<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
I got 14 replies to my description of "Strange Reactions" to possible
gluten ingestion. Of those:
 
  2  Described similar symptoms but (1 said no wiggly line)
  4  Suggested it sounded like migraine symptoms*
  2  Had similar symptoms with food poisoning (with migraines)
  2  Were reminded of MSG ingestion (sometimes with migraines)
  1  Had the same sort of reaction to corn years ago
 
 * The problem with the migraine theory is that I had no headache
  (at least I was spared that!). Migraines don't come without
  piercing pains in the head, do they?
 
Others had similar reactions in Indian restaurants and it was suggested
that food preparation will be on surfaces and with equipment contaminated
with wheat flour -- after all, they aren't thinking "separate kitchens for
gluten free" at a restaurant!
 
On the subject of chickpea flour, I received two very educational messages,
one from Frederik Willem Janssen who worked in a lab that did analyses. He
recalls finding "substantial contamination" of wheat in many cereal flours.
(Probably from the milling process.) The other was from Joan Wade,
Mendocino Gluten-Free Products, who learned in a food safety class that
"All flour made from legumes should be packaged in an oxygen-free
environment. Legumes get rancid easily and carry aflotoxins. Damaged
legumes are more apt to pick up aflotoxins, and these are the ones usually
made into flour," suggesting that my problem may have been from toxins
[food poisoning? I ask] not gluten ingestion.
 
Scotoma is the word for the glowing, wiggly line, and a few people
experienced this apart from any reaction to gluten ingestion. My Merck's
Manual defines what I had as a "positive scotoma" (as opposed to the
negative scotoma, which causes a dark spot), associates it with migraines,
and says it is "mandatory to determine the cause." (FWIW I have once
experienced this once before, in conjuction with extreme stress and my
blood pressure going through the roof.) It is of great concern when you get
it in =both= eyes.
 
My conclusion is: It wasn't food poisoning (I read Merck's and didn't have
half the other symptoms; no headache, for example). If it was not
gluten-related, it was probably MSG. The creepy-crawly skin thing is
something I associate with over ingestion of MSG. However, I didn't get the
wide-awakeness I usually get with MSG, and Indian restaurants don't
generally have a heavy-handed use of MSG.
 
So, with the support of the two others who have had similar reactions (plus
the one who was bothered by corn), I'm thinking it probably was a severe
contamination problem. All the symptoms similar to migraines but without
the headache suggest to me some sort of neurological disturbance, probably
not surprising with a megadose of something toxic to my system.
 
I thank everyone for your speedy and thorough responses. I feel better now
(in more ways than one!).
 
Next summary: Polenta!
 
Linda Blanchard
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Midland TX USA