I just found this ghost lurking in my e-mail. It printed out instead of the
e-mail I thought I was in. Although it's a month old, I can't let it go by
without a response. This one is definitely a better-late-than-never.

The Doc wrote:
>BTW, the LI Test has you fast for 24 hours, then you drink 12 oz of almost
pure lactose.<

That may be your experience, but it's not the way I've seen the test done
and there should be absolutely no reason for anybody in the world to
administer the test in that fashion.

There is no medical reason for you to fast for 24 hours. You may be asked
to fast overnight to be sure that you haven't have a large breakfast with
milk products, but that's only reasonable. I suppose some places may want a
longer fast, but the lack of one shouldn't affect the results.

And 12 ounces of almost pure lactose would kill you.  In fact, even in the
old days the test involved a maximum of 50 grams, or slightly less than 2
ounces, of lactose in a water solution. Most smart clinics today know that
the reaction is as good with smaller doses of lactose, and some are using
as little as 10 grams of lactose. Others are using actual milk, which gives
a better response since it is more physiologic, or closer to everyday
reality. An 8 ounce glass of milk has about 12 grams of lactose. That's
1/28 the amount The Doc cited.

If you are worried about the amount of lactose in a test, call ahead and
try to find out exactly what the test will involve. The tests usually are
run from prepackaged standard lactose amounts. (I have a QuinTron package
in front of me and it uses 25 grams of lactose.) It should be the work of a
minute for the clinic to look at the bottle and see what it inside it. (I
say should; we all know that it doesn't always work like that in real
life.)

The bottom line is that a lactose challenge test will undoubtedly be
extremely uncomfortable for a severely LI individual. (It sure was for me.)
But you are unlikely to have the horror list of symptoms (nausea, diarrhea,
chills, headaches, gas, bloating, and pure misery)  that The Doc listed.
And it will give you extremely accurate results. I think it's worth the
discomfort. I recommend that everybody who thinks they are LI get tested.

Steve Carper
author of Milk Is Not for Every Body: Living with Lactose Intolerance
Steve Carper's Lactose Intolerance Clearinghouse
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/stevecarper