No Villi........no Dairy :(

[Lily]

My doctor says that if you have flattened villi you are lactose intolerant. I guess the end of those villi produce the needed enzyme to digest dairy. Does anyone know if the villi grow back?

I like cheese so will miss it. I've heard there is rice cheese and soy cheese, anyone tried it?

I'm still trying to get adjusted to the gluten-free diet, I could be doing better but coming here really helps.

Lily

[seeking-wholeness]

Lily, the villi do grow back, so you may be able to tolerate dairy products again once you heal. This may take several months, though! It's also possible that you are sensitive to casein, a milk protein that looks enough like gluten that many celiacs cross-react to it--in which case, the dairy would need to stay out of your diet for good. I hope you are just lactose-intolerant and that your villi heal quickly, so you can enjoy your favorite cheeses again!

[erica]

There are plenty of dairy free yummy cheeses out there. Go to your local health food store and try some. Also, try cheese made out of goats milk- they can be milder on the stomach and easier to tolerate. Good luck!

[Lily]

Thanks for the information! Sarah, I appreciate the breakdown between lactose and casein, I thought they were the same thing.

Lily

[Connie R-E]

Lily,

It only took us 1 month for being dairy-free before we could go back to eating dairy!

I hope you heal quickly!

Good luck!

Connie

[Guest shar4]

Here's where coming to this site is so helpful. No one told me that I should avoid dairy, when I was diagnosed. I have now been gluten-free since Halloween. I have not had any problems with diary, and I have yogurt for lunch nearly every day. Should I still try to avoid dairy for a while, even though I don't have any problems from it??

Thanks for the help.

Sharon

[seeking-wholeness]

Sharon, I don't think it's automatically necessary to avoid dairy, though it certainly wouldn't hurt to try it. If the damage to your intestines is only patchy, you may still be able to produce enough lactase in the intact areas to digest dairy with no problem. I hope that's the case for you!

[Guest shar4]

Thanks, Sarah, I often feel like a moron, but it is so helpful to know that I can come here and get answers. Again, learn as we go....

I have noticed, too, that although I didn't seem to suffer a lot of gasto symptoms before diagnosis, (I was mind numbingly tired, and very pale, and had lots of gas) now I find that if I make a boo-boo, I am much more sensitive, with headaches, some diarrhea, and abdominal bloating.

Thanks again.

Sharon

[seeking-wholeness]

Sharon,

You're not a moron! You're here and you're trying to heal and learning as you go, which all speak well for your wisdom! I've just been insatiably curious about medical things ever since I was a child, so I tend to soak up medical knowledge like a sponge. My friends tease me by saying that if I'm down in the dumps, all they need to do is start a conversation about death and disease to cheer me up!

I've also gotten a lot more sensitive since I went gluten-free. It seems to be fairly common. I'm so glad I finally figured out what was wrong with me! It's wonderful to feel like I might actually be truly healthy one day.

I hope you are doing well!

[Guest shar4]

Sarah-- Thanks for the encouragement. I feel so much better than I did a year ago, that it amazes me. When I feel good, I feel REALLY good!!! It's the coolest thing!!!

But anyway, like I said, its great to come here and get questions answered. I work full time, and I like to come here, because no one is condescending or makes anybody feel bad for having questions. I could write non stop for a month and still have questions.

Sharon

PS can't wait til we get a chat feature, so I can talk at everybody!!!

[Lily]

Hi there,

I tried Silk brand soy yogurt the other day and it was very good. I tried the blueberry, but will definitely buy it again. Yum, all is not lost. Thanks you guys!

Lily

[Liz]

I'm new to the forum. My son (28) was diagnosed a celiac in Nov. - right before he came home for Thanksgiving dinner. He is on a gluten-free diet but is feeling only "slightly better." He was eating salads for lunch and can no longer eat them due to bloating, etc. He consumes lots of dairy as he was also diagnosed with "bone-thinning." He notices that corn also causes him problems. He is getting very discouraged.

[Lily]

Liz,

Hopefully your son can come here for some support. I too have problems with raw vegetables, I'm too sensitive at this time. I also can't handle dairy for now. I find I feel much better if I'm not eating any pre-fab foods. I personally can't eat at a salad bar because of the stuff they spray to keep it fresh, makes me very ill. It's very frustrating to go into a normal grocery store and note that you can't eat the majority of the things they sell. Has he tried finding a good health food store? I've found quite a few alternatives there. I too was complaining about not feeling better yet, my nutritionist says it'll take a couple of months to feel a little better and about 6 months to feel a lot better. I'm at the beginning of my special diet and not feeling so well either.

Blessings to your son and hope he feels well soon.

Lily

[stella]

Hi. I'm very new to all this. It's my first time on this site and I'm feeling comforted already. I've been on the gluten-free diet for six weeks and although I was not having tummy troubles before (other things led to the diagnosis) I am now. Just in the last week I have been having uncomfortable tummy aches with bloating and burping for a two hours after I eat (this doesn't happen after every meal). Does this sound like a dairy problem? I've never had a problem before but something is causing this. I would love to hear any info you might have about this. Thank you.

[Lily]

Dairy could definitely be a problem. I thought I was doing so well being gluten free but I was still sick! I never knew about the dairy until then. Once everything heals up, I'm hoping to add dairy back into my diet.

Good luck!

Lily

[flagbabyds]

I was Dairy-free for the first year and then I was able to tolerate all the dairy foods for the last 10 years and have been fine. So just wait a year and then try slowly reintroducing dairy, if you get sick from it then stop.

molly d-s

[EmilyP2004]

My doctor says that if you have flattened villi you are lactose intolerant.  I guess the end of those villi produce the needed enzyme to digest dairy.  Does anyone know if the villi grow back? 

I like cheese so will miss it.  I've heard there is rice cheese and soy cheese, anyone tried it?

I'm still trying to get adjusted to the gluten-free diet, I could be doing better but coming here really helps.

Lily

You should be tested for lactose intolerance before giving up milk & milk products.

If you have damaged villi due to celiac disease the microvilli (on the tips of those villi) which normally deal with lactose may be temporarily damaged, too.

When you cut out or cut down on lactose the microvilli re-grow & can work again.

The condition can be resolved by cutting out lactose- containing items for a few months or weeks if you are lactose (milk sugar) intolerant.

I had L I for several months after being diagnosed with celiac disease but was still able to digest hard cheese, gluten-free yogurt and goat's milk & cheese OK since these are very low in lactose.

I can now drink some ordinary milk each day without any reaction but have soy milk or lactose-reduced milk as my main milk.

[tammy]

Hi Flagbabyds,

Were you lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy?