Possible Personal Problem With Sucralose/splenda

BrianSkye

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I don't want this post to start a manic thread about artificial sweetener conspiracy theories but I have a problem that I am desperately trying to solve.
In addition to my imperfectly controlled T2 I also have serious spinal problems and arthritic problems that pre-date it and are probably responsible for a whole host of symptoms and disabilities I'm suffering from. However, against that background recently I have started to feel really lousy all the time, weak and with new, generalised pain.
In particular I start my day with a whole wheat cereal very liberally sweetened with splenda. very shortly following this I am experiencing strong palpitations, I can see my vision pulsing with my heartbeat and my measured blood pressure soars from normal to 180/70. In addition I become extremely sleepy, weak and experience a a crushing hot feeling all over but especially in my legs. Also the loss of sensation in my finger tips, which began recently, becomes temporarily worse. All this lasts for several hours.
Obviously I know I should just stop using the product to see what happens but I have a very sweet tooth and it's the only artificial sweetener I've ever found acceptable.
I'd just like to know if anyone else has experienced anything like this with this product. My home life is a bit bizarre, which would would take far too long to explain, but the result is very irregular meal times and the impracticality of a cooked breakfast so I'm anxious to solve this problem.
TIA
Brian
 

bulkbiker

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Try skipping breakfast entirely as an experiment. you will get your answer.
All artificial sweeteners have some odd stuff in them hence the name "artificial" so maybe there is something that is triggering you. Whether it triggers anyone else is kind of irrelevant so you need to experiment on you.
Or have some cold meat for breakfast or pre cooked bacon if you feel you have to eat something.
 
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Boo1979

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Sucralose is made by replacing oxygen molecules in sugar with chlorine and has been cited by some sources as causing many side effects for some people while other sources declare it safe which aint very helpful!
I personally find an occasional thing sweetened with sucralose is fine but whenever Ive used it regularly Ive found my blood sugar control suffers as do my joints & energy levels.
I use erythritol, monkfruit drops or liquid stevia when I want a hit of sweetness
 
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zand

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I have problems with some sweeteners too. Aspartame is the worst, but not the only culprit. I used to get shooting pains in my face with aspartame use. I am convinced that sweeteners helped me on the way to being obese too by altering my gut flora.
 
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donnellysdogs

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I am aspartame and sweetener intolerant and many preservatives too. This has been confirmed by medics, although I wasn’t told for 12 years!!!

The symptoms you are listing could be sweetener related, may not.. could be a whole host of other reasons.

The quickest breakfast I know is frozen berries in a ramekin overnight in the fridge and either goats yogurt or Greek yogurt. No sweeteners or sugar needed.
Good idea to just forgo it as another option.

I would go to your GP and not mention sweeteners and get checked out thoroughly.

My intolerances give severe muscle pulling in the upper parts of my legs, from knee to hip and can be one side or the other or both.
 
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Resurgam

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As long as you go on eating foods which are really sweet then you will maintain a need for that levels of sweetness.
Reducing the sweetness over time should alter how you perceive it and lower the need for sweetness in general.
 
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hilmat01

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A few years ago I noticed that Splenda spiked my levels. I mentioned this to my diabetic nurse she said she had never heard of that happening. I would have had a bowl of shredded wheat bites (40g) with a little Splenda over them. I went from 7.2 upto 18 not good. Now I’m doing low carbs. I use xylitol now and again you can get it in tescos. To be honest I rarely use sweeteners now. I hope you get sorted.
 

brassyblonde900

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You said you are type 2
"Whole wheat cereal liberally sweetened"
For poorly controlled type 2 diabetics mean, their diabetes becomes progressively worse.
Also the sucralose powder if that's what you "liberally" add to your whole wheat cereal is mostly dextrose (PC name for sugar) Do you test after this breakfast you mentioned?
Your BG could be trying to tell you something.
 
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Doarnamor

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Artificial sweeteners are a tricky game to play. Dr. Bernstein's book says to only use tablet or liquid versions of the sweetners he allows. He says the powdered ones are bulked up with sugar.

The Splenda wikipedia entry has this to say:
"3.2 packets (3.36 kcal each) of Splenda contain the same caloric content as one packet of sugar (10.8 kcal). Further, Splenda contains a relatively small amount of sucralose, little of which is metabolized; virtually all of Splenda's caloric content derives from the dextrose or highly fluffed maltodextrin "bulking agents" that give Splenda its volume."

So if your using the powdered version you might as just use sugar.
 

Rachox

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I don't want this post to start a manic thread about artificial sweetener conspiracy theories but I have a problem that I am desperately trying to solve.
In addition to my imperfectly controlled T2 I also have serious spinal problems and arthritic problems that pre-date it and are probably responsible for a whole host of symptoms and disabilities I'm suffering from. However, against that background recently I have started to feel really lousy all the time, weak and with new, generalised pain.
In particular I start my day with a whole wheat cereal very liberally sweetened with splenda. very shortly following this I am experiencing strong palpitations, I can see my vision pulsing with my heartbeat and my measured blood pressure soars from normal to 180/70. In addition I become extremely sleepy, weak and experience a a crushing hot feeling all over but especially in my legs. Also the loss of sensation in my finger tips, which began recently, becomes temporarily worse. All this lasts for several hours.
Obviously I know I should just stop using the product to see what happens but I have a very sweet tooth and it's the only artificial sweetener I've ever found acceptable.
I'd just like to know if anyone else has experienced anything like this with this product. My home life is a bit bizarre, which would would take far too long to explain, but the result is very irregular meal times and the impracticality of a cooked breakfast so I'm anxious to solve this problem.
TIA
Brian
A few years ago I noticed that Splenda spiked my levels. I mentioned this to my diabetic nurse she said she had never heard of that happening. I would have had a bowl of shredded wheat bites (40g) with a little Splenda over them. I went from 7.2 upto 18 not good. Now I’m doing low carbs. I use xylitol now and again you can get it in tescos. To be honest I rarely use sweeteners now. I hope you get sorted.

In both of your cases, have you considered it might be the wheat based cereals that are causing your symptoms from a raised blood sugar due to the high carb count of the cereal. The sweetener might be the innocent party here?
 

Guzzler

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While I never use sweeteners of any kind (I used aspartame based sweeteners for twenty years until discovering how little is known about these man made chemicals and how they affect the body long term) there are those for whom artificial sweeteners have a deleterious affect. However, I would point the finger at the grain based breakfast cereal that is underneath your "liberally" sweetened brekky first.
 

Brunneria

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In both of your cases, have you considered it might be the wheat based cereals that are causing your symptoms from a raised blood sugar due to the high carb count of the cereal. The sweetener might be the innocent party here?

My thoughts exactly.

@BrianSkye
Your symptoms may be being caused by the cereal, rather than the sweetener, since wheat based cereals contain a lot of carbs which will drive blood glucose high.

Each of your symptoms could be from high blood glucose, including the numbness in the fingers, which can be an early sign of neuropathy.

I would strongly suggest that you run a few trials:
Have your cereal without sweetener, and see if you get the same symptoms.
Try your sweetener in a drink, like coffee, and see if you get the same symptoms.
Have a non-sweet, non-carb based breakfast (e.g. bacon and egg), and see what happens.
 
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Indy51

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There's a lot of negative studies being published lately especially as regards to Splenda/sucaralose. I personally wouldn't touch the stuff and forever grateful I never got hooked on any of the low carb "treats" requiring artificial sweeteners.
 
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Indy51

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Just adding - I agree with the others about any cereal for breakfast if you want good BG control.
Even more so as regards wheat - especially for anyone with joint problems. If these are autoimmune disease related, I'd strongly urge you to drop any gluten containing foods from your diet.
 

Prem51

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I use Splenda in coffee and tea. I was used to two teaspoons of sugar in these before I was diagnosed, and can't get used to drinking them unsweetened.
But I only have one teaspoon of Splenda in a mug of coffee with double cream in the morning, and one or two mugs of tea midday and/or mid afternoon. I haven't had any adverse effects, and it doesn't seem to raise my bg.
 

BrianSkye

Member
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Thanks everyone for your replies. I agree mostly with what has been said, especially with regard to getting used to reduced sweetness. There are complicated reasons why I have such a large cereal breakfast as I mentioned before and it's all further complicated by the large quantity of pain meds that I have to take because of serious spinal and major joint problems. To update you though, temporarily I stopped the Splenda and replaced it with, gasp, sugar. The palpitations, hot crushing feelings, to a degree some of the neuropathic pains and the generalised lousy, unwell experience just stopped. Within 36 hours they just stopped.
Since then I have started trialling erythritol and it doesn't seem to have any downside so far. If it does I'll be sure to make another update.
It seems, for me at least, Splenda/sucralose is off the shopping list. It's just a pity that there are 6 large cartons of the stuff in the larder :arghh:
 

PattiT

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Glad to hear you are seeing some improvement. If you need to try a different sweetener for your cereal I like Stevia.
 
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Pura Vida

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stevia is the only sweetener I use .however many brands are not pure .