Those Of You With Corn Intolerance

[BamBam]

This past week I ate a lot of corn or corn products. I ate yellow corn for supper, plus ate a whole box of fruity peebles which have corn in them and a few other things like popcorn. And today my bones hurt so bad, I'm to the point of not being able to do anything, it is mainly in my legs and hips which are weak areas already, I suffer from an ataxia.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone with a corn intolerance had any symptoms like this?

Thank you in advance.

BamBam

[debmidge]

Bernadette

I worked with a woman who had this problem too. She avoided corn as it gave her MS-like symptoms. She and I went to dinner once and she was telling me about it as she was ordering her dinner. I was surprised to learn it was corn that was the problem.

Best wishes,

Debbie

[bluelotus]

I have a corn intolerance too - it sucks. Corn is in everything, esp. mainstream stuff as they tend to substitute quality sweeteners with corn syrup. *Sigh* I noticed my intolerance b/c I was gluten-free a(nd had been for 7+ months) and, all of a sudden, I began to get sick again (D, headaches, fatigue, fever, sweats). Went through the whole thing again where I checked soaps, shampoos, cross-contam sources, but came up with nothing. I then realized my symptoms were most intense in the mid-morning and all of my cereals were corn based. Decided to cut out the corn and have felt much better since. The muscle weakness doesn't suprise me either. Though I never noticed it directly, I have noticed that after I have been glutened, I am weaker at the gym - can't do as many reps or workout as long. People also tend to get joint pain from nightshade allergies, so you may want to consider that if cutting out corn doesn't work. Hope you feel better soon.

[julie5914]

Is your cereal special gluten-free cereal? If it is a main brand name, I can almost guarantee is it not gluten-free because of malt flavoring.

[kabowman]

I had joint problems before I eliminated all the foods in my signature below. I am not sure which one was the culprit because I did a lot over a few months. However, I do know that one of them was causing my joint pain.

I am not sure which is harder to avoid, corn or soy but both are harder than gluten. Corn is a cheap sweatner that is in everything. I found one spaghetti sauce without corn syrup. Corn syrup is in gum, corn starch is in many pills, etc.

I can tolerate some corn starch as long as I don't overdo it. I don't eat anything with corn syrup or corn. That way, I seem to be able to continue to handle the minimal amount I do have to have for my meds.

[dhbenson]

Hello!

I found your reply through a google search. I am a dabbler in celiac.com because I have a 25 month old daughter who seems to be having the same reactions to corn as you have mentioned with the MS symptoms.

It is very bizarre and all of the doctors which we have seen do not understand the symptoms as being a result of my daughter ingesting corn. It has been a heart wreching journey with many ups and downs as my daughter is quite delayed developmentally as a result of our delay in discovering that corn was the problem.

We have not met anyone who suffers from this problem and haven't been able to find any helpful research online.

Do you think it would be possible for you to reach out to the woman you mentioned and ask if she would be willing to share some information with our family?

Any information or even just hearing from someone who is dealing with the same problems would be so helpful.

Thank you so much!!!

Heather

Our email:

dhbenson@verizon.net

Bernadette

I worked with a woman who had this problem too. She avoided corn as it gave her MS-like symptoms. She and I went to dinner once and she was telling me about it as she was ordering her dinner. I was surprised to learn it was corn that was the problem.

Best wishes,

Debbie

[moldlady]

Hello everyone,

I've been off corn for 10 years now. Back in the 80s it was a problem that farmers were having with corn being universally contaminated with mold and mycotoxins. People that already have immune system problems will get worse when eating any kind of corn.

In the 90s I found out about the gene splicing to corn to kill off the pests that were eating it in the fields. It was originally called Starlink corn and was supposed to be for the animals only but the pollen blew throughout the corn belt and within 3 years all the corn was contaminated with this Bt gene that kills insects that eat any part of the plant.

I have a link here where you can read my posts and some discussion about it. Some believe and some do not. Unfortunately, those that do not believe and keep eating it, will suffer the consequences in the long run.

Open Original Shared Link

Once you have found the site, there is also a thread on corn 101 that describes in detail the mold and mycotoxin evidence.

To your health,

ML

[trustyourguts]

Hello,

I and both of my children have problems with corn. All corn products are off limits for us. When I eat corn my right knee hurts so badly I have a difficult time getting to sleep. I have to take motrin to get a little relief. I compare it to arthritis. It takes a couple of weeks for the pain to go away. I also have other food sensitivities which cause my pain.

I once heard a presentation by a chiropractor who said the gut and the knees are linked somehow by their innervation. This makes sense. For the longest time my ds would limp whenever he ate gluten.

Trust your gut. Do what you think is best for you and ignore the tests. They are not perfect. If you take a test and it comes back negative but you know that a certain food causes pain avoid that food.

[Lizz7711]

This past week I ate a lot of corn or corn products. I ate yellow corn for supper, plus ate a whole box of fruity peebles which have corn in them and a few other things like popcorn. And today my bones hurt so bad, I'm to the point of not being able to do anything, it is mainly in my legs and hips which are weak areas already, I suffer from an ataxia.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone with a corn intolerance had any symptoms like this?

Thank you in advance.

BamBam

I'm interested to know what other symptoms people have from corn. My daughter (8) and I have both been Gluten-free Casein-free for 3 months now, and i'm starting to think we still have some sensitivities like corn. I noticed today after having two corn tortillas with lunch that my stomach just felt tight all day. And last week after my daughter had popcorn in addition to corn with dinner, she wet the bed. (bedwetting is another symptom of food sensitivities) She used to wet the bed on occasion if I didn't make sure she went pee before bed and make sure she doens't drink fluids after 8 pm, but I thought it was just cuz she's such a deep sleeper. But since being Gluten-free Casein-free, I think this was the first time in 3-6 months she had an accident.

She'll cry like crazy if I tell her no corn though...she's already so sad with no gluten and no dairy, and supposed to be no soy or eggs as well, but I haven't really instituted that very strictly yet!

I get joint pain from dairy. I did have one incident where I ate a baked potato and had immediate knee pain that made me cry out for an evening...was gone by noon the next day. So could be nightshade issue, but I think it was from the potato skin since I don't usually react to potatoes, but I never eat the skin and did that one time.

good luck!

Liz

[SharonaZ]

I developed a problem with corn after my third child was born seventeen years ago. Severe cramps, huge bloating, vomiting, lethargy, etc. My doctor was very unhelpful. I somehow managed to pin corn as the culprit. A skin test for allergy was negative for corn, so the allergist focused on my hayfever. I determined it must be a lack of enzymes, similar to lactose intolerance and tried a commercial enzyme capsule. Results were variable, probably because there is no way to tell if the enzymes are active. I gave up that approach. I avoid whole corn, corn flour, corn meal. I don't notice symptoms from corn oil or syrup, but I think I will try to avoid those, too. I imagine your child is sensitive to all corn ingredients if her symptoms are apparent already! Corn is everywhere! I have also had a very hard time finding any information anywhere.

Best wishes to your family! You have a difficult situation,but maybe avoiding all corn will lead to a healthier diet. Seems like all premade food has corn.

Hello!

I found your reply through a google search. I am a dabbler in celiac.com because I have a 25 month old daughter who seems to be having the same reactions to corn as you have mentioned with the MS symptoms.

It is very bizarre and all of the doctors which we have seen do not understand the symptoms as being a result of my daughter ingesting corn. It has been a heart wreching journey with many ups and downs as my daughter is quite delayed developmentally as a result of our delay in discovering that corn was the problem.

We have not met anyone who suffers from this problem and haven't been able to find any helpful research online.

Do you think it would be possible for you to reach out to the woman you mentioned and ask if she would be willing to share some information with our family?

Any information or even just hearing from someone who is dealing with the same problems would be so helpful.

Thank you so much!!!

Heather

Our email:

dhbenson@verizon.net

[RiceGuy]

I found it is the GMO corn which bothers me most, but leg, hip and other bone pain was something I got from nightshades. There was a lot of damage before I figured it all out, and just avoiding the foods wasn't enough. I got tremendous benefits from methylcobalamin (B12) and magnesium.

Thankfully, organic non-GMO corn doesn't seem to bother me.

[Candy]

Corn products makes me feel not too good too,except for a little popped corn,or fresh corn.But Celiacs suffer from so many conditions.I don't know why corn makes some of us sick.If it makes you sick just don't eat it.Eat oats or rice,fruits,vegetables,some meats.I learned celiacs don't absorb B vitamins so they should get vitamin B shots or take the "sublingual " B that goes right into the body. Since many Celiacs can't drink milk,or soy,but have weak bones,I take a calcium tablet,and I take it with a little fat ,like mayonaise,since the added vitamin D is fat soluable.

Over time many Celiacs develop other autoimmune conditions like Addisons Disease which affect the Adrenal Gland on top of the kidneys which causes hyperpigmentation,weakness,and adrenal fatigue- Tests'll show if you have it and cortisone tablets are prescribed to take daily-I read this online.

Celiacs can also get Sjogrens Disease which is when the immune system attacks the connective tissue(probably the reason behind their joint pain),dry skin,dry eyes and mouth-I think I've had all of these symptoms ,but I haven't seen a specialist,and I'm not insured. Some of these have just shown up in me about three weeks ago. Sjogren sufferers also have an increased risk of getting Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma-I read this online too.

So consider that any of your sympotms could be from something like above and to treat it accordingly.

[Candy]

A website I came across told said that "a Free Form Amino Acid complex" was good for Celiacs ,because it provides necessary protein that is easy for the body to use. and rated it's importance :Very High.

I searched Online for "Vitamins for Celiac", and came across Open Original Shared Link

This site has good advice .

[pattyo]

Hi!  

 

I was self-diagnosed via information on the internet, that I am corn sensitive/intolerant.  I spent a year and a half 'just feeling crummy' after being very healthy and active all my life.  I have only ever taken tylenol (let's guestimate four times a year) and nothing more as far as pills/drugs with the exception of that year and a half that I felt so crummy.  During that time period I felt Feverish every day after lunch, and would want to leave work.  Worn out and wanting to go to bed early every night.  Then one evening (5:00 pm) I was really worn out, feeling crummy and already in bed, I started researching my symptoms.  One lovely person in some post mentioned they were corn sensitive.  It was like a lightbulb went off!  I had had corn (canned corn, corn on the cob and popcorn) for the previous three nights!  In researching I now know that you get 'corn' from various other sources too, but that was that proverbial lightbulb that went off which began my quest to feel as good as I used to, before my sensitivity!  I immediately eliminated ALL corn products to test, and sure enough, it was what was keeping me sickly!

 

Since then I have happened across many others who are (or seem to be), corn sensitive too!  Corn is very hard to eliminate from your diet, it really takes a lot of self-control, and reading every label out there, and 'don't try it' if you suspect it... and get as much information as you can!  A very helpful site I have found was one that was based in Canada... it seems Canadians see how bad corn products can be to a body, and they have several sites that help educate you.  One site I've found quite helpful is: cornfree.com which lists all the different names that corn can use to sneak into your foods (look for the tab that says list of corn derivatives).  This is one of the reasons I believe people think they're NOT sensitive - is because they think they eliminate corn from their diet but still feel bad so it must not have been the corn....  They miss the mark if they don't remove food with dextrose and glucose and dextrin, etc.  

 

I would like to explain my symptoms, which are completely non-existent if I eliminate corn from my diet, but if I eat a corn product, no matter how small a portion, these symptoms come within minutes of eating  or drinking it.  Explaining these symptoms might help someone else detect a corn intolerance and feel better, I have one acquaintance who's symptoms are exactly like mine.

 

(Symptoms In order of occurrence)

All across my upper back/shoulders it begins to burn - for some reason it begins on my left shoulder first.

My forearm muscles become weak.

My fingers and toes begin to ache.

I get feverish

My fingers feel like they're puffy (they don't look puffy) and they're hard to bend, like they're puffy.

I feel what I consider to be arthritic, primarily in my hands at this point

The veins (mostly in my right hand) begin to enlarge

My grip in my hands weaken

My leg (thigh and calf) muscles become weakened

My hips start to go 'out'

I begin to have trouble walking (due to hips) like I'm arthritic all over

I would sit down on the couch and not get up to do anything, because everything physical was a struggle

When I go to bed I feel like I have that 'restless leg' syndrome, where I want to stretch and kick my legs. Also If I am laying anything other than rigid-straight my body gets very fatigued.

 

If the word 'muscular dystrophy' wasn't taken, I'd call this process that word.

 

Now that I'm off the corn and have only had a few occurrences, I might note that other than the fever, all these symptoms will still occur and will last for about three days.  The fever does come but lasts only several hours.  I get progressively better throughout those three days - by the third day I'm walking / feeling normally again, provided I haven't had any new corn.  I make the statement quite often, "Feeling-good feels better than tasting-good tastes"  AND another comment I've made lately, "I can either feel 35 (I'm 55) or 95, it's my choice!"

 

I am also going to attribute my sinus problems of late to corn, as well, because all last year I was on one course of antibiotic after another course of antibiotic due to sinus infections and bronchitis and all year I was on some sort of three a day antihistamine pill.  Since quitting corn my sinuses have cleared up completely and I use NO antihistamines.  I have been corn-free for the past eight months.  It's been a struggle, but so worth it!  Occasionally I get a bit of corn, probably three times since quitting eight months ago.  Right when I get it, I say to myself, 'oh no, here we go again!'... but know there's an end in sight to the pain and weakness.

 

Besides feeling better and able to stay awake later in the evening to enjoy life, I also have lost a bit of weight.  It seems the corn was keeping me lethargic enough I would eat and never work it off.  I am now (in the last two months) back into playing with my kids, running which I love, and yoga!

 

I hope this post helps someone realize they aren't 'crazy' and that these (and possibly less or possibly more) symptoms are real and avoidable!

 

Good luck!