Msg - Ouch For Me!

[tavalon]

I've been gluten free for about five years now. I've had the occasional accident and I have realitively rapid and severe symptoms ranging from bloating to severe joint pain to extreme fatigue and flu like symptoms within about 3 hours of ingestion. I'm quite careful and haven't had a gluten accident in quite a while. The longterm benefits to my overall health have been so profound.

Tonight, we had a birthday bash for the little one, complete with gluten free cake. We ordered Chinese food for convenience and I, of course, never eat Chinese. I don't know what got into me tonight but I ordered tofu fried rice with the caveat that they not put any soy sauce (I was going to and did add my wheat free tamari). Unfortunately, it never occured to me to ask about MSG and since 99.9% of what I eat is homemade, MSG just isn't part of my diet.

Now, I'm having a full blown gluten reaction with an addition of what I can only call feelings of anger, nay, rage. I've surpressed them all evening and the party was objectively fun but my inner landscape sucked. I've read that Taurine may reverse the effects of the MSG but it's late and none of the normally open outlets have Taurine. I bought some B6 and will be taking Cal/Mag in about an hour. I'm wondering if there are any other supplements like Omega 3s or 6s that might have taurine. Heck, should I eat some of the nitrite free meat to get the natural Taurine? I've taken 2 mg of Klonipin (huge dose for me) and I guess I'm just waiting this one out. They may well have had some gluten contamination in the food (likely frankly) but I'm thinking this was MSG. The rage thing was especially bizarre - I've never had that as a side effect of a gluten accident.

No more Chinese ever (duh), but anybody have any middle of the night suggestions to ease the discomfort? I'm typing but I've got glass in my joints and I'm just plain uncomfortable in my body. Boy, I sure don't miss gluten.

[GreySaber]

I've been gluten free for about five years now....(SNIP)...msg

I keep hearing on here that MSG is gluten-free. On the other hand, I've seen this page, Open Original Shared Link which says it isn't. I haven't gotten a good answer from those who say MSG is gluten-free on the origin of their information. (Note the page is about the dangers of MSG, so one might consider it biased. That doesn't mean it isn't true.)

Personally, I gave up MSG and I feel much better as a result.

As I'm expecting someone to mention that they believe it is Gluten-free on this thread, I would very much like to hear the basis for their understanding that this is so. I believe it was Ursula who said it was gluten-free but still harmful to many people. If it is gluten free, she's certainly correct about it being harmful.

Still, I want to know why people say that it is.

[happygirl]

tavalon-I sure do hope that you are feeling better soon!

GreySaber-

https://www.celiac.com/st_prod.html?p_prodi...-20106411883.88

[GreySaber]

tavalon-I sure do hope that you are feeling better soon!

GreySaber-

https://www.celiac.com/st_prod.html?p_prodi...-20106411883.88

Hi Laura,

I do appreciate the link, but I was hoping for something a bit more detailed? Can anyone help?

[lovegrov]

I keep hearing on here that MSG is gluten-free. On the other hand, I've seen this page, Open Original Shared Link which says it isn't. I haven't gotten a good answer from those who say MSG is gluten-free on the origin of their information.

The page you mention as evidence that MSG might not be gluten-free is far from scientific and contains numerous errors about foods that he says we MUST avoid. I won't go through the whole list but he's wrong when he says we must avoid gin, vodka, whiskey, canned tuna, self-basting turkeys (unless they specifically have wheat in the ingredients, which I've never found), flavored and instant coffees, and on and on.

He says MSG is commonly made from wheat but in all the times I've asked over the years, I've never found one.

The Canadian Celiac Assoc. says: MSG is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, an amino acid found in many foods. It has been produced from both wheat gluten and sugar beet molasses but is now produced almost entirely from the latter in a highly purified form. Most authorities agree that it is harmless. There should be no concern among Celiacs about the use of foods containing MSG.

Neither CSA nor GIG warns any longer to watch out for MSG. The only lists that still have it as a threat are very old. And in the U.S. the new labeling now REQUIRES that any ingredient based on wheat clearly list that wheat.

That's about as much evidence as I can provide.

There are indeed people who seem to feel better when they avoid MSG, but this includes many people who don't have celiac disease.

richard

[plantime]

There are many people who are not celiac that are msg intolerant. You could be celiac and msg intolerant.

[Felidae]

MSG gives me headaches and heart palpitations but as far as I know this has nothing to do with gluten. I have avoided MSG for years.