SquirrellyMama Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 My ds 7 had a dairy problem when he was a baby. I had to go on a dairy elimination diet while nursing him and kept nursing him until he was almost 2 years old at which point he drank mainly soy milk. He would have bad reflux, throw up right after drinking milk or he would also get welts and red skin if it touched him. Our doctor was very unsympathetic and told me it wasn't a dairy problem and even if it was happening on the outside of his skin it wasn't happening on the inside of his body. After he turned 3 it seemed like he had gotten over his problems but I've notice lately he'll spit and say that some food came back up (reflux). Today he did this and the only thing he has eaten is yogurt. How do I know if it is an allergy or an intolerance? I've wondered ever since he was 3 if he was still having problems but just dismissed them because I'm a dairy fiend. He doesn't like dairy much but be will eat some like mac and cheese or cheese with tacos. He'll also sometimes eat yogurt. I've also been wondering if my dh has an intolerance or allergy lately. He keeps telling me that I'm feeding him too much fiber and it is upsetting his stomach and giving him, um, digestion problems. I eat the same amount of fiber and maybe even more and I'm not having these problems. Do I just get rid of dairy again for a month and see what happens? Or should I actually take my ds to an allergy doc? Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Do I just get rid of dairy again for a month and see what happens? Or should I actually take my ds to an allergy doc? Kelly This is what I would do. Perhaps the reason he doesn't care for dairy is that it makes him feel icky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 If you take your ds to an allergist, and you pay the money and do the testing, and it turns out to be a dairy allergy after all, the cure is...eliminate dairy. My vote is to just eliminate dairy and save your money.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sevilla Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Honestly I would get rid of dairy altogether for your son - he's demonstrating that his body can't handle it well and continuing to give it to him may intensify his reactions. It is pretty easy to be dairy free these days - many products are df and there are tons of good substitutes (even for shredded cheese). I don't think you need to 'stop for a month and then see how he feels', he's already shown you he's intolerant of dairy and the next step is to take it out of his diet altogether for a few years in the hopes he may outgrow it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Your son's history clearly indicates a problem. I had a similar experience--I had to go dairy-free while nursing my ds. He spent the first weeks of his life SCREAMING, poor little guy. Everything changed when I went dairy-free. In the years since ds has had clear, obvious symptoms each and every time he has accidentally ingested a milk product. Do not deal with your doctor on this one. Either do a test yourself or go to an allergist. What your doctor has already told you is untrue and inaccurate, so that doctor is not a good resource for this issue. You could go to an allergist, but I will warn you that testing on young children can be notoriously inaccurate. Also allergy testing will not reveal an intolerance issue. I strongly recommend that you (or rather, your child and husband) go dairy-free for a month. Be absolutely draconian about it--read labels and do not allow any trace amounts or casein or cheese or anything. Also don't let dairy products touch their food--for example, don't think you can order a pizza and just pull off the cheese for them, because the crust would then be impregnated with dairy. Make sure your dh and ds have a totally, perfectly, milk-free existence for 4-6 weeks. Stick to it, perfectly, for at least 4-6 weeks to allow the body to "clear" and the gut to actually heal. At that point you might feel as though there's been such an improvement that you have your answer. If you're still not sure, let them drink some milk and see if that produces any symptoms. Be careful with this though--if it's an allergy, the response might be ugly (breathing difficulty, for example). You'll want to have anti-histamines ready and available in case they're needed. Symptoms can range considerably, so just be on the alert for a range of difficulties. Doing this should give you the answer you need. However, if there is another allergy at play, that other allergy may confuse the issue and make it harder to figure out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquirrellyMama Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 If you take your ds to an allergist, and you pay the money and do the testing, and it turns out to be a dairy allergy after all, the cure is...eliminate dairy. My vote is to just eliminate dairy and save your money.:) That's true. I hadn't thought of it that way. Your son's history clearly indicates a problem. I had a similar experience--I had to go dairy-free while nursing my ds. He spent the first weeks of his life SCREAMING, poor little guy. Everything changed when I went dairy-free. In the years since ds has had clear, obvious symptoms each and every time he has accidentally ingested a milk product. Do not deal with your doctor on this one. Either do a test yourself or go to an allergist. What your doctor has already told you is untrue and inaccurate, so that doctor is not a good resource for this issue. You could go to an allergist, but I will warn you that testing on young children can be notoriously inaccurate. Also allergy testing will not reveal an intolerance issue. I strongly recommend that you (or rather, your child and husband) go dairy-free for a month. Be absolutely draconian about it--read labels and do not allow any trace amounts or casein or cheese or anything. Also don't let dairy products touch their food--for example, don't think you can order a pizza and just pull off the cheese for them, because the crust would then be impregnated with dairy. Make sure your dh and ds have a totally, perfectly, milk-free existence for 4-6 weeks. Stick to it, perfectly, for at least 4-6 weeks to allow the body to "clear" and the gut to actually heal. At that point you might feel as though there's been such an improvement that you have your answer. If you're still not sure, let them drink some milk and see if that produces any symptoms. Be careful with this though--if it's an allergy, the response might be ugly (breathing difficulty, for example). You'll want to have anti-histamines ready and available in case they're needed. Symptoms can range considerably, so just be on the alert for a range of difficulties. Doing this should give you the answer you need. However, if there is another allergy at play, that other allergy may confuse the issue and make it harder to figure out. I've done the elimination diet so I know how to be vigilant on ingredients. My thought was about another food actually causing the problems for my dh but I guess we'd be able to figure that out if the problems are still there when being dairy free for 6 weeks. Thanks everyone. I suppose I knew my answer but I am such a selfish dairy lover :001_unsure: Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sevilla Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Thanks everyone. I suppose I knew my answer but I am such a selfish dairy lover :001_unsure: Kelly We can help you find sub ingredients so you don't feel deprived. If you're able to have soy then there really isn't a single 'dairy product' you'll have to miss :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquirrellyMama Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 We can help you find sub ingredients so you don't feel deprived. If you're able to have soy then there really isn't a single 'dairy product' you'll have to miss :). Soy really isn't an option because my dh has a horrible time with soy. That much I do know. Whenever we have tofu he ends up sweating profusely and has, um, digestion issues. I wonder if that is his problem. I don't really look at ingredient labels for soy when I buy food. I know for sure my son had dairy issues so I think his is dairy but my dh might have problems with soy. I remember once we had garlic tofu and my dh was so sick for two days after that meal. Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Soy really isn't an option because my dh has a horrible time with soy. That much I do know. Whenever we have tofu he ends up sweating profusely and has, um, digestion issues. I wonder if that is his problem. I don't really look at ingredient labels for soy when I buy food. I know for sure my son had dairy issues so I think his is dairy but my dh might have problems with soy. I remember once we had garlic tofu and my dh was so sick for two days after that meal. Kelly Could be soy. AFter having to eliminate it, I've realized it's in a LOT of food. But it's also not too difficult to eliminate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sevilla Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 25% of people who cannot tolerate dairy also cannot tolerate soy b/c the proteins are so similar (this is why soy formula is the backup option to cow's milk formula). I had to eliminate both with my kids. Since you can't do soy, that limits you afa cream cheese substitutes but otherwise you can still do it all. What is your favorite dairy vice? yogurt/ice cream/heavy cream/pudding/cheese/etc...? Seriously, after being df/sf for almost five years I have loads of substitutes figured out :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquirrellyMama Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 25% of people who cannot tolerate dairy also cannot tolerate soy b/c the proteins are so similar (this is why soy formula is the backup option to cow's milk formula). I had to eliminate both with my kids. Since you can't do soy, that limits you afa cream cheese substitutes but otherwise you can still do it all. What is your favorite dairy vice? yogurt/ice cream/heavy cream/pudding/cheese/etc...? Seriously, after being df/sf for almost five years I have loads of substitutes figured out :). My biggest dairy vice is cheese. Cheese in tacos, cheese on spaghetti, cheese on pizza, cheese in lasagna and cheese on salads. Cheese, cheese, cheese. Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 My biggest dairy vice is cheese. Cheese in tacos, cheese on spaghetti, cheese on pizza, cheese in lasagna and cheese on salads. Cheese, cheese, cheese. Love it! I love cheese too. It's easy to cook a cheese-free version of whatever you're making, and just set aside a portion for yourself to which you add cheese (unless you're still bre@stfeeding, in which case you will have to go dairy-free as well). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquirrellyMama Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 I love cheese too. It's easy to cook a cheese-free version of whatever you're making, and just set aside a portion for yourself to which you add cheese (unless you're still bre@stfeeding, in which case you will have to go dairy-free as well). No, I'm not breastfeeding anymore. I feel a bit bad about adding cheese to mine and not letting my dh and ds have any. I'll probably just have the entire house go dairy free. We'll give it a try. When I did it before (when my ds was bf'ing) I lost all my unwanted weight. It was good but the cheese crept back in my life. Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 No, I'm not breastfeeding anymore. I feel a bit bad about adding cheese to mine and not letting my dh and ds have any. I'll probably just have the entire house go dairy free. We'll give it a try. When I did it before (when my ds was bf'ing) I lost all my unwanted weight. It was good but the cheese crept back in my life. Kelly That's a real kindness on your part. At least after a while, when everyone has acclimated to the new way of life, you can add cheese back in to your life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sevilla Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 DH doesn't have to be dairy free and he uses cheese on his food - adding it in to just his own plate. It's not a proble b/c the dairy free people here get their own special treats :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Learn about nutritional yeast. We were cheese fiends until we went mostly-vegan, but now I prefer the yeast to the cheese in most situations. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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