> I really suspect that the dairy intolerance is an allergy.  Lactaid does
> nothing to help even at the highest dosage.  I also noticed increased
> nasal congestion and mucus during the last experiment with what my limits
> are (they are very small :-)

this is pretty much my case, as well.
it only came to my attention this past month.  all summer, i had been
on a regimine designed to increase the acidophilus bacteria in my stomach,
since it was assumed that antibiotics i had taken in january had killed
them all off.  i was really skeptical about this, since i had been fine
with milk from february until may, but i figured there might be some
reason for the delay.

after the acidophilus bottle ran out, i was told it was safe to start on
yogurt, which i did with great glee.  the next day, though, i lose my
voice, and it stayed gone for a few days (until i took some benedryll).
i thought it might be coincidence, but after a few more trials with
similar results, i don't think it is.

> I'm wondering if it really matters.  I'd like to know which it is for my
> own personal satisfaction, but is there any treatment for it either way
> other than just strict avoidance?  What about remedies for accidental
> exposure?

if your symptoms are the same type as mine (and it sounds like they are),
my nutritionist says that allergy medication can help.  i find that my
problems are very mild unless i eat dairy multiple times in a row, so
you may be okay eating it when unavoidable.


personally, i'm avoiding dairy altogether for the next year or so, in
hopes that i'll be giving my body exactly what it seems to need right
now.

afaik, the reason for this sudden allergy is strained adrenals.  i am
hypoglycemic, and thus very sensitive to sugar, caffeine, and alcohol.
i also need to exercise daily and follow a completely balanced diet,
eating every 4-5 hours, to keep things in order.

my milk allergy surfaced after a period of using caffeine to supplement
a general lack of sleep and exercise (finals period, actually.  two
weeks during which i wrote 3 15 page papers, and wrote 2 exams.)  i had been
amazed that i was "getting away" with consuming caffeine (in the form of
a cup of earl gray tea approximately daily), but after the two weeks,
i just collapsed with exhaustion.

i know that i've done some damage to my body, so i hope that if i'm "good"
for awhile, it will forgive me eventually, and go back to (virtually)
normal.

still, i have to realise that the hypoglycemia came five years ago in
response to my very low-fat (8% calories from fat) vegetarian diet, and
i haven't shaken that completely, yet, so maybe the milk allergy is here
forever, too.

janet