I am the newbie and I do see there are differences of opinions, but I would
like to know more about others problems and possible solutions.

For instance, a friend of mine has the similar intense problem with dairy.
She found through a health food store a product called Pancreatin acid that
is supposed to help with the digestion of proteins.  I have tried it during
an episode and when I believe I have ingested dairy.  For me, it seems to
alleviate some of the symptoms or sometimes just delay them.  This is good
too, if I am not at home or am out with a group of friends.  It is not a
panacea, but since lactaid pills do nothing, at least this helps a little.
Then again it may be all in my head.

I have had severe symptoms ever since I was a baby.  Back then they just
called it a "weak" stomach.  The coaches used to say "get over it"!!  What
would happen is I would drink milk at lunch (this really goes all the way
back to nursery school) and the football/track/basketball/etc. would be
about an hour and a half later and I would be doubling up with pain and not
make the event!  I didn't drink milk every day so I never (from a baby up to
when I was 16) saw the correlation.  Finally, at the age of 16 I went to an
allergist in Orange County, CA and after all the skin tests he asked about
milk.  "Do you have problems with milk???, he asked".  I told him I had no
idea.  He then went on to explain some of the symptoms and my mouth fell
open!!  Everyday it seemed like I had the symptoms.  Unfortunately, they
have only gotten worse with age.  Now besides the excruciating pain (I have
begged God to just do me in at times!), the fever, sweats cold/hot,
incredible exhaustion during or after an episode, etc....  Does any of this
sound familiar to any of you?  I always meet people who say they understand,
but really only are dealing with the lactose problem and have gas and some
diarrhea.  I just smile and nod!!

I would like to hear more about solutions, food (I do so miss Swiss
cheese!!).  I have yet to find a palatable vegan cheese.  I do like the
Tofutti cream cheese and sour cream.  

A quick side note, we found a spreadable margarine that contained NO dairy
at all.  We used to buy 6 tubs at a time when we were in town (we live in
the "country" as our neighbors like to think).  Well, a few months back I
scheduled a colonoscopy because I was again having continual problems and I
was NOT eating anything wrong.  My daughter (8 yr old) who also has this
wonderful problem noticed on the margarine tub that they started adding WHEY
to the ingredients!!  I got on the phone and complained - did little good,
but the gentleman did tell me of another brand (stick) that did not have ANY
dairy (Nu-COA).  Not too bad.  Better than nothing.

I will stop here and see what kind of responses I get.  Thanks for
listening.
Jim  


-----Original Message-----
From: Milk/Casein/Lactose-Free List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Robyn Kozierok
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 6:12 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: milk-free chocolate chip, also varieties of allergic reaction

On 2/8/07, Susan Gallant <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>  The last thing i will add, however, is I am entitled to add my input just
> as much as the next person, whether or not it maintains the status quo.


Yes, and we are entitled to point out where it doesn't make sense, where it
flies in the face of well-established fact, and where your opinions are
dangerous.


The status
> quo can be very stifling and opressive, so I research information outside
> of that so I know I am well informed.


You frequently make this claim, but as far as I can tell, you never check
references or validate the authority of the sources you get your information
from.  You believe and pass on any nugget that appeals to you, with no
regard to its actual correspondence to "truth".  Everything you read on the
internet, everything you hear at a midwives' conference, everything a friend
of a friend of a friend who flunked out of medical school tells you, is not
necessarily true.  I don't believe you've ever backed up any of the
fantastic claims you've made here with any kind of verifiable evidence.
Last time I asked you for evidence of something, you sent me to a very
questionable website that *didn't even back up your claim*!  So, naturally,
those of us with more discriminating information gathering preferences write
you off as someone with nothing useful to contribute to a serious forum.
It's not that what you write goes against the status quo, it's that you
spout it as fact with no corroborating evidence.  People's lives are at
stake here.  They are not going to listen to whatever nonsense you spout
just because you say so, or you once heard someone say it at a midwives'
conference or whatever.

Robyn