What Are Your Corn Intolerant Symptoms?

[skbird]

I have been having some general issues lately with my digestion and I'm trying to figure out if corn is a problem for me. I can be a bit of a corn-aholic and easily become dependant on daily corn chips, corn tortillas, polenta, whatever. When I went low carb 3 years ago and dumped corn, that was one of the hardest things for me to give up.

I don't recall specific symptoms (negative) relating to my eating corn so I'm not sure it's a problem, aside from the fact I love it. But I have been having some gastro symptoms lately that are bugging me and I'm fairly certain I have not been glutened. I also have increased my fiber, in part to help this along, so I suppose this could be a result of that as well, but it seems it started before.

I was doing fine on my gluten-free diet - had been on it 5-6 months when all of a sudden I gained about 10 pounds. It's all in my belly, which is bloated now, for about a month solid. I have been mildly constipated so I added 1 tbsp of psylliam a day to my regimine of already having between 2-3 tbsp of flax meal in my morning yogurt, sprinkled over salads, etc. That has helped but my bm's are still not very normal and this last week they have been very mucousy.

Two days ago, in the middle of a corn munchfest (Amazing Maize - sort of like popcorn but it's all the duds that sort of popped... delicious!) when it occurred to me that maybe corn is a problem. I felt sludgier and more bloated as the night went on. Since then I have been having mild aches down in my colon (not higher up) and more mucous in my stool.

I haven't had any corn since then (nearly 48 hours) and have had MANY cravings. Even minor headaches.

Since this bloating started about a month ago I also have been breaking out on my face, especially in places I usually don't - like around my lips, on my temples, plus around my chin and forehead (two usual places) and these are usually pretty small but very noticable and get irritated very quickly. I know acne can happen when your gut is slowed up as more toxins get into your system - so this is the reason I have been taking more fiber - plus drinking more water. I don't have any respiratory problems though with eating corn - I mainly suspect it because I crave it so much and food intolerances and allergies often have that as a symptom.

I plan on giving myself a month off of corn but was just wondering if anyone else has experienced these kinds of symtoms with corn?

Thanks.

Stephanie

[jenvan]

AH! CORN! It kills me! Almost immediately after I eat it (meaning even like 3 tortilla chips), I start to get cramping in my lower abdomen, gas and eventually major bloating. And it can lead to constipation for the next several days. (Saw you take pysillium--that used to be one of my best friends! ps--I took it with hibiscus too which helped move things through).

I am in the stage of confirming my own food intolerances (should be getting some blood tests back from great plains in the next 2 weeks). I will be curious to see how the test for corn comes back. I don't notice so much of an issue with the corn ingredient is in a smaller amount, ie. cornstarch in a cake, but it may be affecting me and I just don't know it. I can tell immediately with items like popcorn and corn chips. I used to love corn on the cob and buttery popcorn. Now its just candy for me in the movies !

Did you notice any improvement when you were low-carb? Or were you not gluten-free then ?

I really really really wish someone would make corn chip made from rice only ! I've seen combos of the two, but no straight rice/bean chips yet.

[kabowman]

Corn gives me similar but less severe symptoms as gluten, gas, dh, bloated, etc. However, unlike a lot of the other foods, I can tolerate very minor amounts of corn such as corn starch, as long as I don't have too much. Anything with corn syrup really does me in though and I don't eat any "straight" corn products or use any corn meal.

[skbird]

Thanks for the replies. I had great improvements in my symptoms of everything when I first went low carb - part of how I figured out I needed to get rid of gluten. Huge difference!

When I first started eating corn again I didn't notice anything off. But when I was early on low carb I was at a party and decided to cave and eat a couple of Fritos. I have really good impulse control about 90% of things (you wouldn't believe - I think sometimes I'm OCD!!!) but I started on these Fritos and before I knew it I had been eating them non-stop for about 10 mins. I got really sick that night and that cured me of corn until I started eating it last fall (after more than 2 years without it).

Lately I have been enjoying nachos on a regular basis - corn chips, cheddar, garlic, onion and sour cream - and been getting some acid indigestion afterwards, or the feeling of what it was like when I was told by a chiropractor that I had a hiatal hernia. This was a couple of weeks ago and I started getting suspicious.

I don't have out-right symptoms otherwise. But I will give it a month and see if things improve and then try it again. It's not as bad as gluten or the other food problems I have but it is enough to bother me and the fact none of my pants fit my waist right now (I hate that bulging over the top of the jeans look, though many you see don't seem to care that much, ) so I'll give it a shot. The major food cravings that hit me yesterday afternoon after 24 hours without was also a big sign.

Thanks for the info...

Steph

[skbird]

Oh yeah, corn syrup is the kiss of death to me. Gives me hangovers of the sort I haven't experienced since early on in college. I had always thought it was just the crazy amount of sugar in it (I'm hypoglycemic) but I now wonder if it's the corn part...

Stephanie

[jenvan]

Wow. I wonder about myself and corn syrup. I'm sure it can't be good for me!

I've gotta say, sometimes I wish I could just look inside my body and really see what all is going on. I feel like somethings I will never figure out! And this whole process to and through celiac disease has me realizing more and more how little the medical pratice truly understands the body at times too!