So, I really don't eat shellfish (shrimp, crabs, etc.) because I get gout. For mother's day, we went to Joe's Crab shack and I indulged in Shrimp and crabs. Within an hour, I had the worst headache I've had since what I'll call the middle of this past cycle. It was all steamed, and I only had corn and a roasted potato and no alcohol, so no other issues. Anyone have issues with shellfish? This is a first, since I really don't eat it due to gout. I guess the easiest thing is to just avoid it altogether.

Could be the food, or could be the spice (such as MSG) that they might put on it.  Crabs are very rich and 'fragrant' ... I could see how they might trigger some people. Haven't noticed that shrimp have any effect on me, and I don't recall eating crabs in cycle.

Always good to ask the crowd here just in case there is a consensus starting.  Buuuut, I find the food or smell triggers very strange.  Bay laurel has been getting a lot of press lately and I really like that smell.  See it in the woods, go grab it and take a nice deep breathe in.  Hedge nettles triggers an attack when in my cycle, but won't start a cycle.  Catnip started a cycle once for me, but I don't avoid it now.  Small sips of water will trigger an attack while in cycle.

Other than alcohol I think the food and smells are hocus pocus, sometimes yes and sometimes no.  My body is super sensitive during a cycle and somethings sound really bad to me and I avoid them.  Apples last time.  Oranges on the other hand were my favorite food during my last cycle, felt so good in my little clustered body.  Beats me! :D

--Shaggy

Big time sea food eater and thank goodness, to this point, not a trigger! (But would KILL for a beer today!!!!) ;)

Joe

Guiseppi wrote on May 9^th, 2010 at 9:32am:

Big time sea food eater and thank goodness, to this point, not a trigger! (But would KILL for a beer today!!!!) ;) Joe

You and me both. Why couldn't beer be a treatment and not a trigger? Life can sure be unfair in the strangest of ways.

Beer as a CH abortive............sigh........I fear when that day comes I'll have wings on and be playing a harp! ;D ;D ;D

Joe

I had shrimp twice (home cooked scampi one night, creole the next time) over a two week period and got an attack within a half hour of eating. Problem is I get attacks almost every night between 7 and 9pm so I always wonder when they come a little early if it was the food (saw somewhere somebody mention garlic as a freakin trigger). I know that doesn't help but it seems to me we are always looking to see what we did just before an attack and figure out if it was a trigger. IMHO, everything is a trigger while in cycle including breathing it seems. By the way I am all for beer being an abortive so please let me know when you find one that works. :)

I used to have all kinds of food and smell triggers. Not so much anymore, thankfully. But when I had them I swore by them and would avoid anything that seemed to trigger in the past. My mother in law has also triggered me - it's a little harder to explain avoiding her but I've used it a time or two   ;)

Tiniest sample of one (me) here...so basically worthless...but my profession for 25 yrs was as a seafood evaluator. Probably have eaten more than most here COMBINED (lucky guy)....

Never been anywhere close to a trigger....though in a cruel irony I am now allergic to crustaceans (shrimp and crab...my favorites)......

davidj35 wrote on May 17^th, 2010 at 2:42pm:

I had shrimp twice (home cooked scampi one night, creole the next time) over a two week period and got an attack within a half hour of eating. Problem is I get attacks almost every night between 7 and 9pm so I always wonder when they come a little early if it was the food (saw somewhere somebody mention garlic as a freakin trigger). I know that doesn't help but it seems to me we are always looking to see what we did just before an attack and figure out if it was a trigger. IMHO, everything is a trigger while in cycle including breathing it seems. By the way I am all for beer being an abortive so please let me know when you find one that works. :)

I've said around here that I do find garlic to be a trigger....for me.  When I'm out of cycle, I can have as much as I want but when I'm in cycle - no matter what food it is slathered on - it automatically results in an attack.  I have not had a similar experience with seafood or shellfish for that matter. 

Just goes to show - much like treatments -what triggers one may not trigger another.

As an update to this I'm wondering based on recent events and some new research regarding purine and CH (which is also bad for gout) if the high purine levels in the food got me that night. On Christmas 2 days ago I had scallops and some cured meat and aged cheese and garlic and meatballs. All things I eat but never together at one time. Within 2 hours I was ready to cash in my chips. Maybe it's not the shellfish, per se, but the high purine and some other combos at work, including the garlic. Damn and I thought being gluten free was hard with celiac disease.

My offer still stands to all here at ch.com.  Where beer and crustaceans are causing you problems, simply send them to me and I'll ensure they're returned to nature in the most environmentally-friendly way.

Do not send money!   This is a free service because I care.



(Also, beware of imitators named Joe!)