MSG poisoning - advice, info, etc.

[skeggysteve]

I Googled and all I can find is a lot of not helpful info -Chinese food is bad for you - MSG is a poisoin - MSG is not bad for you, etc. etc.

So has anyone anything helpfull to say?

I ask because my 17yo daughter is in hospital as I type with what I think is MSG poisoning.

I think its MSG poisoning because it happened to me about 20 years ago - I was blue lighted to hospital and woke up with a lot of wires stuck on me - not something I want to repeat!
Doctors did not know what was wrong but luckly a nurse did - she made me sick - I felt better with in minutes.

Tonight my daughter came downstairs and said she didn't feel very well - gave all the symtoms of when I had MSG poisoning. I thought it best not to make her sick, just incase, so rang 999.

Told them all the symtoms and they sent a van - one guy with a lot of kit and I mean a lot of kit, he struggled to carry it all!

He did all the checks and asked all the questions. He had never heard of MSG poisoning.
Daughter had high blood pressure then low then very low - he called for an ambulance to take her to hopital -"just as a precaution, nothing to worry about".

Ambulance turns up and they ask a few questions and won't let her walk to the ambulance.

I'm just posting this because I'm sat here worrying like hell, so please excuse any/all spelling grammar/typos.

[T84]

I'm not a doctor, but MSG poisoning? Really?

[pokethepope]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmnnn, Chinese.

[RemainAllHoof]

Some people have a bad reaction to MSG. Not poisoning, more an allergy.

[Doniger]

T84 said:

I'm not a doctor, but MSG poisoning? Really?

Well MSG is a known poison, so it's not unreasonable that someone could react badly to it.

[davepoth]

Given what I've seen in the most MSG-tastic all you can eat Chinese buffet in town, you would need to be rather sensitive to it, or have ingested about quarter of a tonne of special fried rice to have an effect.

Wikipedia suggests that burning sensations, numbness, tingling, feelings of warmth, facial pressure or tightness, chest pain, headache, nausea, rapid heartbeat, bronchospasm in people with asthma, drowsiness, and weakness are the chief reported symptoms, but the majority of those symptoms get reported with any viral infection.

[skeggysteve]

Update.

Just back from hospital.

Hospital docs didn't know what the problem is but were very interested in the MSG angle.

They gave her piritan (sp) and refered her to a specialist.

Sorry about the 'poisoning' bit - I agree it should be allergy - but if you have been poisoned by the stuff you will know about it!

[dudleybloke]

they did a piece on msg allergy on that e number program on bbc a couple of months back.
they say that recent research shows it to be a psycosymatic problem.
i cant remember the piece exactly but you should be able to download it on iplayer i should think.