It has been almost 2 months since I've blogged anything. I'm sorry for my lengthy absence. Let me tell you why I've been MIA.
As many of you know, I've been struggling with horrible anxiety attacks. I was doing better for a while, but then the bottom dropped out and I've been dealing with a wide range of issues. After seeing two different doctors and lots of blood work, I've been diagnosed with . . . .
* Adreanal Fatigue - which causes anxiety, fatigue and a fear of leaving my house.
* Ovarian Failure - which literally throws me into early menopause.
* Depression - that speaks for itself.
* Chronic Fatigue - so exhausted that I just can't function.
* Hypoglycemia- which is low blood sugar.
* Everything I ate tasted bitter, so I stopped eating. I know. . . not good.
I've tried naturally remedies, prescriptions, massage, accupressure and accupuncture, trying to find some relief and cure. Nothing was working at all. I was becoming more exhausted and more depressed. It was ruining my life, but I tried really hard to put on a smile and march forward for the sake of my family. It was awful!!
Then I had a heart to heart conversation with Dave. He explained how tired he was and just wasn't feeling great either. I told him that something was seriously wrong with me and I didn't know how much more I could take. So we began to list possiblities that only affected us and not our kids.
We came to the conclusion that we drank a lot of premade iced-tea that came in gallon jugs. It was green tea with ginsieng in it. It was supposed to be healthy. It didn't have sugar or caffeine in it. It contained Splenda. Even healthier. . . right? WRONG!!!!! My coffee creamer had Splenda, our ice-cream contained Splenda. I baked with Splenda. And since food tasted horrible to me there were days when all I had in my system was iced-tea. . . with Splenda. I drank a lot of it in a day. Up to a gallon.
So we Googled side effects of Splenda. Here's what we found. . .
*Anxiety
*Depression
*Metallic taste
*Ovarian problems
*Fatigue
*Heart palpitations
*Blood sugar issues
*Joint and muscle pain
*Memory problems
And the list went on and on. I was SHOCKED to say the least. I was suffering from ALL of these. There were even testimonials of other people telling about their health issues and they were all leading to one thing. Can you guess? SPLENDA!!!!
I immediately stopped drinking the tea. Oohhh, how I loved that stuff! I had already given up caffeine long ago because of anxiety issues, so that wasn't part of the equation. I began drinking huge amounts of water to try to flush out my system as much as possible.
The result. . . it's been almost 3 days and I feel like a totally differnet person. Seriously!!!! I'm not depressed, not one anxiety attack, no chest tightness, no bitter taste, I can read an email and actually remember what I read the first time. I'm not moody, my joints don't ache, I have energy and actually "want" to do things. I am amazed!!! Dave is sleeping better, has more energy and his joints don't hurt anymore either. He wasn't drinking as much as I was, but he's feeling a marked change.
So I went to the doctor to confirm this, and yes indeed, he confirmed that I was poisoning myself with SPLENDA. Literally poisoning myself. I was blown away. I was so incredibly relieved and also angry at the same time. The FDA approved this stuff and told us all it's safe and it's just like sugar. THEY LIE!!!! And I'm living proof.
I have no doubt that if we had not found the answer that it wouldn't have been long before I was admitted to the hospital for a nervous break down.
I am so thankful for God's healing hand and loving leading in helping us find the answer. I believe that this hunch was truly inspired my Him.
So, I encourage you to look for yourself. Google the side effects of Splenda. Take inventory of your health and especially the health of your kids. Save yourself the worry, and anxiety that I went through.
My prayer is that this blog post can reach out and help others.
(((hugs))) to you all.
P.S. Please feel free to share this information with your friends and family.
36 comments:
OMG I cried reading this post. I am so happy that you were able to find the reason why you were so sick. I have heard that it can make you sick - my husband won't eat anything with 'fake sugar' in it and neither are the kids. thanks for bringing this to light and I will make sure I don't have much of it.
mwah
Trace
STACEY! Whoa...I'm in TEARS over here. Your story is so incredible.
I am beyond happy that you found what it was that had you so sick!
I will no longer partake of any intake of this poison! I bet it's part of what's been going on with me and my body lately, just reading your side effects and googling. Gracious. God is good...He's the mighty healer! Bless you and your husband! Thank you for telling your story.
Hugs!
Love,
Leslie
What a blessing to hear that you've finally found out the cause of your health problems. Isn't it wonderful to feel so much better now? Thank the Lord that you're feeling the improvements so quickly already!
It's a shame that the FDA approves of so many things that can be harmful. Hopefully, the word gets out and there can be better alternatives to these artificial sweeteners. Have you ever considered trying stevia or agave as a sweetener?
I hope your health continues to improve by leaps and bounds, Stacey! :)
WOW.....I had NO idea! I wonder if stuff like sweet & low does the same? I use GOBS of Splenda everyday...and I look for things made with it. You know why...to stay skinny. I don't have anything (at least for now) wrong with me like you had going on...but I think my hubby might. I'm going to read your post to him. I think we need to consider what you did my friend. Heck...it can't hurt...that's for sure! Thanks so much for sharing your story. God is good...and I'm so glad to you are both feeling better. PTL! (HUGS)
whoa! scary scary! ya know aspartame is another one that causes respiratory problems and brain tumors in adults. my sister's throat totally closes up as an allergic reaction to it. it was another sweetener that was pushed thru without complete testing. do you mind if i post your post on my blog? (with full credit to you and a link, of course). It is very powerful and people need to KNOW!
Congratulations Stacey! May you continue to recover! So many unhealthy things out there for the sake of marketing and money! High Fructose Corn Syrup was one of my culprits. Eat Fresh and God Bless you!
Thank you very much for posting this. I also believed completely in using Splenda. I am so happy that you figured out what was wrong when you did.
wow! i am so glad you discovered the culprit. i have gained a few pounds as i age (plus having a third baby late in life) and my husband is also preching to me if i would just cut out sugar and use splenda instead....i just can't believe in chemical changes to food, now i KNOW i won't do it. maybe cut out some sugar but not replace it with something chemically altered. though in this day and age it is so hard to avoid.....
Wow, I'm in disbelief here....I use the stuff all the time since I'm diabetic. I sometimes find myself barely able to function because I'm so tired. I'll be making some changes starting today. I'm so glad you found out what was causing your problems, thats wonderful! Thank you so much!
Stacey, I'm glad you found this and are feeling much better! I read this to DH and he said that he found out that Sucralose is the the same thing as Splenda...so watch for that on your labels too!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucralose
Stacey, you are a blessing to so many and the Lord has used you to warn us of Splenda and the dangers of it. I'm quitting it today because I've had a lot of the symptoms off and on of what you've been experiencing. Thank you so much for your testimony and you will be blessed for saving many of us from this type of poisoning. Hugs to you and your family. I am so glad that you're feeling better! You're going to be fine! Praise God.
Holy cow! So glad you figured out what was making you sick, mama! I used to use Splenda for just my coffee in the morning but never felt really comfortable with it and def. wont be buying that crap now!
Oh my Gosh! SO happy that you are feeling better! How crazy that is was all caused by something "people drink everyday" and never even know it is hurting them! Scary!
Stacey, I'm so glad you are getting things figured out and that the solution is a simple one! Hang in there and things will just keep getting better!
Thank you for this, It's amazing the chemicals they put out there & we have no idea what we are ingesting & hurting ourselves with. This is a great eye opener for a lot of people. The funny thing is that I have to argue with my father & mother in law over this subject & they keep trying to serve me their tea with this crap in it. They think I'm the crazy one & keep trying over & over again to have me drink their splenda "infused" drinks. Ugh. I will be forwarding what you wrote to them & hopefully this will make them stop serving it to me, or better yet, not drink it themselves. Thank You!
glad you figured it out! I have always been scared of artificial sweetners - kids aren't supposed to have them - you can't have them when your prenanat so that says a lot! Hugs!
Wow. I'm so glad that you figured it out! And I'm so glad that you are feeling better. :)
throwing my out NOW! Wondered why I felt so lethagic some mornings - never will I use this again! Thank you so much! Glad that you and your family are well on the road to reovery!
WOW Stacey, I was told one Splenda is really bad for you, but I didn't know it could cause all of these things! I am so sorry you've been thru all these things and happy you are feeling better.
I've been using Splenda for awhile, but not anymore.
Thanks for all the info and God bless you!
Giovana
WOW, this is just incredible!! I use this stuff, too, but you bet I won't be after reading your story!!!! So glad you are feeing better and hope you continue doing so each day! Thank you so much for telling us about this. FDA seems to approve too many things they shouldn't and not approve too many things they should. Just watched the movie Living Proof and tells you all how FDA is good for the birds in my mind. Hugs, Eva
I'm so glad you figured it out! It's stories like these that have caused a TOTAL change in how I cook and eat. I try to eat foods that are closest to how they originated. Whole foods (whole grains, natural sweeteners, whole milk, and everything organic if possible). This also includes all the products I use on my body, because these are absorbed into our bodies (toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant). There's a little bit of sticker shock at the price difference, but worth it and cheaper than the doctor! So happy to hear you're feeling better!
Thanks so much for all your sweet comments! Please feel free to share this information with anyone and everyone!
Hugs and Blessings to you ALL.
Thank you so much for posting this!! What a wake up call!!
Wonderful that you found the cause of your ailments. I'm always surprised that so many people think Splenda is safe. I personally don't trust the FDA... ;-) A naturopathic doctor told me to ditch the Splenda when I was trying to get pregnant and it wasn't working and I haven't looked back! (and I got pregnant a few months after that) ;-)
Make your own ice-tea and sweeten it with Agave nectar or with Truvia. 2 natural and healthy alternatives! (Truvia has no calories and Agave syrup has a low glycemic index). Try the TAZO teas, my favorite is the ZEN one, green tea + peppermint + lemongrass. :-D
WOW! What an amazing story. Thank you for sharing this on your blog. I am so glad you found the root cause of your and Dave's problems. What a blessing. Hugs to you, michelle
OH STACE Im so sorry for all you have been through. I can't do any artificial things with the multiple sclerosis. But I have friends that do and IM sending them to read your blog. (((((love and hugs my friend)))) Im so glad you found out what it is. It is a scary thing when you can't figure out what is wrong I went through this for so many years before they knew it was MS. We got rid of all the bad foods but to no avail.. (((stacey)))
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with such openness and honesty...I've heard of such experience with Nutrasweet, but hadn't heard such things about Splenda -- eyes wide open now!!! Very thankful that you both are healthier and feeling better!!!
Stacey - first I want to THANK YOU for sharing your story. I plan to share this with many friends, of who I am sure are using Splenda.
I had heard Splenda was bad for you, but was not aware of the many effects and specific harms it could cause.
A number of years ago my husband and I agreed to avoid artificial sweetners - we don't drink diet soda, and really, we both probably consume 1-2 sodas a month. We drink unsweetened tea and lots of water, but yes, still have our coffee. My husband recently decided that what makes coffee decafinated may not be good either, so I need to ask my doctor about that.
We avoid processed foods as much as possible - no American cheese (which was hard for the kids at first), no meals in a box, and sparingly use "cream of" soups.
Do you have a World Market near you? They have wonderful green teas sweetened with dried fruits. The English Tea Garden on line is also wonderful, I recommend Casablanca tea.
I am going to share your story in hopes that it will change the eating habits of people I love so they may avoid what you went through. You are making a HUGE impact with this post - again, thank you; and may God continue to heal your body as you reconsider your dietary intake. God bless.
WOW Stacey!! I'm so glad that you figured out what was causing all the problems! I hope you continue to feel better every day now that you're off the stuff. I don't use anything with Splenda, but I do drink diet soda with aspartame and I use about one Sweet n' Low every day. Though now I'm questioning it. SO, so, so happy for you that hopefully your health issues were the result of something you can easily get rid of!
Oh my goodness! I am so very happy that you figured this out! Also that you are feeling better! I do not doubt this at all! I was only drinking water for awhile and just now got back into drinking diet pop and unsweet tea, sweetening it with Sweet and Low. Thanks for your post! I pray that you and your hubby will continue to feel better!
Omigosh, I can't believe this! I mean I do, I totally do, but how could a product like this get on store shelves?!? Makes you wonder who buys the FDA off, doesn't it?!?
So happy that you've found the answer to your problems and prayers and had the courage to share it here with us. I will DEFINITELY be passing this info on; thank you SO much for sharing it with us.
God bless!
OMG ! how I wished all kinds of depression is easily solved by removing Splenda from the diet ! ( we live in sINGAPORE )
BUt I am more than thrilled with how you've overcome it so far ! Thanks for sharing this very important story !!!!
Stac, I've been meaning to call you about this. Sami told me all about it. I'm so happy you guys figured it out! What an answer to prayer!! This is just crazy, after hearing from Sam I told my sister (who drinks a lot of tea with sweet n low) to stop using artificial sweetener. She's hasn't used any since I shared your story with her. Thanks!
Even though we don't get a chance to chat often, you and your family are always in my thoughts and prayers!
Happy Week!
It truly is amazing isn't it. I have been seeing a homeopathic Doctor and he just HATES all that stuff!! He gets really worked up about it. I thought he was "crazy" you know, a "nut", but more and more I am hearing of others with the same issues. I heard one woman who thought she had MS for 3 years and was ready to die mentally. Her daughter read an artical about artifical sweetners, like you, she drank stuff every day that contained them. She stopped intaking the stuff and is totally fine!!!! AMAZING!
I am SO glad that you are better. Stories like this just reiterate what my Doc has been saying. If you can't read the ingredients DON'T EAT IT!
Cheers to you my friend, I am very happy that you are on the mend. :)
I am amazed that there are so many side effects. I have Splenda in my cabinet although I rarely use it.
Thank heaven you figured it out and the recovery was so quick.
Stacey - Holy Moly! I don't even have the words to express how grateful I am that you are feeling better and shared this information. This could literally save someone's life...Oh my goodness! Please stay well and thank you! Thank you for sharing your story.
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