Wednesday, August 22, 2012

New Food Allergy Reveal - King Corn Causes Concerns

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Wow, just when a girl thinks she has her health problems heading in the right direction, something new always seems to come up.

I wrote a few weeks back about being tested for new food allergies. I was having pretty frequent swelling  of my lips, throat, and cheeks when I ate and I couldn't pin point what was causing these frequent and acute reactions. The test came back and (drum roll please) I am highly allergic to corn.  I had never been before, but now my allergic level was off the charts.  At first when my allergist told me, it didn't seem like anything that would be too hard to manage.  I thought corn on the cob and high fructose corn syrup.  But then as I began to understand the ingredients that I would have to stay away from it became a whole new ordeal. I haven't written about the allergy until now because it has been so difficult to manage and is taking up so much of my time.  It is much harder than my other food allergies and I am overwhelmed.

One of the main challenges with having a corn allergy is that corn is not considered a top eight allergen so it is not required to be listed on the allergy warnng label for a product or even identified as corn in ingredient lists.  This means that ingredients such as food starch, vanilla, vegetable oil, carmel and carmel color, maltodextrin, cellulose, vegtable glycerin, xanthum gum, and baking powder are often derived from corn, but corn is nowhere to be found on the label.  The list of ingredients that can contain corn is much more extensive and can be found here if you want to take a look.

Ok, so you would think once I have a list of ingredients, I'd be all set....not so fast.  I have found out this is only part of my problem.  Who would of thought that eggs are often washed in corn starch and that the coating for paper plates are often derived from corn?  A lot of the plant based environmentally friendly packaging for foods is often corn based as well and so is the wax coating on fruits and vegetables. These are being used more and more frequently and are hard to identify.  I'm now in a place where I have allergic reactions to foods that I am not allergic to because of how it is packaged or if corn is somehow used in its processing.  I had an allergic reaction to rice cakes and later learned that the rice cakes are made on the same exact equipment as corn cakes.  Cynics would say the strength of the corn lobby has something to do with it not being a recognized allergy by the FDA, but all I know is that the world I inhabit is not designed for people with corn allergies.

On to medicines: They are a whole other area of difficulty since they also contain corn as binders and fillers.  I had an allergic reaction to plaquenil (a medicine that I take for autoimmune diesease) and after looking at the indredients found it contained corn starch.  The NIH Pill Box Site has been a great resource so I can look up all the drug manufacturors that make a particular drug and their ingredients.  But then I still have to call each one individually to see if there is hidden corn in the ingredients because it is often listed as food startch and cellulose but does not identify it is dervived from corn or another source.  Luckily, there is one brand of plaquenil made without any corn derivatives.  For medicines that are not manufactured without corn like many antibiotics, I have had to go to a compounding pharmacy to have the drugs made. The suspension syrup used to make most drugs also contains corn so the pharmacist has been making some of my other medications with the chemical form of the medication and then distilled water.

I also forgot to mention everyday beauty products like lip balm and shampoo often contain corn listed as some other chemical compound too.  I have been more focused right now on finding foods that I can eat and making sure that I can take my medicines.  I am spending lots of time on the phone calling manufacturers to find out if there is corn in specific foods and medications.  I am making use of my local farmer's market and hope that by talking to the individual farmer's I can find out directly if corn is used in making their food.  I have been cooking all my own meals, though they are rather unexciting, and using websites created by other's with a corn allergies as a resources.  But figuring out this whole corn allergy is extremely time consuming and I have not yet had a straight week since being diagnosed, where I have not had an allergic reaction to something.

I keep joking with my husband that we might have to move to another country where the corn industry and the use of corn products is less pervasive.  If only, corn was listed as a top allergen, it would be a bit easier. I would love to hear any advice from others who also have a corn allergy.

15 comments:

  1. Wow! Talk about difficult! I hope this gets easier for you. :o)

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    1. Really appreciate the support! This is definitely a new challenge. My immune system keeps attacking all the wrong things ;).

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  2. How does this allergy impact u - do u have GI issues or truely head towards an anaphylactic response - hives, swelling? That is rough! Is the autoimmune the cause? THX!

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    1. I have an anaphylactic response to corn and other foods. For me, this means some combination of swelling of my tongue, throat, lips, and cheeks.

      My autoimmune disease is not the cause of my food allergies, but my doctors think that they are both related to dysfunction of my immune system. Thanks for reading!

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  3. I can help with the vanilla. As vodka or rum, your choice can be used to make vanilla. Split the organic bean and allow it to sit in a cool dark place for a month or two. You will then have pure vanilla.

    I know this is a horrible allergy to deal with. One of my friends has this, as does one of my daughter's friends. Best of luck on this. If I find anything while popping around the net I'll let you know.

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    1. Suzy -- This is a wonderful suggestion and I will definitely give it a try. I have been thinking about trying to make rice pudding and having pure vanilla will be must! Definitely keep me posted if you think of any other ideas.

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  4. Welcome to the fold. Second-generation corn-allergic here. Came here from my "corn allergy" Google Alert.

    I'm corn and garlic sensitive. I knew from when I was growing up and watching my mom go through it how much of the American food supply is corn-based. I didn't know that piling garlic on top of it would make it impossible for me to eat any pre-packaged, processed foods at all. My reactions are more sensitive than mom's, but we both get abdominal pain and horrible nausea that can last for days.

    I don't know if this will help you if you have that immediate reaction with hives and all. If it's more of a GI reaction what has helped my mother and I is pineapple. My doctor called BS on it but I honestly think it helps. Since humans don't have the enzymes to break down corn in our systems, one day I was looking up other enzymes that maybe we could consume to aid the process (and make our corn reactions not last as long). Bromelian is an enzyme found in pineapple and, again, not a professional, so I don't know if it legitimately helps or if the pineapple juices just aid in moving food through our systems, but we find that pineapple helps at least a little. My mom got the actual bromelian pills and has tried them, I have not yet. Apparently normally people take them for joint pain.

    Stay away from the biggies: maltodextrin, dextrin, dextrose (those big three are basically the ingredients of Splenda, btw), MSG/monosodium glutamate, citric acid, anything maize- or corn-related, and vanilla and vanillin made in the USA.

    Stay away from Hershey's products. The labels say "sugar" but Hershey's explains on their website that they use HFCS and call it sugar because they believe that corn and sugar do not act differently in the human body (falssssse). I have not yet found ANY marshmallow product US or internationally made that does not come from corn. The only whip cream that's corn-free is the occasionally heavy whipping cream you get in cans at the grocery store (and maybe even not; read, read, read). So don't get it on your drinks at Starbucks, and if you do go to the S'bux, note that the Frappuccino mix/drink flavors are plagued with citric acids and vanillins. The only brand of potato chip I've found that I can trust to be corn free is Michael Season's (Whole Foods). Mexican Coca-Cola (in the glass bottles) is famously HFCS-free but still contains citric acid.

    If you visit the hospital, make sure they are aware of your allergy -- some places use dextrose in IV bags.

    Don't forget to shop in bulk at Passover -- Jewish passover products can be trusted to be corn-free when the labeling says they are.

    Find an international store. Don't settle for US-made international products, like Nutella, and trust that they're made the way they're made overseas. While Nutella distributed in the US is made in Canada, their vanillin is still sourced from the US and therefore a corn product. Only the glass jars you get from overseas are actually corn-free. But, again, on international products, watch out for corn to be listed as maize.

    I mean, I don't know your other allergies, so I don't know if any of this even applies to you. I'm just throwing some of the more obvious stuff out there. A few more I can think of off the top of my head - Ciao Bella gelato/sorbet products I don't get a reaction from (most, if not all, other ice cream products are off limits). BIG Marty's hamburger buns are the only bun I can find without corn (I think they're a NJ product, they're rare here). I live in the south so I also have access to Nature's Own breads, made without corn. When you purchase honey, make sure the label ensures that the bees worked in clover fields or something, and not anywhere near corn. And, um. Good luck. I hope at least something here helped.

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    1. Wow. Thank you for all the advice on what to watch and safe foods to try with this corn allergy. I am very slowly finding food items that I can eat. Been cooking all my own meals since I was diagnosed.

      I have one ice cream that I can eat which is haagen daz coffee http://www.haagen-dazs.com/products/product.aspx?id=368. Not sure if that might be helpful to you.

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  5. I've been allergic to corn all of my life. Many other people are, too. Corn allergy is very common, although it is claimed to be quite rare. I've been a longtime member of the Avoiding Corn forum on Delphi, and I've seen a large increase in corn allergies, in the past few years. Probably because corn is dumped into everything, foods and non-foods. We can not avoid corn, because it is not properly labeled, if it is labeled at all. Anyone dealing with corn allergy can get a lot of info and support by joining us on the Avoiding Corn forum.

    http://forums.delphiforums.com/avoidingcorn/start

    Donnie

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    1. Yes, I am definitely learning that it is nearly impossible to avoid corn. This food allergy is much harder to manage than my others and I had no idea what a challenge it would be when I was diagnosed

      Thanks so much for introducing me to the Avoiding Corn Forum. It looks like an extremely helpful resource!

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  6. Fresh herbs are an amazing way to add flavor to meals. Lavender is delightful in desserts. Sanpellegrino makes a fabulous sparking lemon aid called "Limonata". They do not use corn sugar in their products. The girl couldn't tell me if they use beet or cane though. I did make the call for you as I was drinking mine this afternoon and thought of you.I believe they have one or two other flavors and they are all safe.

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    1. Suzy -- That is so nice of you to check and call about Limonata. Thank you so much! I really do appreciate it. I am spending lots of time on the phone with companies to figure out if their products are corn free so it is great to hear that there is something else for me to try.

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    2. Hi, and thank you for your blog! I found it when I did a search on Sjrogrens and ear pain. Please check this movie out, if you haven't already: http://geneticroulettemovie.com/ You can watch it for free online until the 6th. It is disturbing, but VERY informative. I think it could help answer some questions about your allergies and our health.

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  7. It gets easier....but it's definitely hard to let your guard down with corn. I'm an anaphylaxing corn gal too. It took me 2 years to figure out that the organic, healthy rotisserie I loved was brushed with corn starch to get "crispy". My best advice....if you think you're reacting to it then you are. In a pinch, all of the Namaste mixes are corn free (dairy and gluten too, not sure of your other allergies).

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  8. Hi. Can you please tell me the name of pharmaceutical that manufactures corn free plaquenil. Thank you.

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