Dairy Issues - Your Experience Please?

[Mongoose]

I'm hoping someone here can let me know if they've had a similar experience with dairy and behavior ...

I went gluten-free 3-1/2 years ago (self-diagnosed), and my companion went gluten-free 7 months after I did (also self-diagnosed). We both figured out eventually that we get mood swings (rage and depression, and very vocal about it) on the 4th day after we've been glutened. We eventually found that 50 mg daily of vitamin B6 helps stop this (Open Original Shared Link for example). Before going gluten-free we were pretty cranky and nasty tempered and depressed. After going gluten-free life was incredibly better on both the physical and emotional levels.

Now the kicker. I cut way back on dairy shortly after going gluten-free, but my companion didn't. Slowly, over a year or more, he started getting cranky, ill-tempered and withdrawn again. Then he realized that milk was making him cough after dinner so he quit drinking it, and within a few days he was just so sweet and social again it was almost like living with a totally different person. But he was still eating cheese, and slowly over several months he got cranky, withdrawn and ill-tempered again. Now from my side of it, when he's like that it seems very much like a gluten rage. But internally we can both feel and recognize the gluten rage and cope with it. He says he doesn't recognize the dairy rage. And the vitamin B6 that stops the gluten rage obviously doesn't do anything at all for the dairy rage. Anyway, we're both dairy free now. Once again he is social and sweet natured. And now he's experiencing some of the changes that I noticed when going gluten-free but he didn't, like the loss/absence of anger. He kind of feels like part of him is missing.

Has anyone else been through this with dairy? Does anyone know of a particular vitamin deficiency associated with behavior problems due to casein-intolerance, which is what I'm assuming the problem is? Most margarines seem to have whey in them -- will this also turn out to be a problem? I've read that sometimes soy will affect behavior. Does anyone have any experience with that? I'm wondering if I also need to take soy out of our diet just in case.

Thanks so much for any input!

Mongoose

[Nancym]

Wow, you're lucky your partner is receptive to changing his diet to restore his good nature.

I think with a food intolerance it is as likely to be some partially digested peptide that slips into the blood stream that causes the mood funkiness. I doubt it is something you can control with supplements, unfortunately.

[kabowman]

I have noticed that my youngest son (lactose intolerance only) had mood issues when he has lactose. Now, we limit/control the lactose in our house-meaning he only has it occasionnaly and with pills. However, he has it a limited amount at school (he avoids it if at all possible) and at his fathers (who says they rarely have milk in their foods--well, he comes home with D and cramping every time I guess cheese and waffles with butter don't count--sorry). He takes calcium suppliments in the evening, lactaid milk (which has calcium added) with cereal in the morning.

The problem is: I don't know if the mood issues, which are gone when he is lactose free, are more to do with the discomfort of gas, cramps, D, interrupted sleep, or if it is a lactose issue. BUT either way, they are there.

Most margarines have dairy but not all - all margarines have soy. If you are not sure about the mood with soy, you may want to get the dairy free margarines for now and watch for behavior issues - especially if you use it sparingly. I don't use any margarines and make due with nut butters and/or honey.

Soy is in everything! Worse than gluten...watch what you buy.

[Jnkmnky]

Great info about dairy is on the Gluten-free Casein-free website for autism. Their explanations are very thorough.

[cornbread]

Mongoose, it sounds like casein intolerance. I found I had that a few months after going gluten free (both things give me that depressed/angry/irritable thing, amoung other symptoms). Casein is the protein in dairy and it's VERY similar structurally to gluten, about 70% of gluten intolerant people also react to casein.

You can have a simple test done for $99 at Open Original Shared Link.

Good work so far btw!

[Mongoose]

The problem is: I don't know if the mood issues, which are gone when he is lactose free, are more to do with the discomfort of gas, cramps, D, interrupted sleep, or if it is a lactose issue. BUT either way, they are there.

Most margarines have dairy but not all - all margarines have soy. If you are not sure about the mood with soy, you may want to get the dairy free margarines for now and watch for behavior issues - especially if you use it sparingly. I don't use any margarines and make due with nut butters and/or honey.

Soy is in everything! Worse than gluten...watch what you buy.

Thanks for the suggestion on the nut butters. I'll start looking into that.

Does your son sleep restlessly? My companion was extremely restless at night before we went gluten-free. Now that he's quit with dairy too he's sleeping so sound and quiet it's amazing. He doesn't even snore now. I wonder if you could switch to an alternate milk for a couple of days to find out if the moodiness and interrupted sleep would ease up? Best of luck!

Mongoose

You can have a simple test done for $99 at Open Original Shared Link.

Good work so far btw!

Thanks That's a good suggestion to have testing done. I didn't know that a test was available for casein intolerance. Enterolab does gene testing too, I think, and I've always wanted to have that done.