off the stuff for a few days to see if I improve. I'll let you know.
Wow..the whole eyes swollen shut thing. that is freaky...i definitely woke up 1 day with both of my eyes mysteriously swollen...about half shut. it was crazy, there was NO reasoning behind why it would have happened. I began to research splenda more and quickly discovered the severe health risks of it. I come from a very health conscious/weight control family and typically, we tend buy everything "sugar-free" or "low-carb." many of these products, in the last couple years, have converted to being made with splenda! The past year or so i have been having the most crazy, unexplained problems. from huge red bumps all of my legs (NOT razor bumps)...to my eyes bein swollen for a few days...to having to go to the bathroom frequently and sometimes having trouble controlling it....to bein completely unable to lose any weight...my face being abnormally broken out....SEVERE knee pain out of NO where..no injuries to my knee or anything..so bad i could hardly stand to walk...severe lack of energy...its CRAZY! i researched splenda more and came across a site by Dr. Mercola. You might want to search it, something will definitely come up. It COMPLETELY made me realize that all my problems were coming from splenda. there were MANY other people experiencing the same side effects as i was! Splenda, or "sucralose"..which often misleads the public...is very harmful. It contains chlorine atoms and has more chemical similarity with DDT and pesticides than it does with sugar! Since i cut splenda out of my diet COMPLETELY..all my problems have subsided and i feel like the normal, healthy me again. It is AMAZING. Sounds unbelievable i know...but how else do you explain all the MYSTERIOUS health problems i was having? Its rediculous. I will NEVER touch splenda or "sucralose" again. you have to be VERY careful to read labels, cuz these days...almost everything contains splenda. please write back. thank you. ~Krista
My two cents is this stuff is like poisen to me! I have stomache bloating, stomache pains and am in and out of the bathroom for days on end after consuming it. I follow low carb and unfortunately they are putting this stuff in EVERYTHING!!
thanks everyone,
After being on weight watchers for almost a year, I developed swollen,red,itchy,burning and peeling LIPS. After much brainstorming and searching the web I thought it could be aspertame. I purchased SPLENDA as a safe substitute! The next morning after drinking coffee with Spenda my sore lips started getting worst again! I went on line and looked up Splenda Allergies and there it was! I'm sitting here the following morning writing this with a cup of coffee with natural sugar and my lips feel 75% better! Thanks for the help everyone.
hey all. I have been breaking out in hives everyday for months and I cannot find the cause of it. I cant even stop my benedryl for long enough to get skin testing done. I am hoping its possibly realted to the splenda, but I have not consumed it everyday I have gotten hives,
so my question is this:
How long after you stopped the splenda did the hives take to completely go away?
Please email me I need as much info about this allergy as I can.
Thanks in advance!
Tanya
EMAIL: Italiangem77@aol.com
Well, I can not drink or eat anything with Splenda. I have been getting hives lately, but have not used Splenda. However, when I do consume anything with Splenda, my stomach hurts and I get nauseated and even vomit at times. It makes me feel terrible. Not only does it make me throw up, it upsets me stomach so bad that I also stay in the bathroom for hours if ya know what I mean! Good luck and stay away from it if it causes you problems.
For a year I had severe hive breakouts, itchy palms, burning scalp, swollen eyes, lips, etc. I took prednisone when it got really bad and my throat started closing. Just a breath away from going to an allergist when I decided to try the internet for Splenda allergy. I had lost 30 pounds on low carb living. Almost everything I was eating had Splenda in it. Right down to flavored water (sucralose). Even chewable vitamins have it. I stopped taking it and --no more problems. It is hard going to pot luck dinners or buffets because people use Splenda a lot. I am very sensitive to clorine. Splenda is produced in a lab and they "chlorinate" it. So it is not the Splenda so much as the process they use to produce it. There is a website Dr. Mercola, and although some websites are "fishy" the info there and in this blog really saved my life--and my sanity.
Over a year ago I posted my Splenda Nightmare on another Belicove Blog. There I detailed my experience having just gone thru it. Well, now looking back on the year "Splenda Free" I can truly say that that stuff is the worst poison ever released into the food supply. When I first had simptoms it was just as all of you had discribed. The hives,the swolen lips and eyes. But now I realize how severely this stuff has efected me. I had also been suffering (and I mean suffering) with severe back pain,muscle pain, joint pain, stomach cramps, bloating. All of which have stopped since I discovered that Splenda was the cause. But I also had other symptoms much worse. I had also experienced vision loss, memory loss, headaches, and a feeling as though I had a gauze vail pulled over me. I lived for over a year litterally poisoned by this stuff. Now a year later, I am coping. I wear glasses, I am hipoglysemic and my memory is stillnot what it used to be. The hardest part is thatSplenda iscreeping into more and moreproducts making it harder and harder forme to do and eat the things I used to. A client came into my officelastweekwith fresh cookieshe had gotten from a local "High End"bakery...Well, we all enjoyed them, at least until the stomach cramps took me over and destroyed the rest of my day. Later, I called the bakery and found out that they sweeten their (sugar free) cookies with Splenda. The client thought he was doing us a favor by bringing a low cal snack for us. No allergy labling reqquired, no warning...Nothing. What can we do to protect us from an industry that won't act until someone dies?
I have been noticing different thing happening to my body and not knowing what causes it. I have had a itchy rashy bumps and red marks on my hands and arms. Calimine lotion helped some. My back itches and breaks out too. In the morning when I first get out of bed , I have wierd feelings in my lower back, but go away when I walk around. My throat has been burning and hurting so bad for a long time and I have been to throat and allergy doctors, gastro doctors, and my regular GP and not any of them know what causes my problem. Been treated for allergy, acid reflux, yeast. Have had alot of strange looking raised spot come on my body. I have took darvocet-n for my painfull throat til my GP want give it to me anymore. My stomach has gotten so swollen that my clothes will not fit in the waist anymore. I am a heart patient and had two heart attacks and one bypass and one stent placement. I walk everyday about 2 miles and I am not fat anywhere but in my stomach. It alarms me that something is very wrong with me. I have no pain in my stomach, but I do in my throat. I throw up all the time. But it is caused from the pain in my throat. I have a sharp pain or spasm in the left side of my throat and I have a swallowing tendency and I get strangled til I have to throw up. My throat stays burning and raw. I take Protonix for the so called acid refux that I don't think I have. I take Choritrimoton for allergy. My stomach looks like I am 9 months pregnant and I am 62 years old. I have been using Splenda for a very long time and I thought maybe it was from it causing all these problems. Has anyone had all of these?
I am just coming out of a very severe reaction to something I ate about a month ago. Rash in the elbows, on the tops of the hands, around the ankles, under the breasts, inner thighs, behind the knees, under the armpits, on the tops of my feet, on the stomach, and around the backside. All I could think of was if my outside looked like this, what must my insides look like?!!!! I too, am doing a low carb diet, South Beach Diet, per CRNP suggestion. So far so good. But it seems like all of a sudden I broke out with the rash everywhere. CRNP never saw anything like it before. Gave me tablets to help with this rash. But within 48 hours I ended up going to the ER because it was so bad I knew that there was a good chance that I could possibly die from whatever it was that I ate. The doctor took one look & said contact dermatitis. My foot! He gave me a cream for the skin. I told him, give me a steroid! So I got a pack of prednisone from him w/orders to follow up with my primary care.(This was on a Sunday.) I went to CRNP next day & said she couldn't believe that the dumb doctor in the ER didn't give me a shot of prednisone. So she gave me one along with a stronger pack of prednisone for 10 days. I asked her if she thought it was a yeast infection & she said no because it didn't present like one. She said if it was fungal the prednisone wouldn't touch it. Thank God the itching stopped while I was on the prednisone. Saw the CRNP today for blood pressure recheck. I tell her about the heart beating & then it like stops for a beat & then goes on. She said it was from the reaction to whatever it was. I asked her if it was something I ate or something that I came into contact with by skin. She said that it was systemic and it was something that I ate. She asked me if I figured out what it was. I told her no. I, like many others washed all my bedding & clothes over again in Tide Free & Arm & Hammer Super Soda Washing detergent. Racked my head to think what was it that I ate that caused this. I have eaten shellfish, and nuts with no problem. Why now? It's been 5 days off the prednisone but I still have some itching. Still doing the South Beach Diet and come across a thread talking about the effects of Splenda. Of course I am surfing the net to see if it might be the Splenda. Low & behold I am here. Oh my goodness! Holy Moly! Before I forget, I literally blistered everywhere! And I am still peeling! I wouldn't wish this stuff on my enemies! I was still using Splenda up to today never even giving it a thought that it might this. Something should have rang a bell. I have used Splenda off & on before SBD but more so when I started SBD at the beginnng of February. The first sympton was the itching all over; and then as the weeks went by it got worse until it was full blown. My eyes sometimes don't focus as well, and my skin is like sandpaper and just drier than the dustbowl back in the early 1900's! Wait till my CRNP hears about this. Thanks for those who posted. It's been a full month since I had this full blown rash. I just pray that time will heal my body as I continue to eat healthy minus the Splenda. Hopefully others will not have to go through this ordeal. Now, God help me and the rest of my brothers & sisters to heal from this. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
My first encounter with Splenda was when my sister in law had made a large pitcher of cold iced tea, great for the hot summers in Florida. The first sip tasted ok, then the rest tasted awful. About two minutes later, the nausea kicked in. I made a mad dash for the bathroom and immediately "got sick"!! The second encounter was with pop corn. My sister in law (same one) had bought microwave popcorn. It smelled great. With the first kernel, I had the same wave of nausea. Now I have to read all labels carefully to see if it includes sucralose. I used to drink the original SlimFast diet drinks but the new ones called Optima, contain sucralose and I can't drink those. This stuff is so bad....
I don't use much Splenda, but last week I made a batch of salad dressing with white wine vinegar & 1/2 cup Splenda. As I ate the salad my lips felt funny - that was Thursday night. All evening I complained that my lips felt burned. But the salad had cold meat on it. I went to bed and in the morning my top lip was swollen with a little red rash around my mouth(almost blisters. I remembered my sisters said she gets hives from Splenda, so I thought maybe that was my issue. In the meantime the rash has spread to about 2 inches from both sides of my mouth (I look like a clown). It almost looks like I've been burned. I read this blog, and see that there is a connection between Splenda & chlorine? I'm guessing I reacted as if being burned. Luckily I have no itching, but it sure is painful. Thank you to everyone who shared their experience. I'm cutting out all sweeteners for now!
I have had migrating joint pain. It started in my hip then moved to my knee. Next it was my other hip and knee. I've also had red burning earlobes off and on for a long time. I finally put it together and realized it was the Splenda. Some say it is the chlorine attached to the sugar molecule, combine that with city water that is very strong in chlorine. I've stopped using Splenda and already the pain is subsiding. It's still there a little. I'll continue to monitor.
About 3 weeks ago the corners of my eyes were red and irritated. I attributed it to a new eyecream, but then the next weekend my eyes were surrounded totally by red circles that burned with pain and the only thing that helped was ice and cold rags. My doctors gave me eye drops, prednizone, allegra and allergy cream, but nothing seemed to help. After about 3 days of these drugs, I made a connection to splenda. I had been drinking a Pepsi One each day, but this weekend I had drank two in one day and that is when the outbreak occurred. That day I stopped drinking Pepsi Ones and the next morning was improved by 75% and the next day was totally better. Amazing! NO more sucralose or Splenda for me. I already get severe migraines from NutraSweet, so back to real sugar for me!
I am soooo glad to find all this info. I have had a rash for 6 weeks. I have had prednisone pills, prednisone shots. I've tried every non prescription crean and several prescription ones. I've changed shampoo, conditioner, deodratents and laundry soap an nothing helped. It seemed eveyday I was getting worse. After talking to the Dermatoligist I thought maybe it was strawberries. I started dieting in Jan. and found a love for strawberries with Splenda in March. So I stopped eating strawberries and the rash with in a few days was clearing up. As dissappointed as I was about the strawberries I was excited to know that I was on my way to recovery. Then on Friday last week I stopped and bought an iced tea with splenda and by Friday evening I had a rash all over my elbows. By Saturday it was on my ears, butt cheeks and knees. I now know it is the splenda because I have had no splenda for 3 days and the rash is a little better. I guess I will be able to enjoy strawberries again I will just not cover them in Splenda. This is worse then being allergic to strawberries. Splenda has helped me stay on my diet and allowed be to lose 32 lbs. But what good is being thin if your covered in a rash all the time. I have had red hot spots that have itched but never turned to a rash. I have had scally bumpy rashes. I have had them on my head, face, nose, ears, neck, forearms, elbows, hips, thighs, knees and butt cheeks. I will never touch this stuff again.
In the last two days I have developed a very itchy rash on my cheek. The only new element in my recent diet is that I decided to try Diet Coke with Splenda (I usually drink the regular diet coke). I have had only about 3 or 4 days on the Splenda, and now I have this rash! I was surprised to find so many other people who have suspected Splenda as a cause of rashes.
Whee! I will stop drinking this for a few days and see if the rash stops, and then see what happens when I start drinking the coke with Splenda again.
I cannot believe my good luck in finding this site on Splenda . I have had a idiopathic uticaria over my trunk for the past 3 years tried to eliminate every thing which could be the cause without luck ,last few weeks have been feeling lousy but had been adding splenda to some new juice and couldn,t understand why I felt so awful till I clicked today on your site I'm now hoping I start feeling better,and the new sympton of vertigo disappears
SPLENDA..MY FIRST SYMPTOMS ARE SINUS TROUBLE AND DRY THROAT..RECENTLY GOING ON A LOW CARB DIET..HAVING SOME BRAUM'S SPLENDA ICECREAM AND ALSO CANDIES SWEETENED WITH SPLENDA I SEEMED TO HAVE PROBS WITH HEART PALIPITATIONS,,,SKIPPED BEATS, BEATS FEELING LIKE THEY WERE IN MY THROAT AND THEREFORE TAKING MY BREATH AWAY AND MAKING ME WANT TO COUGH, LIKE THE OLD MAN IN MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR WHEN HE SAT IN THE CHURCH @ THE MEETING....SO THIS EVE AFTER CONSUMING THE SPLENDA SWEETEND LIFESAVERS MY HUBBY WITNESSED THE HEART MISSING BEATS AND THE OTHER DAY HE HAD A MAJOR BOUT OF INDIGESTION BUT, WE THOUGHT IT WAS TOO MUCH LOW CRB...?...
HE USES SPENDA IN AM COFFEE..AND EATS TREATS LOW CARB BARS WITHS SPLENDA PERIODICALLY, I COULD NOT HANDLE NUTRA SWEET EITHER...I DO LIKE STEVIA...AND ALSO LOOKING ON THE INTERNET THE OTHER WEEK I COME ACROSS A NATURAL PRODUCT CALLED
WHEY LOW....
CK IT OUT I HAVE YET TO TRY IT, BUT, SINCE ON LOW CARB THIS TIME I HAVE NOT USED THE ATKINS BARS TOO MUCH AND SHAKES AS I DID THE FIRST TIME, OR SECOND..AND CUTTING DOWN EATING MORE NUTS AND SOME FRUITS SEEMS AFTER A WHILE TO SATISFY, IT TAKES TIME TO GET THE TOO MUCH SUGAR SWEET HABIT ADJUSTED, BEEN EATING OVERLOADS OF SUGAR AND PROCESSED SUGARS FOR YEARS...I AM NOT RX USER..NOT CONDEMNING THOSE WHO HAVE TO...SO, THAT IS WHY TO ME IT POINTS TO THE SPLENDA..
MY HUBBY AND I LOOKED @ SUGAR..AND RED BOB MILLS SPECIAL SUGAR AND IT CONTAINS 4 CARB A TSP..SO, IF ONE CAN JUST USE MEASURED AMOUNTS IT HELPS.....CONSUME MORE NUTS AND SEEDS, AND CK OUT THE WHEY LOW.
IT IS TOO BAD OUR SOCIETY PUSHES BAD STUFF THRU QUICKLY...ARE THEY DOING A TRIAL OF THIS PRODUCT ON THE PUBLIC..FOR FREE...? INSTEAD OF THE RIGHT WAY TO TEST A PRODUCT..
GREAT TO HAVE THE NET FOR INFO...GOOD READING!
Watch out for Splenda in things like South Beach diet bars. Although sugar is listed, sucralose can be found in the ingredients at the bottom of the list. After realizing I was having a reaction to Splenda, I cut it out of my diet, or so I thought. I had hives all over arms, and I felt panicked, but I could not explain how I felt to others. I began to have heart palpitations. I went to urgent care center, where I was given eppy, steroids, and Rx strength benadryl. I have had food sensitivities in the past, but nothing has compared to this.
I also lived with "non-specific eczema" (looked like tiny water blisters sometimes) and heart palpitations for about three years - NEVER connecting it to Splenda until about 8 mos ago. I was desperate to find a cure after scratching my arms, legs and stomach so frequently that I had scars. I'd gone for prayer at my church and the rash disappeared for about a year. Then I started another low-carb diet and didn't make the connection. I exhausted every topical treatment my doctor could prescribe and finally had a biopsy and the results were non-specific - again, no answers. Then I prayed and typed into the search engine, "bumpy, itchy rash", (a very complex medical term) and clicked on a site where hundreds of others were sharing comments about their suspected/confirmed allergy to Splenda. I found I shared many of the symptoms so I immediately went off of Splenda. Within two weeks the rash was completely gone and I have been itch-free for about 8 months. I still have heart palpitations, but nothing like before I quit using Splenda (sucralose).
Scary thing is that I went to my doctor last week and she said I was the picture of health except that I now have a heart murmur. Sure hope this helps someone.
Splenda is dangerousÖ because it happened to me. I am a personal trainer and an office assistant. I eat fairly healthy and also the occasional junk food. I cleaned up my diet to enter a figure bodybuilding competition.
For the first week- I wrote down everything I ate, right down to the gms, total gms, calories, fat/pro/carb% ratioís. I realized I had taken in so much fat and carbs, and not enough protein to maintain my muscle.
The second week- I started a clean diet, to stay lean and gain more muscle. This was the typical bodybuilders/competitors diet that I followed, but ofcourse adjusted the portions and calories, according to my height, bodywt, and goals.
On that second week - I started having eye pain every 2hrs. Pain inside my eye, like a spasm, also in front of my eyeballs. Not eye irritation, I mean ìPAINî. My vision also became blurry, as if there was a clear plastic bag in front of my eyes, sometimes clear, sometimes cloudy. I was freaking out, crying, because this would happen day and night. I started having panic attacks at night for fear that I might wake up blind.
I decided to see an Opthamologist. He said my eyes were in perfect condition, he could not find anything wrong. He said it may be associated with allergies, and suggested I take over the counter allergy medication. He said to check up with him in a year.
The third week- the same thingÖgroggy, fatigued, irritable in the morning, and anxious, restless, panic attacks at night. I cried at work because my vision got blurry and the pain became worse. I went to see another Opthamologist to get a 2nd opinion. This doctor did not find anything wrong either. She said my eyes look good and gave me a script-Zylet eye drops(take 4xís day to moisten). I went home, ate some peanut butter bar mixed with Splenda, and lied down because my eyes were dilated from the exam. As soon as I lied down I felt excruciating eye pain again.
My boyfriend said to record how long, how often and when you get your eye pain, what youíve been doing differently and so forth. Then it struck me! I looked at the huge box of Splenda that I had purchased. I never used a sweetener substitute before. All bodybuilders, competitors and trainers swear by it because it has no carbs! It was the only new thing that I had taken, right from the moment my eye pain began. I looked on the Web regarding Splenda and the dangers, and was shocked to find out many other people experienced the same problems Iíve had.
Splenda is a new synthetic compound called sucralose, comprised of 2 molecules of sucrose(sugar) and 3 molecules of chlorine. Industry experts claim the molecule is similar to salt, but independent researches say it has more in common with pesticides! Sucralose is not recognized in the body as food, so that is why it has no calories. We are ingesting an unknown substance in our body! There are no long-term studies of the side effects of Splenda in humans, and I believe we are the guinea pigs for Splenda.
I didnít realize I was consuming Splenda at almost every meal! I ate oatmeal w/ splenda, my peanut bars w/ splenda, my whey protein shakes have splenda!(splenda brand indicated right on the tub), my cranberry juice had splenda, my meal replacement shakes had been sweetened w/ splenda, and even my vitamin C chewables were sweetened w/ splenda!!! I found out I was consuming about 1/2cup-1cup of splenda a day!(since I was counting gram for gram, ounce for ounce). So I threw out all the Splenda I had. Took me another week to get all of the splenda out of my system. From this moment on, I will never consume any sugar substitute again. I feel alot better now that all the splenda is out of my system! I am all organic now.
-Christina M
I am beyond excited that I stumbled across this site!!! I have been using Splenda for quite a while, when it was contained in soda, popsicles and other diet products, and never had a problem. It was in February when I started a diet that required no sugar that I bought a box of the stuff (poison) in the grocery store. Every morning I would have oatmeal and strawberries and Splenda. I had gone out to dinner one night with my family and mentioned to my husband before we even ordered the food that my tongue felt swollen and burned. I had only started the diet a day or two prior to the dinner. He suggested that maybe I had burned my mouth on the oatmeal. Days later I had no improvement in the way my tongue felt and it actually felt as though there was something stuck on the back of it. It really scared me and I knew I wasn't burning my mouth. My mother suggested that since sometimes I am sensitive to certain fruits maybe I had developed a sensitivity or allergy to strawberries. I got rid of the strawberries but continued to eat oatmeal with Splenda. I ended up with the flu and went off the diet for a few weeks. My tongue felt much better. Then about a month ago I started the diet once again. I started with the oatmeal without strawberries, but continued to load the oatmeal with Splenda since I am not a big oatmeal fan and the sweeter the better. Around the same time I got a new Siamese kitten who I completely adore. My little girls are crazy about him too. About a week after I got him I had two hives on my neck. Then I scratched them and they started spreading. They would seem to start to go away and then I'd wake up in the morning and my entire neck would be itching. It made lines of hives on my neck. I didn't know what to think. My boss, who had poison ivy at the same time had me convinced it was poison ivy. I knew I hadn't been anywhere where I could have gotten it, but thought maybe she was right. Then, it occurred to me that although I've never been allergic to cats and have had them my entire life that maybe it was the cat. Or maybe it was the new moisturizer I was using, or the laundry detergent, or the new soap I bought. One by one I removed the new soap, laundry detergent and moisturizer. No improvement. Memorial Day weekend we spent most of the day at relatives and my tongue and hives started to improve. I concluded that since I was away from the cat, perhaps my thoughts that I had developed a new allergy to cats may be true. What I didn't think of was that the entire weekend I cheated on the diet and never used any Splenda. I took the day after Memorial Day off and stayed home with the kids and the cat. I also returned to my diet heavy with Splenda. By that evening, my neck was crazy with horribly itchy hives. I was certain it was the kitten. I changed my sheets and comforter and that night I woke up with my swollen tongue and had tightness in the chest. I was sure it was him. I went out and bought an ionic air purifier and kept the cat out of my room for a few days. No improvement. I started asking people if they knew anyone that would like a new kitten (which broke my heart). I am thankful now that I had no takers. I stumbled across this site and have now been Splenda free for almost 72 hours. The hives are still there but they are beginning to shrink and barely itch. There is definite improvement. My tongue which felt so burned and swollen is about 90% back to normal. I have let the kitten back in my room and he has slept with me the past two nights, and yet my hives and tongue are so much better. I think I have finally found the answer. I am hoping these hives continue to go away at the rate they have already, and i will NEVER use Splenda again. I'd rather not lose the ten pounds than to go through what I've been through for the past month. It has been driving me crazy and the itch has been horrible. Now I am wondering if my recent fatigue can be attributed to the stuff and also my left foot has had an odd but sometimes painful ache in it for no apparent reason. It is frightening to think what this stuff may have done internally. After I found this message board I searched all about splenda and was completely horrified to find what it is made from and how it is processed. I will be sure my family and definitely my children will NEVER ingest with poison.
Glad I am not alone. I switched to the new Diet Coke with Splenda, as it is the first time I have ever tried Splenda. I always detested the taste of artificial sweeteners and this one didn't seem too bad, so I started drinking the Diet Coke with Splenda. Within 12 hours of my first drink, my top lip started to swell. Within 2 days my lip was huge and my face was all tingly up to my eyes. I have not changed anything except from Coke to Diet Coke/Splenda, so I don't know what else it could be. Does anyone know if there is an FDA site or something where you can report possible reactions to this stuff?
Hi all,
I check this blog site about 5 times a week just to keep up on new postings. I am wondering how everyone is doing after the splenda "enlightening"... as in how your life without Splenda is going;? and if you have any lingering symptoms... Please post a message and let the rest of us know!!
I know that I still have problems that are related to my consumption of Splenda for three years (What an idiot)(see my original posting on January 13th,2006...scroll up) and I am really curious as to what is happening with everyone else. Personally to Rose: (and also to Christina: I'm sorry I have not answered your e-mail) I continue to have major problems with my joints (pain) and also with my eyes feeling like they have gauze over them. I am still having occasional breakouts of the splenda blisters.. they are unique unto themselves in that they are like no other rash. I believe it happens now because occasionally I consume sucralose without knowing it in the least likely product.. the latest that I ingested was "Airborne" Yep, you all know what that is!!!! Right there in the ingredients and I broke out within 4 hours.
Anyhoo... hope you all are doing okay but please post a note and let the rest of us know; it is the only way we will make any sense of what has happened to us and the only way we can fight this product in the long term. Just because WE have found out what is causing our problem doesn't mean there aren't thousands of others out there suffering just like we were.. Our postings will someday help to take this poison off the shelves. Thank you, Terri
OH MY GOSH!! Hello everyone!! Just another what looks to be a splenda victim. I've been using this for at least 3 years - diabetic and low carb diet....never noticed a problem...other then extreme fatigue (bad enough to think maybe I had something serious going on) but never related it...then about 6 months ago the itching started..and any area that I scratch welts up...little hive looking welts...then go away once the unbearable itch eases up. I looked online for skin itching and found that camphor cream eases it...I use multi times a day a spray made for poison ivy and within a minute of spraying the itching eases. i have seriously been thinking I was dealing with kidney, heart or pancreatic or maybe neurological problems due to type 1 diabetes for over 30 years...but nothing seems to fit. Today we were sitting on the patio after swimming and I mentioned how the cool water felt so good..and before I had a chance to even get the words out...as each body part warmed..so the itching started.
My hubby asked me to think...again...what have I changed or tried differently...the only thing I can think of is the splenda...even if not new...neither are these symptoms...he told me to search online...and geez...when I found this site I was amazed. We don't even question something that is so much out in the market - take for granted that governing bodies like the FDA should and would have tested and made sure this stuff is safe...amazing if this product can cause that...and we use it on our carefully purchased organic foods...frustrating!!!
I am going to stop using the splenda and see what happens...please keep writing...and I will to...it makes me so mad to think that something that we take for granted as being tested and safe can be causing damage like this!!
Thanks for listening/reading to my rant - I have to honestly say, I am still reeling from reading this blog!!!
Laura
I found this blog 3 months ago and the info I have received here has saved my sanity! I began breaking out in hives over a year ago while I was 5 months pregnant. They started on my arms and by the middle of the night my extremities would be covered in huge, itchy hives and by mid-morning, all signs of them would be gone. My skin felt like it was "crawling" day and night and I was taking atarax and other anti-histamines to keep the hives away. I also had itchy patches on my face. I could not figure out for the life of me what was causing the hives!
It was around the time that I started having the outbreaks that I started buying Splenda in bulk from Sams' Club and using it in my tea, coffee, cereal, oatmeal... basically everything I used to add sugar to. I thought it was safe because it is "made from sugar".
I cut out all kinds of things from my diet but since I am nursing, I couldn't do the elimination diet. One Saturday morning, I googled Splenda and came across this blog and it hit me like a ton of bricks! It had to be the Splenda! I have never been allergic to anything that I know of, but I cut it out that morning cold turkey. It took over a month to get rid of all the itching and hives, but now I am medication- free and hive free! I tell everyone I know what Splenda has done to my body. Thank you all for posting your stories- I am now "normal" again!
I've been dealing with hives for about six months now and, like everyone else, did not immediately attribute it to Splenda. I've been off sucralose completely now for almost two weeks. The hives are almost gone, but for the last few days I've been so sick with what feels like the flu. It may just be coincidence, but I'm wondering whether any of you experienced any type of withdrawal effect when quitting sucralose. I've consumed mass quantities in all sorts of foods for several years and wonder whether there's a potential for a type of chemical withdrawal. Any thoughts??
Linda
I wrote in March of '05. The following September (after new health insurance kicked in) I was diagnosed by my allergist with "Chronic Hives and Angiodema" (hives and swelling) - caused by an Auto-Immune Disease. If quiting Splenda hasn't helped you, see your allergist and ask for a skin prick test to check for Auto-Immune.
The unfortunate news is that there isn't a cure for auto-immune diseases and living with chronic hives is most likely something I'll have for the rest of my life.
I am still investigating the matter and seeing new doctors all the time. If I find out anything of value, I'll be sure to post it here.
Good luck.
THANK GOD!
It never dawned on me what could possibly have been wrong with me for the past 6 weeks until I visited this site. It is 1:00 a.m. PDT and I can't sleep because my skin is crawling off my body, my rash is so severe I am convinced I am about to morph into an alien life force and my damn left eye is fluttering like a shutter in the wind.
My story -- I have never knowingly used splenda. I have been a stay-at-home mom for the past 11 years and ran an in-home daycare so I was concious of keeping sugar substitutes OUT of the house. I have always drank caffeine free diet Coke and nothing else -- even my coffee was sweetened with sugar.
Six weeks ago I went back to work full time. I found this great little coffee shop and started buying regular coffees with a shot of sugar free vanilla and a shot of sugar free almond. Then, I was having a diet Coke at lunch, another at break and some sugar free juice (or a cold Heffy) at night with dinner. I'd also chew some sugar free gum throughout the day, an I'd occasionally throw a diet energy drink in when I needed a little extra zip. After reading your postings, I checked all the labels, and I am sure you can guess what I discovered in EVERY ONE -- legal human poison we unwittingly get to ingest.
About a week into this, I started thinking I might be allergic to my office, my co-workers, or work itself. You know the drill -- severe headaches, stomach upset, blah blah blah. I didn't start getting really scared until I woke up three weeks ago with "mosquito bites" on both my hips. Impossible. I sleep under an inpenetrable homemade quilt. Anyway, within that same week I was in getting checked for scabies, getting allergy shots & drugs, and you know the rest.
I spent the entire evening before I found this site bawling. My doctor thinks I am either a hycopondriac or certifiable because he can't fathom how awful it feels to think you're going to have to go catch your skin after it crawls away, and how much it sucks to have to wear gloves to bed in order to keep from ripping the flesh off your hips while you're sleeping. Believe me, spouses find bloody fingernails a real turnoff in the morning.
Anyway -- I am officially off the splenda. If it weren't for my DIRECT knowledge of when this whole nightmare started for me I'd be more skeptical, but c'mon. There's correlation, and there's causality.
Again, thanks. I am looking forward to getting some relief, and hope you all have, too. I may still be certifiable, but at least I don't have bugs or some other horrible life threating illness. It will be interesting (and probably horrible) to see long term effects.
Now, off to research what chemicals comprise the nemesis and how I can cause them a little headache and rash on their butts ...
I have always been "allergic" to artificial sweeteners and so, without even trying it, I assumed I was more than likely allergic to Splenda as well. I didn't even bother trying it. At the same time, I was about my 16th week or so into doing Atkins without getting to indulge in anything for the ol' sweet tooth. I was DYING for chocolate (girl's best friend). My fiance' uses Splenda and one day, in a weak moment, just to taste something sweet again (I'd been really, really good), I put some in my tea (hot) along with some cream and YUMMMMMM...oh glorious day... Well, maybe I jumped the gun I thought. I waited to see if I would have any adverse reaction. When it didn't seem I'd had much of a reaction other than nausea, I was grocery shopping and low and behold! There, in the ice cream case - Bryers makes chocolate ice cream (only 4 net carbs per serving) and fudge bars (only 3 net carbs per serving). I have been indulging in that stuff now for four or five days prior to today. I do mean indulging...I'd not have eaten any carbs that day just to be able to eat (or feel like I was eating) real ice cream again!
I quit having Splenda today; If I'd had Splenda today, it would've been about my 9th day or so having some of it (I quit as of today). The only immediate reaction I had was some nausea - but then, I get that alot ( I have a stomach malady) and I figured for CHOCOLATE I could tolerate some nausea (food whore that I am) and so I put up with it a few days. Then, the weather turned a bit colder and all of a sudden I was itching on certain places, not all places, of my body. As the days wore on, the itching got worse and that's not all. Diareaha (sp?) whoa!!! Anyway it turned into whelp looking places on my arms and then into the back of my legs, the inside of my elbows, on my upper chest right up under my neck, on the under arm nearly to the pit area in a large circumference. I couldn't stand clothing touching me - everywhere it touched felt like I was being bitten by red fire ants.
It dawned on me today...the ONLY ONLY ONLY thing I've done differently these past few days was to add Splenda to my diet and like the feller said earlier in this blog, I know in my GUT that the Spenda caused this...
You know, when they approve something, it doesn't mean a thing except that someone's palm got greased in the right way and they allowed it to be used by the innocent sheeplike masses walking around in a daze believing what we're told and believing that some people in charge actually have brains enough to wait until those drugs/controversial foods aren't dangerous anymore before telling us that they're safe to use... I KNEW before I touched the stuff that I probably shouldn't - but after I tasted it, it just seemed like I had a little more freedom - like I was cheating without really cheating...guess ya can't get something for nothing... My thanks to Benedryl and Claritin...
They say: BUYER BEWARE and although the meaning of this coined phrase was meant in a different way, it can also be taken to heart and used for this situation...
Buyer Beware
Buyer Beware
Buyer Beware
No No No No No No SPLENDA - Say no to poison.
Alleluia! I typed in Splenda allergy today because I could not think of what else could be causing the awful hives and itching I have been
experiencing. All of the above testimonials helps me have hope that I have found the cause.
Thanks everyone for sharing.
I recently discovered your site. I started to add Splenda in my tea once or twice a day in 2005. In November 2005, I developed hives and rashes that would mysteriously come and go on various parts of my body (including hands and feet). Heat and cold would aggravate the condition, especially my gym workouts three times a week. I did think it could be hereditary since my dad also suffered from hives as he grew older. My doc shook her head and said that chronic hives are often impossible to pinpoint.
With this in mind, the hives continued, and I tried to ignore them. In addition, I sometimes experienced terribly itchy skin at bedtime. On top of that, a few months ago I suffered instances of achy eyes and sensitivity to light on awakening.
Fast forward to February 2007: My teenage daughter informed me of the dangers of Splenda. In the past two weeks, I have not used the product. The hives have all but disappeared. I did a heavy workout in the gym yesterday--and nothing.
This is the end of Splenda and Splenda products for my family!
Patricia
I recently discovered your site. I started to add Splenda in my tea once or twice a day in 2005. In November 2005, I developed hives and rashes that would mysteriously come and go on various parts of my body (including hands and feet). Heat and cold would aggravate the condition, especially my gym workouts three times a week. I did think it could be hereditary since my dad also suffered from hives as he grew older. My doc shook her head and said that chronic hives are often impossible to pinpoint.
With this in mind, the hives continued, and I tried to ignore them. In addition, I sometimes experienced terribly itchy skin at bedtime. On top of that, a few months ago I suffered instances of achy eyes and sensitivity to light on awakening.
Fast forward to February 2007: My teenage daughter informed me of the dangers of Splenda. In the past two weeks, I have not used the product. The hives have all but disappeared. I did a heavy workout in the gym yesterday--and nothing.
This is the end of Splenda and Splenda products for my family!
Patricia
My 13-year-old son took up wrestling for the first time this January. He really got into eating healthy at the same time. Every evening after practice he would come home and make himself a fruit smoothie with Splenda in it. At about this same time he suddenly developed a rash that started in his groin area and gradually spread down his thighs and onto his abdomen. He also started the same rash on his face, down across his eyelids and around hairline on face and neck. The rash was very itchy. He was initially diagnosed with a contact dermatitis and put on Prednisone, which really didn't help. The rash continued to worsen -- he was still wrestling and still making the smoothies with Splenda -- he developed very swollen eyelids, a sensitivity to light, frequent urination and diarrhea. He then developed purplish spots across his chest and armpit area. He saw the dermatologist again, who was puzzled to say the least. After a round of blood tests and a biopsy of one of the "spots", the only test that raised a red flag was the one for allergies!! At this point my husband and I suspected the cleaning chemicals they used on the wrestling mats and insisted my son quit the wrestling, which he did, and consequently stopped the evening smoothies!! The rash eventually subsided. My son enjoyed wrestling and we are debating letting him attend a summer wrestling camp as none of us want to go through this ever again. At this point in time, after reading all these posts, I have come to the conclusion that it had to have been the Splenda. We never even gave it a thought. Our doctor asked us if there was anything at all that had changed about our home, new pets, new detergent, etc. All that was the same. I am so thankful I ran across this post. Can't wait until morning to give my dermatologist a call on this. He admitted he spent a couple sleepness nights on this case -- my son had us all pretty scared for awhile. There will never be Splenda in my home again --- we had received a free packet of it in the mail, which is why we had it in the first place!!
I cannot believe what I'm reading! My husband told me about a quick news blurb that he heard on the radio this morning, about all this Splenda stuff, and how it's potentially toxic, and then he googled this. I have been eating Splenda filled products for about 3 years. I recently started getting unexplained hives on my face...hands, fingers, feet, legs, etc...but had that annoying eye twitch for months! I always attributed it to lack of sleep--even though I would get a good night's sleep, so it seemed. I try to eat healthy, and truly thought that this was 'healthy.' I am done with Splenda. I gave up snacks for Lent, so thankfully, I have only been eating it in my morning oatmeal (unbeknownst to me, it's that too hidden in the ingredients label) and in my coffee. But, thinking back to the Ocean Spray Cranberry "lite" version--made with Splenda, CarbSmart bars, and scads of protein bars...I just pray that I don't have cancer over ingesting this garbage.
I really would like to look into a class action suit against this company. I am not surprised that the FDA approves this, yet doesn't approve multi vitamins. Why? Because vitamins don't make big businesses money. That's the deal. What would it take for us to seek a lawyer, and sue them, seriously???
Please write back to my email address if you are interested in joining me. I'm totally serious--I'm looking into suing this company. How disgusting! It doesn't cause weight gain because it's not food...ugh, I can't believe this.
Thanks for listening...and hope to hear from some of you via email.
WOW!! After trying to figure out what in the world was causing this monsterous rash on my wrists, palms of my hands, ankles and tops of my feet, I stumbled across this web site.This is me! I started a new diet in January and have tried to stay away from sugar. Splenda really tastes as good as sugar so I've been using alot of it. I finally went to see a dermatologist and she diagnosed me with dermatitis and gave me a topical ointment.But every other day a new patch of bumps and welts come up in these specific areas. sometimes I will get the burning sensation on my ears and scalp. I am going to stop using Splenda from this point on and see if this goes away. Thanks for your help!!!
I have been googling for hours trying to solve the inexplicable mystery of what caused the horrible red welts that suddenly appeared on my chest and back and formed large red circles around my armpits that look like a terrible sunburn, though those parts of my body have NOT been exposed to the sun!!
The painful red marks appeared within a few hours after I dined on crab, but I've been eating shellfish all my life and have NEVER suffered any allergic reactions so I have been totally mystified about this. (Indeed, I also ate crab two days prior to this weird outbreak and had no allergic reaction.)
Then a friend told me that it's possible to suddenly develop an allergy to shellfish, so I wondered if that could be the cause, after all.
I went to my doctor immediately as the burning pain was unbearable and I was very worried about what may be causing this terrible outbreak. My doctor did not think the red welts were caused by my eating crab. He kept insisting it must be some other type of allergic reaction but though I have been wracking my brain, I've been unable to think of anything new that I have been eating, wearing or applying to my body.
It never occurred to me that it could be the Splenda that I started using again a few weeks ago. I had previously used it, but stopped after reading an article stating that it was not healthy to eat. I was experiencing some joint pain back then and wondered if it might be related to the Splenda.
A few weeks ago I decided that with Splenda so popular and in such widespread use (it's in almost all the restaurants I go to) that surely it couldn't be that unhealthy to eat or I would have heard more about any problems it caused by now. So not only did I resume using Splenda, but I got a bit more heavy-handed with it, using it as a sweetener for my coffee and oatmeal as well as increasing my consumption of quite a lot of other Splenda-containing products.
I feel certain that I have now solved this very strange mystery since discovering this great website, where everyone tells variations of the same sad story. I am so relieved to have finally figured out what is causing these monster welts to pop up on my body!!! (And to think I was so proud of giving up refined sugar to improve my health, using FDA-approved Splenda, instead!)
Btw, I have also had the bothersome "eye twitch" and episodes of itchy skin that many of you complained about. I also went to the ER last week because I couldn't stop shaking and shivering. I was not cold and have never had a problem with my nerves, so this incident was pretty frightening. (I drank several cups of coffee that day liberally sweetened with Splenda. The ER was too crowded with really sick people, so after waiting a few hours I returned home, still worried.)
I have spent a lot of money on various over the counter creams, Benadryl, co-pays for doctor visits and prescription creams and meds, trying to treat this mysterious condition, not to mention my considerable pain and suffering. And all because the FDA is obviously corrupt and sold out, failing to protect us from such potentially harmful food products. I will NEVER use Splenda again and will spread the word about its possible harmful side effects. Splenda has left a very BITTER taste in my mouth!!
| 
