Aspartame Allergy

I really miss chewing gum. Not that I chew it all of the time, but I like to put a piece in my mouth every once in a while to get fresh breath and keep myself from eating instead.

The problem is, I'm allergic to aspartame (Nutrasweet). I don't think that there is any gum out there that isn't sweetened with it. Maybe Hubba Bubba. I really don't want to be chewing on a wad of bubble gum like an 8 year old. :)

I first noticed that I was allergic to aspartame when I was a teenager. I was having chest pains and shortness of breath that I couldn't explain. The doctor I spoke to thought that I might have an allergy to Nutrasweet. It was summer and I was drinking a lot of diet sodas.

I cut it out of my diet and the pains went away.

Fast forward to this winter. I was eating Yoplait Light yogurt and drinking Crystal Light Peach Tea. I was also chewing sugarless gum.

Major chest pains. And pains throughout my veins. I felt awful. I don't know why it took me a month or two to remember that this was due to what I was eating. I was really starting to think that there was something seriously wrong with me. It freaked me out.

I started paying very close attention to the ingredients in what I was buying and found that aspartame is in so many things!! I am being very careful now and checking ingredients before I buy things.

And I'm feeling SOOOOOOOO much better!!!