Is anyone lactose intolerant and does it present like this?

[Thepharmacy]

I’ve had ‘IBS’ for a few years and have never really been able to pinpoint exactly what causes me issues. I kind of knew ice cream isn’t good, cereal and milk, cream all can give me a gippy stomach.

Rarely I’ve had the terrible experience that I’ve eaten something and within 30 minutes I’ll have a sharp or grumbly pain in the centre of my stomach, sudden feeling of bloat and then horrible diarrhoea which I cannot control, I literally get 5/10 seconds before it just pours out. As you can imagine I’ve been caught in some awful situations.

Today was one of those days 😱 I stupidly ate a large custard slice in work and about an hour later needed to use the loo. All ok, no problem but my stomach didn’t feel quite right. I got back to my desk and suddenly felt a pain and diarrhoea started without warning.

I managed to get myself down to the loo and thankfully I had the loo to myself so I could attempt a clean up and ditch my underwear.

Absolutely horrendous and I was shaking and panicking. So, does this now point to a lactose intolerance? Would it hit that quickly? I can eat some hard cheese, butter is ok but this hit me for 6 today. However, if it means I can narrow down what it is that does this to me I can avoid in future. Any help please?

It could be cows milk protein rather than lactose. Have you tried using lactose free products?

Yep, it can be. Especially if it's coupled with gluten intolerance/coeliac disease (lactose intolerance is a very common consequence of coeliac where the part of the system that produce lactase is destroyed by the gluten).

Or, as said, could be CMPA instead/as well as.

Or you just had a bug from a dodgy cream slice.

my ds is lactose intolerant and this sounds all too familiar.

Hard cheese and butter were not really a problem, but he has now cut all dairy from his diet and feels a lot better.

Okay thanks. So, I should go diary free and not just lactose free?
Is there cows milk protein in lactose free products? I have bought lactose free milk but the episodes are so unpredictable I can’t pin down what the issue actually is!

I'm mildly lactose intolerant and this all sounds very familiar, unfortunately.

I can tolerate butter, milk in coffee and small amounts of cheese and chocolate.

I believe I'm lactose intolerant. I grew up drinking lots of milk and always had a milky drink at bedtime. Around the age of 40 I noticed I was waking early in the morning and needing to dash to the loo. Felt fine after, but started cutting out dairy and it improved. I can tolerate it in small amounts, but I still get caught out sometimes in the early hours if I've eaten cheese the night before.

This is interesting, my mornings are often worse. I’ve definitely improved since cutting down cups of tea to only 1 or two a day. Today has shocked me though, I’ve been fairly ok for a good while. I’ve had this happen to me twice right after eating out and a couple of times in work.
It’s so upsetting when it happens and I live terrified it’ll happen without warning.

lactose tolerant here too.

I started with it in my mid 20. If i eat anything with lactose it goes through me within the hour.

You can get tablets from Holland snd barret so you can then eat dairy as normal. Ive taken them for years.

DH is lactose intolerant and takes lactase enzyme tablets from Holland and Barrett with lactose containing foods. He says it helps but only if you're eating small quantities. Also there are several brands and for some reason he gets on with one brand better than the others.

If its a dairy product with the lactose removed (lactose is the sugar) then the protein will still be there. If its a non dairy product then it won't have the protein or the lactose (watch out for added lactose)

My ds used to take the Holland and barrattt tablets but found it easier to just go dairy free. He does eat lactose free cheese though.