What can I do if I'm lactose intolerant?

Question

Anything milk makes me very sick. Puke, and diareaah. (eek! i know, you probably didnt want to know that) but I've tried taking pills and they make me sicker.

My doctor says it's all in my head that i'm lactose intolerant. but anything that has even a little bit of milk in it makes me SICK!!

Answer 1

Take Lactaid. It's not only a pill but also products such as Lactaid Milk. It is milk that has had the part of the lactose removed that is difficult for us to digest. It helps the body properly digest milk products. Works for me. Otherwise, find a new doctor or avoid all milk products and take a calcium suppliment.

Answer 2

Then be more selective about what you eat and drink! I am also lactose intolerant. Sometimes I'm lucky enough that I can get away with drinking it or eating it in foods. But I have TO AVOID ALL CREAMS, and products with whey solids in them. Some cheeses will give me the runs; and some coffee creamers will also, because of the whey in them, or milk solids. You have to READ READ READ labels to see what is in the food you want to buy. It is very difficult to buy stuff without some form of milk in them. It's more expensive, but you can go to Health Food stores and find items that we can have! However some times, it doesn't taste all that great, but it is better than having the runs and cramps all the time. Also, Acidolphus can help, but however, some people it doesn't help at all, so you have to experiment. But I highly recommend go to the Health Food Stores and look for answers there, or even a doctor that works with herbs etc. Like you can drink Rice milk which is pretty good, eat ice cream made from Mocha mix; no milk shakes! lol

Answer 3

I've been lactose intolerant for years. I know it's not in your head. A few milk companies now have milk out for drinking and for cereals. But I gotta tell you, they take some getting used to. Have your doctor try a different medication. There are more than one. Otherwise, just watch what you eat. In the last couple of years, I have been able to tolerate a few dairy products if I am careful. I can do cheese sometimes now and ice milk, once in a while.(but you still have to put up with the side effects)

Answer 4

Your doctor was definitely wrong to say that. You can become lactose intolerant when you never had any problems before - I did! I do try to avoid milk products as much as possible. If I order pizza, I get them to use light cheese (not a kind of cheese, they just use much less). I still drink milk because I love it, but I drink less than 1/2 cup at a time. Same with ice cream - just very small quantities. And if I'm eating something and I'm not sure how much milk product is in it, I'll try chewing a Lactaid chewable just before I eat. It helps, but definitely does not take ALL the symptoms away.

Answer 5

Hi! I'm also lactose intolerant. I'm sorry that you are having problems. I can't believe your doctor would say that it's all in your head. It's a real problem for a lot of people. Pills don't really work for me either. I just have to avoid all dairy products. You might want to take some calcium supplements since you won't be consuming any dairy. It takes a while to get used to your new lifestyle, but you will find there are a lot of alternative products. You can get lactose free milk and even ice cream (I can only find it in vanilla tho!). I don't miss any of the foods I used to eat, because once something makes you sick so many times you don't want to eat it ever again. :)

Answer 6

I'm lactose intollerant as well. When I was a child my mom use to put these drops in my icecream and such. When you're lactose intolerant you lack the enzymes that breaks down the complex sugars in the milk. There are caplets, and drops as well as lactose reduced milk they help your body digest the lactose. I haven't tried the drops since I was a child. I usually just stay clear from the milk products. Good luck.

Answer 7

If you're lactose intolerant, you might be able to drink milk with the milk sugar lactose converted to another sugar, like "sweet acidophilus" milk. If that also makes you sick, you may have a milk allergy. My neighbor is allergic to milk and has to watch what kind of cheese he eats and how much. If he drinks something like a milkshake, his throat starts tightening up. Don't listen to your doctor if you have the symptoms...stay away from milk, or at least the forms that affect you.

Are your parents sympathetic or do they listen to your doctor?

Answer 8

You know your body, so listen to it. Two of my kids are lactose intolerant. I felt terrible with the middle child because he had such terrible cramps and the other symptoms you have described. It took me a couple of weeks to figure out what was going on since the older child could drink milk. During that time he also developed a yeast infection (I just wanted to mention that in case you have had problems with it) We are just really careful about their diet and switched to soy milk. Luckily they have so many great soy products now in the specialty stores.

Answer 9

You will have to spend a bit more money at the grocery store but it will be worth it! Try picking up things like soy milk, vegan cheese, veganaisse, and lactose free yogurt instead of your normal dairy products! They dont taste exactly the same but they wont make you sick either!! I recommend SILK brand products, their chocolate soymilk is excellent!! Hope I helped!

Answer 10

Well, first things first, get a second opinion.

Also, you have to avoid milk and two other things.
1) Casein: Ammonium Caseinate. Calcium Caseinate. Potassium Caseinate. Sodium Caseinate. The principle protein of cow's milk. Use/s: texturizer for ice cream, frozen custard, ice milk, fruit sherbets, and in special diet preparations.
2) Whey: residue from milk after the removal of the casein and most of the fat. By-product of cheese making. Use/s: margarines, biscuits, crisps, cleaning products.

Also, don’t eat anything with milk/casein/whey. That includes ice cream, milk, sherbet, milk chocolate, plain milk, cheese cake (and other desserts with milk), and cheese. Just read the labels on foods.

I suggest you go to a health food store (Whole Foods, Natures Market, Trader Joe’s). There you will find soy based products like cheese, ice cream (I love the brand Soy Dream), and many desserts and pizzas. Also, you should try to drink soy milk. It comes in a variety of flavors like plain, chocolate (great for dessert or in shakes), and vanilla and can be found at any grocery store (Safeway, Top Foods, ect.). Good luck.