Please E-mail me with your comments. I am also interested in learning if anyone else knows they have a problem with Titanium Dioxide.
Live Long and Prosper!

I have now gone  44 weeks with no migraines.

That is not easy. I watch everything I eat or use.

I never consume large quantities of yeast but do have a little. If I overdo on yeast, I do get a headache.

Thanks to my husband and family who have been very helpful in helping me maintain a healthy life. They all try not to feed me anything with triggers in it.

                            Is it a cold?
When you have a cold that lasts more than 2 weeks it may be more than a cold, it may be an allergy. One hint may be the hot face syndrome which is a common allergic reaction. The government says only 2 % of the people in our country really have allergies, yet the latest studies show that roughly 10% of the people who believe they have bad sinus problems or the infamous Michigan nose really don't have sinus problems but suffer from allergies to food, dust, or animals. The FDA only hears from a small group of people who have allergic reactions to anything, because people do not take the time to figure out who to notify of their problem.
See your doctor and keep a food and symptom diary and most important, get in tune with your bodies warning signs.

                          Titanium Dioxide
Also known as TiO2, it is the ninth most available element on earth. It was used to replace the lead in lead paint in the 60s, and is commonly used in printers ink, linoleum, artists paints, nail polish, and the making of artificial gemstones. It has been in lipstick, face creams, and mascara for some time. Now it is in the foods we eat since about 1993. It is still listed in the OSHA records with precautions on clean-ups of any spills, and strongly recommends but does not require the use of gloves. The clean-up procedures are written by OSHA and make it sound pretty dangerous. The fact that one man consumed a pound and had no ill effects means nothing to me as I do recall there is a man who ate a jet plane and suffered no ill effects, but these are not normal people, they are in a league of their own. OSHA revoked the final rule limits on January 19, 1989 in response to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals decision (AFL-CIO v. OSHA) effective June 30, 1993. Why the Union fought the Government to ease these restrictions is a wonder and a black mark against the Union if that is indeed why it is in so many of our food products.

                         Where is TiO₂
You wonder how could anyone overdose on it? Well, you get up in the morning and take a shower with one of the many bath soaps that contain TiO₂. and start coughing before you brush your teeth with any of the TiO₂ laden toothpaste. Already your nose is running, as you go downstairs to have a cup of coffee which is OK but then you add a flavored cream which like your soap and toothpaste is pretty and shiny with the TiO₂ which was added to it. You sip on the coffee and have a piece of coffee cake with the prettiest shiny cherry filling, shining with TiO₂. If you are a woman you soften your face with face cream, followed by a foundation, blush, and powder all of which contain TiO₂ just like the lipstick you would put on your lips. You take your morning medication and allergy tablets which, you guessed it, are coated with TiO₂. All the time thinking you have a cold or sinus problem, even cursing the traditional Michigan nose. Later that morning you take some pain medication for the intense pain in your head and sinuses and teeth and get yet another dose of TiO₂, but the pills are so pretty. Then at lunch you figure you will just have a salad because you got to have something and you pour just about any dressing over it even a raspberry vinaigrette and it too contains TiO₂. Then you continue to work as the pain intensifies and you figure you will not eat anything for your evening meal, just a bowl of pudding, which as it turns out has more TiO₂ than all the other products put together. You reach for a big glass of orange drink and get yet another big dose of TiO₂. Actually, just the amount in a piece of  hard candy can give some people an earache and tooth pain as the vessels in their head and hands swell causing pressure everywhere. Everyday since 6-30-93 TiO₂ appears in more and more products, when will you reach you level of intolerance.

             Titanium Dioxide Exposure
Prolonged exposure to the skin from any source can cause a skin rash. It tends to be more severe around the eyes so when using face creams with TiO2 make extra sure you avoid eye contact as recommended on the labels. Rats exposed to TiO2 developed white spots on the eyes but did not go blind. Exposure can come from reading the newspaper, touching the ink and rubbing it on your skin and eyes and even, ghastly as it sounds, eating finger food and ingesting the ink. Symptoms may include:
* Migraines lasting 3 to 5 days or longer
* Skin rash
* Swelling of the face and hands
* Facial swelling can cause teeth to ache and sinus blockage and when left untreated leads to sinus infections
* Coughing and sometimes a constant tickle in the throat

                                          MSG
What is Monosodium Glutamate? First off, it is called MSG.  It is a salt like compound referred to as the Chinese food enhancer. MSG is one of several types of glutamates -- substances derived from glutamic acid, a major building block for proteins. When glutamates which have been bound in a protein is released during the breakdown of the protein molecule, it becomes "free glutamate." Free glutamates provide flavor enhancement to foods, and are the focus of much of the concern about glutamates. Naturally occurring free glutamates are found in relatively high levels in some foods, including ripe tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.

                      MSG - Where is it?
One of the most common allergens is MSG and it hides in many foods. It is commonly found in soups, gravies, boxed dinners, frozen dinners, salad dressings, sausages, breading for foods, lunch meats, and pizza. Many canned soups generally use MSG.  It is also so thick at most Chinese Restaurants that even if you order something without MSG, your food will catch the air born particles as they shake MSG onto everything else.

                       MSG Exposure
An unknown percentage of the population may react to MSG and develop MSG symptom complex, a condition characterized by one or more of the following symptoms:
* burning sensation in the back of the neck, forearms and chest
* numbness in the back of the neck, radiating to the arms and back
* tingling, warmth and weakness in the face, temples, upper back, neck and arms
* facial pressure or tightness
* chest pain
* headache
* nausea
* rapid heartbeat
* bronchospasm (difficulty breathing) in MSG-intolerant people with asthma
* drowsiness
* weakness
* Hot, flushed face
In otherwise healthy MSG-intolerant people, the MSG symptom complex tends to occur within one hour after eating 3 grams or more of MSG on an empty stomach or without other food. A typical serving of glutamate-treated food contains less than 0.5 grams of MSG. A reaction is most likely if the MSG is eaten in a large quantity or in a liquid, such as clear soup.

                                  GRAS
It stands for Generally Recognized As Safe by the FDA. MSG is a Pre-1958 ingredient which has been under attack and suspicion by many groups. In the late 1960s published reports started to appear linking the consumption of MSG to adverse reactions such as headaches, perceived heart palpitations and gastrointestinal discomfort. In addition, some dishes, such as clear soups that contained high  levels of MSG in a readily absorbable form, produced reactions. In 1978 and 1980 studies concluded it was safe at common use levels. In 1980 it was also concluded that without further studies the effects of increased consumption could not be determined. In both the 1970s and 80s research on the role of glutamates in the nervous system raised even more questions about its safety. In September of 1992 the FDA contracted with the FASEB, a leading scientific organization, and they held public meetings and convened an expert panel to review all available literature. Any food containing glutamate must show it on the labels, also other forms of free glutamates such as, autolyzed yeast, soy sauce and some flavorings.