Is Stevia giving me a Migraine Attack?
Some people have reported that stevia, or a sweetener made from stevia, have given them headaches and migraine symptoms. Is this a rare problem? Or is it something we should all be concerned about?
Let’s get one thing straight. Researching stevia will drive you crazy. It’s a political football, an economic hot potato, and a constant source of controversy for health nuts, diet gurus and medical professionals.
Buzzwords and catch phrases abound. Let’s get a few out of the way right now:
- “Natural”: It’s time we all realized that the word natural on a label means almost nothing. Are all the ingredients natural? Is a genetically modified plant “natural”? Is a chemical derived from a plant natural even though it’s been highly processed? Does “natural” mean safe? Seriously, ignore the word “natural”. A walk in the forest might be natural, but it’s highly suspect on a package in the supermarket.
- “Used for centuries”: You’ll hear it over and over – stevia has been used worldwide for centuries. That’s nice. Did people of ancient times use the same manufacturing and packaging techniques? Did they eat it along with the drugs I take? Did they eat the same amount, along with the same diet I’m on? And what clinic trials were done with these ancient peoples to see how they’re health changed when they stopped using stevia? Yes, I’m glad nations weren’t wiped out in the past by stevia use. But I’m really not sure how much this proves about that ingredient in my diet drink.
- “generally recognized as safe”: The GRAS phrase is used by the FDA, but it does not tell us that certain people will not have side effects from eating it. Lots of ingredients are GRAS but cause problems for migraineurs.
Now none of this tells us that stevia is dangerous. It does show that a lot of the hype that we’ve heard and will continue to hear does not necessarily prove that stevia is perfectly safe for everyone.
What is Stevia?
 Stevia – all natural if eaten like this. Maybe. (Photo courtesy of hardworkinghippy) |
Stevia is a plant. But you might actually be asking, what is this artificial sweetener I’ve heard about that people call “stevia”?
Unfortunately, we run into our first problem here. Stevia is not one thing. Various products are made from stevia, and some are more processed than others. They use various substances. There is no one stevia.
And there’s another problem. Stevia sweeteners often come with “fillers”, and some of those are safer than others.
Are Stevia Sweeteners Safe?
Which ones? Frankly, we could do research into every product that contains a derivative of stevia – except that there is limited research out there. Most researchers seem to agree that stevia derivatives themselves are generally safe in small quantities for short term use.
But what about the other ingredients?
A search online will turn up a number of possible side effects of stevia – but again, stevia in which form? How much per day? Once you start trying to connect the studies with the product on the shelf, things get a little more tricky.
Now there are some people who may have an allergy to stevia products. Some people have found that hay fever translates into a bad reaction to stevia.
The biggest concerns when it comes to stevia are related to sweeteners in general. Again, research specifically on stevia is pretty limited compared to the tidal wave of stevia products that are in the pipeline.
However, there are growing concerns that artificial sweeteners may cause obesity (in some cases even more than sugar itself), and may lead to other imbalances in the body, especially if used regularly.
Stevia and Migraine
At this point, stevia does not seem to be high on the list of migraine triggers. However, migraine affects everyone differently, and it is possible that stevia could, in some cases, trigger migraine symptoms.
But before we blame stevia derivatives, if you suspect it may be a trigger, ask yourself some questions:
- What stevia am I talking about? Which product am I actually using?
- Unless I’m just chewing an organically grown stevia leaf, what “fillers” or other ingredients could be responsible for the migraine symptoms?
- What other changes have I made in my diet that could be causing problems? (including eating less sugar, and any sudden changes, even if you consider them to be good changes)
There are some concerns about stevia and low blood pressure. Stevia may interact with calcium channel blockers and anti-inflammatory medication.
So take a close look at any changes in your symptoms, and talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.
Conclusion?
This is a bit of an unusual introduction to a possible migraine trigger. The reason is that there really is so little research on how a specific derivative of stevia may affect someone with a specific condition, such as migraine. And stevia is not like a drug, where you would give patients 30mg a day to see how they react. It’s eaten in combination with other things, and it has the potential to drastically change your diet in a short period of time.
Typical advice for migraine patients is best repeated here. Avoid fast, drastic changes. Watch your symptoms carefully. Read labels. Do your own research.
When it comes to stevia, there is good reason to be skeptical of both the “for” and “against” sides of the argument. But for most of us, a little sugar or honey in moderation seems to outshine most other sweeteners.
If you feel that stevia has increased your migraine symptoms, leave a comment. Let’s keep the conversation going.
22 September 2014 @ 2:52 pm
I didn’t have any problem with the few Stevia products I tried, other than I didn’t care for the taste.
I tried Nectresse, which is made from Monk Fruit, and while it didn’t cause a full blown migraine, it caused an ongoing headache until I clued in that the headache started the day I first used it. Stopped using it and the headache was gone the next day.
23 August 2019 @ 9:41 am
I have tried to go to Stevia on 3 different occasions. The first two times, I was just using Stevia in the Raw as a sweetner in my coffee. The first time, not having any idea it was related to the stevia, I had been using it at work and ended up within a day with a chronic dull ache in my head. It was a headache that just didn’t go away at all! I went to bed with it and woke up with it. The lady who had brought the stevia to the office ended up taking it home and I never thought about it again.. Fast forward to a year later and I was back on Atkins (again!!! lol lol lol) and bought some for home use. Totally forgetting the headache from try number one as I did not make the correlation at that time. Anyway, ended up with this fierce dull constant ache again – and it went on, without relenting. I became actually very concerned – and as my husband and I were heading out on holiday – I confessed to these headaches (I was keeping them to myself as to not concern him). He of course make me promise to get checked when we got back from holiday to which I agreed that it was in fact time to do so. On day 2 of the holiday the headache was GONE! I thought hard and the light came on… STEVIA was the only difference as I had not brought it from home for my coffee’s. I threw the stuff out as soon as we got back. Fast forward again, I ordered a keto shake from a friend – on day 2 of that concoction, that damn headache was back… I read the label…. sweetened with Stevia…. that was an expensive reminder. I now read all labels and if stevia coughed on it – I am out…
24 February 2020 @ 6:09 am
I have been getting headaches whenever I added stevia in powder or liquid form to my tea. I went off it for months and didn’t get headaches then. I tried it again recently and got a migraine with piercing pain behind my eye. I don’t normally get migraines at all. So I’ll go off stevia again. My question is why does it cause a headache/migraine?
1 April 2020 @ 7:31 pm
Thank you for the article. After reading the replies I finally feel validated about my own experiences with Stevia. I used Stevia in many and various forms, i.e, raw Stevia, liquid Stevia, Truvia, etc. I used flavored waters with Stevia, as well as soft drinks and used it in my coffee. I tried all these different products to make sure it was the Stevia. As others have reported, I stopped using it and the migraines stopped. I have read many articles that deny Stevia contributes to migraines. Currently I do not use any chemical sweeteners and this has helped decrease my migraines considerably. I have also cut way back on sugar and this has decreased my migraine episodes as well. Thank you migraine community for your feed back to this article. I always say, If you want to know what contributes to migraines, ask a migraine person.
18 November 2020 @ 12:00 am
Bless this forum of uninhibited discourse. I have been having the worst migraine today and it was a direct effect from having stevia with my tea. I had not drank it for months on end and find myself with a piercing headache now. I am hoping to remédie it by drinking spring water and never touching it again!
26 July 2021 @ 3:58 pm
I ran out of my sugar in the raw and started using stevia with monk fruit. Since then I’ve been having these terrible headaches. I’m going back to sugar in the raw and throwing that stevia monk fruit away!
25 September 2014 @ 9:50 am
I am using stevia these days and it doesn’t trigger a headache. I use it minimally, in fact just once a week. When I bake or make jams, I use 1 level tsp. stevia for every 25 gms. of sugar. I am okay with it.
23 May 2024 @ 12:42 am
God I am hurting. who knew?????
5 January 2015 @ 5:22 am
Thank you for this article. I thought I was imagining things. I started having migraines after using Stevia In The Raw(In the past) & a vanilla flavored liquid stevia extract(Whole Foods) in my coffee.
I’ll try stevia powder from an organic herbal provider and see if it has the same effect. If it does, I’ll have to stop using it period. If not, I’ll be all set and can stop using sugar (which is my goal).
10 January 2015 @ 1:57 pm
My wife uses ‘Stevia in the Raw’, too; today she suspected it, so I have been researching it as a possible trigger…
13 January 2015 @ 12:46 pm
My 12 year old son takes Topamax 300 mg/day in divided doses for migraine prevention. Recently he started drinking Coca Cola Life – sweetened with Stevia Leaf – and his migraines have returned daily. We have eliminated the beverage and are hoping this will eliminate this flare-up. I will post an update with our results.
29 January 2015 @ 3:00 pm
I just googled stevia migraines, because my migraines have gone completely crazy the past week. I have been drinking coca cola life since saturday, and the migraines have intensified day by day. I’m gonna take a wild guess and say it’s somehow related to the drink. I had to double the meds yesterday and still felt it. Was fine all day today, but on my second glass of cola life I could feel it coming on.
I have never gotten a migraine from any stevia products before, so I found it a bit odd. Might be something in the recipe for the soda triggering it I guess.
22 May 2015 @ 12:47 pm
Even though Coca Cola Life is sweetened partially with stevia, it still contains migraine triggers such as caramel color and potassium benzoate. The phosphoric acid in soda is also harmful for migraineurs as it prevents the body from absorbing calcium and magnesium. It’s also worth noting that even though Coca Cola Life is partially sweetened with stevia, the second ingredient listed is cane sugar, meaning the drink is mostly composed of water & sugar. So if sugar is a migraine trigger for your son, Coca Cola Life wouldn’t be a good choice.
7 May 2017 @ 2:21 pm
I know this is an old post, but I had to respond when you said your son is taking 300mg of Topamax…
I am a chronic migraine sufferer, have been for about 8 years. I took Topamax for the first 5 years of that time. I stopped taking it when my doc increased the amount I was taking to 350 mg a day. I started having problems remembering what I read and sometimes even understanding what I read. Being a junior high reading teacher, that made life difficult. One of my docs actually said that they secretly call it “Dopamax” because it makes you thin and stupid!
When I went off Topamax, I was surprised to find out just how foggy I really was. The reading problems haven’t completely gone away, but have improved a little. I read an article that Topamax can cause permanent cognitive problems.
I just recommend keeping an eye out for signs your child is struggling in school. At 14 or so, your child will probably not say much to you if they are. (speaking from 15 years of experience teaching that age group 😊).
24 June 2018 @ 5:28 pm
Hi Dave , Did stopping stevia stop your sons migraines?
23 November 2020 @ 11:38 am
Thankful to find this post even years later. Have tried stevia in several different products Hoping to be able to enjoy the benefits of many well known health mixes, teas, etc. Migraines every time. It’s so nice to know I’m not alone.
16 January 2015 @ 5:16 am
Been using stevia in liquid form for about a week. Last night I had to go to the ER with an extreme headache that lasted 3 days . 2 shots later the headache went away but I have a weird feeling it was from this.
21 January 2015 @ 7:45 am
First time I consumed it was in Bigelow Tea and then Keurig. It causes a headache, nausea, lose some sensory feeling on my right side, mild vertigo, and light headiness within 15 minutes of consumption. Needless to say I try to avoid it like the plague.
24 January 2015 @ 10:13 am
Kim,
I was drinking a soda that was zero calories because it was sweetened with Stevia. I was beginning to suffer from daily migraines and couldn’t figure out why. This went on for weeks. When I ran out of this soda supply, as I as drinking one a day, my husband noticed I stopped complaining about the headaches. So I stayed off of it for about a week and had no headaches. Just to experiment, I drank the same drink again and sure enough, the migraine came back. I believe the Stevia was causing it. I was disappointed to find I probably need to stay away from it. So it is very possible yours was caused by this too, but who knows for sure. I just know it gives me headaches.
25 January 2015 @ 3:29 pm
Had stevia for first time last night and woke up with a horrendous migraine. My migraine are usually hormone related so it was really unusual to have one at this time. Had an inking it could be the stevia, googled it and see it’s not uncommon.
25 January 2015 @ 5:17 pm
Tried shakeology which has stevia extract for the first time and have had a migraine with achey eyeballs for 3 days . I eat a super clean Palio diet and have never had headaches like this. Booo shakeology.
8 April 2016 @ 9:39 pm
Hi Jennifer,
I have tried shakeology twice now. For about a month last fall and again last week. I have been horrible pressure headaches. Was your reaction something like this? If you could let me know that would be great. My doctors have been stumped. Thank you
1 February 2015 @ 9:19 am
I used a large dose of Stevia with my iced tea yesterday (and drank a large amount). Had the worst migraine headache I’ve ever had last night with shooting pain behind my eyes. I thought I was going to have a stroke. Still have the headache this morning (many Advils later) so decided to google it–and found this site. I threw it all out this morning. No more Stevia!! Horrid stuff. Didn’t really like the taste either.
24 June 2021 @ 10:49 am
Hi Heidi, may I know how long does the shooting pain on the eyes last? I’ve experienced it too.. I’ve stop stevia for 4 days now.
3 February 2015 @ 11:41 am
Have narrowed my migraines down by trial and error and recently found stevia is on that list. You do this by eating non trigger foods no adding stevia. Unfortunately it is now in many protein shakes (shakeology and others), so finding one without it is tricky! Please let me know what you have found. Needs to be vegan and GF..thanks!
5 February 2015 @ 2:04 pm
I usually don’t take anything with any artificial sweeteners; however I was tempted to try Skinnygirl water enhancer when I saw it was “sweetened naturally” with cane sugar and Stevia extract, among other elements. The product tastes great; however I’ve had an ongoing headache and uncontrolled migraines most winter. I never considered my water enhancer until today. I’m going to eliminate it and see what happens. I guess I can’t trust anything but honey and cane sugar. LOL
23 May 2024 @ 1:06 am
I can’t even trust honey. (Unless it was the teaspoon of butter & 2 pecans.)
I cut out the butter and pecans, and used Stevia, not even that much.
The migrain, nausea, increased heart rate, itching furiously…
I hate this game.
The stiff neck and head feeling as if it was beaten mercilessly with a bat…
Once again, it’s the readers who shed light.
The article served to start the conversation; thank you for that!
9 February 2015 @ 3:02 am
When stevia entered my diet, migraines returned – raw, in products, didn’t matter. Did numerous controls and trials and, for me, stevia is a no-go. Doesn’t taste great anyway. I’m more a sugar and honey gal anyway.
11 February 2015 @ 5:26 pm
Stevia in Crystal light Pure caused headaches for
me who gets migraines and for coworker with out this problem. Both stopped the beveraage. Coworkers headaches stopped and mine lessened greatly.
23 May 2024 @ 2:18 am
Alas, suffering trogladytes:
If life was awash with comfort, success and free buffets, who would bring us Stevia, chicken pox and homelessness?
(Bitter humor helps distract me from the k*ll pill.)
20 February 2015 @ 1:50 pm
I had frequent bad migraines from my early 20’s until I had a hysterectomy many years latter. Since the surgery I would rarely get one and when I did it would be mild. In January I was advised to use Stevia in the Raw by my doctor, instead of Equal or Splenda. I started having daily headaches, but it did not occur to me that Stevia could be the problem. Until I ran out of Stevia for two days. The second day my head did not hurt at all. Still not seeing the connection, I bought another box and started drinking my Stevia sweetened lemon water again. I ended up in the ER with the worst migraine I have had in 10 years or more.
I can not prove it was the Stevia in the Raw, but the circumstantial evidence is enough for me to learn to totally avoid the stuff.
1 March 2015 @ 7:23 pm
I have had migraines my whole life. I am in my 40’s and know my hormones could be to blame but I have been getting daily tension headaches and my migraines are coming more frequently. I switched to stevia about the same time this all started so I am going to cut it out of my diet and see if it makes a difference.
23 May 2024 @ 1:16 am
I appreciate I may need to stop stevia 100%, but I’ve also noticed a solid connection to “radiation sickness” feeling and my cell phone, including using my PC as a Hotspot.
The pain is so bad, that has to go also. Most foods, so now I’m anemic with Osteoporosis, and insomnia.
It’s a wonderful life!
4 March 2015 @ 11:38 pm
Even green stevia leaves straight off the plant give me headaches.
15 March 2015 @ 11:25 am
I am not a migraine sufferer, I am 51 years old and I used to often suffer from tension headaches particularly when waking from sleep, but barely at all in recent years. Yesterday I bought a dispenser of Canderel Green sweetener tablets for my cups of tea and coffee. I dislike all other artificial sweeteners and get a “hangover” from asparatame, so wanted to try the stevia as I had read good things. I woke from my one hour mid afternoon nap yesterday with quite a bad tension headache. I had to massage my own head and neck for about 20 minutes before it started to dissipate. Exactly the same thing happened again today. I immediately wondered if the stevia tablets were the culprit as it was a post-lunch mug of tea with stevia that was the only difference in my usual routine. I googled “stevia headaches?” and was amazed at the screeds of results that popped up. I can’t prove beyond doubt that it was the stevia tablets that are to blame, but I’m not willing to take the chance again. These are going in the bin.
18 March 2015 @ 4:09 pm
Thank you for pointing out that “natural” doesn’t automatically mean “good for you.” Stevia might be “natural” but it is often highly processed. It triggers my migraines with the same intensity as any artificial sweetener or high fructose corn syrup. The Stevia connection to my migraines was re-confirmed thanks to a sneaky move by PepsiCo. When they re-designed the packaging for Sierra Mist late last year, they also quietly re-formulated the regular, non-diet soda and added Stevia to the mix. There is no mention of the reformulation anywhere on the product packaging. What has changed is the old “made with real sugar” copy now reads “made with no artificial sweeteners.” I’m a label reader and even I didn’t notice what I believe was a deliberately subtle change. Sierra Mist was the only mass market soda I bought because it was all natural, had no HFCS and was made with cane sugar. The return of my migraines coincided with the spiking of Sierra Mist with Stevia. I only wish I had clued in to the change sooner. Sierra Mist is now on my “must avoid” list thanks to Stevia in the mix.
20 March 2015 @ 7:28 am
I have recently started eating Oikos Triple Zero…0 added sugar, 0 added artificial sweeteners, 0 fat, I was ecstatic to see they came out with a yogurt with no artificial sweeteners!! I have had ongoing headaches for the last 2 weeks, using Maxalt regularly, which is unusual for me. Today I read the label and saw that Stevia is an ingredient. I should have read the label before, I don’t use any sugar substitutes, “natural” or otherwise. Oikos is in the trash!
21 March 2015 @ 12:18 am
I’ve been headache free for a while on a gluten free diet. But recently I started getting terrible headaches, and waking up to terrible headaches in the morning. Today I was feeling better, but after drinking a Pepsi Next (with only Stevia as sweetener), immediately I got sharp migraine headache. I thought this Pepsi Next was natural!!! I’ve been drinking it for about two weeks now, so the timing lines up with my latest bout of headaches!
25 March 2015 @ 9:55 am
I started using Stevia in the raw and I kind of noticed a little headache, bit thought that it might be just because I’m cutting out some sugar. Well I saw coca cola life and was excited to try it, and ended up in bed with sunglasses! I didn’t put two and two together because I do get migraines sometimes, but honestly not usually that bad. One afternoon at work, I needed a pick me up so I grabbed another coca cola life, and that evening once again I was in bed with a terrible, horrendous migraine.
22 July 2020 @ 7:06 pm
I also get migraines from stevia. It makes me feel a bit crazy aha
25 March 2015 @ 6:13 pm
I finally gave up completely on artificial sweeteners – they ALL trigger horrendous migraines. I just stick with real sugar.
12 April 2015 @ 1:57 pm
Yes, I found that Stevia does indeed 100%, no doubt gives me migraines.
12 April 2015 @ 8:57 pm
I’ve been using an “all natural” drink mix product that contains stevia and everytime I drink it, I get a terrible headache within a half an hour.
30 May 2016 @ 5:05 pm
I had the same effect. I bought a powder to mix with my water. And it had stevia. I started drinking it Friday night and oh my God got the worst head ache was vomitting all night. I thought a flu like going around. But two nights later I was at work again and again after 10 pm started drinking it and the headache came back soo had with nausea wanted to vomit again but never did. Threw out my water. This is horrible side effect.
24 April 2015 @ 6:42 am
I started using stevia 3 weeks ago had banging headaches every day…didn’t have it last week and no headaches, had it this morning and a banging headache again…..too much of a coincidence not for it to be the stevia
28 April 2015 @ 4:21 am
I’m so glad that I thought to Google stevia & migraines!! I’ve had migraines for 40 years, & have some definite known food triggers. Aspartame is a big no no. I’m also a type II diabetic, so was happy to see products sweetened with something other than aspartame. A few weeks ago, I started drinking Vitamin Water Zero, sweetened with stevia. I just realized today, after worsening everyday headaches, & frequent full blown migraines that the increase coincides with the stevia sweetened drinks!! Am stopping them now, & hope that my headaches back off.
12 May 2015 @ 4:44 pm
I too have had severe headaches while using stevia. Once I realised the headaches would subside whenever I travelled away from home (I wasn’t using stevia on the road) I tried stopping stevia altogether and this has provided relief. I suffer from migraines but these headaches were different than what is typical for me, certainly different from those induced by my other food triggers, and less responsive to triptan medications. There was a feeling of pressure behind my eyes, my vision blurred more than usual, and my face was constantly numb. It took me so long to figure out what the problem was, I feel like an idiot. Plus I subjected my to claustrophobic self to an MRI, thankfully my insurance covered it.
14 May 2015 @ 1:52 pm
I know that artificial sweeteners trigger my complex migraines and try to avoid them At all costs. I let someone else do my shopping recently and they purchased a Greek yogurt that stated it contained no artificial sweeteners. Ate it for breakfast today, an hour later I am experiencing vertigo, blurred vision, numbness in my right fingertips and lips and a searing pain in my head. I most definitely will be adding stevia to my list of triggers going forward.
14 May 2015 @ 11:32 pm
I started taking Stevia extract as my sweetener for my coffee. I had bad headache which became a migraine for 3 days. I suspect it’s the Stevia since it’s the only new thing I’m taking. I stopped using it today and I didn’t have a headache. I will observe the next days of stopping Stevia and see the effect.
6 June 2015 @ 1:18 pm
I’ve now tried a few products containing Stevia and all of them gave me a migraine. I normally use real sugar or honey and do not have any issues.
10 June 2015 @ 11:46 pm
I’ve known for a while now that artificial sweeteners give me moderate headaches to migraines. Aspartame and Sucralose are the worst. I’m a big Aloe drinker, my fave being sweetened with honey so it carries calories. A few days ago I discovered an aloe drink called Aloe Gloe that was sweetened with Stevia and had only 18 calories a bottle. I’ve nevet consumed large quantities of it before since many sweeteners like Stevia in the Raw contain added artificial ingredients I avoid.
I’ve been drinking this stuff for days, and have been suffering pretty severe headaches that pain meds don’t help. I began to suspect the Stevia since it’s the only thing in my diet to have changed. I was led to this site during my research. I’ll be stopping the drink tonight and will see if my constant headache will cease.
11 June 2015 @ 10:36 pm
I’ll be free of headaches & feeling great, but I noticed whenever I put stevia in my drink the headache returned. Didnt know if maybe some sort of allergic reaction to it? So no more for me
29 June 2015 @ 1:00 pm
Wow!! It was just a thought to google migraines and stevia. I’ll be ditching the stuff. Love the article. It puts into perspective most “all natural” products are a processed food source.
18 July 2015 @ 12:23 am
I bought a bottle of Kal Pure Stevia Extract in the drop form. I have never had Migrains or major head aches. TODAY.., I was suffering from a Migraine or major head ache on the left side of my head, back of my left eye to the back of my head. Pain level sometimes a 7. it lasted for 11 hours. This was very unusual for me.. So I decided to google Stevia and Migraines. There are comments everywhere about the possibilility that Stevia could be a major trigger for migrains.. I will not use my Stevia drops for a couple of days to see what that will result.
17 September 2015 @ 11:45 am
I have had bad experiences with Stevia in drinks and also the packet Stevia with inulin fiber. I was starting to have migraines more often and my co-worker ask me what I was eating that I hadn’t been eating in the last 2-weeks. I told her nothing but I am now drinking drinks with no sugar and artificial sweeteners. I stopped drinking them and low and behold my migraines started easing up and went away. I didn’t like the taste anyway. I have found that sweeteners trigger my migraines and my doctor advised me to have only one if I do decide to have one. He felt it was the intake amount. He also said it could be the trigger to something else I ate that causes the migraine. I have to look ate the ingredients before I buy anything to drink. I head will let me know within 1 – 12 hrs with a drink and within 24 for food.
29 September 2015 @ 11:56 am
I like Stevia but I started getting Migraines which I haven’t had since my teenage years (I am 53). There was no drastic change, I was gradually phasing out saccharin and relying more on Stevia for my sweetener. When I got to near 100% Stevia I started having the migraines. For some instinctive reason, I suspected that the Stevia was the cause so I stopped the use of it entirely and the migraines ceased. No axe to grind here. Stevia is a great product and I prefer it’s use over other non-sugar sweeteners, but in me Stevia or it in combination with other things caused me to have migraine headaches. I just want other people to know this is a possibility and not an imaginary phenomenon.
13 October 2015 @ 2:45 am
I have been getting migraines when I drink tea in the late afternoon. I use 3 drops of whole leaf stevia concentrate, only 2 ingrediants stevia and purified water. It is either the stevia or the peppermint tea. Migraine comes on about 30 minutes later. I feel progressively worse into the night.
20 October 2015 @ 11:41 am
2nd time I have tried stevia and it gives me a horrible migraine. Will never use it again
21 October 2015 @ 10:53 pm
I’ve been drinking a Stevia sweetened soft drink called Zevia for at least 3 years. Lately I’ve been experiencing headaches, and just yesterday had the worst migraine ever. Went to the Dr. for treatment, and started to learn about migraine causes. I drank a Zevia the night before my migraine. As I searched for possible causes I got a gut feeling about the Zevia and did some research which brought me here. Surprise surprise, look at all the testimony about Stevia sweetener! While there may be other factors that caused my migraine, I believe Stevia to be a contributing one. I’m gonna stop consuming it for a while and see what happens.
24 October 2015 @ 8:05 am
I tried stevia (purevia) back in 2010 in my coffee. I developed debilitating headaches for a week then had a moment of clarity, stopped using the stevia and the headaches went completely away. Since then I have accidentally bought some things with stevia only to develop the headaches again and realize too late they had used stevia. The latest is a b12 vitamin chew from GNC. I thought all week I was having horrible tension headaches then one morning looked at the b12 chews I had started taking five days ago-sure enough there was stevia. It seems to take 24-36hrs after my last consumption of stevia for the headache to fully go away.
1 November 2015 @ 10:40 am
I have some pretty specific ingredients as migraine triggers including artificial sweeteners and Stevia – not sure which version since it has been a few years since I tried. So far xylitol hasn’t been a trigger but it is just in my toothpaste and gum etc. I haven’t cooked with it.
Another of my triggers – And it was a hard one to figure out and avoid is artificial vanilla or vanillin. It may be involved in a few of the scenarios I read here. (Hint it is in hollandaise sauce!)
I know this was way back but someone asked for a protein powder earlier – I use organic hemp protein. You can get it on Amazon – nothing but hemp 🙂
2 November 2015 @ 10:27 am
I wish I’d seen this article and comments long ago. Historically, I’d have 2-4 migraines a year, usually in spring. Since I begin using Stevia in the Raw after beginning a low carb lifestyle, migraines have come with increasing frequency, intensity and sometimes lasting days. The last few months have been horrible; I’ve considered seeing a neurologist. Work & home have suffered. I ran out of Stevia a week ago and the headaches stopped immediately. This, after two straight weeks of migraines. The pain behind my eyes, unbearable physical pressure on my temples and base of my skull, along with tight neck muscles and feeling overheated, trembling, wooziness, it’s bad. I think the Stevia product may have caused this. Thanks, all. Your comments have been very helpful.
17 November 2015 @ 10:43 am
I’ve found that nearly all artificial sweeteners trigger a migraine for me. I’ve tried Stevia, Sucralose, Aspartame, Saccharin, they’ve all been triggers for me. My neurologist suspects I’m extremely sensitive as Stevia is not usually a trigger for people. I’ve tried to stay away from all artificial sweeteners.
1 December 2015 @ 9:54 pm
All you posters just became my new best friends. My dad bought me coca cola sweetened with Stevia today. Drank it at lunch and before my university classes ended tonight, I walked out the door with my head pounding, jaw aching and intense nausea. I dunno how I drove home but when I arrived I was in excruciating pain. Only after throwing up my guts 3 hours later do I feel a bit better. Getting that nasty Stevia outta my system was Key. Stay away from it, it’s Poison.
6 December 2015 @ 3:57 am
Im not sure for sure. I heard Stevia was invented by Coca Cola. Watch this documentary called “Sweet Misery” on you tube. Its not about Stevia but it explains a lot of how sweetners are or actually not tested and put in our food. Basically we live in a capatilist society, everything is an open market, and we live in a free counrty so we can eat what we want even if it kills us as long as we’ve been warned. Like smoking… The FDA has been bought out so when a company says a food is safe and tested they just take their word for it based on test that only show positive results. I’m almost to the point that I want to grow my own food and I hate farming so that sucks….
8 December 2015 @ 9:49 pm
Stevia gave both myself and my wife excruciating headaches immediately after consumption; we tried several forms: highly refined, natural, etc. They all caused the same horrible effect.
19 December 2015 @ 4:26 pm
Thanks all of you for confirming my thoughts. Not a soda drinker anymore, diet or otherwise (aspartame gave me a stomach aches if I had a aspartame-sweetened yogurt) but recently started using a protein powder sweetened with stevia leaf extract for breakfast. And the migraines started every mid-morning – mostly with auras – could not see well. Once I stopped using the protein powder – voila! – no more aura-based migraines. Think I’ll try the hemp-based protein powder.
30 December 2015 @ 12:36 pm
Tried a new egg white protein powder last night, that contained Stevia. I’m now experiencing a severe headache this morning/afternoon. My first experience with Stevia will definitely be my last!
4 February 2016 @ 10:13 am
I too think that my recent bout of migraines is attributed to Stevia. I had a bit of a stomach bug so I was drinking Tulsi Tummy Tea, which is sweetened with Stevia and I have had some of the worst migraines each day. I suffer from migraines normally but these headaches were unbearable and the worst I’d ever gotten. I know I get migraines from artificial sweeteners (aspartame) but didn’t think anything of the Stevia since it’s “natural” but I can definitely equate the migraines with the Stevia as I can recall other times I had similar products containing Stevia and I got the same intense migraines but hadn’t “connected the dots”.
13 February 2016 @ 5:17 pm
Stevia definitely does give me a headache. Not a full-blown migraine but a painful and persistant headache. It does not matter what form, whether it’s organic leaf in a tea, or an extract in another product. Too bad because it crops up in so many “healthy” products nowadays! I just bought a Holy Basil tea I was looking forward to trying — oops! They HAD to go put stevia leaf in it!!
17 February 2016 @ 8:35 pm
Daily progressively worse headaches, finally figured out I started the new Stevia sweetener a few weeks prior. Problem solved. Back to using plain sugar, although much less per cup of tea/coffee. Takes time to get used to a less sweet taste but well worth it.
25 February 2016 @ 11:40 am
I started an elimination diet a while back to get to the root of migraines. All of the “triggers” were eliminated. A few months ago, I started drinking herbal tea to replace my afternoon coffee. I never enjoyed tea so I was adding stevia (organic, liquid form from Trader Joes). Headaches/migraines persisted. I was fighting an awful headache yesterday, got it under control with Aleve and Imitrex. I brewed tea with stevia and the headache rushed back. It FINALLY occurerd to me that stevia might be the issue. I have not consumed it since yesterday, and am feeling much better today. If the headaches subside then clearly stevia was the culprit and headache/migraine sufferers need to be warned! This may be more prevalent than we realize!
4 March 2016 @ 3:54 pm
I started using truvia a few weeks ago. I’ve been having chronic migraines that are different than my usual migraines. I finally realize it’s one thing new to my diet. I think that there might be a correlation between this product and my migraines.
5 March 2016 @ 1:31 pm
I suffered from migraines as a teen and linked them to artificial sweeteners in diet soda which I stopped drinking. In the last few years I have dramatically changed my diet, limiting sugars and processed foods. I found some “natural” drinks in the health food store that contained stevia, and thinking it safe as a “natural sweetener” I bought a few. One sip is all it took for me. I was sipping at work and after about ten minutes started to feel that old familiar migraine coming on. I stay away from stevia in any product.
12 March 2016 @ 8:02 am
I too am glad I googled Stevia and headaches. I have had increasingly intense headaches, different than others I’ve had over the last several weeks. I hit my head hard a couple weeks ago so wasn’t sure if that was it, even had an MRI that was clear. I bought a box of Stevia at a big box store I think about a month ago because they didn’t have the ‘blue’ sweetener. I like the taste and have been increasing how much I use daily – in tea, coffee and lemon water. Hmm, headaches are getting worse! Going without completely starting right now to see if this is the culprit. Thanks for all the info!
15 April 2016 @ 9:51 pm
I have had a horrific migraine all day. The absolute ONLY thing I have done different at all today is I added a packet of stevia (from the organic foods store here is town and the package claims it is organic) to my black coffee this morning. I know it has to be from the stevia.
24 April 2016 @ 3:00 pm
I just started using stevia, packets to add to water and I started getting a bit of a headache. Since I do suffer migraines I toss it up to that. However again today I’m getting a headache. I’m going to not have any for a few days and see if it resolves, if it does I will try the stevia again and confirm if I do have another headache. I that it could be something not necessarily the stevia in the dry mix. 🙁
27 April 2016 @ 1:28 pm
I have been using a pre workout product for 3 day s and the subsequent 3 days I have had a migraine. Usually my trigger is high fructose corn syrup, so I was surprised. I am going to skip it today and see what happens tomorrow. I’ll keep you posted.
3 May 2016 @ 3:04 am
I have suffered from migraines for years,I am strict about what I eat and drink. The other day I had the weirdest migraine,like none I had before.severe nausea included. I thought it may have been an ingredient in the stew my partner made,or the cordial we had,as I am suss about any new foods or drinks I have had as soon as a migraine starts. I left off both ,just to be safe. My partner started to get a migraine today as well so I was curious about the cordial ingredients. Stevia was the only ingredient that I have never had before. I won’t be touching this poison again.
8 May 2016 @ 8:08 pm
I received the migraine gene from my mother as did my brother and all four of my sisters. My worst episode lasted a week. I had the flu when it started and when I went to the doctor’s I was looking for relief from the headache not the flu, it was that bad.
Fifteen years ago I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and started taking lithium carbonate. Several months later I realized that I had not had a migraine or even a bad headache since I started the lithium. To this day migraines are a thing of the past. However, I had picked up some Chobani Simply 100 yogurt for work and started eating it on Monday of that week. By the time I was ready to go home I had developed a nasty headache. I started going down through all of my known triggers but came up empty. Ibuprofen.
Tuesday morning I still had the headache but it had subsided some. I took another yogurt to work with me. Shortly after eating it the intensity of the pain increased. More Ibuprofen. Still not connecting any triggers.
The Wednesday routine followed Tuesday’s with more Ibuprofen. By Thursday I had developed such a bad headache that I had to leave work. I had not lost any work time due to a headache in over a decade. Somehow when I got home the pieces started to come together for me. I had started eating a new yogurt. Did it have anything in it that would affect me like this. Well, when I looked at the label I discovered that it contained Stevia. I stopped eating the yogurt and by Friday I felt fine.
I had only one previous run in with Stevia. My daughter in law was trying to lose weight and made a fruit salad with Stevia. I got an immediate headache after eating the salad. I have stayed away from it since until the yogurt incident.
I asked my doctor about all this and he poo-pood it and said that he had never heard of any ill affects from the sweetener.
31 May 2016 @ 12:51 pm
I figured out various triggers for my migraines; however, at one point I had bad ones that lasted weeks at a time. The only new thing that I tried was Plexus Slim, which I really liked 🙁 Stopped taking that and the headaches stopped. Then I tried Shakeology and started getting headaches again. Went through the list of ingredients and the one likely common ingredient is Stevia. Stopped Shakeology and the headaches stopped. Tried it again in half the amount and got a bad headache a few hours after. I now read every label twice carefully before I eat anything.
1 June 2016 @ 4:15 pm
I’ve had rare migraines when I finally cut back on my daily caffeine. I began a trial of Biocell Sport, a fruit juice purported to be a “nutraceutical” that decreases muscle and joint aches. It contains stevia extract and after 3 doses I awoke with significant migraine headache pain. I didn’t make the connection and took another dose. Now I’m pretty miserable reaching for tylenol. Thanks for helping me make this possible connection between stevia extract and migraines.
3 July 2016 @ 9:47 am
I am sensitive to chemicals, never take medications and watch my diet very carefully. STEVIA TRIGGERS MIGRAINES for me. This has been the case across different types of products (protein powder, magnesium supplement, breath mints, herb teas) on different types of occassions. The reaction is so consistent that it is obvious to me that stevia is the trigger, and my conclusion is that this chemical is not good for human consumption.
5 July 2016 @ 2:42 pm
If I eat anything containing stevia…in any form…it comes in many forms, I get what I call a low level migraines. I tested this out on myself for YEARS. I even tried buying my own stevia. Every single time, I get a migraine. Now, I have chronic migraines, but even before mine became chronic, stevia was a problem. I have had migraines since I was about three years old. I have researched this online with no answers except to conclude that there just hasn’t been testing and data available. I am now starting to see products, in addition to all their other nutritional information, state that it contains no stevia, so maybe the word is starting to get out there.
3 August 2016 @ 3:04 pm
I have started taking “Migrarelief” supplement and have not had a migraine in 3 months. I picked up a “diet” soda from a health food store on my way out and ended up with a 3-day Migraine – it had stevia in it which I’ve known caused migraines in the past, but I didn’t read the label, it only confirmed that I am still sensitive to stevia in any processed form. I have put stevia leaves in my tea with no problem. No other deviations from my usual diet or habits were significant except the stevia. — sticking with xylitol. So far, so good.
16 August 2016 @ 7:45 pm
About 1 1/2 years ago, I switched from Splenda to Stevia. Many years ago, I would get ocular migraines. Not often, but they can be annoying. First there is an aura, flashing lights, usually on the side of my eyes. Then 20 to 30 minutes, I get a headache. Today, I got one right after I had my coffee with stevia in it. I also had one yesterday, around the same time. I don’t get them every day, but they usually occur in the morning. I drink my coffee black,but my last cup has 2-3 packets of stevia in it. So, it dawned on me, that maybe it’s the stevia. Does anyone else get ocular migraines and think stevia is the cause?
17 August 2016 @ 12:15 pm
Yyyyyup! I get migraines from Stevia. No doubt. I have read about other people getting migraines also. Coke life being one of the reasons why. I think “artificial” sweeteners with high caffeine increase the chances of getting migraines for some reason.
4 September 2016 @ 7:15 am
I rarely get headaches. I got diagnosed with late stage Lyme though in 2014, and the only time I ever got a horrendous headache was from a Herxheimer reaction to antibiotics with Lyme treatment. I decided to try Stevia extract, the type at Trader Joe’s and got a headache within an hour of trying a dropper full in water. Trying it again this morning to see if I get the same effect or not. It was a mild to moderate headache but definitely noticeable. Not sure what to do because research indicates Stevia kills Borrelia (Lyme disease bacteria) in its various forms and when it does, it can cause a Herx reaction. I am not sure if this means I am allergic to it or if it could be killing bacteria, since once you have late stage Lyme, there is no test to say it is gone.
19 September 2016 @ 4:32 pm
I have migraines on and off. I started working out and they seemed to flare up. I narrowed it down to the protein I was taking. I got different protein and later got another migraine. Narrowed it down to stevia. Seems like most proteins are have stevia or Ace-K …. ugh.
28 September 2016 @ 7:22 am
I have severe migraines that normally last for about 3 days every time, very often. I discovered sugar and caffeine are triggers. I also discovered fruit was giving me migraines. So the only sweet things I could have was decaf tea or coffee with Splenda. But after a week I fell into a horrendous, days long migraine.
Switched to Stevia. Still use a little Splenda, but main intake is Stevia. A week later, migraine.
So now I’m completely without anything sweet to eat. I am terrified of sweet, and am losing weight.
7 October 2016 @ 8:08 pm
Has anyone heard/read/experienced that stevia can contribute to bruxism (grinding teeth while asleep)? I don’t doubt that it’s a migraine trigger for some people too, but I really wondered about this one. I was grinding my teeth MUCH more after upping stevia.
10 August 2017 @ 4:26 pm
That’s so weird. I’ve had this! I’ve been getting severe migraines for two months along with stiff neck, pressure in the back of my skull and my jaw feels like I’ve been grinding my teeth. My doc was so concerned, I looked ‘strokey’, and was hospitalized. After eliminating Stevia, everything went away. It took about 3 days, but no migraine, jaw loosened up, etc.
24 October 2016 @ 11:22 am
This is a great article. People always tell me I’m crazy because Stevia is natural it can’t cause migraines. However, it does for me. So does white sugar. I have tried Stevia in the raw and it gave me migraines as well. I use Coconut sugar to sweeten coffee.
24 October 2016 @ 11:23 am
Try coconut sugar. It’s the only sweetener I can use without migraines.
5 November 2016 @ 11:41 pm
Stopped using stevia.
8 November 2016 @ 12:04 pm
I started drinking Plexus slim and had terrible headaches. I know its not the caffeine because I can drink caffeinated sodas without a problem. I started testing it. No pink drink, no headache. Yes Pink drink, headache. I even started taking half doses and really diluting it with water. Still gave me migraines. I’ve researched the ingredients. I’ve concluded that it is the stevia. I have problems with “artificial” sweeteners as well. 🙁
29 January 2017 @ 10:06 am
I am trying to watch my weight. I use Splenda and NEVER had it trigger a migraine. I suffer from Hymopalagic Migraines, really severe form. Well, some said Stevia was healthy try it . so, I did. I was in bed a week with a migraine! I said maybe a coqunicdence. Then, I tried again not altering anything g in my diet but that and BAM another week in bed. So no more Stevia for me!!!
6 February 2017 @ 5:36 pm
So, I’m not normally a migraine sufferer. I keep finding stevia in drinks…. Because they give me if not a migraine then at least a light sensitive headache. Which sounds like a migraine to me.
The most annoying was today I picked up some fruit juice. No added sugar, no artificial sweetener. Great, so I didn’t check…. Yup. Stevia. I’m lucky I read the blurb before I opened it. Now what chance have I that the supermarket will allow me to refund or replace it…
13 February 2017 @ 5:19 pm
Was a migraineur since twelve years old, now 57, “cured” the sometimes weekly three day attacks after getting a genetic profile and finding out I have a severe sulfur and amine (protein byproducts) intolerance that would explain trouble with all cruciferous, eggs, dairy, red meat, some poultry, fermented anything, just about everything one buys in the grocery store with any kind of shelf life. I can use fresh stevia leaf and certain brands of stevia powder that does NOT contain any INULIN. The inulin is the big trigger. I can’t handle any beverages commonly including inulin either, such as Cafe Roma, Cafix, Postum…. My diet now consists of white and sweet potatoes for the calorie dense foods, fresh fish, non cruciferous veggies in moderation, and fresh fruit almost straight from the tree or plant. I can’t eat root veggies high in INULIN, such as chicory root, sun chokes, yacon. For me, digestion, metabolism, and migraine are VERY closely linked. Suspect INULIN because most stevia products contain it. So do many weight loss products.
22 May 2017 @ 10:12 pm
Is this profile something you requested through your doctor or had done through a private company?
15 February 2017 @ 10:23 am
My migraines have been, essentially, under control for nearly two years thanks to a book, Heal Your Headache – The 1,2,3 Program. However, for the past 3 weeks, I have been unable to shake the migraines. I thought it had to be something that I had changed. My diet was unchanged. I thought it could be the weather, but it seemed to last a little long for it to be weather-related. The only other change that occurred to me was I had purchased, and been consuming, a different B-12 supplement. Upon checking the ingredients this morning, there it was…Stevia Leaf. I probably won’t know for a couple of days if that is, indeed, the cause. However, after 20 years of migraines, I feel certain. So, please be aware of all of the ingredients in your supplements!
6 April 2017 @ 7:42 pm
I tried a soda with Stevia for the first time in my life then about 45 minutes later i got a migraine headache.
19 May 2017 @ 12:36 pm
I had Halo Top ice cream twice this week (my 1st and 2nd time ever having it) and got a migraine both times. It has to be the stevia. I’m adding it to my trigger list. I also got terrible headaches after trying Shakeology shakes which I stopped after 3 days. Shakeology also has Stevia but i didn’t make the connection then.
14 June 2017 @ 2:35 pm
Have avoided artificial sweeteners like the plague for years once I realized they were triggering migraines. I thought stevia (“natural”) would be okay. I’ve tried several foods, Halo, Suja’s drinking vinegar, athletes’ power snacks, etc., and have a fierce migraine the next day, sad but true. Big fat bummer….just cuz s/t is labeled “Healthy” does not make it so.
17 June 2017 @ 6:47 pm
I had to completely stop using it. Anything that had Stevia as an ingredient triggered a migraine.
26 June 2017 @ 8:50 am
When aspartame first came out 1 diet coke gave me the worst migraine of my life. I had 2 more until I realized the connection.
I used stevia ( 1pack) to sweeten my drink, within a half hour I had the worst migraine , vomiting that I had since drinking aspartame, I felt this way for 3 days.I was ready to go to the ER.. I don’t believe in anything that states all natural!
5 July 2017 @ 3:27 pm
Thank you for this excellent point of view. I actually loved the products I consumed, that had stevia in them. I started having major headaches after a while. Once I “assumed” that stevia was the common link to these headaches, i reluctantly had to stop eating/drinking these loved items. I will look into what else may be a trigger.
23 July 2017 @ 4:31 pm
Absolutely a migraine trigger for me. Whenever I use a drink with stevia I get a headache.
5 August 2017 @ 8:08 am
I tried Stevia drops from a couple different companies. It gave me a moderate migraine on repeated occasions. It turned out that I am sensitive to glycerin, which was contained in the liquids, not the stevia. I’m still wary of stevia from those bad experiences, but I have found that it’s in my green drink, and a couple other high-quality products that I consume, and I haven’t had a migraine from any of those. It was suggested to me to purchase a small amount of the raw, organic (green-colored, not bleached, with no stabilizers or fillers) stevia to try it again. Currently, I use pure monk fruit, and erythritol (both with no fillers or additives) with no problems.
10 August 2017 @ 6:08 pm
I used the raw, organic kind and I still had debilitating headaches. Horrible.
18 August 2017 @ 10:29 pm
Severe headaches at work an hour after lunch, or waking me up at 4 a.m. Dr thought aneurysm. Negative Brain MRI. Prediabetic, so I have been eating Oikos Greek yogurt triple zero, with stevia everyday for lunch, and sugar free cookies with aspartame for dessert at dinner. Midrin helps and Imitrex works very well, but I hate taking so many meds. Did not have Oikos yogurt or sugar free cookies today and no headache so far. Going to lay off both foods to test this out. I hope it IS the trigger. I can’t function with debilitating headaches.
5 September 2017 @ 2:44 pm
I have discovered that stevia triggers migraines. I have also discovered that it is used in almost every single electrolyte powder solution for athletes on the market, and in some vitamins tooted by nutritionists and natural food gurus as “the healthiest and purest.” I have also discovered that the information and label photos for these products on Amazon typically do not disclose that these products contain stevia since it’s not considered one of the active ingredients, I guess, or is presumed to be harmless.
30 September 2017 @ 8:07 pm
I started drinking Thorne Catalyte in my water a few days ago. I’m not usually prone to migraines, but I’ve had one for the past 3 days. I’m noticing that my headache intensifies after drinking this supplement. Catalyte has a lot of ingredients, so I can’t be sure that it’s the stevia that is causing my headache, but I’m very suspicious.
2 October 2017 @ 11:36 am
Yes, Thorne Catalyte does contain stevia. I have found only one electrolyte solution on the market that does not contain either sugar, an artificial sweetener or stevia (most have stevia). Anything with “lyte” in it these days typically contains stevia, and it seems that if an electrolyte solution has a flavor, i.e., “lemon lime,” then it will contain stevia. The only electrolyte solution I’ve found without stevia is also one that does not state a flavor.
2 October 2017 @ 6:48 pm
The liquid electrolyte drops I have that do not contain stevia is called Endure, by a company called Trace Minerals Research. It’s about $15 for a 4 ounce bottle, which is 48 servings. Amazon probably has it, as do several online health supplement vendors. Whole Foods carries some Trace Minerals Research products although my local store does not carry this particular one.
17 October 2017 @ 9:48 am
I am not generally prone to headaches or migraines but I occasionally get a bad headache when I eat a lot of avocado or when in estrogen withdrawal phase (women…). Now suddenly it seems I get a head splitting migraine when I consume stevia,,, at least this one (NutriSweet Original Stevia Liquid Drops).
I am yet to determine if this is a 100% correct but I used it for 4 days and each day I would gradually develop a major headache over the course of an hour after using it (in a herbal tea). Although I am not a 100% certain if stevia is the cause I am feeling extreme reluctance to take it again considering that this is the only considerable thing that changed in my diet recently.
I will stop using it and on a day I feel fine and there aren’t any lurking headache sensations I will test it and see if it triggers a headache… I’ll try to make a point to come back and let you know..
15 November 2017 @ 11:56 am
watch out for whole foods sublingual B12 supplements. first time buying them but been using B12 for years (other brands). never had a migraine in my life and i am 50. within 5 min of taking first B12 i had a horrible ocular migraine. i thought i was having an aneurism the pain was so bad. i knew immediately it had to be the B12. checked ingredients. stevia. i had never had anything with stevia before. i avoid artificial sweeteners because nutasweet always gave me headaches in the past. that was the only B12 tablet i took out of the bottle. headache gone by morning. next day in evening i was out grocery shopping and ocular migraine came back. i was so scared. left store immediatey. abandoned my groceries. was partially blind on drive home (happens w oculars). next day googles stevia and migraines ad voila! lots of testimonials like these. havent had any migraines since and whole foods refunded my money.
15 December 2017 @ 8:03 am
I’ve had hormonal migraines for over 30 years that come with my cycle. In 2014 I tried Shakeology and was laid out with a migraine so bad it almost sent me to the ER, and that’s bad because I just suffer through my migraines and never go to the hospital. It also gave me the runs. I wondered if it was the Stevia. Needless to say I stopped drinking their shakes. Next was Coke Life. Same effect. Stopped drinking that. Then I find out I have Lyme Disease and start on an Herbal protocol that has taken all my symptoms away, but Stevia is one of the herbs and I had to stop taking it because it destroyed my stomach. My husband, who also has Lyme Disease, is on the same herbal protocol as I am, had to reduce from 30 drops of Stevia down to 3 because it wrecked his gut as well. And the last straw for me just happened yesterday. I’m on my cycle with a mild migraine and decided to drink Ginger Aid hot tea from Traditional Medicinals. Well my migraine got so bad I was in tears. Looked at the tea ingredients and sure enough there was Stevia. Call it an allergy or whatever, I don’t care, I’m never consuming Stevia ever again!
5 January 2018 @ 4:59 pm
I had thought that the stevia in my coffee might have been causing migraines, so I stopped using it. It’s been about 6 months, and I had a couple cans of a soda that uses stevia, and I’m typing this with blurry vision because I’m getting another migraine.
4 April 2018 @ 2:17 pm
Last two weeks I have been taking stevia sugar combination with caffee and every single day I have had bad headache.
Younger I used to have horton symptoms, but now I have been without nightmare migraine effects like 4 years.
I have also used Lyrica 300mg and now lowering the dose into half. I have been with that about 4 weeks. I first tought the headache was from lyrica withdraw but it really started when I changed into that stevia product.
14 June 2018 @ 7:06 pm
As a general rule stevia always gives me intense headaches, migraines, and indigestion, but one or two brands with stevia in them never affect me. I wonder if it has something to do with its processing.
25 June 2018 @ 11:47 am
I have been getting 2nd trimester headaches almost every single day for over a month now… I’ve been chalking it up to the spring weather, allergies (which I never get and have NO other symptoms of currently), and just plain pregnancy. I drink plenty of water, haven’t had caffeine on a regular for months now, and can’t seem to think of anything else except my prenatal drink mix which contains a form of stevia. I am going to try something else in the meantime and see if the headaches go away.
27 June 2018 @ 5:49 pm
Have used stevia since 1980 with no problems cant say the same about all the other sweeteners
14 July 2018 @ 10:06 am
I started drinking Vitamin Water Zero with Stevia a few weeks back. I started having optical migraines, once a day. I discontinued drinking this beverage. Why is it… we can put a man on the moon but we can’t develop a drink that won’t eventually kill us?!
18 July 2018 @ 5:02 am
I recently started getting light background all over headaches using Stevia ( the white processed stuff)
I started taking / trying it 12 months ago intermittently and 6 months ago replaced it in place of my sugar. I started getting background headaches that also extended out to my neck and trapezium back shoulder muscles. I tracked back to a significant change in diet and 6 months ago it was Stevia ( the processed stuff , powder) I stopped taking it and the headaches diminished next day by 50% then went away 80% in a few days and completely in 2 weeks . I think the Green totally natural Stevia will be probably ok but it tastes of green juice so its ok for puuting in juice smoothies but that white processed Stevia is probably not good for some people .As a test I took some Stevia ( white processed powder) next day got headache., It took 24 hours to go away I now only use it for making hydrogen peroxide mouth wash taste sweet , not swallowing the stuff ever again . when i use that up i will flip to Xylitol for my mouth wash
20 August 2018 @ 10:08 am
I cannot consume a product with any Stevia derivative on the label. I can taste it immediately (as I can aspartame) and I will have an immediate migraine (as I do with aspartame). I stick with pure cane sugar.
7 September 2018 @ 2:55 pm
Hi there,
I thought my recent bout of migraines were hormonal as I’m in menopause. However the penny just dropped that I’ve been having WAY too many cups of tea with liquid stevia from Wholefoods in it. And been drinking coffee (also with stevia) to try to help get rid of the awful headaches. I’ve been getting horrible migraines for the last few months and have just realized its probably stevia related. So I’m going to stop using it and see if my headaches dissipate.
26 September 2018 @ 12:41 pm
I’ve suffered from migraines since I was 18 now I am 49 and two years ago I was able to get Botox shots for the migraines and that helped me feel like a “normal” person. I recently started putting flavoring made with stevia in my water and I’ve noticed that I’ve had a headache which turns into a migraine every day. I’m going to stop the flavoring and see what happens.
10 May 2019 @ 1:13 pm
I’ve done an elimination diet and any product with stevia immediately triggers a migraine.
21 August 2019 @ 1:14 am
Stumbled on this site as stevia products are becoming more widespread here in New Zealand. I’ve never suffered from migraines or severe headaches before, even to the point of not getting hangover headaches; but the first time I tried a product with Stevia in it (Coke Life) I got a massive, splitting headache which almost knocked me over! It was so sudden and lasted about 5 minutes before it dissipated. I tried some a few weeks later and had exactly the same effect – 5 minutes of piercing headache. Decided to take the easy option of just avoiding stevia altogether.
The problem is that the anti-sugar crusaders are now “encouraging” companies to remove sugar from their products and they are often replacing the sugar with stevia; and as stevia is “natural” they aren’t forced to label it. I’ve now had the same effect from other products that never used to have stevia in them, and yet when I look carefully at the back of the labels I can see that they have added stevia and removed sugar when they “reformulate” their products.
Highly annoying; but hopefully the companies can be persuaded to, at the very least, label the stevia content somewhere other than in their ingredients list!
10 November 2019 @ 2:02 am
I don’t eat anything that says “no added sugar” without reading the ingredients. The fact is, if it’s sweetened, then they’ve added something that I shouldn’t be eating, an artificial sweetener.
I forgot why I stopped trying Stevia years back. It caused headaches. I started consuming it again in my coffees, and have been having a headache for two months. It’s a dull headache, like a sinus headache, only without the sinus…and would make my head feel a slight lightheadedness.
Just figured it out again, so I stopped it. I’ve been having numbness in my left fingers for about two months as well, and my right fingers are getting numb with muscle pain in right arm. I read a lot of people are having nervous system side effects from Stevia…so I hope they will go away soon as I’ve stopped the Stevia.
Also, I’m upset. Just read that Stevia taxes the adrenals. Crap! Ive been trying to nurse my adrenals for the last 3 years…and wondered why I have been recently so tired and relapsing!
19 March 2020 @ 3:04 am
Yes, it took me a while to figure out that it was stevia causing bad headaches. I was of the belief that stevia was safe and good for you. I don’t use other artificial sweeteners or much sugar. I never had headaches before I started using stevia. These things are painful. I’ve gone back to a little honey and I’m doing better now. I experimented and tried stevia again and the headaches came back. I was using organic stevia. I’m a computer programmer, and headaches are not good for coding.
I hope this helps someone.
30 May 2020 @ 3:17 pm
I also got headache, that why I googled it and ended up here
31 July 2020 @ 5:16 pm
I got a migraine today and I am suspicious of Stevia, which is a new addition to my diet. That is how I ended up on this page. It sure looks like a lot of folks here have found Stevia to cause migraine headaches, so I’ll just toss my liquid Stevia out and call it a day.
As an aside, I followed a very strict anti-inflammatory diet for 9 months due to an inflammatory response from a virus that caused my pericardium (heart sac) to fill with fluid. Scary. Battled it for 8 months. Had procedures and surgery and finally figured out that the doctors were literally shooting in the dark with no results, so I took matters into my own hands and started a self-researched raw vegan anti-inflammatory diet. Although this diet was challenging (I am an organic beef/lamb/chicken/goat farmer
who milks my goats twice a day) this diet was life changing for me and my pericardium is now functioning normally. The reason I mention it is that I had exactly ZERO migraines during the 9 months on the diet. Not that I think migraines are caused by meat or dairy…more likely sugars and whatnot when I was not eating quite so cleanly. The only not-so-great-thing now is that my body is so “pure” that the slightest thing that is not healthy (sugar) can give me a migraine. Also, now when I eat meat (even our organic home raised meat) I get insomnia. Weird.
8 November 2020 @ 11:22 pm
My 1st update in a few years and I felt the need to share with everyone.
True Lemon & True Lime drink mixes contain Stevia. If Stevia is a migraine trigger for you, do NOT use these drink mixes! I bought True Lime Black Cherry Limeade this past Wednesday and have had migraines since. Won’t buy again. Now this is only true for the drink mixes, not the solitary fruit packets in the True fruit product lines. You can use those as they do not contain sweetener of any kind so you can add your own.
24 December 2020 @ 7:52 am
I have found that most artificial sweeteners give migraines. I have stayed far away from them. Recently I purchased a lower carb bread and I started getting migraines. It took me a few days to figure out why! Then I looked at the ingredients and low and behold it had stevia listed. I didn’t think about it being in bread. Now I will have to read ingredients on bread products. Ugh! .
29 May 2021 @ 9:10 pm
I was in a Whole Foods and I chugged a Zevia drink (at least one other commenter mentioned Zevia soft drinks). Within minutes my eyesight started going wonky, and a few minutes later I had my first ocular migraine. My eyesight went like a kolaidoscope. It was the first time that I experienced one, and it was quite scary.
Some time after that I went through a period of sensitivity to light, headaches and ocular and vestibular migraines. I think I was already prone to these but Zevia triggered a big one.
21 June 2021 @ 10:59 am
After much googling for an answer for my recent piercing pain on my eyes, I ended up here (reading almost all the comments). I didn’t suffer from any migraines, but the daily “piercing” on my eye (between 3-10 times) is getting on my nerves..
I used to add stevia from STEVITA to my daily coffee, the symptom only occurred recently.. So I decided to go visit a doctor, and was later diagnosed under episcleritis. The throbbing effects was unexplainable though..
I’m stopping the stevia to see if there’s any improvement, will keep you guys an update if there’s any. Thanks everyone~*^^
26 July 2021 @ 3:46 pm
I ran out of my sugar in the raw and started using stevia with monk fruit. Since then I’ve been having these terrible headaches. I’m going back to sugar in the raw and throwing that stevia monk fruit away!
28 July 2021 @ 9:25 am
I have chronic migraine and have some food sensitivity so I try to be careful and read labels. I tried a new-to-me beet powder in my morning smoothie and this time I didn’t do my research. I know I have issues with some sweeteners like aspartame etc but this package didn’t say stevia, it said rebaudiuside-A so I didn’t realize what it was. Within 30 min of drinking it I had TERRIBLE brain fog, piercing migraine pain, sensitivity to light and sound and general malaise. Like I said, migraine isn’t new to me and sometimes the trigger isn’t obvious so I tried it again the next day with the exact same results. My suggestion to migraine sufferers is to stay away from stevia and it’s alter-egos.
8 January 2022 @ 5:38 pm
As a biochemist I am always cautious about deducing causality from personal reports. I do take stevia in addition to reduced sugar intake – never had a migraine until I had the second Covid vaccine, so I do not put that down to stevia. One of the things to consider is that if you go from having regular sugar (sucrose) to stevia you may suffer a blood sugar drop which is significant and this drop will trigger neurological changes and for some people a headache or migraine. So here the headache/migraine is not caused by the stevia but by a change in insulin levels as well as the glucose content of your nervous system, ie brain. Your brain is the biggest consumer of glucose.