Dairy allergy/intolerance?

[k2bdeutmeyer]

Can those of you more familiar with this help me out? I have recently discovered a pattern in DS (13 months) FINALLY! He's been battling diarrhea and subsequent bleeding skin irritation for months. The ped gave me some prescription cream for his poor little bottom that seems to help, but I couldn't figure out what was causing the diarrhea and gas (and corresponding fussiness). Well.....I think I figured it out!! It seems to happen when I give him cow's milk to drink. For solids, he's on 3/4 baby food (he gags easily with table food) and 1/4 table food and he seems to do okay with that - including foods that have a higher dairy content, though I haven't 100% tested this theory. However, I am 100% sure that EVERY time I give him cow's milk in a sippy it results in watery, green, foul diarrhea and a LOT of gas.

 

So....could this be a dairy allergy or intolerance? If so, how should I be handling it? I mean, obviously don't give him milk to drink, but doesn't he need it? Is this worth a ped appt or is it something we can handle on our own at home?

 

Thanks in advance for all your wonderful advice :)

[bagel270]

If he's ok with cheese and yogurt, give him his dairy that way. Try him on a different kind of milk (soy can bother people with milk allergy). We use almond milk.

[In The Great White North]

You could test goat's milk. Or Lactaid.

 

I think I would try eliminating ALL dairy for a few days and see if it didn't clear up entirely, then one by one reintroduce.

[gingersmom]

Have you discussed it with your pediatrician? I'm surprised he would not pick up there could be dairy issue. My son had allergy testing as an infant and has never drank milk. You get calcium from lots of other sources. I did not do soy milk because there was some concern about boys and soy. Don't remember exactly.

[bluemongoose]

I have 2 kids who are growing out of what was likely a dairy intolerance, and I have 1 with a true dairy allergy who has to carry an epi.

 

I am also intolerant to dairy.

 

Here is what I have found out so far. With the intolerance...each person can be intolerant to different levels of dairy. Example. For me, cheese and butter is ok. Ice cream, a glass of milk, and yogurt will cause the bathroom issues you are describing (minus the rash as I dont wear a diaper:lol:). I can tell you this is very uncomfortable and it makes my tummy feel awful!

 

My DS and DD would throw up and also have the diarrhea. DD could handle yogurt and cheese and butter, DS could only handle cheese and butter. As they have grown, they seem to be doing better and are tolerating more dairy. I think they may be outgrowing it as the DR said they might.

 

Then I had YDS. He breaks out in a full body rash from a slight lick of butter and his eyes swell shut. So no trace dairy for him at all! He is my epi carrier.

 

What I have found to work is to eliminate all dairy products completely for a few weeks. Allow time for all rashes and digestive issues to resolve. Then start with something less reactive like cheese and see if there is a response. There can be delayed responses, so watch for about a week or so. If that works ok with his system, try butter, then yogurt etc. As soon as you see a reaction, stop all dairy and let the body heal again. This should tell you what he can and cannot handle.

 

If you are seeing more than just the diarrhea, like hives, swelling, difficulty breathing, then I would seek a DR and get some testing done. Of course you can also just see the DR now, but if you want to try an elimination diet at home first you can, as long as the reaction is not bad.

 

It is totally ok to not give your child cow milk. Most "other" milks have calcium added. My children all drink enriched rice dream that I buy by the case at Costco. The only other thing that dairy is pushed for is the fat content that is needed for brain development. I am sure you can find other good fats in things like avocados.

[k2bdeutmeyer]

Honestly, I asked about the diaper rash/irritation at his 1yr appt and was given the prescription for the cream, but I didn't really go into all the diarrhea issues. I guess at that point I hadn't put it all together yet. It finally hit me this weekend. I don't give him milk in a cup every day (he is still nursing) and hadn't the majority of last week, but did on Friday and Saturday morning, and then all weekend he had diarrhea and the rash showed back up. THAT is when it occured to me that it was the milk! I haven't given him any since Saturday morning, and his stools are already starting to return to normal today.

 

So.....if I eliminate all dairy to test my theory, do I need to eliminate it from MY diet as well since he's still nursing 4-5 times a day?

[bluemongoose]

Yes, it would be a good idea to also stop eating it yourself. It does pass through the b-milk. Some kids can still handle that when they are intolerant, some cannot, and you wont know how deep the problem is until you eliminate it all and slowly add it back in.

 

Since you are nursing, I would eliminate for both of you and then add your diary back in (item by item) first and see how he does. If that goes well, and there are no symptoms, proceed with adding some to his diet. Or you can add one thing to your diet like cheese...if it goes well, give cheese to him. Then add butter to your diet, and later give him butter too.

Edited July 19, 2010 by bluemongoose

[Wyndie]

My 1st born had the exact same reaction to dairy that you are describing. Because it took me so long to "catch on" he ended up having anaphylactic reactions to it. You really need to remove ALL dairy in any form, cooked, fermented, whatever. Give the GI tract a chance to heal. Now I realize not everyone goes down the path my children have but I just have to shout a warning.

 

Oh and yes, remove it from your diet as well. With my middle child, she never had dairy herself but started reacting violently to me having it while nursing.

[Rosy]

Yes, I would check with your doctor. Elimination is probably the only thing that will help, allergy tests at this age are inconclusive.

 

Also, keep in mind that there is a difference between being lactose intolerant and being dairy allergic. Lactose is milk sugar, being allergic is reacting to the milk protein. My DD5 is allergic to milk protein, she can't have yogurt or cheese as well as straight milk, but she does ok with butter and ice cream (no protein). Someone who is lactose intolerant might be able to handle cheese since it's mostly milkfat.

 

For us, her symptoms started when she was little...probably around when she started on formula (which is cow's milk-based, but not as bad as straight milk). Mostly she had really, really red cheeks (eczema). She breastfed until she was 11 mo. but I mixed formula with her solids. I don't know why I didn't link the formula and the allergies. We had allergy tests that all came back negative. Her doc suspected a milk protein allergy anyway, though, and cautioned me to introduce milk slowly. She was up crying half the night after I gave her 2 oz. mixed with her formula. I tried it again a week later and that confirmed it. The eczema cleared up as soon as we got all dairy out of her diet. She did soy milk instead of regular milk, and it worked fine for her (though their is some research out there about soy and estrogen). Now her eczema is pretty much just on her toes, we have to be careful not to let her wear shoes without socks or they'll get rubbed raw. I got her some flip flops, but the bit between her toes is hurting now. She does have dairy and handles it ok, but not straight cheese/yogurt/milk. Her toes would probably be better if she didn't have any at all, but honestly I'd rather manage that one minor symptom than hassle with her diet more than I already am.

[Harriet Vane]

The others have given good advice, so I will just add this:

 

Your first step absolutely MUST be complete elimination of all dairy, including even trace dairy (like caseine or whey), for a minimum of a month to six weeks. This is to give the GI tract time to really heal and to get the most accurate read on this situation that you possibly can.

 

After 4-6 weeks of total elimination, try a little cheese and see what happens. Some people will react badly right away. Others won't notice a reaction until they have had the offending item a couple days in a row. For example, my ds will have a walloping stomach ache if he eats anything that is obviously dairy--once he had candied popcorn with cream in the candy coating and had a horrible stomach ache within an hour, and it persisted for three days, poor guy. However, this same ds has a slightly different reaction to trace amounts of dairy. So, for example, the first day he has crackers with caseine in the ingredients, he doesn't really notice discomfort. If he has those same crackers the next day, he might feel a little uncomfortable. If he then has those same crackers a third day in a row, then he will feel real pain, and he will react with real pain each time he has those crackers. In other words, he can tolerate miniscule trace amounts of dairy, but only every now and then (so we just never have ANY dairy because why irritate the gut like that).

 

FYI--other mammalian milk DOES also contain lactose. There are people who cannot drink cow's milk but do drink goat's milk--this has never made sense to me (though I trust those people wouldn't be drinking it if they were in pain). I have found, though, that my ds cannot have goat's milk as it does still cause stomach aches.

 

I have found that dairy-free cooking is easier than I thought it would be. Ds uses EarthBalance vegan butter substitute--it's faaaaar healthier than any other margarine I have found. For baking or pancakes we substitute soy milk as it yields a fluffier product. For breakfast cereal ds uses rice milk.

[k2bdeutmeyer]

Thank you so much for all the info! It's all kind of overwhelming right now!

[juelle]

Ds now 14 had exactly what you describe. Well done for working it out! I kept him off cow's dairy for several years (I was already off of it), then allowed him to have limited amounts, used lactase a bit, and by the time he was 10, it didn't bother him any more.

 

I'm lactose intolerant and casein allergic, as are several other of my kids, so we have Trader Joe's Rice Drink (it's fortified with calcium and Vit D) and sometimes almond milk. I can have goat's milk yogurt and sheep or goat's cheese. Yummy!:001_smile:

 

All the best with your ds.

[Snickerdoodle]

 

Your first step absolutely MUST be complete elimination of all dairy, including even trace dairy (like caseine or whey), for a minimum of a month to six weeks. This is to give the GI tract time to really heal and to get the most accurate read on this situation that you possibly can.

 

 

I agree with this based on experience. Chronic diarrhea is a problem and it's something you should take seriously. Don't let the doctor dismiss you with, "it's toddler's diarrhea and he'll get over it."

[flobee76]

Have you considered going to a Naturopath to check for allergies? I am all for a good MD, but sometimes they write it off as "something they'll grow out of" or "eliminate". Some health insurance carriers cover naturopathic visits, so you might want to look into it! :)

[k2bdeutmeyer]

I'd be totally open to it Flo! How would I go about beginning to look into something like that?

[flobee76]

I'd be totally open to it Flo! How would I go about beginning to look into something like that?

 

You can always try this:

 

http://www.naturopathic.org/

 

or, ask around. Word of mouth is probably your best way to find a good ND. :)