Author Topic: Dairy and colds???  (Read 5561 times)

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Offline grace annes mommy

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Dairy and colds???
« on: March 06, 2010, 13:01:13 pm »
Hey Ladies!
DD was a MSPI babe, on Nutra AA.  At 12 mos. we successfully added soy, and she's doing great on in, now drinking soymilk - woohoo!
She is now 17 mos. and in the past 2 mos. we have tried to introduce dairy 3x.  Everytime we start, we stop bc "something gets in the way" of us being able to monitor her reactions.  Today I realized that the "something" has been a respiratory infection/cold. All 3 times. So I'm thinking...this is a reaction to the dairy??? What do you think???  This past trial, she had about an ounce of yogurt each morning.  Around day 2, a little gassiness, but nothing to write home about. By day 4, a full blown snotty nose, getting a cold - we stopped the dairy.  She's still getting over the cold, been 3 days dairy free now.
What do you allergy mommas think? Is it just coincidence?  If it was a reaction to dairy, would it be gone now? Does her immune system weaken trying to process the dairy, resulting in getting sick?  
TIA - you ladies are the best!
Caitlin


Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2010, 15:15:39 pm »
We stopped trying milk for just that reason (and are waiting to go to the allergist at the end of the month). Spencer was getting snotty/wheezy/coughing and I just wasn't sure if it was a cold or the milk. She is on soy milk too and has a varied enough diet that she isn't missing out on anything I think. Oh, and her snotty noses were always clear or whiteish, not the slime green it usually is when she has a cold/sinus infection.

HTH
Heidi




Offline grace annes mommy

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2010, 15:44:49 pm »
Thanks Heidi!
That's what's going on here. Clear snot, no temp., happy girl - just all stuffy.
I'm fine keeping her off dairy. She's a great eater and we've all just switched to soymilk.  Cooking for all of us actually is easier than I thought it would be.  Just felt like I should try dairy again before her check up in a couple weeks. Hopefully we'll be referred to an allergist, just to get our foot in that door and get more info.

Thanks again for sharing your experience!


Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2010, 17:04:02 pm »
You're welcome  :)

I tried feeding Spencer some yogurt 2 weeks ago and she got really red chapped cheeks, nasty poos etc, so I didn't push it. I'm hoping that either the allergy tests will show something or I will try to get her in to see a ped about it (we think she might have asthma too) Good luck at your appt!

Heidi
Heidi




scarlettsmom

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2010, 18:14:17 pm »
Hey there - just wanted to echo what Heidi said:  you can absolutely see signs of a cold that are actually symptoms of an allergy.  we're going through that right now - DD2 has a milk allergy but has recently be able to tolerate baked in dairy and some cheeses, which is really exciting.  Unfortunately she got a hold of DD1s cereal with milk in it and had some.....now she has got a really annoying (for her) runny (clear) nose, congestion, loose stools (however leaps and bounds from the bloody mucousy stools from earlier on!)

Glad everything is going well on the soy and good luck at your appointment!

Offline grace annes mommy

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #5 on: March 07, 2010, 00:58:36 am »
Thanks Tari!
I'm pretty certain now this 'cold' is from the allergy.  But it does seem she can handle dairy in small amts. here and there, just not more than 3 or 4 days of exposure.  This puts me at ease, since she has swiped friends snacks and whatnot. I don't feel like I have to run after parents asking for an ingredient list!  And, as you said - we've come a loooong way from the bloody stools. wow!

 :-* :-*
Caitlin


Offline babybarr

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2010, 12:43:37 pm »
My brother gets a hacking cough if he has too much dairy and a friend of mine thought that having mucus running down your throat was normal until she realised she had a dairy allergy!! 
LAURA xx




Offline KathrynK

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #7 on: March 09, 2010, 14:57:57 pm »
hello

just wanted to add that I have a lactose intolerance- I can have moderate amounts of milk and yoghurt but when I eat cheese of any kind within a couple hours I can't breathe as my nose is so stuffy it's like the worst cold ever!
If I do get a cold I automatically cut all dairy out of my diet until I am over the worst as it definitely aggravates my symptoms.

When Sophie gets a cold I stop her morning & evening cup of milk and no breakfast cereal either, only for the duration, and it definitely helps her get over the cough quicker. Before I started doing that religiously she used to end up on inhalers with every cold.
hth x
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Offline firsttimemummy

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #8 on: March 09, 2010, 19:20:14 pm »
My DS seems to get a snotty nose whenever he drinks cold cows milk (same as me) - when he had 2 ear infections recently he was having breastmilk a lot so I didn't give him his usual cups of cows milk - the day I started again he woke the following day with his usual runny nose.  I had wondered a while ago if this was the case but dismissed it as health visitor said it was probably him just getting lots of colds .... a couple of months of him being cows milk free and I haven't had to wipe his nose (he is fine with other dairy inc cheese, yogurts, etc). Incidentially ear infections can be linked to cows milk intolerence (a bacteria that causes the ear tubes to swell rather than the mucous, or something!) which is what made me start to think about the cows milk thing again ...
L x Having a bw break from 1 Feb 2012 - if you want to get in touch please send me a pm.  I may not be here but you are all in my thoughts xxxx (probably be back some time)

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Offline deb

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #9 on: March 09, 2010, 19:23:42 pm »
I've noticed over the years a marked increase in mucous when I have lots of dairy. Even our choir director at church advises us all to stop with dairy a day before a big performance since it can contribute to phlegm in the throat.

I would avoid the dairy for a while, like a couple months, and try again from time to time, but I'm guessing some sort of allergy or intolerance; milk does that to lots of people, but that doesn't mean it *should,* KWIM?

Offline grace annes mommy

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #10 on: March 09, 2010, 21:29:34 pm »
Thanks for chiming in everyone.
I knew there were links between phlemg and dairy.  I also cut out dairy when I have a cold.
It's been several days since DD had dairy, but her nose is still full of snot... She's also looking a bit excema-ish in a few spots (which is a reaction she had previously, when she was a tiny infant).  I guess the dairy is still working itself out of her system??? I know it can take a couple weeks, but figured she'd be less runny by now, poor thing.
She has a checkup a week from today. Really would like to get her in to see an allergist, esp with the excema starting back up.


Offline firsttimemummy

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #11 on: March 10, 2010, 08:27:29 am »
My little brother used to get excema with drinking cows milk
L x Having a bw break from 1 Feb 2012 - if you want to get in touch please send me a pm.  I may not be here but you are all in my thoughts xxxx (probably be back some time)

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scarlettsmom

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #12 on: March 10, 2010, 13:52:26 pm »
A visit with a ped allergist would be very helpful...if it IS a milk allergy it could still be working itself out, but she also may be reacting to trace dairy?  Has all dairy been removed?  Also - it could be a dairy symptom combined with a cold  ::)  It's so hard to tell sometimes.  The excema seems to point to an allergy/irritant though.

((hugs))  Good luck at your appointment and I hope you get to see an allergist asap.

Offline clazzat

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #13 on: March 10, 2010, 13:55:16 pm »
This is such an interesting post - I have been cursing dd2's constant colds, coughs etc, but it has never occurred to me that it might be a milk allergy.  We switched to lactofree milk because she would wake in the night in discomfort on ordinary milk, but I guess that's still dairy.  We're going to try a week with no milk at all to see what happens.  Thanks for posting!

Offline firsttimemummy

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #14 on: March 10, 2010, 16:42:19 pm »
There is a difference between a milk allergy and intolerence (not sure 100% the differences,etc).  Me and my DS both have a cows milk intolerence which means our bodies react against the milk (and thereby, don't absorb the calcium as well) - when I got a food intolerence test my calcium levels were low and that was their explanation.  DS has an appointment with the dietician at the end of next month.  My skin used to be really spotty and I always had a cold.  If I drink cold milk now my stomach gets really gassy quickly and my nose gets stuffy.  He eats plenty of everything so should get enough calcium from other sources. By cutting out cold cows milk he seems to be snot-free ;)  Having a quick look online there seems to be so many different allergies/intolerences surrounding dairy/milk etc it is so confusing! Suppose when you try eliminating one thing at a time you can see what your child reacts to, etc.

My friend's DD had intolerence/allergy to some foods but was told to keep giving her a little bit of it so her body got used to it (if you cut it out completely I think you have a worse reaction if/when you eat the food) and once she was a bit older her body had got used it and she can eat the foods now.
L x Having a bw break from 1 Feb 2012 - if you want to get in touch please send me a pm.  I may not be here but you are all in my thoughts xxxx (probably be back some time)

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scarlettsmom

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #15 on: March 10, 2010, 17:15:07 pm »
If you have a milk allergy/intolerance, lactose free won't help.  Lactose is the milk sugar, milk allergy/intolerance is issues with the actual milk protein, and that's still present in lactose free items.  Very interested to see what happens after you take dairy out....it may take longer than a week though - although you should see SOME result in a week if there is indeed an allergy/intolerance.  Good luck!

Interesting about the cold milk firsttimemummy - are you ok with room temp/warm? 

Offline firsttimemummy

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #16 on: March 11, 2010, 08:31:36 am »
I am fine if the milk is heated up, etc I think because it changes the milk bacteria etc
L x Having a bw break from 1 Feb 2012 - if you want to get in touch please send me a pm.  I may not be here but you are all in my thoughts xxxx (probably be back some time)

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Offline deb

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Re: Dairy and colds???
« Reply #17 on: March 11, 2010, 11:47:24 am »
Apparently if milk is cooked long enough it breaks down the casein (milk protein) a little bit? My friend's DD can have *some* milk and eggs in things now but only if they've been cooked for a certain amount of time.

I've found that we can have dairy with few ill effects, as the culturing that the bacteria do on the milk also partially digest the lactose and casein, plus those bacteria are so so good for digestion. :) But plain milk, ice cream, some cheeses - forget it! It's a shame b/c we really really like pizza and once in a while we'll go out to CiCi's pizza buffet and pig out, but that's like once a month at most, b/c we pay for it afterward. :-\