It's been a while since my last write up, and also a while before my last attack. Managed to make it to 10 months before 2 attacks came back to back. I've learnt a lot though.
I've been lucky enough to have gone through a long period of time without an attack, partly because of extra nutrition from eating more unprocessed foods/less restaurant foods and partly because I've been consuming a combination of Vitamin C, D and Magnesium supplements, really helped.
However, recently, we went to a restaurant which we have not visited in a very long time. Food was very tasty but the after effects were not, 3 hours later - an attack awaited me. As I started to realise - all this while, it had to have been MSG. Very dry mouth, locking of muscles, pain and numbness in the limbs and the all to common nystagmus. So as I have learnt in the past, keep the fluids in, and eat as best as I can. It worked, recovered from the attack within 24 hours although the brain fog persisted for another 3 days.
Lesson learnt ? Here's the proof. A week after, as I've only just gotten better from the attack, we decided a packet of frozen Gyoza was a good idea. After all, the label said "No MSG". An attacked followed, but this time it was rather mild. But off to bed I went. The next day, the same, had more Gyoza, and a rather large attack followed. My suspicion grew - only because in the past, I had suspected MSG was the trigger and the packet clearly labelled No MSG did I miss the signs. Closer look at the ingredients "Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein", code name for naturally occurring amino acids, Glutamates exposed by breaking cell walls. Seem to me a crime that someone could label something No MSG when it contains basically MSG in lesser concentrations. Misleading maybe but dangerous to people who have a clear allergy.
It' has been 2 weeks since the last attack now, and I am still anxious. However, it has been great to know that Magnesium and the two vitamin supplements, seems to have helped my symptoms, a lot. In fact, to know, that it has been in fact MSG has helped put many questions together.
Why has Vitamin C helped so much ? Research shows that it reduces the damage MSG does to your brain cells.[1]
Why has Vitamin D helped ? Had low Vitamin D levels
Why has Magnesium helped ? Some claims to protect against harmful effects of MSG [2] Don't know but it helps me personally.
What to do when attack happens ? Drink as much fluids to clear the MSG out of the body.
What is MSG ? An chemical excitotoxin, flavour enhancer, used in an incredibly wide range of foods, misleading labels.
May you feel healthy.
1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19507646
2. http://www.truthinlabeling.org/NAET.html
