Need some help.... Lactose Intolerant!!!!
 

I just recently diagnosed myself from being lactose intolerant. Im not a doctor, but I am a nurse. And since the holidays being here, I cant get into my doctor for a few weeks. It started with me just being intolerant to things that contain a high percantage of dairy. Now I find myself to being more sensitive to every little bit of dairy I consume. Im not sure what I can and cant eat. And its becoming more and more painful, everytime I consume some thing Im not sure of. Is anyone here lactose intolerant, and can help me out a little bit. I never really did drink milk, I have tryed some Almond breeze and I could live with that. Its just the foods that Im having some real trouble with. At first I thought I could take the pain and consequences, but its becoming way to much. Any little bit of help, helps.

Thanks!!!

Hey CountryGirl,

I've moved your thread to Obstacles in hopes that more folks with your problem will see it. :)

I don't know what to tell you except that it may or may not be lactose intolerance. You need to see a doctor. In the meantime, try not to consume milk or milk products and see if your symptoms improve.

Jay

Hi Country Girl! Check out this thread for some good ideas on dealing with lactose intolerance: Oh No! I am lactose intolerant! :)

Jayell,
Thank you!! Youre correct, it may ,or not be, it could be IBS. But, I jut cut them out of my diet for a couple of days and I didnt have the problems I now face. When I put them back in the problems continued. Thats why I think that its lactose intolerant other IBS since the problems went away when I didnt consume dairy. The only problem is all I ate was fish and dark veggies because they dont contain lactose. But I get stuck there, and I dont have time to cook. Thats why I need some help with the foods I can digest properly.

Thank you!!

Avoiing dairy products
 

I am lactose intolerant. Generally Asian foods do not contain dairy products (except Indian Food).

I can consume small portions of dairy without too much trouble, especially if I take lactaid to help with digestion. I also do not have as much trouble with goat's milk, goat or ewe's milk cheeses. Butter does not cause any trouble for me either.

I do however love cheese and try to find cheeses that do not cause as much problems. Hard old cheese is better for me than soft, unripened cheese. I love baked brie, but it does not like me at all. I can eat Parmesan without suffering.

Some people can eat yogurt when lactose intolerant, but I cannot.

If you are really sensitive, you will have to check all packages for dairy products. I do not eat many prepared foods, so that is not usually an issue for me.

I generally find I react within two hours of eating dairy products.

edited:

I just noticed your post about only eating fish and dark vegies. I have not heard of any meats, fruits or vegetables containing lactose. It is a milk sugar. You should be able to eat a variety of fruits and vegies, meats, nuts, beans etc.

I'm also lactose intolerant, tho i love dairy lol. I drink lactose free milk, and eat soy fruit yogurt and soy ice cream (as a special treat only!). my big downfall is cheese, i love it so much, but it doesn't love me! I dont know how it is in TX but in NY there are these lovely little lactade pills that you take with your first bite, and they let you eat dairy, i definitely miss them sense i've moved to Sweden! good luck to you!

Hi-well I am allergic to Soy so I depend on Rice Milk=most groceries have it-Rice Dream ice cream-etc. In this day and age, and with so many in the same boat, it is much easier. Just go to a natural food store and ask. Once in a while I just take lactaid so I can cheat but my best bet is to stay away. I also have IBS. It takes time to adjust. Mima

Hi. I'm lactose intolerant as well. I was diagnosed with it by my OB in 1993 when I was pregnant with DD#1. I had it severly for a long time but by the time I got pregnant & had DD#3 it was better. I still can't drink white milk...I do drink a little chocolate but I have issues with that too. The way I was diagnosed was by elmination. My OB had me take everything out of my diet till I was only drinking milk. I was really sick for a few days. Then we stopped the milk and I put back everything else in my diet and was fine.

I cant take the pills for it. I just dont drink milk and eat a little cheese. I do eat Rice Dream ice cream....I like it. The lactaid milk is very sweet.

Susan-Marie

Hi There!
I was going to post something asking about lactose intolerance, but I figured I'd just add to your post!! ;)
I've been feeling rather ill every time I have a Lot of dairy, too-- I'm apparently good with cheeses, but ice cream, milk, and the "straight up" lactose's-- I just feel icky after I eat it (and for the rest of the day :()

So it really is possible to have lactose intolerance thrust upon you as an adult???? That seems rather unfair!

As for suggestions: Soymilk, ricemilk, and the like are all really good if you get the flavored ones:) I've been really lucky to be exposed to those before having "issues". They do have a "thick water" texture to them, though, so if you're sensitive to textures, these might be hard to get used to!

Good to know we're not alone, eh?

~Kat

GOAL:
185.2/172.6/135(ish)
Mini GOAL:
185.2/172.6/166.6
10% by St. Patrick’s Day! I want to fit into my Dress!! Aiee!!!

Many people in our family have both Intestinal Disorders and are Lactose Intolerant. I CAN eat old hard cheddar within moderation; Parmesan is OK; Cheddar Spread (1-2 tbl) is OK, as is butter; a small amount of ice cream (about 1/2 cup safely); yogurt OK (small containers), BUT drinking the milk bothers me the most (I even get conjested from it). I can drink the SKIM MILK POWDER MIX (with water), so I use that with my cereal a few times a week and for cooking instead of regular milk.

You may have to try different things; the pills work for some people, but not others but they are definitely worth a try. For me, it seems to be the kind of dairy I consume; and the amount of dairy products I eat that makes the difference. Good luck ...

I've been lactose intolerant for about 20 years. I also have IBS and Fibromyalgia. I've been able to turn my life around and I am beating all of these condtions. It just takes time and determination to figure out what you can and can not eat - and after your body has mellowed out a little, you might find you can add in more foods.

Start reading here at Steve Carper's Lactose Clearinghouse site. There's so much info there - you'll be amazed.

The basics:
(oops I can't post links, I'm too new to the forum. Drat!)
Google:
Steve Carper Lactose Clearing house
from his front page click "lactose basics" or "LI Basics"


He even has a page that lists approx lactose content of certain foods.
Google this statement:
Steve Carper The Really BIG List of Lactose Percentages

I find I can tolerate small amounts of lactose. I can eat aged cheeses (cheddar, swiss, monterey jack, parmesan, etc.) I can have lactose free milk. I can have home-made yogurt (fermented 24 hours to remove all lactose) but can not tolerate store bought yogurt (fermented only a few hours it still contains LOTS of lactose). I make my own home-made ice-milk and sherbet using lactose free milk. I can't stand Almond Milk or Soy Milk. I'm a dairy girl til the end!

You'll find your way.

The docs don't really have decent tests that do a better job than trial and error. See Carper's site about the difference between allergy and intolerance - your symptoms are the key.

You can have a reaction anywhere between 30 minutes after consumption and 3 days. However, most reactions should happen within 3-5 hours. It can take 3 days however to clear your system once it has been upset. So hang in there.