Rather reluctantly I have decide to try an elimination diet is is best to start with Gluten and Lactose free diets?

[Overrun]

I have a variety of pretty horrible chronic symptoms which has persuaded me that I should at least try to change my diet, to see if it helps.
I have lots of symptoms that really fit Gluten intolerance, and quite a few that fit Lacotse intolerance. There is a history of Gluten intolerance and Lactose intolerance in our family, and I was diagnosed as being allergic to Dairy products when I was diagnosed with Asthma at the age of 6.
Does it make more sense to to eradicate Lactose and Gluten and then slowly reintroduce as a way of establishing which affects me? This seems a bit hard core for me. Maybe I should just concentrate on one thing at a time as this will be difficult enough?
Please advise.

Try both for just a week, two if you can, it sounds hardcore but it may just be sensitivity which can ease after giving your body a break from all dairy and gluten ( i avoided all yeast too which made a difference )

you could try making a list of what you CAN eat to cheer your selfup...

you may find you can eat what you want after a little break from clogging foods...

Have you been tested for Coeliac Disease. It is hereditary, so if there is history in your family it could be that. There is a blood test you can have initially. Some GPs are reluctant to do them. My understanding is that they are sent to different labs from usual blood tests and the results do take several weeks. You can buy a blood test (biocard) which is supposed to be very accurate, so you could try that, then if it shows a positive you can take it straight to the GP and ask for a referral. If you decide to embark on the elimination diet yourself then take care to make sure that all gluten is eliminated because it turns up in the most unexpected things! Also having eliminated gluten it will make any future tests you choose to have inaccurate.

Thanks for your thoughts, nigeltuffnell do you think a week or two would be sufficient to work out an intolerance?
GrinnyPig where can you buy these biocard blood tests from, and are they expensive? Perhaps that might be worth doing.
It's a whole new area for me, and at the moment it seems a bit daunting.
I wonder if I should just start with eliminating wheat as that would be easier.

First ask your gp for a blood test for coeliac as it won't work if you've stopped eating foods containing gluten. Only after that should you try eliminating something. Both at once would be best then reintroduce dairy as if you are coeliac you can have secondary lactose intolerance that clears up after omitting gluten. You'd need at least 2 weeks on the diet.

If you think you would find the diet too hard try Peptizyde digestive enzymes. They help with both wheat and lactose intolerance. If you improve on those you then have an incentive to try the diet.

0verrun - I was tested for coeliac but came up negative but went on a GF/LF diet out of desperatin.Had many similar symptoms to you. Felt 100% better instantly and lost 10 kg in 6 months.

If I go back to any gluten or lactose contaning product now I feel really awful. I do not care what the tests say I feel brill. Sainsburys do a a range of GG/LF products to try if you are just starting out and do not want to faf about in health food shops. See how you go for a couple of weeks. It can do no harm.

However, if you are going to have the tests at the GP do not go on the diet first. You have to do the tests then go GF/LF afterwards.