Diet Coke Myth??? - Multiple Sclerosis Message Board

jennypash · 08-28-2005, 05:13 PM

Hi everyone! I just read an e-mail about aspartame in diet soda and how it causes poisioning of your system resulting in MS like symptoms, They claim hundreds have been mis-diagnosed as having MS when it really because they consume too much aspartame. My dr. never brought any of this up. I plan to discuss when I go for my second opinion. Any truth to this myth?

Thanks.

evolution88 · 08-28-2005, 06:24 PM

I've heard aspartame is just plain bad for us. Haven't read anything to the effect it causes MS like symptoms, although I have heard it can cause dizziness.

Please let us know what your Doc says.

KelliD · 08-28-2005, 06:59 PM

Hi Jenny....I have heard much the same and asked my neuro about it. I would be curious to hear what your neuro says. Mine said he didn't know of any scientific research proving that, but agreed that aspartame is not good for us, so we shouldn't drink it anyway.

A local cola distributor where I live told one of the pastors at our church (as he was restocking the soda machine there) that diet drinks containing aspartame will convert the aspartame to a toxic chemical if they exceed recommended temperatures. So if you're going to drink that stuff anyway, stay away from sodas for sale at gas stations and such that have them stacked up outside or in windows in direct sunlight without benefit of refrigeration!

crystal22 · 08-29-2005, 11:14 PM

Here's the info I've gathered about aspartame: When it reaches a temperature greater than 86 degrees, the chemicals break down into a compound that is similar to formaldehyde (yummy) This chemical is known as a cytotoxin, and can damage the blood brain barrier that normally keeps things like the immune system cells from crossing into the central nervous system, which is what causes the demyelination in MS. Other research has suggested that this isn't true at all, so it depends on who you believe. I stopped drinking diet soda two months ago, haven't seen any change in my symptoms or the progression of the disease. Before I was diagnosed, I had a few MS symptoms (weakness in my leg and arm, numbness on the left side of my face) but MRI's at that time came out normal. Shortly after that I went on Atkins and switched to diet drinks, about six months later my legs went numb and the MRI's I had at that time showed several lesions in my brain and spinal cord. I don't know if the aspartame had anything to do with it or not, but I figure better safe than sorry.