[e-Fiona]

Well!

After I told my doc that I was D-free for 4 days last week (a bit loose, but mostly normal stools), during which I was taking Lacteeze instead of milk, and because of the nausea and sleepiness, she wants to try avoiding lactose for two weeks. I just looked at the few simple pleasures I've been treating myself to and they all contain milk powder! It's going to be a tough two weeks to learn what not to eat.I'm hoping this is what it is. I had a feeling it might be, but then I wasn't sure because what I read on the Internet about lactose intolerance is that you have it all your life or you don't have it. My doctor says that you can develop it. She says she has patients who have had slight symptoms with lactose and then they have worsened.I know that drinking milkshakes has always made me a bit woozy (or mellow) so I seldom drink them. When I was about 3-4 years old, drinking a glass of milk would make me nauseous and vomit. I've never really drunk milk on its own. But now that I think about it, just before my symptoms hit big time, I had started a bad habit of eating ice cream after dinner 3-4x a week. And with all the hidden lactose in food products (even my digestive biscuits which I thought would be safe have milk powder in them!), I could be very sensitive to it.She stressed to me that she has had patients who have developed an intolerance to lactose. She also said, contrary to what I've read, that it doesn't always strike 30 min to 2 hours after ingestion. It could be the next day.She also told me that one of her patients all of a sudden had such a sensitivity to lactose that the amount contained in the birth control pills she was taking (and you know how small those are!) was giving her explosive D!I read that 90% of Asians are lactose intolerant and I'm half Chinese so I guess that's a 45% chance? Anyway, I do have an appointment with a GI doc just in case this two week trial doesn't work. The appointment, however, is in November!!! My doc said that it's easier to cancel it than to have to wait even longer.Does anyone know of a good site that lists foods that contain lactose? Or maybe I should just ask... in natural foods (not processed or packaged or canned) is lactose only found in dairy products?Wish me luck! I hope it's LI !!I'm already feeling less stressed!Fiona

 

[tezbear]

It is more common in Asians for some reason. My husband is filipino and is starting to have symptoms...his sisters too. I did read that you can develop Lactoce Intolerance as an adult not a child because children aren't old enough to have built up a intolerance to it yet. Happens in adulthood since we've used up all our digestive enzymes. I also read that cheeses are more easily tolerated because of how they're processed. I might also have a bit sensitivity because the past week I was eating cold cereal every other day and each time, the next day I would have a loose stool. Maybe I'll just have cereal w/ lactaid. Good Luck to you ...hope it's only lactose intolerance.

 

[e-Fiona]

Hi Tez,Yes, my doc said that it's more common with Asians and African-Americans because milk is not very common in their diets really. I think that the newer generations who have or are growing up in North America now do consume more milk through their growing years, but the older generations didn't. My doctor gave me a little book which shows a few foods to avoid and it gives the lactose amounts. Lacteeze milk has 4g of lactose and regular 2% milk has 11g. I can't understand how the Lacteeze milk can claim to be 99% lactose free. Does that mean that 2% milk is about 50% lactose free? It doesn't make sense to me.Thanks Tez. I'm feeling so positive about this that I can't sleep! That's a change for me!

Fiona

 

[flux]

quote:She also said, contrary to what I've read, that it doesn't always strike 30 min to 2 hours after ingestion. It could be the next day.

Not unless you had constipation to begin with.

quote:She also told me that one of her patients all of a sudden had such a sensitivity to lactose that the amount contained in the birth control pills she was taking (and you know how small those are!) was giving her explosive D!

You are being told a

quote:I read that 90% of Asians are lactose intolerant

This is about the only accurate thing she said. However, it may mean only somethng if you haven't grown up on a diary-filled diet, which isn't usually the case in America.[This message has been edited by flux (edited 09-27-2000).]

 

[badfoot]

Hey if it works great. I thought I was l. intolerant, but tests were negative. I can tolerate a certain amount of dairy, but if I push it-problems. In the long run, you have to go with your experience. best of luck.

 

[echris]

e-Fiona:Here's a post that I put on this BB several weeks ago. It's interesting that the standard tests that are used to test for lactose intolerance do not correlate very well with patient symptoms:Here's the details of the lactase study:TITLE: All lactase preparations are not the same: results of a prospective, randomized,placebo-controlled trial. Ramirez FC, Lee K, Graham DY Am J Gastroenterol 1994 Apr 89:4 566-70.OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of three commercially available oral lactase preparations in adults with lactose intolerance. METHODS: Design--Prospective, randomized,placebo-controlled trial. Setting--Outpatient study in a General Clinical Research Center.Subjects--Ten lactose-intolerant healthy volunteers were challenged with ice cream containing 18 g of lactose. Lactase or placebo was given immediately prior to challenge.Measurements--Symptoms and breath hydrogen excretion were recorded for 3 h followinglactose challenge. RESULTS: The three products differed in their abilities to influence symptoms and breath hydrogen excretion. Only Lactaid reduced the breath hydrogen excretion with lactose (mean peak, area under the curve and cumulative breath hydrogen excretion) (p < 0.05). Lactrase and Dairy Ease influencedsymptoms: Lactrase reduced pain, bloating and total symptomatic scores (p < 0.05), whereas Dairy Ease only reduced pain (p < 0.05). Lactaid administration did not reduce symptoms. CONCLUSION: In lactose-intolerant subjects, the available lactase preparations differ in their ability to improve both breath hydrogen excretion and symptoms. Lactrase may be the product of choice for achieving symptomatic improvement.Bottom line: Lactrase appears to be more effective as reducing the symptoms of lactose intolerance than either Lactaid or DairyEase. I've seen many success stories in the short time that I've been a member of this BB. Since I started taking Lactrase with every meal, I've been able to discontine my narcotic, the Levsin, and the 4,000 mg of calcium that I was taking every day.And, while it's only been about three weeks, I have fewer symptoms on less medicine than I've had in over 20 years.By the way, my favorite food (which I haven't eaten in many years) is Butter Pecan ice cream from Baskin-Robbins. Maybe, some day ......

 

[Pat_H]

Have the tests done then you'll know for sure. Try Rice milk. It's good! Read labels and stay away from any dairy or things containing lactose. Hope it works for you!!!

 

[e-Fiona]

Thanks everyone,That's good info echris! I'll keep it in mind once I find out for sure if lactose is my problem. I was brought up in Canada but never had dairy products, mostly because I could not stand the taste of milk (perhaps it was memories of when I was very young and would be sick when I had it in tea). I don't think I've actually ever drank a glass of milk -- not unless the doctor made me do it. The closest I got was when I was 11 and had to drink Carnation Instant Breakfast (I had ulcers). I was already sick so who knows what the effect was. Most of the food I ate as a child was Chinese food (the real stuff, not the stuff you get in the restaurant that's often full of additives)so there really was no dairy in it. Never really ate cheese either. Is rice milk better than soy milk? I put some soy milk in my tea yesterday and it clumped up and was really disgusting! I think Matt was talking about this in another thread. Does the rice milk clump?

Fiona

 

[wanderingstar]

Hi Fiona, so glad you've had some respite from the D. Lets hope this low lactose diet works out and you're feeling a lot better soon. Hey, if it works, it doesn't matter why or how!susan

 

[e-Fiona]

Hi Susan,Yes, that's how I feel! If it works, GREAT! Actually, I have been sooo good with trying to eat healthy and non fat foods and my doc weighed me yesterday and I've

lost 12 lbs

since the beginning of Aug (due to the healthy stuff I've been eating)

But I cheated today... I just had a bacon and tomato sandwich and a cup of coffee. LOL! Let's see if I pay for it tomorrow!

At this moment, I really think it would be worth it because I enjoyed that sandwich and coffee soooo much!Well, back to healthy stuff for dinner

Fiona[This message has been edited by e-Fiona (edited 09-27-2000).]

 

[e-Fiona]

Actually, I have a lactose question for those of you who are intolerant (or if you just happen to know the answer). Would there be lactose in milk-fed meats, like veal?Thanks

Fiona

 

[flux]

quote:would there be lactose in milk-fed meats, like veal?

Huh? Are you suggesting meat has been tainted with milk? No meat contains lactose. And while we are on the subject, butter does not either.

 

[Pat_H]

Fiona: I don't think there is lactose in meat. Rice milk is much better tasting than soy, I promise. I started with the vanilla flavored and then I got tired of the sweet taste and went to the regular, but got the one with added calcium, vitamin A, B12, and D. It is 100% lactose free. I don't drink it in a glass, but you can cook with it or use it on cereal. I get the brand Rice Dream, but I'm sure there are others.

 

[e-Fiona]

Hi Flux,I mean calves that have been milk-fed. I've only heard it as a description for veal "Milk fed". But I guess all animals do drink milk.As for butter, WOW! All these years I thought there was milk in butter for some reason. I'm glad to hear that there isn't. Thanks!

Fiona

 

[e-Fiona]

Hi Pat_H,I've seen Rice Dream in the market so I'll try it... but, does it go all gloooopy in hot drinks (like tea)? If I cook with Rice Dream, do I use the same amount as I would for regular milk? As for my earlier message about the sandwich and coffee... I definitely should not have had the coffee. I haven't had any in two months and I'm crawling up the walls right now. I guess it's too much caffeine all at once!

I'm going to drink some more water now!

Fiona[This message has been edited by e-Fiona (edited 09-27-2000).]

 

[Pat_H]

I don't think so. I guess I've never put it in hot drinks. I have to avoid all caffeine.

 

[Pat_H]

PS. Use it just like cow milk.

 

[Guest]

Milk in meat - don't know about that but some lactose intolerant people (like myself) can't eat beef although I could before w/o any reaction. Butter = no milk: it depends, the main ingredient is usually vegetable oil but some butter and margarine contain milk or milk by-products (read the labels). I used to have a list of sites that gave you what foods to avoid if you are lactose intolerant but I lost them a long time ago. I think if you type lactose intolerant on a search engine it will give you pages. Also, you can write companies and ask if they have a list of non-lactose foods (they usually do esp. fast food chains). I am one of the people who sort of developed lactose intolerance. I noticed when I was 10 or 11 that milk gave me nausea - but that was it. I could still eat cheese and pizza. When I hit 13 or 14, I couldn't eat cheese or pizza at all or it would give me D. But I got IBS when 13 so that probably "helped". I was diagnosed with IBS before lactose intolerance so I was still sick all the time up until 17 or 18. I have to completely stay away from anything dairy. I thought being diagnosed lactose intolerant would "cure" me but I still have IBS, though I'm not as bad as I used to be. You should take the test to make sure you have it and the doctor will probably give you a list of okay foods based on your body's reaction. Oh yeah, lactose is everywhere. It is used as a filler in lots of foods because it's cheaper than cane sugar. Some foods don't list if they have lactose in it or not so you have to be careful of what you choose. Generally, they don't list it if it's a small amount. If you aren't very lactose intolerant ,it probably won't affect you.Good Luck

 

[flux]

quote:Butter = no milk: it depends, the main ingredient is usually vegetable oil but some butter and margarine contain milk or milk by-products (read the labels).

Butter NEVER contains lactose. (Butter comes from milk though.) Butter never contains vegetable oil either. Once you doctor it can't legally be labelled butter. Margarine is not the same as butter.[This message has been edited by flux (edited 09-27-2000).]

 

[Mike NoLomotil]

Everybody says what butter is NOT. So what IS IT?Butter is a mixture of triglycerides of several different fatty acids, which can vary, so no single chemical structure can be "drawn". Most "animal fats" are composed primarily of triglycerides.The glycerides break down over time and release the fatty acids. The butyric acid in butter is the casue of the nasty smell of "rancid butter". The caproic acid also smells.Triglycerides are "fats" which are called esters, and are formed from glycerol with 3 fatty acids linked to them. The color of butter comes from carotene.The more common fatty acids in butter and there approximate % of the composition are (rounded off)leic acid 32%myristioc acid 20%palmitic acid 15%stearic acid 15%lauric acid 6%butyric acid 3%caproic acid 2%capric acid 1.5%caprylic acid 0.8 %linoleic acid 0.2%linolenic acid 0.1%--------------------Basically margarine type spreads (the USDA has specific names for specific types depending on what the mixture is) is basically made up of hydrogenated vegetable oil (one or more like soy or corn or canola) and bunch of garbage chemicals you can read on the label for emulsifying, coloring,volume extending, lowering the calories by adding water so you can call it low-fat but cannot cook with it since when you put it in the pan it seems to tuen to yellow water...etc.). You could write a book about all the different garbagy chemical compositions of "vegetable oild spreads).Have a DFDMNL__________________ www.leapallergy.com