First of all, a little disclaimer: I am not claiming that splenda is evil or poisonous or that it makes rats have three heads. I am just sharing my personal experience out of curiosity to find anyone else who may have experienced the same thing. That said, I will continue...

I am reasonably certain that I am one of the few (apparently) people who is allergic to splenda (sucralose). A few years ago I did Atkins with some success and used Splenda to satisfy my sweet tooth. I started having incredible headaches and joint pain after a very short time and initially thought I was coming down with the flu. When my symptoms became neither better nor worse but I noticed that they were intermittent, I called up my sister who is a nurse practitioner. She told me that I probably was having a reaction to some food (I had had an allergic reaction to a drug earlier with similar symptoms) and to take careful note of what I was eating before this happened.

I traced the symptoms to my morning sugar-free hazelnut breve (latte made with 1/2 and 1/2), and the only thing unusual in it was the splenda-sweetened hazelnut syrup. I did some snooping on the internet, but everything I found said "splenda is just like sugar. If you can eat sugar you can eat splenda." i certainly have no problem eating sugar, but I decided to stop eating splenda anyway, just as an experiment. I felt sooooo much better without the splenda!

I thought surely this must be some kind of placebo effect or coincidence, so a few weeks later I tried splenda again - headache and joint pain were back. I figured it must be a psychological thing, since who on the planet is allergic to splenda? Then I got stealth-splenda'd a few times and learned that yes, it really does honest to god make me sick as a dog.

How wierd is that??! I can't eat freaking splenda, which nowadays is in practically every diet food on the planet! I'm not entirely surprised that I have this wierdo allergy as I have really sensetive skin and some strange drug allergiew, as well - but I have to say that it STINKS! Has anyone else out there had a similar splenda-related allergic experience? I was just wondering if I'm all alone in the weight loss world or not.

Keep on Truckin!
Erin

PS I just want to reiterate that I am not trying to cause alarm or malign splenda in any way - This is totally a product of my own body's wierd sensitivity and not because artificial sweeteners are evil. I love artificial sweeteners. Coke Zero is my best friend!

That's true, some people can't tolerate Splenda, just like there are those who can't tolerate Aspartame (Nutrasweet).

So I'm not the only one!

I, too, had a bad reaction to Splenda. Headaches, nausea, and occasional cramping--not fun. It took me a while to figure out what it was, until I started cutting things out of my diet just to figure it out. I can handle other sweeteners just fine--I drink diet sodas and other products all the time with no problems. My body isn't sensitive to much of anything--I can even handle things like Olean and foods that cause a reaction is most people--but I had to stop using Splenda.

Just out of curiosity, have you ever tried Stevia? I haven't tried it yet, but I've heard people talking about it as another alternative. I wonder if it would cause the same reaction.

~Elisha

I have tried stevia once or twice and thought it tasted a little like a dog's furry behind, honestly. I really like the new acesulfame K stuff or whatever it's called that is in Coke Zero.

I am so relieved to find out I am not a complete freak of nature! Note I'm not glad that you guys have problems, but rather that I am not alone in this wierd allergy!! YAAY!

Keep on Truckin!
Erin

Not to say it isn't the splenda, but have you had hazelnuts without Splenda, or Splenda without hazelnuts. My mother-in-law is alergic to hazelnuts.

Colleen

Hmmm, I thought I was alone.
After practically everyone(and sooo many products) talking about how wonderful Splenda was(even their website states somewhere that it doesnt give you belly troubles....I tried it.
Tastes ok but sent me straight to the bathroom.
Had the same experiences with Russell Stover SF candies. Anything with maltitol, sucralose and almost any of the sugar alcools send me to the bathroom.

Oh well,

Robyn

Colleen: Yes - hazelnuts are one of my favorite nuts. I eat them all the time. The problem for me is definitely the Splenda, as I have had the same problem when I have had splenda not connected with hazelnuts and even when I have unwittingly ingested splenda in something, like the time a nice little old lady got me to try her wonderful peanut butter cookies and only told me after I had eaten two of them and praised them that they were made with half sugar and half splenda. I know it isn't nuts in general because I have eaten all kinds of nuts without splenda and had no problems whatsoever.

Keep on Truckin!
Erin

Then you've definitely nailed it down. My roommate in college was actually allergic to potatoes, cane sugar and corn syrup. Very small amounts were ok, but if she had very much, she would get flu-like symptoms and dark circles under her eyes (so dark they looked like black eyes).

Colleen

Hmmm I haven't had any dogs furry behind chaigirl - dont think I want to try it either!

Hi! I just saw this thread and had to jump in. Since October, I've been having abdominal/intestinal discomfort sporadically. It feels like the beginnings of TOM; just achy like that. I've had a multitude of tests (not allergy ones) and nothing is "wrong" with me except this. I've kind of narrowed it down to raw veggies (especially in bags or at restaurants); flax; or splenda. I've been on WW Core since 09/05 and this didn't start until 10/05 but I think I really increased my splenda intake.

I always thought allergic reactions were hives or respiratory. Can it affect your abodomen/intestines?

I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Vickie,

I'm not a doctor or in the health care profession at all, but in my experience it seems that people react to different allergies in different ways. I see no reason why an allergic reaction couldn't be abdominal/intestinal. My own reaction to Splenda was primarily intestinal. I would say that allergic reactions can be caused by almost anything in some people, and can manifest by anything that is out of the ordinary in your body, not just hives or respiratory problems.

My suggestion would be to cut just one of those things out of your diet and watch your symptoms. If you quit using Splenda and the symptoms go away, that's probably it. That's how I found out my body didn't handle Splenda well. But if your symptoms continue even after stopping the use of Splenda, it's probably something else.

~Elisha

Thanks! That's what I'm doing now. Elimination. So far, I haven't given up splenda yet. I'm trying the elimination of the other things on my list first.

Back in October of last year, when i was trying to learn to drink water, i was buying the flavored water with splenda in it. After about a week of drinking it, i noticed i looked like i was breaking out down my neck....then it was down my chest, and then i noticed it going up my shoulders. my upper body was breaking out. i thought it was stress, because i was going thru some really rough times in my life. after talking to several people, i began to wonder if it ws the splenda in the water i was drinking. so i stopped drinking water. and guess what....the rash went away. now i drink plain water from the tap.

i'm glad my allergy was not intestinal like the other people here, but i don't need anymore acne than i already have had in my life.

i still eat things like puddings with splenda, but i keep my splenda intake down REAL low.

so, i am glad that i am not the only one. but i may be the only one who breaks out from it.

From what I have read your break out type of allergy is actually more common than those of us who get nasty intestinal stuff and/or wierd flu symptoms.

Take Care!
Keep on Truckin!
Erin

Nope, GI troubles along the lines of Lactose Intolerance.
More of a sesitivity.
There was an expose on one of the nightly news shows the female anchor was having GI distress and could not pinpoint the cause. She kept a food diary and could still not figure it out.
A friend of hers pointed out her chewing gum....it had either Xylitol or Sorbitol or one of the "ols" in it.

I have been splenda'd without my knowledge...gotten sick..then find out about it...and have to just go uh huh....should have known.

Robyn