I've been on the list practically forever. I've told my story many times,
but not lately.

I'm both anaphylactically allergic to dairy products and also LI. I have a
12-yr-old son who's hair-trigger  anaphylactically allergic to dairy (and
nuts and eggs). He also has severe, food-allergy-induced atopic dermatitis
(eczema). My wife has Celiac disease (gluten intolerance), and all five of
us have some degree of asthma and allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

My GP has called us a "poster family for atopic disorders."  :-S

My first symptoms appeared early on, with minor, unpredictable LI symptoms.
I was bottle-fed (milk) from birth :-(

My first serious symptoms occurred in my late teens, when I developed
severe rheumatoid arthritis. I was hospitalized twice, put on some very
potent anti-inflammatory medications, and told that I may have to undergo
fairly toxic treatments and/or joint replacements. The docs were confused,
since I wasn't a classic juvenile RA patient, nor was I old enough to be a
typical RA patient. I overheard them speculating that it would probably
resolve into some form of colon cancer (!!!)

I knew that my flares were somewhat cyclic, and kept a food/environment
diary. I observed that my worst flares were after ice cream or pizza
binges.  But I was in denial and just kept eating as usual. I was barely
mobile and couldn't climb stairs.

In my early twenties I moved to the Boston area and started developing
allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and asthma. My GP told me that some people
achieve some relief from these when they stop eating all forms of milk
products. I gave it a try, and within three months my hay fever was as bad
as ever, but my arthritis was in complete remission. (!!!)

I tried dairy a few more times, but the arthritis returned. As an
accidental "double-blind" challenge, I started taking some calcium
supplements that turned out to be buffered in lactose (didn't know it at
the time). Boy, was I in a heap of pain.

Since cutting out dairy products, my RA has been in total remission. I have
also become anaphylactically allergic to dairy proteins, to the point where
I must carry an EPIPEN and antihistamines. Also since then, I heard Dr. Art
Ulene on the Today show quote clinical research identifying a link between
dairy allergies and some forms of Rheumatoid Arthritis. I could'a told'em that!

I'm not quite sure what the mechanism is, but am certain that it's an
immune response. But since it was not a classic type 1 allergic response
(at the time), I have speculated that it was probably a leaky gut syndrome,
where the dairy products (lactose?) inflamed my lower GI tract and allowed
some (dairy?) proteins into my bloodstream that didn't belong there. They
settled into my connective tissues, and that's where my immune system
attacked them, along with the surrounding tissue. I've got no scientific
proof - just a theory.

It was this same theory that helped us bring our severely eczemic child
(then 3 yrs old, now almost 13 and thriving) back from the brink. We knew
that something was causing his eczema to flare so severely that the doctors
could no longer control it. We ultimately determined that sorbitol (both
artificial and naturally occurring) was doing the same thing to him. He'd
have some medication or food containing it, and 2-3 days later he'd be in a
full atopic flare. When we finally eliminated it, he recovered completely.
To this day, we can always tell when he "cheats" and has some sugarless gum
or sorbitol-sweetened candy, food, or toothpaste.

I relate all of this to you, just in case it helps you with your situation.

My son and I are certainly lucky to be able to find controllable triggers
for our worst ailments. If it were only so for all who suffer...

Mark


____________
Mark Feblowitz