I have been a big time Diet Coke drinker for a long long time.  I mean, multiple Diet Cokes per day every day for as long as I can remember.  Until recently, I have always just brushed off all of the fear-mongering about Aspartame/Nutrasweet as just that…fear.  Well, I might be a believer in the making.

Just the other day, I decided to cut way back on the Diet Coke consumption, maybe even stop drinking entirely.  As of right now, I have had only one 12oz can in over 48 hrs and I THINK I am feeling the difference already.

A little history on me…In my past I was a powerlifter/lifting enthusiast and have experienced my fair share of joint damage.  So, I always just attributed my painful knees to all the heavy squats, my aching elbows to all the curls/bench-pressing, etc.  I also am a big eater!  And I always just wondered what was so different about me that made me so painfully hungry all the time, when other people seemed to be sated.

Now, I am not gullible enough to think that what I have begun to experience might not just be a “good day” for me, but to state it plainly…I feel different

I feel different enough actually, that today I wondered what the side-effects of Aspartame were.  Was there a list of these somewhere that I could use to “compare notes” so to speak?

What I found was pretty enlightening, and has prompted me to call an end to my Diet Coke drinking days.

NOTE:  My research into this topic is very cursory, and almost entirely depends on one article I found on the topic (read it here).  I think that the way I feel is enough to convince me to stop drinking Diet Coke, even if other research refutes the effects stated in the linked article.)

The reactions to Aspartame as listed in the linked article:

(I bolded ones I experienced personally. I don’t know if they are truly related to Aspartame or not, but they are things I experience nonetheless):

  • Abdominal Pain
  • Anxiety attacks
  • arthritis
  • asthma
  • Asthmatic Reactions
  • Bloating, Edema (Fluid Retention)
  • Blood Sugar Control Problems (Hypoglycemia or Hyperglycemia)
  • Brain Cancer (Pre-approval studies in animals)
  • Breathing difficulties
  • burning eyes or throat
  • Burning Urination
  • can’t think straight
  • Chest Pains
  • chronic cough
  • Chronic Fatigue
  • Confusion
  • Death
  • Depression
  • Diarrhea
  • Dizziness
  • Excessive Thirst or Hunger
  • fatigue
  • feel unreal
  • flushing of face
  • Hair Loss (Baldness) or Thinning of Hair
  • Headaches/Migraines dizziness
  • Hearing Loss
  • Heart palpitations
  • Hives (Urticaria)
  • Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
  • Impotency and Sexual Problems
  • inability to concentrate
  • Infection Susceptibility
  • Insomnia
  • Irritability
  • Itching
  • Joint Pains
  • laryngitis
  • “like thinking in a fog”
  • Marked Personality Changes
  • Memory loss
  • Menstrual Problems or Changes
  • Migraines and Severe Headaches (Trigger or Cause From Chronic Intake)
  • Muscle spasms
  • Nausea or Vomiting
  • Numbness or Tingling of Extremities
  • Other Allergic-Like Reactions
  • Panic Attacks
  • Phobias
  • poor memory
  • Rapid Heart Beat
  • Rashes
  • Seizures and Convulsions
  • Slurring of Speech
  • Swallowing Pain
  • Tachycardia
  • Tremors
  • Tinnitus
  • Vertigo
  • Vision Loss
  • Weight gain