Possibly lactose intolerant?

[CardyMow]

DS3 is 10mo, and has been BF. Last night, he had his first bottle of formula, as I HAD to go out, and I hadn't had time to express the 9/10 oz of BM that he takes when expressed...I have a thread Here.

I have a MASSIVE family history of allergies. I'll start with DS3's siblings: DD is allergic to kiwi and pineapple. DS1 is gluten-intolerant, and also allergic to latex, tomatoes, penicillin and amoxycillin (forgot to add those on the other thread). DS2 is allergic to kiwi, pineapple and latex.

I am allergic to: penicillin, amoxycillin, erythmoricin, clarythmoricin, certain preservatives, tannins (i.e. no red wine, no kidney beans, no tea), certain binders used in medications (now that one's a BASTARD when you have epilepsy...), saccharine, aspartame, and lots of others too...

DS3's dad is lactose intolerant, and hasn't eaten any dairy since he was about 16yo.

Given the fact that he refuses most dairy FOODS, won't eat pasta with a cheese sauce etc, and the results when he was given his first FF, and given the fact that as I have been cutting dairy out of my own diet (BF) since he was 8wo, as the BF lady thought it was making his excema worse (and it HAS improved since I did)...

Does it sound likely that DS3 might me either lactose intolerant or dairy allergic? Because if so, I might have to go and sit in the corner and cry, as there will probably not be ONE meal I could cook that both he AND DS1 could eat.

OK first off have a hug.

Dairy alergy is very very rare and would have made baby very ill (rush to hospital type ill)

OK so let's assume your baby is lactose intolerant, well so is most of the rest of the world, most asian/chinese people are lactose intolerant and they seem to live just fine.
You can either add lacctose digesting enzymes to food or cut out lactose.

BTW most cheese does not have lactose, it disappears during the cheese making process.

Any sudden change in food can cause a reaction, if you have exclusively breast fed and then suddenly presented formula it could be just the change.

try a small formula feed along side BM.

OK food for all children, curry and rice? Vegibake? Pasta with a sauce made from soya milk, corn flour and a little cheese (or add enzymes? Burgers and chips? Salad?

BTW on your own alergies, any med ending with cillin or cin is a form of penicillin.

um, dairy allergy is quite common actually!

And it is not always the case that you would have to rush to hospital, but have moderate symptoms. I would think, OP that it would be an idea to visit your GP and ask for a referral to a specialist who can test for CMP protein allergy (as I think this is what you are asking, rather than intolerance?) Given that you have a strong family history of allergies, this shouldn't be too difficult...Are your other children already under a consultant? It might be worth asking them.

For what it is (anecdotally) worth, my DD (multiple, severe allergies) would refuse food at weaning that she subsequently was found to be allergic to...

GP referred now, but 6mo wait here right now. Which is better than the 15 months we had to wait for DS1 before. GP isn't allowed to prescribe any substitute milk for DS3 until DS3 has been seen and 'officially' dxd lactose intolerant / CMP allergic. He told me to go and BUY some nutrimagen. On going to the pharmacy - I discovered that 1) I can't use my milk tokens on it (am on IS as a Lone Parent), and 2) It is £13.50 for a tiny tin.

GF food is expensive enough FFS. I shan't be giving up bf any time soon! I'm thankful that it's only for the occasional feed - though I have been warned by a friend whose DC have CMP allergy that it tastes like the devil's vomit and I should mix it with expressed milk or even cocoa powder to start with or he won't touch it?!

Hi HuntyCat firstly, don't panic. I know how difficult it is living with kids with multiple allergies (DD is coeliac so no gluten and DS allergic to milk, wheat, eggs, nuts) but it is doable I promise. This does sound like it could be milk allergy and I think you need to discuss it with your GP. Try to get a referral if you can (not always easy but worth the fight). I would also ask the GP to prescribe a hypoallergenic formula such as Nutramigen if you are thinking about weaning from BF although it will probably take a while to get your little one to drink it as it tastes pretty yucky. Mixing small amounts with BM then gradually increasing the quantities is usually the best way. I wouldn't recommend soya or rice milk but oat milk should be ok on cereal etc. If you can stick with BF and no diary in your diet then that would be great but I do understand that this isn't always possible.

HuntyCat - I have some tins of neocate going spare if you want them.

GP told me to buy Nutramigen. Flipping expensive! . One of my RL friends has actually given me some unopened tins today too, both her dc have CMP allergy, but are both over 5yo now, so have other dairy substitutes?! Well, they are in date, unopened and free, so not worried!!

Now to start the indeterminate length wait to see the Consultant. Bah!

Thats good news on the free tins

Hope he will take it, as others have said I would mix it first with BM and gradually reduce the BM iyswim.

Yes, definitely sounds more like cow's milk protein allergy than lactose intolerance. You can read about lactose intolerance in bf babies on Kellymom. If it was LI, he'd be reacting to your bm all the time, I think.

About 60% of children with CMPI are allergic to soya too IIRC so it might be worth steering clear of that if you can. Unfortunately it's in bread and loads of other things too.

Rice milk isn't recommended for the under ?2s (I think) due to levels of arsenic. You could use oat milk in cooking (it goes well in porridge).

Sounds just like CMP allergy.

It really shouldn't be a 6 months wait to see someone, 18 week max wait to treatment so kick up a fuss or see if you can go elsewhere or if your GP can prescribe appropriate formula.

I second the advice to avoid soya protein and to try to continue to exclude CMP and soya from your own diet.