ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER LINK TO HERPES

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/22/2007: Becky (beck522@hotmail.com) from Carbondale, IL writes: "I just read about artificial sweeteners and it's expediting effects of the herpes virus. This is very interesting to me because three days ago I bought a box of splenda,(I  usually use regular sugar). I have such a sweet tooth that I've been putting splenda on everything!  Today, I woke up with cold sores on my lips.  Could it just be a coincidence?  or maybe artificial sweeteners actually do cause outbreaks...I'm giving it up to see if this is true!  Damn you splenda"

BHT seems to have an interesting potential.  I'll have to look at this potential "miracle" cure immediately. Most of all, I thank this site and other posters for making me feel less alone with this.  I've been OB free but I think about this every day of my life.  If I may be allowed to vent for a second, I still feel intense disgust, hostility, and anger at the "person" who neglected and denied to inform me.  I'll leave it at that since I am returning to the feelings of hate, anger, and depression as I write this.      I'll just say that I truly feel for those of you who have had the same/similar experience. Finally, does anyone have a suggestion for a reliable, legitimate online source for ordering those supplements.  Quite honestly, I don't feel like walking into a public store and asking for every supplement that is linked to help HSV."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  09/02/2007: Ryan from Mississauga, Ontario writes: "At work on Wednesday, I decided to try sweetener instead of Sugar in my tea for the first time. Within minutes, I got a sore on the upper right side of my lip, which I have never gotten before."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  08/31/2007: Dee from Tampa, FL writes: "I had the same experience with Aspartame in one of those power low-carb bars. Before I finished the bar I was having incredible nerve pain shooting up in my shoulders. But still I wasn't smart enough to stop eating them and soon had stabbing pains on one side of my back (shingles)along with a rash. I checked this site and started the Apple Cider Vinegar and by the next morning the outbreak was gone. I also have genital herpes and when I first found out I had it (the 1980's) I would breakout over and over until I found out it was the Wheat Germ I was putting on my cereal every morning. For some reason eating much of whole grains to this day will cause me to OB. Now I know to avoid the artificial sweeteners too! So much for the FDA!"

If I want to cause an outbreak within an hour, all I have to do is not eat any coconut products for a few days, and then have a Diet Red Bull.  Chock full of both Aspartame and arginine, if your doctor needs you to have an outbreak for testing purposes, this will do the trick.  Drinking two of these per day sent me to the emergency room with horrible sores, and was how I discovered I had herpes.  Other energy drinks (containing arginine) kept me having sores for the next few months until I realized the connection."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  08/24/2007: Arlene (akilgore@cox.net) from Norfolk, Virginia writes: "I have just read the site relating to various artificial sweetener causes of herpes outbreaks. I was diagnosed over 20 years ago with Genital Herpex; having only one outbreak and only one other very mild outbreak a couple of years later.  Since then, nothing.  Anyway, I have been a steady and constant user of Splenda since it came out, using 5 packets for each cup of coffee.  I don't drink too many sodas but do drink Crystal Lite and consume other products with Splenda.  Over the past several years, I have developed this type of constant hack which comes from my throat, not my lungs.  Initially my doctor said it was caused by acid reflux and I was given an upper gi to make sure I had no damage to my esophagus which showed no damage.  I was told to take Prilosec but that doesn't help much either.  Well, a couple of months ago, I switched back to Equal and it seems like my symptons disappeared.  I have now stopped using Splenda again and the symptoms have greatly reduced.  They are not totally gone, but again, I do consume Yogurt with Splenda and Cystal Lite and also the lite sugar free ice creams.   I'm thinking that the Sucralose, which is the only different ingredient than that of Equal may just be the cause.  Can anybody relate to this or have had similar symptoms?  I'm thinking maybe its some type of lo-grade mild outbreak???"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  08/20/2007: Anonymous writes: "I have had genital herpes for seven years and in seven years i have had maybe three or four outbreaks usually caused by extreme stress and diet, I am very fortunate. For the past month I have not been under any stress and have consumed my normal diet the only thing i did differently was add tons of splenda to my diet. I was using about 15 packs a day for lemonade and food. I noticed i started to get have more frequent outbreaks. I did not know until i read this article that artificial sweetner can cause outbreaks it all makes sense now."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  07/21/2007: Vincent from Brewster, New York writes: "Image this...I don't drink soda, chew gum, or ingest anything containing aspartame. I was at the gym the other day and buy a flavored bottled water drink. Less than 5 minutes after drinking it, a huge cold sore appears on my lip. I wake up the next morning with this cold sore having gotten worse. I spend all day thinking about why this could have happened and the only thing I can connect is that flavored water. I dig through my recycling bin and read the ingredients. Sure enough it contains aspartame. Keep in mind, my body is super sensitive to aspartame because I don't ingest it. At the least, knowing that aspartame was the cause of this put my mind at ease. Aspartame is Satan on a sweet stick."

Im a Christian and I pray to God everyday that He cures all of us since the world keeps saying there is no cure. Honestly, I think that this is the only hope I have. Do you believe in miracles?"

Well, one year, I moved, but I still had a job in the old town, so I was commuting two hours each way to work. So I started drinking Diet Red Bull to stay awake. Well, it works GREAT at keeping me awake, but I ended up in the emergency room with herpes sores that were so painful I couldn't move. Diet Red Bull contains *BOTH* aspartame *AND* arginine, so when I found this site, I immediately knew what the problem was. Thanks to this site, and a bottle of Red Marine Algae, I hardly ever have outbreaks, and they're only vaguely irritating, nothing like that first outbreak. Thanks!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  06/26/2007: EN from Toronto Canada writes: "I have experienced cold sores since I was 6 years old. I got them on a regular basis. About 1 every two months.I came across your website after I got an outbreak just before a very important event. I read about artifical sweetners and was surprised that this could be the cause. I used to use sweetners like it was on the top of my food pyramid. I stopped using it for some time and I was doing great. No outbreaks for over 4 months. Yesturday I slacked off and drank a diet coke and I was out of sugar so I used atificial sweetners and today I woke up with a cold sore!! I'm going to the store right now to buy some Lysine I really need it to go away as I am going on a vacation in two days :( Thanks so much I will never go against your advice and I will stay away from artifical sweetners for as long as I live. Thanks!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  05/13/2007: Robin from London, U.K writes: "Hi l would just like to thank you guys for this site, it's kind of changed my life, not wanting to sound too dramatic about it, but it has.l have been suffering from Genital Herpes for near on 15 years with recently an outbreak occurring almost weekly for the past 2 years, one outbreak would start then as soon it began healing another would start, it has had a very big impact on my life, almost controlling my life from day to day.l refused to take drugs as i felt it would be trading off one problem for another, l never take any kind of drug. But about a month ago I came across this site,, and started reading your messages on Herpes, l realised that I too have been having a very regular intake of Artificial sweeteners through sugar free gums and drinks, l stopped them immediately and started taking L-Lysine 1000mg a day plus Vitamin C 1000mg per day. modified my diet in a big way, cut out Chocolates wine beers and foods high in Arginine,( as an aside not sure if this is connected but l also suffered from Hay Fever and have a bad cat allergy ) but since starting this regime a month ago my Herpes attacks have stopped dead and my allergies have dramatically reduced still can't quite believe the changes that have happened and am kind of waiting for it to go pear shaped, but if it does I would still be happy with the fact that I have had at least a month in my life without Herpes. l thank you all each and everyone of you involved or who have contributed to this web site, l thank you from the bottom of my heart. keep up the good work"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  05/12/2007: Nadine from Atlanta, GA, US writes: "I have to say I am relieved that I have looked on this site today. I have been trying to be healthy with what I put into my body for quite some time but last week I slacked off. I had several diet sodas a I started chewing sugarless gum like it was going out of style. Mind you that I haven't had an outbreak in over a year. Well the other day, as you can guess, I had an out break. No more aspartame and sucralose for me."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  05/04/2007: Sue from Alexandria, Minnesota writes: "I have just read your feedbacks about aspartame and I avoided it like the plaque. I never drink or eat diet foods. I never even thought about chewing gum. I have had oral sores inside my mouth and it seems to affect my entire body. I have flu like symptoms and have self diagnosed myself as having herpes simplex 1. I am going to quit chewing gum and see if this helps. I will keep you posted of my results. Thank you for this website! It is a God send."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  04/15/2007: Jem from Sudbury, Canada writes: "I usually never have more than 2 breakouts a year. But since I have inherited my friend's deceased mother's staples, which included Splenda, I have had a break out 1/mth. As well Of late I have increased my intake of aspartame by chewing more gum than ever before as a diet strategy for weight loss and a substitute for food. Thank you sooo much for the info."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  04/13/2007: KNOWLEDGE IS POWER from Perth, Australia writes: "Have heard two comments now regarding Oxygen Therapy or Hyperbaric Therapy. I am about to give this therapy a go. Also just wanted to say that I think this website is a fantastic forum and agree that the use of Splenda and Aspartame are huge culprits of outbreaks. I haven't had an outbreak for approx 4 weeks now, however I had a chinese dish today for lunch (around 1.30pm) and found out it contained MSG after eating it. I am now experiencing the tingling and itching sensations (now 11.05pm) which are my warning bells going off, so I've taken 2 l-lysine tablets. Not sure what exactly is in MSG but I'm about to search the net for some answers! Will be embarking on the Oxygen Therapy and low carb/high protein diets as protein contains natural l-lysine. Will keep u posted on how it pans out!! KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!"

PPS: Low carb iced tea recipe: (per ~2L water) 2 bags Luzianne iced tea, 1 bag Yogi Throat Comfort tea, 3 tiny scoops of Superior Source Sweet 'n Natural 100% pure Stevia. Stir, ice, and enjoy!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  03/06/2007: Chris from Cebu, Philippines writes: "Just read your article on Aspartame and how it may trigger an outbreak. I am wondering if this is the cause of my current outbreak, as I have just traveled to the Philippines where the formula for diet coke contains Aspartame. After having my first diet coke monday morning, I started having an outbreak. Also know that I have been traveling a lot over the past 2 weeks."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  01/27/2007: Jesse (SOFTBALLCHIC0909@BELLSOUTH.NET) from Macon, GA writes: "I AM SO GLAD I FOUND THIS SITE. I JUS GOT A COLDSORE LIKE BUMP ON MY LIP AND I WAS THINKIN THAT THE CAUSE WAS BC OF SOMETHING I HAD RECENTLY DONE WITH MY BOYFRIEND. TURNS OUT I LATELY HAVE DRANK A COUPLE OF DIET DRINKS AND I HAVE BEEN CHEWING A LOT OF EXTRA GUM. THANK YOU SO MUCH I WAS SO WORRIED. I AM LAYING OFF THE GUM AND DIET SODAS"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  01/24/2007: Rochelle from Grants Pass, OR writes: "After reading this article, it made me think about things. I have never had genital herpes until about 6 month ago when I started drinking three or four diet pepsi's a day. I just quit drinking them about a week ago, and I hope this was the culprit. I also have been reading all the labels of food I eat. I even threw away my gum. EXTRA GUM bad for you. I will let you know if this works. I haven't told my husband because I am so embarrassed about it. I just tell him that I am sore, and can't play..."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  01/20/2007: Jim from Port St Lucie, FL writes: "I DONT' KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING MY OUTBREAKS ... BUT EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN ON NUTRISYSTEM WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM (2 MONTHS) I'VE HAD 4 OUTBREAKS. IT'S BEEN ABOUT 3 YEARS PREVIOUS THAT I'VE HAD ONE."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  01/18/2007: Jason from Houma, Louisiana writes: "So here I am going over a year strong without an outbreak and BAM, I come upon the worst outbreak lasting as long as two weeks long. At first I thought okay maybe that was just a bad case and not even one week after the outbreak subsided...BAM!! another one just as bad appeared. Now I was getting really frustrated and after doing a little bit of researching I came upon this website and read the tales behind Splenda and Aspartame. I started to think about what it was I was doing differently and that's when it hit me, sometimes when I go to visit my parents (my father being a diabetic) I would drink some of this sugar-free drink he would make for himself mainly because there was nothing else in their house to drink besides water. The next day I go over to my parents house and into the pantry and grabbed that container which the mixing packets come in and what do i find in big bold print as part of the ingredients ? ASPARTAME !!!! never again will I drink anything from my parents house UNLESS it's water in a bottle and now I have a tendency to look on the back of everything I buy for those main ingredients..if you have herpes I suggest YOU do the SAME."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  01/18/2007: Sore from Chicago, IL writes: "In late October I started drinking 8 - 12 cups of DeCaf coffee per day. ALong with this I used 2-3 packets Splenda per 1 1/2 Cups or up to 18 packets per day!!! I thought I was doing well. I started this in early October. Now I have used Splenda from time to time but never in this quantity. In late October I started breaking out and it would clear up only to break out again a week later. Instead of breaking out once or twice a year, I was breaking out every few weeks. I'd clear up and break out again. I wondered what was different. Initially I thought it was the stress of the Holidays. Well the holidays are over and it is still happening. I decided to do a search and found this site. I'm eliminating ALL sweeteners today. I'll let you know if my virus goes back to sleep."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  01/01/2007: Annie from Seattle, WA writes: "Just visited my brother and his wife for a week in northern california. Splenda was not available in their home. Upon returning to Seattle, I resumed my consumption of Splenda (quite significant) and immediately (within 2 days) developed a severe herpes outbreak. Yikes. Will certainly monitor the situation and stop using Splenda for a while to see if this is indeed the cause. This was a low stress period for me and there is not other reason for the outbreak except perhaps having started taking L-Carnitine upon my return to Seattle."