MSG Allergy?

[GSLeloo]

Is it possible to be allergic to Chinese food? Such as the MSG in it?

[Chadj]

Some people are allergic to cats.

[GSLeloo]

LoL Yeah I was eating this thing and my dad is like "What is that" and I was like "Oh it's Felix (my cat)"

Then like two hours later I'm having shooting pains in like my heart and this happened the last time I ate chinese food. So my dad was like 'maybe you're allergic'

[Kitsun]

Indigestion? Heart burn?

Like all Chinese food places prep food differently. May want to try it from another one to see if it still happens(if eating that food is worth it for you to risk more hurts).

My pop is allergic to MSG, won't go near the stuff.

[GSLeloo]

It's like.. where the left breast is but underneath it and it's this throbbing pain, so bad at times I swear I can feel it in the back of my throat and my forehead.

[Miss X]

Could be indigestion. That can be a sharp horrible pain sometimes.

[Numbers]

Lots of people are allergic to MSG. That's why so few places use it these days.

In bad cases, it'll make you swell up and cause your eyes to water.

In normal cases, it'll just give you a killer headache.

[Kitsun]

Gah, I'm not a doctor.

What food were you eating? Some of the greasy shit can just rip into you, I know that from experience.

Might try eating a half portion and maybe it won't hurt? Might be the amount of fried stuff thats getting you too.

(Above not intended to take a dig at your eating habits. I know the pains of the ill proportions of Chinese take-out is all.)

[Faent]

I'm allergic to nothing. What's wrong with all you allergic people?

-Scott

[Artha]

Cats are the playthings of Satan, my lungs, sinuses, and eyes just can't resist their evil powers.

[GSLeloo]

Ok this happened a long time ago and I assumed it had been the diet pill I took BUT we had chinese food that night (which is why I took the pill). I had like rice and general tsao's chicken. Tonight (weeks later) I had some white rice and this fried chicken dish and like a cat on a stick (beef). So nothing except the white rice was the same as the other time but it was still the same place. And neither time did I eat huge amounts of it.

[Soulpieced]

I have seen signs for "we don't use MSG" at numerous Chinese places. So I'm guessing that either many people are allergic, or it can cause indigestion or serious heartburn.

[Back]

All you ever wanted to know, and then some. (http://www.truthinlabeling.org/)

[GSLeloo]

Another approach. Any great remedies for heartburn? I took Zantac (sp?) and am now sipping Alkaseltzer. I still feel like my heart is being stabbed.

[Kitsun]

Call a boyfriend over to baby you?

Try sleeping it off?

I hate those drug commercials, I keep thinking of that one that says, "blah blah blah...you may have acid reflux disease."

[Skirmisher]

Well...acid reflux is what I was thinking of as well.
:shrug:
You really should ask your physician about it and explain things as thoroughly as possible.

[Tsa`ah]

A few things ...

Why exactly are you taking a diet pill? A majority of them are diuretics to begin with. Dehydrating yourself is not a good way to lose weight.

Second. Unless there was a burning sensation at any time, I would not chalk it up to acid reflux or indigestion.

There are four possibilities that spring to mind.

1. Allergic reaction. It's kind of hard to nail it down to an allergic reaction because you are only experiencing pain. While it feels like the pain is in the heart, if it is an allergic reaction, it's due to the reaction being localized in that portion of the esophagus. The same thing happens to me with some fish. Most fish or nuts, due to the iodine content, also causes all of the normal food allergy symptoms. Swelling of the lips, tongue, eyes ... hives ... much more, but I feel sick thinking about fish.

2. Severe Gall stones. The pain from a gall bladder disorders and infections can feel like a stabbing pain in your chest.

3. Upper GI infection. See above.

4. Pancreatitis. Usually caused by a gall stone slipping into the pancreas.

If it is 2, 3, or 4, the pain will go away and return with regularity.
If it is 4, it is very serious.

If it is 1, you will only take notice when you eat certain foods.

See a quack and get some tests done to rule out 2-4, or anything else that may pop up, then get an allergy screening.

And stop taking diet pills, unless doctor prescribed. There is absolutely nothing they can do for you except cause more problems down the road.

[Edited on 7-24-2004 by Tsa`ah]

[Edited on 7-24-2004 by Tsa`ah]

Fortunately you didn't mount a huge tumor necrosis factor alpha response leading to anaphylaxis, lest ye would not be posting.

So I say, and says I, "Keep dipping them shrimp in the red label soy sauce."

[HarmNone]

Leloo, you said your father is allergic to MSG. Did he, by chance, eat any of this Chinese food? If he did, and did not react to it, that may not be your problem.

HarmNone

Also, if you're really worried about allergies that you think are in response to MSG, go to your local physician and get the scratch test.

I did this for pineapple. Blech.

[Jazuela]

If her dad didn't also take a diet pill, then his not having a reaction might be irrelevent.

Diet pills = bad things
MSG = bad things

Diet pills + MSG = really bad things

The above formulae are not guaranteed, but if it were me, I wouldn't be playing around with chemicals unless I knew in advance exactly what I was getting myself into and the possible risks.

You don't have to be allergic to MSG to have an adverse reaction to it. I'm not allergic, but when I eat food containing it I get an odd pressure in my head. No pain at all, just a sorta - stuffy feeling. It goes away on its own after around an hour of showing up, and it shows up usually within a half hour after eating. MSG just kinda does that to people, though not everyone will experience it. And some people who experience it won't recognize that it's that.

But when you add chemicals such as those present in diet pills, you never know what the mix will get ya.

[HarmNone]

Originally posted by Stanley Burrell
Also, if you're really worried about allergies that you think are in response to MSG, go to your local physician and get the scratch test.

I did this for pineapple. Blech.

Scratch test will not work for MSG sensitivity, since it is not IgE mediated. :)

HarmNone

It depends what kind of immune response she mounts to it.

Judging from this post it looks like an IgG though.

[HarmNone]

Looks like a combination of things to me. Point is, a scratch test won't be helpful. MSG sensitivity is a reaction to a toxin, not to an allergen. There is no foolproof way of testing for MSG sensitivity, other than to try it (with a physician overseeing the process) and see if it causes problems within 48 hours. If it does, don't have no more!

HarmNone

She had an isotypic switch :D

The above statement is wrong and I am rusty on my on Immu. But I am pretty sure that with most food allergies there will be a combined immune response, in this case with respect to glutamates possibly.

Lastly, monosodiumglutomate is still antigen, albeit a toxin, but antigen.
[Edited on 7-24-2004 by Stanley Burrell]

[Edited on 7-24-2004 by Stanley Burrell]

[GSLeloo]

I had a diet pill the first time not the second time. And both parents ate the food and neither had a reaction.