I have had a bit of a roller-coaster ride with lactose.
I always used to feel sick – it was just the norm. I had to push myself through nausea to get anything done. Somehow, though, you get used to it.
After being diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2012, I realised I was reacting to lactose as well as gluten. I felt really sick in the mornings, from milk on my cereal, and then noticed it eating yoghurts and chocolate.
I was aware this could happen after being newly diagnosed with coeliac disease, as the lining of the gut could be damaged and could therefore cause problems with the production of the enzyme (lactase) which is required to break down/digest lactose. So I was hoping that was the case with me.
I was advised by my GP (who weirdly also has lactose intolerance and coeliac disease) to cut lactose out completely for two weeks and then reintroduce it to see if there was a problem. I did that and, unfortunately, when I introduced milk, it wasn’t good. The dietitians had faith that I would tolerate it again in a few months or so. I did a lot of reading and learnt there is less lactose in hard cheese and butter than there is in cream and milk so I was hanging on to them for dear life.
Initially I lovingly kept butter and cheese in my diet – they did not make me feel bad. This all changed on a birthday meal out in York. It was only then I realised how bad my intolerance had become.
I was still getting used to living gluten free so did not dare tackle the lactose issue, too, at a posh restaurant. I tucked into the risotto they made me, but started to feel really sick half way through the meal.
I left the rest (and the wine) and left without pudding or anything. We planned to walk back to the hotel so I thought that might help. But my stomach felt really painful all the way back, even causing me to cry out at times. And a lot of people can support the fact I am quite a hard cow as far as pain goes.
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Once I cut lactose out and transferred to lactose-free products, all was well. I have accidentally had it about five times and it makes me feel rough and bloated but never as extreme as my York night out. The dietitian said there was no point attempting to reintroduce it as it was blatantly obvious I was reacting to very small amounts. I couldn’t even tolerate the trace amounts in the folic acid tablets I was taking when planning our second baby.
Anyway, I had lactose-free products by my side at all times (well, lactose-free UHT milk in my bag at all times) so cooking and baking was not a problem.
Over the last few weeks, though, I have noticed a lot of bloating again and nausea. So I thought it might be wise to stop the lactose-free products for a fortnight to see what happened. I didn’t think it had made much difference. So I bought in the usual three cartons of milk for the week and some cheese… but started to feel sick after my cereal again. Groan! Nooooo! Please… don’t take the cheese away from me!
Over the past few weeks it has got worse and worse, just like before, to the extent that even sharing a single portion of the milk with a colleague made me feel really sick and I had to leave it.
I thought the cheese would be okay and had a little bit on a pizza (of which my mini-coeliacs ate half) but I started to have severe stomach cramps and, again, was on and off the toilet until 2am. I just can’t believe it is due to lactose-free products, though.
What has happened to me now? Is it actually milk I am intolerant to? Or is there a trace of lactose in the products? I know some manufacturers report that their cheese or natural yoghurt contain trace amounts of lactose, but of such a small amount that they can declare it is lactose free. In Spain these products are often classed as ‘low lactose.’ But am I that sensitive? Who knows.
I am going to try the cheese again in a smaller quantity as, combined with everything else I have to cut out (I’m gluten free AND low FODMAP), giving that up would be tough.
Fingers crossed. The first thing on my list is to contact the manufacturers of the products I am using and ask them if they have changed any ingredients (this can often happen as they update recipes slightly). I’ll let you know the outcome. I know it is a long shot, though. I would be interested to hear if anyone else has had this problem.
By Karen Woodford – newly diagnosed lactose-free cheese addict