From: Dr. Betty Martini, D.Hum., Bettym19@mindspring.com
To: Commissioner@fda.gov, mitchell.cheeseman@fda.hhs.gov, laura.tarantino@fda.hhs.gov, LJAFFE@OC.FDA.GOV, mherndon@oc.fda.gov, michael.herndon@fda.hhs.gov, david.acheson@fda.hhs.gov
Date: Fri, Mar 28, 2008 5:16 pm
Subject: FDA Probes Suicide Risk In Merck Singulair: Aspartame And Singulair Cases
To FDA:
Obviously you know the major problem regarding the epidemic of suicide. You have 70% of the population using aspartame. The phenylalanine which is 50% of the molecule is neurotoxic as an isolate and floods the brain. It lowers the seizure threshold, just one of the reasons aspartame is a seizure triggering drug, and depletes serotonin. Lowered serotonin triggers bipolar or manic depression, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, panic attacks, insomnia, schizophrenia, hallucinations, etc. To make matters worse aspartame interacts with all antidepressants. In fact, due to damage to the mitochondria it interacts with virtually all drugs and vaccines. So as long as aspartame is on the market people using it and taking drugs don't have a chance.
I can tell you right off there is aspartame in Singulair and AstraZeneca's Accolate. To make matters worse aspartame is in many of these asthma sprays. Aspartame is actually escalating astham. Below my signature I'm going to add just a few case histories on Singulair for people to understand what is happening.
You know aspartame is an addictive excitoneurotoxic carcinogenic drug because your Board of Inquiry revoked the petition for approval. http://www.mpwhi.com/fda_petition1.doc We do know it would never have been marked except for the political chicanery of Don Rumsfeld when he was CEO of Searle. You know how it's destroying the brains of our children because FDA received Dr. John Olney's report and agreed with him. http://www.wnho.net/dr_olney1.doc You know there is a 1000 page medical text, Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic, http://www.sunsentpress.com by H. J. Roberts, MD, and that we have a global epidemic. You know all about excitotoxins - Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, M.D. http://www.russellblaylockmd.com You have received material for years from Mission Possible International and ignored it just like over 100 independent scientific peer reviewed studies showing the toxicity like the Ramazzini Study showing aspartame to be a multipotential carcinogen. When Dr. Soffritti did the second one it showed it only takes a small amount of aspartame to cause cancer, and if a pregnant woman uses it and the baby survives, it can be passed to the offspring so when the child grows up she can get cancer. FDA ignored it. You also know your own FDA toxicologist testified against FDA in Congress because it causes cancer:
On August 1, l985 FDA's own toxicologist, Dr. Adrian Gross, told Congress at least one of Searle's studies "has established beyond ANY REASONABLE DOUBT that aspartame is capable of inducing brain tumors in experimental animals and that this predisposition of it is of extremely high significance. ... In view of these indications that the cancer causing potential of aspartame is a matter that had been established WAY BEYOND ANY REASONABLE DOUBT, one can ask: What is the reason for the apparent refusal by the FDA to invoke for this food additive the so-called Delaney Amendment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act?"
The Delaney Amendment makes it illegal to allow any residues of cancer causing chemicals in foods. In his concluding testimony Gross asked, "Given the cancer causing potential of aspartame how would the FDA justify its position that it views a certain amount of aspartame as constituting an allowable daily intake or 'safe' level of it? Is that position in effect not equivalent to setting a 'tolerance' for this food additive and thus a violation of that law? And if the FDA itself elects to violate the law, who is left to protect the health of the public?" Congressional Record SID835:131 (August 1, l985)
So your original studies showed aspartame causes cancer admitted by your own toxicologist, and two impeccable Ramazzini studies confirmed it. It violates the Delaney Amendment and yet you have done nothing but ignore it. Much has been documented in the FDA audit, Bressler Report, except for the two mice studies that were so bad FDA deleted them: http://www.dorway.com/bressler.txt
From a press release on the Ramazzini Studies: "The results, Soffritti said, "call for urgent reconsideration of regulations governing the use of aspartame as an artificial sweetener." "This is not just an opinion," he said, "but in the United States, it is also the law." The Delaney Clause of the Food Additives Amendment of 1958 mandates that any food additive shown to cause cancer in people or in laboratory animals - as demonstrated in rigorous safety tests - should be considered unsafe by the Food and Drug Administration. "The law was designed to protect citizens with a zero cancer risk standard," Soffritti wrote in an e-mail. "Now that aspartame has been demonstrated to induce cancer in animals, it follows that aspartame is not safe as a food additive for humans. Human consumers should not only be warned, but also protected from this risk."
FDA has served above the law since Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes became Commissioner. Here is the newspaper article that explains when it happened: "The New FDA: Good Medicine for Drug Firms" http://www.mpwhi.com/the_new_fda.htm The whole story of how aspartame got approved is in the documentary, Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World, http://www.soundandfury.tv
You have ignored my petition for ban of aspartame which by law requires answering in 180 days: http://www.wnho.net/citizens_aspartame_petition.htm It has been almost six years. The amendment regarding an imminent health hazard requires answering within a couple of weeks. It was sent to you last October. http://www.wnho.net/amendment_to_citizens_petition.htm
Why do you violate the law? Is it because you take money from Big Pharma and you can't serve two masters? Is it because you don't have the power? Or is it because you don't have the courage? Since you have full knowledge of the toxicity of aspartame and the fraud involved in original studies because FDA asked for indictment of Searle, you are guilty of the same law FDA used against Searle, Title 18, Section 1001. You tell people its safe with full knowledge its deadly. Maybe it just boils down to the fact that not any of you has the courage of a grasshopper, and you turn your heads and allow millions to die. When I met the researcher of the Trocho Study which showed aspartame embalms living tissue and damages DNA he said, "Betty, this can kill 200 million people" I told him it no doubt already has. Consider the millions of babies murdered in their mother's womb because aspartame is an abortifacient and teratogen. Consider the millions using it dying of cancer because you have ignored the Delaney Amendment. Consider all the fatal degenerative diseases triggered by aspartame that result in death. It's pushed on diabetics when, in fact, it not only can precipitate the disease but simulates and aggravates diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy, destroys the optic nerve, causes diabetics to go into convulsions and interacts with insulin.
Suicide is rampant and you allow aspartame in drugs with full knowledge, even in children's products. What does it take for FDA to act like human beings concerned with safe food and drugs. You "probe" issues and then ignore them, anything to make Big Pharma happy. People are actually dropping dead from aspartame while you gleefully remove ephedra as the cause. http://www.wnho.net/aspartame_and_arrhythmias.htm and http://www.wnho.net/aspartame_msg_scd.htm
Aspartame Disease is one of the greatest scandals in US history, and no drug on the market is safe as long as somebody is using this poison. If you have any integrity or human decency answer my letter and petitions. If you care not for safe food and drugs simply ignore it like you have the studies that prove it's a poison. FDA is responsible for every single person that dies from aspartame because you have had every opportunity to recall it and ignored the issue. When those responsible to solve the problem are the problem its an abomination.
Read on for a few cases on Singulair. The aspartame cases on the sick and dying never stop, even though FDA turns people away with the complaints. Even in congressional hearings it was admitted FDA was getting so many complaints they were referring them to the AIDS Hotline. Aspartame experts say the mental hospitals are full of patients that are only aspartame victims.
Dr. Betty Martini, D.Hum.
Founder, Mission Possible World Health International
9270 River Club Parkway
Duluth, Georgia 30097
770-242-2599
E-Mail: BettyM19@mindspring.com
http://www.wpwhi.com
http://www.whno.net
http://www.dorway.com
Aspartame Toxicity Center: http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame
From: AwsomFire@
I am a RN and work in a doctor's office. It all started when a patient's mother called and refused to give her son a medication for his asthma, called Singulair, which is a chewable tab and as everyone knows almost all children's chewables contain ASP and this one was no exception. As it turns out, the mother herself had been diagnosed with MS and when she found out about ASP, she quit and within days, her vision and the use of her legs returned. About 2 weeks later, one of the other nurses in the office came in with the "Nancy Markle" letter. When I was first handed the letter, I said, "Oh, I've heard things about NutraSweet before, but it's all bogus". Later that day, I read the letter and I had never read anything so profound in my life. Half of the things in the letter were like reading my history. I was so intrigued I started searching the Internet and that's when i ran across http://www.dorway.com and I started copying all kinds of stuff. I still haven't read a lot of it, but after about 2 reams of paper I decided I ought to try to get the "other side of the story", I still didn't want to believe that the FDA was so corrupt. As a nurse that is VERY hard to accept. I have to call in medication all the time and now every time I have to call in Singulair I cringe (but I can't afford to lose my job and refusing to do my job would be very good grounds for dismissal) Anyway, my medical history as follows: After my 2nd child I had about 50 pounds to lose and started drinking diet cola. Shortly after that, I started taking my first antidepressant and also was diagnosed with hypoglycemia, I was passing out at work and when I tested my blood glucose i was consistently getting readings in the 40s and when I had a GTT, I had a 3 hr glucose of 14 (yes 14) and I drove home from the office where i was being tested with that number. I felt so awful, but I'm so glad I had something to eat before I laid down for a nap, I probably wouldn't be here otherwise. I haven't had a GTT since, I'm terrified to even try, and now I don't feel its necessary. About 6 months after I started taking my first antidepressant with little results even with 2 dosage increases, I had my first visit to the psychiatrist and then shortly after started psychotherapy, all with little result, just small patches to the problems. When I got pregnant again, all the medication was stopped. I lasted almost 18 months after my daughter was born before I became suicidal and again was back to the psychiatrist and back on medication (I had to stop breastfeeding to start taking the meds) And back in therapy. Then just when I thought I might have the depression under control, I started getting chronic daily headaches with migrane type symptoms (I had photo and phono sensitivity) I went to the family doctor and was given Inderal (a blood pressure medication) and gained 10 pounds and still had headaches. I then went to see a Neuorologist and she did a CT scan with contrast which I was allergic to and had hives) which was normal. She put me on Elavil (in addition to the other 2 antidepressants I was already taking) and I gained another 20 pounds. I quit taking the meds and the headaches instantly came back. So I was then given Pamelor and still felt like I was gaining weight.
Also in the mist of all of the other symptoms, I was having violent mood swings, I would feel soooo guilty yelling at my 2 year old because I couldn't get enough sleep. I also was taking antacids by the bottle for constant stomach pain.
When I finally stopped using 'diet' products, I was able to quit taking all but 1 of my medications within about 1 week and have not needed pain medication in over 2 weeks (i'm just about 30 days off)
Now the really bad part, is the number of symptoms on the FDA's list of 92 that I had in addition to the ones for which I was seeking help. My hair was combing out in the handfuls (already thickening and hardly losing any), my brain must of felt 'foggy' for now I feel that fog has lifted and my memory has greatly improved. I have also in the last 2 weeks been able to get up not only on time but early in the morning and have started to exercise. In addition to others, but the worst one of all, and this one i'm not sure is related but very well could have been is the last 2 weeks of my 3rd pregnancy (the only 1 I used aspartame with), I developed VERY high blood pressure (the highest was 280/160, no joke, the doctor took my mother in the hallway and asked her if she could handle my husband if I died) and had to have my labor induced. Also while in the hospital in labor, my platelets dropped dangerously low (under 30,000 when normal is between 150,000 and 400,000). This condition is called PreEclampsia with HELLP syndrome and I was in ICU for 5 days. After reading all of the information I have so far, I am almost sure it was probably ASP related also as I was NOT in a high risk group for developing this condition.
I'm VERY sorry this is so long, but I felt like if I can explain things I makes them more real. I'd be very interested in hearing other people's storys also. I think the thing I've enjoyed reading the most on DORway is the case studies.
Thanks for listening,
Gina
___________________________________________________
From: Patse
My husband went to the doctor today for a check up. His allergies and asthma are bothering him. The doctor gave him chewable Singulair for a preventative for the asthma. This stuff has aspartame in it. When I told the nurse it contained aspartame she said they are going to cripple us all!
Patsy
___________________________________________________
Child with asthma - Singulair for asthma has aspartame in it. 2 year old boy (chronic respiratory, asthma, auto-immune, behavioral problems, diarrhea since birth, sick since birth, used aspartameduring pregnancy (Canada- British Columbia)
Heather B
(child had chewable Tylenol at age one and had two seizures)
___________________________________________________
From: Starw
Date: Wed, 2 Nov 2005 11:45:17 EST
Subject: Question on Aspartame and Singulair
To: bettym19@mindspring.com
Dear Dr. Martini:
I found your email address on the internet. Both my husband and I became very concerned when about 7 or 8 weeks ago our 3 year old son began having what seemed to be "atonic seizures" where his jaw relaxed and his head dropped for about 1 or 2 seconds and it always happened in the morning (we would give him his Singulair chewables at night before going to bed - he's been taking it for one year now). The latest he would have a seizure would be around noon time - but never in the afternoon or evening.
We at first did not think they were seizures - we thought that he might be having reflux coming up although he's never had reflux - so when we saw no improvement, we took him to the pediatrician last week. She suggested one of three possibilities - the PANDAS, partial seizure, or Tourette's Syndrome. She referred our child for a blood titer test to rule out PANDAS and that came back negative. Next, she referred our child for both an EEG and a follow up with a neurologist - but unfortunately, the earliest appointments are for the first week of December so we will have to wait. So we got very desperate as we would see more and more of these "seizures" where he would never lose consciousness but his eyes would roll back and he would have head drops and would hurt himself continuously on tables etc. We could not explain why only in the mornings this would happen. So my husband and I brainstormed and thought of what he took before going to bed at night - chewable vitamins and Singulair chewables. We first took him off the vitamins last week but the seizures continued every morning. Then we started researching on the internet about Singulair and read of post-market reports of rare instances of seizures so we took him off Singulair effective last night and this morning discussed our suspicions over the phone with the pediatrician. She thought of possibly the aspartame producing the seizures.
Dr. Martini, we are not ready to deem ourselves victorious yet and after much worrying and lots and lots of prayers and just one night off the Singulair - he only had 1 seizure this morning and it was so faint/vague! By now he would have had over 15 episodes, but only 1 this morning!
Please advise on where we should report this case as we strongly feel that it is the Aspartame in Singulair and we intend never giving it to him again. By the way, for the last year, his behavior has been TERRIBLE - misbehaves, irritable and does not sleep well at night so we hope this is our solution - taking him off completely.
Any feedback would be most appreciated.
Regards,
Lour -
___________________________________________________
From: "RW"
To: "Dr. Betty Martini, D.Hum." Bettym19@mindspring.com
Subject: Aspartame Horror Story from Renee Wilson
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2005 14:02:24 -0500
Dear Betty,
Thank you for taking time to speak with me and also for forwarding all the information.
I wanted to make sure that you have all the information you need about my case so here goes...
I began ingesting poisonous artificial sweeteners as early 1981 or 82 when RC100 was put on the market. I loved it.
In 1986 I began drinking Diet Rite Soda and continued off and on til just recently when I learned that artificial sweeteners were toxic. In 1987 I became pregnant with my first child. During that pregnancy I had a urinary tract infection and was given TETRACYCLINE. I also took IRON SUPPLEMENTS and PRENATAL VITAMINS
My daughter was born on February 8,1988.
During the times when her vaccinations were given she was also given TYLENOL INFANT DROPS and later graduating to CHILDREN'S CHEWABLE TYLENOL. She had illnesses as all young children do and was on many occasions given various prescription and non prescription medications, this included various brands of CHILDREN'S CHEWABLE VITAMINS. Her general health is OK although her grades are very poor and she has very poor social behaviors. Too many to list in the letter. If you'd be interested in that you can let me know.
She was diagnosed last year with HYPOKALEMIA. She loves (is addicted to) junk type foods.
In 1989 or 1990 I went to the ER by ambulance for a rapid heart rate and was told that I had MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE.
In 199O I went to the ER because I had been ill for a few days with feelings of weakness and tiredness and also headaches. I was told that I had CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME.
I became pregnant in December of 1990 with my second child, Andrew J. Morgan II. My pregnancy seemed normal and I went to all OB visits including one when I had to drink an orange concoction to check my sugar levels. (I think)
In August of 1991 I went into pre-term labor and was hospitalized for a few days and given MAGNESIUM SULFATE. I was sent home with a prescription of BRETHINE that I was to take for 2 weeks. I did as directed and I took my Last pill on September 13, 1991. I had my son at 7:17 AM on September 14, 1991. He weighed 7lb 3oz so I was sent home in the normal amount of time. Sometime around his second month I took him to the ER for excessive crying followed by a fever. I was told that the fever was due to the crying and that he was having gas problems. I was told to change his formula from ENFAMIL WITH IRON to NUTRAMIGINE. I was also given a prescription for some type of PINK LIQUID DROPS for the gas and told to give him TYLENOL INFANT DROPS for pain. So I took him home and did what I was told. At some point after that I noticed several times that he would awaken suddenly, stiffen up, turn very red and stop breathing. When the stiffening would ease and he would regain his breath he would cry like he was injured. There was also an occasion when I went to his room to check on him and he was not breathing. He began to resume breathing after his crib was shaken abruptly.
Right around the time that he was 3 months old he began having symptoms of a bad cold. I took him to his doctor and while I was there I expressed my concern about SIDS, I told him about the episodes that had been taking place at home I also told him that I had read some information about SIDS. He laughed a bit and then told me that I had nothing to worry about.
The following weekend My son Andrew died at home. His death was ruled as being a SIDS case and his death certificate says he died of natural causes.
In 1994 I went to the doctor several times over a few months for headaches. I was given several different prescriptions and although no tests were ran at all I was told the doctor could find nothing to be causing my pain. I began to think he did not believe me so I just stopped going. I still have headaches often but I just deal with it.
In 1994 I began having spells where my heart would just skip beats. I went to a cardiologist who ran a few tests. He told me I had MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE. I was given a prescription for PROPRANOLOL. The medication made me irritable so I was switched to CALAN SR. I remained on the CALAN SR until I became pregnant with My third child.
In 1996 I found a lump in my right breast and had it removed and tested. It was benign.
In May of 1996 I became pregnant with my (second) Son Zachary. During my pregnancy I had one illness and was given an antibiotic although I do not recall which one. I went to all OB visits. I had a normal pregnancy.
On February 8, 1997 My third child, Zachary was born. (On my due date.)
He was on an APNEA MONITOR for the first several months of his life. (Only as precaution due to the loss of my second child).
Zachary had all of his vaccinations. I also gave him INFANT TYLENOL DROPS during that time. (For pain/fever)
In his early months I took him to the doctor because I thought he might be having seizures. He was tested for that. No seizure activity was found. Therefore I am still not sure what caused his bouts of stiffening and twitching.
Also in his early months he was given a LIQUID PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION for THRUSH. The medication caused him to vomit.
There were a couple of occasions when I took him to the doctor for fever and was told to give him CHILDRENS LIQUID MOTRIN and/or TYLENOL.
In 1999 when Zachary was 2 years old he began to have night terrors. His doctor told me to try antihistamines before bed. I did and the condition did not change. At that time he was placed on IMIPRAMINE
In 1999 I decided to quit smoking and prescribed ZYBAN. I also went on a DIET so that I would not gain weight. My Diet included the use of Equal in place of sugar. I used in my coffee, tea, and cereal. I used anywhere from 50 to 100 packets per week. In a matter of months I gained nearly 50 lb. I was weak and tired. I would sit around in a daze. I had no motivation to get up and do anything. I felt depressed. My hair began to thin.
Also in 1999 I was taken by ambulance to the ER when my heart felt like it "just stopped" and when it started beating again it was beating very hard and very fast. Over 200 times per minute.
I was diagnosed the following week with ATRIO VENTRICULAR NODAL REENTRANT TACHYCARDIA. (AVNRT)
In 2000 when Zachary was 3 he began to stutter to the point that he could barely speak. I took him to the doctor and was instructed to go thru the school system for therapy. He was tested for learning disabilities and IQ tested and scored normal to high in both areas. He then began speech therapy and was speaking much more clearly within that school year.
In 2000 I went to the doctor because I was having numbness in my right arm and hand. I was told that I might have MS. I was tested for that as well as LUPUS and neither were found to be true but the Doctor stuck with his story that it might be MS.
Also in 2000 Zachary began to develop TARDIVE DYSKINESIA. His doctor said it was from the use of IMIPRAMINE We stopped using it and the condition has not progressed.
2000/2001 Zachary was diagnosed as having NON ALLERGY RHINITIS. The medications that he has been given for this are:ALLEGRA, SINGULAIR, ADVAIR, RHINACORT, and ZYRTEC. He has also been given CHLORTRIMITON, BENADRYL, and SUDAFED.
In 2001 I had two more TUMORS removed. One from my right thigh and the other from my left forearm.
Over the past few years Zachary has had bouts of strep and has been given several different ANTIBIOTICS along with CHILDREN'S TYLENOL and CHILDREN'S MOTRIN.
When he was prescribed AUGMENTIN it caused him to have DIARRHEA and VOMITING.
Last winter (2004) my husband and I both began feeling as though we were getting a cold. WE went out and picked up some TYLENOL COLD AND SINUS (the one with the mint flavored coating.) We both took the medication and within hours we were both bed bound. We felt like we just couldn't move. I felt like my kidneys were going to explode out of my back and I had painful urination. He began having a nosebleed that lasted about 2 weeks. We each only took one dose of the medicine but we were affected by it a really long time. My husband has not been ill since I've known him until taking that TYLENOL COLD MEDICINE and now I would find it odd to not see him get up every 5 to 10 minutes to blow his nose. He has never gotten over his sinus problem since that one dose of medicine.
Last spring was when I found out by accident that artificial sweeteners were toxic. I was looking for recipes on line and found an article about it. I did go thru my house and remove all of things that had the toxins (the ones that I knew of.) I am obviously still taking it in somewhere or somehow because I am still losing my hair, I have numerous tumors in my arms and legs.
Still have symptoms of so called Chronic fatigue. I have vision disturbances. I have trouble falling asleep. I have a lack of concentration.
When I see the commercials for Adult ADD I wonder if that is what I have.
I don't know if artificial sweeteners in all of the medication I have listed above but I do know they are present in some of them. I also have not yet learned everything that the deadly toxins are in but I am learning them all by name and I am being much more careful than I ever have been. I really want this stuff out of my system.
I hope this information is of value you and that it can be used as words of wisdom to others.
If there is any other way I can I help you please let me know.
God bless you and all of your work!
Thank you again for everything,
R. Wilson