I'm a 29 year old athletic female victim of deadly NutraSweet
poisoning. I began to use it in the spring of 1990, and soon
afterwards my condition began to deteriorate. I never imagined my
strange symptoms were from a chemical, after all it's approved by the
FDA and on restaurant tables.

My eyesight began to fade until I was almost blind in one eye. Next
my hearing became dull and my legs, feet and torso lost sensation and
became numb. I was dizzy most of the time, irritable and depressed
and had constant terrible headaches. I became very clumsy, dropped
and bumped into things. I used to skate but having lost my balance, I
had to give it up. My mind was affected, and I thought I had a brain
tumor. Reading comprehension and memory drastically decreased. I
thought I was dying.

Two different doctors made the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. One
was an eye specialist I saw about my vision loss.

This spring a friend explained to me that all my symptoms were coming
from aspartame (NutraSweet) and that I had methanol toxicity which
mimics Multiple Sclerosis. I was only drinking three Diet Cokes a
day. I could hardly believe the horrible nightmare I was living was
sold in 6 packs at the grocery store, but I would try anything so I
stopped. Right away I began to feel better, and today most of my
symptoms have completely disappeared. My friend, Betty, was right, I
was suffering from methanol toxicity. My hearing and vision have
returned and so has my memory. I'm no longer clumsy and have regained
my balance, and feeling has returned to my lower extremities.

How can a poison like NutraSweet be sold to an entire population? How
could it ever be approved by the FDA? I learned that I had the
classic symptoms, and if I had not been warned in time it may have
killed me. There is no doubt that the NutraSweet was responsible. One
day a hostess gave me a Diet Pepsi, and not wanting to hurt her
feelings, I accepted. Sure enough the next day my numbness returned,
and I began to feel ill.

This poison must be removed from the market. I'm writing to help
others in the hope that they can avoid the terror, confusion and
helplessness NutraSweet brought into my life!