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I received 34 messages in response to my post.  Thanks for all of the help
and information.

Both the degree and duration of lactose intolerance vary so widely that it's
difficult to predict one's own experience from that of others.  I'll try to
summarize the range of experiences reflected in the responses.

I heard from seven subscribers who discovered their lactose intolerance only
AFTER going gluten-free.  At least a couple of subscribers are, like me,
fairly sure that the intolerance either developed or increased dramatically
AFTER going gluten free.  (My lactose intolerance, for example, has became
far more pronounced over time as the rest of my health, and all serum tests,
indicate that my diet is working and my system is healing.  Go figure.)

I also heard, however, from another nine subscribers who were lactose
intolerant at the time of diagnosis but have improved significantly.  Two of
these were parents whose very young children improved within six or sever
months.  Another six were adults, whose lactose intolerance lasted a year or
two, but then got better.

Another three subscribers had longer term lactose problems -- three years in
two cases, 15 years in another -- that eventually improved significantly.

Finally, there were four or five who have long-term lactose intolerance that
remains a problem, even after five years or more.  In one case, the person's
lactose intolerance improved after six months GF, but has became more severe
after four years GF.

A number of people also wrote with suggestions about the possible causes of
my difficulty with lactose.  Several mentioned a possible intolerance of
casein, a protein in milk.  Several others cautioned that the culprit might
be accidential ingestion of gluten.  One person suggested an allergy to or
intolerance of high fructose corn syrup.  And another mentioned "galactose"
intolerance, which I haven't heard of elsewhere, but which is, apparently, a
combined intolerance to wheat and dairy proteins.  I can't vouch for the
evidence behind the latter two possibilities.

I can't draw any conclusions, but my sense of the responses is:

1)  Generally, the younger you are, the better your odds of getting your
lactose ability back, as lactose ability decreases naturally with age, even
in non-celiacs.  With celiacs, an added factor may be how late in life one
was diagnosed, which may relate to how much damage was done before going GF.

2)  Six or seven months is far too soon to give up hope.

Thanks again for all of the responses.

Mike Coe
Arlington, Virginia