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Hello,
I want to share with you my experiences with the use of Splenda over the first 90 days of this year (2003). In December I went on a lo carb diet under my physician's care. Because it was the holiday season, I wanted to bake and so found Splenda as an excellent substitute for sugar. I soon began using Splenda in large amounts. Much more than I would have used of sugar, itself. By mid January, I began having periods of acute depression and irritability. I soon began to lose control of my temper, becoming violent on occasion. My physician referred me to a psychiatrist who prescribed anti-depressants. The antidepressants caused extreme mania and thus it was proposed by my medical team that I was bi-polar. So I was given increasingly higher doses of Topomax for treatment of bi-polar disorder. Each week, however, brought me closer and closer to being truly psychotic. The Topomax doses were increased again and again. Yet my anger and depression were increasing. I told my husband that I felt “poisoned or possessed.” I initially blamed the salad of medicines that had been shoved at me. During the Topomax treatment, my hands began to swell. Finally the swelling became so acute that the Doctors took me off that drug. I wasn’t willing to try any others as it seemed I was just getting worst and worst no matter what drug I was given. A diuretic was prescribed to decrease the swelling in my hands. When it didn’t have the desired effect, I decided to see if I could determine the problem. I knew that salt causes water retention and since I was ingesting a great deal of another white grainy product (Splenda), I decided to go to the Internet and search on “Splenda and Edema.” I was stunned to discover anecdotal comments from several people describing reactions similar to mine from what they felt was their use of Splenda. I immediately stopped using Splenda and within 24 hours, I returned to my normal self. I believe my medical team were reluctant to accept my explanation initially. However now that weeks have passed and I remain normal, my family doctor is eager to assist me in finding research or further anecdotal evidence that will validate my experience. This is especially important as the product is being heavily promoted to Diabetics and for ice cream and other desserts favored by children. |