Discovering that dd is lactose intolerant...

[pinkmomagain]

After years of no problems, now my 5 yo is apparently becoming lactose intolerant. She's been complaining of stomach pain after drinking chocolate milk and eating yogurt. She seems fine when I make her choc milk with lactaid milk. But yogurt has always been a staple for her.

Has anyone successfully given their young child a lactaid chewable with their dairy? Not sure how that is going to fly.

[amldaley]

Before trying that, I would get her in to her Doctor for a consult. Could be lactose intolerance, sensitivity to milk proteins, or a true milk allergy.

[BabyBearsMom]

Before trying that, I would get her in to her Doctor for a consult. Could be lactose intolerance, sensitivity to milk proteins, or a true milk allergy.

:yeahthat: Also, I am lactose intolerant but I can eat yogurt. My doctor says that the cultures in the yogurt help break down the lactose making it easier for LI folks to digest. Lactaid makes a lot of other dairy products (I think they may make a yogurt) but they are harder to find.

[HIU8]

I am lactose intolerant. I have been since I was a young child. I did eat the chewables with my dairy (b/c if I didn't it was not a good scene). I would take your DD to the doctor to just make sure it's lactose intolerance and not something else. I know, for me, I can eat yogurt with live cultures and be ok. I cannot do ice cream or other types of yogurt or a glass of milk without getting severly sick. There are some cooked dairy foods that I can tolerate and some I can't. That part is going to be trial and error and some foods will elicit more of a reaction than others.

[mytwosons]

Yes, DS1 takes a chewable lactaid before any dairy. It isn't a big deal in our house. He doesn't want a stomach ache, so that is his motivation.

[robinsmommy]

I would also go to the Dr first to see what the issue really is.

Both DD's have what we've always thought was lactose intolerance, but I kinda wonder....lactaid doesn't seem to help them. Lactaid milk is about as undrinkable as regular milk. They can handle butter and a small amount of hard cheese, and that is it. Any other dairy, including yogurt, and they've got the bloated bellies, tummy ache and runs.

[pinkmomagain]

Thanks for the feedback. She seems to do fine with cheese sticks, parm cheese, and I haven't heard any complaints after ice cream yet.

DD1 has been tested and she is LI (although she eats dairy anyways). And I am LI intolerant to some things (more than a little milk, yogurts, softserve icecream)...just through trial and error.

She has her annual check up in October, so I will definately bring it up with her ped then. DD1 has Ulcerative Colitis so, unfortunately, we are all too familiar with ped GI. In fact, she has an appt in a couple of weeks and I think I'll bring it up DD3's issues with him and see what he has to say.

Good to hear feedback about the chewable Lactaid. DD3 is so against any type of medication, I'm skeptical she'd take it. But I think I've also read that higher fat dairy has lower lactose, so I'm thinking maybe I should try some full fat products and see if she feels differently?

[ShanaMama]

Interestingly, DD1 always gets a stomachache after drinking chocolate milk & I do pretty often as well. Neither of us has any issues with other dairy. I wonder if the combo of chocolate & milk is harsher on the stomach.
I can't speak to the other issues, but I'd eliminate chocolate milk for awhile. Can she tolerate straight milk?