When Can I Eat Dairy/lactose/casein

[celiac3270]

Since being diagnosed in February, I've been limiting my dairy/lactose....I am not lactose intolerent, so I have not been strictly adhering to a 100% lactose-free diet . Rather, I've tried to limit my lactose intake. For example, earlier in the diet, I had a big bowl of straberry icecream (made by Haagen Dazs, so I know it was gluten-free)...and I got sick that night. Therefore, I started eating a soy icecream, which tastes okay. I don't avoid all dairy, but avoid large quantities of dairy whenever I can. I don't dare to eat a whole bowl of icecream to find out if I'm okay with dairy now -- I still have symptoms...in case that is a sign of whether or not dairy is okay -- I know all Celiacs are different, but how long did you or would you recommend staying off dairy/lactose? Thanks.

-celiac3270

[burdee]

If you're not caseine sensitive, you might try using 'lactaid' supplements when you consume dairy and/or lactaid milk instead of regular milk. I learned I was lactose intolerant about 10 years ago and have used "lactaid" sucessfully every since. I sure wish someone would have suggested gluten intolerance back then. 'Sorry I couldn't answer your original question about how long to avoid lactose ... I just started avoiding gluten 9 weeks ago.

BURDEE

[judy04]

celiac3270,

I have been gluten-free since Nov.,03 and lactose -free for 5 months.

Since I relly started to notice a difference in my physical problems, ie,

have lost 10lbs and am almost totally pain free, I thought I would

try dairy again, so I had some Yoplait yogurt yesterday and began experiencing

"brain fog", which is enough to say..no way, not again. I haven't been

tested so I can't tell what part of dairy is bothering me. Perhaps I will

later on down the line, I haven't tried the Lactaid because i'm feeling so

well that I don't want any more challenges. I found that I can live without

milk, I use soy or goat's milk and can eat small amts of hard cheese, mostly

Cheddar. Hope this helps and I hope you are feeling better.

[celiac3270]

Good to know....I've been lactose-limited for almost 5 months, as well....I haven't avoided dairy altogether, but, like I said in my post, avoided large quantities.....thank you for sharing your experiences with it...I guess I'll be avoiding it longer than I initially expected to....thanks again.

As for my symptoms.....still there. I had another episode of cramping and vomiting.....ten times less severe, but still there....as long as they're less harsh, though, I can deal with this for now.

-celiac3270

[ryebaby0]

celiac3270:

My son (who is 10) just saw his GI yesterday and we asked the very same question. He was DX the same time as you, but has additional immune-system problems. Anyhow, his doc still wants him off dairy (we were soooo bummed). It isn't just an issue of healing; premature exposure to dairy can -- sometimes -- set off an actual allergy to milk (casein or lactose) that you didn't previously have. Or that's my understanding of what she said. A summer without ice cream. Ick! We're going to buy stock in Philly Swirl !

Joanna (and Patrick)

[celiac3270]

celiac3270:

My son (who is 10) just saw his GI yesterday and we asked the very same question. He was DX the same time as you, but has additional immune-system problems. Anyhow, his doc still wants him off dairy (we were soooo bummed). It isn't just an issue of healing; premature exposure to dairy can -- sometimes -- set off an actual allergy to milk (casein or lactose) that you didn't previously have. Or that's my understanding of what she said. A summer without ice cream. Ick!  We're going to buy stock in Philly Swirl !

Joanna (and Patrick)

Yikes! Thank you for the warnings.....is it bad for me to be consuming any dairy? Like I said, I eliminated bulk amounts of obvious dairy...like creamcheese. Is it bad to have some dairy in my diet?

-celiac3270

[tarnalberry]

If you're casein intolerant, or allergic, then yes, any dairy would be a bad idea. If you're just lactose intolerant, then probably not, even if you don't use lactaid. (It varies by person.) It depends on the root cause... (I'm having trouble figuring out dairy too, but haven't worked real hard at it... eliminating all casein will be tough for me! ;-) )

[celiac3270]

oh, okay...I'm not allergic...thanks.

-celiac3270

[Mark]

After being 6 months diary free, my lactalbumine went negative, my caseine IgA dropped half down and caseine IgG remained almost the same as before. So, perhaps one year diary free and my antibodies will be ok. Just to give you an idea. I'll have another bloodwork next week, so I'll see more then.

MARK

gluten-free/CF since September 03