| Author | Message | ||
| Lady Guinevere
|
I have a serious allergy to MSG so I try to avoid it, but my physician came up with something for me to try. If I am going to eat out, and it's at risk that I could get some MSG, I take one tagamet before I eat. It's helped me tremendously. Tagamet is over the counter, and it's a histamine blocker in the stomach. I'd be interested in knowing if anyone else has tried this and found it effective. | ||
| Deb A. |
Some people also use Benedry for the same reasons. When the body recognizes a substance as dangerous, it releases histamine and other "soldiers" such as t-cells, and an antihistamine can be helpful. We all know it's best to avoid MSG, since it still destroys brain cells and causes other serious problems, but in some instances, an anti-histamine can come in handy. | ||
| Tom Fernstrom
|
Lady Guinevere, I too have found Benedryl beneficial to take after ingesting MSG. I made the histamine connection while reviewing postings at an A-Fib website forum, but right now I can't recall exactly how it fit in to the MSG ingestion. It seems there was mention of getting A-Fib attacks after eating heavy meals and that taking Tagamet helped. Since I had already seen Benedryl mentioned on the old NOMSG forum I looked both drugs up and found the histamine connection. But I forget what the reason a histamine drug would have to the cellular damage being done by glutamate. Maybe Carol remembers. | ||
| Gerry Bush
|
Just a comment on Benedryl cream. For the first time in my life, I have found something that gives me relief from the horrible itchy rashes that I get from MSG......Benedryl cream! It seems not only to give relief from the burning and itching, but also to shorten the length of the reaction. I also tried the spray Benedryl, but it was not as effective as the cream. | ||
| Deb A. |
I discovered I actually like kipper snacks now for a quick meal and protein boost. The only safe brand I have found so far is by Polar. They are from Germany and are naturally smoked...not the msoke flavoring that contain MSG. Great plain or on crackers. | ||
| Deb A. |
That's kippered herring in my last posting. Sorry if I didn't make that clear enough. | ||
| Carol H |
Tom, I believe Roy actually found a link regarding MSG and it's effect on histamine response. Since glutamate is used by the body in basic processes, one cannot be truly allergic to it, so we reasoned that it probably directly causes a histamine response. Why Benedryl may work: An anti-histamine does not make one unallergic, but it does shortcircuit the histamine response. That is what I believe is happening here. What I found interesting recently was an article in the June 2000 issue of Scientific American about a pair of researchers who believe that anti-inflamatory drugs may be of promise in treating Alzheimer's disease. Aspirin was included in that as well. I wonder if that may be one major connection between MSG and Alzheimers- the inflammatory response. | ||
| MEMorrisNJ
|
Perhaps, this is the site regarding histamines: http://www.jphysiol.org/cgi/content/abstract/515/3/777 | ||
| MEMorrisNJ
|
Lady Guinevere: Glad to hear about your success with tagament. Just wondering if it may work for me since most of my reactions are digestive -- that is from 5 minutes to 2 hours after ingesting MSG, I am in the bathroom. (Such a fun person I am to eat out with because of this!) Would you mind sharing with us what the reactions are that you have that tagament appears to prevent? Thanks. | ||
| Roy Piwovar
|
Per this study, glutamate may stimulate histamine release: "The anterior hypothalamus of anaesthetized rats was superfused through a push-pull cannula either with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or with various drugs dissolved in CSF. The release of histamine in the hypothalamus is diminished by endogenous nitric oxide. This effect of nitric oxide on histamine release seems to be due to enhanced release of acetylcholine from vicinal cholinergic neurons via stimulation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors located presynaptically on histaminergic neurons. The nitric oxide induced glutamate release seems to exert a subordinate stimulatory effect on histamine release. Finally, the inhibition of histamine release by nitric oxide is not due to blockade of NMDA receptors." H. Prast, Claudia Lamberti, Hanspeter Fischer, Manh Hung Tran, Athineos Philippu Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie der Universität Innsbruck, Peter-Mayr-Strasse 1, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria Received: 8 November 1995 http://link.springer.de (a search, no direct link) | ||
| Carol H |
Re: my posting earlier on this page - John's Hopkins just did a study proving a link between overstimulation of the nervous system and inflammatory disorders like Alzheimer's, asthma, and allergic response. | ||
| Julie Peterson
|
I'm very new to all this and have found that my reaction to msg is sever heart palpatations and chest pains that resemble a heart attack(but doesn't show up on an ekg) Weird. Anyway, I was reading what you all have said about Histamine blockers. I am also allergic to histamine blockers. Has anyone had any other success with a different medicine? | ||
| Tom Fernstrom
|
Julie, I too get A-Fib (heart palpitations) from MSG. Best advice is to abstain from all MSG/Aspartame containing products. Next best advice is to take supplements such as I do (see below) + abstain from all MSG/Aspartame containing products. Next best advice is that if your problems have gotten so bad that you are on prescription meds for you heart -- take those religiously along with all of the above. SUPPLEMENTS I AM TAKING NAME Pill Size Dosage Frequency Taurine 1/4 tsp. Powder 2 Daily Beyond a Century 750mg per 1/4 tsp. Mag. Orotate 1/4 tsp. Powder 2 Daily Beyond a Century 73mg per 1/4 tsp. Vitamin B-6 25 mg 1 Daily Geritol Tablet 1 Daily Complete CoQ10 75mg capsule 4 Daily "Member's Mark" @ Sam's Club | ||
| Julie |
Tom, Thank you so much for the info. I will go and get those pills! As for meds they gave me zilch cause they said my palpatations were normal. Sure doesn't feel normal. But the good news is that I've been off MSG for 6 days and can really feel a difference!! I feel my life coming back!! | ||
| IC
|
Tom, How long have you been on the Taurine and CoQ10 and what impact do you think it has made? I take the magnesium and B6 (along with a multivitamin and B2). I take the magnesium and B vitamins when I first get up and they do help. They don't eliminate the problem, but I can tell a difference. I will also tell you that a good workout at the gym, followed by a steam bath and sauna do wonders the next day when the mental symptoms are the worse. That is, if I can force myself to get to they gym after an attack. | ||
| Tom Fernstrom
|
IC, I have been taking the current dosages of the supplements listed above for over six months. I recently returned from a two week vacation where I abstained from MSG as much as possible and continued my supplementations religiously. I had no instances of MSG reactions (heart palpitations & irregular heart beats). The people we vacationed with have a relative who I contacted last year about the possible MSG link to her congestive heart failure. She has been avoiding MSG and the products that contain it and has improved greatly. I left information with our friends about the supplements I take and I hope that the information gets to their relative and has the same beneficial affects for her that they have for me. | ||
| IC
|
Tom, Thanks much. I have just recently found this board, although I have known the cause of my problem for a few years I have not previously found anything to treat or counteract it. I started your regimen earlier in the week and all I can say is THANKS! In less than a week I can already tell a big difference. | ||
| Tom Fernstrom
|
IC, I have been reaction free as long as I keep up with my medications and supplements. A previous posting of mine indicated what happened when I let my anxieties get the better of me -- so make sure you adhere to the regimine. It's been good for me since I invested in a daily pill organizer at least for the afternoon dosages (the ones I would normally forget) | ||
| Anonymous |
Has anyone here tried the supplements that Tom is taking? (See 7/16/01 entry above.) If so, when did you start? Which ones are you taking? How are you fairing with them so far? I really want to try them but I know everyone is different and I'd like to hear from others. | ||
| Anonymous |
Taurine takers: What brands are you presently using? For how long? What is dosage? Do you take as recommended or otherwise? (Tom: No need to reply. I see you take 1/4 tsp. (750 mg) of Beyond A Century's taurine. Thanks for reminding us of this again.) | ||
| Tracy C
|
About the gelatin in capsules, will that effect my MSG reaction? I am on a daily medicine for Anxiety, and it is in a gelatin extended capsule formula. | ||
| shirley
|
It depends how you react to it. I take sometimes a preservative free gelatin capsule and I have no reactions to it. I sometimes take a vegetable cellulose, does any one know if it contains msg? | ||
| Deb A. |
I remove all meds from gel caps whether they are animal or vegetable derived. I always have reacted to them....hydrolyzed protein, either way. Perhaps some here who are less sensitive can tolerate the glutamate in them. I can do okay if I take just one for say, a day or two. But if I take it longer, I start to feel "off" after 20 to 30 days...must be cumulative for me. |
