I Have A New Allergy! Frustrated!

[pretty in paleo]

So I was already intolerant of gluten, lactose, casein, soy, oats, brown rice, canola oil, white mushrooms and oysters. Now it seems I have developed a severe corn allergy! I had a few cups of corn pasta for dinner and I suffered this cramping/burning feeling in my stomach from about 7:30 that night until the same time the next morning - 12 hours!! There was also brain fog (couldn't do homework) and a headache. It just makes me feel like I have done something wrong. Or not enough. Leaky gut does lead to allergies but I had thought it was healing nicely. I try to do everything right: follow a whole foods diet, keep hydrated, exercise, reduce stress, read labels with a fiery passion, cook my own meals. So what should I do to stop developing more of these allergies?    

[mushroom]

Sometimes just eating a clean, whole foods diet is not enough to promote healing as fast as we would like.  Sometimes we have to be more pro-active and give nature a helping hand.  The three primary means of doing this that are mentioned on here are firstly, taking probiotics to repopulate the gut with healthy flora; secondly, taking digestive enzymes to help break down your food so that it does not pass into your bloodstream in an incompletely digested state (which can lead to an intolerance); and thirdly, actively promote healing by supplementing with L-glutamine.

 

It would be worth giving it a whirl so that you can stop losing additional foods.  I didn't take the L-glutamine but the probiotics and digestive enzymes were essentials for me.  Naturopaths also have foods they are happy to sell you (supplements) that reduce gut inflammation - so they claim.  A naturopathic consultation is often a good step in the healing process.  It's not for everyone but it could help.

[shadowicewolf]

Allergys generally have swelling/itching/life threatening mess. Sounds like you developed a new intolerance.

 

Back off of it for a while. Stick to meats/veggies/fruits, see if you can add some beans and nuts in.

[Melietcetera]

So I was already intolerant of gluten, lactose, casein, soy, oats, brown rice, canola oil, white mushrooms and oysters. Now it seems I have developed a severe corn allergy! I had a few cups of corn pasta for dinner and I suffered this cramping/burning feeling in my stomach from about 7:30 that night until the same time the next morning - 12 hours!! There was also brain fog (couldn't do homework) and a headache. It just makes me feel like I have done something wrong. Or not enough. Leaky gut does lead to allergies but I had thought it was healing nicely. I try to do everything right: follow a whole foods diet, keep hydrated, exercise, reduce stress, read labels with a fiery passion, cook my own meals. So what should I do to stop developing more of these allergies?    

It looks to me like your system is in high-reaction mode and you may be reacting to things you wouldn't normally.  What I mean is - Our systems get hyper responsive if they have flared up often in quick succession.  Example - I'm celiac and if I eat something that has gluten in it, I'm sensitive to things I wouldn't normally react to three days or more after the gluten reaction has settled down.  

 

I know how frustrating this can get - I've gone through it, too - Getting to the point that you don't know WHAT you can eat... I love cooking, too...

 

Try to go a week or two with only simple food like steamed vegetables without sauces, grilled meat with little spice, lots of water and whole pieces of fruit - nothing canned or syrupy... It should give your body a chance to get out of its' hyper vigilance, I hope.

 

Best of luck!!!

[GFinDC]

It looks to me like your system is in high-reaction mode and you may be reacting to things you wouldn't normally.  What I mean is - Our systems get hyper responsive if they have flared up often in quick succession.  Example - I'm celiac and if I eat something that has gluten in it, I'm sensitive to things I wouldn't normally react to three days or more after the gluten reaction has settled down.  

 

I know how frustrating this can get - I've gone through it, too - Getting to the point that you don't know WHAT you can eat... I love cooking, too...

 

Try to go a week or two with only simple food like steamed vegetables without sauces, grilled meat with little spice, lots of water and whole pieces of fruit - nothing canned or syrupy... It should give your body a chance to get out of its' hyper vigilance, I hope.

 

Best of luck!!!

 

Good advice Melietcetera!  And welcome to the forum!

 

@Pretty in Paleo,

 

Hi Pretty,

 

I wouldn't assume you have a permanent intolerance from one incident.  Wait a while and try  a different version of corn.  It could be the item you ate was cross contaminated.

[pretty in paleo]

Good advice Melietcetera!  And welcome to the forum!

 

@Pretty in Paleo,

 

Hi Pretty,

 

I wouldn't assume you have a permanent intolerance from one incident.  Wait a while and try  a different version of corn.  It could be the item you ate was cross contaminated.

I have thought about this. but it was non GMO corn, the safest kind. also I reacted to a salad with corn in it but at the time I thought it was something else. CC has never been an issue for me before so I don't think thats it either.

[mushroom]

I react to corn pretty much the same way I react to gluten.  I can handle some corn starch, but not anything that has any part of the kernel covering in it.

[Takala]

How to test a corn allergy/intolerance. Don't eat corn for awhile.   Take an ear of fresh sweet corn in the green husk.  Shuck it, then cook it in water.  Eat it.  See what happens. This is the only way I can tell if it is the corn or the cross contamination.

 

I have reacted to so many cross contaminated corn products, even GMO ones such as chips, because they changed the OIL they fried them in,  it makes me want to pull my hair out sometimes.  These different types of oil seed sources are not all harvested on dedicated equipment out on the prairies, and unless they are batch testing for gluten cross contamination, who knows.   I see you are an oat reactor....  so am I.... you may have to start to avoid anything made in a facility with oat flour.   And some of these brands of gluten-free pasta I would not touch because they either have flax, which I cannot do, or I see that they also make regular wheat flour products which may be on the same shelf at the store, and I would have to research the company and see if they are making their gluten free ones in a dedicated facility, or not.  I'd really not want to eat gluten free pasta from an all- purpose pasta factory! If I can't read this on the label, I'd just rather take a pass. 

 

You said a salad with corn in it...  I was at a restaurant last month, and the menu item "gluten free lettuce and dressing only" salad comes out with one little kernel of corn on it...  I am like, sorry, hon, this has to go back because we don't know where that corn was before it landed on my salad, and I really do get sick... the waitress sort of rolled her eyes just a second, but did replace it with a new one.  I knew it had to be canned corn, and I had no idea what sort or brand of canned corn, or what sort of manufacturing lines it had been run down, nor did it have any added ingredients.   Trying to explain the potential for gluten contaminating anywhere in the entire chain of "corn seed to field to harvest to processing to what was going on back there in the salad bin prep area" was going to be too complicated.   But success... Did NOT get glutened....  

 

Did you know that the carrier starch product, dextrose, in iodized sea salt may contain corn ?  Try looking at your salts, if you are really winnowing this out.

 

Not unusual at all for sensitivity to cross contamination to increase the longer you are on a gluten free diet. 

[pretty in paleo]

How to test a corn allergy/intolerance. Don't eat corn for awhile.   Take an ear of fresh sweet corn in the green husk.  Shuck it, then cook it in water.  Eat it.  See what happens. This is the only way I can tell if it is the corn or the cross contamination.

 

I have reacted to so many cross contaminated corn products, even GMO ones such as chips, because they changed the OIL they fried them in,  it makes me want to pull my hair out sometimes.  These different types of oil seed sources are not all harvested on dedicated equipment out on the prairies, and unless they are batch testing for gluten cross contamination, who knows.   I see you are an oat reactor....  so am I.... you may have to start to avoid anything made in a facility with oat flour.   And some of these brands of gluten-free pasta I would not touch because they either have flax, which I cannot do, or I see that they also make regular wheat flour products which may be on the same shelf at the store, and I would have to research the company and see if they are making their gluten free ones in a dedicated facility, or not.  I'd really not want to eat gluten free pasta from an all- purpose pasta factory! If I can't read this on the label, I'd just rather take a pass. 

 

You said a salad with corn in it...  I was at a restaurant last month, and the menu item "gluten free lettuce and dressing only" salad comes out with one little kernel of corn on it...  I am like, sorry, hon, this has to go back because we don't know where that corn was before it landed on my salad, and I really do get sick... the waitress sort of rolled her eyes just a second, but did replace it with a new one.  I knew it had to be canned corn, and I had no idea what sort or brand of canned corn, or what sort of manufacturing lines it had been run down, nor did it have any added ingredients.   Trying to explain the potential for gluten contaminating anywhere in the entire chain of "corn seed to field to harvest to processing to what was going on back there in the salad bin prep area" was going to be too complicated.   But success... Did NOT get glutened....  

 

Did you know that the carrier starch product, dextrose, in iodized sea salt may contain corn ?  Try looking at your salts, if you are really winnowing this out.

 

Not unusual at all for sensitivity to cross contamination to increase the longer you are on a gluten free diet. 

Thats why I cook at home 99% of the time. I feel really embarrassed when I have to send my food back to the kitchen because it has some little thing like candied nuts or a bit of sauce. And now I hear they dust meats with flour so they won't stick to the grill...ugh lol. good call not eating the canned stuff. Food from cans is really hit or miss when you have allergies. Saw a tin of tomato paste the other day with +50 ingredients. . . yikes.

[pretty in paleo]

I react to corn pretty much the same way I react to gluten.  I can handle some corn starch, but not anything that has any part of the kernel covering in it.

hmmm this was different than my gluten reaction which is usually pain in joints. If I am allergic to corn, I don't know yet which part of the kernel is problematic.

[mushroom]

We all do react differently.  All we can do is share our experiences and hope they help out someone else.    (My joint pain is aggravated by members of the nightshade family )

[designerstubble]

I am 5 months gluten free, recently started reacting to corn. Amongst my many other allergies and intolerances. I get worse gi and toilet symptoms with corn it seems?! But no massive fatigue just feel a bit crappy.

I have days when I don't care I just wanna feel well. I have days when I simply have had enough... Especially when I wonder' if I am healing, if I am doing things right, why am I getting new allergies every 2 weeks...'

You're not alone, I'm very much in your club!

[stri8ed]

When you have a leaky gut, large undigested protein particles from the food can enter the bloodstream. This means over time, as your body gets continuously exposed to these foreign proteins, the immune system will develop an allergy to the said food.

 

Focusing on healing the gut via proper nutrition and supplementation (L-glutamine) is definitely the right thing to do. But at the same time, it would be a good idea to implement a Open Original Shared Link. This ensures that the body does not get constantly bombarded by the same proteins, and therefore it is less likely further allergies will develop.

 

Take it from someone who knows. I have lost dozens of foods by simply eliminating problematic foods, and then replacing them with a new food, until I eventually became allergic to that too. The fact that you are already allergic to multiple foods should tell you something. You need to change something (do a rotation diet), otherwise the pattern will keep repeating itself.

 

Origins of the rotation diet

[Michelle1234]

After about 5 yrs eating gluten free I developed massive food allergies to everything I ate. I had been following this forum for pretty much the entire time and noticed that alot of other people developed them also. Fortunately I have a great Dr. who did some tests and put me on some suppliments (over the counter) that solved it all. For any one who is interested but perhaps doesn't have access to good Drs. or can't afford the $1000 test here is what I started taking:

 

Allimax - contains Allicin is an organosulfur compound obtained from garlic 2x per day for 8 weeks.

 

Candibactin-BR - From Amazon.com 'CandiBactin-BR provides extracts of herbs including berberine-containing plants to support healthy immune, detoxification, and elimination functions. Featuring berberine hydrochloride and extracts of Oregon grape and coptis roots, the formula encourages a healthy intestinal environment and supports detoxification function of the liver and gallbladder. A proprietary extract of Chinese herbs-including ginger, licorice, and skullcap-harmonize the action of the other herbs within the formula. Product Review as Follows: "I am using this in conjunction with other supplements to clear up a candida problem. Working well. I will keep this handy for maintenance once things are cleared up."' 2x per day for 8 weeks.

 

Both of the above with food and Ok at the same time.

 

These were to wipe out bad yeast in my gut.

 

To be taken NOT with the above:

 

Ultra Bifidus DF - A probiotic supplement featuring a specially cultured, highly viable, pure strain of the beneficial bacteria, Bifidobacterium lactis. 1/2 tsp per day

 

Saccharomyces boulardii - From webMD "Saccharomyces boulardii is called a "probiotic," a friendly organism that helps to fight off disease-causing organisms in the gut such as bacteria and yeast." My dr. explained that it was a replacement for the bad yeast that the above were killing. From the NOW vitamin description. "

Saccharomyces boulardii is a probiotic yeast that survives stomach acid and colonizes the intestinal tract. It promotes the health of the intestinal tract, helps to encourage a healthy gut flora balance.** Saccharomyces boulardii has also been shown to support proper gastrointestinal function during a disruption to the normal balance of gut flora.**

Manufactured by Now Foods." 3x/day

 

I now just take a maintenance dose of Allimax and Candibactin BR. But I haven't consulted with the Dr on this. It just seemed to me that when I dropped these completely I eventually started getting stomach aches again after eating. When I take them I'm fine will all foods except of course gluten. I ended up not continuing with the UltraBifidus DF or Saccharomyces Boulardii beyond the intial doses largely because I'm lazy and I like the Pearls probiotics and the Enzymedica Digest Spectrum because they are an easier form for me to take. I hope you get your problem cleared up. I wasn't going to accept not being able to eat any dairy, eggs, some meats, some vegetables, some fruits etc. It would have been a very unhealthy and restricted diet long term.

[designerstubble]

After about 5 yrs eating gluten free I developed massive food allergies to everything I ate. I had been following this forum for pretty much the entire time and noticed that alot of other people developed them also. Fortunately I have a great Dr. who did some tests and put me on some suppliments (over the counter) that solved it all. For any one who is interested but perhaps doesn't have access to good Drs. or can't afford the $1000 test here is what I started taking:

Allimax - contains Allicin is an organosulfur compound obtained from garlic 2x per day for 8 weeks.

Candibactin-BR - From (Company Name Removed - They Spammed This Forum and are Banned) 'CandiBactin-BR provides extracts of herbs including berberine-containing plants to support healthy immune, detoxification, and elimination functions. Featuring berberine hydrochloride and extracts of Oregon grape and coptis roots, the formula encourages a healthy intestinal environment and supports detoxification function of the liver and gallbladder. A proprietary extract of Chinese herbs-including ginger, licorice, and skullcap-harmonize the action of the other herbs within the formula. Product Review as Follows: "I am using this in conjunction with other supplements to clear up a candida problem. Working well. I will keep this handy for maintenance once things are cleared up."' 2x per day for 8 weeks.

Both of the above with food and Ok at the same time.

These were to wipe out bad yeast in my gut.

To be taken NOT with the above:

Ultra Bifidus DF - A probiotic supplement featuring a specially cultured, highly viable, pure strain of the beneficial bacteria, Bifidobacterium lactis. 1/2 tsp per day

Saccharomyces boulardii - From webMD "Saccharomyces boulardii is called a "probiotic," a friendly organism that helps to fight off disease-causing organisms in the gut such as bacteria and yeast." My dr. explained that it was a replacement for the bad yeast that the above were killing. From the NOW vitamin description. "

Saccharomyces boulardii is a probiotic yeast that survives stomach acid and colonizes the intestinal tract. It promotes the health of the intestinal tract, helps to encourage a healthy gut flora balance.** Saccharomyces boulardii has also been shown to support proper gastrointestinal function during a disruption to the normal balance of gut flora.**

Manufactured by Now Foods." 3x/day

I now just take a maintenance dose of Allimax and Candibactin BR. But I haven't consulted with the Dr on this. It just seemed to me that when I dropped these completely I eventually started getting stomach aches again after eating. When I take them I'm fine will all foods except of course gluten. I ended up not continuing with the UltraBifidus DF or Saccharomyces Boulardii beyond the intial doses largely because I'm lazy and I like the Pearls probiotics and the Enzymedica Digest Spectrum because they are an easier form for me to take. I hope you get your problem cleared up. I wasn't going to accept not being able to eat any dairy, eggs, some meats, some vegetables, some fruits etc. It would have been a very unhealthy and restricted diet long term.

That was really helpful just wondered... What kind of allergic reactions did you get to food??? Also how long before you started reintroducing these foods? It's an amazing thing to have gained them back like that, what luck to fall on such a good consultant! Well done to you... I hope I get there too, I have hardly nothing to eat due to real allergies and intolerances... Fingers crossed

[Michelle1234]

That was really helpful just wondered... What kind of allergic reactions did you get to food??? Also how long before you started reintroducing these foods? It's an amazing thing to have gained them back like that, what luck to fall on such a good consultant! Well done to you... I hope I get there too, I have hardly nothing to eat due to real allergies and intolerances... Fingers crossed

My allergic reaction to food came on pretty fast and furious. I got head to toe white pusticles all over my skin that if you itched them they became insanely itchy and multiplied like crazy. I was worried I was developing DH. I went to my regular Dr. who thought it looked like a food allegy so she ordered some allergy panels. They came back with allergies to pretty much everything I ate on a normal basis. Her suggestion was that I eliminate it all from my diet for about 4 mnths and then try to reintroduce. I eliminated it all from my diet but I also went to see a holistic Dr who ordered the (Company Name Removed - They Spammed This Forum and are Banned) 2100 gastrointestinal function profile and the 2155 sensitivity - fungi test. Also did a thyroid test but more indepth than the one my regular Dr. did. Based on the test he prescribed the above suppliments.

 

I started to reintroduce foods one at a time after I had a fairly good period of time with normal, firm, non-smelly, well formed stools. I probably waited at least the 8 weeks of the above protocol. Maybe more. I can't really remember but I'm reasonably certain that I didn't reintroduce anything in the first 8 weeks because I remember going to a follow-up appt. when he said I had to wait 3 mths and I was surprised as he had originally said 8 weeks.  When I tried discontinuing the suppliments I started getting the 'rock in the stomach' feeling of undigested foods, stomach ache or poor stools. When any of that happens I know I've got to get back on track with adding back in the probiotics, digestive enzymes, or the suppliments. Pretty much I've just given up and take one of the Allimax and Candibactin - BR every single day and that seems to keep everything inside happy.

 

When I go out to eat and have problems (probably due to cc) I take the Enzymedica Digest Spectrum. I used to always take Enzymedica Gluten Ease prior to every single restaurant meal because I almost always had a reaction and the Gluten Ease was like a miracle for keeping them away or dealing with them. But now my gut is healthy enough that I am the opposite. I almost always don't have a reaction.