Panic attacks from MSG?

Anyone get panic attacks from what they suspect is MSG? He used to sometimes get mild panic attacks, and thinking back, he thinks it is from MSG in prepared and restaurant food.

For well over a year he had no packaged or restaurant food. Then on his birthday his family insisted on taking him to a steak house. He ordered a plain steak no seasonings whatsoever, worried about possible MSG.

It arrived in some sort of extremely tangy broth that though was MSG containing, but he ate it anyway. Within about 10 minutes he felt trapped in his own body. He felt as though he were screaming but they couldn't hear him. It was very odd.

The time previous to that he ate roast beef maybe six months prior at a restaurant, where they acknowledged right off hand it contained MSG. He bargained with the waitress as to how it would be prepared --- but, the same thing happened as described above.

So now what's he to do. If it's MSG sensitivity to that degree that sucks. MSG is in all kinds of prepared foods, and it is not always disclosed, and restaurant people are often clueless and they might look at a label but it might contain any of dozens of codewords for MSG if it lists MSG at all.

Who is "he"? Panic attacks are a psychosomatic response to stress and anxiety. I know that some people can have a response to MSG, but I've never heard of panic attacks being one of then. It sounds like something "he" should talk to a doctor about.

No he doesn't trust 'doctors'. He had a bad panic attack once after eating canned sardines, which he highly suspects were adulterated with MSG and not labelled as such. What is a 'doctor' going to do? Tell him to take Xanax?

It looks like there is at least some information regarding foods that may trigger attacks in people with a panic disorder. Here is one that I found with a Google search. I guess if it's a concern then the only way to know for sure is for him to cook all his own food.

Hm interesting, yes, that is what he does currently, cook all his own food. But the couple times he has been to a restaurant after that he has had at least a mini-panick attack. And he's not sure what to make of that. Whereas otherwise he's been ok.

Very few people have real issues with MSG, the glutamate found in MSG is an amino acid - found in nearly every protein found in food. The Sodium could cause issues for people with some issues, but if your friend isn't on a low salt diet - it wouldn't be likely.

You can buy MSG at the grocery store and add it to home cooked food - if you wanted you could have your friend try some food you made with MSG.

Speaking of glutamates though, these compounds have gotten a bad rap over the last 30 years. Monosodium glutamate, (MSG) in particular has become something of a bugbear among consumers. In fact, glutamates exist naturally in a wide variety of foods. A “non-essential amino acid”, they are synthesized by the human body as an important neurotransmitter.

RobertRGeorge said:

Speaking of glutamates though, these compounds have gotten a bad rap over the last 30 years. Monosodium glutamate, (MSG) in particular has become something of a bugbear among consumers. In fact, glutamates exist naturally in a wide variety of foods. A “non-essential amino acid”, they are synthesized by the human body as an important neurotransmitter.

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+1. Sounds sort of like a self-fulfilling prophecy. I'm afraid restaurants use MSG, therefore I have panic attacks when I eat at restaurants.

A doctor would prescribe you...err 'he', some xanax. Twenty or thirty years ago valium. Thirty or forty years ago valium or quaaludes....even further back opium.

Guessing it is a thing about being out...not the food. The food just seems to be taking the rap.

MSG in high quantities can cause paralysis. I seem to recall it's facial paralysis specifically, but it's been a while. Keep in mind this is in extremely high quantities. However, it's not uncommon for people to have an MSG allergy of sorts. It causes itchy-ness like any other allergy. If it were to cause an itch in his throat or chest, I could see that causing panic or panic-like symptoms. However, Bottlebomber is right in saying they are psychosomatic, so he's probably convincing himself that he can't breathe or something of the sort, which triggers the attack.

bottlebomber said:

Who is "he"? Panic attacks are a psychosomatic response to stress and anxiety. I know that some people can have a response to MSG, but I've never heard of panic attacks being one of then. It sounds like something "he" should talk to a doctor about.

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+1

MSG gets a bad rap. It's a non-essential amino acid with a sodium atom on it. Protein has glutamate. Places that say no MSG are crazy -- glutamate is everywhere, they're playing on the unfounded fear of MSG. Since MSG is a salt, it dissociates into Na and Glutamate when digested.
There's almost no causal proof that reasonable quantities of MSG cause health problems at all, unless you have an extremely rare disorder involving its metabolism. The LD50 is an astounding 15g/kg.
MSG itself would not cause a panic attack. Perhaps the fear of eating MSG.

Edit: crazy high doses (we're talking like 1+ pound) can cause neurological problems because glutamate is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. Death as well, but hey-- you chugged a couple pounds of MSG, what did you expect?
Also, Chinese food itself is probably going to cause the symptoms people associate with MSG, not MSG itself.

I agree with the previous comments regarding some psychosomatic reaction to the uncertainty of someone other than oneself or a trusted person preparing his food.

The theory could be easily tested by having a trusted person prepare a few meal for him, some containing MSG and some not. Or even less effort needed to have a trusted individual make some capsules up containing MSG and some containing a safe placebo, consume and note reaction to each. Review data and make decision as to wether he needs to consult with a MD/GP or a PsyD.

And glutamic acid is the predominant protein in barley! I contend that it is a significant contributor to the "umami" taste of beer.

I agree that it likely isn't an actual physical allergy it's likely a psychologically based response. The situation sounds like a person who has some issues with being outside of his home