Diagnosed by Dr. Me
Several years ago, I started getting severe stomach cramps in my lower guts like I had ate some bad food. I kept thinking it would pass but just seemed to go on to the point where I suspected I was ingesting something that my body could no longer tolerate. From that point on, I started leaving various things out of my diet and seeing if that improved my situation and it took way longer than it probably should have to come across dairy products as being the problem. It shouldn't have.
Growing up, I was told I was allergic to milk. When in elementary school and we had milk breaks after recess, I was always given a carton of orange juice which I absolutely hated. I remember my mom buying a special milk called acidophilus milk for awhile but eventually that stopped. I don't know if there was tests or not but my next memories are just using regular 2% or skim milk like everyone else without issue. I just seem to recall that I had "grown out of" whatever allergy I had and could now consume regular milk. Even with the ability to now drink regular milk, I was never a big consumer of it. I'm not sure I have ever drank a glass of milk in my life. I have however used it with cereal and baking over the years. So I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that my body all of a sudden reverted back to being allergic to milk. I think the way it happened, literally overnight, caused most of the confusion.
With some research, I learned that my body stopped being able to process lactose, a protein found in milk, and thus causing cramps. It is treatable such that I can take lactaid, a protein my body was failing to produce that allows it to process lactose, and still consume dairy. So I loaded up with lactaid pills and started forward with my life again.
My wife, wanting to be helpful, started buying lots of lactose free milk and other dairy products to cook with so I could eat without having to take lactaid pills but my gut issues kept coming back. What came next was a long period of uncertainty. Why was I having problems ingesting milk products with no lactose? I brought up my concerns to my doctor during my regular checkup and she seemed unconcerned, perhaps in hindsight because I wasn't forceful enough in expressing them. So back to the internet I turned and discovered that a small percentage of the population that has milk allergies aren't lactose intolerant but are intolerant to another protein in milk, A1 Beta Casein protein. Was I allergic to that instead?
By this time, I was just trying to avoid dairy altogether which is harder than it seems. Everything seems to have milk or cheese in it. Finally some two years in at this point, I finally emphasized my issue with my doctor during my last checkup and she said they had a test to see if I was allergic to Beta Casein proteins and took some blood for it. My test results came back negative. So what the heck am I allergic too?!
Back to the internet and more research and I discovered that a lot of products that say "lactose free" are full of lactose as it is hard to remove. Manufacturers simply add lactaid to it which allows whoever is drinking it the ability to process the lactose proteins. Armed with that information, I have now guessed that I am just so sensitive to lactose that even with some lactaid, I need more of it to counter act the effects. So armed with this knowledge, I have started taking lactaid pills even when consume products that is labeled as "lactose free" and I have at last seemed to have conquered my problem. It only took me a couple years to do so.
The solution is workable though I would prefer my life before this all happened. Perhaps someday gene editing with CRISPR will become common place and scientists will figure out what gene controls lactaid production in my gut and be able to turn it back on from it's full off position it is currently stuck on. Until then, I just keep a bottle of lactaid pills nearby at home and have a vial fastened to my keychain that contains a dozen or so pills that I can use when on the road and confronted with no non-dairy options.
You cause me to remember that lactose tolerance was once not a thing, but most white Europeans evolved out of that.
ReplyDeleteI have read that little factoid before. So if I'm going back to being lactose intolerant, am I evolving or devolving?
DeleteWhat a relief that you figured out a solution! All I can think about is the misery you endured along the way though. Dairy is my favorite food so your situation would be miserable for me although I would adapt if I had to.
ReplyDeleteAs far as things go that one can be diagnosed with, this is probably the one I would chose if forced since I can eliminate most of the side effects by just taking a simple pill.
DeleteFood allergies are indeed interesting and seem more prevalent today than when I was growing up. I recall a few folks being allergic to milk (I don't think the term "lactose intolerant" was being used), but don't remember any nut allergies, which seem much more common now. And of course there are tons of folks with a sensitivity to gluten, one of the main components in bread. Glad you found the source of the problems you were having and speaks well of your tenacity to get to the root of it,
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I noticed about many of my Civil War ancestors, is that their health examines often refer to chronic diarrhea when they were older. This whole thing has led me to ponder, how many were just allergic to dairy and didn't know it? Like you though, I get the sense that food allergies are on the rise.
DeleteWe use almond milk and oat milk around here for cereal, coffee, baking, etc. It's easy to avoid dairy (satisfactorily) when you set your mind to it. (says little miss vegan)
ReplyDeleteI have been using a lot of almond milk in baking and for the occasional bowl of cereal.
DeleteInteresting that many "lactose-free" products actually contain lactose! I had no idea. Fortunately this is not a problem I've had to deal with, as I've always liked dairy.
ReplyDeleteI've never been a big consumer of dairy so it hasn't been difficult for me to mostly avoid it. Usually where I get caught is by eating something I didn't expect dairy to be in like tenderloins that had been soaked in milk or potato salad that evidently someone used dairy in instead of the normal mayo and mustard.
DeleteI think I am Lactose intolerant also...I have never really liked milk, but I do like cheese and ice cream! We use Lactose Free Milk for my husband, it seems to be easier for him to digest. I bought a bunch of Lactose pills:)
ReplyDeleteI never really ate much cheese other than a slice on a hamburger. Ice cream, especially with warm pie or chocolatey desserts is something I miss but have found a substitute in frozen coconut whipped cream. It is like a creamier version of vanilla ice cream.
DeleteI don't drink milk. I don't like it but maybe there's a reason I don't like it.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it is that ancient DNA speaking since in ancient times, we all were evidently allergic to milk.
DeleteDairy would be a hard ingredient to avoid. Soy and corn are as well. I'm glad there is at least a solution for you.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand, judging you from all your posts on cheese making! It isn't hard for me to avoid at home but it is harder to avoid eating out unless I special order things.
DeleteEd, a fine example of the fact we really are ultimately responsible for a lot of our own health and research on it.
ReplyDeleteI had some leftover oatmilk in the house after Na Clann visited which I finished (because no-one else was going to). It was not as terrible as I thought, but if it was an option of no dairy or oatmilk I would go with the no dairy option, I think. Just a little too sweet for me.
For some reason, the person who has the most interest in my health is me. Go figure. But at least the doctor was able to help me rule out the casein proteins. She offered to help me rule definitely on being lactose intolerant but that meant ingesting milk and spending the night in a controlled environment waiting to see what symptoms I develop. I figured I had done enough of that at home and declined.
DeleteIt must be a real problem to try and avoid anything with dairy in it. Good thing there is Lactaid. Otherwise Your diet would be very limited.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any problem at home because honestly, I don't cook with a lot of dairy and what I do use can easily be substituted with non-dairy alternatives. Going out to eat at a restaurant though can be challenging.
DeleteI am not lactose intolerant but I use A2 milk as recommended by Dr. Gundry after reading his plant paradox book.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I understand, A2 milk is basically milk from European cows. For some reasons, American cows produce different proteins that some are allergic too.
DeleteI am glad you solved the mystery, Ed. I had someone talk my ear off about how dairy isn't quite the same as it was back in the day because of the way it is processed.
ReplyDeleteYou must have met a guy in my neck of the woods. He produces only "raw" milk and swears about all the health benefits it offers.
DeleteGlad you finally worked it out, Ed, two years is a long time to guess. The vial of pills on your keychain is a smart idea, and I didn’t know “lactose free” could still need a pill.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, there were long periods of time where I thought I had a handle on everything only to have a setback forcing me to reevaluate everything I knew.
DeleteWe buy lactose free milk also. Art is especially careful. I'm not quite as lactose intolerant, I think. I do eat ice cream, but not much. All this reminds me that I should bring Lactaid with us when we travel again. Thank you for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteI think it is more common as we age to become slightly lactose intolerant. In my case, I am totally lactose intolerant which I think is a bit more rare.
DeleteWhen my daughter was in elementary school in Michigan, they had an Ag Field Day to Michigan State where they were allowed to eat all the ice cream they wanted... she got very sick. It turned out she was allergic to a protein in milk. For several years, I read every label for milk products. After a bunch of shots, she was gradually reintroduced to milk products and hasn't had problems with milk. But she still drinks soy milk (but loves cheese, yogurt, and ice cream). May they find you some relief.
ReplyDelete