Signs of dairy problems? Casein? Plus, differences between intolerance/allergy/sensitivity?

[KaylaBeanie]

Trying to wade through google on such general topics tends to be a headache, so I figured I'd turn here where I could get my questions answered without having to go through all that hassle?

To be brief, I think I have some dairy issues. I have stomach pains at least a few times a week, painful gas (the kind that hurts way up in your belly) and I get what feels pretty similar to period cramps, when it's nowhere near period or ovulation time. What makes me think it might be dairy is that I've had some breathing issues FOREVER related to my sinuses, and all lung testing/ENT testing came back normal. I also have a runny nose a lot, which I always have chalked up to outdoor allergies, but I just feel like I overestimate my environmental allergies...is there REALLY some secret pollen that can make me miserable in December in Minnesota? I'd be more apt to think it was just outdoor allergies if it was significantly worse in the summer, but it's not.

So, what's the difference between dairy and casein? What's the difference between an allergy, an intolerance and a sensitivity? I plan to get allergy testing ASAP, but I do know that it's possible to come up negative for allergies but still have a sensitivity. I'm just SOO new to the world of allergies and testing and such. The only dietary restriction I've ever had in my whole life is no meat, since I'm a vegetarian, so I have no idea where to start.

[Annie Mac]

Casein is the protein found in milk. Most people don't have a problem with the casein (although it's entirely possible. My friend's son had a true allergy to it, which manifested in anaphylactic symptoms), but many are lactose intolerant. Lactose is the sugar in milk, and it's pretty hard to digest. So if you're lactose intolerant, it's not really an "allergy" per se, it's difficulty digesting that causes the pain and the gas, etc. Beans, for example, could cause the same symptoms in some people. Dairy just refers to all items made from cow's milk.

It is likely the lactose that is causing your gastrointestinal problems. I know there's a lot of different types of allergy testing, but the one you would likely receive at an allergist's (the prick test) would not reveal lactose intolerance. As far as I know (and I've had one of those tests recently), those tests measure things which your body reacts to with histamines. I am most definitely lactose intolerant, but the only thing that showed up on my test was an allergy to some grasses.

Technically, I think "allergy" refers to something which causes a histamine reaction, while "sensitivity" and "intolerance" refers to the rest of the gamut. However, I have certainly heard all three used interchangeably.

Why don't you try eliminating dairy for a while, and see how you feel?

[KaylaBeanie]

Originally Posted by Annie Mac

Why don't you try eliminating dairy for a while, and see how you feel?

Could this mess with any possible test results?

EDIT: after browsing way back, I also saw on another thread that ear problems can be a sign of dairy issues? When I was a baby, I had several ear infections and had to get tubes. One of the holes never healed entirely, and while I don't get ear infections anymore, I do get really bad ear pain/itching(way down in the ear canal) in the mornings/night, when I lie down for extended periods of time. It might be completely unrelated, but I figured I'd throw that out there. I always just figured it was a result of damaged eardrums from my childhood.

[kjbrown92]

Dairy Allergy = IgE reaction to casein, the protein found in milk (can find it through scratch tests or RAST blood test). Symptoms can be vomiting, eczema, fluid in ears/ear infection, hives, anaphylaxis, diarrhea, stomach upset, and more

Dairy Intolerance = Intolerance to any part of the milk (casein, whey, lactose, etc.); can sometimes find it through IgG or intolerance testing, or elimination diet. Symptoms can be vomiting,eczema, fluid in ears/ear infection, diarrhea, constipation, stomach upset, bedwetting, leg pains, night terrors, tantrums, and more.

Lactose intolerance = Missing the enzyme to digest lactose, the milk sugar. There are tests for it. Raw milk is sometimes easier to digest for those people. I believe that it's a threshold thing so that you can have a little and be okay, more and not okay. Lactaid is usually tolerated by these people.

Sensitivity and intolerance are two different words for the same thing, as far as I know.

Going off it for a couple weeks will not effect any of those tests. Allergists don't usually believe in intolerances, so if the test is negative, they'll say have it anyway. Make sure you're eliminating ALL milk (check meds/supps and all labels), including goat and other mammals while you are testing to see if it's the cause. Then you can try the other parts of the milk to see if they effect you, or goat's milk.