| Author | Message | ||
| Aaron P. Wisher
|
I always got "puffy" after eating foods containing MSG. It wasn't until about 1994 that I started getting very characteristic migraines after ingesting MSG. My reaction starts with severe tunnel vision, and lately with lights in my eyes so bad that I cannot see and have to sit down. then that fades and I get tingling on the left side of my face, which eventually goes numb. My left arm, and leg go numb next. Each stage lasts about 10-15 minutes. Then this fades away and I get the migraine that lasts approximately 24-48 hours. I also get a racing heart rhythm, and jitters. I was lucky, in that the very first doctor I went to suggested that MSG could be triggering the migraines (which the numbness, tunnel-vision, and lights are part of). I am also luck in the sense that I only have a direct reaction to foods that explicitly say MSG on the label. I have never had a reaction to foods that don't have MSG on the label. When I go to Asian restaurants, I always ask for no MSG, and I would say only 1 out of every 40 still triggers a reaction. However, I noticed that it doesn't matter how much or how little MSG food contains I will always have the reaction. I can precisely time my reaction and it will almost always happen exactly 24 hours later. I have an extremely high tolerance to pain so the headaches don't really bother me that much, but the temp. blindness and numbness really does. I have yet to find an "antidote" but if I take about 3 ibuprofen immediately when I first notice symptoms, it seems to lessen the effects. Being vigilant,(as well as I can) I only slip up and ingest MSG about every three to four months. On a side note, My mom is now starting to notice the lights in here eyes and numbness, as is her mom, so it would seem to run in the family. I know that there are many more people out there that have much stronger reactions, and are much more sensitive to foods than I am, and wish you all the best of luck battling this synthetic demon called MSG. Good luck. Aaron | ||
| Tom Fernstrom
|
Aaron, Be aware that MSG has been linked to Glaucoma. If you do a keyword search on glaucoma, you will find information posted here about the link. I used to use Benadryl as an "antidote" but had to stop that since cautions on the Benedryl label list glaucoma. I now rely on my 300mg per day supplementation of CoQ10 and have been doing well with that and my MSG/Aspartame abstinence. |
