Aspartame-Induced Fibromyalgia

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM · November 30, 2012 · Volume 11

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Case reports of fibromyalgia chronic pain sufferers cured, by removing the artificial sweetener aspartame (Nutrasweet®) from their diets.

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Transcript

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

Reported for the first time recently, case reports of “Aspartame-induced fibromyalgia, an unusual but curable cause of chronic pain.”

“A 50-year-old woman had been suffering from widespread pain and fatigue for more than 10 years leading to the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. During a vacation in a foreign country, she did not suffer from painful symptoms [and made a connection with the fact that] she had forgotten to take her aspartame. All of the symptoms reappeared in the days following her return when she reintroduced aspartame into her daily diet. [But when it] was definitively excluded from her diet, [it resulted] in a complete regression of [her] fibromyalgia symptoms.” After ten years of suffering.

“A 43-year-old man consulted for a 3-year history of bilateral forearm, wrist, and hand and [neck] pain [with] various unsuccessful treatments. A detailed questioning [followed] to find out that he had been taking aspartame for three years. The removal of aspartame was followed by a complete regression of pain, without recurrence.”

“The benefit/risk ratio of considering the diagnosis of aspartame-induced chronic pain is obvious: the potential benefit is to cure a disabling chronic [illness], to spare numerous laboratory and imaging investigations, and to avoid potentially harmful therapies; the potential risk is [what,] to temporarily change the patient’s diet. Thus, practitioners should ask patients suffering from fibromyalgia about their intake of aspartame. In some cases, this simple question might lead to the resolution of a disabling chronic disease.”

And, fibromyalgia is no small pain in the neck, affecting an estimated five million Americans—who should all be asked that simple question.

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Sources

Ciappuccini R, Ansemant T, Maillefert JF, Tavernier C, Ornetti P. Aspartame-induced fibromyalgia, an unusual but curable cause of chronic pain. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2010 Nov-Dec;28(6 Suppl 63):S131-3.

Acknowledgements

Images thanks to Bukowsky18 and Sarah Beth via flickr

Topics

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

Reported for the first time recently, case reports of “Aspartame-induced fibromyalgia, an unusual but curable cause of chronic pain.”

“A 50-year-old woman had been suffering from widespread pain and fatigue for more than 10 years leading to the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. During a vacation in a foreign country, she did not suffer from painful symptoms [and made a connection with the fact that] she had forgotten to take her aspartame. All of the symptoms reappeared in the days following her return when she reintroduced aspartame into her daily diet. [But when it] was definitively excluded from her diet, [it resulted] in a complete regression of [her] fibromyalgia symptoms.” After ten years of suffering.

“A 43-year-old man consulted for a 3-year history of bilateral forearm, wrist, and hand and [neck] pain [with] various unsuccessful treatments. A detailed questioning [followed] to find out that he had been taking aspartame for three years. The removal of aspartame was followed by a complete regression of pain, without recurrence.”

“The benefit/risk ratio of considering the diagnosis of aspartame-induced chronic pain is obvious: the potential benefit is to cure a disabling chronic [illness], to spare numerous laboratory and imaging investigations, and to avoid potentially harmful therapies; the potential risk is [what,] to temporarily change the patient’s diet. Thus, practitioners should ask patients suffering from fibromyalgia about their intake of aspartame. In some cases, this simple question might lead to the resolution of a disabling chronic disease.”

And, fibromyalgia is no small pain in the neck, affecting an estimated five million Americans—who should all be asked that simple question.

Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.

Ciappuccini R, Ansemant T, Maillefert JF, Tavernier C, Ornetti P. Aspartame-induced fibromyalgia, an unusual but curable cause of chronic pain. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2010 Nov-Dec;28(6 Suppl 63):S131-3.

Images thanks to Bukowsky18 and Sarah Beth via flickr

Doctor's Note

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

Nontoxic treatments should always get precedence, and you can’t get much more nontoxic than removing processed foods from people’s diets! Alternately, many folks suffering with fibromyalgia symptoms may have been misdiagnosed, and are actually suffering from an easily treated vitamin D deficiency. What’s the best way to treat that? See other videos on vitamin D. I’ve got a bunch of other videos on sweeteners, including Is Nutrasweet® Bad For You?. In Diet Soda and Preterm Birth, I address concerns about aspartame consumption during pregnancy.

For further context, check out my associated blog posts: Aspartame: Fibromyalgia & Preterm Birth; Is There a Safe, Low-Calorie Sweetener?; and Plant-Based Diets for Fibromyalgia.

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