Mama with an allergy to dairy

[Amys1st]

Hi Mamas

I need advice for this Mama. I have had a wierd rash on my skin for several months that would come and go. It was never irratating or anything so I would wash, exfoliate etc. My mil said it could be a reaction or a symptom of a dairy allergy. (she has a nutrition degree) Well low & behold shes right!

I switched to soy for my milk intake and wow what a difference. My skin all over has become baby soft, dry patches have cleared up, and a certain puffiness I have been carrying is disappearing. This is only about 2 weeks now too!

I have noticed though that when I eat cheese now, I seem to get an upset stomach. (we had pizza last night)
So now my question, is there any others allergic to dairy or have someone in your family?
What steps are you taken for subs (soy cheese etc) and what do you recommend?

[member]

My DP is lactose intolerant and I eschew a lot of dairy due to chronic sinus infections. Personally, I stay away from soy other than tofu and tempeh. We now use almond milk and DP uses rice cheese when he needs cheese. So far, so good. Both us don't have too much of a prob with goat or sheep milk dairy or small amounts of cow yogurt, but since you seem to have a true allergy you may want to leave it all alone. Best of luck, and congrats on the new soft skin.

[Siana]

My DP and I used to drink cows milk by the litre 2 years ago. Then one day we stopped and what a diference it made for both of us (very similar to the changes you experienced). Now we have soy milk, though in moderation (Soy as you probably know is also quite allergenic too). We use tofu occassionally (maybe twice a month), though tempeh is a much better soy product if you choose to eat these. We still have cheese and yogurt but again in moderation (just enough cheese on pizza to barely hold the toppings on; yogurt is a rare 'treat'). Basically any of these products in moderation (eat in smaller amounts and less frequently) I feel is fine for us.

All in all, it is very possible to eat no dairy and no imitation-dairy products and be perfectly healthy. In fact I think many imitation dairy products are so heavily processed that I don't think they very healthful at all.

[mpeel]

I have been dairy free off and on through my life. My girls are dairy and gluten free. I have not found a replacement cheese that is completely dairy free that is edible enough for me. (Very few are completely dairy free. Many have casienate in them.) I eat it in moderation. I have also heard that shredded yellow squash is a really good cheese replacement on pizza. I have also found that I HAVE to eat organic cheese or I get an upset tummy. I just get congested with organic cheese and do not do that in moderation. But, I get congested and upset tummy with small amounts of "commercial cheese".

[Missy]

Hi!

We haven't had any dairy even in the house for over a year, since we learned exactly how severe ds2's dairy allergy really is (he's ana on contact; a glass of spilled milk would be a nightmare). I haven't eaten any for over 2.5 years, since his allergy was first dxed. He's also allergic to soy, so we can't use that either. For baking, we use rice milk. For cheese--nothing. Rice cheese usually contains casein, so that's out for the truly milk allergic (I think it's okay for those with lactose intolerance, since it's not a protein issue). Over 90% of people with a dairy allergy are also allergic to goat's milk, so that's usually not a realistic sub. However, since your reactions weren't ana, you might want to trial a few goat's milk products, see if your body responds better to it.

Good luck!

Missy