Splenda and Sucralose: Friend or Foe

Splenda

Many people have embraced Splenda as a new miracle sugar. What some people may not realize, however, is that Splenda can cause rashes and other negative reactions in a small percentage of people. It is a very difficult thing to diagnose, but once it has been, it is easy to track .

Splenda is a no calorie sweetener that can be used much like sugar. It is actually a modified sugar that is called sucralose. The process selectively replaces three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sugar molecule with chlorine atoms. This changes the sucrose to sucralose, which is supposedly inert. It passes through the body without it being recognized as a carbohydrate.

Although they label it as being safe, it is known to cause negative reactions in a small subset of the population.

My Story

In November 2006 I bought a pumpkin pie and did not realize it was made with Splenda until I got it home. Even then, I did not really mind since it would supposedly be healthier than one made with normal sugar. Each day we had a piece of pie after dinner until it was gone. I had severe intestinal discomfort and gas very soon after eating the pie. By the end of the week, I had a horrible rash on my right ear and could not sleep because of the itch. It was very swollen, red and painful. Finally, I went to the doctor and they said it was an allergic reaction to something. They asked if I had been into anything new. I thought back and decided the only thing to change was the Splenda. When I returned home, I looked it up online and found many websites to confirm my suspicion.

Some Possible Symptoms

Some symptoms include rash, abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloating, gas, difficulty breathing, swollen eyes, red face, cramps, bladder pain, numbness in arms and legs and depression. Other symptoms probably exist.

My Purpose

I am not attempting to tell anyone not to buy Splenda. I merely want to let people know that this happened to me and it has happened to others. If you get a rash or other symptom, please consider if Splenda or sucralose has been ingested in the near past. It is easy to treat: just stop eating or drinking it and you will improve. In severe cases hydrocortisone cream worked for me, but others had to visit the emergency room to get medical care.