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AIBU?

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Original poster

Can anyone help? What happened to me?

14 replies

Wheezymilkshake · 02/02/2023 18:47

Bit of a bizarre one, wondering if anyone else has anymore knowledge than me.

dairy (possibly lactose?) doesn’t agree with me. At all. It gives me awful diarrhoea and makes my eczema and psoriasis flare up. If I eat something with a little bit of dairy in it I can get away with it, but something strongly dairy or lots of dairy causes the problems. Eg a bit of butter or cake with milk in it would be fine. But ice cream or a cream cake- nope.

anyway, I’ve had a shit day today and was craving a banana milkshake from a local cafe. 10/10 worth it for the diarrhoea and eczema. I’m off work tomorrow so I’ll take the consequences. I went and got it and walked back to my car which was only 2 minutes away and started drinking it on the way. but when I got back to my car I realised I had a horrible cough and my chest felt wheezy and tight. I’m asthmatic so always carry my blue inhaler so I took it and felt better after 2 puffs. I kept drinking the milkshake and felt it starting again so took 2 more puffs and the symptoms went away. At this point I didn’t feel like the milkshake anymore and I just wanted to go home so I threw it away and haven’t had the symptoms come back since.

im on fostair everyday for my asthma (4 puffs a day) and took it this morning and I never skip a dose either. Has anyone else had this when eating dairy before? I’m presuming that was the problem anyway because it started as soon as I drank it. But weirdly, I’ve had things with dairy today (a smear of butter, a splash of milk in coffee etc) and didn’t have any problems, although this milkshake was very dairy heavy (ice cream, milk, whipped cream etc).

Just felt a bit freaked out and wondered if anyone had any advice or knowledge. I can accept a bit of diarrhoea and eczema but I don’t want to have tightness and wheezing when I eat dairy.

OP posts:
ABrotherWhoLooksLikeHellMugYou · 02/02/2023 18:50

Sounds like an allergic reaction, as in shutting down your Airways allergic. Did you get any swelling, tingling or numbness in your mouth? I've developed a more serious allergy in my 49s to something I was only mildly allergic to in my younger years. If I were you I'd see a GP and get a referral to an allergy clinic for tests.

Clovacloud · 02/02/2023 19:25

I’ve started getting this since I had Covid last August. I’ve always been fine with dairy, despite having a positive allergy scratch test for milk about 15 years ago.

I’m fine with a latte or a hot chocolate, but if I eat something like macaroni cheese, I have the same reaction you had. It’s really scary. It’s so annoying because I adore dairy and I really don’t want a dairy allergy as it’s in everything. So I’ve cut down anything I think may trigger it and I’m hoping it will pass. Keep antihistamines and your sprays on you in case and talk to your GP.

AuroraForever · 02/02/2023 19:32

Could it have been caused by the banana? Or anything else added to the milkshake? Sounds a bit like an allergic reaction to something.

HelpASisterOut999 · 02/02/2023 19:34

might have been an allergic reaction to something else in the milkshake (flavouring?) rather than to dairy

kindlyensure · 02/02/2023 19:39

It's likely the banana flavouring. I am asthmatic and banana flavouring (often in the form of a cordial or syrup) irritates my throat and makes me tight chested and wheezy.

mamabear449 · 02/02/2023 19:45

I'm quite similar. Lots of dairy, particularly with sugar, can make me ill.

Milkshake would have made me wheeze due to the cold aggravating my asthma.

MILLYmo0se · 02/02/2023 20:01

Could be histamine related, this is something that can change through life, hormones in particular can effect it. If you had a lot of histamine circulating in your body already adding the dairy could have tipped you into triggering your asthma, the cold of the milkshake wont have helped either.
Or it was a straightforward direct allergic response to something in the shake, allergies can just develop or worsen in our lifetime for a variety or reasons.
Im an asthmatic that has always been allergic to oranges, (mild dairy intolerence too but thats always been digestion related, never triggered my asthma), but as i hit menopause that developed to a lot of fruits causing reactions from a mild tightening to a need to get my inhaler immediately. The response isnt always the same though, i had grapes yday and needed inhaler but in hindsight id had others things containing histamine over a few days and grapes a few weeks ago were fine so was more due to a buildup i think.
My daughter has a mild peanut allergy but will be monitored in case it worsens or she develops asthma at a later stage because that makes an allergy more high risk in itself

TheTeenageYears · 02/02/2023 20:03

I'm not sure about the breathing but with the other symptoms you describe I suspect your problem is dairy protein rather than lactose.

RB68 · 02/02/2023 20:36

Allergies can escalate due to more exposure so whilst you could prev tolerate the allergic reaction has escalated. Totally not worth the risk in my view. Perhaps time to switch to one of the soy or nut milks out there

DD had a mild reaction to nuts and accidentally ate something with nuts in a few weeks back - violent projectile vomiting and a lecture about now having to be more careful.

FenghuangHoyan · 02/02/2023 20:42

Btw, I'm lactose intolerant and take a lactase tablet with any dairy. They tend to stop any digestive problems. I don't know about eczema, as I don't get that.

MILLYmo0se · 03/02/2023 08:05

RB68 · 02/02/2023 20:36

Allergies can escalate due to more exposure so whilst you could prev tolerate the allergic reaction has escalated. Totally not worth the risk in my view. Perhaps time to switch to one of the soy or nut milks out there

DD had a mild reaction to nuts and accidentally ate something with nuts in a few weeks back - violent projectile vomiting and a lecture about now having to be more careful.

Is she allergic to all nuts? Poor thing, the vomiting must have been scary, does she need an epi pen now?

SmileyClare · 03/02/2023 08:21

I’m struggling to see how a banana milkshake is worth suffering the reaction of cramps, diarrhoea and eczema? But I guess that’s your choice.
There are lots of vegan alternatives these days.

The asthma attack could have been coincidence but may be indicative of an allergic reaction to the ingredients.

Your gp may be able to refer you for allergy testing. Note down any changes in your diet if it happens again.

CarrieMoonbeams · 03/02/2023 08:31

I found that when my asthma was quite bad, bananas definitely made me feel worse, made my throat feel "thicker" and like I kept needing to cough more (I have cough variant asthma anyway). Cream also had the same effect.

I find now that I'm older, bananas don't seem to cause a problem now, but I still have cream with hot chocolate when I'm out, I just feel the coughing is worth it! I don't have it in the house though, too tempting.

Rosscameasdoody · 04/02/2023 21:10

Sounds as though something else was added to the milkshake to trigger your allergy.

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