Irritable bowel AND Lactose intolerance

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MomJan
New Member

Date Joined May 2007
Total Posts : 1

Posted 5/13/2007 6:44 PM (GMT -7)

hi, my 10 year old has been diagnosed with lactose intolerence. However, rather than diarrhea, she gets severly constipated. I've been researching and it sounds like her problem could be both lactose intolerance and irritable bowel. We've tried miralax and once daily lactose intolerance pills. They help - about 85% of the time. Any info on probiotic treatments ? I'd appreciate any input.

Canyonbabe711
Veteran Member

Date Joined Mar 2006
Total Posts : 1440

Posted 5/13/2007 11:19 PM (GMT -7)

I am lactose intolerant and have constipation. I have been told I have IBS-C but I have to say mine is pretty much under control. My Dr. did tell me though that it is not necessairly the lactose in the milk that caused my problems but other things that were hard to digest so the pills would no always work nor would the Lactaid milk. I use Almond milk for cereal and love it.

Keriamon
Veteran Member

Date Joined Jun 2005
Total Posts : 2976

Posted 5/14/2007 11:56 AM (GMT -7)

I've heard that dairy, especially cheeses, can cause severe constipation in some people. Hopefully she's JUST lactose intolarant.

Your best bet is to just get her off all dairy. If you get rid of that, and the constipation stops, then that's her only problem. For some people the lactose pills don't work at all. Some people can not do the pills, but can do Lactaid, and some, like Canyon, can't do any of them. Try the almond milk or soy milk. A friend of my parents eats his cereal with orange juice (we still haven't figured out how he manages that--yuck!) because the pills don't work on him.

7Lil
Forum Moderator

Date Joined Apr 2005
Total Posts : 3269

Posted 5/14/2007 12:02 PM (GMT -7)

Hi MomJan,
There are probiotic supplements out there that do not contain lactose. Probiotics are beneficial to everyone, but especially people with gut trouble. It could be beneficial to try your daughter on one for at least a couple months. They should help regulate her.

Co-Moderator for the IBS Forum

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pb4
Elite Member

Date Joined Feb 2004
Total Posts : 13715

Posted 5/14/2007 12:11 PM (GMT -7)

The probiotic that I use actually aids with lactose intolerance, I myself no longer have to take lactaid pills because I take Primadophilus Rueteri made by natures way, one/day and it's affordable, but must be kept in the fridge...it also aids with high cholesterol and vaginal health too.

:)

Traveler
Veteran Member

Date Joined May 2007
Total Posts : 1030

Posted 5/21/2007 5:55 PM (GMT -7)

Hi, I new and have not posted here before, but read MomJans' post and had to say something. I have dealt with life-altering const. for many years now and I'm very lactose intolerant (but curiously not so much with cheese). I use probiotics and fiber and am on a prescription to ease cramping (which I didn't realize was happening until I didn't have to live with it daily). The other thing that is a MUST is plenty of water (2 liters EVERY day). That was probably the hardest thing - learning to drink that much water every day, I started adding a little lemon juice -no sugar. Oh, also absolutely no sugar. That sets my IBS off almost immediately!
I'm not a dr., so you should probably consult yours first. If he's like mine was (I had to get my info from anywhere I could find it), I had to add a few suggestions. This is a troubling issue to have/ It affects your entire life and yet we never seem to be able to get enough info. Take care and good luck!

May peace prevail on earth - Traveler

Allison_B_102
New Member

Date Joined Aug 2008
Total Posts : 2

Posted 8/23/2008 10:20 AM (GMT -7)

i am 14 years old and i believe im lactose intolerant. I get all the symptoms when i eat dairy products, but they are not too bad unless, for example, i have 2 or more glasses of milk. I get burning diarhea an hour after i eat a lot of dairy products, and i also get bloated and have gas within an hour of concuming something. I want to know if this really could be lactose intolerance, or something else entirely. I keep a food diary to track when i get the symptoms and when i eat, and so far it has added up to lactose inolerance. Could this possibly be something else, like irritable bowel syndrome? I've been like this as long as i can remember, although i havent gotten tested yet.

mdr
New Member

Date Joined Aug 2008
Total Posts : 3

Posted 8/26/2008 10:22 AM (GMT -7)

Allison

This does sound very much like lactose intolerance however you could have a dairy allergy. You should go to the Dr and have that checked. For now avoid dairy if it is causing you so much trouble. The one thing to remeber is Lactose is in more then just dairy for example many store bought speggetti sauces have it , as does milk chocolate. Here these links might provide some help. I have copied some information as well below.

Lactose Intolerance

http://www.fbhc.org/Patients/Modules/lactose.cfm

Milk allergy Vs. Lactose intolerance

http://www.allergyasthmacenter.com/info/milklactose.htm

What Is Hidden Lactose?

VIEW IMAGE

Although milk and foods made from milk are the only natural sources, lactose is often added to prepared foods. People with very low tolerance for lactose should know about the many food products that may contain lactose, even in small amounts. Food products that may contain lactose include:

Bread and other baked goods
Processed breakfast cereals.
Instant potatoes, soups, and breakfast drinks.
Margarine.
Lunch meats (other than kosher)
Salad dressings.
Candies and other snacks
Mixes for pancakes, biscuits, and cookies.

Some products labeled nondairy, such as powdered coffee creamer and whipped toppings, may also include ingredients that are derived from milk and therefore contain lactose.

Smart shoppers learn to read food labels with care, looking not only for milk and lactose among the contents but also for such words as whey, curds, milk by-products, dry milk solids, and nonfat dry milk powder. If any of these are listed on a label, the item contains lactose.

In addition, lactose is used as the base for more than 20 percent of prescription drugs and about 6 percent of over-the-counter medicines. Many types of birth control pills, for example, contain lactose, as do some tablets for stomach acid and gas. However, these products typically affect only people with severe lactose intolerance.

pb4
Elite Member

Date Joined Feb 2004
Total Posts : 13715

Posted 8/26/2008 11:50 AM (GMT -7)

Yes, dairy allergy is much different than being lactose intolerant...if you're allergic to dairy it's the casein in it that causes this allergic reaction...generally in the case of allergy, the culprit must be avoided...being intolerant is different since there are things that can aid with intolerance so one can still eat/drink products containg lactose for example...lactose intolerance happens to be a very world wide issue, the majority of people are lactose intolerant.

:)

My bum is broken....there's a big crack down the middle of it! LOL :)

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