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Lactose Intolerance

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Teri16
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2003
Posts : 5230
Posted 4/1/2005 8:28 AM (GMT -8)
Lactose Intolerance

 

I have known people with this problem and have watched them suffer when they try to just be like one of the gang and eat some foods with milk and/or cheeses in them.  Some of them told me they were "allergic to milk".  So this is what motivated me to look into this more and do a bit more reading...

 

It seems as if there are millions of men and women that are not able to drink a glass of milk, other milk products, or even just a slice a pizza.  This is not just a problem in the United States, but many other people in the world suffer from this problem!  It's called Lactose Intolerance.

 

Symptoms vary but include nausea, bloating, stomach pains and cramping, diarrhea and just a general gassiness.  So you're feeling pretty badly! yeah

 

This intolerance comes from a shortage of the enzyme Lactase.  This is usually produced by the cells in the small intestines.  Lactase is supposed to break down the milk sugar into a simpler form and then it should be absorbed into the blood stream.  If there isn't enough Lactase to help digest the lactose that is eaten, it can end up like the symptoms that I described above...not very pleasant!

 

One source that I read actually said that a "Lactose Intolerance isn't an all-or-nothing condition.  Some people who are genetically Lactose intolerant don't have symptoms, because their large intestines have adapted to undigested sugar.  Others have found through trial and error that not all dairy products cause them discomfort.  Yogurt is expecially tolerable because the bacteria cultures used in making it produce lactase.  Research has also shown that many people diagnosed with lactose intolerance can still enjoy foods like ice cream and cheese, as long as they eat them in small amounts or with other foods."

 

Some of my sources for this article came from;

The Ladies Home Journal, or lhj.com

Diagnosishealth.com

gastro.org

 

Teri

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Teri16
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2003
Posts : 5230
Posted 8/5/2005 9:27 AM (GMT -8)
Here is another link that offers some good info on lactose intolerance...Hope this helps someone else!  Hugs, Teri tongue

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/lactoseintolerance/

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Red_34
Elite Member
Joined : Apr 2004
Posts : 23581
Posted 8/5/2005 5:18 PM (GMT -8)
Hi Teri,
I am lactose intolerant and you hit it on the head. The gassiness and bloating is intolerable. Unfortunately I believe my daughter has developed an intolerance as well. She used to complain about tummy pains all the time and finally pinpointed the culprit to dairy products so now she is doing much much better. It's hard on her when she is in school and her class decides to have an ice cream social. Unfortunately, I sometimes don't know about this ahead of time or I would send in sherbert for her instead. I've had her try the lactaid pills but she has a hard time swallowing them. Oh well, at least we can still enjoy some ice cream, but soy instead which is still yummy!
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Teri16
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Joined : Dec 2003
Posts : 5230
Posted 8/5/2005 6:13 PM (GMT -8)
I love soy milk and my daughter has tried some of the soy products, too and liked them - like the cheese. She seemed to be allergic to milk at birth, though grew out of it. It's really rough for kids when they're amongst their peers - how old is your daughter, Sherry? I was thinking if she was young enough, perhaps you could make arrangements with her teacher for future events? Best Wishes to both of you!!
Hugs, Teri smile
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Red_34
Elite Member
Joined : Apr 2004
Posts : 23581
Posted 8/6/2005 1:51 PM (GMT -8)
Teri, my daughter is 9 turning 10 on August 29th. But after hearing about the ice cream social fiasco, I talked to her teacher and told her that if something like that comes up again, to please let me know so I can have something there for her. Unfortunately they didn't have it again, but we made a deal with the teacher that if someone brings in dairy related food, that my daughter will have a secret stash of candy or something in the teachers cupboard so she won't feel left out.
It was kind of cute a few weekends ago....me and my daughter went to girl scout camp and they had ice cream for dessert. So of course my daughter started crying because she couldn't have any so we went back into the kitchen and asked one of the helpers if they had something else for her. She showed the freezer to my girl and her eyes lit up because the freezer was full of pies, cakes, cookies....dessert galore and she had her pick of anything in there! She picked out a piece of pie and brought it back to the table with her chest all puffed out like she was soooooo proud of herself for having something different then everyone else. It was kind of funny.
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Teri16
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Joined : Dec 2003
Posts : 5230
Posted 8/6/2005 2:00 PM (GMT -8)

Off Topic here for just a minute, but girls, especially young girls heading into puberty and Jr.High years generally have a lower self esteem then at any other time in their lives.  So if they are set apart even by having health issues like allergies, it's so important that Mom's like you are stepping in there and doing what you are for your daughter!!  I applaud your efforts - you rock!!

Big Bunches of Hugs, Teri tongue

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heartangel
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2004
Posts : 638
Posted 8/7/2005 3:52 PM (GMT -8)
teri we also use light soy milk and it doesnot make stanley get congested easy hemloves it but once he tried skim milk and he was sick for a few days so no more regular milk only soy milk I get plain and in the winter time I buy the chochlate kind for tea and I also make a good cholocate cake using the soy milk too.
Heidi
P.S teri you are so right with young ladies and their body types they se what they se on tv and it is so bad they are seeing the wrong images we need to tell ur kids boys and girls we love them just the way they are.
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hopeful82
Veteran Member
Joined : Jul 2005
Posts : 2433
Posted 8/19/2005 9:35 AM (GMT -8)
I was just scanning through posts, and I just thought someone might be interested in the evolutionary theory of lactose intolerance smile
Most human beings become lactose intolerant at some point early in their life, many anthropologists believe we were not meant to drink dairy past infancy even. Its actually a gene mutation long long long ago in early human populatoins that is the reason you never develop the intolerance. Nomadic peoples in the Caucasus mountain region relied on goat milk to survive, thus it was adaptive to have this mutation, so it thrived in this population, which is why Caucasians are less likely than other races to suffer from lactose intolerance. However, not every Caucasion person had this mutation, obviously, so it didn't get passed on to everyone, but the people who have it in their DNA never beome intolerant smile Of course, the mutation reached into other races' gene pools as well, but it is believed to have begun among the Caucasian race.
Interesting theory eh? I learned about all this in a class I took in college about human evolution, disease, and nutrition.
OK, that was my fun fact for the day smile
Take care!
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Teri16
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Joined : Dec 2003
Posts : 5230
Posted 8/19/2005 9:56 AM (GMT -8)
Why thank you for that fun fact, Ali!! tongue   I enjoyed the

lesson yeah it is an interesting theory!

 

You can add those tidbits anytime you want. lol

 

Bunches of Hugs, Teri tongue

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Teri16
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2003
Posts : 5230
Posted 8/19/2005 1:39 PM (GMT -8)
Hi Jen!! tongue

 

Yes, my daughter starting wheezing at birth from the formula, too, so she drank soy formula even after bottle weaning...and then went straight to milk and has never had any problems either! smurf Thank goodness -- Though we do use 1% around the house here, and she likes a lactose free milk...go figure. lol

 

It's always great to see you here, Jen - come on back over this direction anytime!! yeah

 

Big Hugs always, Teri tongue

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Red_34
Elite Member
Joined : Apr 2004
Posts : 23581
Posted 8/22/2005 9:52 AM (GMT -8)
The lactose free milk is actually sweeter then regular milk. I am not a big milk drinker but this stuff is pretty darn good. I don't like the soy milk though, it leaves a funny after taste in my mouth.
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Teri16
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2003
Posts : 5230
Posted 8/22/2005 12:37 PM (GMT -8)
Sherry, have you tried the vanilla flavored? I use that on my cereal and it tastes wonderful! Bunches of Hugs, Teri smile
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Red_34
Elite Member
Joined : Apr 2004
Posts : 23581
Posted 8/22/2005 3:47 PM (GMT -8)
I don't really like vanilla but the chocolate soy isn't too bad. I just don't like the regular stuff.
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Teri16
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2003
Posts : 5230
Posted 8/22/2005 6:53 PM (GMT -8)
hmmmm chocolate and Kashi? - maybe not?! lol Hugs, Teri smile
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kate68
New Member
Joined : Aug 2005
Posts : 2
Posted 8/25/2005 4:52 PM (GMT -8)
hi i'm new here and 24 years old. i just got my tonsils removed last week and am reminded of when i was 15/16 and had both my wisdom teeth removed and my gums cut where my 12 year molers had not yet come through in order to hopefully help them come out.

likewise i have been eating a diet high in yogurts, pudding, and frozen yogurt and low in everything else. as when i was 16, after a while a developed bouts of nausea and irritable bowel type problems. consisting of diarrhea yes, about as much as can possibly be mustered by someone eating as little as i have been.

when i was in high school i suffered from eating disorders and at 16 after the issues of mouth surgeries i had gall stones calling for my gall bladder to be removed. since then i have had on and off bouts of irritable bowel occurrences but never noticed any concrete patterns except for the richer the foods were i ate, the more problems by stomach had handling them.

my question is, is this a type of lactose intolerance that i am experiencing? could i maybe have not noticed this to be as big a problem at other times except for when my diet is primarily dairy?

i appreciate any help i could be given on this matter.

<3 katie

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Teri16
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2003
Posts : 5230
Posted 8/25/2005 5:12 PM (GMT -8)
Hi and Welcome to HealingWell, Katie!! tongue

You have been through the wringer for your very young age! yeah    I'm not a Dr. Katie, nor are the others here, so all I/we can offer you are our own thoughts or ideas.

 

First of all, have you seen a Dr. for this?  Since you just had  surgery, this is not anything to fool around with...this recent episode could be from something viral, bacterial, or medications that you are taking.  On the other hand have you been on a good, healthy diet prior to this surgery?  That could be a factor if you have not been.  And yes! - you could have a food intolerance/allergy to certain foods and that is sometimes a difficult thing to find out 'what' it is?!  Why not go a couple of days without milk in your diet, try something lactose free and see if this helps you...you could be on your way to a new you!! tongue

 

I'm basically just offering suggestions here for you to think about and share with your Dr., so that they might be able to offer you a better diagnosis.  I know this can't be comfortable for you either!

 

Let me know what happens, Katie! - I care.

Hugs, Teri tongue

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kate68
New Member
Joined : Aug 2005
Posts : 2
Posted 8/26/2005 1:17 AM (GMT -8)
thanks so much teri! yes i do take care of my body now despite the years of abuse when it came to nutrition and diet. i've been eating disorder free since i was about 19 and am actually actively pursuing a health education degree and working in a field in which i help women discover the true happiness in treating our bodies the way we should!

i've had issues with allergies and asthma since an infant and despite my outside of appearance of picture perfect health have had several issues with all kinds of medical problems. obviously not more serious debilitating ones, but you name any problems not easily seen, i've probably had them! ha. i understand the importance of treating ourselves as best we possibly can.

anyway, i have been seeing my ear nose and throat doctor for about 4 or 5 years now. i believe i had seen him on and off again when i was young. mainly for a problem i had with my ears as an infant (after tubes were taken out i had small holes and cracks in my ear drums which took years for any physician to realize why i would cry and scream when after going under water!!) a few years ago i had my second allergy scratch test done which i am not sure of included dairy but i think it did? is this how they test it? i was unbelievably allergic to basically nature. trees, grasses, and most of all MOLD. of course i am born and raised in the new orleans, la area which is the absolute worst place to live for these types of allergies and problems. the past few years i have had tonsilitis and strep so much i can't even tell you. i've been getting 3 allergy shots a week (or appx 3 x's a month) for a couple years now as well. mainly whenever i am outdoors is when these problems arise. exercise outside is a no no for me. i don't have issues with asthma anymore all the time (both my brother and i used to suffer every winter and be stuck on the breathing treatments) but when i do i do. i definitely need to keep the alburerol asthma inhaler on hand.

each semester in school has become harder and harder with my allergies and tonsilitis problems. my doctor has been wanting to take my tonsils out. ha. i also need a foot surgery however so it was a toss up between which one i needed more. lol. but overall this is the one that would affect me in missing class during my last year of school so i knew this was more important. i had both tonsils and adenoids removed.

i will be seeing my doctor next week for my second post op appt. although i've already seen him once since i was so out of it and pretty miserable i totally forgot to mention to him i started having some issues with diarrhea. but i definitely will bring it up next week. lord knows he won't be surprised!

sorry so long, i thought a quick briefing on me would be good because this definitely seems like a site i will frequent on from now on!

thanks for your reply again and god bless!

<333 katie
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Teri16
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2003
Posts : 5230
Posted 8/26/2005 6:58 AM (GMT -8)
Wow, Katie! 

 

I am so impressed and how proud you must be of your own accomplisments!  I know it wasn't easy for you.  I want to wish you good luck on your future education goals - we need many more like you out there!! yeah

 

Let me know how you continue with this current problem and any others that may arise!

 

Big Hugs, Teri tongue

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