Seriously? Corn Too?

[annegirl]

Ok, so I'm starting to feel like a super SUPER freak. Does anyone else that starts accumulating a bunch of food allergies start feeling like your brain starts making it up?!?!

Last night I had tostados made with homemade refried beans and corn tortillas I baked in the oven. This morning I woke up with an eye slightly swollen, I though it was odd but moved on.

This afternoon I was just really extra hungry ( which is odd, I usually am filled with what I eat) so I ate some low sodium fritos. A few minutes later I went to the bathroom and noticed I had little pink spots on my cheeks. I also have had some D throughout the day.

Then for dinner I had some store roasted chicken that had corn syrup in it.

About 30 minutes later I had such insanely painful bloating I couldn't think straight. Now my eyes are itchy and I just feel yucky.

Does this all sound like a corn allergy?

[srall]

My reaction to corn is the same as my reaction to gluten...except with corn I also get itchy skin and hives. My daughter is very allergic to corn, and esp. corn syrup. So, it makes sense to me that corn is a problem for a lot of people too.

I often feel like if it were just gluten, or just dairy, or just corn that this would be so much easier. But holy cow, trying to get rid of the three leaves little room for dining out, and certainly eliminates most processed foods. I just keep telling myself (and my daughter) that we'll be healthier in the long run.

Hope you feel better soon.

[T.H.]

  On 3/29/2011 at 2:33 AM, annegirl said:

Does anyone else that starts accumulating a bunch of food allergies start feeling like your brain starts making it up?!?!

Yes, I definitely do! If I could find the part of my body that reacted to stuff, I would kick its butt!

Just in re: to corn - not that it helps a lot, but if you have to avoid it now and you miss popcorn? Popped whole grain sorghum is pretty good. Like mini-corn, but tastes about the same. You can pop it in the microwave in one of those bowl microwave poppers really well.

yeah...can you tell we avoid corn too?

[mushroom]

Where do you buy your whole grain sorghum, Shauna? That sounds good. Yep, another corn avoider

And yes, I always get mad as hell when another intolerance pops up Like, what have I done to deserve this, this can't be happening

[annegirl]

Thanks guys! I'm glad I'm not the only one. It has just been crazy. Since I've gone gluten free I get a new intolerance every 1-2 weeks. I feel much better, but keep having these days where I'm sick from something else!

I was researching corn free last night. Wow, harder than gluten, harder than dairy, harder than soy. >sniffle< I'm losing my last little "treats" (air popped corn and the tiny cans of coke).

But yeah, pretty sure it has to be the corn. Woke up all itchy this morning. I've decided to try and get a full blood panel done for food allergies. I'd rather just cut everything out now than to keep doing this trial and error stuff.

I really appreciate everyone's insight! And thanks for the popcorn replacement tip. Is there really corn in the wax they put on fresh fruit and such?

[julandjo]

Yes, I have a lot of anger and "why me" over my current food situation. In fact, I rely so heavily on sweet potatoes and carrots (the only vegetables I can tolerate), that my entire body is an eery orange-yellow color. Not only do I get to suffer through the exact same 7 foods every.freaking.day, now I also have to endure questions about my altered skin tone. I'm not in a good place emotionally, and I'm praying that all the testing I'm having done will give me some answers. So yeah, I get you.

Also, don't get your hopes up about the blood panel. Food allergies and intolerances tend not to [reliably] reveal themselves to medical diagnostic tests. You may well test negative on things that your body screams "oh heck no!" to. I know that's not at all what you want to hear, but it's the truth. Hang in there!

[srall]

  On 3/29/2011 at 3:52 PM, julandjo said:

Yes, I have a lot of anger and "why me" over my current food situation. In fact, I rely so heavily on sweet potatoes and carrots (the only vegetables I can tolerate), that my entire body is an eery orange-yellow color. Not only do I get to suffer through the exact same 7 foods every.freaking.day, now I also have to endure questions about my altered skin tone. I'm not in a good place emotionally, and I'm praying that all the testing I'm having done will give me some answers. So yeah, I get you.

Also, don't get your hopes up about the blood panel. Food allergies and intolerances tend not to [reliably] reveal themselves to medical diagnostic tests. You may well test negative on things that your body screams "oh heck no!" to. I know that's not at all what you want to hear, but it's the truth. Hang in there!

I concur about the testing. All my daughter's and my own testing was "normal" However when I did elimination diets and then re-introduced foods we had very specific symptoms for each food. I even tried the foods twice just to make sure it wasn't something else going on, like some random virus. I believe most of the testing is very very primitive. I think the corn is making you sick, especially with the itchy skin. It sounds so much like my response. Not that we would all respond the same way, but it does coincide with your diet. I think if you get rid of it, you will feel better. I just posted the "Corn is bringing my family to its knees" post the other day. Corn is by far and away the toughest to eliminate. Just gluten would be a cake walk.

[mushroom]

  On 3/29/2011 at 1:16 PM, annegirl said:

Thanks guys! I'm glad I'm not the only one. It has just been crazy. Since I've gone gluten free I get a new intolerance every 1-2 weeks. I feel much better, but keep having these days where I'm sick from something else!

Are you treating your leaky guy with probiotics? And some say L-glutamine helps too. Until those leaky joints are healed, it seems like any old food can pop through into the blood stream in a partially digested state and set off the autoimmune sirens

[Mother of a Celiac]

  On 3/29/2011 at 5:45 PM, srall said:

I concur about the testing. All my daughter's and my own testing was "normal" However when I did elimination diets and then re-introduced foods we had very specific symptoms for each food. I even tried the foods twice just to make sure it wasn't something else going on, like some random virus. I believe most of the testing is very very primitive. I think the corn is making you sick, especially with the itchy skin. It sounds so much like my response. Not that we would all respond the same way, but it does coincide with your diet. I think if you get rid of it, you will feel better. I just posted the "Corn is bringing my family to its knees" post the other day. Corn is by far and away the toughest to eliminate. Just gluten would be a cake walk.

I agree. My daughter is now gluten, corn, grain, dairy, and chocolate free. People ask what we eat, all I say is thank God for almond flour! She/we live off of the almond muffin of the day, protein, veggies, and fruit. Although, I tried to reintroduce rice 3 days ago and now she is sick again. So yesterday we went back to grain free. Hoping that that is it and not something else. This is getting really tricky. Anyone else out there tried or have done the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for any length of time with success? I don't mind doing it, as long as I know we are on the right track to healing! Reading and trying the Paleo Solution Diet right now, very similar.

[srall]

I just got the book about the SCD. I know that's our next step but we aren't mentally there yet. My daughter and I are both underweight, and I know the diet isn't recommended for people who are underweight, esp. in children. So, I need to do more research and then decide if it's right for us.

[annegirl]

The physician's assistant actually told me to wait on the tests until she could confirm with her mom (gluten, dairy, soy etc etc free!!) what tests she took that were beneficial. She told me that she felt the tests did not really show what was going on. Thank goodness for reasonable doctors! She's going to do some research and get back to me with some options and perhaps a referral to a naturopath, Yay!

Thanks for all the advice and help. Mushroom - no haven't gotten into the pro biotics end yet. I feel like everytime I master what I can eat something changes and I have a whole new thing to research. I will put that on the list of to buys! Thanks for the idea.

As far as corn being harder than gluten...oh my goodness yes! I look back at the gluten free only going gee, wish I could go back there. Good thing I can't see into the future.

[anabananakins]

Ugh, corn! When I went gluten free (and discovered daily constant stomach aches weren't normal!) I also discovered that corn and I aren't friends. I can tolerate fresh or canned corn (pieces) and popcorn, but ground corn is a no no. Not sure about corn starch in small quantities, I think that's ok.

I can't face giving it up as thoroughly as I have gluten though. It seems to be in everything, worse even than wheat? But since corn in bread, tacos and tortillas give me a stomach ache and D, I don't bother eating them. On the plus side, I don't get the balance issues if I do have some, and the stomach aches aren't the "kill me now" of an accidental glutening.

I think being healthier makes us realise just how many things didn't really agree with us. I used to always describe myself as having a "cast iron" stomach, able to tolerate anything. I really don't know WTF I was thinking there in my little bubble of denial!

[annegirl]

  On 3/31/2011 at 10:49 PM, anabananakins said:

I think being healthier makes us realise just how many things didn't really agree with us. I used to always describe myself as having a "cast iron" stomach, able to tolerate anything. I really don't know WTF I was thinking there in my little bubble of denial!

Oh my gosh! Me too!! I guess we were sharing a bubble. I was always proud that I could eat pretty much anything and find something to enjoy about it. All the while dealing with wild stomach issues that I thought were normal because I had always felt that way. >shakes head< Silly me.

At this point the only thing that is really bugging me that I can't figure out is my itchy, burning eyes. I was thinking it was the corn....but now I'm off corn and still have it! arg! What else could I be reacting to?

[mushroom]

  On 4/1/2011 at 5:38 AM, annegirl said:

Oh my gosh! Me too!! I guess we were sharing a bubble. I was always proud that I could eat pretty much anything and find something to enjoy about it. All the while dealing with wild stomach issues that I thought were normal because I had always felt that way. >shakes head< Silly me.

At this point the only thing that is really bugging me that I can't figure out is my itchy, burning eyes. I was thinking it was the corn....but now I'm off corn and still have it! arg! What else could I be reacting to?

I know what you mean. You reach the point where you wonder how many "frees" do I have to do before I get there!!! It is like a jigsaw puzzle where you say, that piece couldn't possibly fit there, but guess what???..... it DOES!!

[annegirl]

  On 4/1/2011 at 5:47 AM, mushroom said:

I know what you mean. You reach the point where you wonder how many "frees" do I have to do before I get there!!! It is like a jigsaw puzzle where you say, that piece couldn't possibly fit there, but guess what???..... it DOES!!

I know! Now that I'm keeping a food journal it's really helping. And since my brain fog has lifted I can actually remember what I did a couple days ago instead of struggling to find words!

>sigh< I think it might be beans though..... >sniffle<

[anabananakins]

  On 4/2/2011 at 5:47 AM, annegirl said:

I know! Now that I'm keeping a food journal it's really helping. And since my brain fog has lifted I can actually remember what I did a couple days ago instead of struggling to find words!

>sigh< I think it might be beans though..... >sniffle<

Well yay for feeling better but I'm sorry about the beans. Boo :-(

It was nice and cozy in the bubble... but we didn't feel great.

[annegirl]

You are so right. We didn't feel good at all. That is a big positive of now....unless we eat something wrong that is!

And yeah, I REALLY can't do corn or anything associated. I have had a lot of bad luck cutting corn out because it is EVERYWHERE!

I got coke in a glass bottle from Winco last night thinking yyyyaaaaaay! It's sugar! I can drink it!

NOT

Yeah, caramel color >rolls eyes< sometimes I get so involved looking for one thing that I overlook the 50 other things I can't have in some variety. But now I know for sure it's that and I'm way more clued in to my symptoms: severe bloating, itching burning eyes (lasts for at least 48 hours), sore throat with swelling, burning feeling in my nose, popping painful ears (aren't these the craziest symptoms?? No wonder I didn't realize until the bloating started last week....I've been putting up with this for YEARS).

But hey, I'm learning. I'm just glad that yet another symptom/cause has been connected and I can feel even better....and keep beans around for now too (it was the tomato sauce in the rice that did it, not the beans)