Q. I have had headaches for as long as I can remember. Some were debilitating, and some I just had to soldier through. Recently they were becoming more frequent, with the most common being a sharp sensation on one side of my head.
Then a friend suggested I do some research on artificial sweeteners. After reading numerous accounts of headaches caused by aspartame, I immediately stopped drinking diet soda and using sucralose in my coffee. Within 24 hours, the headaches completely stopped. I still get a monthly hormonal migraine, but my life has improved dramatically since eliminating these chemicals from my diet.
A. Your story is a good reminder that a food diary can help headache sufferers determine if a specific food triggers their headaches. There has been significant controversy over whether aspartame (found in NutraSweet) can cause headaches, but migraine specialists recognize that some people may be sensitive to this artificial sweetener (Clinical Journal of Pain, June 2009).
There is also a case report of migraine triggered by sucralose, the sweetener in Splenda (Headache, March 2006). Diet soda is not essential for health, so you are fortunate to have found a good way to prevent many of your headaches.
