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Children's health

Lactose free diet

48 replies

DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 05/03/2018 21:08

The GP has recommended we try our 1 year old on a lactose free diet for two weeks.

She had an infection as a newborn that requires IV antibiotics. She developed reflux after that and what we assumed was a transient secondary lactose intolerance.

Ever since, she's had multiple loose runny stools everyday. They often leak from her nappies. They're acidic and cause awful nappy rash.

I've raised this with my GP on numerous occasions, finally nursery wrote a note saying the amount and consistency was unusual and that's where we are now!

She's been lactose free for 5 days and her poos are runnier and worse than ever. She was crying in pain this morning as it was stinging so much. It was yellow and stank!

Is this normal? Any ideas what the hell is going on with her digestive system.

She's also had bronchiolitis for 5 months. Coughing every night and prescribed a ventolin inhaler... not sure if it's relevant or connected!!

Help!!

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DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 05/03/2018 21:37

Giving myself a little bump!

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dementedpixie · 05/03/2018 21:39

Could be dairy intolerance rather than lactose so may need to remove all dairy

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DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 05/03/2018 21:41

We've removed all dairy. I wasn't entirely sure on the different so have eliminated all dairy from her diet... why would it get worse though?

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dementedpixie · 05/03/2018 21:59

Lactose is the sugar and dairy intolerance relates to the cows milk protein. How long has she been dairy free? Could be unrelated to dairy as well so it's a bit of trial and error

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DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 05/03/2018 22:11

She's been dairy free for 4 days.

Nothing else has changed but her bowels are worse! Maybe it's just a coincidence!

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DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 05/03/2018 22:13

If it's not dairy related, could removing dairy make stools looser and smellier??

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dementedpixie · 05/03/2018 22:15

Have you being using dairy substitutes? Maybe she is also reacting to them. Soya can often cause problems

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cindersrella · 05/03/2018 22:17

Has she had a stool sample taken and tested?

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cindersrella · 05/03/2018 22:21

Is they think it is a dairy/lactose intolerance and you have removed it all from diet then nappies should have improved.

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DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 05/03/2018 22:21

She's been prescribed nutramigen which is soya... so it could be that?

Apart from that we've just eliminated dairy.

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DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 05/03/2018 22:24

I dropped a stool sample off last Thursday so I don't know when that'll come back.

I was expecting things to have improved! I didn't expect it to get worse. The poor thing was in pain this morning, her poo was stinging her so badly.

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dementedpixie · 05/03/2018 22:29

I don't think nutramigen is soya based. Is it not cows milk with the proteins broken down so they are not likely to cause a reaction? Maybe you need to try a different milk that is not cows milk based

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cindersrella · 05/03/2018 22:34

I wonder if it could be what doc has prescribed or the soya? My little one had and still has to a certain extent lactose, dairy and soya intolerance.

She is much better than she was.... she is now 3 but we had a terrible time with her.

A bout of gastroenteritis when she was 9 months old was the last straw and fortunately for us my MIL paid to go and see a private paediatrician to find out what was the matter with her. She had runny, smelly poo's from around 5 months old and I was fobbed off rotten by GP's (and mine are usually brilliant).

Two days later we were seeing him at the hospital in his NHS clinic for bloods and a stool sample. Unfortunately nothing came back apart from her iron was slightly low (possibly from all the throwing up). As soon as she had had tests done it was dairy/lactose free diet and she improved within a few days.

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cindersrella · 05/03/2018 22:44

Dairy/lactose intolerance/allergies do not always show up in bloods or stool samples unfortunately

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DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 05/03/2018 22:47

So try a soya based milk? Or goats milk formula? Or just the lactose free formula?

We've been saying she's just a pooey baby to reassure ourselves for so long now but nursery are also concerned and they're pretty experienced with the nappy contents business. It can't be good for her.

I think that because she hasn't improved after 4 days it can't be diary or lactose. The GP insists we do two weeks but if each poo is going to sting her it seems barbaric!

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DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 05/03/2018 22:50

@cindersrella yes the GP said it's a matter of eliminating it from her diet to see if she improves because there's no test.

It took 5 visits to get the practice to listen to my concerns about her cough... they referred her for a chest x-ray which showed inflammation and prescribed a salbutamol/ventolin inhaler... I think he's sick of me

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dementedpixie · 05/03/2018 22:55

It could take a while for the old milk to get out of her system. Maybe give it a few more days and then go back to the gp to see what they suggest.

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FullLaundryBasket · 05/03/2018 23:22

As PP said, nutramigen is not soya. It is lactose free and contains cows milk but with the protein broken down. It is generally good for babies that are either lactose intolerant and/or have cows milk protein allergy.

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DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 05/03/2018 23:28

So if she's on that then she should have improved (or improved in another couple of days)... why is she getting worse?

Maybe it's coincidence and she's picked up a stomach bug but it's runny and acidic not like a stomach bug diarrhoea poo! If that makes sense.

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DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 05/03/2018 23:29

Could it be linked to her cough - swallowing mucous (clutches at straws) although her cough is no worse than usual!

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Ragusa · 05/03/2018 23:36

Are nursery following through with the absolutely no milk or milk products thing?
(including whey - hidden in loads of stuff)

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DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 05/03/2018 23:40

She's been off nursery since the GP said dairy/lactose free (the joys of snow) and only back today. I chatted to the manager this morning at drop off and she's already prepared a menu for her so it seems they're taking it very seriously.

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cindersrella · 06/03/2018 07:02

Are her poo's green at all? Does she seem to be dehydrated? How often is she having pooh? Is she teething at all?

My little one has oat milk as soya gives her eczema.

Animal protein is in cows milk, buffalo milk and goats milk. They all carry the same protein the dietician told me.

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dementedpixie · 06/03/2018 07:24

there is hidden milk in a lot of foods too. Have you been checking the labels?

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DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 06/03/2018 09:10

We've been checking labels and realised what a mine field it is... dairy in pesto!! All of my usual quick dinners are out of the window. It's so limiting.

She poos a minimum of 3 times a day (throughout the day.. never at nighttime) and often more than that. Her poo is often yellow and the awful ones yesterday were very yellow! She drinks plenty of water so I do worry she might be losing lots of fluid.

She's teething on and off at the minute but it doesn't seem to correlate to her bowel movements.

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