MSG Poisoning. If you’re reading this, you’re probably freaking out like I was… How long does MSG poisoning last?
Don’t worry. There is hope.
To my loyal readers, allow me to pause from my typical French farm inspired content and share this incredible story with you…
We went out for dinner yesterday. Lunch rather, after meeting up with my sister, her hubby and my niece at Home Depot.
We never go out to eat.
Seriously.
Never. But yesterday was an exception.
An exception I wish I would have never made.
There is a fun place in the Chicago suburbs; dark, cozy, good burgers and the kids love it. As we sat down my sister and I made snarky conversation pretending to ask the waitress if their beef was grass-fed and organic, Yeah, cause we won’t eat conventional beef or GMO filled beer… but we’ll mow on your processed food, MSG-laced popcorn all afternoon. I joked. My sister, bursting into laughter.
Turns out. Not so funny.
Can you really have an MSG overdose?
MSG Poisoning Symptoms…
We got home, spent the evening together as a family and commenced the tuck-in hour with the kids, during which I began to feel dizzy, just slightly; but it began to get worse; so much so that I wondered if I was imagining things. I almost asked the family if they thought there was an earthquake. Then I felt a flutter in my heart as I leaned over the baby to change her diaper but again, I brushed it off and thought, Surely my heart did not have a palpitation. I must really be imagining things.
I noticed I was stumbling as I walked.
This is ridiculous. I thought. I then actually tumbled down in the hallway. Not a hard fall, but I ended up on the floor.
I went into Aidan’s room where all the children were goofing around like little ones do at bedtime and tried to explain what was going on. My husband Joel confessed he felt a little weird but he didn’t expand on it. We were in the mad rush of parents who simply want some peace and quiet at the end of a long day. We didn’t continue on the subject but proceeded to tuck the little ones in bed. It was just so odd and I expected it to go away at any second.
I laid down with the baby to nurse and the room began to spin as though I had had a couple too many glasses of champagne. Seriously. Was my nervous system going haywire? I began to panic! The chandelier above the bed was zooming by over and over again. I laid very still, praying for it to stop, nursed her into cosy oblivion and made my way down the hall to the kids’ quarters to pick out the next day’s clothes and kiss them goodnight.
I tried to convince myself that I felt a little better but standing in the girl’s closet to select their church clothes, I felt it again; I stumbled over to their beds and quickly sang to them and kissed them goodnight; I fell over onto Juliette’s bed and began to get a bit nervous; I scared nine-year-old Amélie.
What the heck was wrong with me?
The ceiling was going round and round in circles. It was a ride and I wanted OFF.
Score one for the parents. Five children tucked in for the night. I went to the couch and slumped down and things began to get worse. The room wobbled and my legs got really heavy. My arms did not want to function, my heart fluttered again in my chest and I slouched over, very tired, to one side.
I actually had the thought, I wonder if I am going to die? Joel then told me that when he woke up from snuggling with the boys he laid there thinking he was going to have a panic attack. He said he could hear his heart in his ears and his hands were swollen. He had pressure across his forehead. We each took the other’s pulse. Faint and then surging.
What the hell was going on?
Do you think it’s something we ate? Suddenly, I exclaimed, The popcorn!
That popcorn had to be covered in MSG food additive flavouring. The pub had served it before the food and we ALL had munched on it with very little self-control. I remembered noticing there was this yellow goop on the roof of my mouth at the table that afternoon.
It was so disturbing that I discretely stuck my finger in there and scraped my nail across the roof of my mouth to get rid of it. I mentioned this to Joel as he began to Google “MSG poisoning” and he said he had done the SAME thing at our lunch outing!
I called my sister said they felt fine but she confessed that perhaps it’s because they go out to eat a lot more than we do. Perhaps they were more used to it or not as sensitive as us.
Joel found a list of the signs of MSG poisoning…
Here’s what we read on NaturalNews
The following are some of the symptoms you may develop from eating food laced with MSG. Headaches, numbness, dizziness, burning sensations in the neck and chest, tingling nausea, palpitations, elevated blood pressure, difficulty breathing, panic attacks, sleepiness, depression, confusion, cognitive disorder, and food cravings are common symptoms for sensitive people.
I have always noticed my heart racing in the middle of the night if I have Chinese Food or food containing MSG which is why I avoid it like the plague at all costs. I don’t know why my judgement lapsed so poorly yesterday but I sure paid the price.
(Looking for a delicious, popcorn snack you can feel great about? Check out my popcorn recipe here)
Here’s what we did to feel better:
Creme of Tartar:
We each took a 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar in eight ounces of water and just quietly watched an episode of Sherlock waiting to feel better. I finally began to drift off and went to bed. Slightly dizzy. Joel stayed up.
Easy Essential Oils:
Our sweet Hoolie woke up in the night twice screaming from neck, face and shoulder pain. She’s only four but her odd pain complaints made me wonder if she too was suffering the effects of the neurotoxin. I applied Frankincense oil and Cilantro oil with a carrier to the bottoms of her feet and comforted her back to sleep.
I did this combo because of the amazing results I had been having in other areas of neurological concerns with Frankincense and because I knew that Cilantro oil was incredible for detoxing.
The next morning Joel felt better. I was horribly dizzy when I woke up and my face was terribly puffy. To further my detox I took an Epsom salt and Cilantro oil bath wishing I had done that right away the night before.
So here’s the deal – MSG is in SO MANY THINGS and it doesn’t have to be labelled MSG which is why you need to steer clear of so many, dare I say most packaged foods.
MSG is a NEUROTOXIN and is VERY dangerous. If you suffer from migraines I would ELIMINATE this from your life… I would eliminate it anyways!!!
Give your nervous system a BREAK.
The chart below is from Dr. Mercola. A go-to source for our family. We made these food additive changes years ago which is why I think exposure this time around affected us so strongly.
To be on the safe side, you should also know what ingredients to watch out for on packaged foods. Here is a list of ingredients that ALWAYS contain MSG:
| Autolyzed Yeast | Calcium Caseinate | Gelatin |
| Glutamate | Glutamic Acid | Hydrolyzed Protein |
| Monopotassium Glutamate | Monosodium Glutamate | Sodium Caseinate |
| Textured Protein | Yeast Extract | Yeast Food |
| Yeast Nutrient |
These ingredients OFTEN contain MSG or create MSG during processing:[10]
| Flavors and Flavorings | Seasonings | Natural Flavors and Flavorings | Natural Pork Flavoring | Natural Beef Flavoring | ||||
| Natural Chicken Flavoring | Soy Sauce | Soy Protein Isolate | Soy Protein | Bouillon | ||||
| Stock | Broth | Malt Extract | Malt Flavoring | Barley Malt | ||||
| Anything Enzyme Modified | Carrageenan | Maltodextrin | Pectin | Enzymes | ||||
| Protease | Corn Starch | Citric Acid | Powdered Milk | Anything Protein Fortified | ||||
| Anything Ultra-Pasteurized |
One last comment regarding the exposure of infants to processed free glutamic acid (MSG): the presence of processed free glutamic acid (MSG) in infant formulas.
We have found that major brands of infant formula, if not all infant formulas, contain some processed free glutamic acid (MSG). The hypoallergenic soy formulas contain very high levels of MSG. See www.truthinlabeling.org/formulacopy.html for further detail.
Look at that list and see if most of your pantry doesn’t end up in the trash! Geesh!
This horrible experience firmed up our healthy, processed food free life convictions, gave me more respect for my oils. And I will NEVER eat popcorn that I didn’t pop on my own dang stovetop again!
I know this was a long post but I hope it can help you and your family. If you need any help with essential oils for your families health support do let me know or visit here.
Let’s all agree to stay away from flavour enhancing food additives and packaged foods!
very scary! I have gotten vertigo several times where my first thought too was, “is there an earthquake?” with the lights on the ceiling seemingly spinning. I’ve found if I drink some water with sea salt in it it helps…not sure why. I wonder now if my issues were from msg…
Thank you. It is not worth taking a chance. I think possibly it is doing some amount of damage even if not severe.
Sharing on Facebook.
Oh my goodness, how scary! So glad you’re okay!
Oh my God!!! I too don’t eat out very much, and now probably won’t again! But now that you mention it, have had milder symptoms similar to yours before after eating out. Wow. Thanks for sharing!!! donna 🙂
Hi Angela,
Wow…we do our best to avoid MSG, too, and I have the same list of names hanging inside my cabinet door for quick reference. I knew some of those symptoms, but didn’t know about the panic attacks and anxiety! Out of nowhere a few years ago, I began suffering with both of those. And they left almost as quickly as they came. I do my best to not buy any food with it, but know I get it when we eat out. Wish I knew if we were eating out more when the anxiety began. Thanks so much for posting this. I’m so glad you realized what is was, and that you’re over it. That and aspartame kill brain cells, and this is information the FDA knows, and isn’t protecting us! A letter about aspartame from a medical journal hung in my OB Dr. office almost 30 years ago, and they still approved it. Did you know that they are changing the name of that to Amino Sweet? More deception.
Take care!
Hugs,
Becky
That is frightening, Angela!! Thank God you and your family are ok. And, thank God for prayer! Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world (and all the poisonous foods). I’m learning to pray scripture over everything I eat or drink anymore. “You shall drink any deadly thing and it shall not harm you”. Pray it and believe it.
Note: this isn’t a license to go around eating and drinking deadly things on purpose~ but in the times we are living, I believe the Word of God is more powerful than the weapons that are formed against us. God bless you, sister. You are such a blessing to me. ❤
Somehow after reading your most recent article, I clicked on one of your older posts and then onto another and ended up on a link about Talking Like A Lady by Mars Hill Church. It was really great. A lot of good references for points well made. Sometimes going off on a rabbit chase is a good thing.
Somehow after reading your most recent article, I clicked on one of your older posts and then onto another and ended up on a link about Talking Like A Lady by Mars Hill Church. It was really great. A lot of good references for points well made. Sometimes going off on a rabbit chase is a good thing.
Someone sent me your post because I had written very recently about MSG and migraine headaches.
It’s true MSG is a powerful substance and it is evreywhere.
What is even scarier about MSG is the relation between a low magnesium level
(which 95% of Americans have)
and the incidence of sudden cardiac death after eating a MSG laden meal.
So glad you’re feeling better.
Granny Miller
I can’t imagine how frightening that must have been. I developed an allergy to MSG in my ’40s that resulted in migraines so severe I needed medication. Really, all I needed was to avoid MSG. Took me a while to figure it out. I would get so bad that I couldn’t stand, but had to crawl from bed to the bathroom. IMO, it’s just plain evil to include an ingredient so dangerous and with such painful side effects in baby formula.
Scary, indeed! I have a corn allergy and avoid msg at all costs. For me it’s like a 4 hour coma(sleep).
As someone who has an MSG allergy, I avoid it at all costs! I have had episodes in the past too which at the time I couldn’t understand. Once I removed it all from my diet and went organic my life changed for the better! I had hives on my face that I’d get after eating certain things, once I figured it out it was a night and day difference. How absolutely scary for you and your family! I had a similar experience while eating Bang Bang shrimp at a Bonefish grill restaurant. Anything with soy sauce or Asian/Asian-fusion restaurants are a trigger for me. I was googling cream of tartar for a recipe and wondered if it could contain msg but so glad to find out by accident that it actually helps remedy the situation. Thank you for sharing your story.
I had just one piece of fish from Express Chicken, they have msg in all their meat. Three hours later, my nose stopped up. Then I started feeling so strange, almost like I was drunk, my legs were numb, my heart felt like it was gonna jump out of my chest. I got extremely sleepy. Went to bed then noticed my mouth was very dry. It was so bad I went to sleep with gum in my mouth. I should have gone to the ER, but I didn’t. I know that I can’t tolerate MSG and try and stay clear of it, but when the symptoms are this scary, it makes me wonder if the doses or amounts are getting MORE POTENT.
I’ve just recently realized I’m highly allergic to msg! It is so frustrating that practically all food is covered in it! What am I supposed to eat now?! I have been searching all day for foods I can eat and nothing comes up.
Thank you for your post. I too react very badly to free-MSG. I have known for years that I react severely to free-MSG and I have eliminated it completely from my diet. However, recently I started to take Ginseng pills covered with pure gelatin caps. I thought it was safe as the pills don’t contain fillers. Turns out that it’s now two days that my heart is firing palpitations and I have had an episode of arrhythmia. And exactly as your husband was feeling, I can hear my heart in my ears. Trying to figure out why I was feeling so awful and disabled by the symptoms, I came across the information that gelatin always contains free-glutamate. Boom! I had forgotten that one. And there I am suffering the consequences of free-glutamate until it gets flushed away from my body.
I am an old man and have always eaten out a often with no bad effects.
6 months ago I had an extremely painful episode that lasted 48 hours and then as suddenly as it had appeared it went away. It was so painful that I could not sleep at all.
I have experienced a lot of pain in my long life but this was right up there with the worst.
I hve consulted a number of medical specialists to no avail. I then realised that it only happened from food served from some restaurants. On enquiring ,I found that without exception all of them use high concentrations of MSG in their food.
I was suffering from migraines twice a week and it was really destroying my life. I really like spicy chips and especially these PC brand Jalepeno Cheddar ones. These are loaded in ‘spice’ and in fact they brand the line as “LOADED”. I was ready to buy a pack and my mind tried to make me feel a headache.. Sort of how your mind tells you not to drink a certain alcohol if youve been poisoned by itin the past. I was like ‘are these causing it’? So i bought them and sure enough a four day migraine and these things must have tons of msg in them.
Decided to cut out msg caffeinne and nitrates out of food and add in omega 3 via flaxseed. Readded everything including caffeinne into diet, except msg. No migraine for five months straight!
Yesterday i was at a party and without thinking ate some ketchup lays chips. About 10 chips in I realized my mistake and then checked bag and ingredients and sure enough msg. I spit out the last chip but it was too late.. Fatigue and light headedness set in and the onset of migraine in place. 24 hours later I am still in bad migraine.. Waiting for msg to leave my body
Can’t even imagine what eating a wholebag does.. No wonder the vomitting. Honestly i believe that in padt 5 years manufacturers have gone insane w amounts of msg in food. How many people need to have their lives destroyed by this substance.
I kind of surprised that you misspelled “cozy”
“I” kind of surprised too.
lol, touche!
Many people react to MSG but another substance found in many foods/drinks/wines that cause similar reactions as you described is Sulfite!
Sodium is a component of common salt and glutamate, the basic component of MSG, is a synonym for glutamic acid [and] is a naturally occurring amino acid. It’s one of the building blocks of protein. In aqueous solutions, MSG breaks down to sodium and glutamate.
Most living things on earth contain glutamate, and it’s also in many foods, including tomatoes, walnuts, pecans, Parmesan cheese, peas, mushrooms, and soy sauce. An average adult consumes about 13 grams of glutamate each day from the protein in food, according to the FDA; added MSG contributes another 0.55 grams.
Extensive research has been done on the supposed allergic reactions to MSG and none could reproduce the reactions people claim to have when ingesting MSG.
This is a great story, I also discovered I’ve been poisoning myself with msg in everyday foods which I would never suspect. I’ve suffered for years with migraines and never believed it was my own doing. I had them days at a time every week thought there had got to be a reason I am anemic I do have low vitamin d maybe that’s why. I chalked it up to anything I could I do work overnight maybe I didn’t have enough caffeine lord knows I gotta have my coffee. One day after eating a bag of potato chips my headache and dizzy spell kicked in I was so sick of it I’m like what was in those chips! Of course MSG!!! Wow so I decided I would not eat any food with msg for a week then try to reintroduce it to see the effects. I did the experiment after at least 4 days without headaches I was feeling pretty good. I busted open a bag of Pringles Sour cream and Onion chips and about 30 minutes after,a banging headache welcomed me along with a tightening jaw and numbness on right side of my face. I had researched different ways to reverse the excitotoxic effects of MSG and found garlic can reverse the symptoms of MSG. I chopped a small piece of garlic and ate it I felt 70% better within 20mins. I now know MSG a has played a major role in my migraine history and hope that people that don’t have a sensitivity to it will just respect those that do and basically research properly and understand the food and drug administration is not looking out for ur best interest they want you to remain reliant on them so feel free to take the blind fold off or don’t it’s ur choice as for me I know the truth. Deuces. Stay woke!