Are there clear differences between Lactose intolerance and cows milk protein allergy?

[KatyMac]

& if so what are they

(or are they actually the same - asks 'she of little knowledge' knowing a little knowledge is dangerous

Lactose intolerance is caused by the sugar in milk (ie lactos) and milk alergy is caused by the protein in milk.

I have lactose intolerance but can drink cows milk as long as it is treated with an enzyme (lactase) to take out the lactose.

TYPO: (ie lactose)

& the symptoms are different?

Dh is lactose intolerant.

Lactose and cows milk protein are two different things as far as I know.

I know what to look for on a label (milk, whey powder, lactose) and thus avoid. Off the top of my head I can't think of any product which has cows milk protein as an ingredient but not lactose.

Reading back, not very helpful.

Symptoms wise - lactose intolerance can cause pain and wind.

I wonder if my 'IBS' is actually Lactose intolerance - terrible pain, wind, bloating & diarrhoea

You may find this page useful.

Milk protein allergies come in two types:

Symptoms of IgE mediated reactions include one or more of the following:

?Skin problems such as eczema, urticaria, angioderma, dermatitis.
?Gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
?Respiratory problems such as wheezing, coughing, rhinitis, asthma.
Although extremely rare, anaphylactic reactions (severe and very rapid reactions) to cow?s milk protein may also occur following contact with the mouth or lips.

Symptoms of non-IgE mediated reactions include: gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, bloating, intestinal discomfort and diarrhoea and respiratory problems

Anaphylactic reactions do not occur.

Symptoms of Lactose intolerance are quite similar in many ways but no skin reaction or anaphylaxis as it is not actually an allergy but an intolerance that results in the sugar just fermenting in the gut:

Stomach rumbling, abdominal distension and increased wind.
Diarrhoea.
Abdominal colic.
Nausea.

Thanks I think Lactose intolerance is more likely

I was dairy free after a colonoscopy then had a cream cake.........35 minutes later I was quite poorly

I actually have very little dairy anyway; my mum says I started refusing it about age 2. But I will have to check what it's hidden in as I have been so poorly recently

I think the protein in milk is called casein, my DS had a casein intolerance but not lactose

KatyMac - it does sound like Lactose intolerance. Half an hour is about the time it takes for lactose to an an effect on dh. Depending on what it is he can be in pain/have diarrhoea for up to 24 hours on and off.

Lactose intolerance following a dairy-free diet could well be due to a lack of lactase in your gut. Build up your dairy slowly to allow the lactase to build up again to deal with it.
Lactose is a milk sugar (hence the -Ose ending)
Casein is a protein in milk.

I was dairy free (well no milk/yogurt/cheese) for about 10 days is that long enough to affect it?

& what apart form the obvious what should I avoid/check before eating?

Just don't go straight on to full glasses of milk
Lactose Intolerance can follow bad gastro infections, as the gut is cleared of all regular flora, that's why the advice when you get back on food is clear liquids and plain toast.
Start slow to avoid problems, you should be back up to a normal diet within a week or two.

Isn't it more likely that the lactose is what has been causing all my problems? Rather than a post procedure issue?

Don't fully exclude all milk if you didn't have problems before now, as this will just exacerbate the situation, work up from e.g. Lightly buttered toast to thickly buttered toast to cheese toasties to cereal with milk, over at least a few days. If you get any gastro symptoms, go back to the level of milk in your diet you were at the previous day. It should be a temporary problem.

My lactose intolerance built up over many years of damage to my gut from eating bread as I am a coeliac. I doubt your lactose intolerance came on in a few days.

I too suspect it is the root of your underlying problem or connected to it.

But I've had IBS in varying degrees for 16 years - the symptoms post chocolate éclair were the same as my problem symptoms (for which I had the colonoscopy)

Damn it would have been so good if by excluding dairy I could have had a normal lifestyle

No I don't think it suddenly came on

I think that while experimenting with my diet (excluding) post procedure the first thing which caused a major reaction was dairy

You need to find out if you can tolerate small amounts of lactose, as that would broaden the range of foods you can eat enormously (you'd be amazed how many foods contain lactose as a trace ingredient).
There's a good cookbook I use for my DS who has a milk allergy. It's called "Healthy Dairy-free eating" by Mini C:
www.amazon.co.uk/Healthy-Dairy-free-Eating-Mini-C/dp/1856266222/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1324150088&sr=8-16
it has a section at the start that explains about lactose intolerance, and a list of foods that contain lactose.

Damn I thought I had an easy solution

I don't eat cheese at all or yoghurt; I only occasionally have a bit of milk (maybe 3 or 4 days a month) & if I could find it in the the little prepared food I eat it could have solved everything

I thought I had IBS until I switched to a gluten free and lactofree diet. My symptoms stopped immediately.

I am convinced that the rapid increase in the incidence of 'IBS symptoms' in the population is due to the breeding of very high gluten wheats in the UK during the 1970s that is in fact triggering gluten intolerance.

But they would have seen if I was coeliac during the colonoscopy wouldn't they?

No coeliac diagnosis is through a blood test followed by an endoscopy (camera down your throat).

Oh I thought the consultant said he did a biopsy of the small intestine for that