>I just wrote a little while ago about my 4 year old son.  He has not had
>any dairy in I don't know how long.  I've substituted Rice Dream for milk
>and he loves it. (He loved milk before he developed the allergy)  Anyway,
>for the past 6 months he's been drinking  it loyally.  He isn't very fond
>of juices such as Hi C and he hates carbonated beverages.  Okay, well the
>past week he's been exhibiting symptoms of the allergy.  I know he hasn't
>eaten anything he shouldn't.  I've been told that he can develop a
>reaction to the Rice Dream, because of the frequency in which he drinks
>it.  So, now I've got two things  to do.  First, figure out what is
>causing the reaction.  Second, find a new source of calcium if it is the
>Rice Dream.  I cook with Soy, but he doesn't like it as a beverage.  I've
>read about carrots, but he hates them.  Is there an Orange Juice that has
>calcium without Lactose or any other milk protein?  His pediatrician says
>he'll be fine, so long as he eats a well balanced meal, but I feel like
>I'm running out of food.
>Please Help!!!

His allergy symptoms may have nothing to do with the Rice Dream - they may
be due to pollens, molds, etc., that are blooming now. Or they may be due
to an allergy to some other food that your rely on heavily. Or they may
have something to do with the Rice Dream. I am allergic to ragweed, and
have developed a cross-sensitivity to safflower oil, which is used in Rice
Dream. I now drink Pacific Rice Milk, which is fat free, or the Trader
Joe's version of rice milk.

You may want to consider a calcium supplement, so that you don't have to
rely so heavily on the rice milk for calcium. My son and I use the
lactose-free "CVS Natural" brand of Calcium & Magnesium with Zinc. The
pills are large, so we either break them in half and eat them in a spoonful
of applesauce, or we grind them up in a fruit smoothy. I believe that there
is a dairy-free liquid calcium supplement available as well.


Mark Feblowitz                  GTE Laboratories Incorporated
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