Splenda and Hallucinations?

[PJRNC2]

Has anyone heard of Splenda causing hallucinations? My 86 yr. old mother called to me to look for a tiny crocodile that went under a chair. I thought it might be a lizard -although I've never seen on indoors here - so I looked armed with a broom and a pan to capture and contain it. Couldn't find it and the dogs and cats did not seen to be concerned when they walked by the chair- so just thought it was gone. THEN she called to me again and wanted to see aobut a man in the dining room! there was none so then she said Must be seeing things. I thought YEP! The only change has been starting to use Splenda in her iced tea for the past 2 weeks (1/3 cup to 2 Qt.) No new meds or vitamins either. Thanks for any reply.

[miss.bandaid]

I too have been using splenda for years, stevia too. No problems here. I actually love the taste of splenda, it has a much nicer flavor than real sugar.

My grandma is in her 80's and recently had a period of hallucinations. In her nursing home they finally made some med adjustments and improved her nutrition and she seems to be more in touch with reality.

The other posters made some great suggestions. Good luck!

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

No hallucinations, but I have suffered from the delusion that if I use Splenda, I will lose weight. So far, nothing. :chuckle Anyhow--even though she's not on any new meds, is it possible that she took an extra one that day? Or does she take Dig or something else that could cause a problem?

I'd also check out the UTI even if there's no cloudiness to the urine, because I've been surprised with positive results there a few times, and it can be a source of confusion.

Other than that, here's a link I found that might give you some other possibilities. Good luck, and I hope it doesn't happen again.

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/sym/hallucinations.htm

Oh my gosh Angie I've been having the same delusions!! Maybe there is something to this Splenda story afterall. :chuckle

I like the idea that maybe there was something that your grandma saw and misinterpreted.

One day I was sitting in my front yard reading a book while my daughter, who was about 2 was running around playing. She kept coming up to me to tell me about the snake she was seeing in the grass . .well, there was a hose running across the yard and I assumed she meant that. Finally I got up at her insistence to look and yep, there was a snake. Garden snake fortunately but I never assume anything anymore.

steph

[Dplear]

Splenda is not really an artificial sweetner. it starts out as regular sugar but has one moleculechanged so that the body does not metabloize it the same way as sugar is. I would be more concerned with an organic rather than a chemical cause of your moms hallucinations.

Dave

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

I agree with the UTI test! I have seen infections without the typical signs more often than I do with the typical signs in elderly! I have had residents have cloudy, foul smelling urine with buring and frequency come back negative, even if a UA is sent a few times (most docs will treat anyway even with negative in that case, the signs and symptoms outweigh the test in their minds...whew!)! Then the opposite come back positive! So basically our facility does UA's if there is any increase in confusion...pretty much protocol now. And I am not kidding 9 times out of 10...that is exactly what it was!

Which brings up a question...do you guys rely on those dip stick tests for UTI, or send it to lab, or both. We used the dips only to have negatives in positive situations...so we wound up loosing time getting rapid treatment. Then we did both, which cost the patient much more (we charge 15 bucks per dip stick...nursing time + cost of kit..that was silly!!!!!!). SO now we just go UA to lab ASAP, and contact MD with results or any increase in s/sx in case they just want to start Tx right away anyway. I didn't like the dip stick tests..I found them to be wrong too many times.