Tinnitus and Aspartame: Hi, I'm new to all this... - Tinnitus UK

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Tinnitus and Aspartame

Waju14160 profile image
15 Replies

Hi, I'm new to all this - not to tinnitus but to this forum! I have read that there may be a link between tinnitus and aspartame. I do use aspartame a lot - sweeteners in my tea, fizzy drinks etc - has anyone else seen anything about this?

I am having a really bad bout of tinnitus at the moment so I'm trying to cut down to see if it helps. I'll report back if I think it makes any difference!

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Waju14160 profile image
Waju14160
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15 Replies
doglover1973 profile image
doglover1973

Hi there. Welcome. Giving up a aspartame would good for your health if not your tinnitus. It can be tricky to work out what causes tinnitus spikes but might be worth a try!

Happyrosie profile image
Happyrosie

As doglover says. And there are other sweeteners. Stevia is a South African plant which I’ve seen for sale in South African garden centres, and is now on sale in the UK as a sweetener. Personally I don’t like the taste of it but you might like to try. Or cut down on sweeteners? I use a little artificial sweetener to sweeten cooked rhubarb and other fruit along with a spoonful of honey, to keep the calories down, but a jar lasts me about a year and I eat a lot of cooked fruit.

doglover1973 profile image
doglover1973 in reply to Happyrosie

Hi Rosie. Have you tried xylitol? It's nicer than stevia but still not quite as nice as sugar 😏

Happyrosie profile image
Happyrosie in reply to doglover1973

I' ve just looked it up - has half the calories of sugar. the one I normally use has got aspartame in it but not much. And is cheaper! I usually use half honey and half Canderel to sweeten cooked fruit (along with a spoonful of Cointreau sometimes!)

doglover1973 profile image
doglover1973 in reply to Happyrosie

Ooh. That's sounds lovely!

Waju14160 profile image
Waju14160

Thanks everyone for your replies. I am trying stevia at the moment and you're right it is an acquired taste. I haven't heard of xylitol but I will look out for it. I'm sure I could cut out the sweeteners in my tea but aspartame is in so many 'diet' based products!!

doglover1973 profile image
doglover1973 in reply to Waju14160

Let us know how you get on.

Barbiebabbs profile image
Barbiebabbs in reply to Waju14160

All that xylitol is stuff they put in sugar-free gum if you have pets do not let them get a hold of it it will kill them

Matt489 profile image
Matt489

Hi all.

We all know how much of a challenge it can be to identify the things that can trigger a perceived increase in our T volume, or intensity. I think after the amount of time I have lived with T, some of the best advice I can give is not to try and micro manage it, it's one of those things that we have little control over. We all want to be able to feel that we can stop what's happening and be in control of T, however if you fight it, it gives it importance or if you micro manage it,it gives it importance. I have found just living your life and doing the things you love and being with the people you love the most, is the best way to remove the the importance and centre placement of T.

Like I said this is personal experience over 30 years living with T.

Hope maybe that makes sense.

Enjoy your weekends and get out of you can and enjoy.🙂

Barbiebabbs profile image
Barbiebabbs in reply to Matt489

It's weird ain't it that if your mind is off of it you don't notice it as much I don't have normal tinnitus like most people do I went to an ear doctor and one of them blew air in my ear and it was really sensitive at the time and then another one pumped it with his finger and the next time you know I'm stressing out and the next thing you know it's buzzing and then they talked me into another hearing test and after that it was on different sounds in my left ear it got so loud that it calms the nerves in my head to start buzzing so now most of the time I was in my head and I say the actual noise is not in your ear anyway it's in your head

Catlioness41 profile image
Catlioness41

Hi, I do know that sugar or anything sweet sends my tinnitus through the roof, so there could be something to it. After all sugar is a stimulant.

Philip6 profile image
Philip6

I don’t find sweeteners affect my tinnitus at all. I only use them in coffee, I use Stevia, I avoid aspartame like the plague. If you read up about it, it’s not good at all. The reports might all be mumbo jumbo but I’m not taking the risk.

purenostalgia profile image
purenostalgia

I stopped using it all chemicals.

Waju14160 profile image
Waju14160

Thanks again everyone for taking the time to comment. I have swapped to stevia in my tea now and don't find the taste too bad - it's just all the other things that may contain aspartame that I'm going to have to check when doing the shopping.Have a lovely weekend everyone.

doglover1973 profile image
doglover1973 in reply to Waju14160

You too 🙂

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