Friday, November 21, 2008

Anyone else tried Truvia?

I bought some Truvia at the supermarket. It's a new sugar-substitute made from stevia and erythritol.

I use stevia regularly to sweeten cocoa with no apparent side-effects. I was a bit cautious about consuming erythritol because I generally do not tolerate sugar alcohols. So I only used one packet of Truvia at a time, and usually only once a day.

Then I used it twice a day and the side-effects showed up. I suffered some gas and diarrhea. Immediately I stopped using Truvia and went back to using plain stevia (which also can be purchased in packets). That was four days ago and the side-effects of the Truvia have not stopped.

I'm unsure whether the processing of the stevia into another form had any effect or the side-effects are only due to erythritol. However, I just read up on erythritol in Wikipedia and I may be sensitive to it because it is produced from glucose by fermentation with a yeast. I am very allergic to several varieties of yeast, and cannot consume most fermented products without unpleasant results.

By the way, if you look up stevia you'll read that it may improve insulin sensitivity. It is being studied as helping to reverse diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Postscript: This post has drawn a number of comments and has received many, many hits from people searching for symptoms caused by Truvia. If you have side-effects from this (or any product), please consider writing to the manufacturer. If you had a severe reaction and are certain that it was due to this product, you should report it to the FDA.
Personally, I have not done so because I have many allergies including one to yeasts (which is in erythritol) so I suspect that's what set off my diarrhea. I'm being much more careful now about avoiding sugar alcohols.
Additional Postscript 3/2013, seen on BeverageDaily:
Cargill has failed in its second attempt to secure EU approval for use of bulk sweetener erythritol in soft drinks, after EFSA published a negative opinion relating to its introduction on child safety grounds.
A Cargill spokesman admitted that erythritol can have "not harmful" laxative effects.

See: http://www.beveragedaily.com/Ingredients/Cargill-suffers-bitter-erythritol-blow-EFSA-rejects-beverage-use-extension

83 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wanna try it and, for some reason, after reading about it at kiki's and greta's didnt think it was widely avail yet!

thanks for the heads up...now I need to think about if I have the guts to try after your experience ;)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting your experience with Truvia. I'd like it if you would post it on my blog http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2008/12/problems-with-new-sweetener.html

Kenton said...

I've tried Truvia. It has a smooth taste which reminds me of the smoothness of vanilla. It's in crystal form. It's less sweet than powdered stevia so you must use more to get the same sweetening flavor of powdered stevia. When I did that it gave me severe diarrhea, but using less isn't sweet enough. Truvia may be FDA approved but it's also not worth it. It's more expensive, less sweet, and can cause diarrhea.

I like Sweetleaf much better. I've never had a problem with it and it requires less to sweeten things. Sweetleaf is also less expensive.

Anonymous said...

I have been using truvia along with a healthy diet for the last two weeks and have dropped some weight. That however, is usual for me when I cut sugars out of my diet. I use the truvia in my iced green tea and I will say it does not sweeten it as much as I would prefer but, since I am I trying to cut back on my taste for sweet I tolerate just one pack in my tea. Usually if on occasion I do add another then I get the desired sweetness.
I have not had any adverse reactions to truvia but, I know using some other artificial sweetners have been bad for me even those that claim to be like sugar.
I love my truvia although it is a bit expensive so I might look for plain stevia or sweetleaf to do the trick for me.
L. Miller

Anonymous said...

i tried a packet of Truvia today with my coffee and it tastes funny to me; but then again all artificial sweeteners (or in this case "natural" sweetener) taste funny to me. I have felt abit disconnected and jittery all day. I have also had a mild headache. I cannot call these feelings side effects because i am not a doctor- nor do i ever feel like taking Truvia everyday to see how i feel. Im not a diabetic i just wanted to try it for my mother; but im returning the box to WholeFoods tomorrow.

Linilla said...

The fact that Whole Foods sells Truvia shows that the greenwashing efforts of Cargill have been successful. Is Truvia truly natural? How much processing makes a product "processed" anyway?

Truvia is made from something extracted from the stevia leaf by steeping them in water (and then what?) and combined with erythritol, which the manufacturer claims is a "naturally fermented sugar alcohol." They "filter, dry and crystallize it."

They are pushing the naturalness of this product. I am skeptical.

Unknown said...

I have been using Truvia for about a week and I have not experienced any side effects. I do agree that it is not as sweet as sugar but that really does not bother me. This is the only alternative to sugar that I have found that I like. I am still going to keep up with side effect posts.

Anonymous said...

I know for a fact that I can't use any kind of sugar alcohols (maltitol, sorbitol, isomalt, erythritol, mannitol, and xylitol) because of the severe reactions I get. Truvia contains 3 grams of erythritol in every package. If I just used a few, like 3 or 4 packages a day, I would have hours of diarrhea, stomach ache, bloating, gas and nausea.

Anonymous said...

I started using Truvia two weeks ago. Since then I have been experiencing much more gas. It took me this long to suspect that it might be Truvia. Now that I know that gas can be a side effect, I guess I will discontinue it.

Anonymous said...

I just bought a package of Truvia last night at Wal-Mart - it was the only sugar alternative I could find that was not Splenda or made with aspartame. I just happened upon an article this morning about Truvia and began to question Truvia's "safety." Some bloggers are claiming side-effects, but it looks like these bloggers were already sensitive to certain ingredients before trying Truvia. I have no allergies and am not sensitive to any ingredients or sugars or sugar alcohols for the most part. After reading these blogs, I was ready to return my Truvia to Wal-Mart, but I tried Truvia and haven't experienced any side effects. I would take all things in these blogs with a grain of salt. Everybody's built differently -- sensitive to different things. What bothers one person won't bother another. Don't jump to conclusions just from reading one person's experience! My two cents...

Anonymous said...

I used it last night to sweeten my cocoa. I thought it was delicious, certainly better than sucralose or nutra-sweet. I am trying to cut back on sugar and I love the idea that Truvia is "natural", however after doing some looking around for more info on this stuff- it doesn't sound like it's natural at all. Not only do I feel a little decepted, but today I am having major stomach issues I really think are from Truvia! Too bad I just bought a whole new box.

Anonymous said...

I bought a box last weekend and started using 1/2 packet on my cereal in the morning. I too had a lot of gas and bloating then the palms of my hands and my feet started to itch, followed by intense itching on the roof of my mouth. When I got up in the morning, my eyes were red rimmed and swollen, I was hoarse, and was having difficulty swallowing. Anyone else had these problems?

Linilla said...

To the person who had itching and difficulty swallowing: this sounds like am allergy, maybe a serious one. I would not try the product or its ingredients again without seeing an allergist first. One of the ingredients is erythritol, of which Wikipedia says "Allergic side effects can be itching with hives."

Anonymous said...

I bought a box of the packets to use in my coffee instead of sugar. At the same time, I started a diet that included much more fiber... So I went an entire month having gas issues - and thinking that it was the fiber intake. A couple of days ago I ran out of the Truvia and the gas has stopped. Can't believe I went so long with this problem w/o knowing the real cause! I think I'm going to TRY to cut out the sweetness in my coffee altogether. It will definitely be a challenge!

Anonymous said...

I couldn't believe how good it was. When I got the dreaded 'anal leakage' (what a way to find out about this!), as well as gas, I didn't connect the two because I'd always had great luck with stevia. Finally I found your posts, and feel way better knowing that others have had the same problem. I will stop using it.

Anonymous said...

I tried Truvia for the first time today in my green tea. The chemical in it does not agree with me. While drinking the tea I immediately developed a clear water blister on the inside of my mouth. This is some kind of allergic reaction. I won't use it anymore.

Annie said...

I have been sick all week with stomach and intestinal issues and it just never seemed to get better. I was suppose to go to a funeral today and couldn't be away from the bathroom. One night I woke up with pains in my abdomen that went into my chest and thought I was having a heart or galblater attack. I have been trying to figure out what's wrong when as I made my morning coffee today I realized the only thing I have changed in the last 2 weeks is using Truvia. I am stopping and will see what happens. The pain has been awful.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. I drank tea with a single packet of Truvia in it last night and woke up with really uncomfortable cramps and diarrhea this morning. The symptoms went away by noon. I'm not a frequent user of either stevia or other non-caloric sweeteners, but I've never had this problem with the pure extract (nor with sucralose, aspartame, or any other sweetener.)

I may repeat the experiment once, in a few days. If I get GI symptoms again, no more Truvia. Yikes!

Anonymous said...

I purchased truvia, the gas and the diarrhea are too much, I did not realize what was causing it until I remembered truvia is the only change in the last week, I will not try it again

Debbie Lambert said...

I too purchased a box of Truvia from a local grocery store after a friend had given me a sample packet that came in the mail.

I can't believe I didn't realize the connection until this morning before I ever "Googled" a search on Truvia and diarrhea. I have had diarrhea all week except for Wednesday. That was the day I didn't use any Truvia!!

I can't believe what I've read! I too was skeptical about the product when I found out it is produced by the marriage of two companies, Cargill and Coca-Cola. These companies are known for making products as far from natural as you can get!

I also noticed that the Truvia was in the "Sugar, Spice" aisle while my old standby, stevia, i.e. Green Leaf and Nu-Stevia, were in the "natural" foods section. Hah!

Think about that!! i believe Truvia has been processed to a point of something unnatural. It sounds like it doesn't agree with a lot of us out here. I would rather lose 6 lbs the healthy way, not in one week from diarrhea!!!

Anonymous said...

I have been trying to cut back on my sugar intake, as suggested by my doctor. I bought Truvia a few weeks ago and it has taken me a while to put it together as well. But the last several days I have been alternating using Truvia and then not. Every day I have used Truvia, I have had very bad bouts of diarrhea. And none on the off days. I have ulcerative Colitus so I wanted to make sure of how it affects me, but after this week I am quite sure this is the cause of the diarrhea. I am a bit dissapointed as I really do like the taste of it. I think I will try the other forms of Stevia that are more natural.

Anonymous said...

I began using truvia in February and have had chronic diarrhea since then. How nice to finally figure out what was causing it. That will save me the colonoscopy!

Anonymous said...

Well well well. I bought Truvia about 6 weeks ago. I ablsolutely LOVED the taste but couldnt figure out why I had soooo much gas, Then..anal leakage? Oh no..I would have terrible episodes at night...Jeez. Poop would just fall out of me like water!!! Wow. Im going to experiment...tomorrow...already have my Iced Tea tonight.

Anonymous said...

I began using Truvia and developed gas and stomach cramps and difficulty breathing. This was really scary. I didn"t realize that the Truvia was causing this until one morning I used 2 pks in my coffee instead of 1 and the symptoms got worse and then I put 2 and 2 together. Stopped using it and things got back to normal.

Anonymous said...

oh..TG for this blog...I ,too, tired truvia ,thinking it a healthier alternative...but put me down for the nasty side effects: diarrhea, even the dreaded "anal leakage"...but I must say, after worrying what it MIGHT be....I am relieved to find Truvia causes these side effects...so when I read the post form the person who reported "the poop just falls out"
I burst out laughing!
comic relief
thanks..I will stop using Truvia

Anonymous said...

short.
1 doesn't taste that sweet.
2 processed = use caution
3 what other side affects can't we see?

someone suggested Agave Nectar.
will try.

Bette said...

Last night I tried Truvia for the first time. I immediately had a bad reaction. My throat got scratchy, my eyes started watering and I stuffed up. This morning I woke with a headache and felt nauseous, listless and weak. There should be warning labels. I thought I was trying a safe natural product. This is fraud.

Anonymous said...

I been using Truvia in my tea past couple nights and notice I felt queasy afterwards. Tried sweet and low this evening and felt just fine.
no more truvia for me and I have no allergies or food issues.
This is a disappointment as Olean was.

Kenton said...

Has anyone else noticed the forums on the Truvia website are devoid of negative comments? I put my experience there in their forums and now it's gone. They deleted it.

Linilla said...

To the person whose comments were deleted on another forum, that is not surprising. If you search Google for "negative consumer comments deleted" you will see reports of this happening all over the web. Some businesses have bribed users to delete unfavorable comments. Certain websites are said to remove negative reviews for paying advertisers. I'm sure others have done so in response to threats of lawsuits.

Phoebe North said...

Just another data point: I've been using Truvia for a year with no noticeable side-effects (and I have a fairly sensitive stomach). However, I've never been able to stand the taste of most artificial sweeteners because they're too sweet. Truvia also tastes much sweeter than natural sugar to me--half or a quarter of a packet is more than enough to sweeten my iced tea. Definitely no anal leakage here!

Kenton said...

Phoebe,

I'm both surprised and not surprised. I'm surprised to hear you say you think it's sweeter than sugar because it seems much less sweet to me and therefore requires more to have the same sweetening flavor for my taste. And I'm not surprised it's doing nothing bad to you if you're only using one half to a quarter packet. The sugar alcohols are notorious for digestive trouble in larger quantities than that. Most people would not use so little.

Phoebe North said...

Truvia's own packaging says that one packet is as sweet as two teaspoons sugar, so it really is slightly sweeter or comparably as sweet as sugar. I really think that your sensitivity to artificial/alternative sweeteners has a lot to do with how much of them you've consumed in the past, since saccharine and aspartame are so many times sweeter than actual sugar, making it difficult to taste more moderate levels of sweetness. I've observed this in practice: a friend who is an equal fanatic found it necessary to put much more truvia in her drink. If you can get your palate accustomed to less intensely sweet foods and beverages, you can avoid a lot of the drawbacks and dangers of both sucrose and artificial sweeteners.

Kenton said...

Phoebe,

I just use Sweetleaf brand Stevia. I have no side effects from it no matter how much I put in my tea.

I hope that they try making a Coca-cola with Truvia in it one day. We'll see just how much trouble it causes.

Phoebe North said...

They're already making vitamin water with truvia in it. I'm not sure how much is in there; it tastes fine, not terribly sweet, and I haven't had any negative side effects from that, either, though, of course, I'd imagine that if you consume it in great quantities or when you are sensitive to erythritol, it wouldn't be a great idea.

Anonymous said...

I tried Truvia for the first time today, only one packet though to sweeten coffee. It was horrible, I have an upset stomach, feel some tightness in my chest and had a headache. This has never happened with other sweeteners, and usually I do not have any allergies or problems with foods.

Unknown said...

I have used Truvia since it came out. I have diabetes and did not want anything with aspeartame in it. I use Truvia in everything. Even made a peanut butter pie using it. Tasted great, couldn't tell the difference. Will be making banana nut bread today using it. Like the earlier post stating everyone's body is different. Will continue using it for everything.

Lnstar said...

I'm diabetic and tried one packet of Truvia with my cereal for the first time yesterday. Within hours I experienced gas, diarrhea with a gelatinous consistency to my feces, anal leakage, and a mild headache.

There is obviously an ingredient in Truvia that does not agree with my system. I'm taking the entire package back to Safeway today.

Unknown said...

I can't believe I fell for the "natural" garbage. I too have had really bad cramps, gas, and bloating the last few days. Couldn't figure out what caused it until I started reading comments. Thanks for posting and I can't wait to go back to my plain old stevia!

Anonymous said...

Oh man. I tried Truvia because, after a year of Splenda-related, eye-burning, marriage-threatening gas, I swore the stuff off. (It took me a while to figure out Splenda was the offender). Now, alas, Truvia, which I like and used most of my box or, is causing issues. And yes, the dreaded "anal leakage" occurred yesterday with no warning whatsoever. Goodbye Truvia. I'm sorry we couldn't get along. Perhaps I'll try your cousin Sweetleaf.

Stephers said...

I have been using Truvia for a week and half now and my stomach pains are extreme. I am going to discontinue using it and post wheather the pains went away. I usually have no side effects and am very healthy. The stomach pain is so bad that it is interferring with my daily activity.

Anonymous said...

OMG, can't believe this blog exists... I went through a pack of drink mix with truvia as an ingredient in about 3 days, result = toilet trauma. I nearly rushed to the hospital thinking that it may have been something serious. The only that I had done differently was trying out this new "all natural" drink mix in an effort to be healthier. What in the world are the companies doing to the population????? I am so angry!

Anonymous said...

I've been using about 1 1/2 packets of Truvia a day for about a week now and couldn't figure out why I was experiencing diarrhea, bloating, and gas, as I had made no other changes in my diet. Then I found this site with everyone else's similar experience. Too bad, because it's the only non-sugar sweetener that I like the taste of. Guess I'll have to give stevia another try.

Anonymous said...

AHA!! Thanks for all your posts!! NOW I know what's going on with me! Bloating, extreme carb cravings, eat but never feel satisfied...I should have known better when I read Cargill on the box. Too bad I'll have to waste 2 boxes of this stuff. Something is definitely amiss with this product.

Anonymous said...

I have found another product that has erythritol that also has stevia in it and is said to be all natural. Drink mixes from the Stevita Co. Inc. After a week of use and not being able to figure out why I was having such sever diarrhea, stomach ache, bloating, gas. I finally started a serach online for answers and found this blog can't belive they are saying this stuff is safe for people to take into there bodies.....

Anonymous said...

I bought some vitamin water that is 10 calories per serving that contains Truvia. I have never had a problem with artificial sweetener in the past, until drinking this. I brought these drinks to my office to have instead of soda. After drinking 2 of these over a 24 hour period I developed intense abdominal pain and unbelievable diarrhea. This has lasted for 3-4 days and is only finally letting up. After looking at my diet, the only thing that was different was drinking these vitamin waters.

ejm39 said...

i suggest everyone remember. what deems safe today usually follows up a few years later, with the many advertisements from the legal community on how to hire the lawyers to represent you due to the side effects. cut calories and remember actual and natural sugar has been here forever. lets keep our bodies and mind natural and chemical free! don't forget the old proverb : if it sounds to good to be true.... it usually isn't

Anonymous said...

hi I bought it yesterday thinking the same thing that it was a more healthier natural approach to sugar and better for you than splenda. well today I had the whole diarrhea thing after my morning cup of coffee and still feel like my head aches a little and my neck and my shoulders are affected too. so I think I might be allergic but no hives or wheezing. I tried a about 4 packets in 2 cups of coffee. I feel icky and bloated. don't buy this stuff unless you feel like a case of diarrhea and major bloating today ;o). I am gonna return it to the store I bought it from and get splenda instead!!! :o)

Anonymous said...

OK, it took me a while, but I am convinced that Truvia with my morning coffee is causing cramps and loose stool. I only drink on cup a day and use 1 pack of Truvia, but I have had some pretty sever gut cleansings. Truvia is going in the trash! All natural sugar for me. Amy

Anonymous said...

I tried this product last week... it took me a few days to realize what was causing all my discomfort but I finally figured out it was switching to this that did it. Abdominal bloating/cramping and severe gas, all subsided once I stopped. I have never experienced discomfort like this, I will never use it again!!

Anonymous said...

I can affirm the comments of many in this blog ... especially the "anal leakage" bit. I originally thought it came from some homemade chili but it is definitely the Truvia that's causing the problems. I've also experienced the malaise and ab cramps.

Anonymous said...

I used Truvia for the first time yesterday, which I'd purchased from Whole Foods. One packet in a cup of tea around 2 in the afternoon, another in my herbal tea at bedtime. At 4am I awoke with severe diarrhea. Don't know why I thought to pull the box out of the trash and Google the ingredients - duh, I thought it was simply stevia when I bought it - but I did and what do ya know, a side-effect is diarrhea. Bye bye Truvia. I am disappointed in WF for carrying such a disgusting product and will let them know how I feel about it.

Linilla said...

To the commenter who purchased Truvia at Whole Foods - let them know it caused a problem! Not everything in health food stores is healthy, but they usually listen to customer feedback.

Anonymous said...

Same here, tried it one morning in my coffee. Half a packet in each of two cups. Had the "Big D" at work, and I'm usually so regular I never have to do a #2 at work. Definite cause-and-effect. I'm done, back to natural sugar.

Unknown said...

The product Truvia is widely advertised as "Nature's Calorie-Free Sweetener" (for diabetics, carb-counters, and anyone else watching their sugar intake). The description from the side of the box states:

"Truvia sweetener comes from nature: Rebiana comes from the sweet leaf of the stevia plant, native to South America. Dried stevia leaves are steeped in water, similar to making tea. This unlocks the best tasting part of the leaf which is then purified to provide a calorie-free sweet taste. Natural flavors complement the clean sweet taste of Truvia natural sweetener. Erythritol is a natural sweetener, produced by a natural process, and is also found in fruits like grapes and pears."

On 3/5/2010, I purchased a box of Truvia (Lot #33619 03:42 Best by 12/2011) at my local grocery store. Later that night, I made my usual cup of tea with one packet (the sweetness equivalent of two teaspoons of sugar) of Truvia. Unfortunately, in a few hours' time, I broke out in a severe case of hives and was itching like a flea-infested mutt (the itching started on my back, but rapidly spread EVERYWHERE!!!). The second set of symptoms kicked in a little while after that: heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, headache, joint pain. Almost twenty-four hours later -- intense joint pain, stomach upset, terrible headache, still itchy (but diminishing), and overall "unwell" feeling.

I had nothing else new to eat yesterday (except the sole packet of Truvia), didn't touch or smell anything unusual, wasn't in contact with anyone ill, didn't try any new cosmetics or lotions, didn't touch any stray animals, didn't use any harsh household chemicals for cleaning, etc. I am an otherwise EXTREMELY healthy woman with no other allergies or sensitivities of any kind. Therefore, the conclusion can only be that the one new addition (Truvia) was the culprit for my distress.

I will be returning the box with the remaining 39 packets of Truvia to the grocery store with my story. I caution anyone reading this to only use a half packet of Truvia to test it if you're convinced it's a product you'd like to try, but as for me, I won't ever go near this stuff (or anything like it) ever again!

Unknown said...

I started trying Truvia with tea and started getting diarhea had no clue initally why this was happening..but eventually made connection to truvia..stopped to see if truvia was the cause and true stomach upset went away...after a few weeks tried truvia again and diarhea came back...sucks my body is allergic to Truvia

D. said...

Folks,
Thanks for this blog and your comments. A few weeks back, I wanted to try Truvia out so I got a box and have been drinking iced green tea with and about 2-4 packets of Truvia per day for about a 2 weeks now. I really like the flavor. But, I also have had a lot more gas than usual for the same period. I decided to Google 'Truvia and gas' just to see what came back. I think my hunch was confirmed....
I had no idea that Stevia could be purchased separately... I think I'll give it a try. Like I said... I love the flavor.

Anonymous said...

I've been using Truvia for some time now and quite like the taste. I sweeten my tea and herbal tea.
Occasionally I have some diarrhea but am not sure if it is caused by the Truvia.
I've also been dealing with dry mouth for the last little while. Again, I can't positively say that it's the Truvia that's causing it. I'm going to have to go back to sugar for awhile and see if the dry mouth clears up.

Anonymous said...

Bought a weight loss book that warns about the dangers of sugar.Recommnds Truvia. Bought a box.Skeptical husband googled Truvia and found this blog.Going to try to get my money back from Walmart and look for the other things mentioned here ie NuStevia or plain stevia. I have a sensitive GI so I'm not going to take any risks.

Anonymous said...

I use Stevita. It is REAL stevia which uses a little bit of xylitol as a flowing agent. It has a great taste and doesn't affect me one bit. I tried Truvia several months ago and it gave me horrible gas and diarrhea. Once I linked the Truvia to gas and diarrhea, I stopped using it pronto. Truvia is deceptively advertised as a stevia product because it is mostly erythitol (about 99%) with about 1% of it being a chemically-extracted stevioside (extracted using methanol and ethanol, which are fuel components...fuel as in gasoline fuel and jet fuel). Same with PureVia. And the makers of Truvia and PureVia have the gall to advertise their products as "natural".

Linilla said...

DC: Your comments are interesting and can explain why so many folks had problems with Truvia. Where did you get the figure that Truvia is 99% erythitol?

truvia side effects said...

Truvia tried just a little sweet for me. I can not bring myself to third package, which was almost as if it will start thickening of coffee to add.

Deanna said...

Just adding my two cents. I have tried Truvia on four separate occasions with one packet in my tea. Each time, I have started developing a headache before I even finish my tea. I suspected it was the Truvia but wasn't sure the first few times. Today was the final straw - no more of this for me!

Anonymous said...

I just did an awful series of antibiotics, to treat a case of what seemed like a repeat case of the bacteria overgrowth I have 2-3 years ago. Same symptoms; extreme gas, loose bowels, horrible cramping, light nausea, etc. I tried probiotics, but they didn't do anything either. I gave up soda a few months ago, in favour of VitaminWater, or Sobe Zero, both Truvia sweetened. I don't know why I started suspecting them, but my search tonight brought me here.

So my question isn't whether or not if people think it's the cause, but how long do the symptoms take to clear, once its use is discontinued?

Linilla said...

To Anonymous (above): My guess is that if symptoms don't clear in a few days, your bacteria overgrowth may have returned. This happened to me although I have no idea why Truvia might have set it off.

Anonymous said...

I am having serious abdominal pain for the last one week... the only thing I changed in my diet was adding Truvia. I bought it with speculation, but to try something new. Now after reading these, i am sure that my severe cramping is due to Truvia.

I was using it only on weekends, i may have used 5 packets so far. Would like to know how long it will take to cure this pain.

Anonymous said...

I started using Truvia the week before Thanksgiving 2010 because I wanted to get away from crystal light which has(ASPARTAME)in it because I had really bad headach's and read it can cause cancer. I have been having trouble sleeping and have gained all of my weight back I lost with Weight Watchers since I started using Truvia. I see where people are posting the weight gain but has anyone not been able to sleep. I'm only sleeping 3-4 hrs. a night on a good night. I need my sleep because I have fibromyalgia and many other health problems.

Anonymous said...

I tried Truvia, and I suspect that it caused me to have the following: diarrhea, painful cramps over the ribs and in the lower legs, and headache accompanied by nausea.

Anonymous said...

I bought Truvia about a month ago. Since then I haven't felt like myself. I have not been able to sleep and I have felt on edge all the time. This is not like me, I am generally very easy going and relaxed. I couldn't pin point what the probelm was since nothing had changed around home, but then it occurred to me to try eliminating the Truvia and like magic those sleepless nights and edging feelings were gone as well. The rest of the box is in the trash. It did nothing for me at all!!

Unknown said...

YES! I have had an adverse reaction to Truvia. Terrible headaches and really bad pain in my gallbladder and kidneys. I had had a similar reaction to liquid Stevia as well. I have stopped using it and almost all my symptoms are gone. Guess there really is a reason this product had to get FDA approval.

Anonymous said...

Yes. I just started using it 5 days ago and have had serious stomach cramps every day since and I normally can eat anything with no problems.

Anonymous said...

how funny! i have had lots of gas and frequent diarrhea for the past couple month and thought that was due to lactose intolerance never thinking it would be from Truvia! So I switched to lactose free milk but the symptoms were still there! then I finally read the posts on this site and it all make sense since I would use several packs of Truvia throughout the day. Thanks everybody for posting your experience!

khunbaobao said...

I'd had Truvia recommended to me, and bought it instead of Stevia on a whim. For me it may be the erythritol. On the second day of using it and having very unpleasant intestinal problems I Googled Truvia. Evidently my body doesn't like it, either. Tomorrow I'll leave it out of my morning coffee and see what happens (or hopefully doesn't happen. I'll let you know.

khunbaobao said...

After using Truvia in my morning coffee for three days now (the only change in my dietary intake) and having rather unpleasant, day-long intestinal problems I Googled it and from what I'm reading on this and other sites it seems to me that it's more than likely the erythritol that's the culprit. I'm going to clear my system and try Stevia itself.

Anonymous said...

I have been using Truvia for about a week straight and found it makes my throat swollen, such as a slightly lighter Anaphylactic shock, very similar to when I eat shellfish. As a person who suffers from intestinal problems, I am grateful after reading all the other comments that I have not had the same problem.

Anonymous said...

I just bought a box of Truvia yesterday, and put a packet in my hot oatmeal (the only thing I add sweetner to) ... no sweet taste at all, so added a second packet, and it disappeared as well, leaving a fairly unpleasant aftertaste. Discovered your site after realizing I should have researched it more before purchasing the product. I'll now be returning it (not inexpensive) to the market, but in the meantime will log my reactions, if any, and let you know if it affects me in any substantial way.

Anonymous said...

I drank a diet Lipton ice tea that contained Stevia and almost immediately began to feel itching and hives over my body. It went away after 30 minutes. I was concerned but not sure what it was. A few weeks later I drank a Sobe beverage and had the same breakout of itching and hives and after looking at the label I noticed it contained Stevia. It was clear to me that Stevia was the common ingredient in both cases. I have no alergies and have not had a similar reaction since avoiding Stevia. I am surprised this isn't happening to more people.

Anonymous said...

I appreciate all the comments on truvia (and stevia). I just started using truvia about a month ago and have experienced some of the same gastrointestinal symptoms frequently mentioned by others. It also seems to have effected my sleep in a negative way. I had
hopes for this as I am diabetic (type 2) and also unable to use any of the other sugar subsitutes on the market. They all cause stomach problems and headaches. I have not tried stevia but am now a little hesitant. I stopped using truvia several days ago but am still experiencing some problems.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I am so grateful to have found this blog. Like many of you, I thought I had gastrointestinal problems, especially gas, because of my excessive fiber intake... when it occurred to me that it may be from the Truvia I have access to in our corporate cafeteria. I have been using it no more than twice a day, and the gases and bloating have been constant for three days now.

Anonymous said...

I accidentally purchased juice with truvia in it. After the first glass I felt shakey and lightheaded much like I had missed a meal or two followed by a headache once the initial feeling had passed. Assuming I had just needed to grab a bite I drank more the next day with lunch and had the same reaction. I gave it one more try not believing this natural sweetener was really the cause with the same results. I am athletic and healthy with no known health issues and do not understand why I would react in this way but I do know I will not have truvia again.

Anonymous said...

I have been using Truvia for about two years. At first I had the gas and diarrhea but it passed and I seemed to adjust. But I have noticed back pains that never seem to go away and it seems I am hungry all the time. I used to never be this way and it seems I am finally making a connection. I am going to drop it cold turkey and see if my symptoms improve.

Anonymous said...

One year ago, I started with burning gas, burning rectum instant urge of needing to go to the bathroom. Having had major complications from gall bladder surgery (3 years ago)I assumed that the problems were associated with my gall bladder complications. I went for a colonoscopy, he noted that my rectum was raw, prescribed a cortizone cream, said to eat more fiber as he saw no problems. It has become so bad. I eliminated coffee...no help. I eliminated so many foods to see if they were the problem, to no avail. After much soul searching, I realized finally that I had begun to take Truvia just about a year ago (beginning of this problem) I am embarassed to admit that I would use 12 packages of truvia most days between coffees, in yogurt, in my fiber drink etc. I have been off truvia for 5 days and am somewhat better...not completely but getting there. I hope that this is my problem and that maybe I can help someone else with this problem.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you found out what the source of the problem was. But I just would like to warn everyone here who is reading and contributing that in combination with the caffeine in tea or coffee the whole problem could be exacerbated even more. The way I found this little message board was to find out if it is Splenda or Truvia that has been bothering me since I started using artificial sweeteners in preserves. Hope everyone gets to feeling lots better! (I only suggest to cut out coffee and tea for a few days until you get back to normal)