Lactose Intolerance Symptoms?

[Reverend Smooth]

This is way too TMI, but I don't have access to a doctor.

I've had an annoying relationship with dairy for a long time, but in the last two weeks, I've been really sick. I've been barely able to keep anything down, and my stomach has been itching (like bugs crawling under the skin, though I hear that may be neuropathy from the diabeetus) and burning; dairy makes it much worse.

Now, when I have any at all, I end up with agonising pain and violent projectile vomiting, which reeks of sulfur.

Has anyone else had this kind of thing? I'm 34, and things have never been this suddenly bad.

Is this lactose intolerance? Closer to an allergy? I'm allergic to a lot of foods, but the symptoms aren't like this. I'm kind of fucked if it is, I have to be on a low-carb diet and cheese is one of the few reliable sources of protein I have (since soy hates my face, too).

Sour cream was the latest culprit, I puked so hard my spine went crack and now my back is out. D:

The stomach itching is really disturbing.

[Sabrinaset]

This could be any number of things, such as irritable bowel syndrome. In order to be sure this is lactose intolerance, you'd need to take a hydrogen breath test which measures the levels of undigested lactose (LI produces higher levels of hydrogen than normal) There's also the stool acidity test, since another symptom of LI are higher levels of lactic/fatty acids in the stool sample. It *could* be LI, but it could also be any number of other digestive problems as well.

[Sabrinaset]

Here's a pretty simple way to make sure you have LI without going to a doctor. First, change your diet so that you avoid ALL foods containing lactose for ... maybe four days. Then, when you're sure it's all out of your system, drink two large glasses of low-fat milk. Wait a few hours ... if the symptoms start up, you probably have it.

[Reverend Smooth]

I can't drink any milk without serious issues, including allergies. It just never was a big issue with hard cheese and sour cream before. x.x (Lactaid doesn't help at all, either.)

Thanks for the help.

[heystacy]

I'm lactose intolerant.

Cheese and sour cream I can handle, but milk is a disaster: A VERY upset stomach, gas, & some serious heartburn. The worse was when the barista put milk in my latte instead of soy.

I have to use Lactade if I want to have ice cream.

[mgs]

it could also be something like a gluten intolerance/allergy. something we now have to watch out for in restaurants.

[Reverend Smooth]

I can't do much wheat at all, though the occasional couple breaded chicken nuggets don't trigger allergies, 'just' high blood sugar. If I eat bread (the sprouted grain stuff, not white or whole wheat), though, I start having allergy symptoms (and cramps and such) and my blood sugar shoots up.

Anyway, I hadn't been aware that projectile vomiting and a complete GI tract explosion and subsequent weeklong uselessness was a normal facet of lactose intolerance; this just started like two weeks ago. x.x;;; Before, I just got the usual if I tried to eat too much cheese at once (my portions of anything aren't big, mind you), or plain cream.

I've been wondering if I have the flu or something, but the trigger seems to be when I eat dairy products and the symtoms last for days. Heart-health pseudo-butter spread hasn't yet triggered it, thank god.

[Village Idiot]

For protein, you might try one of the protein powders, if you can. Protein powders are certainly no way to lose weight, but the protein can supplement what you can get from solid foods. I know of 2 types. One is made with whey proteins, the other with egg proteins.

Also, I have heard, but can't confirm, that rice milk has protein.

Beans have protein, but if you can't eat them, that isn't much help.

[ComicbookJeff]

To no if you should be ingesting dairy products, you have to ask yourself:

Am I a human being?

If you answered yes, the answer is no, you should not be ingesting dairy products.

Human beings are the only species in Kingdom Animalia that ingests lactose after infancy, and the only species to do some with another species milk.

The unholy amount of growth hormones in common market milk is terrifying.
It directly correlates with the rampant increase in lactose intolerance.

I've seen debilitating migraines result from trace amounts of dairy in pills.

Dairy=bad news!

[Reverend Smooth]

For protein, you might try one of the protein powders, if you can. Protein powders are certainly no way to lose weight, but the protein can supplement what you can get from solid foods. I know of 2 types. One is made with whey proteins, the other with egg proteins.

Also, I have heard, but can't confirm, that rice milk has protein.

Beans have protein, but if you can't eat them, that isn't much help.

No eggs, not much beans, and not much soy. Anything beyond minimal anything of those three messes me up pretty bad. It's ridiculous. (Edit: no rice, either. If there's more than 5g of carbs in whatever I eat, I'm asking for trouble. 10g, I can do once a day, maybe twice.) 20, I can do once every few weeks, but I'd better be strict the rest of the time. I like what's left of my kidneys. x.x

And I like dairy. It's not like I can replace it with soy or rice substitutes. So now I don't even get to enjoy eating, because most of the things I actually like to eat (as opposed to most of what I actually do eat, I have to mind my diet carefully) is cheese, cream for iced mochas or tea. It also means I no longer have a quick non-carb blood sugar fix-- I can't grab a hard-boiled egg, I can't grab a piece of cheese, I can't make a protein shake. This really limits my diet even more; I can't make noodleless spaghetti (basically sauce, meat, and cheese), I can't make chicken au gratin, I can't make parmesan doilies for carbless pizza, I can't have coffee, I have to drink tea with nothing but stevia. I can't substitute dessert with fruit, since I can't eat more than maybe one or two berries before my blood sugar skyrockets.

I could try that soy parmesan cheese (smallish amounts shouldn't mess with me too bad, I've done it before, though it's annoyingly expensive), but it will only work as a topping.

This is really depressing. I'm an invalid who's allergic to everything, and it just seems like every year more and more things I love get taken away.

/whine

[mgs]

Human beings are the only species in Kingdom Animalia that ingests lactose after infancy, and the only species to do some with another species milk.

The unholy amount of growth hormones in common market milk is terrifying.

well, that's not true. other animals will ingest 'milk' if they can obtain it, it's just that they don't really have the ability to obtain it. and a lot of producers are not participating in the addition of growth hormones in milk anymore. it's a common concern and 'natural' milks are widely available.

I'm just thankful I live in the U.S., though, apparently our milk does really suck compared to France's which has unprocessed milk. We can and do it, but very limited, as the fear of making someone sick outweighs the benefits of 'true' milk.

Anyways, I'm glad we just have cow milk. In other places, they have like rat, cat, dog rabbit and other species milk's for general sale. i fear not only the horrid conditions in which such animals may be suffering since they cannot produce mass quantities of milk like cows can, but the thought, honestly creeps me out.

[Village Idiot]

/whine

I share your whine. I have food allergies (not to your extent). I had a good digestive week this week. Had a choice of meals last night while I was out with the boys, but settled for a plain, old cheeseburger to avoid any problems. Sigh.

[Joshua Pantalleresco]

My sister is lactose intolerant, and for her symptoms are bloating, gas and some pain if she drinks a large quantity of milk. Nothing quite as severe as what you're experiencing.

You mentioned having smaller issues with milk. Have you had any of these things I've described before this occurred? Also, what else have you been eating? Anything out of the ordinary?

JP

[Joshua Pantalleresco]

well, that's not true. other animals will ingest 'milk' if they can obtain it, it's just that they don't really have the ability to obtain it. and a lot of producers are not participating in the addition of growth hormones in milk anymore. it's a common concern and 'natural' milks are widely available.

I'm just thankful I live in the U.S., though, apparently our milk does really suck compared to France's which has unprocessed milk. We can and do it, but very limited, as the fear of making someone sick outweighs the benefits of 'true' milk.

Anyways, I'm glad we just have cow milk. In other places, they have like rat, cat, dog rabbit and other species milk's for general sale. i fear not only the horrid conditions in which such animals may be suffering since they cannot produce mass quantities of milk like cows can, but the thought, honestly creeps me out.

You can obtain unprocessed milk in the states too - some nutrition stores, and farms in particular are the way to go there. WAY better quality than standard milk by a shot. Also, people who are lactose intolerant can drink it without a lot of the effects. Failing that, Rice Milk and Almond Milk are decent substitutes.