Indian food gives me a headache

[madoka]

Lately I've noticed that there is about a 50% chance that eating Indian food gives me anywhere from a mild to migraine level headache. I've never had any problem with headaches from any other type of food.

I like Indian food and don't want to stop eating it. Does this happen to anyone else? What could be the cause? Any chance I can build up an immunity if I just keep eating it a lot?

Typically I only get the curry chicken or chicken tikka masala. And the rice and garlic naan.

 

[lxskllr]

Some kind of spice maybe. I love Indian food, and have no issues.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Try them at another place.

 

[lozina]

do they use a lot of MSG typically?

I used to get similar responses consistently from Chinese food and always blamed added MSG for lack of a better explanation. Though, I've had Indian food occasionally and never had such a reaction to their food but maybe the one or two places I have frequented were better quality?

 

[Belegost]

Sounds like a food allergy. I suggest next time you eat indian food, record whether you got a headache, and which foods you ate and from where. After a few times you should get an idea of a few things that trigger. Then look at the common ingredients (or even ask the restaurant, many are happy to help) trim out the common ones you eat regularly, and then take the remaining list to an allergy specialist.

 

[Platypus]

glutamates is my guess, natural or artificial.

I have the same problem with things that are naturally high in glutamates or have them added. Indian food has a lot of sauces that involve slowly cooked down tomatoes (a naturally high source of glutamic acid, even more so when cooked down).

If my nearing 10 year battle with this is any indication, medical help is pretty useless. Keep a food journal and try to find common ingredients in the things that make you sick and then avoid them. You're never going to 'get used to it' if that's your plan... you might be more or less tolerant of them at any given time, but you can't prevent it from happening.

 

[Markbnj]

Try them at another place.

Yeah are you hitting the same place every time? Indian food sometimes has a physical effect on me, but it is usually not at the head end of the system.

 

[DesiPower]

Do you eat a lot of their bread? the naan? That makes me feel sick too... Too much dehydration i think, and dehydration does give you headache, just a theory. If you eat the naan maybe try a diet without it next time.

 

[JEDIYoda]

I would lay off the spicy wallommba beetles and just stick to normal Indian food!!

 

[madoka]

Do you eat a lot of their bread? the naan? That makes me feel sick too... Too much dehydration i think, and dehydration does give you headache, just a theory. If you eat the naan maybe try a diet without it next time.

I hope to god it's not the naan. Naan is the single best thing about Indian food. I've eaten up to five orders in one sitting without any problems, so I doubt it's that.

Thanks for the replies. I've gotten headaches at two different Indian places, which was why I became concerned. I'm going to start ordering with an effort to narrow down what might be causing this.

Ever since I went on high blood pressure medication, I haven't had any headaches for the past several years. I have noticed a correlation between high blood pressure and getting headaches. Is there something common in Indian food that might cause high blood pressure? BTW, I've had meals with over 10,000mg of salt, so I don't think it's as simple as sodium.

 

[Matthiasa]

Eh 10g of salt... trying to poison yourself?
But yeah lots of dry bread plus a lot of salt plus minimal fluid intake will give you major headaches. But if that would be the cause does drinking water help?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I hope to god it's not the naan. Naan is the single best thing about Indian food. I've eaten up to five orders in one sitting without any problems, so I doubt it's that.

Thanks for the replies. I've gotten headaches at two different Indian places, which was why I became concerned. I'm going to start ordering with an effort to narrow down what might be causing this.

Ever since I went on high blood pressure medication, I haven't had any headaches for the past several years. I have noticed a correlation between high blood pressure and getting headaches. Is there something common in Indian food that might cause high blood pressure? BTW, I've had meals with over 10,000mg of salt, so I don't think it's as simple as sodium.

Bingo! Something may be interacting with the blood pressure medicine. The only thing I can think of, off the top of my head that's common to what you've been eating, is ginger.

 

[madoka]

Eh 10g of salt... trying to poison yourself?

I blame Wienerschnitzel for that. I can eat their chili dogs like there is no tomorrow. It would take like 8-12 of them before I'd start to feel satiated. While that would make me thirsty for the next day or two, it never gave me a headache.

Platypus's glutamates suggestion is interesting and I'm going to be looking into it.

 

[WelshBloke]

Typically I only get the curry chicken or chicken tikka masala. And the rice and garlic naan.

But if that would be the cause does drinking water help?

Well if he ate British food properly (with 8 pints of cheap lager) he wouldn't have that problem.

 

[Kaido]

Sounds like either a food allergy or a reaction to the heat/spices. I used to get bad headaches before I was diagnosed with a dairy/grains allergy. Indian food has the works...dairy (everything is made with yogurt or milk), wheat (naan), heat (spices), etc. Does anything else give you a headache like that?

 

[zerocool84]

Maybe it's from your own stench from smelling like garlic. You can definitely tell when someone has eaten Indian food.

 

[Thebobo]

Are you drinking alcohol as well?

 

[Markbnj]

Are you drinking alcohol as well?

Was just going to post "Indian food makes me fuzzy headed and I can't drive as well," and then I read this. Thanks!

 

[WelshBloke]

Was just going to post "Indian food makes me fuzzy headed and I can't drive as well," and then I read this. Thanks!

You forgot the whisky chasers didn't you?

 

[manimal]

after reading what you eat in the last few threads I bet you have a tape worm the size of Alf that gets pissed when you eat spicy and release a neurotoxin. Some worms will die from certain spices and they have learned to protect themselves.

Could be a Zenomorph as well however.