Chinese meal.

[higgy52]

Was my birthday last week, so we had takeaway,

next day was ok till about lunch time and my heart started to beat harder and faster,

I am in permanant A F but its under control with tablets,

Was this the chinese meal or was it some thing else?

[BobD Volunteer]

MSG (google it) is big in chinese food and affects lots of people.

[higgy52 in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bob

[Beancounter Volunteer]

Hi Higgy

Possibly MSG (Monosodiumglutamate) very popular in Chinese meals, I have to say many of the take aways in London now advertise MSG free, and I would only ever use one of those.

MSG is commonly associated with palpitations, and even short term arrythmias, so I would avoid it if you can.

I've not long come back from China, and it's almost unknown there it seems, and I did ask my guides to check. But then Chinese food in China bears almost no resemblance at all to anything you find at the local take away. The rice might be the same but almost nothing else.

Be well

Ian

[seasider18 in reply to Beancounter]

The first time we went to Hong Kong in the early 80's I was concerned about MSG. Only one restaurant there (King Bun) advertised that they did not use MSG.

As you say in China it is not a problem.

As most meals here are cooked to order you can ask them to hold the MSG.

[higgy52 in reply to seasider18]

Thanks for comments, interesting.

[seasider18 in reply to higgy52]

I don't very often eat Chinese food at the present. I wonder what some of the ingredients do to INR readings. When I was taking Warfarin I had a Greek meal one night and the next day the nurse asked what I had been doing as my reading had changed so much from the previous week.

[higgy52]

Thanks for your imput very interesting

[NiceNana]

I have PAF. Two of my latest episodes were after eating chop suey from my local take-away. I have had other dishes from there with no ill effects. On asking, I was told that they use MSG in the chop suey, but not all of the other dishes. I have come to the conclusion that MSG is a trigger for me. I also had an episode last week, after my dog was attacked by another and the wound was not healing well. This I put down to stress. We all have different triggers. Try to find out what they are and avoid if you can.

Happy eating.

Lynn

[higgy52 in reply to NiceNana]

Thanks for your input Lynn, very interesting,

Cheers Higgy

[seasider18 in reply to NiceNana]

As I said in the story of my Pacemaker fitting. In the evening my choice of hospital dinner was chicken casserole. It did not look as I expected it to be and did not taste plain as expected. Sweat started to pour off me and I felt light headed and about to pass out.

My wife called a nurse who got me into bed and laying flat. She checked me over and wondered if I was dehydrated, gave me an injection and put me on a saline drip. After about forty minutes I felt better, sat up and ate my desert. Was it an after effect of the procedure, dehydration or was there MSG in the strange looking chicken casserole?

[Phaedra]

Hi Seasider, sorry you had a bad experience. It sounds like " chinese meal syndrome". I had my first chinese meal in my 20's- it was lovely but about 20 mins later i had an exteme reaction of lightheadedness, nausea etc very frightening! Sank to my knees in toilet.. Felt a bit like a migraine aura. I'm sure it was caused by Msg, which is not used so much now. That was 40 years ago and has never happened since tho i've had lots of chinese food! Take care

[Baden113]

I am another MSG triggered AF patient. Almost immediate response to Chinese restaurant or take - away dish. About 12 hours rest and it clears. Do not have AF at any other time.