Severe Corn Allergy Also & Looking For Help!

[bikerblue]

Hi everyone. I have been gluten free for almost two years now and have slowly since that time just been getting worse and worse with nausea, stomach cramping, fatigue, vomiting, etc. I have now realized that I have a severe corn allergy and have been off corn now for the last four to six weeks. I am really struggling. My weight has dropped quite a bit and I'm just having a hard time emotionally. I have been fighting with my health for four years now after the birth of my daughter. Since then there just hasn't been one good day without any pain, nausea or something and I feel some days it is tearing me apart. I'm not trying to lose weight but with such a limited diet it is hard and I am fearful that I am to the point that I don't want to eat because I just don't want to get sick. It is a constant struggle that I fight with every day. My kids know mom is sick again. I usually try to wait to eat a bigger meal late in the evening when things are about done around the house so in case I am sick that my whole day isn't shot.

It just feels like it is one thing on top of another and I just want to feel well. I'm so tired of dealing with the sickness. I think my body is just so sensitive at this point and I have to be so careful but yet when I think I am... I don't know.

Anyone else out there have a corn allergy along with the gluten? I could use some advice please!!!! Thank you!!!

Tami

[watkinson]

Hi Tami,

I'm so sorry about how sick you have been. I also am allergic to corn, but I don't seem to have any stomache problems from it. My reaction seem to be a fibromyalgia worsening. (Muscle and joint pain gets worse.)

I wish I had some great suggestions that could make you well but I don't know what to say. Are you 100% sure that you are 100% gluten-free? Check all your ingredients.

Can you eat yogurt? If so get an organic one that is gluten-free (Stoneyfield is good) and try to eat one every day. It has the beneficial bacteria that aids in digestion and our immune system. If you don't want yogurt you can take it in pill form. Trader joes is gluten-free. It's called acidophyllis. There is also a digestive enzyme that you can take, I'm not sure what it is called. I take a good multi vitamin with iron and an extra B-complex vitamin. Liquid vitamins might be best for you, because you are still suffering from nausea.

Have you been tested for other food allergies. What about allergies to something in your house? Maybe mold.

You could try drinking some mint tea at night before bed. It helps with stomache upset and calms you.

Sorry to say this, but it sounds like you need to go back to the doctor. If you really are gluten-free and stay away from what you are allergic to, you should feel better. (In the stomach area anyway.) Maybe something else is going on.

Hope you feel better soon, Wendy

[bikerblue]

Hi Wendy... thank you for your response. I'm pretty sure I'm 100% gluten free. My children are also gluten free and I try to not let anything in that isn't. I eat pretty simply. Steamed veggies, meat, raw nuts. Really pretty boring. I haven't tried the yogurt but that does sound very good. I did order some products from allergygrocer which I am really enjoying.

What do you eat since you are corn free also? Today I've been pretty good but this fatigue I fight every day is really hard. I get kind of scared to eat as I don't want to feel sick but yet I know I need to. A few months ago I ended up in the hospital with severe vomiting and stomach pain that is so awful due to a gluten attack.

I've been trying to figure this all out for four years and it seems every time I think I am on the right road I get bumped off by something else. I just want to feel well and finding a doctor where I live who is supportive is pretty much impossible.

I haven't had any other allergy testing done. I get sick after eating, not always and sometimes when I don't I find myself thinking boy this is strange that I'm not... pretty bad huh? lol

I know I'll get there but it is such a struggle in the meantime!!!

Tami

[watkinson]

Hi Tami,

You should definately get more allergy testing, especially since you mentioned the nuts.

I am not allergic to peanuts but they give me a terrible stomache ache. I have a mild allergy to pecans and the reation seems to be terrible fatiigue and depression. Almost a feeling of hopelessness for a few hours. I don't want even want to move. I am usually a very up person and very active, but the pecan reaction will start to happen within minutes of eating them and continue for hours.

You asked me what I eat. How about I give you the rundown from the last 2 days.

Yesterday morning I had organic brown rice cereal (kina like rice krispies) with 1% milk, a banana, and some blackberries. 2 cups of tea. later I had an organic yogurt smoothie. For lunch I had a chunk of cheddar cheese and 2 gluten-free andoullie sausages (a little bigger than a hot dog, I get them at COSTCO, YUMMMM) and steamed broccoli. for a snack I had a Hershey's chocolate bar , an apple, and some green tea. For dinner I had a HUGE spinache salad with raw broccoli, red peppers, cucumber, mushrooms, and tomatoe with a gluten-free dressing that is superb, Kraft creamy sesame seed. I also made an oven fried chicken that was delish!! Had 2 pieces of that.

Today I had the hot rice cereal with yogurt and flax seed and cut up strawberries. For a snack, a banana and an organic chocolate milk. For lunch, 2 of those chicken legs from last night. and edumame (salted soy nuts) and a big chunk of motzarella. Tonight we'll probably have asparegus (we grow it in our garden) and pizza (Amy's)

Believe me I don't lack for food.

I only have a mild corn allergy so if I get some in my diet it doesn't kill me. It mostly makes me achey.

I do eat a fair amount of dairy, 3-4 servings a day, which you are not eating so I know that makes the menu smaller.

Try giving up the nuts and see if that helps.

You said your meals are boring, maybe you could add some spices like powdered garlic or chili powder to the the meats. I also use a red pepper and olive oil gluten-free maranade from COSTCO that is scrumptious.

One more thought I would keep a food journal. Write down everything you eat and how you feel after you eat it and throughout the day. If you see any similarities in what you eat and how you feel, you can get rid of that item for 3 weeks and then reintrduce it and see how you feel.

Good luck, keep me posted, Wendy

[bikerblue]

THanks for the response Wendy... boy if I ate some of that food you do (and I wish I could) I would be in a world of hurt... lol!!! I used to eat M&Ms and hershey bars all the time and now a bite makes me so nauseated and yucky feeling that is just isn't worth it!

Today I tried a few m&ms and I'm still hurting from it. I am soooo tired I can hardly stand it and yet so nauseated. I eat a lot of sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and all that steamed. Mostly meat and veggies. I do splurge with the occasional vanilla breyers ice cream and my brownies so that I can keep my weight up.

I am placing an order today for some more food. I will definitely keep an eye out for what I am eating... It seems to have been better lately but just so tired. It just seems to need to be simple and I am for the most part okay.

I'll let you know how it goes... hopefully I'm on the right track even though I seem to be losing more and more food choices by the month!!!!

Tami

[watkinson]

Hi Tami,

Are you sure that M&M's are gluten-free? I'm not sure. I think that Reeses pieces are.

I am so sorry you still feel sick. They say it took so long for our bodies to be damaged that the recovery can take a long time too.

I read an article today talking about the possibiity of some celiacs getting an overgrowth of bacteria in the intestins once we stop eating gluten and start to feel better. It said that the overgrowth can make you feel sick, (nausious with diareah) I wonder if you could possibly have that?

Keep in touch with any news, good luck with the foods,

Wendy

[angel-jd1]

Are you sure that M&M's are gluten-free?

All of the M & M's are gluten free EXCEPT the crispy ones in the blue bag.

-Jessica

[KaitiUSA]

Yep all M&M's are gluten free except the crispy

[tarnalberry]

Tami, have you investigated if you may have a casein intolerance? M&M's are gluten-free (with the exception noted above) but they're not CF. Just a thought.

[bikerblue]

Hi everyone. Yes I have checked into the casein. I can tolerate dairy with no problems. Since I have the corn out of me I have been feeling pretty good now but I still suffer with a lot of fatigue. I tried a couple of times over the last week trying something with corn and then wonder why I did that. I definitely react to it and just need to keep it out of my system.

I have been trying some spirulina this week to see if that will help improve my fatigue. I don't notice anything so far but I'm hoping to see a change in that area. Plus I'm working on trying to keep my weight up so all seems to be going well for the most part. I pray I'm on the right path!!!

Tami

[dreamhouses]

Hi, I know what you mean about the corn! I've been gluten-free for six months, but felt really achy a lot. I was complaining to someone about that, and they said "well what have you added in since you went gluten-free?"...okay, I added in a lot of corn stuff to make up for the lost wheat, like tacos, corn chips, tortillas etc.. I took them out and the achy stuff went away. Doesn't seem fair, but hey, at least I know what the problem is. I figure I can probably tolerate it occasionally anyway. Also remember that sometimes we add in so much rice when going gluten-free, and that can end up being a problem for some also. Its worth trying it without the grains, and adding them back in one by one. Good luck, Valerie