Biological Psychiatry
Volume 34, Issue 1 , Pages 13-17 , 1 July 1993

Adverse reactions to aspartame: Double-blind challenge in patients from a vulnerable population

  • Ralph G. Walton

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress reprint requests to Ralph G. Walton, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Western Reserve Care System, 500 Gypsy Lane, Youngstown, OH 44501 USA.
    • Department of Psychiatry, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, Youngstown, OH, USA
  • ,
  • Robert Hudak

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH, USA
  • ,
  • Ruth J. Green-Waite

      Affiliations

    • Director of Research Western Reserve Care System, Youngstown, OH, USA

Received 3 October 1992 ,Revised 31 March 1993

References 

  1. Blundell JE, Hill AJ. Paradoxical effects of an intense sweetener (aspartame) on appetite. Lancet. 1986;1:1092–1093
  2. Bradstock MK, Serdula MK, Marks JS, et al.  Evaluation of reactions to food additives: the aspartame experience. Am J Clin Nutr. 1986;43:464–469
  3. Camfield PR, Camfield CS, Dooley JM, Gordon K, Jollymore S, Weaver DF. Aspartame exacerbates EEG Spikewave discharge in children with generalized absence epilepsy: A double-blind controlled study. Neurology. 1992;42:1000–1003
  4. Council on Scientific Affairs . Aspartame: review of safety issues. JAMA. 1985;254:400–402
  5. Drake ME. Panic attacks and excessive aspartame ingestion. Lancet. 1986;2(8507):631
  6. Evaluation of consumer complaints related to aspartame use. MMWR. 1984;33:605–607
  7. Fernstrom JD, Fernstrom MH, Massoudi MS. In vivo tyrosine hydroxylation in rat retina: Effect of aspartame ingestion in rats pretreated with p-chlorophenylalanine. Am J Clin Nutr. 1991;53:923–929
  8. Garriga MM, Berkebile C, Metcalfe DD. A combined single-blind, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to determine the reproducibility of hypersensitivity reactions to aspartame. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1991;87:821–827
  9. Johns DR. Migraine provoked by aspartame. N Eng J Med. 1986;315(7):456
  10. Leone AS, Hunninghake DB, Bell C, Rassin DK, Tephly TR. Safety of long term large doses of aspartame. Arch Intern Med. 1989;149:2318
  11. Lipton RE, Newman LC, Solomon S. Aspartame and headache. N Engl J Med. 1988;318:1200
  12. Roberts HJ. Neurological, psychiatric, and behavioral reactions to aspartame in 505 aspartame reactors. In:  Wurtman RJ,  Walker ER editor. Dietary Phenylalanine and Brain Function. Boston: Birkhauser; 1988;p. 373–376
  13. Schiffman SS, Buckley CE, Sampson HA, et al.  Aspartame and susceptibility to headache. N Engl J Med. 1987;317:1181–1185
  14. Stegink LD, Filer LJ, Baker GL. Effects of aspartame loading upon plasma and erythrocyte amino acid levels in phenylketonuria heterozygotes and normal adult subject. J Nutr. 1979;109:708–717
  15. Stegink LD, Filer LJ, Bell EF, Ziegler EE, Tephly TR, Krause L. Repeated ingestion of aspartame-sweetened beverages: Further observations in individuals heterozygous for phenylketonuria. Metabolism. 1990;39(10):1076–1081
  16. Steinmetzer RV, Kunkle RS. Aspartame and headaches. N Engl J Med. 1988;318:1201
  17. Walton RG. Seizure and mania after high intake of aspartame. Psychosomatics. 1986;27:218–220
  18. Watts RS. Aspartame, headaches and beta blockers. Headache. 1991;31(3):181–182
  19. Wurtman RJ. Aspartame: Possible effects on seizure susceptibility. Lancet. 1985;2(8463):1060
  20. Wurtman RJ. Neurochemical changes following high-dose aspartame with dietary carbohydrates. N Engl J Med. 1983;309:429–430

PII: 0006-3223(93)90251-8

Biological Psychiatry
Volume 34, Issue 1 , Pages 13-17 , 1 July 1993