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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Terry8 on May 20, 2011, at 12:53:16
Almonds: not on the standard MAOI diet lists I've been following. But after yet another hypertensive reaction (not a full-on crisis, but ow, holy headache, Batman) I think I've narrowed the culprit down to almonds in baked goods: the homemade almond biscotti a friend sent me in the mail yesterday, and (making the connection in hindsight) the financiers (almond cakes) I tried for the first time at Easter. My blood pressure spiked each time. Nothing high enough to bring me to the hospital, but hovering around 150/100 for an hour or two at a time, and I usually roll in the 85/55 range now, so that high is pretty painful and unsettling.
Even though almonds aren't on the updated MAOI diet lists I've seen, a quick google brings them up on diet lists of high-tyramine foods to avoid for migraine headache suffers. Anyone know for sure? Or has anybody else had a reaction to almonds (or other nuts)? (Peanuts tend to be on some MAOI diet lists, but they're not nuts at all, they're legumes -- and I haven't had a problem with them.)
Posted by atypical on May 20, 2011, at 22:47:09
In reply to Almonds and tyramine -- MAOI diet, posted by Terry8 on May 20, 2011, at 12:53:16
I take Nardil. And I eat raw almonds every single morning. It has no impact on me in terms of the hypertensive reaction. I've had almonds in cereal and baked goods without any problems.
I guess our bodies are all different!
I have been triggered by Monterey Jack cheese and a draft beer (forget which kind). Today I had a draft beer (don't remember the name) and had no problem. Luckily.
> Almonds: not on the standard MAOI diet lists I've been following. But after yet another hypertensive reaction (not a full-on crisis, but ow, holy headache, Batman) I think I've narrowed the culprit down to almonds in baked goods: the homemade almond biscotti a friend sent me in the mail yesterday, and (making the connection in hindsight) the financiers (almond cakes) I tried for the first time at Easter. My blood pressure spiked each time. Nothing high enough to bring me to the hospital, but hovering around 150/100 for an hour or two at a time, and I usually roll in the 85/55 range now, so that high is pretty painful and unsettling.
>
> Even though almonds aren't on the updated MAOI diet lists I've seen, a quick google brings them up on diet lists of high-tyramine foods to avoid for migraine headache suffers. Anyone know for sure? Or has anybody else had a reaction to almonds (or other nuts)? (Peanuts tend to be on some MAOI diet lists, but they're not nuts at all, they're legumes -- and I haven't had a problem with them.)
Posted by WAS on May 21, 2011, at 17:01:31
In reply to Re: Almonds and tyramine -- MAOI diet, posted by atypical on May 20, 2011, at 22:47:09
Interesting. I've eaten them with no problem, but not cooked into a biscuit or cake. I think they us an almond paste for cooking - I wonder if it has a higher tyramine content per gram than the almonds alone. Or if they use something like brewer's yeast in the biscuits and cake your tried. Can you get the list of ingredients from your friend?
WAS
Posted by Terry8 on May 21, 2011, at 21:34:19
In reply to Re: Almonds and tyramine -- MAOI diet, posted by WAS on May 21, 2011, at 17:01:31
It might well be something to do with tyramine being more concentrated in baked good vs. raw almonds -- I don't know about the biscotti, but the almond cakes apparently use almond flour. There's nothing else suspicious in that recipe, mainly butter and sugar. I had actually checked with my roommate about the ingredients when I had the reaction around Easter, and decided it couldn't be the cakes because there were so few ingredients and nothing on the list of things to avoid. It's only since having the almond biscotti that I'm putting this together in hindsight, but I don't know what's in that recipe (though knowing the friend who made them, I'd be REALLY surprised if she put brewer's yeast or anything like that in).
I've had a handful of raw almonds as a snack a few times since starting the MAOI, but I'm pretty sure with no reaction (or perhaps only a minor one that I've since forgotten). So maybe I'm pinning this on the wrong thing, and it was just coincidence, or maybe almond flour/paste is something to keep an eye out for (like fermented fish paste, even though fish is okay), or maybe it's just me. It really is interesting how everyone's different.
Thanks for your replies!
Posted by europerep on May 22, 2011, at 7:00:16
In reply to Re: Almonds and tyramine -- MAOI diet, posted by Terry8 on May 21, 2011, at 21:34:19
hello there..
what I can say is this: in my (fairly restrictive) food list almonds were listed as "green", so no problem to eat them.. however, almonds contain tyrosine, which is a precursor to tyramine, so *technically* they could pose problems.
maybe you could "test yourself", eating nothing for an hour or two, and then eating a little amount of almonds, see what happens.. if nothing, then do the same thing the next day, until you reach a point where you have a mild reaction. and if you don't get any reaction at all, you know it wasn't them?
Posted by Terry8 on May 22, 2011, at 17:47:35
In reply to Re: Almonds and tyramine -- MAOI diet » Terry8, posted by europerep on May 22, 2011, at 7:00:16
> hello there..
>
> what I can say is this: in my (fairly restrictive) food list almonds were listed as "green", so no problem to eat them.. however, almonds contain tyrosine, which is a precursor to tyramine, so *technically* they could pose problems.
>
> maybe you could "test yourself", eating nothing for an hour or two, and then eating a little amount of almonds, see what happens.. if nothing, then do the same thing the next day, until you reach a point where you have a mild reaction. and if you don't get any reaction at all, you know it wasn't them?That's 3 for 3 for people who don't have almond reactions, so maybe I've got the wrong culprit after all. Your suggestion sounds like the best way to go about figuring it out. Thanks for replying!
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