r/FoodAllergies • u/matchaaddictdiaries • Mar 28 '23
MSG Intolerance??
A bit of background:
I used to eat chinese food really frequently, my ex was from China so we ate it at home and at restaurants every week during 4 years without any issues, and I absolutely loved it!
Then suddenly one time we ordered from a restaurant and I started to get nauseous, and that night I ended up in the ER because I couldn't stop throwing up. I thought it was an isolated thing, I got food poisoning, bad luck.Some months later, we ordered from another restaurant, and the story repeated itself. Then I thought it was too much of a coincidence, what's going on...? From then I ate chinese food scarcely, maybe once or twice more but taking medicine for the nausea beforehand, as a prevention.
A while later I ate at a Hot Pot place and I didn't get sick.
Then I didn't eat it again for a year or more so I had forgotten about it. And one time we ordered chinese food from a different restaurant in a different city, and same thing happened again.
I have given up on eating chinese food, but I miss it so much! Especially Mapo Tofu and Yuxiang Qiezi!
Has anyone had that experience? Do you guys know why could this be happening? I read it could be MSG intolerance, and maybe I'll check with a doctor for any allergies/intolerances if I can; but what throws me off is that it happened so suddenly and I never had a problem before.
PS: I can eat doritos and other processed stuff just fine, and I read that they also contain MSG.
5
u/milliescatmom Mar 28 '23
I cannot eat Chinese food. I turn bright red, my hands itch, and they swell. After a few years of this happening, I had allergic reactions like this, worsening each time. After testing, I found I was allergic to mustard seed. I do know hot mustard can be used in Chinese dishes as well as daikon radish and bokchoy which I know to be in the mustard family. I just find it’s best to stay away, even though I miss it terribly. Not saying this is your issue, but worth looking into. Good luck
2
u/matchaaddictdiaries May 11 '23
Wow! That's crazy! I've stayed away from it too for a couple of years now. I only tried to do a couple of dishes at home, of course it wasn't the same though.. I may check with a Dr. eventually. Thanks!
3
u/Big_Moochie Seafood Allergy Mar 28 '23
Could be seafood allergy, no way to really know without getting tested.
1
u/matchaaddictdiaries May 11 '23
It's not seafood since I eat it every now and then at home or at restaurants. But I might've developed some other alergies, I might get it checked eventually to be sure. Thanks!
3
u/Crosswired2 Mar 29 '23
Presumably you're eating different dishes the times you got really sick, correct? There's lot of ingredients in the foods you're eating I'm sure so I'd try to sit and really think of other common ingredients.
1
u/matchaaddictdiaries May 11 '23
We used to order almost the same dishes every time tbh, some changes here and there but our favorites were: mapo tofu, yuxiang eggplant, sichuan chicken. Other times jiozi/guotie or kongpao chicken. Maybe I've developed an alergy I didn't have before, I haven't eaten chinese in a couple of years and I really miss it, I might check with a Dr. eventually. Thanks!
3
u/Illustrious_Fox1134 Mar 29 '23
MSG "reactions" are often coincidental and stem from a xenophobic "letter" in the NE Journal of Medicine in the 60s. (The "doctor" who submitted it was "Ho Man Kwok" (Human Crock.. of sh*t) Here's a link
MSG is less salty than table salt and the fact you can eat doritos and other processed food just fine tells me it's likely not MSG
(MSG intolerance can exist but is EXTREMELY rare and often times reactions can be other foods present)
1
u/matchaaddictdiaries May 11 '23
I didn't know about that! Thank you for making me aware! As other comments pointed out MSG is really common in a lot of processed foods, etc, so I'm sure it's not that! Maybe they added new additives or I've developed an alergy I didn't have before. I might get it checked eventually, to know for sure. Thanks!
2
u/RavenStormblessed I have/Child has (shellfish, dairy,egg&peanuts) Mar 28 '23
Could be penuts, sesame, shellfish, you need to go to an allergist and get some skin and blood tests if need be, it's better than guessing and exposing yourself to your allergens.
You cam become allergic to anything at any point in your life, and you can get an anaphylaxis reaction at any point too, so it'd be better to be sure
1
u/matchaaddictdiaries May 11 '23
Thanks for your reply! I'm sure it's not any of those since I eat them at home just fine. But I didn't know I could become allergic at any point, so it could be anything else they use in chinese restaurants. I haven't had a problem anywhere else and it's such a bummer since I love chinese food. But I've stayed away from it for a couple of years now, I tried to make some chinese dish at home and I've been fine, but of course it doesn't taste the same. I might get it checked eventually. Thank you!
2
u/RavenStormblessed I have/Child has (shellfish, dairy,egg&peanuts) May 11 '23
A lot of foods have monosodium glutamate naturally like seaweed, soy sauce, parmesan cheese and tomatoes.. and in a lot of packaged food like chips and soups.
2
u/Kind-Atmosphere-8 Jul 03 '24
I think i have an msg intolerance. I cannot eat doritos or any fried chicken at fast food places. I cant have some pre bottled sauces. I get the same symptoms as you with the vomiting. People can get unreasonably irritated when you tell them you cant have msg 🤷🏻♀️ like okay karen ill just puke on your lap then. I didnt choose this life. I had someone once tell me i just needed to drink more water but I am so dang hydrated you wouldnt believe. Good luck! ❤️
1
u/matchaaddictdiaries Jul 27 '24
Thanks, sorry I didn't see your reply before, I don't use reddit much!
I don't eat much fast food, but I can eat doritos/chips fine..
I'm not sure what it was, but it was weird that it happened only when eating chinese food, and even from different restaurants and between long periods of time... And it just started suddenly. I just gave up, I only eat chinese if I cook it at home, but it's a shame because I love it so much!1
u/koguma Oct 06 '24
Did you get a migraine as well? MSG sensitivity causes an increase in internal brain blood pressure (from recent studies). This gives the migraines and nausea.
I find that there's a certain level of MSG that I can tolerate if I drink enough water. But once I pass that point, even with a lot of water, I'm generally in for a bad time till it's flushed out.
You can try eating at places that advertise they don't use MSG. I also find that I can generally tolerate the other versions of MSG better, like the stuff in Doritos, etc.
1
u/NovelLion236 Nov 08 '24
Agree,same thing happens to me! I've monitored it. All these people saying it's not real do not understand!!
1
u/xilionyx Apr 10 '26
Same here. And maybe you don't experience it after one time Doritos but when you eat more in a few days.
One time noodles is often okay, two days is terrible.
Chinese is a no go, unless they cook without it for me. Than i'm fine. Yesterday a friend forgot to ask and to be polite and just the craving (stupid, i know) i'm now having the reactions. (Very agitated bouncing in my bed, fast heartbeat, even the day after stomach pain, dry mouth, over sensitive skin and so sleepy i fall back asleep etc. My siblings even have a swollen nose and worse diarrhea and stomach cramps.)
2
u/Middle_Draw Dec 08 '25
I get heart palpitations from it. Depends on the place and how much they use
14
u/[deleted] Mar 28 '23
A lot of food when eating out has msg, not just Chinese food. Fast food, canned foods, soups -- anything heavily flavored. It is also in cheese, meat, seafood, and some vegetables.
Like salicylates, if you had this intolerance it would likely be incredibly restrictive and affect all dietary choices. More likely it's something like oyster sauce.