Talk to me about panic attacks and aspartame...

[MiniBlondes]

I'll aim for brevity here. No promises, though. ;)

 

I have had a love/hate relationship with caffeine my whole life. I love soda and coffee but I get quickly and terribly addicted to caffeine. So every once in awhile, I'll wean myself off of the caffeine and then a few months later I'll decide to have 'Just one cup of coffee.' and then it becomes a habit. Before I know it, I'm drinking 5-6 large cups of coffee every day and just feeling terrible in general. Sometimes, in an attempt to give up coffee, I'll switch over to diet soda for awhile and wean myself off. But I haven't had a diet soda in about 3 years. Until May.

 

In late May, I realized that my coffee consumption was way out of hand and I switched over to Diet Coke. I thought that I would just drink a little and wean myself off. Wrong. Now I'm addicted to that and drinking 2 liters a day. Yeah, yeah... I need to stop. Same old, same old. But now I'm getting some really unnerving symptoms. About a week ago I started noticing these little attacks of heart palpitations, weakness, nausea, confusion, and disassociation. They would come on suddenly and randomly and have no real explanation. I talked to my mother and she said it sounded like panic attacks, so I began to research. Sure enough, that sounds EXACTLY like what I'm experiencing. I've been getting them once or twice a day for the past week, except today I had FOUR. It's really frustrating and scary to me because I'm not overly anxious or stressed or panicky. In fact, the last one was about 3 hours ago. I was on the phone with my best friend and we were laughing when it hit. I don't understand this at all.

 

I DO NOT want to medicate and I can't really afford to see a therapist. So, me and my husband were doing some research on ways to manage them on my own. We read that aspartame is said to trigger panic attacks. Does anyone have experience with aspartame triggered panic attacks? If so, did they stop once you gave up the aspartame and caffeine? If you have experience with panic attacks, what do you do to overcome them?

 

This is a frustrating and scary problem. It's frustrating because I feel like it's unwarranted and completely out of the blue. It's scary because... well... those attacks are scary! I don't want this to get worse.

 

Help!!! :confused:

[Luckymama]

About 18 months ago I started having weird panic/anxiety symptoms. I was under a lot of stress---my mother had died a year before and I was really worried about my dad (he wasn't ill, he was just so sad). They would occur when driving my high scholar to/from school or in the middle of the night or while running errands. I upped my exercise but that didn't help. I upped my teA intake ;) but that didn't help with those symptoms---very nice otherwise! Finally I cut out all caffeine. That did it!

 

I still drank the very-occasional caffeine free diet coke until this summer. I cut those out in June after a week of tummy aches after a daily cf diet coke. It may not have been due to the sods, could have been something random, but I still haven't had any soda for more than two oaths. I do miss it, though :)

[mom2scouts]

These may not actually be panic attacks but really a reaction to the aspartame. When I drink soft drinks, I drink the regular kind. Diet drinks with aspartame have caused me to have all the symptoms you described within minutes of drinking them. It is really scary! I now avoid all foods with aspartame because I believe it is a toxic chemical and very dangerous, at least for me.

[SunnyDays]

I was thinking the same thing... not *actually* a panic attack, but a reaction to the aspartame or caffeine.

[MiniBlondes]

That's exactly what I was hoping to hear. Thank you ladies so much.

 

It's frustrating to me because I don't feel overly stressed or overwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, I have stress (who doesn't?) but I just don't feel anxious. Except during these attacks.

 

I had another after I went to bed last night.

[Rebel Yell]

Find soem Rescue Remedy... it stops panic attacks for me.

 

Second, if you like fizzy drinks, try this:

thaw some fruit juice concentrate. Mix with seltzer water instead of plain water. Just mix a glassful at a time, don't stir. Keep the juice concentrate in a squirty bottle in the fridge. Add it first, seltzer on top. Nutrition from the juice, fizzies, and no chemical crud. Delicious!

[MiniBlondes]

Find soem Rescue Remedy... it stops panic attacks for me.

 

Second, if you like fizzy drinks, try this:

thaw some fruit juice concentrate. Mix with seltzer water instead of plain water. Just mix a glassful at a time, don't stir. Keep the juice concentrate in a squirty bottle in the fridge. Add it first, seltzer on top. Nutrition from the juice, fizzies, and no chemical crud. Delicious!

 

 

That sounds yummy. Thank you! :)

[Mergath]

The lime Perrier is a great substitute for soda. It's fizzy and fruit-flavored, but doesn't have any calories, sugar, or nasty stuff in it. It actually tastes a bit like non-sweet Sprite.

 

As for the aspartame, that stuff is terrible. I used to have a horrible diet Pepsi habit, and I had headaches and fatigue constantly. Once I quite drinking the soda, I felt a million times better.

[justLisa]

We have a Soda Stream. I am addicted to anything besides clear water. I get the flavorings. We have had the Penguin model for about 6 or 7 years before they were everywhere. Now you can get models for pretty inexpensive.

[Jaz]

I get chest pains that feel like anxiety when I have aspartame. It's very common.

[MiniBlondes]

I have reduced my caffeine/aspartame intake today and so far, no attacks.

 

Hopefully tomorrow brings another good day.

[kalanamak]

Now I'm addicted to that and drinking 2 liters a day. Yeah, yeah... I need to stop. Same old, same old. But now I'm getting some really unnerving symptoms. About a week ago I started noticing these little attacks of heart palpitations, weakness, nausea, confusion, and disassociation.

 

Caffeine is more famous for these. Hypoglycemia as well. You aren't skipping meals are you? The phrase I most hear with actual panic attacks is a feeling of "impending doom". People say they felt like they were going to die.

 

Yes, wean. I love soda bubbles but have never liked soda pop but for occ. root beer. I like seltzer with a bit of lemon in it. If I'm craving some sweetness, I'll put in a shot of OJ or grape juice.

[Mergath]

The phrase I most hear with actual panic attacks is a feeling of "impending doom". People say they felt like they were going to die.

 

 

:iagree: I went through a period of time with my OCD and anxiety where I had regular panic attacks. The first time it happened, I called 911 because I thought I was dying. Not kidding. It feels like the world is coming to an end when you have one.

[Plink]

I don't know about anxiety attacks, but my sister went blind for a year because of too much artificial sugar. Be careful - it is a chemical, and it can do some wacky stuff to your neurological system.

 

ETA: her neurologist said her sight "might" come back if she quit the stuff, and it did, but it took a long time.

Edited August 14, 2012 by LibertyH

[MiniBlondes]

Hypoglycemia as well. You aren't skipping meals are you? The phrase I most hear with actual panic attacks is a feeling of "impending doom". People say they felt like they were going to die.

 

 

Yes and yes. The skipping meals thing isn't unusual, though. I've done that for years.

[MiniBlondes]

I don't know about anxiety attacks, but my sister went blind for a year because of too much artificial sugar. Be careful - it is a chemical, and it can do some wacky stuff to your neurological system.

 

ETA: her neurologist said her sight "might" come back if she quit the stuff, and it did, but it took a long time.

 

It's funny that you say that. My eyesight has been going downhill rapidly. I just got new glasses in April. They were great for about 2 months. But in June I noticed a significant change in my eyesight. I'd been chalking it up to these new glasses but now I'm not so sure. :confused:

[MiniBlondes]

:iagree: I went through a period of time with my OCD and anxiety where I had regular panic attacks. The first time it happened, I called 911 because I thought I was dying. Not kidding. It feels like the world is coming to an end when you have one.

 

I have OCD, germaphobia, cibophobia, and emetophobia. At first I thought it was all in relation to those but my phobias are currently somewhat under control because it is summer and germs aren't as plentiful in the summer.

 

I haven't had one in about 36 hours, by the way.

[gardenmom5]

I DO NOT want to medicate We read that aspartame is said to trigger panic attacks.

 

You said your diet coke habit was a problem. so stop drinking it. your panic attacks should go away as your body chemistry returns to normal.

[MiniBlondes]

You said your diet coke habit was a problem. so stop drinking it. your panic attacks should go away as your body chemistry returns to normal.

 

I am weaning. I just wondered if anyone else had ever heard of this being a problem because made the decision to wean off of aspartame not knowing if the aspartame was actually the cause.

[Plink]

I have OCD, germaphobia, cibophobia, and emetophobia. At first I thought it was all in relation to those but my phobias are currently somewhat under control because it is summer and germs aren't as plentiful in the summer.

 

I haven't had one in about 36 hours, by the way.

 

I am glad you have been doing better. Anxiety is painful.

 

(speaking as gently as possible) I know you said that you don't want to take medicine and that seeing a professional is too expensive, but you may need to consider more than just dietary changes. Your history complicates the situation, and I don't want you to feel as if you aren't controling your diet enough to "earn" an anxiety free life. It can take a long time to flush toxins from your system, and you don't even know that the aspertame is the true root cause of your anxiety. Be kind to yourself. It is okay to take medication if you need it.

[Guest DeadSpacecraft]

Full blown panic attack after drinking a 20 ounce diet coke.  It took me 15 minutes or so to drink.  I was driving.  20 minutes later, I had one of the worst panic attacks of my life.  My vision started to darken around the edges, rapid, heart palpitations, disassociation, lost touch with reality...very agitated, dizzy, felt like I was going to pass out at any second.  Pulled over into car pool lane so I could pull to shoulder...I nearly pulled over about ten times...probably should have.  I finally made it to my exit and parked in CVS parking lot for 40 minutes to get it together.  It's been 4 hours since that awful experience and I'm still feeling pretty bad.

 

I am already very prone to anxiety, but I know for certain it was that diet coke.  Imagine, selling a product to the public, "WARNING, may or may not make you feel like your dying"

 

Why would anyone make such an awful product...Thanks Donald Rumsfeld mind-control diet panic attack.  I want to write Coca-Cola and let them know how wrong their product is, but they will probably just send me coupon for a 2-liter.

 

 

[MelAR05]

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