Author Topic: Dairy and constipation - any experience?  (Read 16334 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline EloysH

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 102
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 5299
  • Eloise & 2 boys, from reflux to gut healing :)
  • Location: Sydney, Australia
Re: Dairy and constipation - any experience?
« Reply #15 on: May 26, 2013, 10:30:12 am »
Jenny,

How did you get on with this?

My LO has been dairy free nearly since birth, just in last 6 motnhs we have added butter into the diet, but that's it.

For sure, if you are trying to determine whether dairy is a problem  you need to eliminate it completely. There  are heaps of alternatives as you know, but parties and things will be hard, we counter this with making things for parties that my son can eat.  Being 5 she is old enough to understand that a special diet for a few weeks might help her with her poos,  so from now on ask Mum before you eat anything I will help us eat the right foods for a few weeks even a chart with pictues of dairy items that she can help draw and colour in might be fun.

We make dairy free icecream that tastes just like icecream would you believe, made from rice milk, vanilla, frozen bannana and oil and secret ingredient - xanthan gum. It emulsifies really nicely and tastes creamy. Only takes 30 seconds to make.  I stumbled acorss the recipe about a year ago. its great, you can add as little or as much sweetener as you want.




Offline Edesanja

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 39
  • Posts: 2593
  • Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Re: Dairy and constipation - any experience?
« Reply #16 on: May 27, 2013, 01:42:58 am »
I really need DH's buy in before we can start - he and I hardly ever disagree on anything parenting related, but food intolerances is THE thing we argue about. He's a bit ignorant and pig headed about it - he doesn't have an issue with food and can't imagine what it's like to be affected by what you eat. Ugh!!! Drives me insane.

I've been quite busy lately and just haven't been able to plan it all out in my own head let alone talk to DH about a 'plan'. I have to get a recipe for coconut 'yoghurt; (coconut plus kefir) off a friend and write a list of lunches for her and dinners for all of us that are dairy free. I know I'm just procrastinating but at the moment that feels tough (I already adapt some of my own meals to be gluten free, and that plus a dairy free version seems like hard work). Plus family dinners which we have weekly will be super tough. Ugh.

I've noticed lately that she HAS been avoiding some dairy. Yoghurt especially, but some other things too. She ate breakfast this morning with barely enough milk to make it wet. Still eating ice cream though and she was offered chocolate milk yesterday which she drank. So maybe she will be easier to convince to take a break than I thought. What I wonder though is how we will tell that dairy free is helping or not? Like I assume I'll have to take her off lactulose at some point, but we find that she IS fine for a while without taking it, it's as time goes on that we get problems again.

Can you send the recipe for that ice cream Eloise? (she's not that fussed on ice cream I have made in the past with banana in (just yoghurt with frozen banana and mango in it) - and must admit I prefer it without the banana-y taste too! But definitely worth a go). Is the banana essential for the creamy texture or is it replaceable?
Jenny - mama to



Offline EloysH

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 102
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 5299
  • Eloise & 2 boys, from reflux to gut healing :)
  • Location: Sydney, Australia
Re: Dairy and constipation - any experience?
« Reply #17 on: June 03, 2013, 10:45:57 am »
Just checked in love  :)

Had a nasty biology exam on Friday so had head in books, but its all done now for 8 weeks yay!

I will post recipe in next few days.

DH buy in is half the battle, I bull dozed mine from the start but the proof is in the pudding. He can't deny the improvements and also the reactions since it has been time and time again :) now he braggs about diet and everything related  ::)

Need to ponder on the lactulose - so currently whilst eating dairy she has regular bowel movement with lactulose? I would assume that of dairy is not being tolerated you will be able to slowly wean off lactulose. Once off lactulose you could do a dairy challenge, and make it very high dose - full cup of milk per day for a week. The poos would soon tell you for sure. She is a clever cookie avoiding dairy, kids are so intuitive.   

The ice cream doesn't require banana at all, it's quite a nice texture without it :)


Offline Edesanja

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 39
  • Posts: 2593
  • Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Re: Dairy and constipation - any experience?
« Reply #18 on: June 03, 2013, 23:13:33 pm »
Hey Eloise,
Yay for 6 weeks off!
E was vomitting last week and so by the time she was ok she hadn't had dairy for a few days so I said "DH, that's it. While we've already started, we're going to keep going." He wasn't happy, but has agreed. She's still having 15ml lactulose at the moment (I wanted to keep that going for at least a week while dairy free, but DH misunderstood that bit so she's had a couple less doses than she should have. This bug still doesn't seem to be completely gone yet (DH, DS and I have it too ::) because she had almost diahorrea early this morning (and she DIDN'T have lactulose last night) even though she's been clear of it for a few days. It makes it tricky figuring out what is causing what!

She was prescribed 20ml and to go up to 25ml but we never got that far - her whole insides were coming out and she couldn't control it at all at 20ml so we pulled back to 15ml. 20ml is an adult dose anyway so seems very high for my only-just-14kg-five-year-old. 15ml gives just formed consistenly (I think - trying to remember beyond all the diahorrea of late!). She goes when she wakes up (and we give it as close to bed time as we can otherwise she wakes earlier than she wants to wake needing to go) and probably once more in the day.

At the start she was really excited about being dairy free and having special foods. She's not quite as enthusiastic now that she doesn't like the coconut ice cream (I didn't make it sweet enough though, so will try another batch) and she's not that keen on the oat milk but will eat it. We have rice and almond milk yet to try though and I think almond is sweeter so maybe she'll like that better. She doesn't like coconut cream, so there goes my idea for whipped coconut cream and coconut kefir! :/ She's cried once about not being able to have cream cheese, but really, I'm very proud of her.

In the next week or two they are bringing in a "milk in schools" programme. The first time for a few decades. She's said she will be sad not to be the same as everyone else but understands. Even if we weren't doing dairy free at the moment, I wouldn't want her to have it because of her history.

DH is very skeptical. I've found him a bunch of (medical journal) articles to read (he only trusts professionals) but life has been pretty hectic with all of us sick and him doing most of the looking after us all! He wants to take her to the Dr to get her opinion, which I'm happy for him to do. For a reason I can't really explain, I DON'T want to go with them. I feel like DH is ignorant and arrogant about the whole thing which makes me crazy and I guess I don't want to feel all my anger at him about it in from of the GP? I think she'll be supportive though.
One of DH's main issues is he's embarrassed for her be dairy free. Probably in front of his family mostly (who have zero food issues). I said, "how is it different from any other sickness/condition that you have no control over?" which his head understood, but that's still how he feels. Plus he thinks giving her lactulose for the rest of her life is easier than being dairy free. I agree, it would be but what about the underlying damage it could be doing? Has eating dairy for the past 3 years contributed to her being tiny because it's stopping her absorb nutrients or something?... etc But he says there's no proof of any of those things and it's my fear of those things that has me wanting to do all this. ::)

Sorry this has got long. Ice cream recipe will be great though thanks Eloise!
Jenny - mama to



Offline Edesanja

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 39
  • Posts: 2593
  • Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Re: Dairy and constipation - any experience?
« Reply #19 on: June 09, 2013, 03:37:53 am »
E has been dairy free for 10 days. The only slip up we have had was yesterday when her cousin offered her a cheese toastie without me knowing. She is really good at knowing and asking about things with dairy but just completely forgot I think. And I didn't realise at all (I had already made her a separate sandwich which she'd eaten).
DH and I talked and he finally agreed to read some medical articles I found. they answered nearly all his questions which was good, and he's much more on board which is fab (why he didn't just READ this info earlier (years ago would have been good and stopped many of the arguments we've had about food issues over the years ::) :P) I don't know!

I'm still so proud of her - I can't believe how well she's doing with not being allowed to eat some of the things I know she really does want to.

We've stopped the lactulose as of Friday. I was keen to carry on with it for a few extra days in light of the cheese incident, but I didn't win that conversation. It's the only dairy she's had so hopefully it will be ok anyway.
Jenny - mama to



Offline We Three

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 418
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 15698
  • The Sweetest Thing....
  • Location:
Re: Dairy and constipation - any experience?
« Reply #20 on: June 09, 2013, 05:12:57 am »
Oh isn't she a little star?   :)  I am watching and looking forward to seeing what happens.....!!!  Hope al goes well, and that this is the answer!

Offline ZacsMumme

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 425
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 23962
  • You complete me
  • Location: NZ
    • Tomi & Roo Boutique
Re: Dairy and constipation - any experience?
« Reply #21 on: June 09, 2013, 08:02:52 am »
Fixed things continue to Improve Hun :-* she is such a star!
***Sara***
https://www.facebook.com/tomiandroo


DS1 - Our sensitive soul. Silent reflux.

DS2 Our cheeky chipmunk. Reflux, MSPI.

Offline ENMS

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 63
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 5189
  • Location: Quebec, Canada
Re: Dairy and constipation - any experience?
« Reply #22 on: June 09, 2013, 13:39:30 pm »
Oh that's a great update :)

I saw this morning in a magazine a dairy-free ice cream recipe (with coconut milk and rice milk). Let me know if you'd like me to post it or PM it to you.
Elise



Offline draxela

  • BW Aficionado
  • ***
  • Showing Appreciation 4
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 139
  • My beautiful cherubs
  • Location: Canberra, Australia
    • Swings and Roundabouts
Re: Dairy and constipation - any experience?
« Reply #23 on: June 09, 2013, 18:53:02 pm »
Hi there, congrats on getting your LO to go dairy free! It's super hard I know. My DD is only 19 months but was constipated for 12 months til we finally saw a paed who diagnosed cow's milk allergy. Up until then all the drs told me it only caused diarrhoea not constipation. She had been on Movicol (like Lactulose) for so so long but within 48 hours of cutting all cows milk products (including hidden dairy) she was completely cured and off Movicol for months. Unfortunately she's recently had a course of antibiotics that sent her right back to square one. Apparently the damage to the gut caused by long-term constipation (even if managed with meds) makes them very very susceptible to recurrence. Just something to watch out for.

Hope your LOs poos continue to stay normal and congrats on being such a determined and awesome mama. I love these forums seriously! So many amazing, inspiring parents!
Alex, mummy to:
~ touchy/angel N, 2 November 2011, Cow's milk allergy
~ spirited A, 18 March 2013, food intols, reflux, tongue tie, lip tie!

Offline Edesanja

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 39
  • Posts: 2593
  • Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Re: Dairy and constipation - any experience?
« Reply #24 on: June 09, 2013, 21:10:06 pm »
Thanks ladies  :-*  :-*

Unfortunately she's recently had a course of antibiotics that sent her right back to square one. Apparently the damage to the gut caused by long-term constipation (even if managed with meds) makes them very very susceptible to recurrence. Just something to watch out for.
thank you for that reminder, Alex.


I saw this morning in a magazine a dairy-free ice cream recipe (with coconut milk and rice milk). Let me know if you'd like me to post it or PM it to you.
Elise, thanks for that. E doesn't like the taste of coconut milk which is very inconvenient! I made a recipe Eloise gave me which has rice milk and oil in it and it was pretty good (I need to tweak it a little, but she did like it so that was great).
Jenny - mama to



Offline EloysH

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 102
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 5299
  • Eloise & 2 boys, from reflux to gut healing :)
  • Location: Sydney, Australia
Re: Dairy and constipation - any experience?
« Reply #25 on: June 11, 2013, 08:08:41 am »
Jenny, you might like some of these dairy free recipe ice-cream recipes too....

http://quirkycooking.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/miss-cs-ice-cream-menu-plan.html


the recipe with oil and rice milk comes out pretty creamy doesn't it?

Well done to her for handling dairy free so well... :)
 I love it when they totally get health concepts though... my 3 year old was saying to me today.. "we only eat one sweet thing a day, not more, and its needs to be gluten free" except he says "gooten fee"

Offline draxela

  • BW Aficionado
  • ***
  • Showing Appreciation 4
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 139
  • My beautiful cherubs
  • Location: Canberra, Australia
    • Swings and Roundabouts
Re: Dairy and constipation - any experience?
« Reply #26 on: June 11, 2013, 09:52:36 am »
Hey, so just for your interest, today DD's paed told me that new research has found that casein has the same effect on some people's guts as opiates do, and that in the case of LOs with milk allergy it's 'like pouring concrete down a drain'. Awesome! He also said eventually they grow out of it but their guts will always be sensitive. He said it's not the lactose that causes the reaction so therefore yoghurt is just as bad as butter and cheese because they all contain casein. Interesting!
Alex, mummy to:
~ touchy/angel N, 2 November 2011, Cow's milk allergy
~ spirited A, 18 March 2013, food intols, reflux, tongue tie, lip tie!

Offline EloysH

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 102
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 5299
  • Eloise & 2 boys, from reflux to gut healing :)
  • Location: Sydney, Australia
Re: Dairy and constipation - any experience?
« Reply #27 on: June 11, 2013, 11:57:12 am »
My LO is casein intolerant, lactose is not a problem at all.   Butter has less casein though, its mostly fat thats why some with intolerances can tolerate butter. Luckily my LO could always tolerate ghee, and butter this year. Fermented dairy is next on the list for him to tolerate because the fermenting process helps pre-digest the casein, and also the live enzymes and good bacteria help with the digestion too. Store bought yoghurt is only fermented for 6 hours and has minimal live bacteria to aid digestion. I will be trying 24 hours fermented raw goat milk yoghurt made at home with with a yoghurt maker with added probiotic as well as yoghurt starter and see where we get.

I have read about opiate effects from intolerance to gluten and casein, I guess that's why so many kids who are intolerant to dairy actually crave it, they are on drugs LOL!   But I have seen this alot now through studying to be a nutritionist, people will crave foods that they are not tolerating because of chemicals released to the brain when eating it, due to incomplete digestion or  "leaky gut". The chemicals released are peptides  that have similar effect to opiates in the brain.

Offline draxela

  • BW Aficionado
  • ***
  • Showing Appreciation 4
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 139
  • My beautiful cherubs
  • Location: Canberra, Australia
    • Swings and Roundabouts
Re: Dairy and constipation - any experience?
« Reply #28 on: June 11, 2013, 16:55:14 pm »
Wow Eloys! That's fascinating! I've always craved dairy - found it incredibly hard to give up for A, but I've been completely CMP free for over 7 weeks now. I'm still craving the odd glass of milk with milo. I drank litres off the stuff while I was preggers.

I think it's awesome how well informed you are. We're lucky to have you here! :)
Alex, mummy to:
~ touchy/angel N, 2 November 2011, Cow's milk allergy
~ spirited A, 18 March 2013, food intols, reflux, tongue tie, lip tie!

Offline ENMS

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 63
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 5189
  • Location: Quebec, Canada
Re: Dairy and constipation - any experience?
« Reply #29 on: June 11, 2013, 17:45:03 pm »
I think it's awesome how well informed you are. We're lucky to have you here!

^^^^^ this. Thanks Eloise.
Elise