anyone do elimination of dairy for suspected sensitivity?

[lmh2402]

i had a consult with a nutritionist on thurs who seems extremely knowledgeable in kids and especially kids with sensory issues. her read of DS' history as i wrote it is that he has long exhibited signs of dairy sensitivity and that a first, must-do is an 8 week elimination of dairy with the exception of one serving per day.

she is suggesting a milk-alternative recipe that she provided that combined almond milk, canned coconut milk and a specific protein powder product. i am not hopeful DS will drink it. and i'm not sure i want him to drink it - read some not so great things about canned coconut milk and BPA, etc.

in the event he doesn't drink it, she's reco'ing a calcium supplement.

but i'm not sure about the protein and fat - guessing i just make sure gets that from other things in his diet... but like what? he won't eat avocado. he is "eh" about PB. definitely won't eat any other nut butters. and how much hummus can i really try to make him eat, before he starts rejecting that too?

anyway, if you've done an elimination with your DC b/c of suspected dairy sensitivity...what did you observe upon cutting it? how difficult was it for DC and for you? did you stay off dairy permanently? are you still off it? did you, by any chance, notice any improvement or change in behavior?

anything else you can tell me, that i'm not thinking to ask?

thanks

[chlobo]

Why is she allowing one serving of dairy a day? I would think you'd want to eliminate it altogether.

We actually eliminated dairy with my daughter b/c she had fluid in her ears. After we eliminated it (totally) the fluid went away).

Do your son eat any meats? They are good sources of fat. Also, you can try cooking things in bacon fat to boost the fat content. I have found that my very picky son will eat toast with jelly and I put liberal amounts of coconut oil on the bread instead of butter. If he likes smoothies you can also add coconut milk or oil to the smoothie. Or you could blend avocado into the smoothie. Also, if he likes any veggies, you can add coconut milk instead of butter.

[lmh2402]

Why is she allowing one serving of dairy a day? I would think you'd want to eliminate it altogether.

yeah, this is a little strange...right? i'm not 100% sure. i know one of the reasons is b/c one of the supplements she is suggesting we add, according to her, "tastes awful." and it supposedly hides well in yogurt. so she is suggesting that we continue giving him a bit of yogurt each morning, with this supplement mixed in.

i'm not sure if i'm loving the idea of giving coconut milk based on some of what read in this article: http://chriskresser.com/3-reasons-why-coconut-milk-may-not-be-your-friend

he won't drink smoothies...at all...i've tried. he does like meat though. and we definitely eat meat, but i usually don't cook meat more than a few times a week b/c i was thinking it was "healthier" to have bean-based meals too. he's not really a fan of fish...but i could try upping that in our diet.

thanks for your thoughts!

[chlobo]

There are different yogurt options. There is coconut milk yogurt and soy milk yogurt. I still think its really bizarre to allow any dairy. Even a little can cause detrimental effects. I'd think you'd want a clear answer one way or another and having "just a little" would muddy the waters.

You might want to poke around of Chris' website some more. He has information on other aspects of diet. Maybe he has something constructive to say about getting more fat into the diet?

[pinkmomagain]

I also think it's strange that she is suggesting a daily serving of dairy during this elimination trial. Doesn't add up to me.

What about OJ fortified with calcium to help supplement?
I agree with the previous poster about looking to coconut oil, avocado, and bacon fat for fat sources.
Protein from meat and eggs would be my go-to.
You mentioned he doesn't like nut butters...not the most healthiest choice, but Nutella is something he might like.
Also, I know that Tofutti makes a pretty decent creamcheese substitute...that might work well on a bagel or in a sandwich.

[Indianamom2]

I think this smells fishy...

I had to totally eliminate dairy when Ds was a baby (first 7-8 months of his life I nursed). Any...even a partial serving...dairy upset his tummy and caused hours of screaming. A single piece of cheese on my part wreaked havoc in him and that wasn't even him directly ingesting the dairy himself, just through my breastmilk.

If you want a true elimination trial, you need at least 3 weeks and zero dairy and dairy products like whey, casein, etc..

[AustenFan]

Yeah, had to eliminate dairy completely while nursing my first two, and just a little cheese or ice cream was enough to cause huge reactions in both. Our pediatrician told me to totally eliminate all forms of dairy for a full two weeks before we could tell any effects. I mean, I started making my own bread because most storebought breads seem to have whey or casein in them. If your DC has a protein allergy, I'd think a serving a day would negate the elimination part of an elimination diet, right?

DS was 2 months when we figured it out, and his eczema and watery stools were completely cleared up when I went off dairy. He started getting a rash again when we reintroduced milk at a year, and he was clear when we tested a little after age 2. He's fine with dairy now. DD had bloody/mucusy diapers until we eliminated but outgrew it by a year. Both were extremely fussy and screamed randomly whenever I cheated and had dairy, but they were babies at the time. I could totally see that abdominal discomfort causing an older child to act out or generally be cranky and disagreeable.

The hardest thing about eliminating dairy was getting rid of cheese. Our whole family had to make the change, and it was hard until I got enough dairy-free recipes in my repertory. There were many helpful threads here in the what's cooking section that got me going. It was hardest for me because i love dairy, but the kids hardly seemed to notice what they were missing. Even though both kids have been cleared, we definitely eat a lot less dairy now than we did before. I never drink milk anymore (just lost the taste for it after having to be off it for two years), and we have a lot of good dairy-free meals that we enjoy. And I still make our (dairy-free) homemade bread because we like it so much. So I find it very easy to accommodate friends with dairy restrictions now--it has been a lifestyle change for us.

DS didn't outgrow his milk protein allergy until 2, and he drank rice milk from 1-2. It's lower in fat than cow or breast milk, so I used a lot of olive oil, avocados, sunflower seed butter, and coconut milk (and oil) to up his fat intake. I personally have no problem with canned coconut milk (DS' absolute favorite meal is cashew chicken curry with coconut milk), and I think that coconut yogurt and ice cream definitely made the elimination easier on everyone with the second kid. We ate a lot of chicken and beans for protein.

You can definitely drive yourself crazy trying to figure this all out, right? A lot of the FA mommas here have tons of resources and ideas and encouragement if it turns out you have to do this for the long haul. :hug:

[MommyAllison]

I thought I saw a boxed coconut milk at TJs recently, but am not positive on that.

[goldenpig]

DS is allergic to dairy (caused silent reflux and rashes) so he and I are both on dairy-free diets (because he's still nursing). I agree, seems like if you're going to eliminate dairy you have to do it all the way! And read all the labels for things like whey, casein, etc. Even some soy cheeses have casein in them! And a lot of breads have milk in them. If it says "contains milk" you shouldn't have it. Whenever I cheat even a little (usually by accident, but every once in a while I test to see if he's still allergic), he starts waking up in the middle of the night with reflux-like arching and gets a bad diaper and face rash. Even with a handful of chocolate covered raisins. And sorry, Nutella does have milk chocolate...:crying:

They do sell coconut milk in aseptic boxes and refrigerated cartons, even at our regular grocery store. We also serve him almond milk and soy milk. And there is soy and coconut milk yogurt. Earth Balance makes a great non-dairy butter. Galaxy (purple package) cheeses are non-dairy. There's even Soy Dream ice cream that tastes like regular ice cream. Good luck and hope it helps!

[elephantmeg]

I did a trial (and continued) of lactose free with DD and now do lactase etc with her. But this sounds really strange. She had bloating/diarrhea/stomach aches all the time and they are gone as long as I do the lactase with any dairy.

[pinkmomagain]

And sorry, Nutella does have milk chocolate...:crying:

Ack! Had no idea! Sorry for the suggestion, OP...didn't realize that! Thanks Goldenpig!

[amldaley]

Echoing the choir here that eliminating except one serving a day does not make sense. Both DD's ped and her allergist made it very clear that elimination must be TOTAL.

The 8 weeks is b/c it takes about 4 weeks to ensure that all traces are out of the out of the system (yes, it can take that long!) and then 4 weeks to start tracking the changes.

After that, you start adding dairy back in one serving a day and it matters what you add in and when. Typically, dairy in baked goods is added first - "cooked" dairy. Then yogurt, then cheeses, then straight milk. For alot of kids, the sensitivity is aggregate, so they can tolerate a little milk but not a lot, so adding in slowly helps track that.

In DD, with elimination, we noticed that the horrible sores around her eyes went away, diarrhea subsided, and her diaper rash and the pink ring on her bottom went away. She was also less congested.

If it were me, I would ask for a referral to an allergist, not a nutritionist.

Best of luck - it is not easy or fun but for us, it was really worth it.

ETA: you asked about changs in behavior...DD was much happier and more active. We had to do it twice. Once when I was nursing and then again at age 2 b/c the daycare REQUIRED that she drink milk unless I had a doctors note etc etc. As a baby, she had painful digestion...90 minutes after nursing she would SCREAM and I had to apply pressure to her belly. As a toddler, it was constant rash that even specially compounded med diaper cream had no effect on, Zyrtec had little effect, etc. Dairy sensitivity is painful.

[amldaley]

Some tips I got here for shopping included to look for "Vegan" on cheese products to ensure there was no dairy, including casein. When you see lactic acid as an ingredient, it should specify that it is a vegetable source.

Even lunch meat (deli meat) is cured with lactic acid so that was totally out for us.

We had to experiment with various soy, nut & grain milks to find one that DD would drink. Hemp milk was highly recommended but I could not find it anywhere until recently.

She eventually settled on the Organic Vanilla Soy from Costco (Kirkland brand).

Coconut milk is readily available in drinking carton size now in many grocery stores. I have to think that if we have it here, most people will have access to it.

Alternative yogurts can be expensive but I found it helped DD feel normal to eat foods other people were eating. Just be sure to read labels! The older brand of soy yogurt at TJ's used to contain dairy but the one we have seen lately does not.

I make "banana pudding" for DD with a quarter package of silken tofu, a banana, a scoop of ground flax seed and then whatever milk we have open (I usually have something in addition to soy, like coconut milk) in the blender. Then I chill it for at least 30 minutes (and hour does well) and DD LOVES IT.

Non-dairy foods take some getting used to - don't be surprised if it takes a couple of weeks for his pallette to adjust. Milk is naturally sweet, so non-dairy foods sometimes taste less sweet.

Search the boards (The Lounge, Kid Food & What's Cooking) for dairy allergy, FA dairy, etc as there are TONS of really helpful threads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[daisymommy]

FYI: I know you can get coconut milk in Tetra-Pack cartons, and they are BPA free. They look like those cartons that shelf-stable soy and almond milk come in, and are usually in the same area. I have a friend whose son is dairy intolerant who buys them all the time. I know places like Wegmans, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods carries them, for sure.

I *think* there is a brand that sells it in a can, with a BPA free lining as well.
ETA: Just looked it up, it's Native Forest brand.
In bulk if he likes it: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HTJ2BQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=marsdaiapp07-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001HTJ2BQ

Trader Joes light coconut milk comes in a BPA free can. Unfortunately it's "light", so reduced fat, but not sure by how much.

[lizzywednesday]

(Someone already mentioned Nutella is not dairy-free in the thread...)

[crl]

We eliminated dairy because ds was allergic to it. No behavioral changes observed (ds is special needs). I wouldn't even bother unless you eliminate it all, all the time, for a decent trial length.

I wouldn't worry too much about calcium and fat at first, you will find ways to get them worked back in and you don't have to get it perfectly right in the first week.

Catherine

[Clarity]

DD2 is allergic to dairy - diagnosed at 11 1/2 months. We kept her on soy formula for a bit, and I nursed her until she was nearly 2. Since then, she's ALWAYS drank So Delicious Coconut Milk and I've been happy to have the alternative. If not for the nut allergy, I also might be inclined to try Almond Milk as well.

I wouldn't even worry about calcium supplements - not for 8 weeks. We've never given one to dd2 and she's 3. DD does however, enjoy eating a lot of calcium rich foods like tofu, spinach, beans, broccoli and peas. We also use cheese substitutes for her and she gets a varity of soy and coconut yogurts.

I'd say if you think it might help, try it. You've talked about your son's severe behavioral challeges and if this is one thing that might help, I'd be all over it. Best of luck and I hope you find an answer!