Diet soda wars anyone else have calls today?

[jkforrest]

I have had friends (?) admonish me for drinking diet coke for years. Had all the lectures I could stand.

Surprise!! Today I had one call regarding it. Plus one email from a friend that also has MS with a comment from her neuro that she should not drink or eat anything with aspertimine (can't spell but you know what I am talking about). It basically said there was a huge surge of MS dx and Lupus dx during 2000.

My ? here is did millions of people just start drinking them overnight and develop these particular diagnosis? I think not. Do I believe that it is not good for you? YES just as I believe most of the over processed STUFF you get in the grocery in NOT good for you.

In an effort to make things fast and easy for we Americans, our diet has gotten away from normal plant foods and regular meat,poultry, fish etc. without antibiotics which I prefer NOT to have in my protein source,

If I want antibiotics, I'll take them out of the bottle. Which brings me to a questions perhaps the resistance of super bugs to antibiotics in part is caused by the added antibiotics in our NON organic food supplies what do you guys think?

[hunterd]

"Surprise!! Today I had one call regarding it. Plus one email from a friend that also has MS with a comment from her neuro that she should not drink or eat anything with aspertimine (can't spell but you know what I am talking about). It basically said there was a huge surge of MS dx and Lupus dx during 2000.

My ? here is did millions of people just start drinking them overnight and develop these particular diagnosis? I think not. Do I believe that it is not good for you? YES just as I believe most of the over processed STUFF you get in the grocery in NOT good for you. "

i have been diabetic since 1972, so i guess in order to avoid MS (from aspertame), i should have given up food

[there]

I never drank diet sodas or any other sodas or used any kind of sweetener.

Perhaps I got the non-asparteme MS created by consuming copious amounts of chocolate.

[cranberrysauce]

I've heard this before too. Its annoying. I don't know why people try to suggest that I did something to cause my MS or that I'm doing something to make it worse.

I routinely get the diet coke thing. I also get told that eating kale or other super foods will fix me. The worst is diet and exercise since I'm about 50 pounds overweight.

First, I gained 40 of those 50 since I got MS. Doses and doses of steroid coupled with bouts where exercise hasn't been possible caused me to gain weight. My MS made me fat, being fat didn't cause my MS. Its particularly hurtful because about a year ago, during a 6 month stint where things were going really well, I trained for and completed my second half marathon! It was slow but I did the whole dang thing which was a huge accomplishment. So, it hurts when people don't think I'm trying..

Life dealt me a bad deck of cards but please don't imply that I did this to myself because there is really NO evidence of that.

[lisa1014]

When I had my nurse come for my shot training she told me to avoid things with aspartame but she told me because it could make bladder symptoms worse. She said those things "tickle" the bladder and can lead to more bathroom issues. I of course don't listen because I love my diet MT Dew and can't really make it through the day without my caffeine!

[lstrl]

I used to ingest a lot of aspartame through crystal light type drinks and in some of my cereal, but after I went a while without it (that I honestly think was because I was too lazy to make the drinks), I could no longer stand that horrible artificial taste. It was years ago that I gave it up, and surprise! I still got MS long after.

The thing is, if all of these artificial sweeteners did what everyone claims they do, we'd all be walking around with brain tumors by now.

[JerryD]

This thread is full of ignorance and foolish reasoning. The question here is: What can I do to make my health better ? Where can I see the proof of this reasoning ?
Several medical practitioners have studied these problems for years. Dr. Swank had about 50 years in it. And he did it as a clinician. There is Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Roy Swank, Dr. Terry Wahls, Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. T. Colin Campbell's work and writings to use as resources. Seek and ye shall find .
The problems that we all face are unquestionably gargantuan. Not impossible. I am not saying that I have the answer, but are we really going to give 'aspartame' a pass? What about 'nicotine' ? 'I only smoke a little' . C'mon, either you are in the 'fight' or you're 'laying down'!
I know I am a harsh critic. I am sorry, that's just my 2 cents.

[Mamabug]

While I agree, Jerry, that we all need to ask ourselves what we can do to make our health better, I also believe that is a question that not every individual will answer in the same way.

Our food options include a lot of products that are overly processed or artificial. And, it does not take an expert to tell me that it is "better" to avoid those. However, I don't avoid all of those. And, my guess is that most of us don't.

We all get to make our own choices regarding what changes we are willing to make and what changes we are not willing to make. Those choices are based on our perceptions of perceived benefit and perceived risk, and we will also have varying opinions about that.

Just as avoiding aspartame is the recommendation of some, going on one of the various diets recommended for MS is another, participating in yoga is another, taking a DMD is another, avoiding DMD's is another, getting CCVSI surgery is another, and using marijuana is another. There are many more options that we can consider to become more healthy. And, there are varying opinions regarding how effective they would be.

I wish to respectfully suggest, Jerry, that you refrain from calling our members "ignorant" and "foolish" simply because they might make different choices than you do.

Personally, I still consume aspartame. Over the years, I have varied some, over how much and how frequently. And, although I believe that my diet might be healthier if I would continue to decrease the use of processed or artificial ingredients in my food (which I have done some), I do not believe the aspartame scares that are sometimes rampant on the internet.

In the past two years, I have worked intentionally at changing my diet (including greatly reduced gluten); I have added regular exercise to my weekly routine; I have become very intentional about avoiding stress whenever possible and choosing carefully what I say yes to and what I say no to, etc. The changes contributed to me losing 60 pounds over 12 months and mostly maintaining that weight loss over the past year or more. (I went from a size 22 to a size 6.) Forty of those pounds were pounds that I gained after many years of high-dose steroids. I understand what cranberrysauce says:

... My MS made me fat, being fat didn't cause my MS...

Around 2003, I went 100% off of aspartame for two years. It made no difference in my MS symptoms. The combination of changes that I've made in the past two years, and switching from Betaseron to Copaxone in 2008, have made a difference in decreasing my MS symptoms and in improving my health. My MS Specialist will attest to that. Discontinuing aspartame for two years did not.

Here are just a few links that offer a different opinion:
· http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp
· http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-we-know-about-ms/what-causes-ms/disproved-theories/index.aspx
· http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/FoodAdditives/ucm208580.htm

We all get to make our own choices. These are my choices, and I'm content with them. Rather than be a "harsh critic", my preference is to support others with the positive choices they make. None of us need to be made to feel badly because we don't do everything.

~ Faith

[jkforrest]

To Jerry,

I guess my confusion or thinking due to MS cognatative issue must be acting up.

My point being: has anyone else had a recent influx of the
sugar substitute issue information dumped on them lately as it rears it's head every few years in abundance.

I thought everyone was just expressing their particular experiences and some were even joking.

I would ask what part or parts of all replies you thought foolish etc. as I didn't get that. What could I be missing.

Plus I don't understand the smoking etc comments as it pertains to this specific question. What exactly you mean in correlation to this as I am stumped.

I sure do get the "huge issue" we all face, however, my personal choice is to keep on keeping on and don't sweat the small stuff and most all is the "small" stuff.

Thus could you explain what exactly what you meant as I am truly not getting it.

[cranberrysauce]

Obviously, some people very strongly about artificial sweeteners. To me, there is not enough data to support that it is truly harmful, let alone causes MS.

I think there are enough challenges with MS. Personally, mine are having numbness that prohibits me from exercising like I used too. Now, I have to adjust to the reality that I am having to diet and scale back.

My husband and I joke. Before MS, when I wanted to lose weight I would work out more. He hates exercise so he would choose to cut back on food. Two different approaches to the same problem.

And, its very very hard to switch myself to this new reality. Training for half marathons is off the table. And, I love food. To make matters worse, steroids make me hungry AND cooking has been a great hobby for me since my MS diagnosis. I've found a night home baking is more doable than being out and about with friends

So, in my world, I'm not laying down. I am fighting and making these drastic life changes is hard for me. But, giving up two diet cokes a day just isn't a priority. I personally think losing some weight and learning MS friendly exercise are my top priorities.

I cannot live in fear of everything causing my MS, cancer or anything else. If I did, I would avoid everything, including using this computer right now

MS challenges us all in different ways which affects our priorities. We all have to choose the battles we fight. And, it seems like, for most of us, a little diet soda is at the bottom of the barrel because there has not been overwhelming evidence that it will help!

[4boysmom]

I had a doctor from the MS center in Colorado say at a meeting that the aspartame fear is just bunk.

Having said that, I will tell a funny story. My neuro has given me phentermine to help with daytime fatigue. I take it on work days, or not. Before my last visit, I had decided I really didn't feel any different on or off it. So at my appt. I told him he didn't need to renew my prescription.

Well, a month later, I had changed my mind once again, thought I should have kept the rx. Called and talked to the nurse about it, and she said she'd get back with me after talking to doc!

She called a week later, and said the doc wanted to try something else, but I'd need to come in. He thought maybe taking caffeine would be a better alternative. I promptly replied, "You mean the 96 oz. of Dt. Mt. Dew I already drink daily isn't sufficient? I thought I was already self-medicating?"

She didn't know how to reply, so I told her maybe it was just the overcast weather and I was a bit depressed. told her I'd get back with him if I got worse.

I can't wait for my next appointment

[Debby]

Brenda....been keeping an eye out for you (saw a post from you a month ago or so)! Just wanted to say I recognize the "source" of your quote!!! If you want to connect and talk let me know. Do you have your email address on your profile?

And on the subject here...I've been trying to cut down on caffeine, but enjoy a diet coke or Pepsi when eating out (or with pizza...gotta have it with pizza!). My motto is "balance in all things". Whenever I get extreme about anything, it takes me down roads I don't like. I found a new drink called "Sparkling Ice" that I love! It comes in lots of favors, has a little carbonation (which I love!), tastes good, has a screw-on lid so I don't have to drink the whole thing at once and/or feel like I'm wasting it!

[Luv2Worship]

I too have tried to limit aspartame in my diet, mostly because I'm trying to eat healthier but also because of all the warnings associated with it. I've questioned also the whole issue of certain things possibly causing you to get MS and what I have come up with is this; I don't think something [like aspartame] can cause you to end up with MS, otherwise, like someone else mentioned, 1000's more people would have it. I do believe though that it can exacerbate its affect on you. Obviously, the healthier your diet, the better you'll feel overall.

I have a friend that I have known for almost 30yrs and one that I've known for 15yrs and they both, no joke, drink almost 3-4 60oz diet sodas DAILY and besides being super hyped up, they both are healthy. I, on the other hand, hardly ever drink soda but have a strong family history of neurological illness.

[Rushy]

This artifical sweetner thing comes around every once in a while and I get swamped by emails, facebook posts and "advice". It gets so frustrating. Now that I have moved back to my hometown area, my brother (who is a real know it all) got into an argument with me last night about it. It will die down and we will be left in peace for a little while until it comes around again. By the way, I havent had artificial sweetners in ages, and there has been no difference in my symptoms, and as a diabetic it really limits what I can have, so in moderation I will be using artificial sweetners again.

[Debby]

Oh my gosh! I've been reading this thread for a few days, and out of the blue got a letter from a dear friend who is a hearty 95 years old, and worried about MY health! In the letter she included an article she just got about diet soda causing MS. I couldn't help but laugh, having just read the thread here.

Well, her heart is in the right place and I'll thank her for her concern! I don't drink TOO much diet soda anymore since I discovered Sparkling Ice, and it's hitting the spot for me. However, I love having a diet Pepsi or coke when we eat out, and only occasionally at home (usually with pizza!).

Here's hoping Rushy is right and this thing will go away for awhile, hopefully for a LONG while!!!