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Aspartame is in my other prescribed medication.... please advise


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Hi gang!

 

The good news - I successfully switched from taking a half of a 1mg Klono tablet twice a day, to taking a whole .5mh Klono tablet twice a day in place of it for more accuracy during titration. I'm still on the capsule in the evening. When I first switched, I could definitely tell there was a miniscule difference - but it wasn't what I expected - the .5mg tablets seemed to be a 1/10th stronger than the halved 1mg tablets so I felt someowhat intoxicated for a few days.

 

 

Ok so here is my dillema....

 

 

I have been on Remeron (Mirtazapine) orally disintegrating tablets for almost 10 years, way before any benzo problems.  At this time I do not wish to withdraw because I want to kick the benzos first.

 

But I was reading the ingredients on the box and one of the ingredients is aspartame, and a warning about there being about 6.5mg  of Phenylalinine in each tablet.

 

I immediately freaked out, had a panic attack and began wondering if the aspartame has anything to do with my withdrawals or if it's caused any brain tumors or if any of the horror stories about aspartmae are true. I called up the manufacturuer and they told me it is an unneccessary ingredient used to mask the somewhat bitter taste. I can not believe this!!!! They put a brain-activating ingredient that (from what I've heard) can be condusive to seizures in a head med...?

 

Anyway they do sell Mirtazapine in regular tablet form without the added aspartame as it is just a regular pill, but they told me they have heard that people prefer the soltabs, and they aren't sure why. So now I'm just at a crossroads and not sure what to do about this, or if maybe I should tackle it after benzos, or before, or if it could be making withdrawal worse.

 

If I did switch to the tablets, I'd be taking 1 whole 30mg tablet and a half of a 15mg tablet because that is how I take my soltabs... to get a dose of 37.5mg. (I found myself stuck at that dose when the benzo issue happened, they tried to increase me to 45 whole mg and I couldn't do it; ended up stuck at 37.5mg).

 

What are your views on aspartame?

 

www.aspartame.org is saying that is no different than consuming food that contains aspartic acid and phenylalinine,and this site seems to be highly commercialized by the makers of Equal Artificial Sweetener, yet every other website and article I have read claims that aspartame is an extreme neurotoxin.

 

Your input is so very, very appreciated....  :smitten:

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Hi gang!

 

The good news - I successfully switched from taking a half of a 1mg Klono tablet twice a day, to taking a whole .5mh Klono tablet twice a day in place of it for more accuracy during titration. I'm still on the capsule in the evening. When I first switched, I could definitely tell there was a miniscule difference - but it wasn't what I expected - the .5mg tablets seemed to be a 1/10th stronger than the halved 1mg tablets so I felt someowhat intoxicated for a few days.

 

 

Ok so here is my dillema....

 

 

I have been on Remeron (Mirtazapine) orally disintegrating tablets for almost 10 years, way before any benzo problems.  At this time I do not wish to withdraw because I want to kick the benzos first.

 

But I was reading the ingredients on the box and one of the ingredients is aspartame, and a warning about there being about 6.5mg  of Phenylalinine in each tablet.

 

I immediately freaked out, had a panic attack and began wondering if the aspartame has anything to do with my withdrawals or if it's caused any brain tumors or if any of the horror stories about aspartmae are true. I called up the manufacturuer and they told me it is an unneccessary ingredient used to mask the somewhat bitter taste. I can not believe this!!!! They put a brain-activating ingredient that (from what I've heard) can be condusive to seizures in a head med...?

 

Anyway they do sell Mirtazapine in regular tablet form without the added aspartame as it is just a regular pill, but they told me they have heard that people prefer the soltabs, and they aren't sure why. So now I'm just at a crossroads and not sure what to do about this, or if maybe I should tackle it after benzos, or before, or if it could be making withdrawal worse.

 

If I did switch to the tablets, I'd be taking 1 whole 30mg tablet and a half of a 15mg tablet because that is how I take my soltabs... to get a dose of 37.5mg. (I found myself stuck at that dose when the benzo issue happened, they tried to increase me to 45 whole mg and I couldn't do it; ended up stuck at 37.5mg).

 

What are your views on aspartame?

 

www.aspartame.org is saying that is no different than consuming food that contains aspartic acid and phenylalinine,and this site seems to be highly commercialized by the makers of Equal Artificial Sweetener, yet every other website and article I have read claims that aspartame is an extreme neurotoxin.

 

Your input is so very, very appreciated....  :smitten:

 

I used to get scary emails from friends about the dangers of aspartame but those seem to have stopped years ago.  I did switch from Equal to Splenda but lots of people think Splenda is harmful, too.  I have diabetes so sugar is dangerous to me.  ::)  I'm sure we have members that believe aspartame is dangerous but in the small amounts you would get from being added to the remeron, I can't believe it would be causing your problems.  You have been taking it for almost 10 years so I don't think there's anything to be concerned about.  If you can't shake the idea, though, and can get remeron without the additive, why not try that?  We have a couple of people on Remeron and there may be a thread or two about it elsewhere on this board.  Do you know how to use the Search box?

 

BTW, good job getting on the .5mg tablets.  :thumbsup: That must be a relief to not be worried about cutting your pills accurately.

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Hi,

 

For years I had horrible, horrible headaches, I would take any and every kind of pain medication and I would be in bed for a week with them.  I never associated the headaches with something I was eating or drinking and  no one could tell me why I was having the headaches.  To make a long story short, I finally figured it out that the headaches were due to aspartame. I would drink diet Pepsi and have Equal with my tea, I immediately stopped drinking and eating anything with aspartame and I haven't had one of the headaches in 4 years. 

 

During wd we become sensitive/allergic to things that never bothered us before so you may want to avoid the aspartame, especially since they have a pill that doesn't have it.  In the early days of wd I couldn't eat anything with soybean in it, but now I can eat it again.  So, you may have to make some changes in during your taper but that doesn't mean it will have to be forever.  :)

 

TS

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Thanks to both of you...

 

Um, well, like the FDA vs. Science, I have no idea what  to do. Should I put myself through a second hell, and switch to the Remeron tablets without aspartame as an added ingredient? I don't know because there is so much conflicting information.

 

I'm a vegetarian so I really don't consume very many amino acids in general, including phenylalinine and aspartic acid (the two components that make up Aspartame), but I don't know if that has anything to do with aspartame as a chemical.

 

Beeper, you say you are diabetic; do you use aspartame and if you have used in while in withdrawal, did you notice a connection with symptoms?

 

When I take my Remeron I don't feel anything out of the ordinary except maybe some dizziness until I hit the bed; the first 3-4 years I was on it I was get terrible Restless Legs when trying to go to sleep but that has since gone away.

 

Many people "prefer" the soltabs despite their bad taste, so I'm guessing the pills maybe aren't as accurate. Or perhaps I'm paranoid.

 

Or perhaps maybe it's not a good idea to mess with it at all....?

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Thanks to both of you...

 

Um, well, like the FDA vs. Science, I have no idea what  to do. Should I put myself through a second hell, and switch to the Remeron tablets without aspartame as an added ingredient? I don't know because there is so much conflicting information.

 

I'm a vegetarian so I really don't consume very many amino acids in general, including phenylalinine and aspartic acid (the two components that make up Aspartame), but I don't know if that has anything to do with aspartame as a chemical.

 

Beeper, you say you are diabetic; do you use aspartame and if you have used in while in withdrawal, did you notice a connection with symptoms?

When I take my Remeron I don't feel anything out of the ordinary except maybe some dizziness until I hit the bed; the first 3-4 years I was on it I was get terrible Restless Legs when trying to go to sleep but that has since gone away.

 

Many people "prefer" the soltabs despite their bad taste, so I'm guessing the pills maybe aren't as accurate. Or perhaps I'm paranoid.

 

Or perhaps maybe it's not a good idea to mess with it at all....?

 

I really don't know for sure.  I stopped using it as a sweetener in drinks or anything else some years ago but I imagine it's in some products without me knowing it (like you with the Remoron solutabs).  I guess you will just have to weigh which choice will make you less anxious: staying with the Remeron you have been taking even though it contains some aspartame or switching to a different kind of Remeron w/o the aspartame.  I'd probably do the former but that's just me.  ;)

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Yeah, honestly, I really don't want to make any more changes. I've already stabilized on the new pills. I am just so weary of so many changes and obstacles. I really doubt it is affecting me since both phenyl and aspartic acid is present in food.... moreso, food that I don't even eat (such as meats).

 

 

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