Intolerance to Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Author: V. Dimov, M.D., Allergist/Immunologist and Assistant Professor at University of Chicago
Reviewer: S. Randhawa, M.D., Allergist/Immunologist and Assistant Professor at LSU (Shreveport) Department of Allergy and Immunology
A 50-year old Korean female is self-referred to the allergy clinic for evaluation of "MSG allergy." She complains of nausea and headache within minutes of eating Chinese food with MSG. Symptoms occur every time she eats this type of food (every 3-4 months) for the last 10 years.
The patient would like to be tested for "MSG allergy." Her allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis are currently not symptomatic.
Crystalline MSG. Image source: Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike license.
Past medical history (PMH)
Hypertension (HTN), allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis.
Medications
Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), lisinopril, Opcon-A (naphazoline and pheniramine) eye drops PRN.
Drug allergy
Penicillin (PCN), rash.
Family medical history (FMH)
Negative.
Social history (SH)
Quit smoking 20 yr ago, 5-pck/yr.
She has a dog.
Do you think this patient has an allergy to monosodium glutamate (MSG)?
There are no confirmed cases of allergy to MSG. The symptom complex is more characteristic of food intolerance rather than allergy.
Are there any tests for "MSG allergy"?
There are no skin tests or ImmunoCAP (R)/RAST for "MSG allergy."
What happened?
The patient was advised to avoid foods causing her symptoms and reassured.
Final diagnosis
Intolerance to Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).
Summary
MSG is a popular flavor enhancer that is added to many foods but that also occurs naturally. MSG is the sodium salt of one of the most common amino acids in the human body and occurs naturally in virtually all foods.
The classic example of MSG sensitivity is the MSG symptom complex, called the “Chinese restaurant syndrome,” characterized by a burning sensation of the back of the neck, forearms, and chest; (2) facial pressure or tightness; (3) chest pain; (4) headaches; (5) nausea; (6) upper body tingling and weakness; (7) palpitations; (8) numbness in the back of the neck, arms, and back; (9) bronchospasm (in asthmatic patients only); (10) drowsiness.
References
Monosodium Glutamate. Adkinson: Middleton's Allergy: Principles and Practice, 6th ed.
Monosodium glutamate, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Published: 07/03/2008
Updated: 03/17/2010
Labels: Food Allergy
7 Comments:
I started taking lisinopril about a year ago and seemed to developed an MSG intolerance at about the same time.
I wonder if they're related.
If I eat out at times right after eating soup I get tight in the chest and have ifficulty breathing, just today I had potator and bacon soup and right afterward I got hot started sweating and had trouble brathing. Is this an MSG intolerance?
It could be. The best person to evaluate this is you primary care doctor. No medical advice is provided on this website.
i HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS OTHERS WITH SOUP AND AFTER EATING OUT AT CERTAIN RESTAURANTS, NOT JUST CHINESE. IN FACT, I CAN HAVE WON TON SOUP AND FRIED RICE AND DON'T GET IT. AFTER EATING A COMBO AT CHILI'S OR THE FRIES AT APPLEBEES OR CHINESE FOOD WITH THE BABY CORNS I WILL GET ALL THE SYMPTOMS OF THE MSG POISONING. I WILL EVEN VOMIT.
I FOUND THAT DRINKING WATER AND EATING REAL EGGS FOR 2 DAYS WILL HELP. ALSO, PLAIN ROAST BEEF WITH NO MSG SEEMS TO EAT THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE CHANGED TO NO MSG COLD CUTS AND ONLY ALLOW MYSELF 1 SOUP A WEEK, IF THAT MANY.
pROGRESSO SOUPS AND CAMPBELL CHICKEN NOODLE OR OYSTER STEW ARE THE WORST FOR MSG. WATCH MSG IN CRAB CAKES FROM TRADER JOE'S.
BY THE WAY, DRINKING MILK SEEMS TO HELP THE ITCHINESS IF YOU ARE NOT NAUSEOUS.
I have symptoms, headache, heart palpitations, swelling, red face, diarrhea after eating in certain restaurants especially McDonalds and Olive Garden.Plus my blood pressure goes up. I've been buying soups that say msg free, one is Progresso. Now I've read that that may not be true on the label if the word "added" is present. It might just have MSG. I'm confused and concerned. I'm thinking about going on a natural diet for a month to see what happens, but where do I start? Is there a list of foods with no MSG's out there? Thanks for listening ,Sick of being sick
Years ago I quit eating at fast food restaurants after getting what I call "killer" headaches which send me to bed for 3 to 4 days. I especially liked Taco Bell and the seasoning seemed to be a major contributor to my headaches. It feels as it my brain has swelled and the skull is too small to contain it.
I have studied the various names used on labels and found I need to take the list with me, even to health food grocers. It is difficult to avoid and indeed is naturally occurring in many foods, however it seems that when it is added to foods, (and often I do not know the form or type used)it affects me adversely. Perhaps I am hypersensitive to msg, and maybe just in some forms. Since I am not willing to be a guinea pig for experimentation (too much pain) I have found that I eat very few processed foods now, and a lot of produce, organic when I can get it or grow it.
When I do have a very occassional reaction (always after eating out or ingesting food at a potluck) I find that taking large doses of vitamin C, and drinking a lot of water seems to flush it out of my system and the headache lasts only 24 to 48 hours, rather than the usual 3 to 4 days. I do not know if a list of msg foods does exist anywhere because it naturally occurs in most everything. It is the added msg, in any of its many names that seems to be the problem.
I forgot to add that I too, experience an big increase in my blood pressure after ingesting msg containing foods. It rather concerns me that it might lead to a stroke, so I am careful.
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