Casein Intolerance

[YoloGx]

Hi Everyone,

It seems that my skin irritation "caused" by candida overgrowth or some kind of fungus (in my ears and nethers) is actually either caused by or extremely exacerbated by a casein intolerance.

I have been eating 24 hour yogurt daily this last year and enjoying it -- however my itchiness and flaky red swollen skin on the outside of part of my vulva as well as dry flakiness in my ears greatly increased to the point of ridiculousness. I just did not get the connection until now.

I have been off the yogurt for almost 2 days now and I already notice a great relief in my symptoms. I am looking forward to trying out eating a little fruit. So far drinking unsweetened cranberry juice was just fine, as was eating a little yam yesterday and today. I even had a banana and it didn't make me itchy etc. Previously it couldn't handle anything that even just converted to sugar quickly at all. So no fruit except lemons this whole last 8 months .... !!

Interestingly, spinach seems to be a culprit too. I read that casein is not only in milk but also in spinach of all things!! And yes I did react. Couldn't figure out to what til I read about the spinach on the internet that night about the connection between casein and spinach... I actually had told my beau I was glad at least I wasn't allergic to casein and could eat this special yogurt. It then occured to me, maybe not since I had eaten nothing candida inducing and still got a huge reaction. I thought it was just the yogurt, however I also had a huge spinach salad. Just goes to show I guess...

Anybody here also have skin conditions caused by eating casein without having other major problems? It might also have contributed to my ongoing stuffy nose...but my lungs have been fine etc.

Looks like I will finally have to make fermented cabbage to get my acidophilus...

Bea

[summerteeth]

I definitely get the stuffy nose - not the itchy lady bits, though -- I was unaware that casein could cause that!

Please let us know how the fermented cabbage goes - I would really like to try that, myself, since I can't have yogurt anymore.

[knittingmonkey]

Looks like I will finally have to make fermented cabbage to get my acidophilus...

Bea

Fermented cabbage, carrots, beets, cucumbers, coconut meat and chutney are all under my belt now. They're fantastic foods! I make coconut milk kefir, and kombucha too. And it's all so easy! You are going to have so much fun making visits to all your jars and crocks with neat stuff in them.

My favorite fermented cabbage is cortidas, the Latin American sauerkraut; Before you jar your fresh cabbage, soak pineapple rinds and red pepper flakes (Just a few!) in your whey for a few weeks, remove the pineapple rind, then use that whey to ferment fresh cabbage with the usual amount of salt. Yum!

I didn't know about spinach and casein, thanks for the heads up!

[Looking for answers]

Fermented cabbage, carrots, beets, cucumbers, coconut meat and chutney are all under my belt now. They're fantastic foods! I make coconut milk kefir, and kombucha too. And it's all so easy! You are going to have so much fun making visits to all your jars and crocks with neat stuff in them.

My favorite fermented cabbage is cortidas, the Latin American sauerkraut; Before you jar your fresh cabbage, soak pineapple rinds and red pepper flakes (Just a few!) in your whey for a few weeks, remove the pineapple rind, then use that whey to ferment fresh cabbage with the usual amount of salt. Yum!

I didn't know about spinach and casein, thanks for the heads up!

I'm totally interested in this! If you could mayber submit a posting under "Recipe" when you have extra time, I would love to hear about how you ferment tea and coconut milk. I've always feared that I would end up with too much mold or bad bacteria.

[zergcoffeebean]

I'm totally interested in this! If you could mayber submit a posting under "Recipe" when you have extra time, I would love to hear about how you ferment tea and coconut milk. I've always feared that I would end up with too much mold or bad bacteria.

I second that. It sounds delicious.

[Mari]

I started using goat's milk yogurt after I'd been on the Specific Carbohydrate for several months and tolerate that quite well. My cow's milk allergy causes my ankles to swell but not much intestinal reaction. I ate some gluten-free cookies which had butter a while ago and three days later had fat ankles.

I read somewhere recently that casein, the antigenic cow's milk protein, has some similar molecules to gluten and may set off the autoimmune reaction. When I am glutened I develop rough skin on my back, itchy bumps in my head hair and itchy places on my face and around my ears. These areas have become infected in the past and my Dr still believes that fungus/yeasts are the cause.

[summerteeth]

I second that. It sounds delicious.

Me too! Fermented beets would be great (I love the pickled variety).

Also - coconut kefir? I was under the impression that kefir was somewhat difficult to make... please share!

[YoloGx]

I started using goat's milk yogurt after I'd been on the Specific Carbohydrate for several months and tolerate that quite well. My cow's milk allergy causes my ankles to swell but not much intestinal reaction. I ate some gluten-free cookies which had butter a while ago and three days later had fat ankles.

I read somewhere recently that casein, the antigenic cow's milk protein, has some similar molecules to gluten and may set off the autoimmune reaction. When I am glutened I develop rough skin on my back, itchy bumps in my head hair and itchy places on my face and around my ears. These areas have become infected in the past and my Dr still believes that fungus/yeasts are the cause.

I agree Mari--this casein thing has a lot more to it than I ever imagined. As far as on the fungal front, yesterday I ate casein and gluten-free pancakes with applesauce plus pineapple in the morning, and then two bananas last night--and woke up without a furry yellowy white tongue! Instead it looked pink! Unheard of!

In addition, my ears and nethers are healing just using vaseline and occasionally topically applied castor oil rather than all the antifungals I have previously been using. Its getting way better. Much less itchy, redness and swelling hugely reduced, no scabbing, no bumps. "Normally" after eating fruit and /or any kind of ground up grain my ears and nethers would be all inflamed and flaky etc.

I am thinking that the constant exposure to casein was stressing my body out thus causing an increased tendency to get candida overgrowth/fungal infection as well as just basic swelling.

My right ankle has been swollen these last two years for instance -- and now this too seems to be reduced a little. My boyfriend also has noticed my face seems to have lost some puff. This may take some time. I noticed when I went out on my vigorous 50 minute walk last night I was having the feeling of little pin pricks all over my skin. I must be detoxing. I finally slept well last night after 3 nights of almost no sleep. Despite my tiredness yesterday, I had extra reserves of energy I normally don't have.

This is all proving to be very interesting. Apparently casein affects neurotransmitters all over the body -- not just in the brain. They only discovered we had such cell to cell transmitters back in 1975, so not that much is known about them. Certainly I have dealt with a lot of body aches I have ascribed to toxicity...I am now thinking a good part of it has been due to my body not liking casein. The detoxing herbs have really helped; however now being off casein (as well of course the gluten) is helping even more!

Bea

[YoloGx]

Oh--My head hurts and I have brain fog and sensitive eyes -- the sensation has been growing this afternoon and now here it finally arrived this evening. I must have gotten glutened yesterday. I went to a birthday party last night at Outbacks. I tried to be careful. But here it is...the beginnings of a migraine. I don't think I want to go there (to Outbacks) any more... Too much meat anyway. I asked the server to be careful, however they weren't careful enough. However, oddly enough the mental squeezing isn't quite as bad as usual. Might this also be in part due to my being off the casein? i.e., less pain now than I would otherwise experience by reducing my overall load? Any one else here experience this possible relative improvement?? Obviously I won't be able to use my regular milk based acidophilus as an antidote.. So am eating fresh pineapple instead.

Bea

[GFinDC]

Hey Bea,

One of my most noticeable symptoms of eating casein is not being able to sleep. At I times stayed awake for 3 days straight before being able to sleep a little. Wierd stuff it does. I take a calcium pill every few days just as a precaution. But other wise don't worry about it.

According to one site I read a long time ago, swelling feet / ankles is a common symptom of allergic reactions. That's one thing that clues me in that

I may have gotten something problematic in my diet.

[zergcoffeebean]

Oh--My head hurts and I have brain fog and sensitive eyes -- the sensation has been growing this afternoon and now here it finally arrived this evening. I must have gotten glutened yesterday. I went to a birthday party last night at Outbacks. I tried to be careful. But here it is...the beginnings of a migraine. I don't think I want to go there (to Outbacks) any more... Too much meat anyway. I asked the server to be careful, however they weren't careful enough. However, oddly enough the mental squeezing isn't quite as bad as usual. Might this also be in part due to my being off the casein? i.e., less pain now than I would otherwise experience by reducing my overall load? Any one else here experience this possible relative improvement?? Obviously I won't be able to use my regular milk based acidophilus as an antidote.. So am eating fresh pineapple instead.

Bea

I'm sorry to hear that. I have such bad luck when I go to eat out. So I just don't do it anymore.

Pineapple?

[YoloGx]

I'm sorry to hear that. I have such bad luck when I go to eat out. So I just don't do it anymore.

Pineapple?

The pineapple helps against inflammation. It has fresh bromelain it -- an important intestinal digestive enzyme. I also made some detox tea (dandelion root, licorice root, marshmallow root, yellow dock root, cleavers) which is helping.

Nevertheless, despite some D, my migraine was short lived and less painful than usual. I don't know but am speculating that being off the casein is reducing the strength of my symptoms from being glutened.

As far as going out to eat, I generally don't do that either. However I have a large family that lives close by and it was my brother's birthday. PF Chang's has worked out better for me--so next time I will insist on that if possible, or just bring my own food.

I have been so sensitive that just walking through a place that makes pizza (and using their bathroom) has been enough to give me a migraine a few hours later...So at least we didn't go to the pizza place near here even though they too also have a short gluten-free menu.

Bea

[YoloGx]

Hey Bea,

One of my most noticeable symptoms of eating casein is not being able to sleep. At I times stayed awake for 3 days straight before being able to sleep a little. Wierd stuff it does. I take a calcium pill every few days just as a precaution. But other wise don't worry about it.

According to one site I read a long time ago, swelling feet / ankles is a common symptom of allergic reactions. That's one thing that clues me in that

I may have gotten something problematic in my diet.

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your note--I had no idea that it was the casein that has been bothering me so! Not sleeping very well has been a huge issue for me. It often has been like my nerves are on fire. Taking co-enzyme B complex has helped enormously, plus walking and stretching. However recently it got out of hand again. Going off the casein seemed to exacerbate it at first, but last night I finally slept really well with very few "pins and needle" feelings despite having been glutened. I kept at the no casein because despite the sleep problems, the swelling and flaking etc. greatly reduced almost immediately. Casein after all affects our neurotransmitters apparently.

I am recommending that my friend Graeme try going off casein too since his sleep deprivation has been even worse than mine. He also has celiac.

That is a good clue about the swollen feet ankles. I will keep it in mind...I thought it was due to other things (a couple of old accidents and only one and a half functioning kidneys). However the fact the swelling in my feet and ankles can go down says something. I am always taking my shoes off since my feet tend to be very sensitive and often don't like the compression of shoes. As a child I went barefoot as much of the time as I could... I find it is essential for me to go for a long walk nearly every day to help relieve this foot ankle sensitivity and my old sacrum/low back injury since otherwise my nerves are on fire when I go to sleep at night... Taking drugs isn't really a good solution given my already partly damaged and sensitive kidneys and historically overstressed liver...

So I am thankful that I have discovered one more piece of the puzzle.

Its also wonderful as said to be able to eat fruit again with out having my body get weird!

Bea

[GFinDC]

Hey Bea,

I know my symptoms of about everything I can think of reduced when I went off soy. So, yeah, I think if you are reacting to one thing, then other reactions can be worse. Kind of like putting out a fire with gasoline, and then trying kerosene as an alternate. It's not any help.

But you are making progress, getting rid of the bad things for your body. The edema (swelling) can happen in any part of the body it seems, face, hands etc etc. I don't usually wear socks with my tennis shoes because of it. My feet used to be cold all the time too.

Well, just rambling. Good for you figuring out the culprit Bea!