Buy Walking VideosAsk Laura: Aspartame Withdrawals
Dear Laura,
I have recently stopped taking aspartame. My son and I have been drinking diet lemon lime sodas almost exclusively. I have seen information about aspartame and decided that it was time to get off it. We switched to bottled water, but have each been drinking about one diet drink daily. We both have dry mouth after decreasing to one a day. I have also experienced bed wetting 3 times. I am not sure if that is because I’m not drinking the aspartame or not. I’ve tried drinking less in the evening, but my mouth is so dry. Normally, I wake in the night to use the bathroom, but these 3 times I didn’t. I think I increased diet soda drink each time after wetting and didn’t wet the following night. I have awakened 2 times with severe pain in my left elbow. One of those times, my hand and arm were very swollen. I added over the counter potassium to see if that helps. I don’t like to admit taking an old prescription of HCTZ, but I did, to decrease the swelling. Are dry mouth, fluid retention, bed wetting and increased pain possibly be symptoms of aspartame withdrawal?
Leaving Lemon-Lime
Dear Leaving Lemon-Lime,
I really don’t know the symptoms of aspartame withdrawal, if there are any. Considering your symptoms, I think it would be best to see a trusted doctor.
Laura
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September 3rd, 2008 at 10:32 pm
I drink diet soads every day and no water…i do drink milk or fruit juices. The past 4-5 days economically I have done without any diets soda at home and only a few fountain drinks. At bed time my legs felt like symptoms of RLS achy, crampy, and felt I had to keep moving them to help. I had certain spots that had a terrible stabbing pain such as on the bone on the side of my ankle and others I can’t remember exactly where because, til tonight listening to coasttocoastam about aspertain, I blew it off thinking I must have stood too much at work or wore the wrong shoes. I’m now wondering if it was aspertane withdraw also since I barely had any all week.
August 14th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
I am coming out of a diet coke detox. The symptoms at first are nausea, extreme headaches and fatigue. I drank diet coke for 30 years. It will take about 2-3 weeks before I am pain free. The symptoms will subside if you are committed to giving it up. I don’t care what anyone says, aspartame is not safe.