Casein?

[gointribal]

what is casein? Whats it in and how do I tell if I have a problem with it? I seem to have a milk allergy or lactose but could it be casein? Thanks guys!

[celiac3270]

A simple definition: a milk protein.

There are tests your dr. can do to see if you have a problem--and you can test yourself by cutting it out and seeing how you feel or adding a lot and looking to see if you have a reaction to it.

It could very possibly be casein instead of lactose....

[CMCM]

what is casein? Whats it in and how do I tell if I have a problem with it? I seem to have a milk allergy or lactose but could it be casein? Thanks guys!

Here's a link where casein sensitivity and lactose intolerance are explained:

Open Original Shared Link

A simple definition: a milk protein.

There are tests your dr. can do to see if you have a problem--and you can test yourself by cutting it out and seeing how you feel or adding a lot and looking to see if you have a reaction to it.

It could very possibly be casein instead of lactose....

I love your two quotes!

[jenvan]

gointribal- what are your symptoms related to milk--GI or otherwise... ?

[gointribal]

gointribal- what are your symptoms related to milk--GI or otherwise... ?

Jen- I have really bad pain in my stomach, lower bowles, bloating, gas, constipation, dizzy, blurred vision, shaky, pale/yellow skin, cold all the time. These all happen when I eat gluten or milk, the doctor tested me for a milk and wheat allergy, but they were negative. I also had the celiac blood test done and I was in the normal range, so she said I was fine. I had a colonoscopy already and I go in for an edg next week and I hope they find out whats wrong. I started noticing all these things about 5 years ago but as I look back on my child hood I wonder if it was all there before. My doctor doesn't seem to belive its celiac, she thinks its IBS or H. pylori. Why do you ask?

[jenvan]

I asked because a lactose intolerance is different from casein intolerance. Can you get a copy of your allergy tests? I am guessing it was for IgE antibiodies, which test classic allergies. You should get tested for IgG allergies-or food intolerances, more common, and more of what us Celiacs have going on. I have to go to a meeting, but let me know if you want more info, I can post more on their differences and explanation....

[gointribal]

I asked because a lactose intolerance is different from casein intolerance. Can you get a copy of your allergy tests? I am guessing it was for IgE antibiodies, which test classic allergies. You should get tested for IgG allergies-or food intolerances, more common, and more of what us Celiacs have going on. I have to go to a meeting, but let me know if you want more info, I can post more on their differences and explanation....

Thanks Jen, I might take you up on that. I really need to get another dr to look at my test results. I had the IgG and IgA done and one other test that was combined to make a percentage (which I don't understand).

[CMCM]

Jen- I have really bad pain in my stomach, lower bowles, bloating, gas, constipation, dizzy, blurred vision, shaky, pale/yellow skin, cold all the time. These all happen when I eat gluten or milk, the doctor tested me for a milk and wheat allergy, but they were negative. I also had the celiac blood test done and I was in the normal range, so she said I was fine. I had a colonoscopy already and I go in for an edg next week and I hope they find out whats wrong. I started noticing all these things about 5 years ago but as I look back on my child hood I wonder if it was all there before. My doctor doesn't seem to belive its celiac, she thinks its IBS or H. pylori. Why do you ask?

My understanding is that an allergy is a different animal from sensitivity or intolerance. Your symptoms are much the same as mine. I thought for 20 years that I was lactose intolerant, which means a person has trouble digesting the milk SUGAR. I took lactaid, which actually didn't help all that much, but maybe a little. Just recently when I got myself tested for celiac, I included a casein sensitivity test. Casein is the PROTEIN in milk, same as gluten is the protein in wheat. I found that in addition to my celiac/gluten sensitivity genes, I was also casein sensitive. I got this test thru Enterolab, a stool test, not a blood test and not a skin prick test, which wouldn't reveal this information anyway. The casein sensitivity happens in your intestines same as with gluten, AND...it can cause the same intestinal damage as gluten. If you do have the casein sensitivity, the prescription is same as with gluten: you don't eat dairy. Period. In addition to the casein sensitivity, you could conceivably be lactose intolerant as well....I just read that perhaps as many as 75% of people are actually lactose intolerant, but that and casein sensitivity are two different things.

I'd really suggest getting tested for casein sensitivity since you have identified dairy as a problem.

[gointribal]

My understanding is that an allergy is a different animal from sensitivity or intolerance. Your symptoms are much the same as mine. I thought for 20 years that I was lactose intolerant, which means a person has trouble digesting the milk SUGAR. I took lactaid, which actually didn't help all that much, but maybe a little. Just recently when I got myself tested for celiac, I included a casein sensitivity test. Casein is the PROTEIN in milk, same as gluten is the protein in wheat. I found that in addition to my celiac/gluten sensitivity genes, I was also casein sensitive. I got this test thru Enterolab, a stool test, not a blood test and not a skin prick test, which wouldn't reveal this information anyway. The casein sensitivity happens in your intestines same as with gluten, AND...it can cause the same intestinal damage as gluten. If you do have the casein sensitivity, the prescription is same as with gluten: you don't eat dairy. Period. In addition to the casein sensitivity, you could conceivably be lactose intolerant as well....I just read that perhaps as many as 75% of people are actually lactose intolerant, but that and casein sensitivity are two different things.

I'd really suggest getting tested for casein sensitivity since you have identified dairy as a problem.

CAROLE- thanks a ton, I have to call my GI doctor tomorrow so I'll see what they can do. Can they test for casein in a EDG?

[jenvan]

tribal--

i have reposted an old post of mine below with more info on testing. you can not have food intolerance testing in an endoscopy. it is done with a simple blood test. some docs can do in office, but most folks do with a 3rd party testing company, like great plains or york. ps--part of this reason is that some docs do not put much stock in IgG food intolerances, only classic IgE allergies. but we know better here....

_____________

I pasted info I have posted before on "allergies" below. Explains the difference between a classic food allergy (IgE) and a delayed food allergy/sensitivity/food intolerance (IgG). York Allergy Labs and Great Plains Labs do this type of testing. I opted for Great Plains b/c my insurance covered part of it. (I can give you more info on that if you like). Another option is to keep a food journal and try a rotation diet--that often helps identity a link between certain symptoms and foods. That is how I first figured out I was casein intolerant.

. What is the difference between food allergy and food intolerance?

Many people think the terms food allergy and food intolerance mean the same thing; however, they do not. A food intolerance is an adverse food-induced reaction that does not involve the immune system. Lactose intolerance is one example of a food intolerance. A person with lactose intolerance lacks an enzyme that is needed to digest milk sugar. When the person eats milk products, symptoms such as gas, bloating, and abdominal pain may occur.

A food allergy occurs when the immune system reacts to a certain food. The most common form of an immune system reaction occurs when the body creates immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to the food. When these IgE antibodies react with the food, histamine and other chemicals (called mediators) cause hives, asthma, or other symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Introduction

Foods can cause a number of reactions, not all of which are allergic. Anyone can experience an adverse reaction to a food. The types of adverse reactions are as follows:

Adverse Reactions to Foods

Food Intolerance - where the immune system is not involved in the reaction

* Food poisoning

* Idiosyncratic reactions to food

* Anaphylactoid reactions (they act like anaphylaxis but there is no allergy-IgE antibody involved)

* Pharmacologic reactions

Food Allergy - when the immune system is involved in the reaction

* IgE mediated (classic allergy- tests are available) Non-IgE mediated

* Type III immune response- a serum sickness like reaction

* Type IV immune response- a contact dermatitis type reaction

Food Allergy- Facts and Figures

Food intolerance accounts for 80% of all adverse reactions to food.

Food allergy accounts for 20% of all adverse reactions to food.

Allergic reactions can be itching, swelling, rash, spreading hives, vomiting, diarrhea, breathing difficulties and in the most severe of the allergic disorders, anaphylaxis can lead to collapse and death. By definition, anaphylaxis is an allergic reaction which involves two of the body's systems (eg respiratory and gastrointestinal or skin). Anaphylactic deaths as a result of insect bites or penicillin are usually very quick - within minutes - and due to cardiac arrest, anaphylactic deaths due to food allergies are usually due to suffocation (breathing difficulties).

Food intolerance reactions can be the same as above, as well as:

skin (rashes, swelling)

airways (asthma, stuffy or runny nose, frequent colds and infections)

gastrointestinal tract (irritable bowel symptoms, colic, bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, frequent mouth ulcers, reflux, bedwetting, 'sneaky poos', 'sticky poos')

central nervous system (migraines, headaches, anxiety, depression, lethargy, impairment of memory and concentration, panic attacks, irritability, restlessness, inattention, sleep disturbance, restless legs, moodswings, PMT).

Symptoms of food intolerance can come and go and change throughout life.

[CMCM]

Boy, what a list! It's funny, too (or not so funny) when I think of all the YEARS I spent trying to find a reason for my asthma-like symptoms....yet, when I had intensive and very expensive testing for asthma they said "nope, not asthma". I even had more intensive testing with a heart specialist to track down the asthma again, and a chronic cough. Nothing. Yet NO ONE, not even once, suggested allergy. I even told them my history and about my mother's celiac diagnosis. This went on for 25+ years! And all that time, since I wasn't overly knowledgeable about celiac and basically thought it required my mom's rather classic symptoms, I never gave it a second thought. I did definitely know I had problems with dairy going back to infancy....but didn't connect that with the airways reactions either. And I'd been to allergists, and they didn't make any connections either.

Yet....last November I went gluten/dairy free and I'd say within a week or so my cough and most of the asthma symptoms just went POOF and disappeared. And when I have had my eating lapses recently it came right back. That's proof for me!

It's kind of scary sometimes how much doctors DON'T know. You really have to be your own detective with these things, I guess.

In my entire life, no doctor, not even once, has ever suggested I get tested for either celiac or casein related sensitivities. Not once. I only know what I know now because I took the initiative to find out everything myself.

[jenvan]

Carole-

So glad you made the connection. And sorry you had to wait so long to make it on your own! But we are here now to spread the word to others....

[gointribal]

You all have been so helpful! I just have a few more questions about casein, is it in chocolate, hot cocoa or butter? If so are there some of these things that are casein free that you could recomend?

[CMCM]

You all have been so helpful! I just have a few more questions about casein, is it in chocolate, hot cocoa or butter? If so are there some of these things that are casein free that you could recomend?

Casein is the milk protein, and therefore, it would be a component of anything made from milk. That would include butter. Read labels....milk chocolate will of course have a high level of milk in it and much less cocoa. Milk chocolate makes me feel terrible, although I LOOVVVEE milk chocolate. If you get a fairly dark semi-sweet chocolate you can find some brands which do not contain added milk. I don't seem to have trouble with that kind of chocolate. I don't have a label to check, but I imagine hot cocoa DOES have milk in it, and therefore casein.

Basically, you've just got to read labels religiously! If a label says "milk", you know it has casein. Other products will specify casein individually, and it can be in products you wouldn't suspect. Read labels! It's a real drag, but there's no way around it.

[Modism]

The thing with gluten and caesin, is that they're such large proteins, it's very hard for the intestine to digest them. So, if you have any intestinal problems at all, you should avoid them.