MSG and panic attacks?

[Kat03]

I have went over a week with no panic attacks or even more than mild anxiety, which is a miracle for me.  However, last week we had Chinese food for dinner and within a few hours of eating it, I became very shaky, anxious feeling, panicky for several hours after and the day after.  Now tonight, we had Chinese food again, and again, I am having the same feeling.  
I have read that the MSG in some Chinese foods can cause anxiety and symptoms such as this (I didn't look or ask if they used MSG in their food, but never really thought about it).  
I am starting to wonder if somehow this food could be linked to some of my problems.  We eat Chinese food at least once a week (out of the house...I make it at home as well and never have a problem with it then) and I have noticed that I always have stomach problems after eating it (I even get different things, but always have the stomach issues) and now that I'm thinking about it, I usually do feel pretty shaky and weird afterward.  Any thoughts other than I should avoid this food (which I obviously will do for the time being)??

[masterflex]

Did you search google?  Anyway, my doctor said that spicy foods, caffeine, chocolates cause jitteriness and for you that may translate to anxiety.  Bottom line... you prob need to only eat home cooked Chinese food which won't have the things that are prob bothering you.

[cj29]

I agree with master that certain foods can cause one's anxiety to increase.  Also, in my opinion, sometimes we can associate something with anxiety in a mental way as well. You may have just been anxious that day and now associate chinese food with your anxiety.  However, if it does bother you, you can cut out foods with MSG.  Keep us posted!

[JSGeare]

Good old MSG (monosodium glutamate) is a staple of oriental cusine. It is sold as "Accent" in the supermarket and also is available as a "generic." If you google it, you will have the usual TMI experience, but here's my condensed version. Think "highly reactive salt." It makes food tastier because it stimulates your taste buds. But it can also be a mischief maker in your gullet and many people have problems with it. In the case of Chinese food, you also have soy or soya-based flavorings and sauces invloved; where would General Tso's chicken be without it? In other words, tons and tons of SALT. And on top of that there are also often hot peppers strewn around -a zesty meal, indeed. After I have a meal, I lie in bed at night feeling my heart pounding like an out of control, on-rushing freight train. And trains, as you know, are a big deal for me. I don't panic anymore -but I should! And I DO love the meals!

Take enough table salt and you'll get the shakes, too. Your body absorbs it el quicko and adjusts fluid levels accordingly. So, between MSG, the regular salt in the ingredients and that nasty little pepper buried in the brown sauce, you've got a real challenge. But you can tell the restaurant NOT to use MSG -and they won't.

Get the chicken Lo Mein with no MSG, Kat, and drinks lotsa water before, during and after. You'll be purring.

[Deb643]

Hi after having panic attacks and anxiety I got put on Effexor XR which helped a little I've on Effexor now for 4 years.  Anyway about a year after I was put on this med I found out I have Celiac Spru which one of the things I can't have is MSG and it is in alot of things and not just Chinese food and it can cause alot of problems and there are alot of Chinese places that do not use MSG because of the side effects try taking  MSG out of your diet completely you will be surprised.

Deb

[JSGeare]

Just kidding. It is true, MSG is EVERYWHERE. And here is something ELSE you should be aware of. Labeling requirements make it mandatory to list MSG among ther ingredients if it is there. It is frequently spelled out: "monosodium glutamate."

But there's a "gotcha," sometimes. Some food manufacturers will list, "other spices and flavorings," referring, sometimes, to spice packages that THEY bought from someone else and plunked into their product, "Grandma's Fried Rattlesnake Snacks" or whatever. As it happens, whatever they got from somewhere else may well have included the MSG, but it didn't get listed separately. That's against the rules -not supposed to happen. But it DOES happen, sometimes. And so, if you are reacting like there is MSG there -it may well BE there, even if it is not shown on the label. In general, but not always, and with notable exceptions, MSG is used in foods you might expect to taste salty. But that doesn't mean just chips and salsa. It can also mean -get this- chocolate sauce, because it is SALT which makes sugar taste, well, sweeter, in certain recipes.

Go figure. Carefully.

[Kat03]

I only just figured out that some of my attacks have been linked to nights when we have Chinese food...so I don't think I'm psyching myself out, although that has been known to happen too!  I just realized it last night, about 2 hours after I had the food, I all of a sudden started shaking and sweating, feeling dizzy, and having the usual stomach problems I always get when I eat that food.  Then, of course, feeling like that is what triggers the panic attack because then I start thinking something is wrong.  I just realized today that after eating those foods (including most fast foods)I always get like this, get pretty yucky feeling, and always have a headache the next day.  I drank a lot of water last night, hoping it would help, and after a few hours felt better.  My doctor thought at one point that I may have celiac because of the stomach problems I have and the foods that seem to trigger the stomach issues, but never did do any testing for that...it was just something she told me I should avoid, and I do believe that MSG was on the list of no-no's!
I have come to the conclusion that I should just cut it out as much as possible and see what happens...or at least make sure that if I do eat it, I'm drinking a lot that day.  I am not too good about my fluid intake, so that may be a contributing factor when I flood my bod with all that sodium.  UGH.  To think...I won't even let my kids eat Spaghettio's because of the sodium content, yet I'll do it to myself.