RTM: aspartame in Merck Maxalt-MLT worsens migraine,
AstraZeneca Zomig, Eli Lilly Zyprexa,
J&J Merck Pepcid AC (Famotidine 10mg) Chewable Tab,
Pfizer Cool Mint Listerine Pocketpaks 7.16.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/846
*************************************************************

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/752
Headache 2001 Oct;41(9):899-901
Migraine MLT-Down: An Unusual Presentation of Migraine
in Patients With Aspartame-Triggered Headaches.
[Merck 10-mg Maxalt-MLT, for migraine, has 4 mg aspartame,
while 12 oz diet soda has 200 mg.]
Newman LC, Lipton RB. RLipton@...
Headache Institute, St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York
NY Department of Neurology
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
Innovative Medical Research
*************************************************************

RTM: Horner: Pfizer Inc hides behind FDA re aspartame 5.29.2 rmforall
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/831

Subject: RE: aspartame
Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 10:38:53 -0400
From: Consumer Affairs #1 <ConAff1@...>
To: "'Rich Murray'" <rmforall@...>

Dear Mr. Murray,

Thank you for contacting Pfizer Inc regarding our usage of aspartame
in some of our products.
The FDA began approving the use of aspartame in new prescription drug
products over 10 years ago.*
Its' use continues in both life-sustaining and life-saving products
for both adult and pediatric use.**
It is also widely used as a sweetener in over-the-counter drug
products.***
The FDA has approved the use of aspartame as a sweetening agent
and flavor enhancer in food products including, but not limited to,
baked goods, baking mixes, carbonated beverages and beverage mixes.****
Given the number of acceptable alternatives to this sweetener,
if the FDA had any safety concerns with aspartame,
they would withdraw the approval for this sweetener immediately.*****

* The 1996 copy of the FDA's Inactive Ingredient Guide cites an NDA
drug, using aspartame as an inactive ingredient,
with an approval date of 12/23/91.

** Recent Rx drug approvals for which aspartame was an inactive
ingredient include Singulair Chewable Tablets, Zyvox Oral Suspension,
Videx Chewable Tablets and Amoxil Chewable Tablets.

***OTC products include Tylenol Cold Chewable Tablets Triaminic
Softchews, TheraFlu Flu & Sore Throat Powder, Children's Advil Chewable
Tablets and Children's Motrin Chewable Tablets.

****21 CFR 172.804 and Federal Register, June 28, 1996 (Volume 61,
Number 126, pages 33654-33656).

*****Given what FDA did with phenylpropanolamine, this is a given.

For further assistance, please call one of our representatives at
1-800-223-0182 (U.S.) or 1-800-661-4659 (Canada),
weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST or reply by e-mail.

Chip Horner, Senior Director Consumer Affairs Department Pfizer Inc /tp

-----Original Message-----
From: Rich Murray [mailto:rmforall@...]
Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2002 12:56 AM
To: Consumer Affairs #1; william.kirkland@...
Subject: RTM: aspartame toxicity: recent research 5.27.2 rmforall
*************************************************************

http://www.zomig.com/
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
ZOMIG is indicated for the acute treatment of migraine with or without
aura in adults.
Because ZOMIG is prescription medicine, only your doctor or health care
provider can help you decide whether it's right for you..
Patients with the inability to process the amino acid phenylalanine
should be aware that each 2.5 mg and 5 mg ZOMIG-ZMTTM(zolmitriptan)
Orally Disintegrating Tablet contains 2.81 mg and 5.62 mg of
phenylalanine (a component of aspartame), respectively.
************************************************************

pi.lilly.com/zyprexa-pi.pdf
www.zyprexa-side-effects.com/
Eli Lilly and Company Zyprexa (olanzapine) antipsychotic
************************************************************

http://www.pepcidac.com/
Johnson & Johnson - Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co.
Mint-flavored Chewable tablets
Tracey Ely <pwebmast@...>
PEPCID AC Consumer Relationship Center
*************************************************************

Nov 18 2001 Hello, Merck needs to take action regarding the research
by two eminent reserchers, L.C. Newman and R.B. Lipton, that the
4.20 mg aspartame in each $ 14 10-mg tablet of Maxalt-MLT, a potent
migraine drug, worsens migraine in some people.
While this dose is just 2% of the 200 mg aspartame in 16 oz of diet
soda, its toxicity may be increased by direct absorption,
as the wafer melts in the mouth.
Aspartame reactors often have severe symtoms from a single stick of
chewing gum.

Dennis Choi, PhD, your new Exec. VP, Neurosciences, who has a
particular expertise on excitotoxicity, is well qualified to assess
this problem. The end of this post offers a summary of informed
experts.
I hope this information is helpful.

Best regards, Rich Murray Room For All rmforall@...
1943 Otowi Road Santa Fe New Mexico 87505
*************************************************************

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/752
RTM: Newman & Lipton:
aspartame triggers & worsens migraine 11.17.1 rmforall

Headache 2001 Oct;41(9):899-901
Migraine MLT-Down: An Unusual Presentation of Migraine in Patients With
Aspartame-Triggered Headaches.
Newman LC, Lipton RB.
Headache Institute, St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York
NY Department of Neurology
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
Innovative Medical Research

Aspartame, an artificial sweetener added to many foods and beverages,
may trigger headaches in susceptible individuals.
We report two patients with aspartame-triggered
attacks in whom the use of an
aspartame-containing acute medication (Maxalt-MLT) worsened
an ongoing attack of migraine. PMID: 11703479

http://www.docnet.org/physicians/phys_bios.asp?phys_id=574
Lawrence C. Newman, MD 212-523-5869
St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center
Headache Institute
1000 10th Avenue, Room 1C-10
New York, NY 10019
Prof. Neurology, Epidemiology & Social Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University

http://msl.montefiore.org/newmsl/default.htm
Dr. Richard B. Lipton, Department of Neurology RLipton@...
Montefiore Medical Center
111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467, USA.
FAX 203-321-1044
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
1300 Morris Park Avenue
Bronx, NY 10461
718-430-3886 fax 3870
MMC - Headache Unit
111 E. 210th Street Bronx , NY 10467 718-920-4638

http://www.imrinc.com/ webmaster@...
Innovative Medical Research, Inc.
Alberto R. Yataco, M.D.
Richard B. Lipton, M.D., Chief Science Officer RLipton@...
1001 Cromwell Bridge Rd., Suite 302
Towson, MD 21286 USA
410-825-0500 Fax: 410-339-7086
http://www.centerwatch.com/professional/pro111.html

Merck and Co., Inc. http://www.merck.co

Peter S. Kim, PhD Exec. VP, R&D age 43
kimadmin@... 617-258-5184 fax 5737
MRL 770 Sunnytown Pike West Point PA 19486

Edward M. Scolnick, MD Exec. VP, Sci & Tech, Pres. of MRL age 61
MRL P.O.Box 2000 Rayway, NJ 07065-0900 732-594-3761

William A. Peck, MD Exec V. Chancellor for medical affairs WUSOM
peckw@... 314-362-6827

Bennett M. Shapiro, MD, Exec. VP, Merck Worldwide Basic Research
732-594-3761

Raymond V. Gilmartin, CM, Pres., CEO, Merck & Co., Inc.
One Merck Drive P.O.Box 100 Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889-0100
fax 908-735-1253

Merck's $ 15M alliance with MIT:

Prof. Phillip A. Sharp sharppa@... 617-253-6421

Prof. Nancy H. Hopkins nhopkins@... 617-253-6414, 6408

Prof. Daniel I.C. Wang dicwang@... 617-253-2126, 0805

Robert L. Malster malster@... 617-253-2703

Kennth D. Campbell, Dir., MIT News kdc@... 617-253-2703

Carol Goodrich, Merck, Manager, Corp. Comm. 908-423-6022

Janet Skidmore, Merck, research news 908-423-3046

Jan Weiner, Merck, US products news 267-305-6462

http://www.neuro.wustl.edu/people/choi.html
Home Page
Dennis Wonkyu Choi, MD, PhD age 48
Hired Nov 13 2001 by Merck Research Labortories as Executive VP,
Neurosciences
Dennis Choi is the Andrew B. and Gretchen P. Jones Professor
and Head of the Department of Neurology at
Washington University in St. Louis, as well as
the Neurologist-in-Chief at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. 866-867-3627 info

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Dr. Choi was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and grew up in Watertown,
Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College in 1974, and in 1978
received the MD and PhD degrees (the latter in Pharmacology) from
Harvard University and the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and
Technology. After completing residency and fellowship training in
neurology at Harvard in 1983, he joined the faculty at Stanford
University, and then 1991 came to Washington University Medical School
to chair the Neurology Department. At Washington University, he also
directs the Center for the Study of Nervous System Injury and the
McDonnell Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology. He is the
chairman of the US / Canada Regional Committee of the International
Brain Research Organization, a past President
of the Society for Neuroscience, and a past Vice-President of the
American Neurological Association. He is a member of the Institute of
Medicine, and has served on the Councils of the National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the Society for Neuroscience, the
Winter Conference for Brain
Research, the International Society for Cerebral Blood Flow and
Metabolism, and the Neurotrauma Society.

He is a member of the editorial boards of more than a dozen journals
including Science, and is a founding co-editor of Neurobiology of
Disease, a journal
positioned at the interface of basic and clinical neuroscience. He is
presently an Associate of the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego
and a member of the
Dana Alliance for Brain Research.
Current or past service on scientific advisory boards has included the
Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, the Grass Foundation,
the Hereditary Disease Foundation, the Queen's
Neuroscience Institute in Honolulu, the Max-Planck Institute in
Heidelberg, the Korea Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS) in Seoul, and
the US Food and Drug Agency, as well as several university-based
research consortia in the US and Europe, and several companies.

RESEARCH SUMMARY
The work of my laboratory is directed toward elucidating the cellular
mechanisms underlying CNS injury in neurological disease states, and
developing therapeutic countermeasures. A long-standing interest has
been the "excitotoxic" neuronal injury produced by excess exposure to
glutamate and other endogenous excitatory amino acids. Excitotoxicity
likely contributes to the brain or spinal cord damage induced by
hypoxia-ischemia, trauma, or seizures, and may also play a role in the
pathogenesis of some neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington's
disease or motor neuron disease.

Prior work from the laboratory implicated calcium overload and NMDA
receptor activation in pathogenesis of excitotoxic cell death. In more
recent years, investigation has broadened to include other
perturbations in cationic homeostasis,
the interrelationship between excitotoxicity
and apoptosis, and downstream injury pathways including free radical
generation. My colleagues and I hypothesize that endogenous brain zinc
stores may also mediate neuronal death under some pathological
conditions, and that potassium efflux via voltage- or glutamate-gated
channels may promote neuronal apoptosis. We have also examined the
possibility that certain growth factor may enhance, rather than
reduce, excitotoxic neuronal death. A recent line of research,
conducted in collaboration with several other laboratories at Washington
University and elsewhere,
explores strategies for promoting recovery after rodent
spinal cord injury utilizing stem cell transplantation.

choid@... 314-362-7175

CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail: wildersp@...
(314) 362-9460 Fax: (314) 362-9462
Washington University School of Medicine
660 S. Euclid Campus Box 8111 St. Louis, MO 63110
************************************************************

Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@...
1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe NM USA 87505 505-986-9103

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages for 846 posts
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/657 45K post
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/763 30K post

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/845
RTM: Martini: heroic month march in UK against aspartame 7.14.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/844
RTM: layman lament: NutraSweet: aspartame & neotame toxicity 7.12.2
rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/840
RTM: NutraSweet Co.: Neotame toxicity questions 7.9.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/841
RTM: Merisant Co., MSD Capital, Dell Computer Corp., NutraSweet Co.,
JW Childs Assc.: aspartame-neotame toxicity 7.10.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/830
RTM: Tholen: Diet Coke has 5 ppm formaldehyde from aspartame
5.29.2 rmforall
For 6 cans of diet soda, this is 5 times the daily limit of 1 PPM for
formaldehyde in drinking water, set by the EPA and the
California Dept. of Health Services,
Div. Drinking Water and Environmental Management (916) 323-2308
Drinking Water Action Levels: Contaminants of Current Interest
Last Update: May 2, 2002

http://www.dorway.com/tldaddic.html 5-page review
"Aspartame (NutraSweet) Addiction"
H.J. Roberts in "Townsend Letter", Jan 2000 HJRobertsMD@...
http://www.sunsentpress.com/ sunsentpress@...
Sunshine Sentinel Press P.O.Box 17799 West Palm Beach, FL 33416
800-814-9800 561-588-7628 561-547-8008 fax

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/669
1038-page medical text "Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic"
published May 30 2001 $ 85.00 postpaid data from 1200 cases
available at http://www.amazon.com
over 600 references from standard medical research
http://www.aspartameispoison.com/contents.html 34 chapters
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/790
RTM: Moseley:
review Roberts "Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic" 2.7.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/652
Ann Pharmacother 2001 Jun;35(6):702-6
Relief of fibromyalgia symptoms following
discontinuation of dietary excitotoxins.
terpening@... cterpeni@...
Smith JD, Terpening CM, Schmidt SO, Gums JG.
Malcolm Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, USA.
gums@... siggy@...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/782
RTM: Smith, Terpening, Schmidt, Gums:
full text: aspartame, MSG, fibromyalgia 1.17.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/804
RTM: Hetle & Eltervaag: 2001 thesis
abstract: aspartame brain damage in mice:
Sonnewald 1995 study full text 2.17.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/752
Headache 2001 Oct;41(9):899-901
Migraine MLT-Down: An Unusual Presentation of Migraine
in Patients With Aspartame-Triggered Headaches.
[Merck 10-mg Maxalt-MLT, for migraine, has 4 mg aspartame,
while 12 oz diet soda has 200 mg.]
Newman LC, Lipton RB. RLipton@...
Headache Institute, St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York
NY Department of Neurology
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
Innovative Medical Research

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/346
WebMD: Barclay: Barth:
survey shows aspartame hurts memory in students 11.9.00
http://www.psy.tcu.edu/psy/barth.htm
Timothy M. Barth Department of Psychology t.barth@...
Texas Christian University TCU Box 298920 Fort Worth, TX 76129
Chairman, Physiological Psychology 817-921-7410

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/760
Magnes Res 2001 Sep;14(3):189-94
The effect of oral aspartame administration on the
balance of magnesium in the rat.
Kovatsi L, Tsouggas M.
Laboratory of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece kovatsi@...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/689
Measurement of molecular interaction of aspartame and
its metabolites with DNA. Clin Biochem. 1998 Jul;31(5):405-7.
Karikas GA, Schulpis KH, Reclos GJ, Kokotos G.
Dept. of Chemistry, University of Athens, Greece
http://www.chem.uoa.gr gkokotos@...

http://ww.presidiotex.com/barcelona/index.html
Life Sci June 26 1998; 63(5): 337-49
Formaldehyde derived from dietary aspartame binds to tissue
components in vivo. ["Trok-ho"]
Trocho C, Pardo R, Rafecas I, Virgili J, Remesar X,
Fernandez-Lopez JA, Alemany M, Departament de Bioquimica i
Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona,
Spain. http://www.presidiotex.com/barcelona/index.html
Maria Alemany, PhD alemany@...
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