Una mujer cae en coma tras tomar un refresco sin azúcar que le sirvieron por error
Elizabeth Perkins junto a sus dos hijos son
alérgicos a los edulcorantes artificiales como el aspartamo, que se usa
en grandes cantidades para hacer bebidas dietéticas.
Imagen ilustrativa
JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP
Una
mujer de 30 años que padece una extraña alergia, luchó por su vida
durante tres días en coma, después de que en un restaurante del Reino
Unido le sirvieran por accidente una bebida Pepsi sin azúcar en lugar de
una Coca-Cola normal, informó este fin de semana DailyMail.
Elizabeth Perkins junto a sus dos hijos son alérgicos a los edulcorantes artificiales como el aspartamo, que está presente en la mayoría de las bebidas artificiales, pero que se usa sobre todo en grandes cantidades para hacer refrescos dietéticos.
El hecho tuvo lugar el mes pasado, cuando la mujer a pesar de haber
sido muy clara al hacer su pedido en un restaurante, terminó recibiendo
una bebida dietética. Al tomar el primer sorbo percibió un sabor extraño
e inmediatamente se sintió mareada. Un gran malestar empezó a invadir
todo su cuerpo hasta desmayarse y ser trasladada de urgencia a un
hospital, donde estuvo en coma por tres días.
"Algunas personas reciben automáticamente las versiones bajas en azúcar o sin azúcar, pero para mí, ese error pudo haber sido fatal", comentó Elizabeth mientras se recupera del incidente.
"Desde el impuesto al azúcar, cada vez menos lugares sirven bebidas azucaradas", recalca.
Elizabeth siempre ha tenido que evitar los edulcorantes, pero a ella lo que más le preocupa son sus hijos, ya que su alergia es genética. Incluso, la familia prefiere evitar encuentros sociales antes que exponerse a consumir un producto desconocido.
Elizabeth Perkins junto a sus dos hijos son alérgicos a los edulcorantes artificiales como el aspartamo, que está presente en la mayoría de las bebidas artificiales, pero que se usa sobre todo en grandes cantidades para hacer refrescos dietéticos.
"Algunas personas reciben automáticamente las versiones bajas en azúcar o sin azúcar, pero para mí, ese error pudo haber sido fatal", comentó Elizabeth mientras se recupera del incidente.
Impuesto al azúcar
La mujer considera que el impuesto al azúcar en el Reino Unido ha complicado su vida familiar, dado que a muchos fabricantes de productos les conviene elaborar versiones no azucaradas porque les resulta más barato. Por esa razón, prefiere preparar todos los alimentos en casa y cuando va de compras revisa detenidamente el contenido en las etiquetas."Desde el impuesto al azúcar, cada vez menos lugares sirven bebidas azucaradas", recalca.
Elizabeth siempre ha tenido que evitar los edulcorantes, pero a ella lo que más le preocupa son sus hijos, ya que su alergia es genética. Incluso, la familia prefiere evitar encuentros sociales antes que exponerse a consumir un producto desconocido.
I nearly died after being served Pepsi Max instead of Coca Cola: Mother, 30, with a rare allergy was left fighting for life after bar accidentally poured the wrong soft drink
- Elizabeth Perkins, 30, suffered a severe allergic reaction to artificial sweeteners
- After taking one sip she said she 'instantly felt dizzy and felt the room go dark'
- Condition is genetic so her two young sons, Matthew and Jacob, are at risk too
A mother-of-two with a rare allergy was
left fighting for her life in a coma after she was accidentally served
sugar-free Pepsi Max instead of full-fat Coke.
Elizabeth
Perkins, 30, suffered a severe allergic reaction and fell into a coma
for three days after taking just one sip of the diet drink.
She
and her two sons are severely allergic to artificial sweeteners
aspartame and asphetame - found in thousands of products, but used in
high quantities in diet soft drinks.
And
now she's speaking for the first time after her rare condition nearly
killed her when a member of staff at her local pub served her a diet
drink when she'd asked for a full-fat one - which contains sugar rather
than sweetener - and it nearly killed her.
Elizabeth Perkins, 30, suffered a
severe allergic reaction and fell into a coma for three days after
taking just one sip of sugar-free Pepsi Max
Ms
Perkins, from Swadlincote, Derbyshire, said: 'I almost died after
drinking diet cola instead of the full fat version I had asked for.
'I
don't think people realise what a big difference something like that
makes, and since the sugar tax, fewer and fewer places are serving the
full fat drinks.
'Some people automatically give you the low-sugar or sugar-free versions but for me, that mistake could have be fatal.
'I'd asked for a full fat coke, and stressed that it had to be full fat as usual to the bartender.
'But
once I took my first sip and straight away, I knew it tasted strange,
and I could feel the usual sickness start, like I was going to be sick.
'I instantly felt dizzy and felt the room go dark as my body tried to fight off the allergic reaction.
She
and her two sons (pictured left: Matthew, six, and Jacob, two) are
severely allergic to artificial sweeteners aspartame and asphetame -
found in thousands of products, but used in high quantities in diet soft
drinks
'I learnt later that a friend had guided me into a chair but I'd just passed out.
'I had less than a sip of diet cola I was rushed to hospital, in a coma for three days.
'And it had taken three days for it to work its way out of my system - it was terrifying.'
Ms
Perkins has had to avoid artificial sweetners for her entire life - and
the condition which causes the allergy is genetic, so her two sons,
Matthew, six, and Jacob, two, are also at risk of being seriously ill
every time they reach for a sweet treat.
She
claims the sugar tax has made her family's life hell, as she has now
has to make everything - from her own yogurt to her own squash.
She has learnt to manage the condition
over the years - but it's meant that everything that goes in to her
sons' lunchboxes is entirely homemade.
She added: 'Since the sugar tax came into effect, everything seems to contain the dreaded artificial sugars.
'When I asked in the bar, I made sure to make myself explicit but the problem is most people don't seem to see the difference.
'To me, they taste different but it seems not everyone realises that.
'Since
the tax came into effect, it's not cost effective or easy for pubs to
have the sugared versions, as the prices have to be put through the till
differently.
'Now, it's just easier for me and my sons to just forgo the social outings, so we know exactly what we're getting at home.'
And despite constantly scouring all food packaging, little mistakes can prove almost fatal.
Ms Perkins has had to avoid
artificial sweetners for her entire life - and the condition which
causes the allergy is genetic, so her two sons are also at risk of being
seriously ill every time they reach for a sweet treat
Ms
Perkins went on to explain, 'We don't have the enzymes to break down
the sweeteners, so it is like instant poison and we will immediately
start vomiting and becoming dizzy if we have it.
'In extreme cases, we could end up in a coma.
'But both my boys get put in life threatening situations.
When Matthew was prescribed
medication Ms Perkins struggled to find a version without sweetener in
it. She said: 'I had to drive around for hours to get Matthew the
medication he needed, whilst he was shaking violently and had a
temperature of 105.8F (41C)'
'Jacob was diagnosed with a benign tumour and needs medication, and a few months Matthew suffered a water infection.
'They
were prescribed medication but I was shocked - most places don't supply
the sugared versions as it's no longer cost effective for the
manufacturers.
'I had to drive around
for hours to get Matthew the medication he needed, whilst he was shaking
violently and had a temperature of 105.8F (41C).
'It breaks my heart, especially for the boys.
'They can't even have birthday cakes like their friends because the icing contains the artificial sugars.
'It's
so time consuming to make my own of everything, I have to scour all
packaging and I have to make cakes and biscuits from scratch.
'I can't just get them off the shelves.'
'I
check and double check everything, but for Matthew's birthday, at the
last minute I was told I would have provide the meals for my boys,
whilst their friends enjoyed the party food.
'It
feels like we're penalised, for needing the sugared versions of things
when really, it's a necessity - we need it to survive.'
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