What Are the Symptoms of Aspartame Withdrawal and How Do You Overcome Them?

You’re trying to live a healthy lifestyle. You may already be avoiding most pleasures — sugar, empty carbs, lattes — but what about the substitutions for those treats?

Aspartame is a common sugar substitute, and it may be hiding in many of your foods and drinks. 

If you’re trying to cut out aspartame and worried about aspartame withdrawal, you’ve come to the right place.

We outline all you need to know about this sneaky enemy to your health, what to expect during aspartame withdrawal, and how to not let it beat you.

Table of Contents

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener. You may have seen it branded as NutraSweet® or Equal®. 



Since the early 1980s, consumers have been fooled into believing that aspartame is a healthier alternative as it is a low-calorie sweetener with a much sweeter taste than sugar (about 200 times sweeter).

Aspartame is commonly used:

• As a tabletop sweetener
• As a sweetener in store-bought foods and beverages
• In some medications; and 
• In recipes that don’t require too much heating (heat breaks down aspartame) 

A few common products include:

• Sodas
• Breakfast cereals 
• Gelatin 
• Chewing gum 
• Ice cream 
• Sugar-free cocoa mix
• Cough drops
• Gummy vitamins; and
• Many prepared foods and drinks (labeled as “diet” or “sugar-free”)



It’s no wonder why so many people struggle with aspartame withdrawal. Nutrition Response Testing for aspartame withdrawal symptoms can help you pinpoint how your body responds to aspartame and other additives as it can help solve many health issues that artificial sweeteners can cause.

Ready for some science?

Aspartame is broken down in your gut to aspartic acid and phenylalanine. These are absorbed and then enter your body. 



The methyl group from the modified phenylalanine is released in the gut to form  methanol. The methanol is also absorbed by the body. 

The effects in the body are lasting as long as you continue to consume products that contain aspartame. Withdrawal symptoms are real, so it can be difficult to cut out of your diet.

Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners can alter your brain chemistry — causing dependency. 

Chemically speaking, aspartame has addictive properties because it affects dopamine in the brain.

Aspartame addiction withdrawal can stop you in your tracks and get in the way of your day-to-day life, causing a multitude of unpleasant symptoms.

Because aspartame causes a dependency, if you try to remove it from your diet, you’re likely to experience withdrawal symptoms. 

Want to know if you are addicted to aspartame?

Simple ...

Cut it out of your diet. If you experience aspartame withdrawal systems, your body (and brain) are dependent on the sweetener.

The most common aspartame withdrawal symptoms include:

• Headache
• Anxiety 
• Muscle pain
• Nausea
• Mood swings 
• Digestive issues
• Skin concerns
• Eye problems
• Cognitive symptoms

Let’s dive into a few and look at how these symptoms can affect your daily life, how long they may last, and if there’s anything you can do to lessen the effects.

Have you been consuming aspartame for many years? Big soda drinker?

If you have been drinking sodas or consuming aspartame for many years, you are likely to have more severe and even longer aspartame withdrawal symptoms than someone who has a random can of soda from time to time.

Sticking with the soda example, the average carbonated drink has 180 mg of aspartame. 

If you drink several per day, you may experience more significant aspartame withdrawal symptoms than someone who consumes aspartame by way of chewing gum, which has only 6 to 8 mg per stick.

Your individual makeup and circumstances greatly affect how aspartame withdrawal symptoms can affect you. 

Some people naturally have an easier time coping with the cravings of withdrawal while others struggle daily. Even your nervous system may recover at a quicker rate than that of others. 

Certain medications or other addictions play a role in withdrawal severity as well.



If you’re seeking the help from a professional, your symptoms’ severity and length can be greatly lessened. You can schedule a free consultation with HealthierU today and be on your way to an aspartame-free body while getting the relief you need from aspartame withdrawal.

There are many not-so-fun things on the full aspartame withdrawal symptoms list. Let’s take a look at seven common ones. 



If you’re experiencing any of these, you may be a great candidate for Nutrition Response Testing. Contact us today for a free consultation.

There are many food and drink additives that are linked to anxiety (and mood swings that we’ll get into further down):

• Food coloring 
• Dyes 
• MSG 
• High fructose corn syrup; and 
• Aspartame 

Ingesting aspartame can lead to anxiety, and detoxing from aspartame (aspartame withdrawal) can lead to anxiety. If you’re consuming or trying to rid your body of aspartame, you may have to deal with anxiety. 

The same reason that aspartame becomes addictive is the reason why it causes anxiety. It all has to do with the brain and the nervous system. 



Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are neurotoxins that can disrupt normal function, leading to increased symptoms of anxiety. Take it away, and it can even increase that anxiety.

Quitting aspartame (and caffeine, if quitting sodas) can lead to headaches and migraines for many people. 



Insomnia can be another symptom of aspartame withdrawal, which can also lead to headaches. 

Taking pain relievers, getting good rest, and staying hydrated with water can help to take the edge off while you rid your body of aspartame.

When you remove aspartame from your diet, you may experience mood swings — ranging from happiness to sadness to even depression. 

Aspartame withdrawal can even lead to panic attacks, which cause thoughts of fear along with excessive perspiration and a rapid heartbeat.

Feeling mentally foggy during aspartame withdrawal is a common symptom for many. 

However, it’s important to note that once you complete your detox, most people report that they have an increase in concentration and less deficits in attention and hyperactivity.

If you’ve been going the diet soda route to try to lose weight, you might have noticed that it could be having the opposite effect. 

Aspartame (while consuming and detoxing) can influence food cravings and hunger. 

You may even find that you lose more weight when coming off of aspartame.

Aspartame withdrawal can cause changes to your sleep cycle. If you’re also cutting caffeine, your sleep can be impacted even more. 

This symptom should thankfully subside in a week or two of detox.

When going through aspartame withdrawal, people often experience gastrointestinal issues. 

This may include:

• Upset stomach
• Abdominal pain
• Painful swallowing; and
• Diarrhea (even bloody)
  

Consuming or trying to detox from aspartame can cause diarrhea. 

As with any sugar substitute, aspartame can cause laxative effects because many people have problems properly digesting them. 

When aspartame is paired with certain foods or drinks, it can cause even greater negative withdrawal symptoms. 

For instance, adding aspartame to your coffee may send you to the bathroom faster than you can say, “Nutritional Response Testing please!”

Aspartame can affect your energy levels. And quitting may leave you feeling fatigued — even lethargic. 



Consuming aspartame can cause many people to have increased energy levels (even though those increases can lead to crashes), so it stands to reason that aspartame withdrawal can cause fatigue.

It can take 14-30 days to get through the often debilitating symptoms of aspartame withdrawal. 

If you’ve been …

• Consuming aspartame for a long time
• Consuming a lot each day; or 
• Trying to quit cold turkey with no help

… your aspartame withdrawal symptoms can last even longer.

You know by now that aspartame is bad for your health. 

But before you jump back over to sugar — which is high in calories and has zero nutritional value — consider natural alternatives. 

Instead of aspartame, try one of these to sweeten your foods or drinks with:

• Allulose
• Stevia leaves
• Monk fruit 
• Honey
• Agave nectar
• Date sugar

While natural alternatives to aspartame are a better option, they can have a higher calorie count (and also little to no nutritional value), so you should still consume them in limited quantities. 



You can also consider using fresh fruits or spices (and even vegetables) to add a bit of sweetness to your foods and drinks. 

These are great natural alternatives to sugar or sugar substitutes: 

• Carrots
• Sweet potatoes
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
  

It’s a no-brainer that aspartame is bad for you. And that aspartame withdrawal symptoms can feel even worse. The good news is that you don’t have to conquer your addiction alone. 

HealthierU can help. As specialists in health and wellness, HealthierU can help by offering Nutrition Response Testing.

Struggling with an aspartame addiction? Already trying to quit on your own and battling withdrawal symptoms?

Dr. Donna Sergi believes in a holistic approach to nutrition. She offers more than 25 years of experience and a lifetime committed to health and wellness.

That’s why HealthierU develops highly personalized programs, including everything from:

• Diet
• Whole food supplementation; and 
• Exercise

… for each and every individual.



Don’t wait. Schedule your free consultation today.