Just wanted to gauge how many of you have gone all the way with cutting MSG out of your diet ?
I received a sheet from Dr S telling me to cut MSG from my diet - I’ve been checking my foods for Monosodium Glucamate and thought I was following the diet strictly. As it turns out MSG is hidden in many foods, even those claiming on the front of the packaging that they are free from it. Some may already be aware but it’s free glutamate which is the culprit, which is contained In MSG as well as many other ingredients found in every day foods. A list of ingredients can be found here… truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html
If you haven’t done already, start looking at the labels for the ingredients listed here, You’ll be amazed!
I had a really bad day yesterday and when I started digging as to why, I found I had eaten a pie that contained MSG in its pure form. This lead me on to looking at other foods I was eating regularly that contained ingredients from the above list… Biscuits was a massive one… I’ve been eating loads of them since I’ve been off work, the pasta sauce I was having was another big culprite as was the lactose free milk I’ve been using as a replacement for semi-skimmed.
I avoided these foods and others for the rest of yesterday, I woke up this morning to find a 50% reduction in the tinitus in my left ear. This has been a constant for some time now apart from after a 2 day spa break. When I returned from this break I noticed my tinnitus had improved and I could use my phone without feeling sick for the first time in 6 weeks. When I look back I eat really well over those two days with lots of fresh foods.
Time will tell and maybe the tinnutis reduction this morning is just a coincidence but could MSG/Free Glutamate have been feeding this condition all this time ? Could this be why the meds haven’t been controlling things and why I’ve had so many up/down days ?
Would be good to hear your thoughts and whether you’ve been cutting out all forms of fr we glutamate.
Hi Dean
For the first year I was super strict and pretty much ate the same thing every day I found the list early on in England it’s hidden under yeast extract but there are a lot of hidden names so you have to be careful I’m a little more relaxed now not too much lol.
MSG is a huge problem for me. I kept a diary of everything I ate for years but didn’t know about the hidden MSG for a long time, only now, I can see stuff like Maltodextrin (I always get a reaction from this) and Yeast Extract was causing problems.
Shenay did you notice any improvements by following the strict diet or did it make no difference to you ?
Cmoc, glad to hear you found these problems early on. What sort of reactions did you have to those ingredients ?
Now I know what to look for its quite scary how many foods have a form of MSG in them. Gravy is terrible! They list it as natural flavourings e621, which is of course MSG. Ill kick myself if this turns out to he the problem, I thought I was being so good the diet too. There may be light at the end of the tunnel at last…
Dean, it varies, and on how much I have consumed. I react strongly to ordinary foods as well, spinach gives me full blow vertigo 2 hours after eating it.
I can get vertigo, migraine, sweating, palpitations, the usual list of rubbish we have to put up with.
So are you ok most of the time until you have those foods ?
Did you notice an increase in some symptoms when cutting those foods for the first time. My tinnitus is better and my head feels clearer but my motion issues seem worse, I feel all over the place.
Dean, I am never 100% OK, oh I wish but I have made huge improvements over the years through discovering my triggers, and a food diary has enabled me to identify a lot of triggers.
I also found I have reactive hypoglycaemia which accounts for some of my dizzy days and some of my symptoms. If I am feeling particularly bad when I am out shopping, if I rest, have something to eat and a small piece of painkiller, I can usually recover sufficiently to do some more walking.
I cannot tolerate most of the preventatives so have to be quite strict with lifestyle. I think you have to attack this illness on more than one front. Stress is also a huge trigger for me (much harder to avoid).
I have attempted the diet but noticed no difference in symptoms except one time when we went to an old school Chinese restaurant and left with a migraine headache I am assuming because it was all full of MSG. I have eaten chocolate and ice cream loads this week and not had any headaches. I feel so tired but think that is down to Topamax.
Thanks for all the responses… I guess whats a trigger for one, isn’t for another.
I have to say though that in just under a week since I created this post I’ve seen the biggest improvement in my symptoms for 6 months. I’ve been cutting out the foods on the list I posted and I’ve seen some pretty big improvements in my visual vertigo - I’m actually typing this on my laptop! Despite several attempts this is the first time I’ve been able to use it in a long time.
I’m limiting myself to just 20 min sessions at the mo but it’s a start.
Also what may be helping is the Nort - I’m currently on 40mg and was going up every 2 weeks. I was seeing an increase in rocking, particularly under bright lights and within the first week of increasing. My physio went next door to speak to DR S who advised to go up 10mg every 4 weeks instead.
My tinnitus remains reduced at around 3/10… it was easily a 6/10.
I realise the list looks daunting but we’ve managed to eat quick and healthy foods all week, it’s really only most of the crappy convenience stuff that contains this rubbish. Have you ever looked at what’s in a Gravy granules ?
I can certainly give you an idea of what to avoid…
Gravy granules (about 4 bad ingredients for MaV)
Pies
Sausages
Flavoured crisps (eat kettle chips - lightly salted, nothing added)
Bagels
Biscuits - most are full of additives, some shortbread and plain digestives
Baked beans ( not all)
Pasteurised milk
Lactose free milk (contains enzymes - stick to unsweetened soya)
Most fizzy drinks (I was having caffeine/sugar free coke but it contains aspartame which produces same reaction as free glutamate)
Cakes - almost all shop bought(exc bakeries) are full of additives).
Honey and nut cornflakes + other non wholesome cereals.
Shop bought sandwiches (morrisons now do a nothing added range - they are plain but no rubbish in them)
Pasta sauces etc - most are full of MSG. Try uncle bens range, no rubbish added.
Jams - most should not be used. Try bonne maman, no additives.
Cooked Meats/hams - full of bulking agents once MSG. Try freshly cut ham from the deli.
Chinese food - as suggested by DR S.
Hopefully that will give you an idea. These are just some things that were in my diet that I have eliminated in the past week. If you get the time I would copy the list into your phone and sort alphabetically, it will make it easy to check ingredients on products and do a quick cross-check on your phone.
Be wary of foods that say No MSG on the front. Often there will be an asterix with the small print of “No added MSG” or the product contains other ingredients which turn to free glutamate when consumed - this will affect us.
Whilst I’m far from cured I would estimate a 10-15% improvement in my symptoms. Even if that’s as much as I get from the diet changes it’s a start. If I’m not pumping my body full of this stuff then maybe my brain irritation will improve and give the meds a chance to work.
If your going to try it please let me know how you get on.
Just wanted to gauge how many of you have gone all the way with cutting MSG out of your diet ?
I received a sheet from Dr S telling me to cut MSG from my diet - I’ve been checking my foods for Monosodium Glucamate and thought I was following the diet strictly. As it turns out MSG is hidden in many foods, even those claiming on the front of the packaging that they are free from it. Some may already be aware but it’s free glutamate which is the culprit, which is contained In MSG as well as many other ingredients found in every day foods. A list of ingredients can be found here… truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html
If you haven’t done already, start looking at the labels for the ingredients listed here, You’ll be amazed!
Would be good to hear your thoughts and whether you’ve been cutting out all forms of free glutamate.
Dean
— End quote
Hi, yes, I followed the diet to the letter (from the Heal your Headache book) which included avoiding MSG. I too used the Truth in Labelling list. It was extremely hard at first before I got used to all the different names of MSG and where it could be hidden but it was well worth going through the ingredient lists with a fine toothcomb because for me it paid huge dividends.
I have from time to time reneged on my commitment to sticking to such a regime but have always found - I think without exception - that it sets me back (as I’ve written about recently). So for me, adhering strictly to the diet is really important.
Thanks for coming on a telling us of your improvements. It’s quite incredible really that this rubbish they are putting in our food is having such a dramatic affect.
I feel really excited over the progress in such a small amount of time. The annoying thing is I was told to avoid about 75% of these foods by a non-NHS health advisor several months ago. When I presented the list to my Ent specialist he laughed and told me not to take too much notice as it wasn’t a recognised method of performing intolerance tests.
MM, good luck with the trial… It’s tough when you realise just how much they add to our foods, particularly the foods we consider a treat. I love biscuits but most of them are just no good…
but I have made huge improvements over the years through discovering my triggers, and a food diary has enabled me to identify a lot of triggers.