Hi. Ever since my 7 yr old son went gluten free about a month ago, he cannot seem to tolerate dairy without getting terrible gas/cramps. His Enterolab results indicated a problem with casein, but honestly, with three celiacs and a Crohns sufferer with his own dietary needs in my house, it was just too much for me to deal with, so I didn't remove dairy from his diet.

Interestingly, just as soon as I went off gluten (at about the same time) I also started having a huge problem with dairy. I had never had a problem with dairy before. Ever. Thankfully, Lactaid helps a great deal.

I have a bunch of questions:
1) Why is this all starting now? Does something about eliminating gluten make lactose intolerance worse?
2) Can it actually cause LI?
3) Is this actually a casein reaction? If so, why does lactaid seem to help?
4) Is Lactaid safe for kids?

My son's results: Fecal anti-casein (cow’s milk) IgA antibody 28 Units (Normal Range <10 Units)
Mine: Fecal anti-casein (cow’s milk) IgA antibody 10 Units (Normal Range <10 Units)

Any instruction or advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm getting a handle on gluten, but this is an area I know almost nothing about.

Thanks.

Alot of people have problems with dairy after going gluten-free.

Many people go diary free for awhile after going gluten-free and then start adding dairy back in...after giving the body some time to heal. For me...I went about a month dairy free and then started to add it back and I tolerate it now.

Hope that helps!

Lactaid should not help with casein because they are different things. I am casein-free and feel soooooooooooo much better. If it is causing you and your son pain then you should listen to your bodies. Good luck.

It is certainly possible to have problems with both casein and lactose. The Lactaid would help with the latter, but not the former.

I don't think that eliminating gluten makes casein or lactose intolerance worse. You just no longer have the gluten symptoms masking what the dairy is doing to you. From what I've read, frequently people can have lactose again once they heal. But overcoming casein intolerance isn't that common. I think I've seen one person on this board mentioning this happening to her and that's it.

If your son is suffering from dairy, and has the test results to say he shouldn't have it, really he shouldn't. I know change can seem hard, but sometimes you just do what needs to be done. Sub in nondairy milk and read labels to make sure there isn't casein or caseinate in a product. If nothing else, you could try goat's milk. Its type of casein is different from cow's milk and your son might be able to tolerate it better.

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I guess I just need to bite the bullet and do it.

Somehow, it just seems so much more daunting than removing gluten alone. I guess I worry that our food choices will just be too limited. Also, my son hates to feel different than the other boys and I feel I've pushed him as far as he is willing to go right now, even with the stomach pains.... He really is having a hard time adjusting to gluten-free life in a school setting, and his teacher is SO not supportive. He's just so much more fragile about the whole thing than my daughter, who honestly didn't bat a eye.

<Deep sigh> Well, there are worse things, eh? I should just count my blessings that I even know what's going on! We are still a world better off than we were last year at this time.

Thanks again. I truly appreciate it.

I'm at the point where I need to remove something else as well, and I'm guessing it's dairy. Before going gluten-free I never had much dairy. I started eating more of it (and corn and soy and other stuff) when I went gluten-free because it was something I could eat. I think that's why I'm noticing other problems now. Whatever it is I can't eat, I'm getting more of it because I'm substituting it.

I had a thought on this. Maybe the body developed a thick layer of mucus to deal with all the gluten. That layer of mucus was developed to protect the intestine against gluten... but it also worked to protect the intestines against say, casein...or soy....

So now that gluten is gone, your intestines are cleared up... the mucus may be gone... and your intestines are freshly reacting to casein.

Just a theory.

You know, I actually had not considered that, but it is so true! We have been eating a lot more dairy to compensate for the calories lost elsewhere. It makes so much sense now... <light bulb goes off over my slightly dense head>

You know, I think you might be onto something there. For his Crohn's disease, my husband takes loads of Slippery Elm, which is basically a natural bark that turns gelatinous upon contact with water. It has been used for centuries by Native Americans for its healing properties, and it coats and soothes his insides. It has made a tremendous difference--even healing some of his lesions.

I mention this because even though he carries both the D2 and D3 genes, his tests indicate he is having no immunologic response. (I was about willing to bet my right arm that it was celiac disease that brought about the Crohn's, and then we got the results. Go figure.)

He could just be one of the lucky ones and gluten truly doesn't affect him (yet), or maybe all that slippery elm is coating his insides just enough to protect him, just as the mucous does in your theory. Interesting...