Food Allergies & BiPolar

02-27-2004, 05:08 AM

My 21 y.o. daughter has bipolar (diagnosed 4 years ago). We were stunned at first because it came on so, so suddenly. After going through the usual run of assessments and being put on a couple meds, I had her tested for food allergies (I'm in the alternative health profession) and low and behold we discovered she was severely allergic to corn, which hides in just about everything. It made alot of sense since prior to her first crisis she befriended a family who's ethnic foods consisted mainly of all corn type foods and she began spending alot of time at their house having dinners, etc. with the family. There's an excellent book - "Nutrional Influences On Mental Illness", that I would recommend any bipolar read. She's no longer on meds and really tries very very hard to adhere to a corn-free diet - easier said than done - but as long as she is vigillant to the diet she's pretty much symptom free. I'm not saying this is for everyone, but for us it was definitely worth the efort. She has found it easier to stay on the corn-free diet than to be consistent with the meds and the side effects. Corn may not be the culprit for everyone, but it is a popular one so I've learned. Even many meds and OTC's are made with a corn base. Good luck, Marie

02-27-2004, 10:50 AM

how do you get tested for a food allergy?

02-27-2004, 01:23 PM

Make an appointment with an allergist they have many different kind of tests that they can do the most popular and least expensive is the skin ***** test. My boys were tested for seasonal,pet and food. After about 40 pricks on the back and about 20 minutes they can see what you react to. That's very interesting about the corn; both my boys showed a reaction to it! I haven't been tested yet myself in 10 years but I believe I was only tested for seasonal at the time. My boys also showed reactions to potatos, peas, beans, apples, garlic, peanuts, soybeans, turkey, beef,pork....plus my youngest is allergic to dairy(not lactose intolerant) so I have a major dilema with diet. I just try to limit as much as I can my homecanning my fruits and cooking from scratch (when I have time) it's also difficult because I run a home daycare too. Incidentally my youngest(4) has been diagnosed BP,ADHD...and awaiting an asbergers diag.. .My oldest (6) has been diagnosed high funtioning autism, and awaiting official BP diag.....And I myself am diagnosed with ADHD, awaiting a diagnosis of BP from psychiatrist next week.

02-27-2004, 04:55 PM

It's very, very difficult to avoid corn. Many ingredients have by-product of corn in them and they are not clearly indicated on labels. Example: powdered sugar has corn in it...it is used (cornstarch) to keep the sugar from clumping together as it is processed. We've spent many hours on the phone with various manufacturers to decifer what does and what doesn't have corn, hidden or otherwise. Once you get the hang of it though you just know what to look for. It's a little time consuming at first, but the results have been worth the effort. This isn't to imply it's a cure-all for the plethera of symptoms, but between the avoidance of corn and supplements, she's been very stable, knock wood. Marie

Food Allergies & BiPolar

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