Guest guest Posted May 8, 1999 Report Share Posted May 8, 1999 from Dale, Mom to Katy, age 14, CVID Sue - yes, lactose intolerance can " just start " . I think Katy's was probably kicked in by a giardia infection. But she went from being an athelete who drank 4-6 glasses of milk a day - to not being able to tolerate lactose in any form. A one-week test may or may not be sufficient. We saw a lot of improvement after being off the major lactose products for one month, but didn't find relief until we went totally off (that means everything containing lactose - breads, cereals, cookies, lots of soups, salad dressings, candies, etc.). I'm not trying to scare you. I remember when they first told Katy to go off milk for one month - we felt we couldn't do it. But at the end of the first month, we were willing to continue because she felt so much better. What I've learned so far: Somebody correct me if this is wrong! Lactose is apparently produced in the lining of the intestines. With CVID, many people have a chronic irritation in the lining of the intestines at all times - preventing the production of lactose. Katy also has trouble with fructose - but the enzyme is present -- it's just that with the lining always irritated, the fructase doesn't work well. Most people who are lactose intolerant can use a milk product called Lactaid 100 Milk that tastes just fine. And some can use the Lactaid 100 enzyme supplement so that they can continue to enjoy lactose loaded stuff. For, Katy, it still has too much lactose for her system. So we use substitutes. Lactose intolerance does a lot of things in the system. It often causes cramping, bloating, gassiness, vomiting and diarrhea which you would expect. But it also causes fatigue and headaches. Some tricks for those who are totally lactose intolerance: READ EVERY LABEL EVERY TIME - products sometimes change their ingredients without warning you. Sour dough bread is usually safe Some other breads are okay but you have to work to find them Plain bagels Keep looking -- there are hamburger and hot dog buns without lactose Mocha Mix ice cream - in a wide variety of flavors Rice Dream ice cream Rice Dream Milk in vanila, or chocolate, - be sure and get enriched Dark Chocolate Read the label carefully to find semi-sweet chocolate chips without milk -- they are usually the cheaper (store brand) ones. Jiffy corn bread and muffin mixes are usually okay - just make with Rice milk Pancake mixes are usually okay - just make with Rice milk Nucoa margarine has no milk and cooks well There are rice cheeses and soy cheeses that are passable Hersheys Syrup is milk free - but their dark chocolate bar is NOT French fries at Burger King are safe - but Mcs and many others dip their fries in milk before frying! Soft Batch Chocolate chip cookies are safe - no lactose Hagaan Das - chocolate sorbets are safe (read the label carefully) Things you wouldn't expect to have milk that do Top Ramen Noodles All cream soups and most others some tomato sauces & pizza sauces most salad dressings croutons Spaghetti sauces All Chef-boy-R-dee products Most pizza places are willing to make a pizza without cheese! Hopefully, your little ones will just have a milk lactose problem which can easily be controlled with some enzyme tablets. But, first the diagnosis! Stop as much of the milk products as you can so that you can get a clear picture. The other thing I learned is to not try substitutes too soon. In other words, if he has to go off milk, let him go off milk for several weeks before introducing Rice milk. Katy rejected every substitute until she had forgotten what the real thing tastes like! Now, she's pretty comfortable with her substitutes. Also, if you decide it is milk. You'll need to talk with your doctor about replacing calcium. We use Tums because it is easiest on the stomach. But to answer your question - yes, you can suddenly develop lactose intolerance. In fact, for your information, all of us are moving toward lactose intolerance - lactose production decreases with age - so any of us could develop it at any time! Because of that, there are a lot of substitute products available. Hope this helps and doesn't overwhelm. And hopefully, your little one will be feeling better soon. Katy has stabilized quite a bit by removing all lactose and most fructose from her diet. She also has trouble digesting fat. But now that she's stable and not having diarrhea constantly - it's taken us 2 years to stabilize, we want to try to introduce those low level lactoses and see if she can tolerate them. We also want to re-try the Lactaid 100 supplements. Maybe, maybe, maybe.... In His service, Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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