Has anyone read about Aspartame & restless leg syndrome?

[hairyfairy]

I was on the internet last night, & came across a site that stated the dangers of Asparame sweeteners.The conditions that it claimed this stuff causes were a very long list indeed, but one caught my eye. Restless leg syndrome is supposed to be the result of consuming products with Aspartame in. I used to drink diet coke by the litre, & I`m wondering if that`s why I have restless legs today. I don`t drink much of the stuff now, but if this article is true, Then are the food manufacturers to blame for my condition?

[Hidden]

I would say no, Aspartame is not good for you at all, but it will not ""give"" you restless leg syndrome at all, i could possibly aggravate it but it is certainly not the cause of rls. RLS is either primary, as in its in your family, or secondary, due to pregnancy, or other illness.

[toptigers in reply to Hidden]

people like to say something ie like Aspartame not but might aggravate it!

possible ! does anyone ever think that what things your parents & relatives eat you are eating the same and it effects you but not them in the same way! There is a book called The Pulse Test! might B worth trying ! By Lyle Stuart ! its a process but I've seen my friend who has RLS ! I'd like him to try it but he lives 300 miles away and it takes effort! Some of U out there might try it and put a post up! for the person who thinks aspartame might be an effect go to browser and type in The Pulse Test ! it gives the basic how to! Take pulse in morning before getting up! that's a base line! Take it again after up. Keep a journal times! now take a half glass

of your diet drink, wait about half hour, take pulse again! if up significately it might

not be causing your RLS, but stop drinking it! do all your foods! it might Be one thing your allergic to, it might Be 10 to 20, everybody's body is different! let me know ! I'm Glenn!

[Hidden]

I would also say no. Aspartame can aggravate RLS, but not the cause of it. Try stopping ALL drinks for a while which have aspartame in, you could see a difference in your RLS, as in the symptoms may not be so severe.

There are certain medications which can for some seem to set RLS off.

[hairyfairy]

Iv`e tried removing it from my diet, but that didn`t work. Iv`e no idea why I have RLS because there`s no family history that I know off, & I don`t have any other significant health issues that could cause it. Maybe I`m just cursed.

[Hidden in reply to hairyfairy]

There could be rls in the family that you havent heard of, or maybe, you had the gene passed down from a previous generation, it can skip a generation

[SheNoSleep]

Has a gene been identified yet?

[jasmara]

Hi

There is absolutely no evidence that aspartame effects RLS at all. It certainly does not cause it. What causes RLS is a variation in a gene that codes for a protein that regulates dopamine receptors in the spinal cord on motor neurones. The same protein also seems to be involved in iron regulation which is why some people find taking iron can help. However, iron supplementation can cause some side effects and is definitely nor recommended in children so can be of limited help. The problem with dopamine can be helped for many by dopamine agonist (drugs that mimic the effect of dopamine). One of the popular drugs is primapexole and can provide relief for many people. However, as with all drugs this can also cause augmentation (although in the low doses used for RLS this is not so much a problem as with some of the older drugs) and of course the usual gambit of side effects.

Unfortunately as informative as the internet can be it is also full of misinformation and unsubstantiated heresy. Always look for the scientific research. If its not stated, be aware!

[Hidden in reply to jasmara]

I know theres some research going on with a few genes, one is BTBD9, and another one is TOX3, theres also another one but i cant remember what it is

[Hidden]

You got a better memory than i have, i can never remember those genes..!! I always have to look them up..!! lol..

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

wish i could remember the third one tho

[nightdancer]

There were 4 genes discovered--2 in 2007, 2009, and last year also. About 65% of all Cases are Primary RLS, which is genetic. ON the Aspartame, like many have said, there is absolutely no scientific proof that artificial sweeteners can cause RLS at all. We must be careful of the web sites we read , and make sure we are getting true information. Artificial sweeteners are blamed for a lot of things, and I , for one, do know that if I drink diet soda, it is an instant migraine. But as far as causing RLS, who knows? Not enough evidence to say for sure, but if you notice a pattern (keep a food diary) then you will know it may be a trigger. A sleep diary and food diary are very helpful for you and for your doctor. sciencedaily.com has a great section of articles on RLS, and the gene info is on there, too. rlshelp.org The RLS expert on this site talks about Aspartame on the treatment page of the web site. Also, see on that page "Drugs and Foods to Avoid". When reading a web site look around and see what the mission or the "agenda" of the site would be, and that shows you credible the information can be.

[SueH57]

Yes, with out any doubt with me Aspartame causes me classic 'restless leg syndrome' the syndrome comes and goes depending on my consumption of this evil poisonous sweetener, I am very careful to avoid this toxin at all costs now and thankfully the RLS has gone away.

[philjaq]

Agree - please see my post ... rls-what-cured-me-might-work-for-you regarding sweeteners.

[1moreusername]

I find that there are things that aggravate my restless legs - one of them is artificial sweeteners such as Splenda/Sucralose and even Stevia. As I've cut down on them, RLS symptoms are much less. My doctor wouldn't agree with me - but this is the only thing I've changed in the last couple of weeks and the symptoms are so much better. It's worth trying to reduce these in your diet as they really are not necessary anyhow. Good luck.

[Retren]

Aspertane is one of the items -additives to avoid in food.It has different affects for different people .I have often thought there are few foods that don,t upset someone many years ago I was convinced something n food was the cause and almost eliminated toothpaste.It is all trial and error and in the long run it is heredity genes and so forth.

[Miche24fish]

I never realised until last night that I was drinking pepsi max and it was making me have restless legs,been to the doctors and they couldn't help me,but I haven't drunk it for a little while then last night I had a bottle and it was back,I'm devastated as addicted to the taste but I now know it's no good for me😟