Ingredients To Look For When Avoiding Dairy

[celiac3270]

I'm going to my new doctor at 2:30 today to talk about Bacterial Overgrowth (it's 12:45 now, in the city). I believe that when using probotics (if he thinks I have it), you need to avoid all dairy. A few questions: first, what ingredients to you look for on a label? I know that if I see anything with milk or whey or cheese cultures or milk cultures or cream or something like that, I shouldn't eat it...what other ingredients are tip offs as to that? Next, has anyone had experience with avoiding dairy during the use of probotics? I'll ask the doctor, but does "avoid dairy" mean avoid it with the strictness that you'd avoid gluten? Or can I take a chance on "natural flavors" if they're last in the ingredient list? I'm not sure if I'll be doing this, but if so, I want to make sure I do it right. Thank you in advance

-celiac3270

[burdee]

Hey celiac3270: Go to www.gfcfdiet.com to see their 'unacceptable' food list. That website really helped me when I first realized I had to avoid all sources of milk (according to my Enterolab test results). Meanwhile watch out for ingredients containing any words or combinations of words with the terms "casein, caseinates, lacta/lacto (like lactoglobulin or lactalbumin), lactylate, lactulose, lactose, (lactic acid may or may not contain milk), rennet or whey, since lactose, rennet, casein and whey are all milk product ingredients. That website also sells a little mainstream product guidebook which is smaller and more convenint than lugging around the CSA product listing BINDER. Although the CSA book has more gluten-free listings, the Gluten-free Casein-free guide helped me when I had to start avoiding dairy, too.

I had been taking probiotics and digestive enzymes for over a year (as well as using 'lactaid' supplements when I consumed dairy) before my Enterolab test results indicated I "have antibodies to the main cow's milk protein, casein, and hence am immunologically sensitive to foods containing cow's milk". Those results and the E-lab interpretation told me I have to scrupulously avoid casein the same way I avoid gluten. Since I first eliminated gluten, but still had symptoms, when I eliminated casein, I could discern what my 'casein' symptoms were (some similar and some different from gluten symptoms).

Good luck with your appt. Keep us posted on the results!

BURDEE

[celiac3270]

Thank you for your reply.........I won't end up needing it -- the doc. dismissed SIBO immediately.......I'm really discouraged right now

[burdee]

Hey celiac3270: I'm sooo sorry to hear your doctor dismissed the SIBO theory. I hope he was able to give you some explanation or solution for your continuing symptoms. I recall you really had your hopes up for that appointment.

BURDEE

[celiac3270]

I did have my hopes up...........thanks........he said that it can't be SIBO cause that only comes when there is something structurally wrong with the intestines; for example, they're twisted and therefore, food and bacteria don't move through -- my intestines aren't twisted. He also said that it's very rare in celiac disease. He didn't even read my articles. Pretty much I have to ride out the symptoms......it could take months more......plus, he thinks my pediatrician is right and I also have cyclic vomiting; which I can do nothing about. He says that I can't blame all my sickness for being celiac -- a lot of it is probably cyclic vomiting -- I am really frustrated that I can do nothing to get better -- I am still helpless and feeling hopeless.......

[Alexolua]

He didn't even read my articles.

Do your articles say differently then he does? I don't know how good your celiac disease doctor is, but I think if you feel this might help, then forgot him, and go for it.

Though since you're a minor, umm.. I don't want to get myself in trouble here by telling you what to do. This would be something you should discuss with your parents. But, unless your doctor is like Mr. Expert, I think maybe you should try taking the probotics.

Research a little more, find out if they'll hurt someone "healthy" whose taking them. If there are no side effects, then there's nothing to lose.

Though again, be best to discuss your feelings and if you want to go for it or not, with your parents first. =)

[Guest gillian502]

I've always been confused as to what a "probiotic" is, exactly. I know Stonyfield yogurt is one, for example, but if you're avoiding dairy, what probiotics are good to use, and are they foods or do they come in pill form?

[burdee]

Gillian: Probiotics are the 'good guy' bacteria we have in our intestines to digest foods and counterbalance all the 'bad' bacteria from food born sources, etc. We would naturally maintain enough of those except some of us have taken too many courses of antibiotics which kill off ALL bacteria (even the good ones), others have experienced Candida, a yeast bacteria overgrowth (those yeasty beasties outnumber our good guy bacteria) and still others' celiac damage allowed a bacterial overgrowth of the bad guy bacteria. Yes probiotics, esp. lactobacillus acidophilus are often contained in yogurt and maybe other foods, but in limited amounts. Lactaid supplementsn only contain the lactase enzyme to help digest milk sugar lactose. My probiotic capsule contains 6 billion live organisms each of lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium lactis. Maybe others on this board use probiotics with other ingredients, but my probiotic capsules have helped me a LOT. I used to be VERY sensitive to any food born bacteria, if leftovers were a little old, if I didn't thoroughly wash produce, etc. Now I'm not. Of course staying gluten-free/CF/SF helps a lot, too.

I hope my unsophisticated explanation helps you understand probiotics a little. Perhaps someone else on this board can add a more sophisticated explanation of probiotics???

BURDEE