(no subject)

[katallison]

Today's boring chapter in the Saga of the Aging Body:

So for the past few weeks I'd been experiencing chronic medium-grade distress in the digestive regions, which delicacy and kindness to readers forbid me from elucidating further. At first I just assumed I'd eaten something funky (entirely plausible, given the state of everything in my refrigerator); then I thought maybe I'd picked up a transient stomach bug. When it persisted, my inner Deranged Hypochondriac sprung to life, telling me that this was definitely colon cancer, which the gods were smiting me with as recompense for having chickened out on the Really Unpleasant Check-Up Procedure last year. (My inner D.H. is all about the guilt-tripping.)

And then, over the weekend, some vestige of a clue drifted into my brain, and I thought to myself, Self, I thought, this sounds exactly like the accounts and descriptions I've seen of lactose intolerance (which apparently can crop up suddenly in later life). So I immediately ceased all consumption of dairy products, and -- within 24 hours, le crud digestif had completely abated.

It could be, of course, that there was something else entirely going on with the innards, and it just happened to subside at the same time I stopped eating dairy products. So the final step will be to re-introduce the independent variable (I *knew* all those research methodology classes would come in handy someday) by picking a low-activity day and slamming down a couple of glasses of milk, and seeing if I experience a recrudescence, as it were (and boy, were it ever) of the Inner Distress. If so -- well, *dammit.* I've always loved milk and cheese, they're two of my foundational comfort foods, and I would be very sad to lose them. I'll have to investigate those Lactaid pills, I guess...

Comments

[lynnmonster.livejournal.com]

I was pretty lactose-intolerant throughout college, and couldn't even eat a small ice cream without taking a Lactaid pill (which worked pretty well for me). I'm not at all intolerant any more, though, so I guess these things go in cycles!

[katallison.livejournal.com]

It just startled the heck out of me, because I've never had any sort of food allergy/sensitivity/intolerance before. And fie upon it, I say! Fie!!

It's not as bad as you think!

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

Ripened and aged cheeses contain little or no lactose. The fermentation process, and the removal of the whey, take away the pesky stuff. More info here (http://www.ilovecheese.com/lactose_intolerant_faqs.asp).

So you may have to give up milk, or at least to take it moderately and with a supplement to help you digest it. But cheese can remain as much a comfort food as ever.

Re: It's not as bad as you think!

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

yes! all hail the mighty cheddar, for example.

esp. that four-year old stuff. my GOD that's good cheese.

Re: It's not as bad as you think!

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Yay! This is very excellent news. *snuggling the four-year-old cheddar to my bosom*

[astolat]

You may also want to look into Viactiv or other calcium supplements if you aren't already using -- if you have to cut out dairy it gets even more important to watch out and make sure you're getting enough calcium.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Excellent point -- I've been very half-assed about taking my calcium supplements, but I'll really have to step it up now. Thanks!

[the-star-fish.livejournal.com]

I went through the same thing during one summer, when I was home from college and working full-time in a factory and having a donut and a carton of milk for a snack every morning -- I'd feel ill by lunchtime without fail.

Lactaid isn't so bad, really, and it does help quite a bit. I'm mostly over the intolerance now, unless I forget and have lots of dairy every day for a week or so. Yogurt seems to be exempt for me (and others), which is good, as I've discovered that smoothies are nummy for breakfast.

::careful hug::

[katallison.livejournal.com]

I'm going to give yogurt a try ... thought dammit, I'd trade all the yogurt in the WORLD for nice gooey grilled cheese sandwiches. *sigh* (Though maybe I can handle the cheese if I lay off the milk, perhaps...)

[the-star-fish.livejournal.com]

Oh, I forgot -- I found yogurt cheese in my grocery store. No lactose at all, and it was a cross between Havarti and Montery Jack. Be worth looking for, anyway.

[alexfandra.livejournal.com]

Although they cost more than cow milk, the soy milk brands now out are quite good. I'm especially fond of the chocolate variety. And I second the Viactiv calcium supplement suggestion -- I take one a day and the milk chocolate flavored ones are pretty tasty. Not that I'm addicted to chocolate or anything....

[katallison.livejournal.com]

I am, with fear and trepidation, sidling up on the concept of giving soy milk a try. It's always been one of those "oh, YUCK" things to me, but that's not at all on the basis of having actually *tasted* any, so...

Thanks for the good ideas!

[jackiekjono.livejournal.com]

I, too, was disgusted at the very idea of soy milk. It's not all that hard to get used to. Now I think it tastes better than actual milk. And it does most of the things that milk does. I've even made crepes out of it.

Come to think of it, I've fed you those crepes.

Speaking from experience

[tazlet.livejournal.com]

Lactaid Milk in the Dairy section comes in whole, low and no fat versions, also 70% and 100% lastose reduced, tastes a tad sweeter, costs about the same, uses exactly the same, and keeps a whole lot longer than regular milk--it also seems a bit richer in texture to me so that low fat has the mouth feel of whole milk and whole milk feels as rich as cream. Avoid any product where "whey" is the source of calcium--no Slimfast unless its lactose free. Processed milk products such as yogurt and low fat cheese may be ok. When milk is unavoidable use the highest fat content sort you've can i.e. half and half in your coffee instead of 2%--high fat slows the speed it hits the intestines. I'm araid vanilla milkshakes (sugar and milk=superbad) are a thing of the past-- unless you're prepared to pay the price.

Re: Speaking from experience

[katallison.livejournal.com]

This is immensely helpful, and thanks so much! I haven't yet ventured into trying the Lactaid milk, but I definitely need *something* I can put into my coffee that isn't some sort of majorly-synthetic corn-syrup-and-soybean-oil concoction. And it's a good thing I was never a milkshake junkie -- if I can (as it appears from earlier comments) have the aged Cheddar, all's well.

[auroramama]

My enabling supplement for ice cream and cereal-with-milk is Rainbow Light's Lacto-Zyme Dairy-Eze (half-price at http://www.houseofnutrition.com/hono/rainbowlight.html)
which contains lots of lactase, plus a generous dollop of lipase (helpful with fatty foods) and pretty much every other enzyme except the one in Beano. Good luck!

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Whoa, I'll have to check this out. Thanks so much for the link, and the good wishes!

[gurrier.livejournal.com]

It could just be transient stomach bug followed by temporary lactose intolerance. My other half, N&D, has to avoid dairy products for a week or so after a stomach bug and then gradually reintroduce them. The doctor's explanation is that the villii which help in lactose digestion atrophy when you get a stomach bug, and need a chance to recover. N&D finds things like yoghurt and hard cheeses easiest to handle, with milk hardest. So maybe all you need is a short break!

[katallison.livejournal.com]

You know, this strikes me as very sound, since I tend to believe that the great majority of bodily ills will straighten themselves out in time if one just backs off and takes it easy for a bit. I'll try slowly/gently re-introducing certain things. Thanks very much for the helpful comments!

[planetalyx.livejournal.com]

I'm glad the crud has subsided, and I hope you find a way to keep the comfort foods in your life.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

My cheese!! My lovely, savoury, cheesy cheese!! *wailing, pawing pathetically in the direction of the deli*

Thanks for the kind thoughts, and I'm hoping that I can find some accommodating sort of middle ground with this stuff. I just hate feeling all elderly, and having to worry about my intake and digestion and all. *sniff*

[planetalyx.livejournal.com]

Yeah, having a delicate digestive tract sucks bigtime.

I'm sure the middle ground is there, and am sending "find it fast" vibes.

[thisisbone.livejournal.com]

gurrier makes a good point. It may be that the lactose was exacerbating your condition, but not necessarily causing it. Taking a break and re-introducing in small amounts seems like a reasonable next step, just to see.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Excellent points, and thanks very much for this perspective -- I'm going to go with the baby steps, and take the Scientific Method with re-introducing one thing at a time. If I can just have my cheese, glorious cheese, even in limited quantities, I'll be much happier.

[qe2.livejournal.com]

MEEP. Feh on lactose intolerance, I say. Feh.

FWIW: have recently discovered, through an affected friend, that intolerance to dairy products comes in two different forms: intolerance to lactose and intolerance to casein. Said friend, who is casein-intolerant, can drink milk until the cows...well, y'know, but cannot eat more than about a tablespoon of cow's-milk cheese without being very very very sorry. You might consider testing for both, on the off-chance that you suffer only from one or the other and therefore could continue to consume at least some dairy products once diagnosed.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Hm, this is a new one to me, but I'll do some judicious experimentation. I've got a doctor's appt. in a couple of weeks, and I know there's some tests they can do as well, which might give some info.

And in the meantime, thanks for the kind words and suggestions, and I join you in the FEH on the body's annoying tendency to pull these kinds of stunts on a person.

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

I love the way our middle-aged minds work. Last week my ankles swelled up, and I was convinced I had congestive heart failure. I told my doctor that (after having a panic attack in his office, gee, embarrassing, much?) and he barely kept from laughing at me. Apparently the pills I was taking for back pain have a water-retention side effect, and the moment I stopped them I got back my slender girlish ankles. Well, duh.

As for lactose intolerance, my brother developed it for the first time at age 45. So anything's possible.

[heresluck]

If it really is lactose intolerance, which sounds likely, you have my PROFOUND sympathies. I go through two or three gallons of milk a week.

On the other hand: research methods! yay!

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

It is not that bad - I miss ice cream the most but now when I do eat ice cream it is with full knowledge and acceptance of what it will do to me.

Lactaid, I'll reiterate, is not bad. I like it better than soy milk. Man - soy milk makes me sicker than real milk - just the *thought* of it makes my stomach all clenchy.

::shudders::

Luckily - I can have cheese for the most part. Sometimes it is possible to overdo the cheese, but I'd like to think that is just a function of overdoing it and really has very little to do with lactose.

Oh! And yogurt! I can totally have yogurt.

[namastenancy.livejournal.com]

Well, see - with aging and wisdom come some other not-so-much-fun things. Lactose intolerance is not my friend but I know it all to well. But soy milk is good! Soy milk IS your friend. I like Pacific soy and the almond soy on fresh fruit is delicious. Yogurt is good for introducing friendly bacilli into the lower chakras and if you don't like it "normally," try making leban (yogurt whipped with a bit of garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper). Laban is a great summer drink and you can even add some chicken broth to it and make soup. But you "should" be able to eat cheese - ? Try the scientific method - a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
Stay well.
namaste SF nancy

[ardent-muses.livejournal.com]

I've had some type of lactose problem for years. Also, I never met a dairy product I didn't like. I refuse to give up cheese and yogurt, so I just keep eating -- I've found that most types are okay in my case.

There's a rumor that chocolate or cocoa can give some of the same results as Lactaid. This may or may not be true. I know I can drink real-milk cocoa with no problems. But then, I dare you to name a situation in this world that chocolate cannot substantially improve. :)

I rarely have to take a pill, but sometimes I get hit with the stomach cramps from hell. It helps to have the Lactaid in my purse when this occurs and it's not that big of a deal. :)

[tehomet.livejournal.com]

But-- there´s always soy!

Hope things continue to improve.