Msg

[jump]

Hello everyone.

I've discovered a really weird thing. I just realized a lot of the extremely-salty foods I crave when I'm feeling particularly bad have monosodium glutamate in them.

Usually I avoid MSG because I know it makes a lot of people feel really ill and gives them headaches. But I don't read labels all that carefully, and I didn't know that many tortilla chips and processed "snack foods" have MSG. I kind of thought it was mostly fast-food that had it.

Anyway, I hardly ever eat processed food. But when I'm not feeling well, when I'm especially orthostatic, I crave this particular kind of tortilla chip that's extra salty. Turns out it has MSG. But when I eat them I feel better, not worse. Could there be something in MSG that might actually help with OI? I'm wondering if maybe it just really works to raise my blood pressure or something.... Anyone else actually have a positive experience with this chemical?

- jump

[firewatcher]

Jump,

Glutamate is a neurotransmitter. MSG is the synthetic form of it. I don't remember what glutamate does, but I'd bet if you look it up you'll find that it reacts with the ANS in some way.

from Wikipedia:

"Glutamic acid also serves as the precursor for the synthesis of the inhibitory GABA in GABA-ergic neurons. This reaction is catalyzed by glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), which is most abundant in the cerebellum and pancreas."

GABA is the "slow-down" neurotransmitter. Klonopin acts directly by increasing GABA and decreasing neuronal firing. Maybe I just need LOTS more Chinese food

[mkoven]

In large quantitiies it gives me migraines. It's okay in small amounts, but I try to avoid it. It's in so many prepared foods and most Asian food.

[Ernie]

Hi,

I have a bad reaction to MSG. It makes me faint.

[delphicdragon]

No MSG for me. I get SO nauseous with it! Ate it once, now all my Chinese food is MSG free.

Sara

[Darlene]

I made beef and noodles one night, and their was msg in the container(can't remember what it was called, you can make broth with it) I boiled my noodles in, and had the weirdest thing happened to me that night, i had a aura without migraine, and it felt like I was being electrocuted, like a light switch was being turned on and off.

[Heiferly]

I feel better with MSG. And I'm a migraineur . . . so you would think it should trigger migraines for me . . . but so far I've never seen that correlation. There are other food additives that have similar properties to MSG so if you are sensitive to MSG, do you also have reactions to those? Those who do react might want to watch out for:

"hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, soy extracts, and protein isolate, any one of which may appear as "spices" or "natural flavorings." The food additives disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate are usually used along with with monosodium glutamate-containing ingredients, and provide a likely indicator of the presence of monosodium glutamate in a product."

(from wikipedia)

[jump]

I just realized also that several of the bouillons I crave when I'm having symptom-flare ups ALSO have msg!

How very odd!

Heiferly, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one!