Allergy vs intolerance symptoms

[kirstyh]

Does anyone have list of the symptoms of a true milk allergy vs an intolerence vs lactose intolerance. I know my one year has a sensitivity to milk, but am having difficulty persuading my GP to send him for testing. I only see the paediatrician again in April, but would like the armoury to try and persuade my GP to do the testing before then.

Kirsty

[Steve]

FoodIntol.com (http://www.foodintol.com/) have a Symptoms Matrix available on thier site. You have to register first (for free) to get it, but it gives a list of symptoms suffered with both food allergies and intolerances for many foods.

[ellsie]

I have just read through your previous posts again. Your child had blood in his stools and a rash after contact with milk products, you were asked to stop milk yourself whilst feeding and he improved after that,I understand your concern and I think you are right to ask for an allergy test. Do you have another doctor at your practice that you could talk to as I am surprised you are being refused.

Allergy is much rarer than intolerance and I assume that you have completely avoided milk products for him until now. I did this with my kids as I have an allergy to milk and they were tested at 18 months,one in Leeds and one in Leicester so it may be that they test from that age, I don't know. Try getting your health visitor to apply some pressure on the doc as you need to know how to approach his diet and you need to know if it is life threatening as allergies can be and what you do in an emergency.Give your doc akick start and good luck! To me your history warrants better treatment than you are getting:angry:

[Mac]

Its so confusing isnt it... My son had blood in his poo etc etc and I have been told its a Milk Allergy not an intolerance, but to be honest I have that much conflicting advice...... At the moment we are on a waiting list to see a paed dietician, nightmare. My son is 7 months old and we are weaning him dairy free, I am still bfeeding him, he hates vegetables and I have been worrying myself sick over his diet and whether he is getting enough vits and calcium....I feel so bewildered really and like I havent really had any professional help apart from a prescription for some Pepti Junior formula which he won't drink and I don't blame him as it is minging. I was advised that he could have this as a drink between b/feeds to give him his vits and minerals. Also abidec vitamin drops for babies..... bought some then saw they contain peanut oil. I gave him some before I read that! I really didn't think that something intended for babies would have peanut oil in it. He didn't have a reaction, but I havent given him any more just in case.

[Pam]

I didn't know that about Abidec, my middle child was given those drops when he was in SCBU as he was born 2 months early. You wouldn't have thought that they would allow peanut oil to be used in vitamin drops for babies when we are constantly told to avoid nuts during pregnancy and the early years.

You read so much conflicting advice and information about the whole allergy/intolerance thing that it is difficult to know what to think. Don't expect big things from the paediatric dietician, after being a member here for a few weeks you will probably be better informed than they are. Testing is rare and usually inaccuarate so the best you can do is go by your instincts. The dietician should at least be able to advise you on getting the right nutrients into yourself and your son. Don't worry too much about the solids, at 7 months he should still be getting most of his nutrients from milk anyway.

[lyndamc]

I also was not aware that Abidec contained peanut oil. My son was also in SCBU because he was delivered two months early which is where he had Abidec, and we continued giving it to him until he was eating a full and varied diet!!
Lynda

[matt]

what a great idea, something for ill kids that contains the thing you're meant to avoid giving kids!!! what fool put that together.

[Mac]

I phoned my health visitor about the drops and the peanut oil, she called the dietician on my bahalf, they said, yes... they contain arachis oil (peanut) but it should be ok!!! Blimey. Anyway she told me about an alternative called Dalivit? I'm going to pop to the chemist to try those instead. I read an article about vitamin D the other day and apparantly babies who are being fed by mothers who avoid all dairy (me) won't be getting any vitamin D at all. Pam, do you know if fortified rice milks would give me my vitamin D?

[Pam]

I'm sorry I don't know the answer to that and I don't have any at home to look on the carton. I wouldn't have a clue what the daily recommended intake of Vit D was either. I'm sure that baby formula will have the correct amount in but I don't know about shop bought milks. 10g of Pure soya spread contains 16% of the RDA of vitamin D and 100ml of Morrisons soya milk contains 15% of the RDA of D2, so I'm sure that rice milk will contain some. I think that is a question for the dietician. Thick question here, but what part of our body does vitamin D help?

[lyndamc]

Vanilla Rice Dream doesn't have anything in it. The blue carton of Rice Dream is Calcium fortified I think, but don't know about vitamins. The RDA of Vitamin D is 5ug - not sure exactly what its for either!!!

Lynda

[Mac]

not really sure myself, all I know is that lack of it in the most serious case causes rickits (not sure if i have spelt that correctly!) I know thats prob taking worrying to an extreme............ :unsure:

[ellsie]

I believe the presence of vit D is necessery for calcium to move into the bones to build them. That is why you should take a combination calcium and vit d supplement if you need to take a supplement. The body does make vit d on its own when the skin is exposed to sunlight so make sure you get out for a walk daily during the hours of daylight.:D I don't know how much it would make at this time of year compared to reccomended intake.