f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

OK SN NSR people, I have been having a health issue on and off for about 12 months now and yesterday saw an allergies specialist who has indicated that cutting dairy products out of my diet would be a good idea.

Happy to give it a go, but what do I replace them with.

Anyone else removed dairy from their diet and what substitures did you put in place?

Cheese I can live without. Milk on the other hand.. is soya milk good? Anything else that will work in place of milk (for tea/coffee/muesli). Butter is less of an issue as don't use it that often.

Any hints and tips would be great?

TIA

PaulC72

Goats milk, my MIL uses that instead of cow milk.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I used to get chronic heartburn/acid reflux until I reduced my dairy intake - particularly milk.

So yes I drink tea with no milk - people cringe, but you get used to it. However the tea must be weak (dip bag into the mug for a few seconds) hot not boiling water and good quality tea, PG tips etc. taste rank...far too strong. I find I need less sugar now too

Goats cheese gives me stomach spasms and reflux - I've been doubled up in agony on the bathroom floor for eating one slice before now, so I wouldn't dare try the goats milk.

andylinney

Try that Lactofree milk. It tastes the same but is missing the stuff most people are intolerant of.

I go in waves cutting milk out of my diet as it can, at times, give me the squits but the biggest difference I found was just reducing the sheer amount of dairy products rather than cutting them out altogether.

Turbohot

I've just been out to get some antihistamine and nasal spray for my unknown allergies that cause me itchy eyes, terrible headache and sinus congestion. Last night when I was watching Celebrity Jungle, my head was throbbing with ache, and my heavy eyes were shutting by themselves untimely. It wasn't the unconscious phenomenon to avoid TV trash, it's certainly a physiological issue. I haven't yet been to any allergies specialist for this chronic issue, but it's about time my doc sends me to one. For now, I hope my over-the-counter medication helps me.

I don't think I can part with dairy edibles, nor would I rid my cat Gods. I've got all the overgrown ivy all over my house removed a week ago, and I thought that would take my allergies away. More sunlight into my house, but allergies stay on.


I actually bought a dairy product i.e. Fry's Turkish Delight from the fuel station straight after taking my antihistamine, and after spraying Beconase up my nostrils.


f1, try soya milk. Some people at my work their own special soya milk. I don't know how good it is. The thought of tasting it is revolting to me.

If you do rid milk, shouldn't you rid steak eating as well?

dpb

Goats cheese

Turbohot

Goat's cheese stinks of a goat farm, man. It's like Gammon stinks of a pig sty.

I prefer Feta cheese mixed with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, garlic, artichoke etc. soaked in olive oil. I'd mix some of that stuff with my green salad or pasta. I think Feta is sheep milk product, and if they mix goat's milk to it, it's only about 30% of that.

markjmd

iTrader: (11)

Soya milk tastes pretty good on breakfast cereal, but has an unfortunate tendency to often give a curdled appearance in hot drinks. Since tea is a revolting concoction anyway, and coffee should only ever be drunk black, that looks like all of F1's problems sorted.

Turbohot

I forgot >






You'll find it near gluten free foods in Tesco.

Scooby-doo97

iTrader: (1)

Almond milk is another good choice and has less sugar than soya but it takes some getting used to.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Cheers swati and Scooby-doo. I will have to give these a go and see if I can adjust.

john banks

Did the allergies specialist perform any tests?

ScoobyWon't

Are you sure that you really have an allergy? Do you have anything to prove it?

I recently had a client who told me they were:

- allergic to nuts.
- allergic to gluten.
- allergic to dairy (lactose)
- allergic to fish.
- allregic to shellfish.
- vegetarian.

My question was simple:"What do you eat?"


I'm convinced she'd seen some quack who had sold her a pup.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Yes, had a skin test and a blood test which he explained to me were not conclusive proof but good indicators. Given how my sinuses and Eustachian tubes can clog up when I eat a lot of dairy I'd be inclined to agree with his diagnosis. Will give it a go and see if it makes a difference.

andylinney

If it's sinus trouble has anyone suggested this?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000A0S5KC

Apparently it works quite well if you get blocked up easily.

jods

After my own heart Turbohot. I ADORE Feta with stuffed pimento olives. It's second only to Foie Gras and a glass of Sauterne

john banks

Can we see the test results?

Do your nasal/sinus symptoms respond to an anthistamine or nasal steroid spray?

What evidence was presented to you that your constellation of symptoms, signs and laboratory results give a high positive predictive value for dairy allergy and that avoidance in a controlled trial showed benefit in excess if harm? Adult onset cow's milk allergy as a cause of adult onset nasal symptom is quackery until proven otherwise. If told to follow an exclusion diet you should have good evidence for doing so and written information and follow up.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

OK John, here is the full story.

I have been having the odd sinus and mucus issue on and off for the last few years. Nothing bad at all, but noticing it all the same from time to time. Last year in early November I was doing a lot of work outside (finishing off building new fences) and stupidly didn't keep warm enough and ended up with a chest infection.

The doc prescribed me some anti-biotics and it went away but left me with a partially blocked ear that I thought must be wax (as it felt very like that). Went back to the docs who looked at the ear and reported no wax. She felt it was an Eustachian tube blockage that you sometimes get after a chest infection and it would clear in time. I was gven some steroid nasal spray.

It did improve in as much as the hearing came back, but has left me with fluid somewhere at the top of the Eustachian tube/middle ear that when it is bad makes my ear feel full and my nasal passages block up. When it is good you don't notice it althogh it is still there as I can make it crunch by moving my jaw in a certain way.

I saw an ENT specialist earlier this year and he felt it was not worth doing anything with as I could open my Eustachian tubes (Valsalva manoeuvre) and for the most part it wasn't an issue, but he said to try and find a pattern as to when it did flare up.

As it happened I went to Indonesia just after that and realised whilst I was there that my ear was fine. Then I came back and within a few days it started to become noticeable again. I kept a bit of a log as to what I was doing and what I was eating/drinking and noticed that the day after I had anything with a lot of dairy in it it would flare up (partially blocked nasal passages and ear pressure). Then I realise that wile in Indonesia I had almost no dairy products either.

That was when I went back to the consultant and presented my 'log' to him. He suggested the allergies specialist and that is how I am now here. The next test is to go a few months without dairy and see what happens.

john banks

Well it is good that the exclusion was not led by blind testing but by your own symptom pattern. For an intolerance you might just need to be more sensible about the quantities of dairy which we all should rather than an exclusion if the symptoms are mild. If you do an exclusion for longer than a month or two I would take advice from a dietician or get yourself as clued up on it as the more enthusiastic vegans are to avoid deficiencies.

Most people don't use nasal steroids for long enough too.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Thanks, good idea. Yes I am a logical person myself and won't make a kneejerk response to health issues or silly leaps in the dark, I understand the importance of ensuring that any conclusion is reached based on the maximum amount of evidence that can be gathered.

Meant to add that the allergy test results are with my GP but I will get them back.

A question I keep meaning to ask my GP ... is it OK to keep using the sterioid nasal spray.... no limit on how long it can be used for? When I was prescribed it I was told to use it as needed, but no time limit was given. I did get a repeat prescription a few months ago.

Thanks for you responses on this thread, even though I can be a **** on some threads I do appreciate you taking the time here.

andylinney

Have a look at this:

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/steroid-nasal-sprays

My Mrs is a GP and I'm a GP practice manager and she and our GP recommends this site to people all of the time.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Cheers

john banks

Yes it is safe and common to use nasal steroids long term.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Thanks John

Pigman149

iTrader: (1)

Holand and Barrett do a good soya milk it's sweetened with apple extract, I know sounds bad but I really like it. I have always thought I was dairy/lactose intolerant but it turns out it's gluten and wheat that makes me feel crap.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Cheers, will give it a try, whenever I have had soya milk in the past I have found it to be quite sour so this maybe the answer.

Arctic_Monkey

iTrader: (8)

Best off without dairy mate (from cow's anyway). I've been wheat, gluten, dairy & soya free for over 2 years and it's the best thing I've ever done.

Research acid v alkaline nutrition, who would've thought dairy from cows is that acidic that your body has to draw calcium from your own bones to break the stuff down in your stomach and actually process it? Dairy from cows, wheat, gluten and soya are very acidic, they cause inflammation and are hard for your body to process. There are a lot of studies linking high consumers of dairy products to osteoporosis, and higher numbers of bone fractures. I personally wouldn't go near soya, full of estrogen and can wreak havoc with your hormones.

Almond milk is a personal favourite of mine, and I know cheese and milk from goats still contain lactose but they aren't as difficult to process as dairy from cows, so cheese could still be on the menu.

Best thing to do is just experiment, remove certain food groups for 14-28 days and see how you feel. Also take note how you feel when they are reintroduced. Best of luck.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Cheers

Been off dairy for a few weeks now and sinuses etc. are definitely better at the moment, the last week has been a lot better!

Funkii Munkii

Also found in Sainsbury's, own brand, my wife has it.

ScoobyWont, you'd be suprised at some peoples level of allergies, my wife for example is allergic to the following

Wheat
Dairy
Yeast
Orange
Tomato
Furry animals, with regards to the hair and dead skin particles.

I have great sympathy for her as I have no allergies thankfully, but when you realise how many products contain wheat, yeast and dairy it blews your mind, the allergic reactions can be at best bloating through to chest infection or intense Sinus issues, not pleasant.

She was tested with regards to animals as our kids wanted pets, the only haired animal she wasn't allergic to was a rabbit, they had to go when we moved to Aus(the rabbits), now we are back we have fish again and Santa delivered two baby tortoises this christmas, a lot easier to maintain, and none of that lesbianism which we suffered from with the rabbits (theres a thread in here somewhere from 2008 on the matter)

tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

F1 - google "sinus wash" and "neti pot"

I have been using this twice a day for the last while, it has made a big improvement to my sinus problems.