When I was a child (from age 8 thru 14 or so) I was very succeptible to
colds and other 'winter' ailments (we live in NY). My pediatrician and my
parents had me on a dose-a-day of antibiotics from October to April for many
years. We never associated it with a dairy allergy, since back then (1970s)
it was not as common as today. We found out later that these antibiotics
caused intestinal problems that were already aggravated by intestinal
surgery I had had at age 21 months. I seem to remember the dark circles,
too, but couldn't swear to it.
As any of you that have heard my story know, I was not diagnosed with a
milk/dairy allergy until I was 24. It is possible that the early allergy
symptoms were a warning and we ignored them. We'll never know. I am 38 now
and mostly dairy-free since 1991 (we all have contaminations we can't
control sometimes). I don't get sick as much any more except when I get
sinus infections from a dairy contamination.
My daughters, 9 1/2 and 7, have no allergies as far as we know and I have
been vigilant on everything.
The best part is, since I have educated my fiancee on dairy allergies, he
has started reading every ingredient list on everything he buys, even if I'm
not eating it. It has made him more aware of what he is eating and has even
stopped him from buying some things that have a lot of chemicals in them now
that he pays more attention.
TTFN
Pammi