Whey Protein Sensitivity??

MississippiMama87
MississippiMama87 Posts: 204 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Anyone else have serious whey protein sensitivities/allergies?

When I was pregnant I bought a frozen protein shake and it made me violently I'll. I just thought it was a pregnancy hormone issue.

Since then, I've tried drinking the same type shake and it did the same thing. I've also eaten 2 protein bars on different occasions and became super sick too. (vomiting, diarrhea, severe stomach cramps)

The only common denominator was the whey protein.

Any thoughts or similar experiences?

Replies

  • MississippiMama87
    MississippiMama87 Posts: 204 Member
    That's supposed to be violently *ill.
  • rejectuf
    rejectuf Posts: 487 Member
    Are you sure whey protein was really the only common denominator? Those pre-made shakes and bars are full of weird ingredients, binders, etc.

    Do you have any issues with dairy in general? Whey protein is really just a part of dairy, concentrated.
  • MississippiMama87
    MississippiMama87 Posts: 204 Member
    I'm not positive that was the only thing linking them together. However, when I was a child I was allergic to eggs and to my infant formula. I had to be put on Prosobee because it was soy based.

    I handle dairy fine now though.

    Ben & Jerry are two of my besties. :)
  • rejectuf
    rejectuf Posts: 487 Member
    I guess one thing to try is ordering unflavored whey protein and mixing it with milk or water yourself. Not the best tasting option in the world, but it would help you isolate the cause. Whey protein sensitivity, hypothetically, should go hand in hand with dairy sensitivity.

    If unflavored whey protein gives you no issues, try flavored and see how that goes.
  • MississippiMama87
    MississippiMama87 Posts: 204 Member
    Thank you! I'd like to be able to use it to really boost my protein intake, but have been nervous about it. I didn't think about all the other artificial binders in the examples I gave. I'll just make sure to try it on a weekend in case I run into problems again.
  • shutyourpieholeandsquat
    shutyourpieholeandsquat Posts: 1,394 Member
    anytime I would have a Quest bar or drink a whey shake I would get SOOOOOO nauseous and bloated, yet dairy I have no problem with. I switched to soy and have no problems.
  • mjudd1990
    mjudd1990 Posts: 219 Member
    If either the powder or bars had sugar alcohols in them then I'd bet on those contributing to GI issues, at least in part.
  • sculli123
    sculli123 Posts: 1,221 Member
    Get one that is lactose free and you'll be set.
  • MissBabyJane
    MissBabyJane Posts: 538 Member
    You could get plant based protein - Soy or something and try it.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Get one that is lactose free and you'll be set.

    not if she's allergic to whey protein!! lactose free =/= whey free


    OP: are you allergic to dairy products? Whey is in nearly all dairy products, and dairy allergy is usually an allergy either to whey protein or casein which is another dairy protein. My daughter's allergic to egg and some other things, and she'll vomit within about half an hour of eating those things.

    If you're allergic to whey then try a different protein powder, e.g. casein, egg or one of the vegetarian ones.

    If you're fine eating dairy products, then it's not an allergy to whey so the problem will be something else in the protein powder.
  • fit4stephanie
    fit4stephanie Posts: 1
    You should consider a brown rice protein powder. They are great for folks with all sorts of sensitivities :)
  • lightandflight
    lightandflight Posts: 28
    I would look into an alternative if you suspect its the whey. There are soy, and hemp, (and apparently rice protein) powders that would give you the boost that you were looking for.
  • MississippiMama87
    MississippiMama87 Posts: 204 Member
    Thanks for the advice guys.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    You had any other issues, like with sugar free sweets? (Candy)

    ETA: Translation
  • poedunk65
    poedunk65 Posts: 1,336 Member
    I use brown rice protein powder for the same reason. I don't eat processed food for the most part either.
  • Jette41
    Jette41 Posts: 1 Member
    You can get good results from egg protein as well.....that's if you can get past the taste.
  • jenniebean1680
    jenniebean1680 Posts: 350 Member
    I have a sensitivity to whey according to one of those finger-stick food sensitivity tests you can have a doctor or naturopath do. Not sure how accurate the tests are overall, but whey definitely makes my stomach yucky. Headaches, dizziness, stomach ache, overall pukey feeling. I can't do Quest bars in particular. They make me feel the same way. I like Garden of Life Perfect Protein and Muscle Feast Micellar Casein. Sure, they might not be absorbed as quickly but it's still protein.

    ETA: I did not test positive for dairy sensitivity, and oddly enough the whey content in cottage cheese does not affect me (thank goodness, I love it, and I need the protein as a vegetarian). I also like Garden of Life's protein because it doesn't have soy. It's easy to over-do soy.
  • BillRicks1
    BillRicks1 Posts: 473 Member
    I agree with those who suggest a different protein souce. Pea, rice and soy (isolate) are good choices. Of those three, soy isolate would be my choice to try.
  • husseycd
    husseycd Posts: 814 Member
    I can handle whey in very small amounts. I don't have a particular issue with dairy though. The hemp protein powder is less of a problem. Also different whey proteins are different. Target brand bothers me less than Body Fortress.
  • walterm852
    walterm852 Posts: 409 Member
    Check out Natures Best Isopure, you can read about it. I bet they have a money back guarantee too.

Categories