Adjusting to raw milk

[mlwlovell]

My family began drinking raw milk about 2 weeks ago. Starting on Tuesday of this week, I became ill with intestinal issues, which got worse, and peaked Thursday night into Friday. I'm feeling better today, but now my son has started with the same symptoms including, diarrhea and cramping. Our last half-gallon of milk had started to sour this week. From what I've read, drinking sour milk is ok, but I've also read that people who are not accustomed to drinking raw milk can have some difficulty adjusting to it. I'm trying to tease out why we became ill. Was it from drinking the sour milk, or just a coincidence and we got sick from some virus or another food source. My husband has drank the same milk, and so far, is fine. Can anyone share their experience in switching to raw milk? Any insight would be helpful. Thanks!

[Arduinna]

My only adjustments needed were to the difference in flavor and texture. Since your dh drank the milk and didn't get the same reaction it probably was from something else.

[Mirzam]

i had absolutely no problem with drinking raw milk from the start. But for those that do, I would recommend drinking it at room temperature, not straight from the fridge (makes the proteins easier to digest if it isn't cold) and start with small amounts ie half a cup and work up.

[provocativa]

yeah, if your dh had no issues then likely it was something else

[spughy]

Actually it could have been the milk, even if your DH didn't get sick. There is a pretty wide variation in how people react to pathogens, and they may be dose dependent - if your DH is larger or has a more anti-pathogenic flora in his gut it may just not have affected him. As an example, two friends and I once went out on a wine-and-cheese binge night - the only time we'd eaten together in the week. They both came down with classic listeriosis symptoms within 72 hours (we all ate the same cheeses) but I didn't even have a slight tummy wobble.

That having been said, it could be anything. Leftovers sitting too long in the fridge, restaurant food, deli meat, one of those salmonella eggs from wherever (Wisconsin? I heard about something on the news), contaminated raw veggies, or a virus. If you have persistent problems, stop drinking the milk and see if it gets better.

[1jooj]

I was reading a couple weeks ago in my dairy goat book about this; campylobacteria are sometimes to blame, and apparently resistance can be built. I'd guess there are some who are unlucky and don't successfully build resistance, but anecdotally, someone visits their cousins on the farm and drinks the raw milk their hosts are always drinking, and the guests get sick. There's technically nothing wrong with the milk, but I think Spughy's onto something with the gut flora and body size.

I grew up drinking raw milk, but my little sister was never able to tolerate it; my parents started buying milk when she was small because she could drink store milk. I guess they never thought to pasteurize their own from the bulk tank.

[PeggyinNC]

Our dairy lady said sometimes people complain of tummy troubles, but they are very careful with the milk, so that is not really usually the problem. She said, it will give your stomach a workout...meaning, the enzymes, etc. that are in it will jumpstart a sluggish digestive system that has not had much in way of probiotics or fiber, etc. I find if I am away from it for awhile, it takes a bit to get back into it. I make kefir from it, too, and that really helps clear out the sluggish system. Unless you actually get sick, like fever, or vomiting, something that is not just bowels starting to clear, I would myself try to hang in there, or go a bit more slowly? Anyway, good luck working it out. A lot of us have been there, too.

[mlwlovell]

Thanks for the replies, ladies. It was interesting that the symptoms didn't begin until 10 days after we began drinking it, for me. My son started 2 days after me, and then my husband started 2 days after that. My infant is the only one unaffected, and he, obviously, hasn't had any of the milk. I'm thinking that it must be the milk, at this point. My symptoms still have not subsided, after just over a week. My son's symptoms come and go. DH also continues with symptoms. I was going to try going back to our old milk, just as a test to be sure it is, in fact, the milk. We aren't "sick". We're still eating as usual, with normal appetites. It's just cramping, gassiness, and loose BMs. How long do you think we should continue to hang in there?

[mamadelbosque]

I have no suggestions I just wanted to chime in with just cause' one person didn't get sick doesn't mean it wasnt from the milk. Some people have a much higher tolerance of nasty bacteria than others... I was in peru for 6wks in college and was the *only* one (out of like 15-20 people!) who never got sick from the water... an I used it to brush my teeth with

[PeggyinNC]

If you are not comfortable with the milk, maybe switch to other kinds of probiotics (yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, kvass), or fibrous foods like beans and brown rice, or steel-cut oats, or something else that can help clean up the system. Fresh fruits and veggies (and to a limited extent, their fresh juices) and the master cleanse (lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne) can all help with the digestive problems. It really really helps if white flour, white sugar, and white rice type processed foods are not clogging it, too. Maybe come back to raw milk after some of the cleansing is done? It is an ongoing process, and takes time. I wish you luck and great success! I have learned so much from the mommies on this board!

[MyLittleWarrior]

i'm not sure where you are, but that sounds a lot like a stomach virus tha was going around my area. terrible gas/cramping/diarhea, bot otherwise not feeling sick. it was running its course in 7-10 days in my area. it affected raw milk drinkers and regular milk drinkers alike.

nak

[mlwlovell]

@peggyinnce, we already stick to a traditional foods diet as much as possible. We drink plenty of kefir and yogurt, which I try to make myself from pasturized milk that we get locally. All of our meat and eggs are from pasture-raised meat. I don't use any white flour, white rice, or white sugar. In general, I try to avoid processed foods, so I don't think that our diet is poor. We didn't have any digestive issues until after we started the raw milk. Although, as I said in an earlier post, it wasn't until at least 10 days after we started drinking it.

We've been off the milk for 2 days, and the symptoms seem to be subsiding for me and DS. Was it the milk or just a virus? Who knows. My plan is to get back our energy and have some normal digestion for awhile and try to slowly introduce the raw milk again.

Thanks for all of the insight, ladies!

[rockycrop]

I've gotten raw milk from 3 different sources over the last couple years. The first milk source made me slightly sick like you describe. I had an upset stomach, cramping and my bowel movements looked like grease (sorry if that grosses anyone out).

People were telling me I just needed to get used to raw milk, but I eventually switched to a different farmer. All of the negative symptoms went away. Then I started hearing some not so great things about the first milk source. I'll never know for sure what exactly caused me to feel poorly, but it could have been something going on at this farm (it was also the only farm I never visited first hand, he would deliver to the city).

I would try and find another source of raw milk or just go back to whatever you were drinking before.