How long for effects of trigger foods to be felt?

[jenifera2]

I believe my 5.5 month old EBF daughter is sensitive to something, and I'm guessing milk (but she seems OK with cheese and yogurt). Last night for dinner I stupidly ordered an omelet with cheese and mushrooms. I also ate hash browns w/ketchup and rye toast w/butter and orange marmalade.

An hour or so later, and maybe 15-20 minutes after nursing, she started screaming inconsolably. I gave her gas drops and tried to see if anything was wrong anywhere externally on her body. I also gave her tylenol wondering if it was her teeth, and tried to comfort her the best I could.

She screamed for nearly an hour, then settled and started passing gas like crazy. She woke frequently (nearly hourly) all night with a lot of gas. This waking is a very common occurrence even though I usually try to avoid milk (but haven't been very thorough about hidden dairy).

She mega-pooped in the middle of the night. It was probably the most disgusting I've seen from her and had streaks of bright green running through it.

Could the milk proteins have bothered her so quickly after I ate dinner? And is there something else I ate that would be a likely culprit? I've never noticed a reaction to wheat, eggs, or anything else I ate, but I've also never seen her have this strong a reaction to anything in the past, so I'm not sure what's going on.

[scsigrl]

If you had cheese and butter, it could be the dairy. That is not out of the question time wise.  You also had a lot of egg which could also be it.  Those would be the first two things I would think it is.

I would keep a food log to start. It is possible that she is getting more sensitive with more and more exposure too.  

[jenifera2]

Based on past exposure, I think it's probably milk, but not cheese and butter. I don't think butter contains milk proteins since it is all fat solids, and cultured dairy just hasn't seemed to bother her before, but milk has. I was curious if a reaction that quickly made sense or if an earlier meal might be the issue, but you're right, it could be worsening with repeated exposure to milk.

[scsigrl]

It doesn't matter that it is the solid fats. Butter is not one of the things a person on a dairy free diet can eat.  Maybe it is a lactose intolerance but there is lactose in butter as well.

[kjbrown92]

butter doesn't have lactose. But the baby could be milk intolerant (to all parts of the milk) or dairy allergic (allergic to the protein). You could get her tested to determine which it is, though allergy tests are inaccurate under age 2. A food journal would be better. For my DS, he reacted to my milk 24 hours after I ate the offending food (milk) but it's different for everyone.

[scsigrl]

There is lactose in butter. It is a very small amount (very small) but if a person is super sensitive, they may react to it.

[jenifera2]

I've paid attention to her reactions and my food enough to believe it's milk (and anything made with non-cultured milk). I almost never eat butter so can't speak to that, but it's easy for me to avoid, so I will. I know that I have eaten butter in recent past with no effect, though.

For now I guess I'll assume that it could have bothered her so soon after I ate it unless it happens again when I haven't had milk.