re is msg sensitivity superstition in article qlgdrinn b gap caltech edu carl sol gps caltech edu writes in article apr cc usu edu slyx cc usu edu writes surprise surprise different people react differently to different things one slightly off the subject case in point my brother got stung by a bee i know he is allergic to bee stings but that his reaction is severe localized swelling not anaphylactic shock i could not convince the doctors of that however because that s not written in their little rule book of course bee venom isn t a single chemical could be your brother is reacting to a different component than the one that causes anaphylactic shock in other people hmmm the last time i got stung by a bee i experienced the same reaction the first poster s brother did we went off to the doctor to see if i should worry about the fact that my foot was now about times it s normal size and itched ow he basically said i shouldn t this time but that bee sting allergy was not something you tended to get aclimatized to but were something that each time got progressively worse generally and that next time could be the time i go into anaphylactic shock admittedly this was many years ago when i was young since then i just make sure i don t get stung i also should carry a bee sting kit with me but i don t this isn t scientific or proof but this would lead me to believe it s not a different reaction just a different degree of reaction allergies work that way people have various reactions sort of like diabetes some people can get by with just monitoring their diet others have to monitor their diet and use insulin sometimes while others have to watch their diet like a hawk and use insulin regularly i think msg is probably similar some people have allergic reactions to it some people are allergic to fermented things and can t use soy sauce but the chinese have been using it for centuries that doesn t necessarily mean that it s safe for everyone johanna turner reed edu
