Lactose Intolerant But Not Casein Allergic?

[dangervolvo]

3 weeks ago I had a blood test that showed that I developed antibodies to TONS of foods: wheat, cereal grains, turkey, safflower seeds, unprocessed sugar, mushrooms, garlic, coffee, and so on. I also had the IgA and IgG tests, and do not have Celiac, although I had a high score.

However, I did not develop antibodies to cow's milk or cheese. I have been very good about avoiding all of the foods I tested allergic for, but my tummy is still cramping and I still have bad bathroom experiences. Can I be lactose intolerant even though my bloodtest shows that I can have dairy products?

So confused!

-Sarah

[tarnalberry]

lactose and casein are two different things.

lactose is one of the sugars in milk, and you need to produce (or supplement) an enzyme to break it down in your stomach, or it passes to the intestines where intestinal bacteria break it down producing cramping and diarrhea.

casein is on of the proteins in milk, and your immune system may decide to take one of (at least) two paths to reacting to this protein as though it were a foreign invader. (this is what may give rise to the difference between an IgA/IgG mediated intolerance and an IgE mediated allergy.) there is nothing you can take to stop your immune system from responding this way to the protein.

you can have either one or the other, or both, or neither. they are not dependent on each other or interconnected.

[dangervolvo]

Tiffany, Thanks so much for the information, after I posted that question yesterday I spent a long time reading other posts and gathering more information.

This whole thing is sooooo much bigger that I thought. There is so much to learn and I am pretty overwhelmed. On the other hand, I am also figuring out that it is all a process, and I have to be patient and villigent.

I guess I was expecting that I would avoid all the foods on my list and then magicly the stomach and sinus problems I have been having for as long as I can remember would just go away and then life would be roses. A girl can dream.

Thanks again! I really appreciate all the information and knowledge available on these forums

-Sarah

lactose and casein are two different things.

lactose is one of the sugars in milk, and you need to produce (or supplement) an enzyme to break it down in your stomach, or it passes to the intestines where intestinal bacteria break it down producing cramping and diarrhea.

casein is on of the proteins in milk, and your immune system may decide to take one of (at least) two paths to reacting to this protein as though it were a foreign invader. (this is what may give rise to the difference between an IgA/IgG mediated intolerance and an IgE mediated allergy.) there is nothing you can take to stop your immune system from responding this way to the protein.

you can have either one or the other, or both, or neither. they are not dependent on each other or interconnected.

[Mom23boys]

There is a book out there that helped me understand it a little better. Its "Milk Is Not For Every Body". It is mostly for the LI but it also goes into milk allergy way better than most I've found.