Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

A Question For Parents With Dairy Free Families

Nic

Recommended Posts

Nic Collaborator
Nic
Posted

Hi, I will be calling my doctor tomorrow to ask this question but sometimes it seems like other parents know more :P . Has anyone with a lactose intolerant or casein intolerant child ever seen constipation as a symptom? I posted my frunstrations with my son's chronic constipation even though gluten-free the other day and a few mom's replied that I should concider dairy as a possible problem. I have been searching on line for symptoms and found that most articles say that constipation is not a symptom for lactose intolerance but could be for casein allergy. But what confuses me is that one article stated that if the gastro syptoms are chronic and not just after ingestion of milk, then it is more likely to be lactose intolerance. I am just wondering if anyone else has ever had chronic constipation associated with milk allergy or lactose intolerance. Also, his syptoms are on a cycle, goes well for a few weeks, then stops, then constipation, then diarrhea. It does not just happen after ingestion because he drinks milk daily.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Satori Newbie
Satori
Posted
Hi, I will be calling my doctor tomorrow to ask this question but sometimes it seems like other parents know more :P . Has anyone with a lactose intolerant or casein intolerant child ever seen constipation as a symptom? I posted my frunstrations with my son's chronic constipation even though gluten-free the other day and a few mom's replied that I should concider dairy as a possible problem. I have been searching on line for symptoms and found that most articles say that constipation is not a symptom for lactose intolerance but could be for casein allergy. But what confuses me is that one article stated that if the gastro syptoms are chronic and not just after ingestion of milk, then it is more likely to be lactose intolerance. I am just wondering if anyone else has ever had chronic constipation associated with milk allergy or lactose intolerance. Also, his syptoms are on a cycle, goes well for a few weeks, then stops, then constipation, then diarrhea. It does not just happen after ingestion because he drinks milk daily.

Allergy/intolerance to dairy protein can cause constipation, lactose intolernace will cause diarrhea.

shai76 Explorer
shai76
Posted

Lactose intolerance can cause constipation, especially with cheesy things. With an allergy you would have other symptoms as well, like eczema, hives, or toher rashes. Possibly vomiting or breathing difficulties. An allergy is considered life threatening, and an intolerance is usually not.

  • 7 months later...
kirbymom Newbie
kirbymom
Posted

I'm looking for a post I saw, so I am going through old posts with the search eczema and I saw yours - have you taken your child off dairy? My daughter had chronic constipation on dairy - it is seen with milk intolerance but only ~20% of the time so not generally accepted - there is literature on it as well.

girlfromclare Apprentice
girlfromclare
Posted

Hi, my son has been off dairy since before he was diagnosed celiac because of his gastro symptoms. He used to have projectile vomiting and his stools were a pale white colour instead of what they should have been. He didnt have much by way of constipation but if there is one thing I have learnt during this journey its that everyones symptoms can be different. Since removing dairy a lot of his gastro symptoms stopped but it wasnt until we removed gluten as well did we see the full picture! He started gaining weight - stopped being sore and miserable all the time etc etc... Dairy intolerance often goes hand in hand with celiac and I would remove it if I was you to see how he reacts...

liz x x

shayesmom Rookie
shayesmom
Posted
Hi, I will be calling my doctor tomorrow to ask this question but sometimes it seems like other parents know more :P . Has anyone with a lactose intolerant or casein intolerant child ever seen constipation as a symptom? I posted my frunstrations with my son's chronic constipation even though gluten-free the other day and a few mom's replied that I should concider dairy as a possible problem. I have been searching on line for symptoms and found that most articles say that constipation is not a symptom for lactose intolerance but could be for casein allergy. But what confuses me is that one article stated that if the gastro syptoms are chronic and not just after ingestion of milk, then it is more likely to be lactose intolerance. I am just wondering if anyone else has ever had chronic constipation associated with milk allergy or lactose intolerance. Also, his syptoms are on a cycle, goes well for a few weeks, then stops, then constipation, then diarrhea. It does not just happen after ingestion because he drinks milk daily.

I think that the best answer to that question is addressed here: Open Original Shared Link

In short, a dairy allergy can cause constipation (usually casein, but whey or another milk protein can also be an antagonist). Also, lactose intolerance can actually be caused by a milk allergy. The two can be very difficult to separate.

My friend's ds is allergic to casein and was chronically constipated up until they removed it from diet. My dd on the other hand, is allergic to whey and casein. She gets diarrhea and/or yellow stools (because it is moved through the digestive system so fast that the bile salts don't have time to turn from green to brown). The absence of respiratory problems does not rule out a dairy allergy. Prior to testing, my dd was eating dairy and she did not wheeze, suffer respiratory distress, swelling or any hives/rashes. Yet her RAST was positive for dairy (whey at least....we had to figure out the casein part on our own).

BRUMI1968 Collaborator
BRUMI1968
Posted

Even one teaspoon of cow's butter constipates the heck right out of me. Goats butter not so much -- can eat in moderation.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


gfgypsyqueen Enthusiast
gfgypsyqueen
Posted

Please post what your doctor said about the miilk and constipation. I have one child that was taken off milk about a month ago due to constpaion. Much better now with little to no milk.

Cruiser Bob Newbie
Cruiser Bob
Posted

For us, it was "hot poo". Those were some of Thomas' first words. Both kids (1 &3) were put on a gluten-free, DF, Egg free diet. Amazing - the ear infections went away, the diaper rash/hot poo went away, the attitude problems of "terible twos" mellowed out to near normal the never ending circular cold/flu left the family. Now at ages 14/16 they both are dairy pigs and eat eggs and both appear to be doing well - I'm not totally convinced, but there mom is.

Bob

gluten-free 1999

Nic Collaborator
Nic
Posted
  • Author

Hi, sorry I did not reply sooner, I haven't been on in a few days. Back in July my ped. gastro felt it was unlikely that he was lactose intolerant but did run a RAST test to see if is was an allergy which came up negative. I then started using Lactaid to see if he would improve. Throughout the summer he was doing remarkably better which I of course gave credit to the Lactaid and named myself a genius for discovering the problem without the help of a doctor :P . But then I started to notice that if we missed a dose before dairy (accidentally of course) nothing changed. He was still doing fine. Come September and back to school the problems started all over again. Out of frustration that my doc was not solving the problem I went for another opinion and was told that the usual culprit (sp?) to chronic constipation is withholding. After giving some thought I realized that my son does not have a set time of day that he poops. And most frequently during the summer he would go in the late morning or early afternoon. These times are consistant with the time he is in school and like most kids, he will not poop in school so therefore he was withholding. The doctor suggested that we "toilet train". He said I should make him sit on the toilet after breakfast and after dinner every day for at least 10 minutes. He said this would change his pooping time so that he would not have to go during the day at school. Low and behold, after a week of this, he now poops every morning right after breakfast and the problem has pretty much gone away. Occassionaly we do have a back up, I think he is just one of those people that gets backed up a little but he does not suffer at all anymore. Once I see the problem starting I just double up on the fiber (Yummi Bear Fiber) and it corrects itself. I never thought the solution to this could be as simple as just sit on the toilet for 10 minutes. I hope this helps, good luck.

Nicole

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,901
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    tessycork47
    Newest Member
    tessycork47
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      New (possible) celiac diagnosis

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @Judy M! Yes, he definitely needs to continue eating gluten until the day of the endoscopy. Not sure why the GI doc advised otherwise but it was a bum steer.  Celiac disease has a genetic component but also an "epigenetic" component. Let me explain. There are two main genes that have been identified as providing the "potential" to develop "active" celiac disease. We know them as HLA-DQ 2.5 (aka, HLA-DQ 2) and HLA-DQ8. Without one or both of these genes it is highly unlikely that a person will develop celiac disease at some point in their life. About 40% of the general population carry one or both of these two genes but only about 1% of the population develops active celiac disease. Thus, possessing the genetic potential for celiac disease is far less than deterministic. Most who have the potential never develop the disease. In order for the potential to develop celiac disease to turn into active celiac disease, some triggering stress event or events must "turn on" the latent genes. This triggering stress event can be a viral infection, some other medical event, or even prolonged psychological/emotional trauma. This part of the equation is difficult to quantify but this is the epigenetic dimension of the disease. Epigenetics has to do with the influence that environmental factors and things not coded into the DNA itself have to do in "turning on" susceptible genes. And this is why celiac disease can develop at any stage of life. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition (not a food allergy) that causes inflammation in the lining of the small bowel. The ingestion of gluten causes the body to attack the cells of this lining which, over time, damages and destroys them, impairing the body's ability to absorb nutrients since this is the part of the intestinal track responsible for nutrient absorption and also causing numerous other food sensitivities such as dairy/lactose intolerance. There is another gluten-related disorder known as NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or just, "gluten sensitivity") that is not autoimmune in nature and which does not damage the small bowel lining. However, NCGS shares many of the same symptoms with celiac disease such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea. It is also much more common than celiac disease. There is no test for NCGS so, because they share common symptoms, celiac disease must first be ruled out through formal testing for celiac disease. This is where your husband is right now. It should also be said that some experts believe NCGS can transition into celiac disease. I hope this helps.
    • Judy M
      New (possible) celiac diagnosis

      By Judy M · Posted

      My husband has had lactose intolerance for his entire life (he's 68 yo).  So, he's used to gastro issues. But for the past year he's been experiencing bouts of diarrhea that last for hours.  He finally went to his gastroenterologist ... several blood tests ruled out other maladies, but his celiac results are suspect.  He is scheduled for an endoscopy and colonoscopy in 2 weeks.  He was told to eat "gluten free" until the tests!!!  I, and he know nothing about this "diet" much less how to navigate his in daily life!! The more I read, the more my head is spinning.  So I guess I have 2 questions.  First, I read on this website that prior to testing, eat gluten so as not to compromise the testing!  Is that true? His primary care doctor told him to eat gluten free prior to testing!  I'm so confused.  Second, I read that celiac disease is genetic or caused by other ways such as surgery.  No family history but Gall bladder removal 7 years ago, maybe?  But how in God's name does something like this crop up and now is so awful he can't go a day without worrying.  He still works in Manhattan and considers himself lucky if he gets there without incident!  Advice from those who know would be appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!
    • Scott Adams
      Patiently Waiting to See Results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      You've done an excellent job of meticulously tracking the rash's unpredictable behavior, from its symmetrical spread and stubborn scabbing to the potential triggers you've identified, like the asthma medication and dietary changes. It's particularly telling that the rash seems to flare with wheat consumption, even though your initial blood test was negative—as you've noted, being off wheat before a test can sometimes lead to a false negative, and your description of the other symptoms—joint pain, brain fog, stomach issues—is very compelling. The symmetry of the rash is a crucial detail that often points toward an internal cause, such as an autoimmune response or a systemic reaction, rather than just an external irritant like a plant or mites. I hope your doctor tomorrow takes the time to listen carefully to all of this evidence you've gathered and works with you to find some real answers and effective relief. Don't be discouraged if the rash fluctuates; your detailed history is the most valuable tool you have for getting an accurate diagnosis.
    • Scott Adams
      Gluten free beer ?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      In this case the beer is excellent, but for those who are super sensitive it is likely better to go the full gluten-free beer route. Lakefront Brewery (another sponsor!) has good gluten-free beer made without any gluten ingredients.
    • trents
      Patiently Waiting to See Results

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @catsrlife! Celiac disease can be diagnosed without committing to a full-blown "gluten challenge" if you get a skin biopsy done during an active outbreak of dermatitis herpetiformis, assuming that is what is causing the rash. There is no other known cause for dermatitis herpetiformis so it is definitive for celiac disease. You would need to find a dermatologist who is familiar with doing the biopsy correctly, however. The samples need to be taken next to the pustules, not on them . . . a mistake many dermatologists make when biopsying for dermatitis herpetiformis. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.