Lactose Allergy VS Milk Allergy PLEASE HELP!

cortneydebaker

My son is 2 years old and started presenting signs of a milk allergy (very loose watery foul smelling bm's) in december. His doctor said to give him lactaid milk for a month then re-introduce regular milk and see if he has a response. It has almost been a month and now it seems he is starting to have the same exact reaction when drinking the lactaid milk. I feel so bad since milk is his favorite thing and he would drink it all day long if he could. I am going to call his doctor tomorrow morning but i would just like other peoples input if this has happened to their children or themselves. I do not know what to feed him anymore since his main diet choices are cheese and milk and yogurt and fruit. He refuses meat and will not eat soy yogurt or cheeses. I'd really appreciate some feedback. Thanks!

lrn327

Sorry to hear about your DS.  I do find it a little odd that a pedi would automatically suggest Lactaid right from the start in a child that's probably been drinking milk for a year already.  Lactose intolerance is just that while a true milk allergy is to one or more of the proteins in milk.  They're definitely quite different!  Not that you cannot develop a milk allergy (you can!) but it is not that common I don't think and kids generally tend to grow out of a milk allergy rather than in to it.  I'd push the pedi for a simple blood allergy test (Immunocap) that should pretty easily tell you if you're dealing with a true milk allergy.  If it is negative then you might try with a pedi gastroenterologist.  You might be dealing with something different that can't be solved by switching milks.  FWIW, my DS now has no problem with cheese and yogurt, only plain milk so maybe ease up on the milk until you can get some more answers.  All the best and keep us posted.

sapphiremom13

I agree with the PP. My DS has a severe dairy allergy, diagnosed at 4 months. From what I understand, it's highly unusual for a child older than 12 months to develop a dairy allergy. Trust me, that's a good thing for you.
Good luck!

britanyd

Just a different perspective... my DD was diagnosed with a milk allergy at age 5.  Yes it's rare to grow into an allergy, but it can happen.  Her allergy is not severe and pales in comparison to what many of the people on this board experience.

At any rate, I wouldn't rule out the milk allergy if your gut is telling you it's still a possibility.

MellyLuc

I was diagnoses with a lactose allergy at the age of 3. Back then in the late 80's, the doctor's believed that the child would out grow it. So my parent's never stopped feeding me milk products. Once I got a little bit older, my symptoms started getting worst. I was tested for lactose intolerance....and I failed the test horribly. So I was switched to everything lactose free. Then at the age of 25.....my allergies took a turn for the worst, and I have developed an allergy to casein. A cow's milk protein. The casein protein differs between species. Some people with this allergy can tolerate breast milk, and goat's milk without have a reaction, while others do not tolerate any. I cannot tolerate cow or goat milk. I would suggest doing a simple blood test to rule out lactose intolerance or an actual milk allergy! Good luck! 

MellyLuc

I would maybe try a soy milk as a substitute. To my surprise they actually taste great. Your child might prefer it because it does taste a little sweeter. Just an idea. If there is no reaction and symptoms go away...you would know it's definitely a milk allergy, not so much lactose intolerance......

cortneydebaker

Thank you everyone for responding. It was so nice to see so many responses. I am sorry i haven't had the time to update you. Here is what happened:

When i called my son's pediatrician i was told that maybe he just has a reaction to raw milk and to avoid giving him raw milk products. They told me macaroni and cheese or grilled cheese would be fine. I tried not to express my aggravation at this back and forth try this try that strategy because i love his pediatrician. So that weekend we were out to eat and I allowed him to have a grilled cheese, sure enough the following day he had the same reaction and didn't eat much at all (because his stomach hurt). I called his pediatrician and after having to wait for the nurse to speak with the doctors they finally said they would send him for a blood test (which by the way was a venous blood draw, i wish they would have warned me! My bambino twisted his arm and blew his vein) When the results came in the doctor called me and told me he had a level 1 milk allergy and a level 2 egg white allergy. She assured me these weren't very serious and that allergies range from 1-10 with 10 being the most allergic. She also said that i shouldn't go out of my way to avoid milk and egg whites and that my son may grow out of the allergy. 

 So at least i got my clarification as to if there was an allergy. I do not give my son any milk products anymore because i noticed that when he does have the occasional milk product he always has a reaction and then he doesn't eat well for a day or so. He has grown to love soy milk and almond milk. We buy daiya cheese style products for pizzas and macaroni and cheese. He also likes coconut milk ice cream. As for the egg white thing - I had a feeling he was allergic to eggs from an experience that happened when he was a year old (his pediatrician at the time told me he was to young to develop an allergy? lol) So i never gave him eggs after that.

 Thanks again!