Dealing with lactose intolerance?

Sandra King86 said:Here is a really solid article
Let me know if you need any help translating from English. 🙂

Apparently, a milk protein allergy can show up as stomach cramps along with bloody stools, intense vomiting, and they also mention things like Enteropathy and Heiner's syndrome... Oh, and people with this allergy often can't handle soy products either, since there's supposedly an allergic reaction to those too.

Lactose intolerance usually involves bloating, gas, and stuff like that.

Thanks for the link! 🙂

I honestly think I might have an allergy, though I'm not entirely certain... The thing is, I have no idea how my body would actually react to milk because I haven't even tried it in twenty years. Just the thought of it makes my stomach turn. And don't even get me started on anything liquid or creamy that involves dairy—like yogurt, pudding, chocolate milk, or all those different kinds of mushy baby foods... just gross!

Basically, I can't even bring myself to drink milk because as soon as I get close to it, I feel like I'm going to throw up. So, who knows, is it an intolerance or an actual allergy? It's hard to say... but honestly, at this point, it doesn't even matter much.

It’s highly probable we're looking at an intolerance; honestly, I think she just has a deep-seated aversion to food in general.
My mother deals with lactose intolerance, and I suspect I have a milder version of the same issue myself—we both find milk pretty revolting. For her, it’s more intense; drinking it makes her feel quite nauseous, and there have even been times when she ended up vomiting. She can manage yogurt and fermented dairy products, though, since the lactose is already broken down in those, but then again, people with extreme sensitivities often can't handle those either.

Oh yeah, because I have such a visceral aversion to milk, I can't even bring myself to touch yogurt, pudding, or any kind of creamy porridge, semolina... or anything like that...

In my opinion, it feels more like it's rooted in my head than in my actual body...

I'm dealing with some serious bloating and gas issues lately. My blood work came back negative for a milk allergy, and right now I've just got an IBS diagnosis, but I really want to rule out lactose intolerance once and for all. Does anyone know where I can get tested for this in Chicago, and what kind of damage am I looking at price-wise? I think it’s that H2 breath test—kind of like the one they do for H. pylori. Has anyone here actually gone through it? Thanks a ton!

Jeremy Reed4 said:I'm dealing with some serious bloating and gas issues lately. My blood work came back negative for a milk allergy, and right now I've just got an IBS diagnosis, but I really want to rule out lactose intolerance once and for all. Does anyone know where I can get tested for this in Chicago, and what kind of damage am I looking at price-wise? I think it’s that H2 breath test—kind of like the one they do for H. pylori. Has anyone here actually gone through it? Thanks a ton!

I went through the exact same thing. After doing some digging and falling down a few internet rabbit holes, the symptoms made it pretty obvious: I’m dealing with lactose intolerance.
Ever since I switched over to soymilk, everything has been fine. But if I slip up and have a little bit of regular milk in my coffee, or grab some chocolate—basically anything with a higher lactose content—it hits me immediately. I get instant bloating and gas, and I have to admit, the smell is pretty nasty.
That’s exactly why I try to be as careful as possible.🙂

I honestly have no clue if there are specific tests for that. Honestly, just cut out all milk and dairy for a week or two—and don't cheat!—and you'll see how you feel. You forgot to mention Irritable Bowel Syndrome, too... doctors often throw that diagnosis around just because your stomach is acting up and they aren't quite sure why yet. 😉 If it isn't that, maybe look into your liver... sometimes people with liver issues end up seeing those symptoms show up as stomach problems instead.

I don't have much patience for Packers fans either.😬

Not me.. 😢

Up until now, through twenty-five years of life, everything seemed perfectly fine... and then, quite suddenly, disaster struck! It’s rather ironic because I’ve always absolutely loved milk and used to consume it in massive quantities. I’ve made a slow, tentative transition over to Soymilk lately, but honestly, spending about $60-$23 every single week just on milk feels rather steep.

As for things like probiotics, various cheeses, or sour cream... I suppose I can tolerate those 😍

Sandra Campbell9 said:Not me.. 😢

Up until now, through twenty-five years of life, everything seemed perfectly fine... and then, quite suddenly, disaster struck! It’s rather ironic because I’ve always absolutely loved milk and used to consume it in massive quantities. I’ve made a slow, tentative transition over to Soymilk lately, but honestly, spending about $60-$23 every single week just on milk feels rather steep.

As for things like probiotics, various cheeses, or sour cream... I suppose I can tolerate those 😍

Honestly, "Soymilk" isn't even real milk. It’s just overpriced liquid that isn't worth what you're paying, and it can actually be pretty bad for you too... unless it's made from fermented soy, I guess.

Personally, I experience some pretty intense cramping if I drink milk on an empty stomach. If I have it as part of a full meal, though, I generally don't run into any issues at all. My doctor mentioned that this happens because of a deficiency in the enzyme needed to break down dairy—essentially something similar to 😁 enteropathy. It sounds like your situation might be a bit more complicated than mine, so it would probably be best to check in with your physician about which supplements might help or specifically which brand of Soymilk you should look for...
It’s also entirely possible that what you're dealing with is something relatively minor, such as just being unable to handle unpasteurized milk.
Anyway, I wish you the very best of luck with everything.

Oh man, I am right there with you!!😠
I’ve spent the entire day scouring the internet trying to figure out what on earth is going on with me. To be honest, I’ve never really been a fan of milk or any other dairy products—never felt the need for them. But over the last two or three weeks, I started incorporating various dairy items into my diet just so I could mix them with all those cereals I'm taking to help improve my digestion. My digestion feels fine, but meanwhile, for the past two weeks, I’ve been looking like I’m seven months pregnant. Even today, I tried wearing one of those oversized tees everyone wears lately, and even then, I couldn't hide the bloating at all. And the worst part? I didn't make the connection to the dairy at all.
I’m honestly sitting here tearing up because my whole life has just become this endless cycle of digestive issues, bloating, and gas. I live with my boyfriend, and it’s already getting so awkward. I’m passing gas like... well, you know. I’m naturally quite slim—about 5'6" and 121 pounds—but now I’ve actually lost weight because I can barely eat anything without this whole thing blowing up on me.
Is this really it, guys? Is this the culprit?
🙏 🙏 🙏

I’ll run the search once I'm actually in Germany this Monday. It’s being handled through a GP, though some random lab is processing the results—no clue which one. I'll let you know how it goes.

Jonathan Ruiz10 said:Oh man, I am right there with you!!😠
I’ve spent the entire day scouring the internet trying to figure out what on earth is going on with me. To be honest, I’ve never really been a fan of milk or any other dairy products—never felt the need for them. But over the last two or three weeks, I started incorporating various dairy items into my diet just so I could mix them with all those cereals I'm taking to help improve my digestion. My digestion feels fine, but meanwhile, for the past two weeks, I’ve been looking like I’m seven months pregnant. Even today, I tried wearing one of those oversized tees everyone wears lately, and even then, I couldn't hide the bloating at all. And the worst part? I didn't make the connection to the dairy at all.
I’m honestly sitting here tearing up because my whole life has just become this endless cycle of digestive issues, bloating, and gas. I live with my boyfriend, and it’s already getting so awkward. I’m passing gas like... well, you know. I’m naturally quite slim—about 5'6" and 121 pounds—but now I’ve actually lost weight because I can barely eat anything without this whole thing blowing up on me.
Is this really it, guys? Is this the culprit?
🙏 🙏 🙏

Look, there are plenty of different things that can cause bloating. I've already dealt with a colonoscopy, tests for parasites and amoebas, and I've got H. pylori, which also causes bloating. Gastroenterology is a bit of a headache. Plus, Irritable Bowel Syndrome is known for bloating because the whole digestive tract moves too fast; those contractions basically trap air, and since the body doesn't absorb it properly, the gas gets way worse. It's a lot of stuff to sift through.

I’m basically a cat... total lack of lactase. Ugh! Drinking milk on an empty stomach gives me some seriously rough problems.😠

Jeremy Reed4 said:Look, there are plenty of different things that can cause bloating. I've already dealt with a colonoscopy, tests for parasites and amoebas, and I've got H. pylori, which also causes bloating. Gastroenterology is a bit of a headache. Plus, Irritable Bowel Syndrome is known for bloating because the whole digestive tract moves too fast; those contractions basically trap air, and since the body doesn't absorb it properly, the gas gets way worse. It's a lot of stuff to sift through.

Honestly, all those tests sound terrifying! Noooooooooooooo!!!!😲

Sean Richardson9 said:Personally, I experience some pretty intense cramping if I drink milk on an empty stomach. If I have it as part of a full meal, though, I generally don't run into any issues at all. My doctor mentioned that this happens because of a deficiency in the enzyme needed to break down dairy—essentially something similar to 😁 enteropathy. It sounds like your situation might be a bit more complicated than mine, so it would probably be best to check in with your physician about which supplements might help or specifically which brand of Soymilk you should look for...
It’s also entirely possible that what you're dealing with is something relatively minor, such as just being unable to handle unpasteurized milk.
Anyway, I wish you the very best of luck with everything.

That enzyme is called lactase. It's totally normal for almost all animals, except humans—well, most humans who never really stopped drinking milk in the first place.

Sean Richardson9 said:Personally, I experience some pretty intense cramping if I drink milk on an empty stomach. If I have it as part of a full meal, though, I generally don't run into any issues at all. My doctor mentioned that this happens because of a deficiency in the enzyme needed to break down dairy—essentially something similar to 😁 enteropathy. It sounds like your situation might be a bit more complicated than mine, so it would probably be best to check in with your physician about which supplements might help or specifically which brand of Soymilk you should look for...
It’s also entirely possible that what you're dealing with is something relatively minor, such as just being unable to handle unpasteurized milk.
Anyway, I wish you the very best of luck with everything.

It's not like we're talking about a toddler needing milk substitutes. 🤣

Personally, I just can't handle lactose—I'm talking diarrhea, nausea, reflux... yikes! And if I do happen to have even a tiny bit, there is absolutely no way I'm doing it on an empty stomach. I’ve managed to reach a bit of a truce with certain dairy products, though—things like cheese or yogurt seem okayish.

However—and this is a bit of a strange quirk of mine—after I engage in some fairly intense physical activity, I actually find myself craving (!) milk (even though the mere thought of it usually makes me nauseous). It's as if my metabolism gets a little shaken up, and suddenly I can handle a solid 3% fat milk without any issues. I stick strictly to goat's milk, though; it just sits much better with me.

I haven't been able to touch lactose for like 7 or 8 years now. I don't get gas, but if I drink milk or eat anything with dairy in it, my stomach immediately blows up like a freaking balloon. It’s the absolute worst in the summer because I can't even wear a fitted shirt without looking ridiculous.
And I'm being dead serious here. I've basically lost all hope. I used to be able to grab those lactase pills at Twinlab, but they're totally out of stock. I've scoured every single pharmacy in Chicago trying to find them, but nothing. No luck finding any lactase enzymes anywhere. 🙂

Hey everyone... please help... I'm new here... So, the thing is, I've realized lately that after I eat something like Cheese... I really feel sick afterward... I get this mucus feeling in my throat and feel like I'm going to throw up... And honestly, while I'm eating pasta with Cheese, my stomach feels so heavy I can barely sit, let alone stand... But this just started recently (I've been having thyroid issues lately, do you think there's a connection?) I've lived my whole life avoiding milk and Cheese (and mayo), and even though I feel much better if I skip them and eat something else, they're still the first things I reach for when I'm REALLY hungry. I was wondering if anyone could help with suggestions for substitutes? Though personally, I don't think any of them measure up... You have no idea how much of a shock this is... My brain still thinks it's the best food in the world, but my stomach just rejects 😢 I'm lost on what to do
thanks guys 🙂

Ugh... I’ve got a mountain of issues here. Honestly, I just need to vent for a second. Everything makes me bloat—literally everything, even just a couple of sips of water. It doesn't feel like an intestinal issue because the bloating hits the moment I swallow something; it feels like it's definitely happening in my stomach. And don't even get me started on the gas... it's awful. Digestion is relatively okay, though—no major struggles there. Is anyone else dealing with something similar?