sudden lactose intolerance or something else?

[mechanicalpencil]

Hello,

Last weekend I felt unwell after eating a Charlie Bighams takeaway. The whole weekend I felt Ill with nausea, cramping, gas, diarrhoea, bloating.

I cut dairy out to heal faster and began to feel better after 72 hours.

Yesterday, I reintroduced milk into my tea and last night all the symptoms returned: gas, cramping, wind, bloating. Had a bad night and am exhausted this morning.

I have been having digestive issues for a long time now(but never lactose intolerance before) : appetite has completely gone, I feel very full after a small meal, I feel very uncomfortable after a normal size meal, I have gone off so many things and don’t fancy anything to eat, I am exhausted all the time, I have uncomfortable bloating, a lot of gas and loud gurglings, sometimes blood in toilet (apologies TMI).

I have been to the GP several times and explained all this ( not the recent lactose intolerance) and he always says it’s IBS or acid reflux and is not concerned to investigate further and sends me on my way.

However, I’m beginning to think something could be wrong. This doesn’t feel right. It would be so much simpler if I just didn’t have to eat, as eating makes me feel so unwell and I just don’t have any appetite. I can’t really remember the last time I felt properly hungry.

Has anyone been through similar? Very grateful for any advice or support. I know it’s only digestive issues but it is getting me very down.

Sorry this turned into an essay.

🙁

I have most of those symptoms, but not the bleeding. It's excess stomach acid, but that diagnosis was arrived at AFTER I had had appropriate investigations.

Thankyou @AudiobookListener
Can I ask how you treat it?

Lactose intolerance isn't "something wrong" it is something normal, as most of the population of the world dont digest milk after childhood. It is a small number of mostly northern european populations that have the mutation that carries lactose digestion into adulthood

it often starts in teens, but cna be a bit later.

Most of my family are lactose intolerant, starting in teenage years. We cut out lactose from that point, and generally arrange a GP appointment to confirm. Each time, individual has been asked to see a dietician with a food and symptom diary, and confirmation has been based on this.

There are blood tests you can pay privately for

Lansoprazole.

I do find I go through periods when cutting out milk eases some lower digestive tract pain, but often I don't have any pain, just stomach fullness and I can usually manage milk fine (actually I usually drink LOTS!) The lansoprazole does the trick, although I need a big dose. I'm going to repeat though, I don't have any bleeding and I did have a gastroscopy before being definitely diagnosed.

@crazyivy
thank you for replying , that’s interesting. I will start a food diary from today.

The lactose intolerance for me started a week ago but the other symptoms I have had for months so it is a very new symptom for me. I can see my digestive issues slowly getting worse and worse which has made me think that something is not right.

The last blood tests I had showed ferritin of 12 so I was put on ferrous fumerate but everything else seemed more or less ok. That was a routine blood test in spring.

If u have blood in the toilet you should be further investigated immediately, if ur doc is rubbish get another doc ,
. Do not put this off
in the meantime drop the milk / milk products , but get that blood loss checked out as a priority

Thank you @AudiobookListener
that is very helpful

@KrazyboutKillian thank you for your advice
I have mentioned the blood several times to the GP but he didn’t seem concerned at all.
He suggested IBS.

I will try and make another appointment on Monday.

You should ask to do a stool test. The GP can give you one to do at home.

Ferrous fumarate would give me all your symptoms! Except the bleeding!

What colour are your stools and do they float?
Do you alternate between constipation and loose stools?
Could be anything from lactose intolerance to bowel or pancreatic issues.
Needs further investigation.

That’s shocking. Colorectal cancer is one of the most under diagnosed cancers especially in young people.

Demand a stool test. Don’t leave the surgery until they give you one.

Additionally I’d suggest you get a Biomesight gut test and see what pathogens you’ve got in your stool.

You may have H Pylori or all sorts of other things. You may have SIBO.

Although dairy is a problem you could try Chuckling Goat Kefir which would help repopulate your gut bacteria with good bacteria and might resolve some of your issues. Kefir contains almost no lactose unlike most other dairy products.

Another alternative is B536 bifidobacteria which has been proven to crowd out pathogens in the stool and linger for longer than many other bifidobacteria which don’t colonise the gut.

In an ideal world you’d buy a yogurt maker and make a bifido yogurt which would give you trillions of the B536 but this isn’t for novices. Making the yogurt is a real faff. However, The pills only contain a few billion of the probiotic.

Maybe try the chuckling goat first.

Try floradix which is ferrous gluconate. Gentler on the stomach and better absorbed than fumerate.

@Weenurse
it varies but recently have had pale straw coloured and floating (sorry 😢)
other times darker
recently almost always loose, no constipation
but not always feeling as though have properly emptied .

@SoySaucePls
I’ve never heard of Biomesight- just googled and looks really useful so thanks.
Will also try the kefir. Many thanks for all the great tips.
I will request a stool sample kit tomorrow although it always feels like a battle to be taken seriously / even get an appointment but hopefully if I request one they can’t refuse me.

That’s interesting about the ferrous fumerate. I’ve already finished the course I was on (1 every other day) as that was in the spring/summer. While taking it i was slightly constipated but my energy levels were generally much better.
Now I am off it my fatigue has returned and all other symptoms same as before I was on it.

Mention he pale and floaty stools to the GP, could relate to gall bladder issues

It sounds like it could possibly be IBD (very different to IBS) Mines always worse with dairy but I only noticed that once I’d cut dairy out. Ask the GP to investigate, they should do stool samples and blood tests.

Can you change surgery?

Some places are much better run than others. Ask local friends for their opinions.

Biomesight is great.

If you have the money for it I’d also recommend Zoe Nutrition.

There’s a slight difference between their stool tests.

Zoe is potentially more accurate as uses shotgun sequencing whereas Biomesight uses 16S which is a different way of analysing the bacteria. Zoe is much more expensive though and is a whole program.

Biomesight is a really good place to start. You’ll certainly get some insights from an initial test and they make food and supplement recommendations which are pretty sophisticated based on your results

I developed lactose intolerance in my early 20s but my mother developed it in her 50s, so it can appear later in life. It seems worth keeping away from dairy and see if your symptoms clear up.

@mechanicalpencil
i found this thread again as my own stomach issues have reappeared
how did you get on with your doc ?
did you get further examinations ?