Asperthame/sucralose allergy

I'm just at the beginning of the entire process but I'm wondering if anyone has had to deal with an asperthame/sucralose allergy through the optifast stage. From what I read they all have asperthame or sucralose in them which cause me to get very bad migraines (I get classic aura migraines that make me sick to my stomach for about 8 hours). I discovered this when trying to switch to diet pop. Every time I tried I would get multiple migraines be so sick, my first ever migraine was triggered by a diet Pepsi when I was 14. I am unsure if sucralose has the same effect for me but I always try to stay away from it because I read that it could have small traces of asperthame in it. I can have stevia though. It does not have the same effect but from what I can see on the optifast website (which I don't even know if we can order from) there is only one with stevia but it also has sucralose. I'm trying to get this all sorted before hand so that I am ahead of the game. Thanks!

let them know you have an allergy to it... they do have an alternative to optifast.. which is slimtime... it has no asperthame in it... I have seen others who have had to take that instead.. :)

Yes let your team know, there are options to Optifast, including an extremely lo cal diet if necessary.

They will certainly find an alternative for you. I would bring it up at my first one on one, and at every one on one. :)

The dietitian is the one who will provide the alternative, but I would want to ensure each practitioner was aware so no one could say I never brought it up!!

This is great to know! Thanks. I'm trying to be as prepared as I can be. It's good to know there is alternatives. I was a little scared that not being able to take the optifast would stop me from being eligible for the surgery! Lol

Hello Chrissy welcome to the board. I am 3 years post RNY; I also have a severe allergy / reaction to aspartame or any other sugar substitute even the most natural.

I was offered Boost Diabetic instead of Otifast. I had surgery at st Mikes hospital but went through TWH.

I know that things have changed in a short period of 3 years so things may have improved or more options are given.

Good Luck

Lisa

Hi Elisabeth,

Thanks! I knew I couldn't be the only one that had those issues. I can tolerate stevia quite well and I was hoping there was a product with just that as a sweetener.

I am lucky that I am not diabetic just yet (only prediabetic, I've had gestational diabetes with both of my pregnancies and was on high amounts of insulin), this is why the surgery is being recommended because I am just a bomb of health issues waiting to happen due to my lifelong obesity challenges (I am the queen of yo-yo weight loss). So they might be able to find something different for me, as I don't have to worry as much about my sugar levels as much as someone with diabetes (I already know sugar is the devil lol).

My surgery will likely be in Toronto as well, but they have a new bariatric program here that I hear great things about and basically do everything here until date of surgery (I am assuming, I am still waiting on my info package to come in the mail). I'm trying to be as prepared as I can be! All the advice has been great so far :)