AIBU to cut out diary without speaking to the GP first

[Maggie178]

My son had a bout of diaherra and vomiting a couple of weeks ago. Since then every few days he gets stomach cramps, diaherra and some vomiting. Between these episodes he's up running about and not generally unwell. I've been trying to get an appointment with the GP but seem to be getting no where. I've started keeping a food diary. Thinking of cutting out diary and seeing how he gets on or should I keep pushing and get him a GP appointment before I do anything?

How old is he?
Are you confident in how to make sure he gets enough calcium, vitamin D and iodine?

5
Not really but I figured I could research it.

I would, it's not going to cause any harm in the shorter term. It's not uncommon for people to get shorter term dairy intolerance after a bad big. Do try to reintroduce after a while though, no. Dairy milks don't have the same vitamin or calories at all.

Yes I’d cut it out to see what difference it makes. For sure

then maybe reintroduce the lactose free dairy milk (lacto by Arla) and see what happens

I would, and have for one of mine. There are so many vegan alternatives now it is much easier than it was.
My dd suffers after stomach bugs, we cut all dairy out for two weeks and then reintroduce slowly and it always seems to work.

*non dairy milks

It always makes me laugh when I read 'don't change anything in your diet before speaking to your GP' or similar. As if GPs are bothered or have time to deal with everyone who wants to change their diet! I would bet that what they would suggest is to cut something out (eg dairy) one at a time and make a diary then come back.

Go for it!

Go for it. It's very common for a stomach bug to make kids temporarily intolerant of dairy. Cows' milk is not a necessary component of diet.

GP will probably just advise to try cutting things out one at a time to work out what is causing the issue anyway. If it is milk you can try the lactose free options and see if its actually a dairy issue or a lactose issue

If it has only been a couple of weeks since he was I'll, I would give it's bit longer before making any changes.

some non dairy milks are fortified with iodine and most are fortified with calcium. everyone should be taking a vitamin D supplement anyway.

the non dairy milks we use that are fortified with iodine and higher in fat than most are:
Oatly barista
Oatly whole
Alpro whole

SR nutrition on Instagram (and I think she has a website too) has a good article / advice on non dairy milks.

It's common with tummy bugs. It's usually temporary lactose intolerance rather than full on dairy.

So you could try lactose free products first and see if that helps.

It's very common to be lactose intolerant for a few weeks after a stomach bug.

I am sure your GP will not be the slightest bit interested if you cut out dairy from your son's life for a couple of months.

There's calcium, iodine and vitamin D in plant milk. I'd give it a try. Been allergic to milk for ages. I get eczema for a change, not diarrhea, but still.

This!

Your DS sounds like me! My problem was indeed dairy. I also had H. Pylori but dairy is the bane of my existence (though I don't know whether this was caused by the bacteria). Good luck getting rid of it, it's everywhere! I would say go ahead and start, while you wait for an appointment with your GP (you should go anyway).
Getting rid of dairy for a while won't hurt him but be strict. If I add milk to my coffee at breakfast today I might only get itchy in the evening and I'll get diarrhea only tomorrow morning. If I drink a whole glass of milk I get sick faster. If I eat one slice of cheese I get stomach cramps and itchy, might not get diarrhea and the itchiness might take a day to kick in.
Some sausages, most stuff with chocolate, most cookies, most ready-made meals will have either milk or lactose in them. Whey comes from milk too.
Eliminating all dairy might be hard, so you could also start "easy" with lactose-free stuff and see how he feels. Lactose-free milk makes me feel the same, so I know my problem's dairy but you could try that first or eliminate all dairy and then reintroduce lactose.
Tip: With the hot weather here look for sorbet insted of ice cream.

Thanks this is really helpful.

My son had an intolerance to an enzyme in milk when he was young. No problem with any other dairy, just milk. Apparently it's quite common. As he got older we introduced it back in to his diet gradually and now it's fine. Might be worth a try.

OP, forgot to add, if you realise that eliminating dairy works, I suggest you look for a nutritionist to help as he's growing! Good luck!