Well the ugly monster has once again arrived. Yesterday, I went out to eat at a well known restaurant and I try to make sure I don't eat garlic, but obviously I messed up yesterday. The reason I'm writing this blog post is to share my difficulty with others who may be experiencing
this same thing.
I barely made it home yesterday, before I got very sick. I will spare you the details but my stomach feels like it was suckered punched for days. I've felt weak because of it. At least my headache has now subsided. My face and body no longer feels like I am sitting inside of a 2000 degree box.
This is not the first time I have experienced this result when I inadvertently ate garlic. It has taken me some time to begin to narrow it down, but even a small amount of garlic can cause a horrible chain of events, that leave me praying for a small moment of relief. It isn't pretty and it isn't fun.
In case you are struggling with this very same thing, I will share one thing I do that helps me. Okay, it helps me from getting a full blown migraine headache or vomiting my guts out all night long. The little trick I do, is as soon as I realize what is going on, I drink massive amounts of orange juice. I don't drink just a little bit either. It takes a fair amount before it is enough.
The thing the orange juice does for me is that it stops the progression of events. It doesn't completely get rid of the effects but usually a couple of hours after drinking the orange juice, the effects began to calm down within my body. Of course, the next day I still feel wiped out by the events but at least it isn't as horrible as it would be without the orange juice.
I'm sure someone that knows more than I do, would be able to explain why this helps but all I know is it works for me. I've tried it a few times. In fact now, if I know something is taking place, we head to the store and buy orange juice. I cannot say that it will work for everyone or if it is the right thing to do for each person. All I can do is share what has worked for me. Each person has to evaluate this according to their own health and body.
The sad part is that so many places and people think you have to cook and bake with garlic. These places and people cannot imagine that you can do anything else. Yet, I know that I can make very tasty dishes without some of the over compensated dumping of herbs into food. I just wish people would begin to understand that not everyone can eat this stuff without getting violently ill.
If you're one of the people going through this, I'm here saying you're not alone! I hope my solution will bring a little relief to you the next time you eat something with garlic in it. It is no fun when garlic makes you sick because it makes it difficult to find things to eat in public places!
Further Reading:
1) Can Anger Make You Vomit (Blog Post Apr 2, 2009)
2) Phantom Smells Of Trauma, Onions (Blog Post Sep 23, 2010)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blog Post & Images (c) 8/7/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com
If any part of this post is used or shared, a link back to this site is required.
http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/
Please ask for permission before reprinting this article. Thanks!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Any advice given in this blog is intended for informational purposes only. Before applying any of these ideas to your life, consult with your medical professional. I make no claims as to these ideas will work for any person other than myself. Please evaluate them accordingly for your own life.
this same thing. I barely made it home yesterday, before I got very sick. I will spare you the details but my stomach feels like it was suckered punched for days. I've felt weak because of it. At least my headache has now subsided. My face and body no longer feels like I am sitting inside of a 2000 degree box.
This is not the first time I have experienced this result when I inadvertently ate garlic. It has taken me some time to begin to narrow it down, but even a small amount of garlic can cause a horrible chain of events, that leave me praying for a small moment of relief. It isn't pretty and it isn't fun.
In case you are struggling with this very same thing, I will share one thing I do that helps me. Okay, it helps me from getting a full blown migraine headache or vomiting my guts out all night long. The little trick I do, is as soon as I realize what is going on, I drink massive amounts of orange juice. I don't drink just a little bit either. It takes a fair amount before it is enough.
The thing the orange juice does for me is that it stops the progression of events. It doesn't completely get rid of the effects but usually a couple of hours after drinking the orange juice, the effects began to calm down within my body. Of course, the next day I still feel wiped out by the events but at least it isn't as horrible as it would be without the orange juice.
I'm sure someone that knows more than I do, would be able to explain why this helps but all I know is it works for me. I've tried it a few times. In fact now, if I know something is taking place, we head to the store and buy orange juice. I cannot say that it will work for everyone or if it is the right thing to do for each person. All I can do is share what has worked for me. Each person has to evaluate this according to their own health and body.
The sad part is that so many places and people think you have to cook and bake with garlic. These places and people cannot imagine that you can do anything else. Yet, I know that I can make very tasty dishes without some of the over compensated dumping of herbs into food. I just wish people would begin to understand that not everyone can eat this stuff without getting violently ill.
If you're one of the people going through this, I'm here saying you're not alone! I hope my solution will bring a little relief to you the next time you eat something with garlic in it. It is no fun when garlic makes you sick because it makes it difficult to find things to eat in public places!
Further Reading:
1) Can Anger Make You Vomit (Blog Post Apr 2, 2009)
2) Phantom Smells Of Trauma, Onions (Blog Post Sep 23, 2010)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blog Post & Images (c) 8/7/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com
If any part of this post is used or shared, a link back to this site is required.
http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/
Please ask for permission before reprinting this article. Thanks!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Any advice given in this blog is intended for informational purposes only. Before applying any of these ideas to your life, consult with your medical professional. I make no claims as to these ideas will work for any person other than myself. Please evaluate them accordingly for your own life.
wow, I have never heard anyone who had such reaction to garlic, I am glad you are feeling better. Being from the medittarranean region garlic is a very big part of our diet, we usually mesh it up and blend with plain yogurt and put on many dishes like egg plant and other vegie dishes. Maybe it is the way it was cooked , but I wish you well and good health.
ReplyDelete@mary ann - wow, your dishes sound like they would taste good but I'd be so sick! Actually if I have garlic in anything like garlic bread or garlic in something processed or... just about any form, it makes me sick. I haven't found any way to eat it. I'm feeling better. It really messed me up for several days though.
ReplyDeletegarlic makes me ill also bad reflux sore belly and feel like vomiting i need eno after i couldn't use orange juice way to much acid ...but it keep me up all night crook as a dog ... i feel what yr saying
ReplyDeleteYes I sometimes discover that after eating garlic the entire contents of my stomach have gone compleatly through me to the other side withing an hour...and I burp and feel a bit queesy. And sometimes can smell it coming out of my pours. I read citris helps. Maybe try vit c or various fresh fruit too in addition to orange juice
ReplyDeleteI've actually increased my fresh fruit intake and I think it helps somewhat, but not always. Things have begun to change for me in that I can tolerate more onion than I previously could, but hardly any garlic. Thanks for the tips and suggestions.
DeleteI love garlic but since hitting menopause I cannot eat it like I use to. My stomach also feels like someone has punched me in the stomach. My body also gives off a garlic smell that seems to leak out of every pore and I just feel like I have the flu.
ReplyDeleteNow it could be the garlic, could be a fungus or mold on garlic that is so tiny one doesn't see it or it could also be the garlic is GMO???
I have no idea, but I'm beginning to believe there is a very emotional and biological reaction in my body to the garlic. At one time, I could eat it and others around me can. It has maybe improved a little for me, but then it all depends upon what is going on externally in my life it seems. I'm seeing more and more people who have reactions to various foods. Not sure why but like you, it feels like one big punch in the stomach (or maybe multiple punches).
DeleteHi, I just had the worst reaction to raw garlic .. I just brought a fruit n veggie juicer, all good. It came with a book on great juices to make, so my daughter made a carrot n garlic shot.. 1 carrot 2 cloves raw garlic.. Immediate my stomach burned , very painful my mouth salivating and just made it to the bathroom.. Need I say more.. I love garlic (cooked) and never have I or thought I could have had such a bad reaction .. I'm still feeling yuki ..
ReplyDeleteWhen we do our whole fruit smoothies, I know everything hits the stomach in record time and in a way that little digestion is needed. I can only guess what garlic would do in a situation like this and feel for the reaction you had. I've noticed that sometimes when I have eaten way too much sugar/caffiene that if I have a little garlic in something, it is much worse. I've also noticed that if I'm really stressed, I can't tolerate any hint of garlic. Not sure if it is that way for others, but something I've been noticing. Generally it takes me a good day or two to recover from it. Often feels like a big ol punch in the gut!
DeleteI also can not tolerate garlic at all... I am still trying to determine if the effects are teh same with fresh vs. dehydrated - but it is horrible. My symptoms are not immediate, usually occuring 3-4 am after eating it for dinner the night before, (possibly due to my diabetes??) stomach CRAMPS, vomitting, diarhea, weakness for hours, usually most of the day. I have not found relief. It is extremely difficult to eat anything other than fresh home prepared meals. I am going to try the citrus idea, because I actually feel as though I may have accidently gotton into some this afternoon at lunch!
ReplyDeleteI know how hard it is to eat at resturants. Yesterday I asked a place if I could get just the bread without the garlic and the lady told me that it is pre-made. I'm like... huh? Just toast it without the butter/garlic spread. They wouldn't do it.
DeleteThis isn't fun and to those that say garlic is so healthy for you, I'm glad they don't have to walk in our shoes. I've pretty much cut out most dairy and that seems to help, but every now and then I get hit like I did the other night. Thankfully major amounts of orange juice help slow things down.
For those who don't now, people can have an allergy to Garlic, but Garlic is an EXTREMEY POWERFUL medicine. If the body is ill in any way, the garlic pushes it out. I never have adverse reactions to Garlic, but I am very ill with some crazy type of virus, and the Garlic is pushing the conjunctivitis out of my eyes, I'm hacking my guts out and nearly vomiting, and my whole body is bright red.
ReplyDeleteGarlic contains tons of Sulfides, both oil and water soluble. Around 33 different compounds, plus a few minerals and metals. It's a powerful anti-viral and anti-biotic, amongst other things. Just like any other anti-biotic, or anti-viral, this can be a shock to the body, not tolerated, or toxicity cleansing. If you wanted, you could eat a bit of garlic and have a doctor's appointment to test your blood for anti-bodies and other auto-immune allergy responses. In regards to other comments, it is normal for Garlic to secrete through the skin and other glands. This medicine permeates all. Be blessed.
Thank you for this information. At one time I could eat Garlic and that may be changing again. I have found it depends upon other things I eat and the stress/emotional level I am at. I personally am not going to a doctor to be tested for allergies, because to me, that is putting a bandaid on the problem. In time, I'm sure my body will figure it out if I remain open to it.
DeleteI can't go through life though puking and being down for days at a time just to eat Garlic. I understand how healthy and healing it is, but there is no need to torture myself just to prove that. I've learned that if I am gentle with my body and learn to listen to it, that things change. Trying to force it into something is not always wise.
I do appreciate you sharing what you did and I can't wait for the day when I can once again eat Garlic. At one time, I couldn't eat Chocolate! That has all changed and sometimes I wish it hadn't! :)
I very much dislike the smell of garlic. I can tolerate very very small amounts of garlic but NO onion or garlic POWDER in prepared foods. People who love garlic think they have a right to smell up everything just because "it's good for you". Whenever I smell garlic for a prolonged period of time (I live in an apartment and some people seem to be eating garlic for dinner), it makes me feel nauseous, something people seem to think of as amusing or that I make it up.
DeleteI'm exactly the same way. The smell is just as bad as actually eating it for me. Since I avoid foods with this or onions, I can detect it pretty quickly in a dish. I think people go overboard on spices anyway and actually dull the taste buds. For me though - if I smell it, I need tons of fresh air.
DeleteThat's quite an interesting perspective. I ended up on this page because I had a reaction to garlic for the first time in my life yesterday - I'd chopped some for a recipe and ended up not using it all, so instead of wasting it I decided to eat it raw (it was less than 1/4 tsp). I'd heard lots about the health benefits of raw garlic and I've had it in small amounts in recipes before (and I eat it cooked in large quantities regularly) so it didn't occur to me that this would cause any problems beyond bad breath!
DeleteWithin a few minutes of eating it I felt sick, dizzy and almost feverish. I had to lie down on the bed curled up in a ball and not move until the feeling subsided. I felt rather shaky for a while afterwards and then went to sleep.
The reason I was interested in this comment is because I have been experiencing a few health problems recently, and I'm wondering if there might be something in the idea that my reaction to the garlic could be the medicinal effects on my body causing a kind of shock to the system as it exerts its effects. It was such a strange but powerful reaction for me, I've never felt anything like it in reaction to something I've eaten.
I do understand how most of you feel but the once I ate garlic and was vomitting for two weeks then i was put into hospital due to dehydration. I was on a drip for three days, had stools tests, urine tests, an ultra sound and many blood tests which all showed nothing... They also looked to see if it was kidney stones or gallbladder stones or even my apendix when they decided that I should have a colonoskapy done when the medical aid refused the doctor booked me out of hospital he booked me off school for another two weeks in full which added up to a month of bed rest. I was also suffering from headaches and hot to the touch but not the thermometer. I finally realised it was garlic a few weeks later and now I was also sick again but not as long but things should really say on the front "contains garlic"
ReplyDeleteWow... that's a nightmare you went through. I can't believe all the stuff that has garlic and onions in it. I try hard to read the ingredients on stuff I buy, but most restaurants could care less. I once went to a Sweet Tomatoes and asked them if the soups had garlic/onions in it - and the response I got was very poor. Now, I just assume they have it in them and eat accordingly. I've gone to a Pollo Tropical restaurant and for some reason they think they have to put onions on top of boneless chicken breasts. Even when I ask them to hold them, they still bring them out in a dish. I'm not sure what part of this these places don't understand.
DeleteI feel your pain! I recently discovered that I have problems with fructans in general and garlic is the number one offender. If I eat anything with garlic in it, I immediately bloat up and get sick to my stomach. Sometimes it takes days to recover. Thank you so much for sharing the orange juice trick. I can't wait to try it. Here's to happy stomachs!
ReplyDeleteI agree, no fun trying to recover from it!
Deletekudos! this is a great article and so much truth! great comments, too. I thought it was just "me" and people look at me like, "what's wrong with you?" I've had it almost shut me down for 2-3 days as a dear friend loaded some chicken breasts with garlic powder...smelled/tasted great, almost killed me! Headaches and lethargy are my best friends/worst friends, really, after eating garlic. Made the waitress mad a couple of weeks ago, because I didn't know the Chinese dish had real bits of garlic smothered over the General Tso dish I ordered; asked them to remake it, please! Neck and shoulders get extremely tight and tense, and finally, shoots my blood pressure straight to Heaven! Thanks for the posts. Have no real additional "tips" for we who "suffer" other than to lay down. If I drink the orange juice, then my sugar goes out of whack, so, bummer...but thank you so much! I usually just flush with tons of water, brush, brush, brush my teeth to get it out of my mouth tasting it, and again, tons of water! I have to get shoulder massages to rid of the tension.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly concur, "WHY" does everything or chefs, cooks, test chefs, family cooks, etc., believe "garlic is the end all, be all" ~~ All of us don't like, nor can physically, medically handle the "effects" of garlic. I agree there are many recipes that have it. I even ordered a pizza once areand, I swear, they put it in the cheese or sauce, my nose & taste pallet is so sensitive to it now. There are better ways. If you guys need to "send something back and have it remade/remake, please! Do it! It's not easy for us garlic-allergic.
Wow! This is really enlightening. Two days ago, I became really sick after eating a meal that I prepared with garlic. It just occurred to me today, when I smelled the garlic in the food and began to feel like I felt the other day, that it might be the garlic. It caused me to get really bad heartburn immediately after eating. I was in pain for three hours then began to throw up everything. I was still in pain after I threw up but was able to fall asleep after I prayed and put on some worship music. The next morning, I woke up with a headache and couldn't do anything but lay down all day. I think that I, too, will lay low on the garlic. No fun...
ReplyDeleteAlthough it is very possible it was the garlic, it is also worth bearing in mind that there is a common physiological response to being sick after eating a strongly flavoured/scented food, in that the smell & taste of this food will often trigger nausea in future unless you "unlearn" the aversion through gradual exposure to the offending food. This is a survival instinct to protect us from eating foods that make us sick, but it can be unhelpful when we react this way to a food that wasn't the real culprit.
DeleteI once had severe food poisoning after a trip to Indonesia, and on our last day had eaten durian fruit. Now I'm not sure if you are familiar with durian, but it is a VERY strong smelling fruit which many people are put off by the smell alone. I am sure it wasn't the durian that made me sick but because the sickness started soon after eating the durian I developed a major aversion to it, even the smell made me feel sick for years afterwards. Which is annoying because I used to really like it and it was an occasional treat we would buy from the Chinese supermarket! It has taken me 6 years to get to the point where I can eat it at all, and even then I don't enjoy it as much and can only eat a small amount.
Anyway, my point is that if you've never noticed a reaction to garlic in the past, but sudden developed an aversion to the smell after getting sick when you ate something containing garlic, it is possible that you actually had food poisoning (or a reaction to something else in the food) but your body thought it was the garlic. Of course it could be a direct effect of the garlic, I suppose the only way to tell would be to see what happens if you eat a small amount.
After two days only i could come to understand Garlic made me feel vomiting sensation,and i am slowly recovering.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a family where garlic was in everything and I loved it! The one thing I did notice is that after consuming raw garlic in a soup or dressing for instance, my complexion appeared to become red and blotchy, often times for days. I felt it was a small price to pay because I loved garlic so much and couldn't imagine life without it. The older I got though, I found myself getting nauseated, dizzy and even suffering from headaches after consuming raw garlic and started to wonder about toxicity. Garlic is an antimicrobial, a very strong one capable of killing bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms. And therein lies my concern...is it killing "good bacteria" as well, hence the strong, almost debilitating reaction in some of us, especially those who suffer from acute digestive side-effects. I still continue to consume garlic, but only if it is cooked and in small amounts. Like anything, if it causes you discomfort then it is best to avoid it.
ReplyDeleteI intensely dislike garlic and will vomit up raw garlic if I consume it accidentally. The worst part of this is having to explain this to other people, because it tends to be assumed that everyone likes garlic. So I always have to justify my dislike of garlic, and my inability to eat it in raw form. Ironically, a friend of mine who is allergic to onions has twice sickened me by serving me salads with raw garlic in them (which I didn't realize until it was too late).
ReplyDeleteI'm finding more and more that dishes have onion and garlic in them when you wouldn't not even suspect it. I'm surprised they aren't putting it in the water or something. It really gets me irritated because it is hard to know what has it and what doesn't. Too many of these restaurants could care less and if you ask them, a lot of time your question is met with annoyance.
DeleteAnd my friends are like "REALLY??? But I LOVE garlic." I never have. Onions makes me sick too, but not as severe as garlic does. And I'm a vegetarian. Every pre-packaged salad at Trader Joe's has garlic. Salad bars have onions overlapping on the corn. I'm so sick. Had a raw sandwich that had garlic. I thought I was so careful reading the box. Headache and stomach pain. Feel heavy and just hot, sweaty, and sick. Thank you kindly for the article. Going to get some orange juice to see if it counteracts this horrible feeling.
DeleteI never thought in a million years when I posted this that others were struggling with the same thing. I'm glad I went ahead and wrote what I did. I just wish the world didn't believe that everything and I mean everything had to have onion or garlic in it.
ReplyDeleteI'm Mediterranean too,my dad and mom make everything with garlic and onion. Makes me so sick, and have a bad headache. It's taken me 30 plus years to figure it out.
ReplyDeleteI also get very sick from garlic, vomiting for days but it's been since birth, my mom said if she ate a lot of garlic and then would breastfeed me, I would immediately start violently vomiting everything up like projectile, I had an Italian grandmother and when we finally figured it out she would cook special for me without garlic. Not a fun process trying to figure out as a kid, I was sick a lot but haven't had too much trouble now staying away from it. I'm just very cautious! But you're not alone!!
ReplyDeleteI experience this with the entire allium family; garlic, onions, shallots, leeks and scallions. But garlic is the worst and I really used to LOVE it. But paired with the gut wrenching stomach ache and nausea, I have what I call garlic tongue (or onion tongue) all night long. It's a thick aftertaste 10 times worse than any typical aftertaste that seems to emanate from within. No amount of brushing, mints or mouthwash can resolve it. I just have to wait it out to the next day. Anyway thanks for sharing. I've tried everything. I'll give the OJ a whirl. It's comforting to know others have this. Most people don't understand.
ReplyDeleteI'm certainly not as severe as you, I actually like garlic and can tolerate it in small amounts. I first found out about this sensitivity when I was little, my dad had made a dip with lots of garlic, I ate tons and spent the night vomiting, we deduced with help if thy doctor that I must have a sensitivity to garlic. My entire life if I eat raw garlic at all I get sick, and cooked in large quantities makes me sick as well. I always use 3 or less garlic cloves, no matter what the recipe says! Except tonight, I tried a recipe for cheesy garlic bread, thought oh these cloves are small I'd better use extra. I've been feeling horrible all night! It's comforting to know I'm not alone here!
ReplyDelete