Soy /MSG Question

[nawchem]

Happy Monday Morning To Ya,

So nice to see everyones here already.

Something kind of interesting happened yesterday and I wondered what you all think. Last Sept I started Body for Life. I added all 3 shakes a day they recommend, which were soy shakes to increase my protein intake. I have mitral valve prolapse, (a bad heart valve) so anything that stresses my body can cause palpitations. I started having heart palpitations and light headedness almost nonstop. The drs have never found the cause, including psychological testing for anxiety. The palpitations got much worse everytime I started back to lowcarb and exercise, which is why I stopped Atkins. I noticed after a week on CALP the palpitations were almost never there, for the first tiime in 2 months.

Anyway my friend brought over Christmas cookies and we had a lot of them for RM yesterday. I felt weird eating them, super thirsty, light headed and later the palpitations started back really, really bad. I still have them today. The first ingredient in the cookies is soybean oil. I've always had a problem and avoided msg for 20 years because it made me feel spacey and thirsty.

The question is- do you think its all possible that when I eat a lot of msg it bothers my heart?

I'm kind of anxious to find some cause since my dr. stopped my thyroid medication until the palpitations are gone.

Thanks, I know you all aren't doctors, but I feel like you understand my situation better as lowcarbers. Every doctor I've seen has blamed everything on ketosis, even though I was doing Atkins for 9 months before my heart problem started.
Nancy

[lkonzelman]

Nancy -

My advice would always be if something makes you feel bad - stop eating it.

But this comes with no specific knowledge to your issue.

Take care.

[Zuleikaa]

MSG can cause a rapidly beating heart. I remember reading that somewhere. It can also cause anxiety attacks (same symptoms?). I would definitely stay away from soy.

[luv67fire]

Nancy,

I also have MVP. So I know what you are going through. Forunately, since I've been doing the CAD I've not even noticed the PACs (which my body is very sensitive to, so sensitive, that I will throw up just from having them). However, when you say palpitations, do you mean, your heart is racing, or it just starts beating funny?

The reason I ask is because there are quite a few people who have MVP and also atrial fibrilllation. Atrial Fib. is dangerous, so make sure you are not having those.

I have to avoid MSG, too much sugar and too much caffiene. Caffeine especially, that will make my heart screwy ALL day long. And those docs that told you the palps have ANYTHING to do with ketosis are wrong. It is purely the MVP and nothing else (unless you have atrial fib.).

I've been diagnosed with MVP for a while now, and notice that 8 hours of sleep help out a lot. I have low blood pressure AND MVP, so I've had fainting spells, blackouts, etc. It sucks, but so far, the CAD seems to be helping me out some, so hopefully it will with you too!!!

[RedLisaP]

This is *very* interesting. I also have MVP, diagnosed when I was 18 (I'm 42 now). I used to get those little funny heartbeats occasionally - not palpitations really, just a wierd little irregular thump. It would happen once in a while, maybe a few times a week.

Now that you brought it up, I can't even remember when was the last time I felt one.

Is it the diet maybe? Or could be because I don't drink anything with caffeine anymore. (Well, ok, so once in a while I splurge on a latte from Starbucks.)

Also, I didn't realize that soy = MSG. Does that include everything? Like soy milk and tofu and soy beans? I hope not because I love soy (though I do try to stay away from soy sauce).

Lisa

[nawchem]

This is exciting, I don't know a single person with mvp and now I've found 2.

I'm totally compulsive about writing down everything I eat, my supplements what exercise etc. I made a chart on excel and discovered the days I had coconut oil and 3 shakes were the days my heart was terrible. The days I had neither I had no heart symptoms at all after a few days. If I just had 1 or 2 shakes I had mild symptoms.

Lisa soy naturally contains msg. I think it says in CALP that tofu may be the one type of soy that might not cause cravings, you have to elimate and see how it affects you.

luv
when my heart it feels like my heartrate is normal, it just contracts really hard on the second beat and I get whoozy. I've been so exhausted because the beat is so uncomfortable I can't stand to sit down so I'm just stay busy until 3 in the morning when it stops. So I've only slept 3 hours a night for weeks on end. I think that's making everything worse. I'm really excited though. I have a week off work, my first vacation since January and I'm going to do my best to relax and enjoy it.

[luv67fire]

Nancy,

There are actually a LOT more people out there with MVP than you might think! It not a "rare" problem at all, which I originally thought. However, I do believe that most people with MVP have MVPS (Mitral Valve Prolapse SYMPTOMS). This is a variety of things, but it sounds like you do have a few.

Those weird yucky thumps are called PACs. I hate them, but they come and go no matter what I've eaten or how stressed or calm I might be. But as long as your heart doesn't start racing, it isn't anything to worry about. I've had a strong arrythmia since I was realllllyyyy little (like 4 or 5) and so far, nothing has happened. Just a few fainting spells and vomiting, but only because my body is OVERLY sensitive.

However, if you are finding that shakes are giving you more PACs then normal, then definitely stop them.
There is a medication out there called Covera-HS that controls those PAC's great. I was on it for a while, but since I already have low-blood pressure (highest it's ever been is 124 over something) it lowered it even more and I'd faint on a whim. But while I was on it, it controlled those PACs like nobodies business. You might ask your doctor about it.

Anyways, I wish you two good luck on CAD. I know the last three and a half weeks I've been on it, I've felt great (very little MVPS, but always have PACs. Not much I can do to stop those...). Lisa, it sounds like the lowcarb woe is helping you with it, so that is way cool!

[nawchem]

thanks Cassie, I hope my dr. will prescribe that Covera-HS. This is my first experience with palpitations-man they are so irritating. I always have to exercise in the morning because I don't know what my mood my heart is going to be in later.

[RedLisaP]

Speaking of soy, there's a great product called Bragg Liquid Aminos which you can use as a substitute for soy sauce. It tastes like soy sauce, but contains no MSG, preservatives, alcohol, or chemicals.

It's higher in protein and a LOT lower in carbs.

The only thing is, it *is* high in sodium (there's always somethin', right?).

You can get it at health food stores.

http://www.bragg.com/aminosproduct.html

It's worth trying - I've been using it for months, sometimes instead of soy sauce and sometimes in combination with it.

Have a great weekend!

Lisa