Lactose intolerance?

[Morrisonker]

Is there a test which your GP can do to determine if I do actually have lactose intolerance.  For the last few months I've been getting a sore, gassy stomach and a queasy feeling whenever I have milk (no matter if it's alone or with coffee/tea/cereal).  I don't feel the same when I have cheese (i don't eat any other dairy products), so I'm not sure what's going on.  Has anyone had the same symptoms?  Is there a simple test the doctor can do to determine if it is lactose intolerance?

[clarabel82]

I think holland and barratt might do food intolerance tests, I'd go in and ask.

[jeepster]

I used to support a littlle girl with lactose intolerence at school and did some research on it. People with lactose intolerence can eat cheese and yoghurts because they are fermented . Sorry i can't help with your question, but it could explain why you are okay eating cheese.

[happy_face]

I have exactly the same symptoms and found out just by elimination that it was dairy that makes me feel like that. I also can't handle wheat in large quantities but dairy is difinitely the worst. I was walking around feeling sick for months before I twigged.

I can eat small amounts of low fat cheese and natural yoghurt as it's the fat in the dairy that causes the upset. But I do feel my best if I leave it out completely. even though you might not think you're eating any other dairy, there's lots in different foods that you might not be aware of. Always read the label.

I'm sure your GP could do a test but I think he/she would want you to do the elimination test for a month or so first.

Hope this helps

[natalie_1982]

I suffered for a long time with IBS and my doc thought it may have been triggered by something I was intolerant to, she asked me to eliminate certain food types for months at a time and never offered me a simple test. 

It turned out that I can eat wheat and dairy, although it does make me feel bad and triggers the IBS symptoms, but as long as I am sensible and eat in seldomly and in  small doses then I still can.

[Hermia]

Yes, I had a test done at my local hospital. They give you a blood test and then make you drink a couple of glasses of lactose solution (worse than the blood test!). Then the take your blood every 30 minutes for 2 hours to see how your body reacts to the lactose.

I would be very wary of those tests offered by health shops firstly 'cause doctors seem to be very sceptical about them and also every person I know who's had one has been told they are allergic to about a million things!