How bad is your Lactose Intolerance?

I can't slam yogurt, drink milk, enjoy ice cream, have cottage cheese, indulge in shakes, eat shredding cheese, or have milk chocolate without digestive issues (bloating, intestinal inflammation, GERD, etc) or constant flatulence or both. I have problems even after taking Lactase Enzyme supplements. What about you? How bad is your your LI?
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Replies

  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    Also, does anyone know if Whey or Casein has lactose in it? I had a "Dairy Free" ice cream recently (Arctic Zero) and it had Whey protein in it and it seems like to me that would still set off my lactose intolerance wouldn't it? Because after eating it, I was definitely "paying the price". :cry:
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
    I don't react with whey or casein, but I do with milk, yogurt, some cheeses, and ice cream.

    I was REALLY bad before I realized I was lactose intolerant :( And the pills don't work for me.
  • crystalbluewolf13
    crystalbluewolf13 Posts: 197 Member
    I have to have dairy free everything, or lactose free milk and cheese. Even a small square of normal chocolate can affect me within 10mins depending how i'm feeling. Then other days its not as bad. Silly question but is your lactose intollerance linked to anything? I have bad IBS and wheat, egg and dairy set it off something dreadful. If you haven't already might be worth getting checked out
  • My doctor once told me i was not Lactose Intolerant but actually allergic to milk and so I am VERY careful about milk but I can handle cheese with out the body cramps. Whey and Casein will turn me into a fetal position so don't know if that helps. Google it. Good luck.
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
    My stomach produces literally no lactase. If I have even one bite of cheese or the smallest sip of milk, I am laying in bed crying and my stomach is literally sweating, trying to get rid of the pain. It's so bad. It usually takes about fifteen minutes for me to feel the pain, and it can last for a few days.

    My friend believes I may be sensitive to gluten as well, but I don't think it's that bad.

    I can take 3 - 4 lactose pills before a meal and still have problems, because those are supposed to just give you a bit extra to help digest. I can't digest it at all!! It is so painful and takes hours to go through my system. I am so jealous of the food diaries I see with yogurt, pudding, pizza, ice cream, MILK (oh my god chocolate milk please), baked potatoes with BUTTER!! The list goes on and on. Needless to say, it's not hard hitting the 1200 cal a day mark.

    It's pretty rare, but I was actually born lactose intolerant. I couldn't drink milk and it took ages for the docs to figure out what was wrong with me. Soy milk for me as a baby!
  • ipsamet
    ipsamet Posts: 436 Member
    MY PEOPLE.

    I'm alright with yogurt and cottage cheese, but I can't do milk at all and too much cheese is a problem but I love cheese too much to give it up. Ice cream is usually a problem, but I rarely eat it. Chocolate doesn't seem to bother me, but I have it in such small amounts, maybe that's why? Whey protein has never given me trouble.
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
    We should like. Add each other.

    PROTEIN HELP THAAAANKS!

    Anybody here love almond milk? Because it's one of my best friends.
  • dmf711
    dmf711 Posts: 141 Member
    I seem to do better with processed milk products like cheese and milk chocolate. Anything close to milk's original form (ice cream, yogurt, milk on it's own, etc) wreaks havoc on me. I wonder if maybe the processing is what reduces the lactose to acceptable levels for my body? I have no clue but only in the past year have I become so violently lactose intolerant. Like those before me, the lactose intolerant pills did absolutely nothing to help. It's such a downer not being able to go out for ice cream anymore or have my twice-a-year craving for milk with my cereal, and I've given up one of my favorite snacks, yogurt and granola..... out of fear!

    My solutions/workarounds:
    I use soy protein powder from Trader Joe's, and it is fantastic in my fruit smoothies. They have vanilla and unflavored. I use the unflavored one (the fruit in my smoothies is sugary enough) and a tub of 2lbs of powder is $16 I believe. Whole Foods also makes a completely dairy free liquid calcium if you're experiencing calcium deficiency from your intolerance/allergy. It's fruit flavored (natural flavorings) and two tablespoons in my smoothies gives me my daily dose of calcium without the lactose issues! Yay!

    Finally, there are some interesting options for ice cream, but so far my favorite has been a brand called Tofutti. They make somewhat tasty soy ice cream, but buyer beware, it is a bit pricey and I believe the flavors are basic vanilla and chocolate. I wrote to the company and told them about my intolerance and they actually sent me a bunch of coupons so definitely Google it and give it a shot!

    I hope this information helps someone else who is in the same boat. Someone HAS to have invented a prescription or something that really works for lactose intolerance besides that weak Lactaid crap!
  • mom2sons02
    mom2sons02 Posts: 111 Member
    I guess i am really lucky then, even though it took me forever to figure out what my issues were. Can't have milk or ice cream with out the pills. Cheese, yogurt, even when I heat up my milk in oatmeal, those are all fine.
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    I have to have dairy free everything, or lactose free milk and cheese. Even a small square of normal chocolate can affect me within 10mins depending how i'm feeling. Then other days its not as bad. Silly question but is your lactose intollerance linked to anything? I have bad IBS and wheat, egg and dairy set it off something dreadful. If you haven't already might be worth getting checked out

    I have no insurance so around April I just went Gluten Free and lactose free (which just turned into dairy free). I've been great since then! But now that I'm concerned about getting enough protein because meat is expen$ive and I don't tolerate beans well, so I have been trying to find cheaper alternatives to getting it and recently had yogurt and lactose-free milk and both jacked my stomach all up. I had LF milk yesterday and my body is still all gassy/bloated and I have a bit of a brain fog too.
  • woodsygirl
    woodsygirl Posts: 354 Member
    I can't do milk, cheese or any dairy unless I have lactase. Lactase helps with the lower lactose stuff but ice cream and frozen yogurt still kill me regardless.

    I can however eat whey protein ISOLATE, the ultra purified lactose free stuff and have no problems with it. Thankfully my Quest bars use isolate and I don't need to pop lactaid with them :)
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    We should like. Add each other.

    PROTEIN HELP THAAAANKS!

    Anybody here love almond milk? Because it's one of my best friends.

    Silk Almond Milk Unsweetened here! I had Dark Chocolate tonight with the kids and I was intoxicated with sugar pretty intensely. But def love my Almond Milk :drinker:
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    I seem to do better with processed milk products like cheese and milk chocolate. Anything close to milk's original form (ice cream, yogurt, milk on it's own, etc) wreaks havoc on me. I wonder if maybe the processing is what reduces the lactose to acceptable levels for my body? I have no clue but only in the past year have I become so violently lactose intolerant. Like those before me, the lactose intolerant pills did absolutely nothing to help. It's such a downer not being able to go out for ice cream anymore or have my twice-a-year craving for milk with my cereal, and I've given up one of my favorite snacks, yogurt and granola..... out of fear!

    My solutions/workarounds:
    I use soy protein powder from Trader Joe's, and it is fantastic in my fruit smoothies. They have vanilla and unflavored. I use the unflavored one (the fruit in my smoothies is sugary enough) and a tub of 2lbs of powder is $16 I believe. Whole Foods also makes a completely dairy free liquid calcium if you're experiencing calcium deficiency from your intolerance/allergy. It's fruit flavored (natural flavorings) and two tablespoons in my smoothies gives me my daily dose of calcium without the lactose issues! Yay!

    Finally, there are some interesting options for ice cream, but so far my favorite has been a brand called Tofutti. They make somewhat tasty soy ice cream, but buyer beware, it is a bit pricey and I believe the flavors are basic vanilla and chocolate. I wrote to the company and told them about my intolerance and they actually sent me a bunch of coupons so definitely Google it and give it a shot!

    I hope this information helps someone else who is in the same boat. Someone HAS to have invented a prescription or something that really works for lactose intolerance besides that weak Lactaid crap!

    Soy's a good option for those who can tolerate it.
    My body hates legumes too. I can tolerate peanuts well, but most beans have me doubled over with digestive pains and I have to take an ibuprofen :sick:
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    I can't slam yogurt, drink milk, enjoy ice cream, have cottage cheese, indulge in shakes, eat shredding cheese, or have milk chocolate without digestive issues (bloating, intestinal inflammation, GERD, etc) or constant flatulence or both. I have problems even after taking Lactase Enzyme supplements. What about you? How bad is your your LI?

    Whey doesn't.
    I just puke after I eat anything with lactose in it
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    I can't do milk, cheese or any dairy unless I have lactase. Lactase helps with the lower lactose stuff but ice cream and frozen yogurt still kill me regardless.

    I can however eat whey protein ISOLATE, the ultra purified lactose free stuff and have no problems with it. Thankfully my Quest bars use isolate and I don't need to pop lactaid with them :)

    What's the ISOLATE part of the whey protein? I've seen that word thrown around but no one explains whats makes that different. :indifferent:
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
    We should like. Add each other.

    PROTEIN HELP THAAAANKS!

    Anybody here love almond milk? Because it's one of my best friends.

    Silk Almond Milk Unsweetened here! I had Dark Chocolate tonight with the kids and I was intoxicated with sugar pretty intensely. But def love my Almond Milk :drinker:

    YES!! It's my favorite!! I use it in my oatmeal and smoothies that I make at home. I've actually never tried any other flavor. Does the dark chocolate taste like chocolate milk?

    Because if it does... buerhuehafu.

    I don't drink it as a milk substitute, but I love the flavor it adds to things. I still haven't been able to find something as delicious as a cold wet glass of icy milk. And then maybe pour some chocolate inside and mix it around with a spoon and--

    *faint*
  • RedHeadDevotchka
    RedHeadDevotchka Posts: 1,394 Member
    I'm not lactose intolerant, but my husband is...he just farts alot and I suffer worse for it! But gees! The people who have real stomach pains and even eating a little milk product affecting you badly, well, I feel sorry for you guys! I didn't know it could be so bad, I just thought it was like for my hubby and it's just gassiness.
  • dmf711
    dmf711 Posts: 141 Member

    Soy's a good option for those who can tolerate it.
    My body hates legumes too. I can tolerate peanuts well, but most beans have me doubled over with digestive pains and I have to take an ibuprofen :sick:

    Oh no. :( well, do you like the taste of coconut? They make coconut milk, and I've tried an ice cream made with it. I think it's called So Delicious?
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
    I can't slam yogurt, drink milk, enjoy ice cream, have cottage cheese, indulge in shakes, eat shredding cheese, or have milk chocolate without digestive issues (bloating, intestinal inflammation, GERD, etc) or constant flatulence or both. I have problems even after taking Lactase Enzyme supplements. What about you? How bad is your your LI?

    Whey doesn't.
    I just puke after I eat anything with lactose in it

    Last time I had pizza I puked violently fifteen minutes later-- only the cheese. My stomach was like, UMMM. NOPE.

    I found out though you can order pizza withOUT cheese, and remarkably it tastes *just the same*. I guess their cheese at the delivery places is so plastic and processed it has no real flavor by the end of the day, anyway. Delish!
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member

    Soy's a good option for those who can tolerate it.
    My body hates legumes too. I can tolerate peanuts well, but most beans have me doubled over with digestive pains and I have to take an ibuprofen :sick:

    Oh no. :( well, do you like the taste of coconut? They make coconut milk, and I've tried an ice cream made with it. I think it's called So Delicious?

    I've heard of So Delicious. Can't find it. Plus, I'm still on the fence about Saturated Fat. Not sure what to think about it since all the studies say Saturdated fats lead to higher LDL levels in the blood. I don't use Coconut anything for the same reasons. Just not sure what to think.
  • woodsygirl
    woodsygirl Posts: 354 Member
    From here: http://www.leehayward.com/whey_protein_isolate.htm

    Whey is a dairy protein that is a by-product of the cheese making process. In its raw state, whey contains substantial amounts of fat and lactose (milk sugar). You wouldn’t want to eat raw whey. That’s why it is filtered and processed: to remove most of the lactose and fat. If you’ve ever heard of microfiltration or "ion exchange," those are simply methods of separating the fat and lactose from the protein. The end result is a more concentrated protein – either concentrate or isolate (which is what you want).

    The primary difference between isolate and concentrate is that the isolate is more pure. In other words, isolate contains more protein with less fat and lactose per serving. Based on whose figures you go by, whey isolate usually contains between 90-94% protein while whey concentrate has a protein ratio of 70-85%.
  • CassieReannan
    CassieReannan Posts: 1,479 Member
    Im alright for dairy, my fiance is lactose intolerant. The sight of dairy is enough to make his stomach churn.
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    We should like. Add each other.

    PROTEIN HELP THAAAANKS!

    Anybody here love almond milk? Because it's one of my best friends.

    Silk Almond Milk Unsweetened here! I had Dark Chocolate tonight with the kids and I was intoxicated with sugar pretty intensely. But def love my Almond Milk :drinker:

    YES!! It's my favorite!! I use it in my oatmeal and smoothies that I make at home. I've actually never tried any other flavor. Does the dark chocolate taste like chocolate milk?

    Because if it does... buerhuehafu.

    I don't drink it as a milk substitute, but I love the flavor it adds to things. I still haven't been able to find something as delicious as a cold wet glass of icy milk. And then maybe pour some chocolate inside and mix it around with a spoon and--

    *faint*

    Yeah, dark chocolate almond milk tastes delicious. It just was way too rich for me and I have a glucose sensitivity too (read: I have ADHD) so too much sugar without fiber or protein is harder for me to metabolize and not have brain fog. The thing that sucks about the dark chocolate in the almond milk though is it isn't the super great for your anti-oxidant one because of the way it's processed. I eat 85% cocoa Lindt Chocolate squares for that though.
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    From here: http://www.leehayward.com/whey_protein_isolate.htm

    Whey is a dairy protein that is a by-product of the cheese making process. In its raw state, whey contains substantial amounts of fat and lactose (milk sugar). You wouldn’t want to eat raw whey. That’s why it is filtered and processed: to remove most of the lactose and fat. If you’ve ever heard of microfiltration or "ion exchange," those are simply methods of separating the fat and lactose from the protein. The end result is a more concentrated protein – either concentrate or isolate (which is what you want).

    The primary difference between isolate and concentrate is that the isolate is more pure. In other words, isolate contains more protein with less fat and lactose per serving. Based on whose figures you go by, whey isolate usually contains between 90-94% protein while whey concentrate has a protein ratio of 70-85%.

    Then Whey Isolate and Egg White Protein will be my choices when I start to train. I just wish there were small sample options. Hate to pay $30 for Whey Isolate and find out I still react.
  • dmf711
    dmf711 Posts: 141 Member

    I've heard of So Delicious. Can't find it. Plus, I'm still on the fence about Saturated Fat. Not sure what to think about it since all the studies say Saturdated fats lead to higher LDL levels in the blood. I don't use Coconut anything for the same reasons. Just not sure what to think.

    Did you give their store locator a shot? http://sodeliciousdairyfree.com/store-finder

    For anyone interested in finding Tofutti (soy based) dairy free ice cream near you: http://www.tofutti.com/loc-search.asp
  • I <3 this thread.

    I'm actually not that bad. The closer something is to actual milk, the worse I am. Of course, larger quantities mean more pain and discomfort. There are others in my family who get ridiculously sick whenever they have any dairy.

    My solutions so far have been almond milk, sorbet (particularly Whole Fruit), small quantities of cheese, and American chocolates. Almond milk and sorbet in particular have been absolute godsends. I probably should drop cheese and chocolate altogether, but they're so delicious!
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    I can't slam yogurt, drink milk, enjoy ice cream, have cottage cheese, indulge in shakes, eat shredding cheese, or have milk chocolate without digestive issues (bloating, intestinal inflammation, GERD, etc) or constant flatulence or both. I have problems even after taking Lactase Enzyme supplements. What about you? How bad is your your LI?

    Whey doesn't.
    I just puke after I eat anything with lactose in it

    Last time I had pizza I puked violently fifteen minutes later-- only the cheese. My stomach was like, UMMM. NOPE.

    I found out though you can order pizza withOUT cheese, and remarkably it tastes *just the same*. I guess their cheese at the delivery places is so plastic and processed it has no real flavor by the end of the day, anyway. Delish!

    I've been avoiding pizza because of the gluten and the retarded amount of calories. Sadly, I don't foresee me returning to it any time soon.
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member

    I've heard of So Delicious. Can't find it. Plus, I'm still on the fence about Saturated Fat. Not sure what to think about it since all the studies say Saturdated fats lead to higher LDL levels in the blood. I don't use Coconut anything for the same reasons. Just not sure what to think.

    Did you give their store locator a shot? http://sodeliciousdairyfree.com/store-finder

    For anyone interested in finding Tofutti (soy based) dairy free ice cream near you: http://www.tofutti.com/loc-search.asp

    I don't tolerate soy very well. I'm going to see about the coconut though. Thanks for the locator :flowerforyou:
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
    Everybody thought I was just a hypochondriac and always sick. When I eliminated dairy from my diet entirely, I literally dropped ten pounds in two weeks. My body was in a constant state of being swollen and bloated and knotted in pain. It's just so hard to quit-- it's SO hard. It's like quitting smoking, except cheese is DELICIOUS. But once I did I never really looked back. Tonight for example I just leaned on the counter and watched my husband eat his spinach alfredo pizza. I even smelled it. I love dairy sooo much. Once in a while when I have ONE bite or sip ONE sip of anything dairy, I definitely pay the price, because it's been a prolonged time since I've had any lactose. Before I'd eat it normally and was in a kind of constant dull pain (except milk that made me sweat). But now one bite sends me down. I wish I were just gassy like your hubby!! I'll take gassy over throwing up and intolerable pain!
  • woodsygirl
    woodsygirl Posts: 354 Member
    From here: http://www.leehayward.com/whey_protein_isolate.htm

    Whey is a dairy protein that is a by-product of the cheese making process. In its raw state, whey contains substantial amounts of fat and lactose (milk sugar). You wouldn’t want to eat raw whey. That’s why it is filtered and processed: to remove most of the lactose and fat. If you’ve ever heard of microfiltration or "ion exchange," those are simply methods of separating the fat and lactose from the protein. The end result is a more concentrated protein – either concentrate or isolate (which is what you want).

    The primary difference between isolate and concentrate is that the isolate is more pure. In other words, isolate contains more protein with less fat and lactose per serving. Based on whose figures you go by, whey isolate usually contains between 90-94% protein while whey concentrate has a protein ratio of 70-85%.

    Then Whey Isolate and Egg White Protein will be my choices when I start to train. I just wish there were small sample options. Hate to pay $30 for Whey Isolate and find out I still react.

    I used Nitrofusion (which is pea protein) and it worked fairly well. You might want to look into some of the pea powders, the only drawback to non-whey powders is the sodium level. If you need to watch your sodium, many of them have lots of it.

    I was able to find samples in my local health food store, you might be able to as well. What type of stores are you shopping in?

    ETA: You can save a good bit of money by shopping on Vitacost.com for powders too.