Husband suddenly can't tolerate dairy?

[WindyCityMom]

Has anyone heard of this?  The past couple of weeks, my husband has suddenly been unable to tolerate dairy products.  First it was just straight milk in larger quantities (beverage form, cereal, etc) that gave him problems- small amounts of cheese and cream etc. were fine.  It has progressed now and he can't tolerate cheese on a sandwich.  

Advice?  Is his body just rebelling, or could it be a true allergy?  What are the steps we take from here (he's pretty freaked out about it)?

He's overweight ("obese" by BMI standards but he's generally a husky bigger-boned guy) and has psoriasis.  That's it.  Nothing else is or has ever been wrong with him.  He doesn't want to drink Lactaid all his life  though he does enjoy almondmilk.

Advice?  Commiseration?

[scsigrl]

What does "Can't tolerate" mean?  Tummy issues? BM issues? That would be an intolerance most likely.  A true (IgE) allergy is the kind that is associated with anaphylactic shock which is not what it sounds like. 

Lactaid pills or drink and/or not drinking/eating dairy would be the answer. 

[pek64]

There are other dairy problems beside lactose intolerance and anaphylactic shock.

Yes, food allergies, or intolerances, can occur suddenly. My soy allergy/intolerance occurred overnight.

Your husband has my condolences! There are dairy allergy websites that can provide helpful information. Vegan recipes can help you learn about other milks. Be careful not to rely too much on soy, or he can becomes allergic/sensitive to soy just as quickly. If he reacts badly to dairy, regardless of what an allergy test says, avoiding dairy is the only sure way to prevent symptoms. I, personally, have dairy issues. If you would like more information, please pm me.

[Bokonon]

Yeah, lactose intolerance can pop up in adulthood.  I was lactose intolerant starting at around age 18 and then realized I wasn't anymore around age 28.  It's no fun.

If his issues are digestive (and it's an intolerance to lactose vs. an allergy to dairy proteins), he can take Lactaid pills before he eats or drinks something with lactose.  My son is lactose intolerant and is really good about remembering to take Lactaid before eating dairy.  

[pek64]

Originally Posted by Bokonon 

Yeah, lactose intolerance can pop up in adulthood.  I was lactose intolerant starting at around age 18 and then realized I wasn't anymore around age 28.  It's no fun.

If his issues are digestive (and it's an intolerance to lactose vs. an allergy to dairy proteins), he can take Lactaid pills before he eats or drinks something with lactose.  My son is lactose intolerant and is really good about remembering to take Lactaid before eating dairy.  

What happened when you were 28? You had no more problems with dairy? Any new health issues?

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by pek64 


What happened when you were 28? You had no more problems with dairy? Any new health issues?

Nothing happened - I just tried it without Lactaid and found I was fine.  I had tried that sporadically over the prior years and always got a terrible upset stomach.  No new health issues - this happened before my first pregnancy even.

[pek64]

Well, I'm glad your condition improved! Mine only ever got worse. Oh, well.

OP, please keep us posted as to what happens next. There was a case where a child had problems with dairy for about a month after taking antibiotics, then returned to normal. Has your husband been ill lately?

[motherhendoula]

How old is your DH?  I have been Lactose Intolerant for about 13 yrs now...it took me a while - like a year or so to realize what was going on...but yes, it starts with milk and ice cream being off the list - then seems to progress to soft cheeses and finally cheddar and american were off the table ....i cant even cook with real butter...and yes, its for life.  Lactose Intolerance happens because your body starts to produce less Lactase (the enzyme which helps break down Lactose)  as we get older -this is normal -  the body actually begins to produce less of it at about age 6 - and produces less and less as we age. 

In my experience, if you overeat dairy routinely (i had a bowl of ice cream every single day from about the age of 5 to about the age of 29  - My Ex DH drank milk straight out of the two gallon jug - he went through 3 of those things a week ...he was lactose intolerant by 28 )    - if you overeat dairy routinely - this seems to speed up the process!  

Lactase Pills provide the enzyme that you are producing less of and - in my opinion - arent worth it - it seems to stop the debilitating diarrhea, but the gas was much worse - and so painful....the only thing that i can do is stay away from all dairy , all the time...and about once a month or so i can tolerate a piece of cheese on a burger or a few crackers and cheese.....i can even tolerate a few pieces of pizza - often, mozzerella is made with oil instead of milk - so like, cheap pizza is better tolerated than good pizza! 

I think there is a wide variety of 'normal' with this - as my Ex Dh is able to have milk in his coffee every day - its the only dairy he has, but still - i couldnt do that! 

There is a test that can be done- im not sure what it involves - other than a gastroenterologist.....

we use 'earth balance'   and hemp milk in place of  butter and milk  - for cooking mostly.   Its hard at first , but you get used to it - and the alternative is pretty yucky!

[ALM0612]

I noticed that you stated that you husband has psoriasis. So do I and it could be that his sudden dairy allergy could actually be brought on by a gluten intolerance. Often times gluten sensitivity issues can show up in the forms of other allergies. Also the fact that your DH has psoriasis leads me to believe that it could be gluten related.  Many doctors don;t acknowledge gluten issues beyond ceilac. Most traditional tests for celiac are inconclusive and can give false negatives.

I had my family all genetically tested for GS issues and we all came positive for the GS genes. My families whole issue with gluten has led me to become a Holistic Health Coach who specializes in gluten sensitivity that is hidden. I think you need to rule out Gluten issues with your DH, as this is becoming more common place today with the fact that our grains today are horribly genetically modified and contain more gluten than ever before.

[pek64]

I'd love to learn more about the gluten connection to dairy allergies. My brother has psoriasis. Various autoimmune problems run in my family. I've never considered gluten.

[Ragana]

Just sympathy here. The same thing happened to my DH (early 40s) in the same progression others mentioned - ice cream/milk, then cheese. He doesn't eat yogurt anymore either. He does OK with goat cheese. He has lactose intolerance, celiac, and gluten intolerance in his family, so we weren't super surprised, but it's no fun. He has not had the celiac test yet, but we haven't noticed an obvious gluten issue. Incidentally, he also developed seasonal allergies in his 30s.
 

[Ragana]

Originally Posted by pek64 

I'd love to learn more about the gluten connection to dairy allergies. My brother has psoriasis. Various autoimmune problems run in my family. I've never considered gluten.

If you look up a reputable site on celiac, there will be info on how some celiacs react to similarly to both gluten and casein. I think that's the connection.

[ALM0612]

PEK64 - If you or your family have any type of autoimmune disease then you really need to rule out the possibility of gluten sensitivity. Traditional tests though only test for Celiac and Celiac is only on autoimmune manifestation of gluten sensitivity.  The down side is that most doctors don't acknowledge gluten sensitivity outside of Celiac Disease. That is why I am becoming a Holistic Health Coach so I can help those whom traditional medicine overlooks regarding a persons diet.
 

[MamaBookworm]

I had a sudden onset of intolerance to both gluten and dairy. GI symptoms, as well as weight loss, chronic sinus and pain. I was tested for celiac (biopsy) and it was negative. Not sure if that's totally accurate, but I did some alternative healing treatments (mayan abdominal massage and acupuncture). I can now eat dairy, but just tried to reintroduce gluten and I still can't have that. I was totally healthy my whole life up to this sudden illness and never had any problems eating anything.

I think it came from a suppressed immune system. I was working f/t and had a young child who didn't sleep at night. Got really run down.