Help!! Violently ill after ingesting protein powder

[KM_chick]

Currently using Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Natural Vanilla whey protein powder. Can take it in shake form with no problems whatsoever. Made some muffins the other night and added a little bit of protein powder into the mix...had extremely bad stomach cramps all night long, but attributed it to other things I had eaten earlier in the day. Ate some of the same food the next day for lunch (w/out muffin) and had no problems. Still not suspecting the muffins. Ate a muffin today for a snack and became HORRIBLY ILL. Stomach cramps even worse than before, horrible diarrhea, nausea/vomiting.

WTF is going on? I had read recipes online that involved putting protein powder in muffins, pancakes etc before. What did I do wrong? I'm using a good brand of protein so I don't understand what the deal is. (muffins are now in trash. haha)

****EDIT: And since everyone is really breaking my back about this..I am suspicious of the protein because this has happened once before. I tried adding Jarrow Formula unflavored whey protein to a batch of made from scratch soup that was dairy-free, egg-free, and meat-free. I got some bad stomach cramping from it and tossed the soup. I was told by a trainer that I was using poor quality whey protein and to try cooking with whey again, but use something of a higher quality. So I tried making muffins with the protein powder I mentioned in the first paragraph and became even more ill this time around. This is why I am not sold on the milk or egg in the muffins as being the culprit as to why I became sick. I hope this tidbit helps somewhat. Also, the muffins were cooked at 400F. If the milk were sour (which it wasn't) pathogenic bacteria & toxins more than likely would've been killed during the cooking process, since the temp was well over 212F. The egg used in the recipe was a fresh egg, not spoiled/smelly/rotten etc.****

[rhadam]

Currently using Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Natural Vanilla whey protein powder. Can take it in shake form with no problems whatsoever. Made some muffins the other night and added a little bit of protein powder into the mix...had extremely bad stomach cramps all night long, but attributed it to other things I had eaten earlier in the day. Ate some of the same food the next day for lunch (w/out muffin) and had no problems. Still not suspecting the muffins. Ate a muffin today for a snack and became HORRIBLY ILL. Stomach cramps even worse than before, horrible diarrhea, nausea/vomiting.

WTF is going on? I had read recipes online that involved putting protein powder in muffins, pancakes etc before. What did I do wrong? I'm using a good brand of protein so I don't understand what the deal is. (muffins are now in trash. haha)

So you took it from the shake and were fine. Then you made muffins (added variables) and became ill.

And your question is...?

[KM_chick]

So you took it from the shake and were fine. Then you made muffins (added variables) and became ill.

And your question is...?

Wow. Thanks for the snark. I thought my question was obvious, but perhaps it wasn't. Why is it that the protein, when added to muffins, made me ill whereas when I use it in shake form, I'm fine?

[L_Patch]

Wow. Thanks for the snark. I thought my question was obvious, but perhaps it wasn't. Why is it that the protein, when added to muffins, made me ill whereas when I use it in shake form, I'm fine?

cuz maybe your allergic to something in the muffins.... its just logic.

[cmdmac514]

So violently ill that you must post about it on random forums to people you don't know who cannot help you in any way whatsoever instead of:
A) being ill
or
B) taking care of your ill self.

The fish smell is strong with this one.

[Supplement-Slut]

You will be hearing a lot about our new multi, Dr Feel Good, which is packed with antioxidants, nootropics, and performance enhancing goodies, so do yourself a favor and check it out as well.

[KM_chick]

cuz maybe your allergic to something in the muffins.... its just logic.

Its muffin mix I've used before though. And the other ingredients that the mix called for (an egg and some milk) were all fresh. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except adding the protein powder to the muffin mix.

[KM_chick]

So violently ill that you must post about it on random forums to people you don't know who cannot help you in any way whatsoever instead of:
A) being ill
or
B) taking care of your ill self.

The fish smell is strong with this one.

I'm not ill at the moment. Sheesh. The only reason why I posted here was because when I tried to google information about cooking with whey protein and what might be happening during the cooking process that might make one ill, all I can really find is info discussing people who get sick from taking in whey in shake form, secondary to being lactose intolerant. If I were lactose intolerant, I would imagine I would get sick from taking the whey in shake form as well, yes? I was hoping that maybe someone on here could shed a little light on why someone might get sick from eating whey that has been added to a baked good versus shake form....and instead I'm just getting a bunch of snark. Sorry for thinking I could ask an actual legitimate question here about my protein powder.

[rhadam]

Its muffin mix I've used before though. And the other ingredients that the mix called for (an egg and some milk) were all fresh. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except adding the protein powder to the muffin mix.

Bro, you ingested protein poweder and were fine. You then used it with milk and eggs and became ill. Are you SERIOUSLY not able to put 2 and 2 together?

[Schlangemann]

Could be something unrelated, a coincidence... Could just be something that was unclean, muffin mix could've had just a little bad spot.. Could've picked up a bug at gym/work/school etc..

Hard for us to cross other factors off the list

[403Boss]

Lol @ OP

It was clearly not the protein. Could deffinetely be from the egg/milk.

[Hyruliangoat]

You will be hearing a lot about our new multi, Dr Feel Good, which is packed with antioxidants, nootropics, and performance enhancing goodies, so do yourself a favor and check it out as well.

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[970Muscle]

I'm not ill at the moment. Sheesh. The only reason why I posted here was because when I tried to google information about cooking with whey protein and what might be happening during the cooking process that might make one ill, all I can really find is info discussing people who get sick from taking in whey in shake form, secondary to being lactose intolerant. If I were lactose intolerant, I would imagine I would get sick from taking the whey in shake form as well, yes? I was hoping that maybe someone on here could shed a little light on why someone might get sick from eating whey that has been added to a baked good versus shake form....and instead I'm just getting a bunch of snark. Sorry for thinking I could ask an actual legitimate question here about my protein powder.

You most certainly can and should ask questions here! We are all at varying levels and can learn and help one another. Don't get discouraged with your first few posts.

With that being said; My initial reaction is that it is the muffin mix, maybe it is bad or maybe it contains ingredients that you have stayed away from and now don't process very well. My suggestion is to go pick up a "Gluten Free Muffin Mix" and try again. Please let us know the outcome. Hope this helps!

[Swamp Dog]

The snarky snarks are answering your question in their own witty, albeit snarky way.
It was not the protein, baby.

[KM_chick]

You most certainly can and should ask questions here! We are all at varying levels and can learn and help one another. Don't get discouraged with your first few posts.

With that being said; My initial reaction is that it is the muffin mix, maybe it is bad or maybe it contains ingredients that you have stayed away from and now don't process very well. My suggestion is to go pick up a "Gluten Free Muffin Mix" and try again. Please let us know the outcome. Hope this helps!

At this point I'm not sure if I want to cook with whey protein ever again. I've used soy protein isolate in food before without incident, but I currently do not have any which is why I tried the whey protein in the muffins that I made. So unless the muffin mix itself was bad in some way, I'm still looking at the whey as the culprit. Seeing as to how I had eaten eggs from this batch earlier this week, and drink the milk (unsweetened soy) on a daily basis without issue, I'm at a loss at what could have caused the reaction that I had. Unless there is something I do not know about mixing various forms of protein together (eggs, soy milk, and whey protein)..if there is, it'd be nice if someone simply said something instead of jumping on my case (although I cannot imagine what the issue would be with mixing protein forms together...we do it on a daily basis in meals). I was also wondering if something happens to the whey during the cooking process (I'm aware the proteins get denatured when heated, but is it possible to have a sensitivity to some of the denatured components of whey versus its non denatured form etc)?

And thanks for being kind and I'll definitely take your suggestion with the gluten free muffin mix and see if that helps, but I'm probably going to be more inclined to use soy protein with it. LOL

[ofmiceandmen]

I feel like this should be in the nutrition section

[Acetyl-CoA]

Yeah, my last tub of ON Platinum HydroWhey was spiked with something... it made me pretty ill, but that was a straight shake.

It sounds like you might have some kind of food intolerance (not traditional allergy), but intolerance to something in the muffin mix (probably gluten, like somebody said above). 70% of americans are gluten-intolerant, which is to say that they produce IgG antibodies to gluten and gliadin (proteins found in wheat that give bread its doughy consistency).

If you cut out all gluten (not that hard) and then reintroduce it and get sick you will know for sure. Gluten intolerances account for up to 33% of all chronic illnesses in adults.


Of course, you could also pay 800 bucks and get immunoHealth's food intolerance IgG panel through your doctor, but that's pretty pricey.

Good luck.

[GregW1]

Currently using Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Natural Vanilla whey protein powder. Can take it in shake form with no problems whatsoever. Made some muffins the other night and added a little bit of protein powder into the mix...had extremely bad stomach cramps all night long, but attributed it to other things I had eaten earlier in the day. Ate some of the same food the next day for lunch (w/out muffin) and had no problems. Still not suspecting the muffins. Ate a muffin today for a snack and became HORRIBLY ILL. Stomach cramps even worse than before, horrible diarrhea, nausea/vomiting.

WTF is going on? I had read recipes online that involved putting protein powder in muffins, pancakes etc before. What did I do wrong? I'm using a good brand of protein so I don't understand what the deal is. (muffins are now in trash. haha)

****EDIT: And since everyone is really breaking my back about this..I am suspicious of the protein because this has happened once before. I tried adding Jarrow Formula unflavored whey protein to a batch of made from scratch soup that was dairy-free, egg-free, and meat-free. I got some bad stomach cramping from it and tossed the soup. I was told by a trainer that I was using poor quality whey protein and to try cooking with whey again, but use something of a higher quality. So I tried making muffins with the protein powder I mentioned in the first paragraph and became even more ill this time around. This is why I am not sold on the milk or egg in the muffins as being the culprit as to why I became sick. I hope this tidbit helps somewhat.****

never heard of this, but protein 'unfolds' when it's cooked. thats what gives it a tough texture when u use store-bought protein powder for baking (theres some treated protein available especially for use in baking).

i wonder if some of this protein unfolding just doesn't sit will with your GI

[KM_chick]

Yeah, my last tub of ON Platinum HydroWhey was spiked with something... it made me pretty ill, but that was a straight shake.

It sounds like you might have some kind of food intolerance (not traditional allergy), but intolerance to something in the muffin mix (probably gluten, like somebody said above). 70% of americans are gluten-intolerant, which is to say that they produce IgG antibodies to gluten and gliadin (proteins found in wheat that give bread its doughy consistency).

If you cut out all gluten (not that hard) and then reintroduce it and get sick you will know for sure. Gluten intolerances account for up to 33% of all chronic illnesses in adults.


Of course, you could also pay 800 bucks and get immunoHealth's food intolerance IgG panel through your doctor, but that's pretty pricey.

Good luck.

But then what could possibly explain my previous incident of getting sick when cooking with whey protein powder when I was adding it to a veggie soup? Nothing in the soup had gluten in it. It was a broth based avocado soup and I have no history of being allergic or sensitive towards those. At this rate, I'm thinking I'm just gonna have to stick with putting whey in shakes only. There's something about cooked whey protein that my guts simply do not like. Ugh.

[KM_chick]

never heard of this, but protein 'unfolds' when it's cooked. thats what gives it a tough texture when u use store-bought protein powder for baking (theres some treated protein available especially for use in baking).

i wonder if some of this protein unfolding just doesn't sit will with your GI

I'm thinking the same thing, and I was hoping that maybe someone on here had some sort of experience with this issue & could shed some light on it for me. Instead the general consensus seems to be that it was the egg or the milk that made me sick..when in reality if the milk was sour (as in smelled bad, not clumpy and stuff) the temperature at which the muffins were baked would have killed just about any bacteria or toxin that was in the milk (muffins were baked at 400F. Boiling, which is a sterilizing process, is 212F). The egg would probably have suffered the same fate as well. And again, I'd be sold on the eggs or milk having been bad if I had not eaten some of each recently and if I had not had a previous incident with getting ill after trying to cook with whey. Now the science nerd in me is just curious about what part of the denaturing process is it that my body does not like and why wouldn't a similar reaction occur when eating other foods that have cooked dairy products in them? What could be so special about denatured whey protein that makes one ill, but not denatured protein in heated milk/cheese/butter etc?

[GregW1]

I'm thinking the same thing, and I was hoping that maybe someone on here had some sort of experience with this issue & could shed some light on it for me. Instead the general consensus seems to be that it was the egg or the milk that made me sick..when in reality if the milk was sour (as in smelled bad, not clumpy and stuff) the temperature at which the muffins were baked would have killed just about any bacteria or toxin that was in the milk (muffins were baked at 400F. Boiling, which is a sterilizing process, is 212F). The egg would probably have suffered the same fate as well. And again, I'd be sold on the eggs or milk having been bad if I had not eaten some of each recently and if I had not had a previous incident with getting ill after trying to cook with whey. Now the science nerd in me is just curious about what part of the denaturing process is it that my body does not like and why wouldn't a similar reaction occur when eating other foods that have cooked dairy products in them? What could be so special about denatured whey protein that makes one ill, but not denatured protein in heated milk/cheese/butter etc?

if u want to cook with a protein enriched product there's something called Carbalose by Tova industries which might be good for u. it's a 1:1 flour replacer IIRC

[TXGTOU]

Bro, you ingested protein poweder and were fine. You then used it with milk and eggs and became ill. Are you SERIOUSLY not able to put 2 and 2 together?

Is it "bro" or "sis"?


How are you mixing the protein, just throwing the powder in as a mixing ingredient? Why bother taking the protein in muffin form? And finally...Do you know the muffin man?

[IamJonsCranium]

I just want to point one thing out. OP, you're 5' 180lbs. If you're trying to lose weight, why are you putting protein in your muffins? With your needed caloric intake, it should be very easy to get enough protein from whole foods.

I say this because it's a common misconception that protein will somehow help you lose weight. In your case, it will probably only hinder weight loss since you're adding calories to your food.

Are you a vegetarian?

[TXGTOU]

I just want to point one thing out. OP, you're 5' 180lbs. If you're trying to lose weight, why are you putting protein in your muffins? With your needed caloric intake, it should be very easy to get enough protein from whole foods.

I say this because it's a common misconception that protein will somehow help you lose weight. In your case, it will probably only hinder weight loss since you're adding calories to your food.

Are you a vegetarian?

I've read quite often that Protein in fact DOES help you lose weight. If you bump up the amount of calories you take in from Protein over Carbs and fats then you will see weight loss. And not to mention that if you take Protein in between meals, you don't eat as much during one sitting. Where did you hear that extra protein doesn't help you lose weight? Oh and all articles I've seen explain that just eating protein won't help you shed weight as fast as if you take extra protein in conjunction with a weight lifting/exercise program.

[xlb57]

You will be hearing a lot about our new multi, Dr Feel Good, which is packed with antioxidants, nootropics, and performance enhancing goodies, so do yourself a favor and check it out as well.

Huh?????

[IamJonsCranium]

I've read quite often that Protein in fact DOES help you lose weight. If you bump up the amount of calories you take in from Protein over Carbs and fats then you will see weight loss. And not to mention that if you take Protein in between meals, you don't eat as much during one sitting. Where did you hear that extra protein doesn't help you lose weight? Oh and all articles I've seen explain that just eating protein won't help you shed weight as fast as if you take extra protein in conjunction with a weight lifting/exercise program.

There is no reason for her to need a protein supplement, unless she's vegetarian and has a difficult time getting enough. If it's causing her trouble, why bother with it?

If she's replacing calories with protein, that's fine. If she's adding calories above and beyond her cutting needs, she's only hindering her progress.

A calorie deficit is NEEDED to lose weight. All other aspects are a distant second.

[KM_chick]

I just want to point one thing out. OP, you're 5' 180lbs. If you're trying to lose weight, why are you putting protein in your muffins? With your needed caloric intake, it should be very easy to get enough protein from whole foods.

I say this because it's a common misconception that protein will somehow help you lose weight. In your case, it will probably only hinder weight loss since you're adding calories to your food.

Are you a vegetarian?

No I am not a vegetarian, but I am currently living abroad for some school related things and the local diet in the country that I live in is definitely not one I am accustomed to. I have access to chicken and fish, which I like..but after eating almost nothing but chicken and fish for my main protein sources, I'm getting EXTREMELY burned out w/ the food here and I find myself, on most days, not wanting to eat anything at all. Because of this I'm currently having issues with getting enough protein (and iron, despite taking a daily vitamin....I'm currently showing some signs of iron deficiency anemia. Having this evaluated when I come back to the US for my break) in my diet. I am simply trying to think of ways that I can add more protein to my diet, so I had a friend from the US ship me some protein powder. Other health issues I have dictate a need for a high daily fiber intake as well. I have allergies to nuts, which is what most people tell me to snack on to get increased protein and fiber, but I can't do that. I have access to many fresh tropical fruits (coconut, mango, passionfruit, starfruit etc), not a lot of veggies (most veggies here are starchy root veggies/provisions) although I am able to score the occasional package of fresh broccoli and the occasional artichoke but for $$$$$$. Plenty of canned veggies available tho, but that's not really what I want.

I asked two of my biochemistry professors today about my issues with consuming whey protein in cooked foods. Both of them backed me up on it NOT being the milk or the egg (because of the high cooking temps involved with baking the muffins) and they also stated that if the issue was related to lactose, I would have problems when consuming the whey in shake form. (Actually one professor said that most whey protein contains such minute amounts of lactose that it shouldn't cause me too much of a problem regardless.) They were both baffled and intrigued since neither of them had ever heard of such a thing. And the fact that I have tried to cook with whey on two -separate- occasions, using two -different- whey proteins in two totally different types of dishes, points towards the whey being the culprit more than anything else, but there is no reason as to WHY. They said that the protein being denatured could be what's causing me the issue but when I asked why I'd have that issue with cooked whey but NOT other cooked dairy items, they agreed that that doesn't add up. I should have issues all the time with dairy if this were the case. In fact, denatured proteins should be easier to digest, but for me, for whatever reason, they aren't (in this case).

I know everybody thinks this post is lulz and that I'm a troll, but this is an honest to goodness problem that I'm just trying to get answers on. For now I think I will just stop trying to add whey protein to any foods I am cooking and just stick to shake form.

[KM_chick]

Is it "bro" or "sis"?


How are you mixing the protein, just throwing the powder in as a mixing ingredient? Why bother taking the protein in muffin form?

Its "sis". I just didn't care to expend anymore energy responding to that guy's posts, that's all. Anyway I mixed in the protein powder with the dry ingredients first, then added the wet ingredients to it. I was adding protein to the muffins in order to try and create a small, high protein snack that I can carry with me that doesn't involve carrying my shaker cup or having access to liquids to mix to make a shake. Certain high protein snacks that most of you would probably eat are not options for me at the moment due to where I am currently living and having limited access to certain types of food. Allergies prevent me from eating nuts/nut butter related items and HTN (and price) make jerky a poor choice for me. My current diet consists of a lot of fish and chicken as my main protein sources, but I am very, very burned out on those so I was just trying to get a little creative with how I take in extra protein in my diet, that's all.

[KM_chick]

I've read quite often that Protein in fact DOES help you lose weight. If you bump up the amount of calories you take in from Protein over Carbs and fats then you will see weight loss. And not to mention that if you take Protein in between meals, you don't eat as much during one sitting. Where did you hear that extra protein doesn't help you lose weight? Oh and all articles I've seen explain that just eating protein won't help you shed weight as fast as if you take extra protein in conjunction with a weight lifting/exercise program.

I recently started working out with a KB again 3x/wk. Its nowhere near the level of weight I would like to lift (its only a 20lber), but its something. -shrug- I can use the gym on campus for weights, but I am not the most skilled in weight lifting and would prefer to use weights with a trained spotter. My school's gym is not staffed with professionals and most of the guys who lift there don't want to be bothered spotting a chick OR they don't really have a great idea about what they're doing and I can tell. I find myself doing the same handful of exercises all the time without really increasing my wt and pushing myself, so I now just stay at home and just use my KB instead of the free wts at the gym. I also walk a lot (often in Hades-like temperatures due to living in a tropical area). So if anyone wants to give me some workout tips, I'll take those too haha. I despise cardio with a passion though....if I could do nothing but lift, that's all I would do!

[KM_chick]

if u want to cook with a protein enriched product there's something called Carbalose by Tova industries which might be good for u. it's a 1:1 flour replacer IIRC

Hrmmm. This stuff looks pretty interesting actually. Thank you for the suggestion! I was actually looking at Bob's Red Mill Low Carb Baking mix also. Have you used either of them? If so, were they pretty decent? Again, thanks!