dlp252

Boy do I get that skin burning thing...it feels like a bad sunburn only there is no rash or redness at all. It's painful enough that I don't want clothing to touch the spot. The spots aren't necessarily in the same place either...sometimes it's on my arms, sometimes on my back, sometimes on my legs. I just had it a couple of days ago too.

potatoes cuz they suppossedely spray those crops, no corn, no tomatoes, no brocolli

Well, there's a huge chunk of my diet, lol. I don't eat a lot of potatoes or corn, but I do eat a lot of things that have them "in" it and I eat a ton of brocolli and some tomatoes, lol.

I wish I had the tester now, lol. I'm really thinking this might be something though...I usually don't get this dizzy at this time of day, but this morning I had my usual apple with hazelnut butter, but afterwards I had half a Tropical Source chocolate bar. So that might explain why I'm so dizzy now. I just ate one of my lunches...ground buffalo patty, broccoli and a pear, maybe I should have eaten the pear first, lol.

Thanks Emily and Vincent! Vincent, it made sense! I'm sitting here now, it's been about 3.5 hours since I've eaten and I'm starting to get a bit light headed, lol. Of course, now, everything I read seems like it fits me, but this would sure explain a lot.

Oh, and the homemade trail mix...hum. I made a bunch when I went to Disneyland in February and I used little gluten-free/dairy-free chocolate chips in it and it was fantastic!

Thanks Tiffany!!! I think I'll get a home kit first then see if it warrants a doctor visit.

Im not sure why, but ALOT of ppl call me Victor...

Im glad this thread is helping ppl, I often see alot more ppl reading it then actaully reply and I hope that they are getting some help too!

One danager you should beware of... is you might have more then one issue. Trying to fit all my issues in to one nice little pigeon hole delayed me getting here, where there was indications of HypoStuff early on. For example, by seperating my anemia off turned out to be a seperate cause, which we found and "cured" so too speak. Once started paring off the symptons like that the HypoStuff became a clear possiblity again.

Sorry VINCENT, brain fog, lol! I did just have all my blood levels checked and don't look anemic...that's another reason why I've been trying so many different things lately. Can they find hypo stuff by the "regular/normal" blood tests they run?

I've been following all 12 pages of this thread with much interest. I haven't felt really well in a long time. Some of my main symptoms for years now have been headache, nervousness or anxiety, sweating, dizziness, fast heartbeat, weakness and feeling faint, sometimes shakey muscles, hunger...all of those are on this list...along with frequent sinus infections. I instinctively went on a low carb diet about 4 years ago and felt much better, but was still plagued by those symptoms I mentioned if ocassionally. In September of last year I started feeling all those symptoms again, really strongly and very frequently, and got really sick. That's the reason I started looking into things like gluten intolerance and/or other intolerances. And in fact, in January I went to see my doctor because the dizziness, fast heartbeat and weakness was so bad--she basically said I had an inner ear thing and to not move suddenly and take dramamine for any nausea it caused [i had the inner ear checked after I saw her by an ENT, and inner ear was fine]. Coincidentally, around the first of the year, I started eating all kinds of sugary gluten-free goodies. So, I've often wondered if I didn't have some kind of blood sugar issue, but have not been tested for it. ETA: and, as many of you may have read, I've been trying all kinds of stuff lately to try to see if it will help, including the SCD, going corn-free, etc. I may just have to buy a home monitor kit just to see.

Victor, I'm glad your doctor has confirmed.

Hey, I didnt even know there was one on Bascom! I thought the only one in the area was the one on Stevens Creek...thats where I go.

I'll have to see if the Stevens Creek store is bigger. The one I go to on Bascom is at the corner of Hamilton and Bascom. I think there's another one on Bascom in Los Gatos too.

Dani, I was just explaining how sick I used to be and what my symtoms were. I havent lost any weight and am actually still gaining a little...I'm only about 4 lbs. away from what I used to be before I got sick.

I guess I've gained about 15 lbs. the past few weeks.

I'm not so sure corn is my main problem now since I've gotten my typical reactions a couple times with no possibility of corn or gluten. My symptoms match that of MSG sensitivity *exactly*. From the very beginning I felt like I was being poisoned...I thought I had mercury toxicity but it seems it could have been MSG toxicity all this time. It just so happens that msg is in cornstarch, corn syrup, supplements, medications and almost all the other stuff related to corn and gluten processed stuff. I get severe reactions to gum and thought it was just aspartame but now I'm finding out that its more likely MSG. Aspartame causes the same reaction as msg would and they are both found in chewing gum.

Wow, I think it's fantastic you're almost at your "normal" weight!!! Your whole post really made me angry, lol. Not at you, but at the food industry. It just sucks that we can't trust what they say on their labels. I've never understood why so MANY things are put in our food.

Donna, just curious...where do you get the cascadian farms from? I've seen it at Whole Foods but is it in the regular grocery store too? We dont have it at my work (Safeway).

Yep, I get mine at Whole Foods. I shop at the Bascom Avenue store. I do most all of my shopping there now, with just an ocassional trip to Trader Joe's. I really miss shopping at Safeway, lol.

Dani,

I was wondering about that myself. Right now I'm not brave enough to try anything new. I think I remember reading on the corn forum that Cascadian Farms brand was safe but its hard to keep all my info. straight sometimes. Maybe take a look at the posts....I dont have much luck with the "search" option on that forum but it could just be me...that wouldnt be unusual.

Oh, I hope you are remembering correctly because that's the brand I buy, lol. So far so good...I'm still feeling pretty good, but I'm also trying not to eat too much of any one thing just in case.

Anyway, I have a question about frozen veggies. If all it says in the ingredients is for example, brussle sprouts, or organic asparagus, could there still be something in there derived from corn to preserve it? Just wondering because I'm avoiding all the frozen veggies that I have because I'm scared, but I don't want them to go to waste!

I've been wondering the same thing...fruit too. I live on frozen fruit and vegetables because I live alone and fresh stuff seems to spoil so quickly. I buy organic from Whole Foods and the only ingredients are the fruits and veggies, but have wondered if they use corn in the processing somehow.

OK- even though I recommended Lara bars because they are better for you than a lot of other stuff out there, I have to admit, I don't really like them. So, I'm going to look into Clif Nectar and Bumble Bars. Which ones are crispier (I'm a crispy texture person)? Which flavors do you recommend?

The Bumble Bars are crisp and taste oh so good by themselves, but really good with some nut butter on it. They are thin and crispy.

Okay I'm going to consider this one of the great little secrets I learned from this board. After reading that this morning I went to Whole Foods during my luch hour and picked up some chocolate Clif Nectar Bars and a jar of peanut butter. So good!!! Thanks for the idea. I probably wouldn't have thought of it.

I tend to put nut butter on just about anything, lol. Even tried it on a pear last night...not quite as good as an apple, but it'll do.

Ensure, unfortunately, has dairy. As does Boost. And all the generics I saw. (I got smacked in the face by a tree this weekend, and twenty stitches in my lip and chin are making real food a problem, and I *WISH* that the enriched meal substitutes were an option, because homemade smoothies, tastier though they may be, are not as complete of a meal without going out and buying expensive liquid multivitamins, and it's hard to justify for just a few days.)

Oooh, wow, hope you are better soon. You could alway do the puree thing. Not tastey at all for meats and veggies, but at least you could get those thing in.

I LOVE my chocolate Bumble Bars. I also love Lara Bars and Clif Nectar bars...with any bar I usually put a nut butter on it...I like fat, lol. Fat is about the only thing that keeps me full.

I don't know exactly what is normal, but I do think it's normal to have a little here and there. Things that can cause gas for me are:

increasing fiber too quickly

ingesting air with food and drink (think eating really fast and using straws, etc.)

eating something that your body can't tolerate (why I try to eat less processed foods so I can tell what ingredient is causing the problem)

I typicaly eat breakfast twice, once at home around 430am.. and once a couple hours later at my desk at work. I have a mircowave and fridge at work, and a fiarly short (less then 20mins) drive.

(just wanted to answer that real fast still reading the replies... thanks!! keep them comming pls! I cant be the only one needing this info )

Ha, you're schedule is a lot like mine. I do the same thing...eat around 4:45 then again at work (although I try to wait until 9:00 or at least 8:30. I bring two "lunches" with me to work, plus a snack. My two lunches combined would be most other peoples dinner I think. So basically, I'm dividing my big lunch in half because I get hungry early in the day because I get up so early, but if I ate the whole thing then I'd get too hungry in the afternoon. So, basically I eat at 4:45 am, 8:30 am, 11:30 am, 3:00 or 4:00 pm depending on whether I work out when I get home from work, and have a snack at 5:30 pm. I go to bed at 8:30, and sometimes I do have a bit of nut butter before I go to bed.

Today I brought pork for my two "lunches" and a whole package of the pureed squash (half with one and half with the other). I also brought a banana to have with one of them.

Nuts are good to leave at work so that you have something really quick to munch on when you get really hungry. At home I always have nut butter of some kind for those late night hunger pangs...I eat it straight out of the jar, lol (I live alone).

No, its not limited to "breakfast" foods, but it has to be realy easy to prepair and travel well. Leftovers from dinners are usally that nights dinner (or lunch) so they are out... Son has egg allergy so we aviod eggs too.

So, by travel well, so you mean like eat in the car, or do you just mean easily portable? Do you have access to a microwave?

For breakfast I've been eating something like an apple with nut butter (either peanut, almond or hazelnut butter). That would be pretty portable.

Today I had a ribeye steak (insert any meat you like or can afford), with half an avocado and a little apple sauce. Could be portable as long as you didn't have to eat in the car and had access to a microwave if you don't like "cold" meat.

I've had tuna salad for breakfast...just tuna with mayo and a few peas. That's portable as long as it isn't kept too long before eating outside of refrigeration.

I've also had meat with a pureed winter squash (I think they sell at most chain groceries)--I just heat up in the microwave.

I've even had ham diced up with pumpkin (just plain old Libby's pure pumpkin).

How about sliced ham (not lunch meat, but my store sells a package of a little bit thicker sliced ham--like real slices of ham, lol) with applesauce.

Thought of more:

Do you like split peas...those are very reasonable and you can buy and make a big pot, with a little diced ham, carrots, whatever and freeze them in individual containers. I pop one out and heat in the microwave for breakfast sometimes.

I've even had chili for breakfast...I make my own with organic canned beans, crushed tomatoes and whatever ground meat I feel like...had it with ground beef, ground buffalo, ground turkey, ground ostrich and ground chicken.

By-the-way, I don't like to cook and live alone, so most of my "cooking" consists of a one-pot type of thing or microwave. I don't spend hours preparing all my food.

Well, I started my corn-free quest yesterday and so far so good. I attended two birthday parties on Saturday (one reason why there wasn't a point to starting then, lol), and ate SOMETHING that totally bloated me up. I gained two pounds overnight. I think eating corn-free yesterday kept all offending villans out so I lost that extra weight today. One bummer...I was all set to eat some shrimp tonight for dinner (TJ's Frozen Shrimp) fortunately I looked at the ingredients first because SALT was listed in the ingredients...who knew.

I am really bummed though because I had my follow-up with my GI today...I know nothing more than I did before I went in. The results from the biopsies weren't in yet, grrrr. In addition to that, he was trying to make me feel better by telling me that my pre-cancerous cells might really just be "irritation". So I was asking what might cause that, and somehow we got on the subject of my abdominal pain and the bad burning I've had in the middle of the night. He said, "well that might be it". Um, gosh, I've told him about that before and in fact that's why I was taking Prilosec OTC. He wants me to continue taking it for two months and at that time he'll do another endoscopy and take more biopsies. I'm really worried about taking Prilosec for that long...I'm pretty sure it has corn in it. Maybe if that's ALL I have to take it won't be so bad. I've tried to cut out as much as I possibly can. The only thing I haven't replaced are my facial products, hair products, etc. But I did buy some Silly Strawberry toothpaste, lol.

I will say that I didn't have any gas yesterday, which was really NICE! NO gas to speak of today either, so, hopefully I'm on the right track with this whole thing.

I don't have to do it now.

He feels its not necessary plus I don't wanna go through it again.

YAY!!!! I don't have to have another for 10 years! Woohoo! :D

I hope everything goes well on Monday. I think you are in good hands with him. I really feel I can trust him. My other doctors from Kaiser were nothing like this so I'm still kind of shocked when I see him and he is so thorough. When I was really sick and could hardly stand (pre gluten-free) I was begging Kaiser to send me to Stanford or Davis or *anywhere* since they werent able to figure anything out. Now that I'm doing so much better and not even trying to see any specialists Dr. R. says he's sending a referral to Stanford to see this Celiac doctor. Totally blows my mind. I wish I would have been seeing him back when I was sick...maybe I could have been properly diagnosed.

Also on the CT scan they saw a cyst or something on my ovary....I guess this is usually not serious but they told me to have my primary look into it. I havent done anything about that yet but he brought it up and asked if I'd taken care of it. Another shocker for me. I'm telling you I've never had this kind of care before.

He also wants to see me again after I go to Stanford to discuss what the specialist had to say. I'm really glad I found this GI and I'm glad for you as well. Keep us posted on how things go.

I do feel I can trust him too...none of my previous doctor's have been like him, but I've been having similar good experiences with other doctors in his group. So far I've seen an ENT, an Internist and now him and they all have given me surpurb care...beyond what I thought was normal because no doctor has really ever done that. I did have to laugh when after the biopsy of my small intestine came back with no damage and he declared "you don't have Celiac", lol. Actually though, I really never thought I DID have it because I've never had the true malabsorbtion problem most people have...I do have undigested food once in a while, but my blood counts always come back normal and I never lost weight or anything. So, I've always kind of thought it was intolerance anyway.

I'd take care of the cyst thing...even benign cysts can grow. They are much easier to deal with when they are small. So does this mean you don't have to have the second colonoscopy??

Thanks Christine!

Patti, you've just cemented it for me, lol.

I've been trying to cut out all the usual suspects for GERD too, and have still had it so bad. I wake up in the middle of the night with a burning in my stomach and once I'm awake can't go back to sleep. Dr. R has me taking Prilosec OTC and that has at least kept it at a minimum, but I'm afraid of what's going to happen when I quit taking it (tomorrow is my last day of a 14 day course). I really don't want to take medicine like that forever!

Donna,

I get the nerve headaches too. I actually get facial swelling and I can see and feel the veins pulsing in my temples and other areas on my head. My veins get swollen all over my body but since I went corn free its only happened a couple times when I've made mistakes. Its been 2 weeks now and I still have the 10 lbs. I gained! This never happens....usually if I gain its all water and its gone in the morning. I could somehow lose up to 7 or 8 lbs. over night. I'm having no problems so far with corn-free milk (no vitamins) but whenever I've had eggs I've woken up drenched in sweat....so still no eggs.

Most likely they do...especially vitamins. I'm not kidding when I say corn is everywhere....it literally is.

I saw Dr. R. earlier this week for a follow-up to my CT scan and colonoscopy. Even though my colonoscopy was incomplete he says he's confident everything is fine. He says I have IBS (it was hard not to laugh) from food intolerances. He doesnt think its allergies....more likely intolerances. I've already had allergy tests done but it might not hurt to have them again since its been awhile. I had alot of impacted stool (ALOT) seen on the CT scan so he said that it was a blockage probably caused by the food intolerance and IBS. I asked him about corn causing celiac-like symptoms and malabsorption but he said that he cant answer because theres not really any research done on it. He said he wanted to send to to a Celiac specialist at Stanford even though I'm not diagnosed. I dont know what this guy can do for me at this point but I guess I'll wait and see. When I got home from my appt. the nurse called me saying that he wants to run some more bloodwork...I asked what it was for and she said gene testing for Celiac. I've already told him I had gene testing from Enterolab and I dont have either Celiac gene. Oh well...if insurance covers it I'll take the test anyways. Have you had a follow-up with him yet? I like him alot because he is very thorough...and he doesnt rush in and out.

Okay, I think I'd better leave out the supplements for a while. I don't get mouth blisters but I am still getting sores in my mouth once in a while--I'm not sure I'd call them blisters, but I guess they do have a kind of blister-like part to them.

Yes, I've seen Dr. R a couple of times...for a follow-up after my first endo/colonoscopy. I too have IBS, lol. I had some damage in my esophagus, with a bit of blood, but he barely talked about that at all and the biopsies he took from there came back negative. I also had a polyp in my stomach which he removed. But while doing the endo he saw an enlarged pancreatic bile duct, but couldn't get to it to take a biopsy, so I had a second endo a week later. I was getting worried because he said he would call me with results and I didn't hear from him...it turns out that first biopsy report said the growth was benign, but he said he had "another case like mine" and had it rechecked and that's why it took so long to get back to me. The second report came back with pre-cancerous cell changes. He's having it looked at again just to be certain--I see him on Monday to hear the results of that and find out what comes next. He's already told me that if it's precancerous it has to come out, but that he can't do that kind of surgery because it involves the ducts...so I guess he'll be referring me to a surgeon. Anyway, I do really like him.

Wow, that's great that he wants to send you to Stanford. Ha, I actually do have one of the genes...maybe I should mention that to him, lol.

I went off all my supplements, except for magnesium citrate and only eat fruits, vegetables, meats, and avocados and olive oil for the time being. I haven't had GERD once since and I had been having it really bad lately. I've lost my inflamation, and weight (I was really bloated and inflamed). I'm sure there has been other benefits but I can't think of them right now.

I did a test and for pre-Cince de Mayo last night I had tamales, corn chips, corn and bean salsa, and guacamole, then topped it off with Haagen Dazs Mango ice cream (it has corn syrup in it). Very yummy-liscious but oh, did I pay for it! I had gas immediately, my stomach bloated up, and my heart started racing like mad. My /acupuncturist/kinesiologist (sp?) said you could test a food by clearing it out of your diet completely and then testing it by eating a little and monitoring your pulse afterward to see if it raises, don't know if there is anything to that, but it definitely happened with me last night after having a corn fest!

Well the GERD comment got my attention, lol. I've had it so bad lately. I love fruit, veggies, meats, avocados and olive oil, so I could sure handle those I think.

Donna, you really should try it, especially considering that all of what you are going through were my lingering symptoms as well. I thought I was eating everything safe before until I realized that corn wax issue on fruits and veggies, and possible supplement problems. It's weird how just washing my veggies REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY WELL and peeling fruits like apples and pears have made such a HUGE difference. Oh, and of course the salt thing and avoiding citric acid in things like applesauce. And let us know. I'm interested!

Yep, those are the things I haven't been careful with. I have peeled my pears but not my apples and I eat a TON of salt. I am also sure there has to be some in my supplements. I go shopping tomorrow, but probably will start Sunday when I have more control over my situation. I need to get a few days good headstart before I tackle a Saturday, lol. I wonder if the liquid supplements have corn sweetener in them.

Now to the rant: I recently decided to change doctors. A lady Korean doctor was recommended to me by several people. I called and asked if she was taking new patients and was told that she was. I was given an appointment date and I told them that my records would be forwarded. I signed a release at my current doctor's office for my records to be transferred. I wrote an overview of past history and current issues and sent it to the new doctor - to help speed up the initial consultation.

About three days later I got a call from her office. Her secretary said that the doctor had read my information and gone over the test results and that she felt she could not take me as there was nothing whatever she could do for me. She said that there were no more tests to be done. I personally know better than that. I can name a half a dozen at least. I was stunned. As I have shared this with others - some medical people - they too are stunned. If my records were accepted she should have accepted me - otherwise incoming patients should be told up front that the doctor may decline to accept you. She could have had me come in on a consultancy basis - as in second opinion.

I tried to go back to the previous doctor but wasn't surprised when she wouldn't accept me back into the practice. So I am high and dry with no family doctor! I have asked people for recommendations but so far no one is taking on new patients.

I continue to be stunned. Her office did call with a recommendation for an alternative medicine doctor but insurance won't cover that. I did call and you have to have a family physician even to get a consultation. As the saying goes, "up the creek without a paddle".

I think she read the records and my 'overview' and decided she didn't want the challenge.

As much as I hate doctors, I know that I need to have one in case of emergency. Right now my records are in two doctors' offices and neither one of those doctors consider me a patient.

Very unprofessional, I think. There should be a stated policy so that incoming patients don't wind up as I have with no medical representation at all. Claire

Not only unprofessional, but just plain weird! It almost sounds like there was some notation in your file (but don't go by me--I tend to have a slight "conspiracy theory" mentality at times).

If you can find a doctor taking new patients, you can always make the consultation appointment and get the relationship established and THEN have the records forwarded.

The whole thing is just weird to me.

I just want to add to the corn intolerance part of this thread:

THANK YOU RACHEL, AGAIN, for posting the corn info.

I now consider myself symptom free, unless I get glutened, and it's only been once in the past couple weeks I've been corn free, and I knew it was gluten because I kissed my fiance after he ate tons of pretzals and broke out with exzema, or some type of rash around my lips, which spread to the rest of my face and I also got muscle pains that I ONLY GET IF I EAT GLUTEN. But other than that, stomach problems are GONE, acid indigestion, GONE, back burning, GONE, nerve headache, GONE, bloating, GONE, foul gas, GONE! Those were all of my lingering everyday symptoms that I had after eliminating dairy and gluten and even still being on the SCD. I can tolerate any fruit or veggies now, cooked, uncooked, any amount and I'm back to my 'salt free' rice cakes. I feel like a whole new person, literally. I can actually concentrate on other things besides my health....FINALLY! I really almost can't believe it.

Dani that is WONDERFUL!!!!! I am so happy. I think I'm convinced I should also try to cut out corn...I'm having many of the same lingering problems that you had and the last link is that I haven't cut out the many possible sources of hidden corn. It certainly couldn't hurt for a few weeks. My stomach has been more bloated this week than it's EVER been, even when I was 40 pounds heavier. It's been really uncomfortable. I've also been getting nerve headaches, bad stomach acid, other stomach problems, pain and foul gas. I've been eating good stuff too, meats, veggies, fruits, nut butters and Lara bars, but I haven't paid attention to the hidden corn issue.