Can it take 24hrs to show an intolerance?

[Not_Sure]

Hi, First post on this forum!
I have been toying with the idea I am lactose intolerant for the last few months and have cut out most dairy and felt a lot better. I am however still struggling with giving it up completely.
I was just wondering if it could take 24hrs between consuming dairy and having bad diarrhoea? Most websites suggest a reaction from 30 mins to 2 hrs but could it be longer? The reason I ask is I "tested" myself by eating a bowl of cereal with normal milk - then around 24hrs later I suffered! Same again a few days later by eating a korma. Again around 24hrs later I suffered again!!.
Im thinking 30mins - 2hrs is more for sickness etc?
Thanks,
Tim.

[Copper]

Welcome to the site. I don't know the answer to your question because everybody is different.

I have many intolerances and they take different amounts of time to make me feel ill. I am lactose intolerant and I used to be able to have small amounts of dairy through the course of a day BUT it would all catch up with me just as I was going to bed. I then suffered all night, feeling very sick and then a trip to the toilet in the morning. I spent the next day feeling rough as my stomach was fragile and I was very tired through lack of sleep.

I am intolerant to coconut and that makes me rush to the loo very quickly.

I listened to an expert on the radio recently and she said there is no reliable test for intolerances apart from coeliac. She said the best way was to eliminate the suspect food from the diet for a week. Then you have to put the suspect food back in to your diet. If you felt well without the suspect food and then ill when you put it back in to your diet you had solved the problem.

The probelm with lactose intolernace is finding out how much you can tolerate. Trial and error is the only way. Over the years I have become less and less tolerant and now I am completly intolerant.

If you want to try a totally dairy free diet and need help with alternative foods just ask. We are very good with chocolate and ice cream alternatives :lol2:

[Not_Sure]

Thanks for the reply Copper.
Your right, I need to bite the bullet and remove dairy from my diet for a week.
I'm thinking of starting a food diary too as I can not normally remember what I did the day before let alone what I ate! Hopefully the diary will allow me to work out time frames etc better.
Thanks for the tips about the foods. I have been lurking around the forums for a while and have picked up some great tips!.
Also interesting to hear you are also intolerant to coconut milk, its possible I am the same as there is a certain meal I eat that makes me feel unwell with no dairy just coconut milk!
Cheers,
Tim

[Copper]

A food diary is an excellent idea. My memory is bad too :lol2:

If you have been lurking for a while you will no doubt have come across this page on this site

http://www.dairyfreeuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=738

It gives the alternative names for dairy. You have to check labels on foods for the hidden milk. Some foods even contain lactose :eek: I find this is the case with some cooked meats and frozen foods.

I struggle to find cakes which are dairy free so I bake my own. I make my own bread too mainly because it tastes nicer. Some breads contain dairy I think. I can buy dairy free biscuits and my favourites are Tesco cheap digestives and Bourbons. This week for a change I am eating Jacobs lemon puffs :D