Can you suddenly develpe a Lactose Intolerance?

Question

I am 22 year year's old and I think I have a lactose intolerance but I am not sure. Occasionally I get really bloated and have gas and sometimes a pain in my upper stomach which also leads to watery bowel movements. Someone suggested to me that I might be lactose intolerant but I didn't think so because I never had problems with milk before. Just for kicks for one day I cut out all milk products and the very next day my stomach is less bloated and I have no gas. Can someone suddenly develope an intolerance to milk at my age? If so, are there tests that the doctor can do to verify that? Or do my symptoms remind you of something else?

Thank you very much for your input.

Answer 1

Yes buddy. Lactose intolerance manifests also in adults. The symptoms u r having also present in a variety of conditions.

A less precise test for diagnosislactose intolerance can be done on someone by having the person follow these steps:

1) Drink two cups of milk on an empty stomach and watching for signs of intestinal discomfort over the next several hours.
2)The following day, eat two ounces of hard cheese or drink two cups of lactose-free milk.
-If symptoms are experienced only on the first day, the person being tested may be lactose-intolerant.
- If symptoms are experienced on both days, the person may have an allergy to dairy products, which is unrelated to lactose intolerance.

Rx: Unfortunatley,my dear friend... there is no treatment 4 Lactose intolerance. But recent studies showing that people can acclimate themselves to dairy products. Consuming small quantities of dairy products several times a day over a couple of weeks will train bacteria in the large intestine to more effectively break down lactose.

Best of Luck....!

Answer 2

Many cases of lactose intolerance are genetic (say: juh-neh-tik). That means that something in these people's genes makes them more likely to develop it. The condition is more common among some groups of people - about 90% of Asian Americans are lactose intolerant, and up to 75% of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans get symptoms whenever they eat dairy foods. If you belong to one of these groups, you're also more likely to develop lactose intolerance while you're young.

People can also develop lactose intolerance for other reasons. Sometimes another illness may keep the intestine from producing enough lactase. For example, people with inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease, or other long-term problems that affect the intestines are often lactose intolerant. People can also develop lactose intolerance if they're taking certain medicines or just had an infection that caused diarrhea. Luckily, this type of lactose intolerance doesn't usually last long.

Answer 3

Yes, you can develop this at any time.
Mine started about 20 yrs ago, in my 20's.
For milk, use lactose free milk and trial and error will let you know what else you can eat.
Carry the lactaid pills with you.
I can eat one container of yogurt without any probs.Also ,cheese usually isn't a big problem unless it's something like mac and cheese . Then I just take a pill.
I have learned to love sorbet .It doesn't have any milk in it as ice cream or sherbet does.
Good luck to you.
There are zillions of sites on line with more info.

Answer 4

Yes, it can develop over time. Its happened to me as I'm getting older. I drank milk all the time as a kid and young adult, but now if I do, the same symptoms you described occur. I use Lactaid sometimes, that works, but mostly just cut dairy out of my diet except for the occasional glass of milk or bowl of ice cream. I also experience Irritable Bowel Syndrome which has developed and become worse as I've aged. You're young, so it would probably be a good idea to get checked out by your doctor, just to be safe and make sure its not something worse developing.

Answer 5

I became lactose intolerant at age 19, so it is possible. Your doctor can run tests to determine if you are indeed lactose intolerant or if it's something else. From what you have said though, it sounds like lactose intolerance to me.

Answer 6

Yes you can develop it at anytime,I was fine my whole life up till about a year and a half ago,when I was 23.I started using the brand of milk called Lactade,and sense then I've been pretty much fine,like I'll have a bowl of ice cream every now and then,and I'm pretty much fine after words sense I eliminated milk!

Answer 7

Same as with allergies, you can develop an allergy over time for reasons still unknown. And lactose intolerance is an allergy.

Answer 8

Yes, My wife is now lactose intolerant

Answer 9

I've read a vast amount into this [because I have it] and mom's got two Diploma's in this area, and I've got a Diploma............. I dunno if we can suddenly develop it but we can allways have it and then poor diet can bring it out.

It get's way less if we have wholesome food, wholegrains, complex-carbohydrates, vegtables, and fruit etc. I spose the general rule is eat what mother nature gives us.

Answer 10

Yes, after I had a baby this happened to me.