Corn Symptoms

[GFreeMO]

I am starting to react to corn like I do with gluten? Is corn one of those cross reactive foods? I do so so with fresh corn in small amounts but boy, if I eat popcorn, I get D and then C for a week. No aches and pains or migraine or neuro stuff like with gluten but major digestive issues. Does corn do this to anyone else?

Celiac is such a vicious cycle....gets old trying to figure out the trigger foods in addition to gluten.

[newmom07]

We are just realizing DS doesn't do well with corn. Crabby and uncomfortable with soft yellow stool for days. This includes corn & corn tortilla meals, but not corn tortilla chips or gluten-free cornbread. Still, I think we'll cut all corn. Thankfully he doesn't get the gas, bloating and all-night screaming from gluten!

[Marilyn R]

Yep. Corn turned from friend to foe over a year ago. From what I understand, the protein is similar to the gluten protein, and the autoimmune systems has found a new warrior to attack. I'd give all corn and corn derivitives a rest for awhile (another exhaustive list of things to read on label), but hey, you start getting used to it. Actually, it's easier now, I think corn is one of the top allergens that have to be listed in ingredients. It wasn't that way when I had reactions to corn.

[mushroom]

With me initially I had a hard time figuring out if it was corn or wheat, then I found out it was both. The corn reaction doesn't seem to last as long as the gluten.

[srall]

I'm the same as mushroom. I have a very similar reaction to corn but it usually lasts a few hours as opposed to days with wheat gluten.

My daughter's worst food appears to be corn. She has an intolerance and also gets really bad hives from corn and especially corn syrup. Her behavior becomes out of control (she is now 8). Last year when she ate some halloween candy she picked up our little kitten and threw it across the room...completely unprovoked, and out of character. The fallout from corn is at least 3 days for her.

I assumed the reason we had problems with corn was that it was a similar protein. We also cannot consume any dairy. In fact the only grain that works is rice.

I have also heard that it's just not possible for there not to be cc in a corn crop...but I feel like it's the corn that's the problem, not the cc from wheat. Either way, does not work for us.

[cait]

Yep, me too. I start off feeling glutened but don't feel as lousy for as long. I'm still having trouble accepting this one, because dammit, I LIKE corn.

[bartfull]

Yep. Corn turned from friend to foe over a year ago. From what I understand, the protein is similar to the gluten protein, and the autoimmune systems has found a new warrior to attack. I'd give all corn and corn derivitives a rest for awhile (another exhaustive list of things to read on label), but hey, you start getting used to it. Actually, it's easier now, I think corn is one of the top allergens that have to be listed in ingredients. It wasn't that way when I had reactions to corn.

I WISH corn had to be labeled, but I don't think it is. I just got nailed from "natural cherry flavor" in a vitamin B-12 tablet. They told me on the corn allergy forum that usually ANY "natural flavor" is delivered on corn. I'm not sure how that works, but I do know that the B-12 got me, and that was the only suspect ingredient.

[T.H.]

Corn is in a lot of vitamins as a...I think it's called a carrier? A substance that surrounds the vitamin and protects it from the stomach acid, but breaks down fast enough that the vitamin is available when it reaches the intestines. Corn seems to be one of the best cheap substances for this so it's used for this all the time, argh.

It's even usually used for vitamin A and D in fortified products like milk.

[cait]

Yeah, I was wondering about that. We have a friend with a corn allergy, so I knew it was in everything, but I'm just starting to explore the extent to which that affects me. Are there any vitamins that DON'T have corn in them?

[bartfull]

Cait, I'm sure there are SOME out there. Check online or at your healthfood store. I found some pro-biotics that don't have anything bad in them, but that's all so far. I'm thinking about getting some made at a compounding pharmacy. I know they'll be expensive, but not as expensive as getting really sick from vitamin deficiencies.

I have to get some kind of painkiller made too. I'm allergic to aspirin and all the other types of over the counter pain meds have wheat or corn or flavoring. WHY OH WHY can't they just make things pure??!!

[Marilyn R]

I WISH corn had to be labeled, but I don't think it is. I just got nailed from "natural cherry flavor" in a vitamin B-12 tablet. They told me on the corn allergy forum that usually ANY "natural flavor" is delivered on corn. I'm not sure how that works, but I do know that the B-12 got me, and that was the only suspect ingredient.

You're right, corn isn't one of the 8 listed. My oops.

[T.H.]

Looking at corn-freefoods.blogspot.com, they list Bluebonnet as a company that has many corn free vitamins. However, according to the site, "any of their products containing fructose, Vitamin C, powdered Vitamin D3, or vegetarian glucosamine will not be safe for a corn allergy. These ingredients are confirmed sourced from corn."

( Open Original Shared Link )

That site also have a great corn-free list, including more potential vitamins, here:

Open Original Shared Link

It was last updated this June, so it should be pretty current. However, not all their corn free stuff listed is gluten free, so you have to double check that yourself.

One issue I've seen when trying to find something that is 'corn free' is even worse than what we have with gluten free products. Not only is there no law regulating what corn free means, there's not even a suggested ppm. At least with gluten free, most companies aim for <20 ppm. With a company that says 'corn free' it can be <50 ppm, <200 ppm...whatever the company decides is their personal definition for 'corn free.'

If on is really sensitive, this can be a problem.

[cait]

Awesome. Thank you. For now I've just dropped all my supplements to see what happens, but if it turns out that they were contributing to my issues, I'll be in the market for gluten, corn, dairy, and soy-free supplements. No problem, right? (and I know people have many more restrictions than that, and that I'm really quite lucky. just still trying to wrap my head around it all.)

[Marilyn R]

I dropped supplements for about 5-6 months. Then my rheumetologist got right in my face and told me I MUST take a calcium tablet and Multi-vitamin daily. I've been taking Solgar bramd "Vitamins Only" without issues, Solar Vitamin D drops and Citracal. But I can take trace amounts of soy (like soy lecithen) now, and that used to hurt me, so I'm no sure if the supplements are corn free or if I can now handle certain corn derivitives.

Good luck!