Celiac Disease And Milk?

[Lyss2e]

Hi I'm new to being gluten free. Ive cut out gluten and wheat because my doc. Told to do so ive been having a hard time with stomach pains and such. I was curious if I should be cutting out milk also because I have been gluten free for going on 3 weeks now and my stomach/abdominal pain hasn't improved much?

Thanks.

[mushroom]

Yes, I think it would be sensible to eliminate all lactose-containing dairy (milk, cream, ice cream, frozen yogurt) and if that isn't enough you might have to go to all dairy including cheese and butter and yogurt for a few months until your intestine heals. The enzyme that digests lactose is produced in the part of the gut which is damaged by gluten. Some people try Lactaid milk or buy lactaid supplements which contain lactase (the enzyme) and have success with that. But there are good milk substitutes like almond, hemp, coconut, rice (I would avoid Rice Dream and also soy at this point because so many of us find we do not tolerate soy either after we go gluten free).

[lpellegr]

It's also possible that you are accidently ingesting hidden gluten, either in the ingredients of what you are eating, or as cross-contamination from kitchen utensils or other sources. Don't use a strainer that has been used for regular pasta, or wooden spoons or cast iron skillets that have been used for gluten-containing foods. Don't use a shared jar of mayonnaise or margarine or peanut butter that has been spread on regular bread. Don't use a toaster that gets used for gluten breads. Don't eat foods with malt flavoring (like cereals) or soy sauce (like beef jerky or Chinese takeout, unless it's explicitly gluten-free soy sauce). Read all of the FAQs on this site and make double sure that you're not consuming any gluten without meaning to.

[Lisa]

Hi I'm new to being gluten free. Ive cut out gluten and wheat because my doc. Told to do so ive been having a hard time with stomach pains and such. I was curious if I should be cutting out milk also because I have been gluten free for going on 3 weeks now and my stomach/abdominal pain hasn't improved much?

Thanks.

Welcome Lyss2e! You have found a great place here!

Start simply. Meats, fish, fresh veggies and fruit, rice and potatoes. Stay away from processed foods. Buy yourself a $10 toaster for your use only.

Dairy can cause the same symptoms as gluten, but may not cause the internal damage. After the gut heals, it can often be reintroduced successfully.

I suspect that you will see a marked difference with dairy out of your diet, at least for the time being. Do it religiously for four weeks. Let us know.

[xjrosie]

You can possibly reintroduce dairy later on though. My daughter was diagnosed with Celiac in January and immediately after starting the diet she became lactose sensitive. Yogurt and cheese were okay, but milk was not. I just stepped her down to soy and rice milk for the time being.

She told me today that regular milk doesn't bother her anymore. I keep a carton of soy milk in the fridge just in case she's jumping the gun, but she said she drank milk this week a few times and was okay. So there's still hope that it's just a gluten problem.

I hope you feel better soon!