Corn Sensitivity in Celiac Temporary or permanent?

[tbiz]

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!

[cyclinglady]

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]

Ah yes, the dreaded corn intolerance. 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]

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[bartfull]

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