Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Corn Sensitivity in Celiac Temporary or permanent?

tbiz

By tbiz
in Food Intolerance & Leaky Gut

Recommended Posts

tbiz Newbie
tbiz
Posted

I was diagnosed as having celiac disease in May via biopsy. I went strictly gluten free immediately after diagnosis.  To make a long story short, i'm not feeling better. I was diagnosed a few weeks ago as having Iron Deficiency Anemia (which is causing me to lose a lot of hair), as well as a folic acid and vit D deficiency. All pretty par for the malabsorption/malnutrition course, as I understand it. 

However, I'm starting to suspect corn may be to blame for me not improving. When having a rare "good" day, i ate a few corn chips and it set everything into motion again. ugh. So i'm now wondering if i'm having an issue with corn as well. But my question is more for the future of this suspected new intolerance--is it permanent? Will I always react to corn? Or is it likely this is just a "while your gut is healing" issue? I ask because i'm not a particularly adventurous eater, and to have to eliminate both wheat AND corn is just a bit much to bear. (and not to mention insanely difficult to manage). 

Will corn damage the intestine like gluten does? (ie: if i want to have a corn cheat--IE, i want to go out to dinner with my family and eat a normal gluten-free meal-- and just suck up the indigestion it brings with it, can i do it without seriously wrecking my health?)

Thank you guys! :)

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

I can say that often intolerances are just temporary, but it can months, years or maybe never to overcome.  Best bet is strict avoidance (corn is everywhere).  I know that milk (I think not lactose related) and other things besides celiac disease can cause intestinal damage in some people, but not sure about corn.  Something worth googling.  

We do have members who have corn intolerances.  Let's hope they chime in.  One is Bartful.

bartfull Rising Star
bartfull
Posted

Ah yes, the dreaded corn intolerance. :angry: It took me three and a half years before I could tolerate corn. I'm not 100% sure if it can cause damage but there have been some studies saying it can.

I got corn starch back first. It supposedly has no corn protein in it. Then I got corn oil back. I never did try corn meal or whole corn. I learned over the years to hate the very idea that corn exists, and frankly if there were some kind of blight that killed every single corn plant in the world I think I'd be happy. It is in EVERYTHING! Bagged salads are cleaned in a veggie wash that is made with corn. Citric acid added to most foods is NOT from citrus fruit, it is from corn.

There are a couple of corn allergy forums on the internet that helped me a lot. If you Google corn allergy you'll find them.

One of the worst things about it is medications and supplements. Most of them use corn starch as a filler. If you take something in a capsule you not only have to check the inactive ingredients but the capsule itself. If it is a gelatin capsule you're fine. If it is a vegetable capsule it's corn. I used to have to get all my meds made at a compounding pharmacy - even my Tylenol. VERY expensive.

All I can tell you is to be vigilant, eat plain whole foods that you made yourself. NEVER eat in a restaurant, and check out those corn allergy sites. If corn is used in processing (like those bagged salads), they don't have to list it on the package because corn is not one of the top eight allergens. I kind of laugh when people use the term "hidden gluten". Gluten grains are almost ALWAYS (except for maybe malt sometimes) listed in the ingredients. CORN is the nasty horrible culprit that is truly hidden.

So, I think I'm pretty good at avoiding corn by now and I'll be happy to help you in any way I can. Fire away with questions or PM me and I'll answer the best that I can.

Oh, and one more thing. I DID get corn back after three and a half years. But I got glutened in June and have lost it again. I'm hoping to get it back again someday, not that I actually want to eat the nasty stuff, but just so if I DO accidentally get "corned", I won't react.

bartfull Rising Star
bartfull
Posted

Open Original Shared Link

bartfull Rising Star
bartfull
Posted

Open Original Shared Link

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to hjayne19's topic in Traveling with Celiac Disease
      2

      Mallorca Guide

      Forgot to add... Quite a lot of 'tapas' are gluten free. Ones to look for: Tortilla de patata (a thick omelette made with potatoes and onions) should be 'sin gluten', and chorizo cooked in red wine makes a nice dish. Look out for sobrasada, which is very Mallorcan, a softer type of sausage/pate which you can spread on gluten free crispbread which...
    2. hjayne19
      - hjayne19 replied to hjayne19's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      7

      Insomnia help

      Hi @cristiana Thank you so much for your reply. This is so helpful. I definitely suffer from anxiety mostly related to health. Brain fog definelty doesn’t help this when it comes. I find my 4 am wake ups are potentially more food related if that’s a possibility (eating enough carbs with protein and fats) and if I eat a small snack before bed to ...
    3. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to hjayne19's topic in Traveling with Celiac Disease
      2

      Mallorca Guide

      Hi Jayne Great choice for a gluten-free cycling holiday, I know the island well. The words you need to look for are 'sin gluten' when you are out and about. I think you will be amazed at how many packets and canned goods are clearly labelled 'sin gluten' in the supermarkets - many more than one sees here - often in quite large type. There seems...
    4. trents
      - trents replied to hjayne19's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      7

      Insomnia help

      One thing to keep in mind is that it's pretty safe to take a B-complex since B vitamins are water soluble. You just pee out any excess.
    5. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to hjayne19's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      7

      Insomnia help

      Hi @hjayne19 It sounds as if your insomnia is closely linked to your anxiety. I had awful anxiety at diagnosis, and that feeling of doom that you describe. My other symptoms were racing thoughts, and a tangible sensation of a weight bearing down on my shoulders, even if I was feeling perfectly well and happy - it would just hit me. I then got a phobia...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,943
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    KELLYDAMON
    Newest Member
    KELLYDAMON
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • cristiana
      Mallorca Guide

      By cristiana · Posted

      Forgot to add...  Quite a lot of 'tapas' are gluten free. Ones to look for:  Tortilla de patata (a thick omelette made with potatoes and onions) should be 'sin gluten', and chorizo cooked in red wine makes a nice dish.  Look out for sobrasada, which is very Mallorcan, a softer type of sausage/pate which you can spread on gluten free crispbread which you should be able to buy for supermarkets.  Until very recently we could not buy it here in the UK but we've managed to find a local source, and Lidl have started to sell it in tubs, too. Here's more info on it: Sobrasada is a soft, spreadable, cured pork sausage from Spain's Balearic Islands (like Mallorca), distinguished by its reddish color from paprika, sweet-spicy flavor, and pâté-like texture, perfect for spreading on toast, cooking into dishes like eggs or pasta, or drizzling with honey. Its unique texture comes from the island's humid climate preventing full drying, resulting in a semi-soft sausage that's gently aged, unlike drier mainland chorizo.
    • hjayne19
      Insomnia help

      By hjayne19 · Posted

      Hi @cristiana   Thank you so much for your reply. This is so helpful. I definitely suffer from anxiety mostly related to health. Brain fog definelty doesn’t help this when it comes. I find my 4 am wake ups are potentially more food related if that’s a possibility (eating enough carbs with protein and fats) and if I eat a small snack before bed to hold throughout the night. I just haven’t been able to help the sudden increase in more days where I can’t fall asleep for hours - it’s those racing thoughts like you describe. I feel like a machine that’s running and can’t shut down.    I will try the epsom salt bath that’s a great suggestion. I think I’m probably working through some other food triggers that may be contributing as well with brain fog.    Anyways sorry to go off. It feels so reassuring finding this community and being able to chat with others. I was definitely feeling a bit crazy until I realized there are many others going through the same thing. 
    • cristiana
      Mallorca Guide

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hi Jayne Great choice for a gluten-free cycling holiday, I know the island well. The words you need to look for are 'sin gluten' when you are out and about.   I think you will be amazed at how many packets and canned goods are clearly labelled 'sin gluten' in the supermarkets - many more than one sees here - often in quite large type.  There seems to be a thought in the UK that if you label something gluten free it will affect flavour etc and will put people off buying it!  However, in the case of Spain, it is almost as if the the Spanish see it as an endorsement of quality and flavour!  There is a supermarket called Mercadona and they label their produce very clearly. Paella should be gluten free so long as the chef use the right stock such as Knorr or a gluten-free homemade stock - you can check.  Most Mallorquins in catering speak English but if not, ask, "Contiene gluten?"  Tumbet is a wonderful dish if you like peppers, tomato, aubergines, garlic and olive oil!  A sort of variation on ratatouille.   Slow roast lamb shank should be safe, and there are endless fish dishes to choose from and salads.  Flan is made with eggs, sugar and caramel, and should be gluten-free.  Lots of gluten-free ice cream and sorbets, they should be clearly labelled. If you want specific restaurant recommendations, feel free to PM me. Cristiana    
    • trents
      Insomnia help

      By trents · Posted

      One thing to keep in mind is that it's pretty safe to take a B-complex since B vitamins are water soluble. You just pee out any excess. 
    • cristiana
      Insomnia help

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hi @hjayne19 It sounds as if your insomnia is closely linked to your anxiety.  I had awful anxiety at diagnosis, and that feeling of doom that you describe.   My other symptoms were racing thoughts, and a tangible sensation of a weight bearing down on my shoulders, even if I was feeling perfectly well and happy - it would just hit me.  I then got a phobia to make things worse, linked to the fact that I had was suffering hypnopompic hallucinations (brief hallucinations on waking).  That was weird but I later learned they aren't all that uncommon, especially with people who suffer from aura migraines.   In fact I felt so unwell that I didn't even recognise it as 'anxiety'.  I remember googling my various symptoms and it was only that that  made me realise I was suffering from anxiety, which was nothing like 'feeling a bit nervous before taking an exam' or , say, making a speech.  This was a whole new ball game. As I came off gluten and healed, the anxiety started to get less and less.  It is not uncommon for coeliacs to have anxiety on diagnosis, so I hope that is reassuring to you.   And deficiencies can make it worse, or cause it, so are definitely worth investigating in further depth if you can.   There is certainly a big difference between 'normal' levels and 'optimum', as @trents says, and this excerpt from a British website and explains how with B12,, for example,  a normal level in one person can represent a deficiency in another: In the UK, normal B12 levels vary slightly by lab but generally, above 200 ng/L is considered sufficient, 100-145 ng/L indicates possible deficiency, and below 100 ng/L suggests likely deficiency, though levels between 146-200 ng/L may still warrant treatment if symptoms are present, as per North Bristol NHS Trust and NICE guidelines In fact, I understand levels are set much higher in other countries, such as Japan.  When I started to supplement B12 with high dose sublinguals I began to feel better, even though at diagnosis my levels were considered 'low normal'.    I too had a lot of muscle twitching which was likely due to deficiencies, but of course if someone has a lot of adrenaline in their system it will only make twitching worse.  I remember reading on this forum one should take magnesium tablets, and it did really help.  As a sportsperson you might like to try throwing a good handful of Epsom salts into a lukewarm bath, and have a soak for 20 mins, as it can be absorbed through the skin.  But be careful as you leave the bath, it can make you woozy! Lastly, to address the anxiety,  I found Dr Steve Llardi's book, albeit on Depression, incredibly helpful.  The Depression Cure: The Six Step Programme to Beat Depression Without Drugs.    Dr Llardi outlines a step-by-step plan for recovery from depression, which focuses on six key lifestyle elements that have largely disappeared in healthy doses from modern life:  physical exercise,  omega-3 fatty acids,  natural sunlight exposure,  restorative sleep,  social connectedness, and meaningful, engaging activity.    The other book (and there is a website) which helped me understand anxiety and recover is Paul David's, At Last a Life, written by a one-time sufferer.  I live in the UK and if I could award a knighthood to anyone in this country, it would be to Paul.  I am so grateful that these books crossed my path.   Anyway, sorry for the length of this post.  I hope something might be of help. Cristiana  
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.