For those who are lactose intolerance, I'm curious what your range of symptoms are and how they vary.
My boyfriend is self diagnosed lactose intolerant. He has good days and bad, and knows when his stomach won't "handle" dairy. He'll take lactaid, and that seems to help, avoids ice cream, regular milk, etc typically.
When he does have symptoms, his are that he reacts pretty immediately with a bout of digestive issues, sucha s diahrrea etc. And then its out of his system.
I on the other hand am unsure of what my digestive issue is. It does not seem directly related to dairy, and when occurs is an onset of diarrhea, for the rest of the day. At one point lasted a few days, every bowel movement was like this, and several in a day at times. Does sound like a normal reaction to being intolerant to dariy/lactose?
It's definitely possible it's lactoce intolerance if you're consuming lactose products...but since that's not the norm for you, it could be something else.
It's possible something you ingested (bacteria, virus...etc) from either food or off your hands (it's so easy to pick up stuff). Have you travelled to another country or area lately?
It's possible your boyfriend doesn't have lactose intolerance or has lactose intolerance plus something else and has passed it on to you. Do either of you have any bleeding? Are you under a lot of stress lately? Were you on antibiotics previously to all this happening? Do you get cramping during or before bms?
Are you consuming any sugar-free products? Do you have days when you're not having diarrhea? Are the diarrhea episodes increasing?
I can relate to the diarrhea bouts....I had constant diarrhea for alost 2 years and then it turned to bloody diarrhea. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.
If your boyfriend hasn't been checked out then I would suggest both of you have stool samples done...just to make sure it's nothing serious. There are many causes of diarrhea......from food intolerances, bowel disease, virus, bacteria, lactose intolerance to irritable bowel syndrome.
You might try adding metamucil smooth (not the sugar-free kind with aspartame) to your diet (1 - 3 times a day) which will thicken up the stool so that you're not going so many times.
You might also try looking into taking probiotics. They're the natural bacteria found in the gut to help keep the flora balanced and easier to fight off any "nasties".
I can feel for you....but ultimately, diarrhea can be frustrating to deal with, especially when you don't know the cause. Let us know the outcome.
Get better soon,
quincy
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Quincy,
Thanks for the input! No my boyfriend has struggled with his intolerance for the last 4 years consistently. It does improve with lactaid, which makes me think his self diagnosis is accurate.
My situation, however, I've had stool samples done, no parasites, no blood, and no fat. Had my thyroid checked. They recommended steering away from dairy, and seeing if that made a difference. As I tried that realizing it hadn't made much of a dent, I have tried eliminating gluten from my diet and things had been much improved except for yesterday.
Still in the process of elimating ideas with the doctors too, just have to wait for an appointment for a few more weeks. Hadnt thought of metamucil, I may give that a whirl.. !
Thanks!
The possibility of celiac disease could be negated by a test. That you can ask for. That's good you went through the stool tests, etc....(fun to do aren't they?) That's also a plus you don't have any mucous/fat in the stool.
For sure no artificial sweeteners?
That's good your boyfriend's diagnosis rings true.....and at least the lactaid helps. He must be VERY intolerant if he's going quickly after consuming milk products.
It could be IBS....? Maybe check out that board and you might get some help in food suggestions. As well, there's a diet some with UC and CD swear by...called the SCD. It does eliminate certain carbs...worth a try.
I also have read that one can have food tolerances/intolerances tested out. I don't know now that's done, but maybe check into that.
Another option is a naturopath.
ARe you on birth control pills, changing them, irregular periods? Sometimes the prostoglandins can affect bowel function.
The metamucil is a grain product...but you might get some relief from the diarrhea. As well, check into acidophilus with bifidus (and other probiotics).
Keep us posted, and I hope this is only temporary.
quincy
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It's all a matter of perspective!
Quincy,
Thanks for your input. Much appreciated! Its been an on going pain for about 3 months now. I'll be anxious to have them test for Celiac Disease, or anything else. I know we had discussed a colonoscopy, sigmodoscopy(sp), etc.,to rule out or discover other things.
No birth control, and no change in eating either. It just came out of the blue. To be honest, it has settled down until recently. A few more bouts or rounds of attacks. I'll let you know what I find out!
Thanks again,
Dana
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