Hi everyone, im new :)

[emi_150]

Hi everyone! Just a quick introduction.. my names Emi im 18 and i was diagnosed with dairy, soya and dust allergies earlier this year. When i was a baby i was allergic to eggs and cheese but i grew out of this and was allergy free for about 13yrs :D. My allergies came on when i started college and have been getting worse ever since.

I suffer from swelling of the throat, rashes on my hands, nasal congestion and a weird sort of chest pain... not much fun i must say!! I have a dietitian appointment in March, since my allergies are getting worse and i can no longer cope with the reactions i get from eating dairy. However... i can eat cream with no reactions at all, which i find really strange!!

Well thats about it! ^_^

[Pam]

Hi Emi, welcome to the site. Your allergies sound really frightening. I'm not too hot on soya free products but there are one or two members who are both dairy and soya free so they should be able to help you. If you need to know what products are safe and worth buying just shout and someone should be able to find you something.

It is really strange that you are ok with cream but not milk. I hope you get some answers from the dietician, though from personal experience they aren't always very clued up on food allergies and after you've done your research on here and other places on the web you will probably be able to tell them their job. Good luck anyway, let us know how it goes.

[Mac]

Pams right......... still not seen the dietician with my son (milk allergy) but I have learnt so much from this site that I feel that I neednt bother.........obviously I'll still turn up to the appointment, but I reckon I will know more!!

[matt]

don't quote me on this but i think cream doesn't have the protein just fat etc. so that could be why you're ok with it. let the dietician confirm. by that theory you should be ok with butter??

as has been said any specific questions, just ask chances are one of us will know, or will know where to look.

welcome to the nuthouse.:lol2:

[Pam]

Dieticians have the benefit of being able to work out calcium and calorie intake which can be helpful and they can point you in the right direction to up the intake of either. Mine also wrote to the doctor telling him to prescribe Wysoy until my daughter was 5 years old which was helpful. She lost all credibility as far as I was concerned when she told me to increase my daughter's calorie intake by "fortifying" her food with additional sugar sprinkled all over it and high fat foods (piling the dairy free spread on etc). I wasn't going to set her up for a lifetime of obesity, tooth decay and heart disease, not to mention poor eating habits, so I didn't follow her advice and haven't been back since. The growth chart clearly shows that she is not malnourished and although she is below average for weight she continued to grow along the same centile in her little red book.

[Copper]

Hi Emi - welcome to our little collective :) I am sure that we will be able to help you. I only have lactose intolerance so I am dairy free apart from a very small amount of reduced lactose milk in my coffee.

When I was 13 we moved from the East End of London to healthy Dorset, haha. I developed hay fever and asthma. When I was tested for hay fever allergies I was allergic to dust (the worst reaction) followed by the pollen of every tree, flower and bush! Over time I have improved and the asthma is currently "dormant".

The only way to cope is to cut out all foods containing your allergens. We will try and help if we can - don't despair.

[Lan]

Hi Emi,

I would like to welcome you to this website. I'm glad you have found us.

If you have any questions I'm sure one of us will be able to help you.

Kind Regards,


Lan. :D

[matt]

yeah healthy dorset, downwind of winfrith nuclear plant!!

come to the country and smell the healthyness!! otherwise known as horse and cow .......:lol2:

[emi_150]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!! :D

I wish that theory about protein was right but... i cant eat butter :( cream has been the only exception that i have noticed!

I'm originally from sunny dorset... Bournemouth and Alderholt to be precise! Only moved upto Hudds for university as its soooo much cheaper up here!!! :lol2: will be going home for the easter holidays though!

Has anyone found a dairy free chocolate that doesnt feel like sludge in your mouth?!? :yucky: the only sainsburys freefrom chocolate seems to be any good but i havnt tried many others and their range is limited to chocolate and chocolate & hazlenut.. or something like that.. but gets a bit boring after a while! i want something new and yummy! Any suggestions would be great!! :thumbsup:

Got a bit of an obsession with the emoticons on here!! hehe :lol2:

[Copper]

Have you tried Green and Blacks bars of chocolate? I don't have any in my fridge at the mo so I don't know if they contain soya. I can recommend the mint version and the plain is no that bad. Now if you like mint why not go for some peppermint creams. Tesco do their own version called After Dinner Mints but I see they contain Lecithins which may be from soya. I guess you need to check the ingredients carefully as you have a soya problem too :( Any decent customer service should be able to tell you if the lecithin content means soya. Tesco have a freephone number for customer service.

[emi_150]

I didnt realise that some chocolate bars dont contain dairy! You learn something new everyday!! Does this mean that all dark chocolate contains no dairy?? :huh:

Im completely new to all of this so sorry if i sound a bit dim! hehe. :)

[Copper]

It is very confusing when you first start this dairy free diet. I wish that all dark chocolate was dairy free. Bourneville tastes really nice and used to be dairy free BUT they stopped production in this country and now it is produced in France, where they add butterfat to it :( You really have to read the labels I am afraid. I have eaten the Lindt 70% cocoa chocolate and boy is that bitter. I stick to peppermint creams which were always my favourite sweeties anyway.

[Pam]

Emi, I didn't realise you were in Huddersfield, I'm just 3 miles away in Mirfield so it's nice to have someone local. I can recommend Half Moon Wholefoods on Half Moon Street (just between the bus station and railway station) and I also found a newish health food shop on Cross Church Street (I think that's what it's called) where I spent a fair bit last week.

My favourite shop is The Green Health Shop in Cleckheaton, the owner is really friendly and knowledgeable and she will order things in for you if requested (Half Moon will too).

Soya and Dairy free is difficult for chocolate as most contains soya lecithin. Duchy Originals are ok and I think the Green and Black mint bar is soya free. If you do a search on here you might find a message that I left a few months ago with the name of another chocolate bar that is free of both, I got it from another site but can't remember the name as I have never seen it for sale.

First Glace (or is it First Supreme?) ice cream should be ok for you, it is made with oat milk rather then soya, they do magnum type lollies too (I bought some in Cleckheaton).

[Steve]

I wish that theory about protein was right but... i cant eat butter :( cream has been the only exception that i have noticed!


Have you tried yoghurt? I did read that the bacteria in yoghurt actually breaks down the lactose in it and i would have thought that the same may be true of cream.

[emi_150]

Nope i cant eat yoghurt either :(

Thanks for all the useful info Pam! :D Will definatly be checking out those stores!

[matt]

pam we've a link!!

i'm in fordingbridge which means when emi comes home to alderholt she's less than 3 miles down the road from me!!

the health food shop in fordingbridge will happily order stuff in quickly and for no extra. the one in ringwood is quite good and holland and barrett are reasonable.

as has been said get used to reading labels and asking customer services. they do tend to be helpfull. and then ask here.

at the moment i can't eat choc. not that i'm at all upset about that:rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant:

[Pam]

Have you tried carob bars matt? The Just So ones aren't bad - they come in mint or orange & raisin or there's one with rice krispies & raisins but I'm not sure if they contain wheat. You're just too awkward! I've also tried the Plamil unsweetened carob bar, it was very bitter and not at all nice - it all went in the bin.

[matt]

yeah i have the plamil sweetened one. ie the one with sugar not sweeteners. like most you have to remember to not compare to choc.....

it's pleasant enough. can't say i'd miss it if i couldn't have it again. but makes for a litttle snack if i have a square or two.

smaller carob bars are quite expensive when i'm not overly fussed about them. might try the mint one though. when i next see the just so ones.

got to watch my figure though, wouldn't want to put weight on!! i might not look half dead then!

[ellsie]

I have a protein allergy and can't have cream or butter but I can have after8's mint and orange. I am curious as to why you can have cream! Can you have goat's milk or cheese? I can't have those as they start off the allergy.

[Pam]

I think After Eights are our saviours most of the time (Elizabeth Shaw do dairy free mint and orange crisp chocolates too - but make sure you get dark choc). There is a lot of debate as to whether sheep and goat milk is likely to cause a reaction in someone who is allergic to cow's milk. I think the proteins are slightly different but the reaction changes from person to person - some can tolerate goats milk, some can't. The only way to know is to try it.

[emi_150]

I've tried both goats milk and cheese, i didnt react to these i dont think.. but they tasted kind of... furry :mellow:

You might think it sounds a bit strange me saying im not sure if im allergic to it, but i didnt realise i was allergic to soya even when i used to drink the soya based drinks.. i just thought they had a weird consistency.. i later realised it was my mouth doing strange things :( so that could be the case with goat produce.

When i went for the blood tests they said they were going to test me against goats milk but when i went back for the results they said that these results were still outstanding and i've not heard anything since!! :angry:

[Pam]

What sort of tests did you have? The medical profession don't seem to offer them very often and "shop bought" testing doesn't seem too reliable. The only ones I've ever seen recommendations for are York Labs, but they are very expensive.

I think you should write to your doctor and ask for the results of the goats milk tests. At the end of the day though, if you feel that something is not quite right, then you are probably right to avoid those foods. What starts off as a mild tingling can sometimes progress to a full scale allergic reaction (anyphalactic shock) after continued contact with the problem food. It doesn't matter what the experts say - if it feels wrong, don't do it!

How's life at Huddersfield Uni? I did a HND course there part time about 15 years ago, but it was only a poly then.

[matt]

i'd go along with pam if it tastes funny then don't have it. however when i had goats milk i did notice the taste was very different to cows. it might just be you're comparing two things that shouldn't be. check with whoever did the tests (what test was it) you don't need to eat dairy products. just be aware of the calcium intake. either calcium tabs or green veg to make up for it. last thing you want is osteoporosis when you get older.


try almond or oat or hazlenut "milk" again they'll be a diff "funny " taste but they should be ok.

improvise adapt and overcome!!! have fun experimenting. enjoy huddersfield.

how far north? good god anything north of winchester is flat cap and whippet country!:lol2:

[Pam]

Emi, most soya milk is UHT and if you've ever tried UHT cow's milk you will know that it leaves a coating on the inside of your mouth, hard to describe but as though you have a layer of emulsion paint over your tongue and palate - is that the feeling that you're getting with soya? If it is, then I don't think you need to worry, but if the feeling is tingling, prickling, itching, burning or swelling then stay well clear.

[matt]

if in doubt avoid but i think it's more likely to be what pam says. a difference in the milk that you're not used to when you expect it to be the same as cows milk.

are you in for a shock when you try the cheeses. have an open mind and don't expect to taste cows milk cheese. you may like them you may not but give them a chance.:)

[emi_150]

My throat swells when i have soya so theres definately something not right when i drink it. I had blood tests done at the university doctors surgery they tested it against cows and goats milk, soya and some other things.

Almond or oat or hazlenut "milk" sounds quite interesting havnt noticed it in the shops though... then again i wasnt looking for it! Iv tried the rice ones and they are ok, but the taste when you put it in tea isnt quite right! hehe but i cant expect everything to be perfect! Is there anything i can put in tea/coffee as a substitute for milk that doesnt taste too weird?

Uni is great! Its my first year of studying a HND in Business and Management and my first year away from home so its quite a learning experience!!

Im looking forward to being told what i need to eat to make up for what im missing out not being able to eat/drink dairy, as i cant eat soya either it makes it a bit more difficult but i cant imagine life without allergies now! Everyone keeps saying they feel sorry for me and couldnt live without dairy.. but to be honest i dont really mind it makes life a little bit more interesting i guess! :D

[Copper]

All of these "odd" milks are usually found together in Tesco - in the same section as long life milk cartons! I couldn't cope with rice milk in coffee as all I could taste was rice. My mother has rice milk on her cereal and she says it is ok. I have not tried the oat milk.

[Pam]

I stopped drinking tea completely when I went dairy free because I didn't like the alternative milks in tea and I've never liked coffee anyway. Oat milk is probably the best option to try as it tends to be a bit thicker than other milks and doesn't have such a strong taste. Try Oatly or First Supreme (I think that is the new name for it).

Other milks to look out for are Vance's Darifree (made from potatoes) and Plamil's White Sun (made from pea protein). There are others too - Ecomil do one from Quinoa (pronounced keenoir) and there's a milk called Tiger White but I can't remember what that is made from. Also, don't forget about coconut milk and coconut cream.

Goodness Foods do a wide range of products on their web site www.goodnessdirect.co.uk and list various special diets but unfortunately don't do soya free listings - perhaps you should e-mail them to ask for a soya free list. They now do frozen and chilled products by mail order too but you pay an additional delivery charge for the special packaging. I would see what you fancy from there and then ask Half Moon whole foods to order it for you and save on the delivery charge.

[tan]

Does anyone know if the Kinnertons dairy-free chocolate bars are also soya-free - I don't have any at the moment so can't check because our local sainsburys seems to have ditched them (actually I'm told that they aren't on the computer any more but they'll check for me). Kinnertons is still advertising them on the website so I'm assuming that they are still available but does anyone know where since sainsburys seem to have done their usual. Has anyone tried Frys Chocolate Cream which doesn't contain milk but again I don't have any here to check what else it does contain.

[Pam]

As far as I know Kinnerton use soya in their chocolate. The black wrapper bars are martketed under a different name, I think it is "the safer chocolate company". Sainsburys are the main retailer for them but you can buy a whole box direct from Kinnerton, the website tells you how. If you want more info, there is a contact e-mail address on their nut free page (to Ann Stiebund or something similar but it actually goes to Gillian Phillpot) they are good at replying to queries.

As far as I am aware Frys chocolate creams in plain, orange or mint are still dairy free - at least they don't (or didn't last time I looked) have any milk derivatives in the ingredients list. Didn't they used to do one that had a different flavour in each segment? (going back about 30 years here). I think they also do some cocktail flavours which are supposed to be dairy free. I wish they'd do a turkish delight with dairy free chocolate.

[Pam]

Having visited the Cadbury website I have found that all the Frys bars are not dairy free. You can check all the Cadburys/Bassett/Frys products here
http://www.cadbury.co.uk/EN/CTB2003/kitchen_lifestyle/nutriwizard/nutriwizard.htm to see which are dairy free and which are not. They also have lists for soya free, nut free, wheat free and several more. From what I can remember though there are no milk ingredients listed on the Fry's bars. I'll have to have a look in the shops and e-mail them! It might just be that they don't list them as dairy free because they are produced in a factory also handling milk chocolate and there is a risk of cross contamination.

[Copper]

I discovered some Frys mint choc bars about 3 weeks ago and had to buy some :) They were dairy free and I was fine when I ate them. My lactose tolerance is so small now that any hint of lactose in those bars would have made me very sick!

[linny]

Thanks for that info Pam I've printed a milk free list from their website. Some of the Thorntons things say they're dairy free but are produced on the same line as dairy things.

[Pam]

I asked in a Thorntons shop a few years ago and they had a list behind the counter with free from products. Whilst their dark chocolate does not contain any milk ingredients they cannot call it dairy free as it is produced on a line that is also used for milk chocolate products. It is far easier not to say "dairyfree" than to risk being sued when someone suffers as a result of cross contamination. I would think that unless you have a major allergy you would probably be safe to eat these products.

[tan]

Thanks for the hint about the order form on the website. I'd had a look on the website but for some reason hadn't spotted it but have now printed off a copy and will send off soon. Much preferable to hassling Sainsburys about it.

I don't think I've seen any dairy-free chocolate-covered turkish delight but will keep a look out for it and report any success. Do you like crystallised ginger because I've come across a few versions of dairy-free plain chocolate ginger? My son (with allergy) isn't keen but I like them. I'd wondered what had happened to bourbons - useful to know (earlier posting).

[Pam]

No, I'm not into ginger much really, though ginger wine and ginger beer sometimes just hit the spot. I also like Booja Booja ginger wine truffles. They have a warming effect but the ginger isn't overpowering. I like ginger sponge pudding but ginger biscuits don't do anything for me - I can take or leave them (more often leave them!).

[emi_150]

I dont know if this will help anyone to understand what im allergic to exacylt but i cant drink milk or eat things that contain it such as chocolate... however i can eat it when it has been cooked into something such as yorkshire puddings... i have no idea why this is but thought maybe it might help someone to guess what it is im allergic to exactly!? :D

[ellsie]

Wow I remember those Fry's bars with the different flavours. They were great!

I stopped eating their chocolate cream bars a few months ago because they were changed and did include a dairy ingredient. I didn't realise though until I had a tingling sensation in my mouth. If they are dairy free again I will try again though as I loved them. I will check out the link Pam.:drool:

[Pam]

I've just looked on a fry's chocolate cream packet and it says "may contain milk.....etc". I went to the co-op with the intention of getting some Fair Trade dark choc which is on offer at the moment but noticed that it contains butterfat (or was it buttermilk) so I had to get G&B plain instead - still not bad on offer at £1.11.

[tan]

Not come across the Booja Booja ginger wine truffles before but they sound interesting - where do you get them? I've a vague recollection one time before that we came across one of the Frys Chocolate Creams which did say contained milk, but the rest didn't though I haven't seen it since. I don't remember the ones with the different flavours. Bet they were good. Has anyone noticed on the Fruit Allsorts packets ( I think that's what they are called - the licquorice allsorts without the licquorice) that they say 'may contain milk'. I wonder if that's just another get out? Marks and Spencers Plain Chocolate doesn't contain milk, and they also do it in those cylinder shaped containers with discs of chocolate inside aswell as in their mountain bars (like plain chocolate toblerone).

[matt]

wow, take a morning off as i couldn't get online yesterday and how many replies!!

i used to like ginger preserve in sandwiches but only every now and then. does tend to be quite overpowering at times.

i'm sure i've seen turkish delight without the choc covering before? where though can't remember. not sure what they make it out of so maybe it's the purple stuff that has milk in it.

you can eat cooked milk. my guess. and it is a guess. you've a problem with protein, on cooking prteins alter and it could be that this makes it ok for you to consume. cooking wouldn't really affect the lactose, chocolate isn't cooked so protein not changed.

[Pam]

Welcome back Matt!

The turkish delight thing is the chocolate coating. You can buy lots of cornflour/icing sugar coated stuff that doesn't contain milk but I actually like the flavour of the Frys turkish.

Booja Booja Truffles are sold in some health food shops and online shops. Sainsburys sold them at one point but I haven't ever seen them there.

[matt]

following the theory of don't ask don't get. why not email frys and ask if they would supply some without the choc or consider doing a dairy free version. you never know they might just grab some off the production line and send them to you.

you've lost nowt by asking!

[emi_150]

Well i went to see the dietitian and she wasnt very helpful. Iv got to keep a diary of everything that i eat for a week and then send it back to the hospital so they can calculate whether i am getting enough calcium from other foods... if not they will prescribe me a calcium supplement. Does anyone else have one of these??

I am also meant to be trying to work out what part of diary it is im allergic to which is proving difficult. Im having great fun looking at the labels on everything though :D i never realised they put so much rubbish into food... is tempting me to home make everything!!

I was wondering if anyone knows of a coffee whitener or something similar that is dairy free as i dont like the milk alternatives in hot drinks and I cant drink most of them as i cant have soya :angry: i know that the coffeemate ones contain sodium caseinate but im going to buy it when i go food shopping next week and see if im allergic to it or not. I guess its a process of elimination... it seems like a bit of a money waster though :(

[lyndamc]

In my local town of Penzance there is a 'scoop and weigh' shop. Apparently the coffee whitener they sell is dairy free. The owner of the shop was also dairy intolerant so I guess this is how she was so knowledgable of all the loose goods she sells. But I would imagine all these sorts of shops must have ingredient lists?? Would work out cheaper than the supermarkets too.
I have a funny feeling she mentioned coffee mate as containing dairy, not 100 % sure though.

[Pam]

I stopped drinking tea because I didn't like it with the alternative milks and I now mostly drink fruit teas. For a while I used Soya Maid mini pots in my tea as it was the only soya milk that tasted ok, but unfortunately they stopped making it due to lack of demand (probably due to lack of marketing and poor availability). Ecomil do powdered milks but they are very grainy and tend to produce a sludgy result and wouldn't give you a milk like taste. Have you considered trying Lactolite or even goats/sheeps milk? Lactolite is a reduced lactose cow's milk (so would test out your lactose v protein problems) and some people find that milk from animals other than cows is ok for them. Have a look on sites like www.veganstore.co.uk (http://www.veganstore.co.uk/) and www.goodnessdirect.co.uk (http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/) to see if they do a dairy free milk powder or try the health food shops in Huddersfield to see if they know of anything.

Just had a quick look at vegan store and saw this http://www.veganstore.co.uk/coffee_creamer.html but it might be unsuitable as it has some soya in it.

[emi_150]

Thats great Pam thanks, il look into that now. iv had nothing to do all afternoon so iv been searching high and low on the internet for any clues to what im allergic to.

As i mentioned before i can eat milk in certain cooked foods i found this on a website:

Boiling is known to reduce the allergenicity of the whey proteins but not casein and thus could be used to test whether a cow's milk-sensitive patient is likely to tolerate cooked or baked milk products.

Which might suggest i have a problem with the whey proteins but im still tempted to buy the coffeemate whitener just to see how i react to the casienate.

Does anyone know what happens to cream and sour cream when its manufactured as i am absolutely fine with eating both of them!! iv been looking on the internet but i cant find what the difference is between that and milk, yoghurt etc!

[matt]

i think cream and butter will have less of the protein as they are mainly fat. the protein mainly being in the milk element.


i'm on prescribed calcium tablets. nothing to write home about, just a boost to make sure i have enough.

good luck trying to figure out what you have a problem with. have they just cut you loose and sent you home to figute it ot yourself??? i'd be back on the phone and get them to give you a list of things to try. then you can be a bit more applied. you'll know what products to try to be able to eliminate each part of the milk. ie the protein/fat/lactose and so on.

have you tried goats milk? worth a go once you've sorted out what you have a problem with. the protein and lactose are a little different from cows.

[Bet]

Emi

Havnt read all of this thread as not much time but do I understand you are soya intolerant as well? My daughter is both and the doctor has always maintained that she must be intolerant to the protein in milk as it is evident that with soya it is the protein that affects people. Not sure if this is any use to you or not but thought it might help in determining what things affect you.

[emi_150]

Right i think that i am allergic to the whey protein in milk. I bought some coffee whitener today that contained casien, i was fine with it in tea, but im not sure if it was because the amount was so small that i didnt notice any effects but judging by recent reactions this is unlikely. This would also tie in with me being able to eat cooked milk as my last post explained. Well at least this gives me something to work with!! :D

Soya... another intersesting subject!! I can eat the dairyfree soya chocolate bars that sainsburys make but i cant drink the soya milk alternatives. I looked at the ingredients whilst i was in sainsburys today and the milk contained hulled soya beans whereas the chocolate bar was made from soya protein and soya lethicin ... or something like that! So im starting to wonder whether i can break down my soya allergy as well!! As soya in most products doesnt affect me, its really just the milk alternative drinks.

I was looking at the soya drinks today and i might try one i saw that didnt use the hulled soya bean but some other form of soya. Its worth a try!!

[Pam]

Goodness, that's getting very confusing now! Which shop did you find the alternative soya milk in? (the one on church st/cross church street? seems to have a wider variety of stuff) I was in Huddersfield open market this morning, I just love looking at the yam stall and got the man to tell me what all the different things were.

[emi_150]

No i still havnt been into the shop on cross church street... i had a look out for it the other day whilst i was passing through but i didnt see it :( will have a better look for it this week!

I saw the soya milk in sainsburys, i hadnt seen it before so maybe its new in... then again it might not be as i had dispared after being told i was allergic to soya. The only difference i could see was the type of soya used.

This might sound silly but i'm not too sure what a yam stall is!? :unsure:

[matt]

you have a stall that specialises in yams???

large ethnic groups in huddersfield by any chance?

there's always other milks, hazlenut, almond, oat etc etc.

but you're allergy sounds damn complicated good luck.

[Pam]

I'm not sure what the street name is for that health food shop, it runs along the top side of the church and the shop goes right through from that street to the one above, it's sort of half way between the main post office and the pack horse centre. Have you found half moon whole foods yet on Half Moon Street? (between bus station and railway station).

The stall I was talking about sells loads of jamaican/west indian(?) foods with loads of different types of yam, sweet potatoes, breadfruit, mangos, giant avocados, coconuts, scotch bonnet peppers and he also has the stall next to it selling specialised spices, tinned stuff, cordials etc. I haven't a clue what most of it is but it all looks exciting.

[Copper]

Hi Emi at least you are making some progress!