Lactose intolerance is one of the most common food intolerances. A reduced ability to digest lactose is one of the major causes, and this affects 65 percent of the world’s adult population. (1) Many people choose to completely cut out dairy as a way to avoid the gastrointestinal symptoms that frequently come along with eating dairy foods. But is true lactose intolerance really the cause of their digestive distress, or are many people prematurely eliminating dairy because of a perceived inability to digest milk products? And is it possible to cure lactose intolerance, even as an adult?
The major reason some people can’t digest dairy products is they lack the enzyme lactase, which is necessary to break down lactose in the small intestine. It has been determined that continued genetic expression of this enzyme, known as lactase persistence, is dependent on ancestry and racial background. (2) The ability to consume dairy probably gave early herdsmen a distinct survival advantage, allowing for the spread of the gene in certain regions of the world such as northern Europe and parts of Africa; today, only about 40% of the world’s adult population maintain full lactase function following childhood. (3, 4) Lactase deficiency makes digesting dairy products more challenging for these individuals.
However, true lactose intolerance is rarely diagnosed by medical testing, and adults frequently mistake their gastrointestinal symptoms as a sign that they are unable to digest dairy products at all. Studies have shown that even diagnosed “lactose malabsorbers” are capable of consuming moderate amounts of dairy, tolerating an average 12 grams of lactose when administered in a single dose (the lactose content found in 1 cup of milk) with little to no symptoms. (5)
Can lactose intolerance be cured?
Why dairy is worth eating
You may be wondering why eating dairy even matters; after all, there are many examples of ancestral cultures that had no dairy in their diets and maintained superb health. However, it is believed that certain ethnicities may have had physical adaptations to their low calcium diet, and also traditionally consumed animal foods that are higher in calcium but probably not so appetizing to us Westerners, such as fish heads, bones, and skin. (6, 7) Therefore, they were able to meet their individual calcium needs without milk and dairy.
Calcium is a mineral that is difficult to get adequate amounts of in a modern Western diet without the inclusion of dairy. While the adequate levels of fat soluble vitamins A, D, and K2 reduces the amount of calcium an adult needs to maintain bone health, it can still be challenging to get enough calcium simply from leafy greens and bone-in fish. Several studies have shown that individuals with lactose intolerance have lower bone density and are at higher risk for fractures and osteoporosis, likely due to their inadequate calcium intake. (8, 9, 10) This risk is possibly exacerbated by low K2 consumption, as grass-fed dairy is one of the best sources of vitamin K2.
Pastured dairy products, in particular, are also a good source of the fat soluble vitamins A, D and K2 – which can also be difficult to obtain elsewhere in the diet. In fact, the only other significant sources of K2 are goose liver and natto, foods that aren’t typically eaten or easy to find. And, as I pointed out in a recent article, dairy is the primary source of the natural trans-fat conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which may have anti-cancer and other beneficial properties.
By taking certain kinds of probiotics and consuming fermented dairy on a regular basis you can improve, if not eliminate, many of the symptoms of lactose intolerance that come with eating dairy.
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Using probiotics to cure lactose intolerance
Studies have shown that supplementation with probiotics, in addition to consuming yogurt that has been enhanced with certain types of bacteria, can alleviate symptoms of lactose intolerance by modifying the metabolic activity of microbiota in the colon. (11, 12, 13) These bacteria may even produce their own lactase enzyme, and consuming lactose from dairy products can promote the growth of these bacteria in the colon. Over time, these effects can lead to greater lactase content in the gut, improved lactose digestion, and eventually the elimination of intolerance symptoms.
If you plan to use yogurt and probiotics to improve your digestion of dairy products, it’s important to start slowly and build up tolerance gradually. Often, negative effects from dairy consumption come from simply eating more lactose in one sitting than one’s gut can completely metabolize. I recommend starting with probiotic supplementation first, and focusing on bifidobacterium longum, a strain that has been shown to efficiently metabolize lactose. (14)
Jarro-Dophilus, a shelf-stable probiotic that doesn’t require refrigeration, is one option. Taking prebiotics is another way of significantly increasing bifidobacterium levels; in fact, some studies suggest prebiotics are more effective than probiotics at doing this. Biotagen is the prebiotic I use in my clinic. Remember to start at a very low dose and build up slowly over time with both pre- and probiotics to avoid any unpleasant side effects.
In addition to this supplement, I suggest consuming a few spoonfuls of a high quality full-fat yogurt every day, with each meal if possible. This will introduce beneficial bacteria into your gut that are effective lactose metabolizers, and by slowly increasing the amount of yogurt you eat every day, you may be able to work up to eating two or more servings of fermented dairy every day.
If you tolerate the yogurt well, and want to try diversifying your dairy intake, my next recommendation is to start including full-fat hard cheeses (raw if possible); these cheeses are great sources of calcium and vitamin K2 and are very low in lactose. One ounce of hard cheese contains about a third of the recommended intake of calcium, and gouda is the best source of vitamin K2 of all cheeses. (15) These hard cheeses are extremely low in lactose, and make a nutrient-dense addition to a whole foods diet. As you become more tolerant of dairy products, you can try higher lactose items such as soft cheeses, cream, and even fluid milk. Just remember to stick to the full fat and grass-fed versions as often as possible.
Of course, another option to try is raw milk. Anecdotal evidence from raw milk drinkers around the country suggests that many people who cannot tolerate pasteurized milk have no trouble drinking raw milk. (16) Research conducted on this theory, however, indicates that truly lactose intolerant individuals do not experience any benefit from drinking raw milk over pasteurized milk. (17)
The best way to figure out which dairy products work for you and your digestive system is simply to try them yourself. By taking the time to introduce lactose fermenting bacteria through probiotics and high quality yogurt, you may find your lactose intolerance symptoms decreasing over time. Of course, if you’d rather eat fish heads to get your calcium, feel free to skip the dairy!
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I started spending more time in d sun n noticed my lactose intolerance disappeared altogether…not sure wats d relation is here but getting more sun lets me even drink milk which i cud not do no matter how much probiotics i ate
very very proud of u bby hop u injoy relationship in d sun
I think its time for you to know about vedic astrology. I am having problems with milk in my current dasha..I don’t know exactly how. .
I agree with nimisha , i also noticed the same , even i feel much better after milk product intake in summer while discomfort in rainy and winter
The reason may be
1. due to better vitamin d synthesis in sunlight
2. Or warmness may support better lactase enzyme secretion.
Really intersting!! I’ve never heard of that. Cool.
We just have to listen to our own bodies. Drs don’t know everything.
Plus they don’t get much educations about nutrition at all. It’s very sad.
You may be confusing lactose intolerance with casein or milk/dairy protein – two different mechanisms.
If you cannot digest dairy products, dont assume this is a lactose issue, but infact it may be a combination of both lactose and casein or other GIT issue which presents as a dairy product issue
Im 28 and have dairy intolerance. It just come from nowhere. I did not grow up in america, being eating healthy all my life. The only different thing i did was the vaccine that the university here required me to have and after two months i could not eat any dairy anymore… It was MMr vaccine. Coincidence i dont know…
Interesting that you say that… I had no issues with dairy either, also not living in the states for long, (4 years, and I’m 33) and I had to get a mmr shot for my medical and now I get super bloated when I eat dairy. Putting on weight where I never have before. You’ve brought up an interesting point of view.
Been living in the US for 5 years. Had the same issue for a year. No shot tho. I think its just having a bad gut from the crappy US diet
Same here, was fine before moving to the states, now here, can’t eat any dairy.
Same problem I came to US two years ago before i come here I used to drink 3_4 glasses of milk every day and a bowl of yogurt every night . Now I am super sensitive to any lactose (bloating) I have it for almost a year.
Try heavy metal detox. Some vaccines are high in Mercury or aluminum. This could lead to al sorts if different problems. The MMR vaccine is one that has Thimerosal in it. This is Mercury.
fermenting sliced lemen and cucumber in water is also good digestion.
I’m Native American and I’ve been lactose intolerant since about 18 years old. I can’t drink a glass of milk on its own or eat ice cream on its own or I’m in pain all night from bloating. I can however, drink about half a glass of milk slowly with my meal, or a small bit of ice cream with pie or whatever dessert. I have also recently discovered that I can eat Greek yogurt without the need of anything to supplement and I’m perfectly fine. That was an amazing and happy discovery as I love yogurt.
I have been lactose intolerant all my life. I would take lactaid pills to consume dairy products. Now I am 50 and eventually I just started drinking Lactaid milk. The other night I went to have dinner with a friend of mine. After dinner we went to Denny’s and had a banana split. I knew I was going to get diarrhea soon after but figured it was worth it to enjoy a delicious banana split. Oddly enough, I waited for the first hints of bloating and gas, but it never came. I didn’t even have to go to the bathroom until the next morning. When I went to the bathroom I had a normal BM, although it was hard to get out, almost like constipation. This is usually normal for me. I can’t figure out why this change took place. I haven’t tried consuming dairy products again yet but will soon. The only thing I can think of that may have caused me NOT to be lactose intolerant anymore is that I have been on a ketogenic diet for months. Other than that I don’t know what it could be. I researched information to find out if a ketogenic diet might reduce or eliminate lactose intolerant but couldn’t find anything. I do have a little bit of gas right now but not enough to flatulate. I wonder if anybody else has had the same thing happen to them. If so, I’d like to know.
I’m Mr Joe, and I will be 62 years old next month, but I cannot tell you why after drinking Lactaid Milk for years, until last fall, I can now drink regular milk with out any side effects! The ONLY thing I have done is stop taking ZANTAX twice a day (for decades)for constant indigestion, because I learned recently that it can cause incurable Diarrhea which I had developed for about a year (and lost weight) before. Also for some reason the Diarrhea stopped at the same time!
I have always had major stomach problems as well, not knowing until just over a year ago that I was lactose intolerant. Once I cut out dairy I was wonderful, but the second I had any (even a sneaky Tbsp of butter on fajitas) I would immediately cramp up and be running for the restroom. I’ve been keto for about a week and tried some raw cheddar cheese after reading that the ketogenic diet eliminates lactose intolerance. It was awesome! No pain, no bathroom emergencies, nothing! This morning we made keto pancakes with egg and cream cheese, I just had melted queso with fajitas (apparently I eat them often), and have snacked on string cheese sticks! I don’t know how this is possible, but I am in awe.
Matt,
I had been lactose intolerant ever since my visit to Jamaica where I acquired a nasty stomach bug/virus. According to my gastroentrologyspt, this is a common story where visiting another country causes lifelong intestinal problems. She also said lactose intolerance was not reversible.
I have been on a similar high protein low carb diet for two months. I believe I hit ketosis once or twice during the past two months. Mostly I eat small meals mostly consisting of protein. I do consume about 100g of clean carbs per day. I have been on this diet for the past 2 months with minor deviations. I ate some diary the other day with no problems, I even had pasta with a cream based sauce, which would normally trigger bloating. I ate ice cream, no symptoms. I believe there is a direct relation to my diet but have not read any studies on this.
I have never been Lactose intolerant, but recently started a Keto diet, lost 60 lbs, and what surprised me the most, is the lack of heart burn , I have been on the purple pill for 4 years, it was the only thing that helped, I ran out of the pills and forgot to get more, I realized 2 months later I had not taken any, and had zero heart burn, I truly believe the keto diet is what killed it, its now 9 months later, and zero heart burn,Tim
I became allergic at 23 yrs old. At the age of 50 it went away.
OMG. I was SOOOO HAPPY. STILL AM. That’s been 10 yrs now. But I wonder all the time, what changed??
Prob never know.
I just turned 50 and started waking up with my body covered in hives. I’ve also woken up with my face swollen. I’ve gone to a allergist and they’ve taken blood tests and everything has come back OK. I’ve changed my detergent and body wash and I’m still getting hives, my face and lip gets swollen but not everyday. Yesterday I started drinking the Lactaid milk with my coffee but in the afternoon I had cottage cheese and later I had cheese sticks. I woke up again with hives. I’m thinking I’m going to stay away from dairy and see what happens. Any suggestions?
Thank you!
I think you are allergic to caffeine. My daughter has that problem.
Hi, I am 41, and about 10 years ago I started being allergic to dairy productos, just out of nothing, and I started with similar symptoms and after a lot of studies the doctor determined that I was allergic to dairy, peanuts and orange. I quit all dairy productos for 2 years and started eating again after that. for the last 7 years everything was fine, just minor hives that I could easily tolerate and not every time I consumed dairy, but for the last six months it has been getting worse so I had to quit again. so I would reccomend to stop eating dairy for a few days and see what happens, since the effect can last up to 3 days in your body. hope you get better.
Maybe you have a milk allergy. Lots of people think their lactose intolerant when really they’re just allergic to milk/dairy products. I’m allergic to peanuts and sometimes I get itchy hives when I eat stuff that may contain peanuts. The symptoms your discribing sound a lot like allergic reactions. I hope this helps!
The itchiness and hives and swelling face sounds like a casein allergy, Casein is a protein found in dairy products which for some is not digestible, and causes the body to fight off like an invader. It can become life threatening if it is severe. I would do an internet search for casein allergy.
Do it. It’s the only TRUE way to find out. Allergy test r not that accurate.
But make sure u understand what dairy free means.
Butter cheese yogurt whites sauce on pasta. Pizza with no cheese.
I did it for 30 years.
Google dairy byproducts.
They are used in bread often and other pre made foods. Eating out can be challenging.
No creamed soup. Like potatoe soup or cheese and cauliflower soup. Most buns from restarants like for burgers or bread all contain milk products. Well about 98% percent of them do. I used to bring my own bread and margarine with me when I going out to eat with friends. I wanted to enjoy my dinner too. And not feel sick later. Just wasn’t worth to me to feel gross for 15 hours or 2 hours, just to be polite and not say anything. Don’t be afraid to tell ur friends too. They would feel awful if they knew they were giving u foods that made u feel icky.
But most people really understand what found allergy means. So prob won’t get much sympathy. ☹️
Years ago had lactose intolerance (self diagnosed, but doctor agreed). Years later when the Atkins diet came around and I upped my protein the lactose intolerance went away. Last year (2015) i started to drink a lot more water and removed a lot of milk drinking. Around that time I started having diarrhea, every day and sometimes all day. I tried adding yogurt thinking the ‘ good bugs’ in it would help me out. In a way it seemed to if I ate it a couple times a day. I kept thinking what have I ‘added’ to my diet to cause this problem. That didn’t seem to help so I thought the other way around. What have a ‘removed’ from my diet? Milk and taking my vitamins I believe that removing milk to such a degree lowered by D3 so low that it caused the diarrhea. I’m back to drinking milk, taking a D3 supplement and a one a day vitamins. And my bowel movements are ‘better’. But I do wonder if antibiotics kill off our good gut bugs. .
Antibiotics don’t discriminate, they kill all bacteria, even the good ones. Probiotics are great, I take them myself. But a more logical approach is to use prebiotics, as in plants, fruits, veggies, anything with fiber. Look at this way, probiotics help replenish your good bacteria, prebiotics feed your good bacteria so they thrive. If you feed your lawn what it needs to stay healthy, you won’t have to keep reseeding.
At 39 I was involved in a severe head injury that resulted in 8 general anesthesia reconstructive surgeries in 2 1/2 years. That situation along with stress just wiped out my thyroid and digestive function. I relied on milk a lot during this time but “became” lactose intolerant. I started taking a natural thyroid supplement prescribed by a naturopath. I quit all dairy but still could not digest MANY other foods and most foods just zipped though my system and it was obvious that nothing was getting digested. My health and energy continued to decline and I was in ALOT of muscle pain and had very low energy.
I went to see another naturopath that specialized in nutrition therapy. To even begin the healing process I had to have IV vitamins and mineral therapy. Boy did I feel better, but still had major digestive issues. I friend of mine had a goat and I asked to try some raw goat milk, and YES I could drink it with no negative effects. So I bought a couple of milk goats. Then I learned about REAL Kefir made from raw milk. AND BOY oh BOY was that a LIFE CHANGER. AT first I craved it and got all constipated and bloated ( which at the time was a relief since I was tired of things just shooting straight through. ) After about a week my digestive system balanced out and I have been able to eat almost normally. I have been drinking RAW MILK and KEFIR for 3 years now and can eat very normally with the exception of Onions ( I just don’t eat them ) and Beans have to be sprouted before cooking. If anything is not digesting I head for the Kefir. I had also suffered from severe acid reflux during this time, which the Kefir totally fixed. Ironically, because one goat will produce up to 1gallon or more a day, I had extra milk. It turns out that raw goat milk is in great demand and even though I live I hour from any town out 2 miles of dirt roads, producing milk and starting a herd share dairy has just developed out of my desire to “fix” my heath. Yeah Raw milk, kefir and all the other natural probiotic foods!
I eat dairy and my face is starting to break out how can I clear it please help
Chris has a free eBook about nutrition for health skin:
http://my.chriskresser.com/ebook/nutrition-for-healthy-skin/
yes, antibiotics do kill off that natural flora in your gut. women are prone to yeast infections secondary to a/b therapy. it’s always wise to eat yogourt while on antibiotics.
Well one of the side effect for dairy allergy is constipation.
Maybe the dairy blocked u up enough to balance u out. So u wouldn’t notice u have an issue till u quit drinking the very good that in ur case made u normal.
Does that make sense? Lol.
U could be reacting another good like wheat. Or, yes the antibiotics could have created a chronic diareah problem. But the milk is constipating u enuff to have normal BMs.
Very interesting tho. Mmm.
I have just recently been told that I have lactose deficiency at 38 yrs old. I was so healthy and never had any health issues whatsoever, not even had cold/flu for the past 5 yrs, until this bacteria suddenly disappear inside my intestine lol and now I can’t break some sugar down. Anyway, for the past 6 months, after having those bloating, farting, diarrhea and total confusion/panic of what the hell is happening to my inside, I was relieved to find out that it could be controlled by not eating certain food and I was so glad it wasn’t something else lol. But obviously the “food cut” had to be those of my favorite food because I have spent all my life on dairy foods mainly. I love milk, dairy products, and also loads of fizzy cola. OMG now I understand how bad them fizzy drinks really are even if Ive had so much fun drinking them haha.
Anyway, now I avoid them all as much as possible. I would rather not take them than go through those irritating bowel movements that I went through and all these people on here are having. Oh my God I really feel for you all here and hope you find the right diet that suits you.
That could be a very silly question but I am so keen to re-balance my guts :
If all those intolerances are happening just because of some bacteria deficiencies or disturbances in our intestine, Then why can’t we just put those bugs back inside us through eating special foods, tablets, vaccine, etc.. and “re-balance” the intestine?
As soon as a drop of milk hits my stomache I fart. I have zero tolerance without either taking a probiotic or a few generous table spoons of yogurt containing live cultures in it (Lactobacillus). Then I can drink as much milk and eat as much ice cream, soft cheese as I like with no problems. I have to go lite on the probiotic (Acidophilus) as it gives me an uncomfortable tightening of the gut. So I use half a pill. These also works for my lactose intolerant dog.
ever heard of fecal transplant? of course it almost impossible to do in canada though.. ive heard of people traveling abroad to fix their IBS.. i dont understand why we just cant get a prescription to a suppository capsule with the “good bacteria” though. seems completely ridiculous that something like this hasnt become mainstream approved by the FDH
Well, they would be synthetic number one. They may or may not help. Lactase is what digest milk sugar lactose you fit actually produces this.
But it seems urs isn’t. I tried everything. I never figured it out either. My allergy started at 23.
For me it was just easier to avoid it than suffer. Lol.
Use mocha mix on ur cereals or nut milks. They r very very good.
Tho non dairy yogurt doesn’t REALLY taste like yogurt, it is still something easy to grab and eat on the run.
Really eating is sposed to be about energy for the body.
Not what taste good.
If u look at how wild animals eat, they don’t really have choices.
Also there is no other animal on this planet that consumes milk after its grown, let alone from another type of animal.
To me, tho I never thot it before I became dairy intolerant, milk is just a commodity.
I grew up in the MILK IS GOOD FOR EVERYBODY.
Well it isn’t. It cause a lot of diagnosed and diagnosed problems.
Dairy cause ear infections and bronchial problems for a lot of people. Dairy creates excess mucus.
For others they get diagnosed with IBS. Irritable bowel syndrome. But are never told to try getting off of milk.
A lot of people that struggle with their weight will lose weight if they quit consuming dairy products.
But most people won’t go that far. Unless like u said, the symptoms just made it not worth consuming it.
That is a TRUE DAIRY ALLERGY STATEMENT. People
Sometimes would say, oh poor thing u can’t have any cheese cake.
I’d think to my self. Nope I’m happy I know not to eat it.
I felt sorry for my friends that I could plainly see, had the same issue.
But they arerbt desperate enuff yet to always feel great!
hello Chris, Could you discuss your background and education?
You can read Chris’s bio here: http://chriskresser.com/about/
Hi Chris, about 6 months ago my daughter was put on an antibiotic for an infection she had. Now, every time she eats dairy products, she gets an upset stomach and has diarrhea. Do you think a probiotic would help with this problem?
see my comment above.( S.K.)
Tho I’m not positive I think it was Bactrim that started my dairy intolerance. It started shortly after that.
Started with kind of runny nose.
Sometimes ears would ring and also bloated tummy.
Yuck !
Once I got off dairy, I never had those symptoms. Unless I accidently ate some. Which only happened at restaurants and friends house for a meal.
I really found I preferd to entertain at my home rather than go out. No one could the diff when I used soy milk for a recipie.
Infact I had a friend stay for a week with me. For YEARS o tried to get her off dairy.
Well the 2 Nd day of her staying she said, “this is the first time in the morning and not had the shits.” Lol
same with the whole rest of the week.
FINALLY she understood me.
She weighed about 300 lbs.
with in 6 months she dropped 75 lbs. just from not eating dairy. She was a big cheese eater. Ice cream gravies. I told her all my recipies of how to cook dairy free.
You people that r just now learning u are dairy allergic are so lucky. Because people know more now. There rca lot more dairy free foods to buy. But don’t rely on just the label. Read the ingredients.
Non dairy creamer isn’t non dairy. Unless it’s from nuts soy or coconut. Most dairy free cheese has casinate from milk to make it taste better. It still affected me. Most margerine has some dairy byproduct in it.
NUCOA and BLUE BONNET r taste butter replacements. Use just as would butter. Works for baking too.
My husband had the same symptoms when he was at the college. It was really hard to know what he had. He went to many doctors, lost weight and finally he was diagnostic with Crohn’s disease. You could search this disease or irritable bowel syndrome.
I need help.
I am 16 years of age and started to get bad symptoms 5-6 months ago. At that time, I was finishing my sophomore year of high school. I began getting pretty severe diarrhea and stomach aches. I had to do most of my final exams in the nurses office. I started to feel bubbling sensations in my stomach and that led to even loser stool. Increased passing gas made me try and avoid going to class altogether. In the past, I had noticed getting slight stomach pains after drinking milk, but nothing compared to this. I was ok during summer break, I did see symptoms, but they were few and not on my mind. (By the way, I stopped drinking milk at that time). School started again and this time I attended a community college instead of going to my junior year of high school. Symptoms became rampant again. I would go online and do a “self diagnosis” and everything led to lactose intolerance. I completely cut off dairy, even avoiding foods that were made in factories that handled fairy. (Yes, it was that serious). I thought I got better after cutting off dairy for two months, but symptoms were back. I am still in my junior year of high school and a freshman in college and I am beyond uncomfortable. I am squirrmy in class, battling abdominal pain instead of listening to the lecture. Yep, still have diarrhea every other day. And not consuming anything that is or associated with lactose. My life has been dramatically impacted by this. I used to have a stomach of steel not too long ago with a perfectly functioning digestive system. I am so afraid to have these symptoms that I sometimes avoid food altogether. My moto used to be “I’d rather have hunger pains instead of diarrhea, gas, bloating, and stomach aches”. I think I lost 6 pounds so far, I was already a very tall and thin person. I am surprised that I have been doing well in exams since the only things on my mind are my symptoms.
I am just asking for help or suggestions before I go do a blood test or anything hospital related.
Help!!!
Ralaa, This does not sound like lactose intolerance. You have some other stomach issue. You cannot have problems from lactose intolerance unless you eat lactose. How do you know that you did not contract a stomach parasite for example? The symptoms you are describing could be related to a hundred different causes. You need to explain how it started and be detailed about the symptoms and everything. Do you have a good doctor to speak with?
Yeah, I am beginning to think that it is not lactose intolerance too. I honestly haven’t been to the doctor for a check up for a long time, never had any problems and had all of my shots. I did suffer a little from Bronchospasm’s and had to go to the ER. I guess I should go and describe everything to them… I can’t eat anything, I am scared to make myself sick. Yesterday, however, I did eat a lot of cheesy chips and had no problem. If it is a stomach parasite, I hop there is a quick solution, this has made me very paranoid about food. But I doubt a stomach parasite can still be present over 6 months?
You probably have giardiasis
Temporary lactose ntolrence can be caused by giardiasis as well
Just think before you started having these symptoms did you eat any food which could have been contaminated
Please consult your doctor as you may need to take a course of antiprotozoals
I am sure you will be fine after taking this course
Ralaa,
You could absolutely have a parasite for more than 6 months. Some cases of Giardia last for 10 years or longer. Do not underestimate this possibility. However it could also be something more similar to Crohns, if you have always had high anxiety. Psychosomatic diseases tend to start manifesting between 16-19 years old. You should take diligence in gradually investigating the problem and finding the right solutions. Don’t waste any more time on blogs, go do something.
Thanks to everyone who has helped. I was diagnosed with IBS when I finally decided to get checked out. There is no cure, which puts me in no better of a situation, but I now know how to alleviate the symptoms. There are some days that get better, and others where symptoms are impossible to work with: it’s a hit or miss, something I’m not excited about. Thanks again to those who offered me suggestions and even more to those who advised me to do something about it.
Ralaa, I have been lactose intolerant for 16 years. I am also critical care paramedic. I advise you to find an excellent chiropractor for your “IBS”. If a subluxation in your spine is interfering with the nerves innervating your intestinal tract, that can also cause IBS. IBS can be helped immensely with chiropractic. Please go find a chiro who helps on all levels, physical, chemical and emotional for all levels of well being. Good luck girl!
I’ve had similar issues for quite some time and I found “Bovine Colostrum” gave me relief for IBS … chew-able tablets twice in the morning 30 mins before my meal and 30 mins before supper. Miracles after a week and a half, pain subsided …. still on it after two weeks. Look more into this Ralaa might help you with your stomach issues.
I had terrible IBS symptoms (sometimes much like yours) which I consistently blamed on my lactose intolerance (even though I was minimising my intake). I quit caffeine, and suddenly the symptoms disappeared (provided I avoided milk-based products). Turns out I am both lactose intolerant and caffeine sensitive.
Caffeine stimulates the bowels. My symptoms got much worse when I switched from caffeinated soft drinks (Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, etc.) to coffee, because the caffeine content is so much higher. Cutting back to decaffeinated coffee yielded improvements, but still caused symptoms at a level similar to when I was consuming caffeinated soft drinks, because decaff coffee still contains levels of caffeine. Apparently, decaff tea does also.
I strongly suggest you to go caffeine-free for a couple of weeks to see if your symptoms ease. Stick with herbal tea (not green tea as it’s caffeinated) as a substitute for hot drinks.
If you’re already caffeine-free, then my advice won’t be of much help, but I hope that you eventually learn your trigger foods to help manage your symptoms.
I have contracted Giardia several times in the back country, both bateria and cyst forms. In my case the stomach pain was cyclical as were the other symptoms. The cycle getting shorter and shorter. Contact then 24 hours or more later stomach pains, diarrhea, 24 hours later the same, then 18 hours later the same but with vomitting and then the cyce reduced by 2-3 hours everytime it cycled until after 3 days I was so dehydrated I needed to go to the hospital and get an IV to build up my fliud levels before treatment could start. I am not a medical professional but I think it might be a stretch to thisnk it Giardia. Very easy for your Doctor to tell if it is present but not so pleasant for you to carve a sample of your stool from the centre of a mass and send it off for analysis.
Many “bathroom” dis-eases(intentional hyphen), start in our heads. Sometimes when you identify the cause(school makes you nervous), the irritable bowel will calm. It happened to me, also.
I feel like I wrote this. I had the same issues, stomach of steel as a kid, then when I got to college, freshman year I started focusing on my stomach issues and it got so bad I also couldn’t listen in class and focus on the lecture. Sometimes I would have to urgently run out of class because of diarrhea. After battling this all through college and even in my first five years or work, constantly taking pepto and Imodium, I’ve finally gotten it under control. Found out this was caused by anxiety and nerves, nothing I was eating. The first time I had an uncomfortable situation when I was younger was in class, so I started to focus on that and would be worried it would happen again, the worry and anxiety causing my stomach to continue to act up only in those situations and not on the weekend when I was relaxed. I associated the symptoms to times when I felt “trapped”, class, taking a test, sitting on a plane, stuck in a business meeting. I’m 29 now and my unpredictable stomach is much better, I take the lowest dosage of Zoloft used to treat depression and/or anxiety and this has helped tremendously, taking away the focus of what happens if my stomach is upset. You may not think you feel anxious about something, but anxiety can have a direct impact on your stomach. I do occasionally have some bloating, but who doesn’t? If you feel like you only have the symptoms in the same situations but never in others, it very well could be anxiety that can be treated.
Your symptoms sound like a similar parasite I got when travelling south America. (very common don’t stress)
See if a course of antibiotics will fix you… Stopped me pissing out of my bum within days..
Otherwise get a stool sample looked at..
Hi, try getting some candex, they are pills that deal with candida. Take candex for about a month or so along with a strong probiotic. You will also need to get you some digestive enzymes, that will help help all of your symptoms. Your body is off balance, that’s all, it seem like its a big problem but it is really not. What makes it scary is that you don’t know what is going on. After a month or so you can start to substitute the candex for yeast fighters, I usually buy all of these products from vitacost.com. Also you will need to stay away sugar for a while.. I hope this helps
Check out symptoms for Celiac disease…..could be a possibility.
It might be gluten intolerance. I just came down with it. Your symptoms are like mine. Try eliminating gluten altogether and see the response. Lactobacillus helped a lot.
I am lactose intolerant and also fructose intolerant . I found this out by going and having a hydrogen breath test at the hospital . I had diahorrea for over 10 years having test down below. Results finding nothing .
Saw a consultant who referred me to gastro . I have changed my diet my life is so better no tiredness , confusion , diahorrea , bloating, and my depression has decreased .
So may be check fructose and glucose intolerance .
Hi iv suffered for 5 years like you, recently accidentally I found a cure it feels, no doctor or medication has give me an atom of relief since this started, I bought lactofree yoghurt and have one before sleeping and iv been feeling awesome. Iv realised for myself especially the problem is somewhere in the colon n jus before colon, good bacteria in this area must be zero so try research on this and I’m sure you can find what you need to do, there are many probiotic without dairy, like a capsule or spoon of liquid type. Don’t give up and more than that don’t expect anything from healthcare. They don’t care and can’t be bothered. Even though there is a very simple solution to our problems. Everything iv learned has been through my own research.
It sounds like you’ve really educated yourself on dairy. Are u reading ingredients or just labels. Yes. U may have other allergies. Just do the test. Start with wheat. Leave it out. Use corn pasta or rice. Do it for a week or 2. Then start eating wheat products again and see. Or I could have intestinal candida going on too. Usually from having taken antibiotics.
Would love to hear how u are doing. It’s not fun to not be able to eat like everyone else does.
But it’s not fun having poopy pants either. Lol
Take care
I started experiencing lactose intolerance symptoms in my mid 20s which became worse until I had to stop eating all forms of dairy by age 28. I’m now 32 and have been taking a whole range of probiotics for the past 9 months, including milk kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, and in pill form. I still can only tolerate aged hard cheeses and tiny amounts of butter and milk. I recently got a htma consult from Dr Morley Robbins AKA Magnesium man, and he suggested that my lactose intolerance was caused by copper dysregulation (copper is a coenzyme in the production of lactase in the small intestine microvilli) and I am now taking a range of prescribed supps including whole vit c, cod liver oil, magnesium, boron, biotin, iodine, increasing my saturated fat intake (to make the minerals work better), and avoiding things like vit d supps, iron supps, synthetic sugars, oils high in omega 6, fluoride and more! Have only just started this new regime and plan to do it for 6 months and see if there’s any difference.
Morley Robbins is not licensed to be a Doctor and he goes around telling people that he is. He is deceiving people and what he is doing is illegal and criminal. He has hurt a lot of people with his haphazard suggestions which change every few months and people complain about how worse they’ve gotten on his supplements. He is very good at censoring all criticism by deleting comments and banning his clients. He is not a Doctor. Please stop spreading his lies and deception.
So what did u find out with your dairy experiment? Did it work??
Inquiring minds want to know. Lol.
Hope ur better.
Tell us!🤗
I was lactose intolerant for about 7 years until I went to a prayer meeting and was healed of it in the name of Jesus. I never questioned the healing until recently when my faith is being tested now that I’m not in a christian lifestyle. Now I wonder if it was not a miracle at all but something my body did on its own.
Well I stop eating dairy for about 2 years and was able to consume again after that period per doctors recommendation.
but after several years it has come back. hope you don´t get it back.
regads
Believe me. No one prayed more than ME, to be able to have some Haagen das ice cream. Prayer didn’t not work.
I’m thirteen and I can’t stand this. I can’t stand the fake milk, cheese and other crap. Please help
Hey Dalton, I’m 14 and also suffer lactose intolerance. I cut out dairy but kept finding myself going back to Ben & Jerry’s for a pint of half baked lol my fav. I personally love whole foods unsweetened almond milk (cant stand too much sugar in liquids) but have you ever tried Lactaid milk? It’s literally milk that won’t cause discomfort. I’ve never tried it because I learned to love almond milk. There are many really tasty alternatives to being dairy free. But the cheese makes me want to throw up lol I just gave up on that. I have a friend who was lactose like me but she just kept on eating dairy and her body got used to it I assume, because now she can have all the dairy and her stomach won’t hurt her. Now this obviously does not sound like the best option but I would just say find something u like that substitutes dairy!
HI! I had the same problem with absolutely hating soy/almond milk in any variation or flavor. I use/drink Lactaid milk almost everyday! Growing up I was not lactose intolerant but I slowly developed it over my adolescence; I just couldn’t give up dairy products but especially milk. I’m almost 20 now and I take dietary dairy supplements (before I eat any dairy) and I drink Lactaid! (They also have ice cream!) I give Lactaid a 10/10 on the milk scale (:
I’m 14 and I have been suffering from lactose intolerance for almost a year now. My symptoms include an itchy/closing throat, terrible stomach aches, constipation and nausea. I have tried soy milk, but I had a reaction to that too.. I’m running out of options. Help!
Nicole, you may have a milk allergy which is more serious than lactose intolerance. Consult a doctor for diagnosis.
I also drink Lactaid and love their ice cream. You can also find lactose-free ice cream from Breyer’s now, too. I’ve also found that I have no problem with yogurt. Some cheeses actually have very little lactose in them, such as fresh mozzarella.
Go to a grocery store, in the pills/vitamin area, generally near anti-acid stuff you’ll find Dairy Digestive Supplement (Lactaid)… you can buy the name brand stuff for around $8 or often a store brand that works just as well for $5.
You chew one tablet at the start of any meal with dairy. Works wonderful. I used to get extremely ill every time I would eat ice cream or drink milk… now I just carry a few tablets in my wallet wherever I go and I’m fine. But if you plan on eating a whole carton of ice cream… best take 2 tablets. 😛
Well if your symptoms aren’t that bad, maybe it’s worth it to u to eat things with dairy. Fir me I was so relieved to not have to feel crappy anymore. I try and look at it from that angle.
I found mocha mix liquid non dairy creamer and their ice cream to be really good. Satisfying. Ur lucky. Years ago u could even buy fake cheeses or milks. U had to make them yourself. If u learn how to cook u can create ur own substitutes. Pizza with no cheese is actually really good. Just tell them not to put it on.
Pizza places used to look at me like I was crazy when I said no cheese. Some even said they couldn’t do it. Lol.
You’ll be healthier in the long run. I really believe that. I don’t think dairy is that good for people. I think it also depends on ur DNA/ heritage, if u can’t handle dairy.
For others their body just quits creating lactase the enzyme needed to digest dairy.
Some antibiotics can mess with your intestines too.
Also u r young. But many peeps as they age they produce less and less lactase.
I hope this helps u a little bit. My allergy didn’t start till I was 23. I’m 60 now. It actually went away when I turnedv50 and is still gone! But I don’t know why it got better. But now that I’m eating it again and OLD, lol I have to watch my weight.
It’s the cheese and all the yummy yogurts and ice creams that r killing me. lol. I never tasted a dove bar till I was 50 years old. Wish I knew how to make the allergy go away.
Starting around the age of 18, I had issues digesting dairy. By my early 20’s I couldn’t even eat a slice of bread if it had “milk”, in the ingredients. A couple of Doritoes and I was bloated,feverish and felt razor blades shooting thru my intestines followed by diarrhea. This lasted till I was 36 and for a week. Nothing was exiting my body despite 3 meals a day. Someone suggested I eat some dairy products since that always made me go in the past. I ate ice cream, pizza and most important, I think, yogurt. After a day or two, I had bowel movements again. Tentatively I continued eating dairy to see what would happen. Nothing happened. I was cured. I eat yogurt every morning because I believe that is what fixed me. The constipation kept the yogurt in me long enough to introduce the bacteria back into my digestive tract. What do you think?
I went to see someone for my digestive troubles and she told me that my body didn’t like dairy and that if I 100% cut it out for 6 months I would be able to reintroduce it to my diet without too much difficulty.
Did it work ?? Didn’t work for me. How ever after 30 years, yes THIRTY YEARS the allergy went away. Who knows. Lol
Hope it helped u.
I do something called Quantum Allergy which is a way of getting rid of any intolerance-lactose, wheat etc.However, if you have a lack of lactase in your body, thje issue is different, and may not have a solution'(certain ethnic races have this).Intolerance to anything is an energy inbalance and can be rectified.For testimonials from many clients you can go to the site .www.quantumallergy.com
I give sessions and the results are usually quite fast.This is a different way of approaching it.payment is by donation
The page http://www.quantumallergy.com is closed!!!
I’ve done something very similar to Robert’s comments. Except the the one I use is called NAET (Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Treatments) http://www.naet.com look it up and you’ll probably be able to find a practitioner in your area. I’ve been able reintroduce several foods so far that I have been avoiding due to allergy both eggs and dairy among them so far.
Hi Shawn, NAET is a great suggestion. For those who are not familiar, it will cure the allergy. No baloney. My veterinarian does it and has treated one of our dogs for multiple allergies. When she started treatment, our dog was losing hair, smelled awful, had huge bald spots and raw skin from scratching. The pine tar soap recommended by my old vet made her cry and whine while I attempted to keep her in the tub for the agonizingly long 5 minutes it had to stay on her. Within a few weeks the smell had significantly improved and she stopped scratching…
I went on a diet with no dairy for a month lost 17 plbs
of course i did other things also.
As soon as i ate a few things with dairy my gut would bloat like the cows bell.
My voice would go horse for about 2 hours after eating dairy.
the horseness has stop now. it lasted for about 3 months
I have extreme gas.
It is really hard cause so much food has some kind of dairy in it.
I would welcome any advise you could offer to help
thanks
cary
You have to repair your gut also or else reuniting to an dirty environment won’t help.
I usually develop heart burn sensation if I ate any thing that have a protein content whether it milk or meat.
am I lactic intolerant what.
how can I cure it?
Protein in some form or another is found in more than just animal byproducts. Many vegetables, beans, and legumes are all protein-rich, so it’s unlikely that you are sensitive to protein in general–there are many proteins, and you need protein to survive.
If fatty foods give you heartburn, try replacing some meat and dairy with vegetarian alternatives to see if that helps.