Desperate About Cheese

[natro2]

It seems as if no celiacs have problems with cheese, but that seems hard to believe, I and other celiacs that I know of, get a reaction from eating plain (European) cheese, with no additional ingredients. I have no other allergies than gluten, so I

[burdee]

Are you sure you're not casein sensitive as well as gluten sensitive? That's not exactly a milk allergy, but an intolerance, like lactose intolerance. Can you digest other dairy products (than cheese) okay? I know plenty of celiacs (esp. newly diagnosed ones) who can't digest dairy products. Some are lactose intolerant, some also have casein antibodies. So they must avoid ALL dairy. Does anyone know of a dairy free, gluten free cheese???

BURDEE

[oreyes]

You mentioned being lactose intolerant. Before I was diagnosed and for the previous seven years I was lactose intolerant. I had always eaten yogurt for breakfast and been a big cheese fan but as my disease progressed I had to give them up. Since being diagnosed three years ago, I now eat both with no trouble. It did take a while before I could tolerate either and I was reluctant to try them at first but I really missed the yogurt. It's now a regular part of my breakfast again. But I've not heard of a cheese that's both dairy and gluten free.

[natro2]

Well I

[bigapplekathleen]

HI there,

I had to give up all dairy for many months after starting the gluten-free diet. I would get the worst stomach pains, etc after ingesting any dairy product (even butter!). However, in the past week, I have reintroduced dairy 3 times without any problem. (I have been totally gluten-free since august 2003 and totally dairy-free since Jan. 2004.) I even ate ice cream this week without a problem!

Hard cheeses are the safest bet for celiacs if you have no other intolerances or allergies. Don't buy low-fat (since wheat could be in there) or flavored cheese. Eat the real thing.

At the natural foods markets around here, I have seen gluten-free, dairy-free cheese. It is made from soy. You might check for that if you have no other options. In fact, I buy frozen pizzas that have gluten-free rice crusts and soy cheese. They are completely gluten-free, casein-free and dairy-free.