Aspartame and dizziness: preliminary results of a prospective, nonblinded, prevalence and attempted cross-over study.

Abstract

Aspartame is a low-calorie food sweetener recently approved by the FDA for general human consumption. One of us (AJG) treated a patient whose symptoms of episodic vertigo and continuous unsteadiness resolved upon ceasing aspartame intake. A literature review revealed that although dizziness has been associated with aspartame intake, no systematic study of the problem exists. As an initial attempt to ascertain the prevalence of aspartame-related dizziness in an otolaryngologic clinic, we elected to study prospectively all patients entering with the complaint of vertigo by means of a standardized questionnaire. Those patients determined to consume aspartame were further studied in a nonblinded manner to see if aspartame intake could be correlated to symptomatology. A cross-over limb was also attempted, but no patient would participate. This presentation details the case history of the propositus patient and the preliminary results of the currently ongoing prospective study.

• Authors: A J Gulya, R B Sessions, T R Troost
• Journal: The American journal of otology (Am J Otol) Vol. 13 Issue 5 Pg. 438-42 (Sep 1992) ISSN: 0192-9763 [Print] United States
• PMID: 1443079 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Aspartame

Topics

• Adult
• Aspartame (adverse effects)
• Dizziness (chemically induced, epidemiology)
• Female
• Humans
• Prevalence
• Prospective Studies