I love milk. Always have. Actually anything dairy...most cheeses, cottage cheese, yogurt...you name it. About a year or so ago I would develop "digestive issues" a few time per week. Worst of all was gas. A few times per week I would have unbearable amounts of gas. About a month or 2 ago I think I was able to track it down to milk consumption.

A few times per week I would have a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast. About 3 - 4 hours later the gas would start.

I turned 50 this year and I have my yearly physical in March. I found there are 2 tests the doc can do to confirm it. Although I'm not a doc, I think I've ruled out Crohn's disease and IBD.

This really sucks as I really love milk. I could drink a 16 ounce glass of milk right now and down it in a few gulps.

I may try a lactase enzyme supplement.

Anyone else seem to not be able to drink milk later in life?

Mayo Clinic Q and A: Lactose Intolerance Can Develop at Any Age

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What would cause someone to become lactose-intolerant later in life? I’m in my 40s and have never had an issue with dairy, but, now, I can’t seem to have it without problems. Do I need to see a doctor to be tested for allergies, or should I just avoid dairy?

ANSWER: Lactose intolerance isn’t a true allergy, and it can develop at any age. In some people, lactose intolerance may be triggered by another medical condition, such as Crohn’s disease. In others, it develops without a specific underlying cause. It would be a good idea to have your condition evaluated by your doctor to confirm that what you’re dealing with truly is lactose intolerance.

Lactose intolerance results from a problem with the carbohydrate lactose, a type of sugar found in dairy products. When you eat or drink dairy products, enzymes in your small intestine digest lactose, so the body can make energy. In people with lactose intolerance, a certain enzyme, called lactase, is missing from the body. When those people eat dairy products, the body has no way to break down the lactose. This leads to fermentation of the sugar in the intestines and triggers symptoms, such as diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, bloating and gas.

Sometimes, lactose intolerance develops when the small intestine’s production of lactase decreases after an illness, injury or surgery involving the small intestine. This is called secondary lactose intolerance. Among the diseases associated with this kind of lactose intolerance are celiac disease, bacterial overgrowth and Crohn’s disease. Treatment of the underlying disorder may restore lactase levels and improve symptoms.

More common than secondary lactose intolerance is primary lactose intolerance. People who develop primary lactose intolerance start life making normal levels of lactase — a necessity for infants, who get all their nutrition from milk. As children replace milk with other foods, lactase production normally decreases. It stays high enough, though, to digest the amount of dairy in a typical adult diet. In primary lactose intolerance, lactase production declines below normal at some point for reasons that are unclear. The low amount of lactase then makes milk products difficult to digest and leads to lactose intolerance symptoms.

Your doctor can confirm a diagnosis of lactose intolerance with a clinical test. One that’s often used is a lactose tolerance test. It assesses your body’s reaction to a dose of lactose. After you consume a drink containing lactose, a sample of your blood is taken to measure glucose levels. If your glucose level does not rise, it means your body isn’t properly digesting and absorbing the lactose.

Alternatively, another test called the hydrogen breath test may be used. This test also requires you to consume a drink that contains high levels of lactose. Your doctor next measures the amount of hydrogen in your breath. Normally, very little hydrogen is detectable. However, if your body doesn’t digest the lactose, the fermentation reaction in your colon releases hydrogen and other gases. Your intestines absorb those gases, and you exhale them. Larger-than-normal amounts of hydrogen measured during this test are a sign that your body isn’t fully digesting and absorbing lactose.

If you have lactose intolerance, there isn’t a way to cure it. The most effective way for people with lactose intolerance to get relief from symptoms is to lower the amount of dairy products they eat. You may be able to use dairy products that have reduced levels of lactose or are lactose-free. Some people who have lactose intolerance benefit from taking lactase enzyme supplements, as well.

If test results do not point to lactose intolerance, your doctor may recommend additional tests to check for another condition that could be causing your symptoms, such as a milk allergy, intestinal disorders or other problems within your digestive tract. — Dr. Rohit Divekar, Allergic Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

I love milk, too and do not have an issue with it. However, I have switched my cereal/drinking milk to a 50/50 combination of unsweetened oat milk and unsweetened plain (unflavored) almond milk. I keep 2% milk around primarily for baking bread. I've gotten to the point where cream and half 'n half are a bit too rich for me. Anyway, it helps to cut down on the fat intake. Cheese in moderation.

Maybe ask your doc if there is anything you can take to counteract the effects?

I lost it about 3 years ago. Also developed a grain and nut allergy and gluten allergy. All happened right around 2020

In the last couple of years Chocolate Milk and I no longer get along.

I actually went the other way, as I get older I am more tolerant to milk products.

My younger brother and sister both said when they hit their 30's they became lactose intolerant. I am still doing very well with milk and dairy products. God Bless

Mid 40's I developed intermittent lactose intolerance, then Celiac (gluten autoimmune intolerance).

Look into FODMAP. Those issues are common, and gas is a typical issue. I did the whole elimination diet and found a few things that I cannot tolerate.

Age 21 after not drinking milk in Vietnam for 11 1/2 month tried a glass of milk on R&R in Australia. First sip made me gag. Last time I tried it but can eat yogurt and ice cream.

Pray that it is just lactose! I developed a casein allergy (the main protein in dairy), and its to the point I'm so sensitive I can't have food that may be processed in a facility and have to be really careful in restaurants if I eat out. I used to have bad stomach issues, chronic sinus infections, and bad back pain.

I'm 99% sure it was from doing protein shakes for almost 15 years when I worked out heavy.

If I get cross contamination, my stomach is destroyed for 1-3 days, I have bad brain fog, and back pain. Its essentially an autoimmune response to the casein.

There are no known treatments and I'm not sure if it will ever go away. Its not a big deal because I cook at home most of the time but I also travel a lot for work and usually have very limited options.

I buy the Lactaid brand of milk. Helps me a LOT. Try it. Easy to find in most all grocery stores.

And FWIW, the Lactaid brand (and other brand names of the same thing) last MUCH longer in the refrigerator.
Mine usually lasts a little over 2 months before it starts to go bad. LACTAID brand also makes a cottage cheese for easy digestion.

CLICK this link for info

And BTW there are a newer type of cows named "A2" that naturally make the better milk. LINK to Braums A2 dairy cows
.

I get a reaction when I drink a full glass of milk, so I stay away from that. I drink coffee all day with half and half which does not bother me. If I want cereal I just toss some half and half about a shot and rest water. Ice cream I get the child size cone. So far it works.

My Dad did about 8-9 years ago, he’s 78 now

Can’t eat ice cream or hardly any cheeses anymore.

I have to be careful when cooking for family gatherings keeping him in mind when making desserts and things.

I used to eat cheese, or have items cooked with milk sans issues. Now I can't even eat a piece of bread that has been baked with milk.


Mine doesn't stop at dairy. My issues include gluten, onion/garlic, egg, carrot, peanuts, almonds, soy, and many more. The only protein shakes I can have are rice based because I have issues with pea protein!



I am not sure if leaky gut has something to do with it, or if it's just luck of the draw as to what you have to deal with in life. At times I wonder if my insane diet soda consumption (it's alot) has damaged my stomach lining.



At one time I had contempt for people who complained of food allergies. Now I am humbled by what I have to deal with. At least I am blessed in that I am not so allergic/intolerant of these foods that I couldn't eat them in a true emergency. It's just that if I do eat them, I am probably going to feel really bad depending on which item it is. Especially garlic, onion, and eggs.



Now that I eat "cleaner", I feel a lot better, and just stopping eating gluten alone caused me to lose weight. Now it's time to give up the diet soda.

A friend my age (70) became lactose intolerant a few years ago but raw, non homogenized/pasteurized milk causes no problems at all.

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:

And BTW there are a newer type of cows named "A2" that naturally make the better milk. LINK to Braums A2 dairy cows
.

We buy A2 milk and it is easier to digest than regular milk.

Add me to the list. Started in my early 60's and got progressively worse.

Milk, cream of anything soup, milk chocolate (a bite or two is okay, a couple of bars is not) cheese (except Swiss for some reason). And not just a little "intolerant" I'm talking full-on colonoscopy-prep grade diarrhea. The worst thing is that ice cream is a HUGE no-no and I love me some ice cream. Lactaid milk is okay used on cereal and for cooking. Haven't been able to gag down a glass of milk in decades.

The other trigger is anything greasy or fatty. All but the leanest hamburger is right out. Only red meat I can tolerate is venison. Chicken is white meat only. Lean pork is okay. Fish is okay, lobster I have to be careful with.

It sucks.

quote:

Originally posted by Suppressed:

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:

And BTW there are a newer type of cows named "A2" that naturally make the better milk. LINK to Braums A2 dairy cows
.

We buy A2 milk and it is easier to digest than regular milk.

Same. Both Braum's and the Fairlife brands of A2 milk are about all I can drink anymore without issues. I can still enjoy yogurt, small servings of ice cream, and cheese, but a big ol' glass of regular milk will put me out of commission (or at least necessitate staying close to the facilities) for the rest of the day.

This all came about in my 30s, prior to that I drank milk like crazy.

I'm 47 and spent a large chuck of 2022 on a low-FODMAP diet, trying to figure out what was causing my gut issues.

It turns out that cow's milk with my cereal and large or repeated quantities of greasy food were causing me issues.

I switched to lactose-free milk for with my cereal and backed way, way off on greasy foods, and I'm in way better shape - digestion-wise.

Going low FODMAP and then reintroducing things, one at a time, over a 3 or 4 day period is extremely helpful. It just takes a lot of time, and you end up losing a lot of weight.

Developed it in my 40s. Also can't tolerate egg yolks anymore.