Lactose Intolerance As A Possibility

[Nic]

Hi, I spoke with my ped. GI today. My son's food allergy blood work came back as negative for all food allergies. I went on to tell him that 17 days ago one of the docs at my ped. office suggested that I try treating him for lactose intolerance and to give him Acidophilus for the alternating constipation.

Before I started this change, Jacob pooped several times a day for about a week at a time. His bowel movements were very loose and very heavy. Then he would just stop and not be able to go for several days and then boom, the flood gates open and here comes the heavy messy bms again. Since we started using Lactaid and the Acidophilus, he has pooped everyday but only once and it is now formed and a normal amount as opposed to loose and heavy. His disposition has also improved. I took this as good news.

I explained all this to the GI and he said he feels very unlikely that Jacob is lactose intolerant. He said that lactose intolerance never includes constipation (but what about all the heavy loose pooping he does?). He said it is more likely the Acidophilus that his helping him. But it was my understanding that the Acidophilus just helps the GI tract work better, would that change the consistancy of the BM? He went on to say that Jacob was definitely lactose intolerant when he was first diagnosed as a Celiac (but he never told me that then) and that as far as the constipation is concerned, Acidophilus is a common treatment and he should have been on it all along (he never told me this before). He offered to do a lactose test if I really feel concerned about this.

Am I being silly but wanting him tested? I see so much improvement but the doc. said it is unlikely to be the cause. Any thought or advise would be helpful.

Thanks,

Nicole

[aikiducky]

I actually agree with the doc that it's more likely the acidophilus that's working. Yes it will change consistency the bms. Lactose would be more likely to cause D some time after eating dairy, and not this pattern of alternating C and soft stools, I think.

Maybe you could leave out the Lactaid but keep giving the acidophilus, and see what happens for a week or two?

Pauliina

[Nic]

  aikiducky said:

I actually agree with the doc that it's more likely the acidophilus that's working. Yes it will change consistency the bms. Lactose would be more likely to cause D some time after eating dairy, and not this pattern of alternating C and soft stools, I think.

Maybe you could leave out the Lactaid but keep giving the acidophilus, and see what happens for a week or two?

Pauliina

I actually spoke with my ped. tonight and we agreed to take him off of the Lactaid but keep him on the acidophilus. I did not realize that the acidophilus could change the consistency of the bm. Am I understanding it correctly that if it were lactose intolerant he would be sick each time he ate dairy (which is everyday) instead of stretches of good or bad days?

[aikiducky]

Poop is actually for a big part made of the bacteria that live in the gut, so adding healthy bacteria would change the consistency.

Lactose intolerance could also mean good and bad days, because one's body could conceivably be producing more lactose some times and less others, and the reaction also depends on the amount of lactose... but I think you'd still see a fairly consistent reaction everytime a few hours after eating dairy, at least gas. But since your going to take him off the lactaid i guess you'll see. I hope it turns out well and the acidophilus does the trick!

Pauliina

[Nic]

Hi, so I took Jacob off of the Lactaid pills yesterday to see if we would see any change. Low and behold, today was an awful day for him. About 2 hours after breakfast (cereal with milk and a cup of milk) he was in the bathroom with a heavy, messy bm. Then, about within 2 hour after eating lunch (gluten-free pizza and milk) he was having terrible stomach pains and then another heavy, messy bm. Since then has had nothing to eat and seems to be fine.

Now, I know this sounds easy to figure out, but, yesterday while on the lactaid still he had 3 bm's (all normal consistancy) which at the time made me worry that we were heading into a bad spell again. So really I don't know if it is the lactose or would it be happening now anyway. In any or your opinions, would you give it another day? Or take away the lactose again?

Nicole