Dairy Free

MissMuppet · Dairy Free

From next week I'm going to try going dairy free for a few weeks to see if it helps my latest attack of IBS... I have been looking online but what I need is a list of all the things I can't eat. So far I have:

Milk
Cream
Cheese
Butter
Yoghurt

Any help would be gratefully received?

Nannyp

Chocolate
Look for lactose added to ingredients for cakes, bread, biscuits etc.

dingsy

I've been dairy free for a few years, and feel so much better for it. I use soya milk (which I prefer-shudder now if I go near cow's milk). I can manage small amounts of hard cheese but have to avoid softer varieties.

If you find going dairy free helps, then it would be worth experimenting a bit. Buy lactase tablets, which counteract the lactose, thereby enabling you to eat small amounts of dairy. It's all trial and error, and you will miss many foodstuffs. But it's a small price to pay. There is dairy free icecream-Swedish glace-which is surprisingly tasty, so there are alternatives. I don't use the soya yogurts though-don't like them at all!

MissMuppet

I'm not sure whether to start soon or wait till I see the doctor again in a few weeks... maybe I'll just change my milk for the time being as I do have quite a bit with cereal.

Oh I don't know what to do now...

dingsy

Why delay? If you feel that this is a potential trigger-do something about it-you're unwell a lot of the time, so getting to the root of it all as quickly as possible makes sense.
Within 36 hours of omitting dairy I felt better-it was like flicking a switch. Nothing would tempt me back to using dairy produce on a big scale. By using lactase, I can succesfully eat choc and cheese occasionally. But, I would rather never have them again, than put up with the damage they were causing me. Keep in mind too, that the longer ibs continues, the greater the chance of it permanently weakening your bowel-and that could be nasty.

MissMuppet

I'm not sure it is a trigger Elaine... I'm just clutching at straws to be honest.

I've decided to see how the next couple of weeks go as the tablets the doctor gave me might make a difference in that time. I don't want to eliminate something now just in case the tablets are working... and I've eliminated something I needn't have done.

I have bought some soya milk through, sweetened and unsweetened to see which I prefer in preparation for what might be...

dingsy

Good luck with it, if you do try. As I said, the transformation can be virtually instantaneous. My body now has a built in warning mechanism which steers me away from wheat and dairy. Knowing just how wretched it can make me feel, it's no sacrifice to do without, believe me! What has your g.p. prescribed (sorry-don't feel you need to answer if I'm being too nosey, q19

)

MissMuppet

At the moment it's Colofac which I have had before... to be honest I don't know if it's working but he wants me to continue with it. When I run out I have to go back and have more blood tests, at that point I'll speak to him about eliminating things from my diet.

dingsy

To be honest, all that'll do is (possibly) relieve the symptoms. It won't get you to the root of the problem. It's only when you've identified and eliminated the triggers, that you'll get any long lasting relief. Sorry to be so disheartening, q17

arlyn9391 · Re: Dairy Free

lauzc

Jo - I went a saw a local Kinesiologist to do a allergy test about a year ago as my skin started to get really bad with excema, which I have never really had before, even though I have struggled with full fat dairy for many years.

The Kinesiologist found I had an allergy to milk and wheat, but only very low level. For 2 weeks I had to remove all dairy and wheat from my diet, and then slowly re-introduce things. She says it common for your body to get to an "overload" point of one or more things and just needs a break to re-balance its self. I now alternate between soya and normal semi skimmed milk and same with cheese and yogurt - alternate with goats and dairy, and I find that works for me. I don't eat white bread really at all, and stick with nutty/seed/wholewheat breads where I can.

I actually really enjoy Soya milk now and think soya cappuccinos taste great - a bit of a nutty flavor. However, I agree with Elaine on the soya yogurts - they are foul!

MissMuppet

Thanks Laura...

It seems the antibiotics and the co-codamol have worked... I feel much more normal now! Will see how I am when I've completely finished... It looks like it may have been the leftover of the bug I had creating havoc with my IBS.

Dairy Free

Re: Dairy Free