Lactose intolerant

[fruitloop]

What were the symptoms of it? I have a daycare boy who seems to constantly have very runny stools and it is very acidic (burns the poor guy's bum). The parents think it's from eating raisins and grapes or apple sauce but I don't serve him those things very often really. I'm thinking it might be a lactose intolerance. This has been going on for a very very long time. Any thoughts/suggestions? Links to some very good info that I can maybe pass on the the parents?

[gcj]

From my understanding I believe the symptoms are diahrea or constipation, gas, bloating, overall upset tummy. They can vary widely. What he's experiencing is not normal and I would suggest that parents check it out. Could be many things or it could be nothing, but better to know. Celiac could be a concern, too. I wouldn't turn a blind eye if it's an ongoing thing.
Funny, I say that and I've answered a question I've been asking myself for a few months now! I've been debating having my own daughter checked out for very low weight and on/off diahrea and on/off tummy aches. My mother and I both have celiac, so that's always on the back of my mind. Now I should take my own advice, I guess:laugh:

[apples and bananas]

I am lactose intollerant. I was tested when I was in my pre teens because I complained of a stomach ache every night before bed. Once night I drank 3 glasses of milk for dinner and was in so much pain by bed time my parents took me to emerg... to find... nothing wrong. LOL So the dr sent me for testing.

It's the body not able to digest the lactose properly, lacking the enzymes I think. So, it usually results in a tummy pain, some diarhea and bloating. I have to consume a lot of dairy at one time to really feel the effects.

Last week I was at a party with all of these cheese dips and spreads. I paid for it the next day!

I am fine with Yogurt and aged cheeses. (old etc) But I'm no good with soft cheeses (cream or the laughing cow stuff) milk, ice cream, creams are the worst!

I have a little guy that wakes up from nap every day screaming like someones cutting off his arm so I'm going to be a little sneaky and switch his milk to after nap and see if that helps.

As far as the acidic poop goes... I have a little one that has horrible acidic burning poops after a night of Nona's home made pasta sauce. Maybe start tracking the foods he's eating and see if there's any relation.

[sunnydays]

I have a little guy who was going through the same thing recently. I finally was able to convince the parents that it wasn't normal and they decided to try him on a lactose free diet...it was cured instantly! We don't know if he had gas pain as he doesn't talk, but he definitely had frequent loose BM's and they caused diaper rash just due to the frequency. Now he's down to one normal BM per day and no more rashes...phew! However, I would suggest having him taken to a doctor as it could be other foods that he is intolerent to. If it were raisins or grapes, you usually see them in the poop...my daughter used to have problems digesting them and they would come out almost whole. I never serve raisins unless they are cooked because I find they are not easily digested by little ones.

[fruitloop]

We have done the no citus/acidic type foods and although it helps his acidic poop somewhat, his bowel movements are still very loose...definately not a normal poop. He is 20 months.

His mom is glucose intolerant so I'm also wondering if maybe he is too if the lactose isn't the problem. He poops a lot...at least 3 - 4 times a day here alone and I try to keep his bum clean and change him as soon as he poops if I catch him but because it's so loose, it doesn't take much effort to push out so it's hard to tell with him when he's doing it aside from the smell.

[Mamma_Mia]

My daughter can't have (from lots of note taking an"detective" work) apples or anthing with apple in it, bananna, oranges or pineapple....she get BADLY constipated.

[sunnydays]

Exactly what I went through! My little guy is 22 months and he was going 3-4 times a day too and again I was checking constantly, but couldn't tell right away always if he had pooped. Sometimes the consistency was like diahrea. I don't know why parents are so reluctant to admit that it is not normal and get it checked out! The parents in my case said they felt it was normal...now they probably realize that what I was saying was right...because now he is having normal BM's since we cut out the lactose.

[fruitloop]

He doesn't seem to be in any gas related pain though. He is a bit under weight according to the doctors but doesn't look sickly thin, kwim? I mentioned the lactose thing to the mom yesterday when I was telling her about his poor little bum but she doesn't think it is. She thinks it's raisins and grapes. I'm going to talk to her about it a bit more today and see if maybe I can get them to consider either some testing or try (as an experiment) cutting out dairy for a week or 2 and see what happens. If there is no improvement with doing that, then try cutting out glucose and see what happens.

[gcj]

do you mean glucose or gluten? Glucose isn't one I hear of often....

[fruitloop]

do you mean glucose or gluten? Glucose isn't one I hear of often....

Sorry, gluten.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I agree that most 'aligments' we have are directly related to our diet or environmental exposures ... so if the child is struggling I would suggest the elimination diet as well ~ eliminate ALL the major / common food allergens for a month and see if his symptoms disappear ... so dairy / gluten / nuts / soy / fish / etc ... and than reintroduce them back in 1 at a time over two week period and if the symptoms return by the end of that two week period when something is reintroduced than you know THAT is a trigger and to keep it out of their diet ... sometimes it is a combination of things ~ for example most people with gluten intolerance are also dairy intolerant at least until the digestive track heals than they might tolerate some dairy!

[fruitloop]

And this is why I love this family and they are 1 of my Goldens. I talked to mom about it and she said her and her husband were just taking about this last night. So, we are going to start with cutting out all gluten. Mom has a gluten allergy and so does the grandma on the dads side. The mom thanked me for bringing it up and wanting to help do something about it. For 3 weeks we will do a gluten free diet (to which they will supply very willingly and offered to bring extra to store in my pantry for him) and see if this helps him. If there is no change then we'll try the lactose free diet.

Mom then called me to thank me again for caring enough about dcb to want to help him and how happy they are to have me.

So, hopefully we can get this all fixed up and he will be right as rain in no time!