dairy

Lauren Reynolds (18+ years old)

September 1, 2022 / , ,

I have always had stomach issues from birth. I was a colicky baby and later was diagnosed with IBS. There were times off and on while I was growing up that we noticed if I ate a lot of dairy it would upset my stomach so we tried to limit it. In 2017 I had my gallbladder removed as I got sick every time that I ate. After surgery I couldn’t eat ice cream or drink regular milk anymore at all without getting sick. Fast forward to about a year ago when it seemed I would get sicker more often when eating dairy. My doctor recommended that I try an elimination diet and stop eating all dairy. It’s been quite the challenge when eating out and learning to watch labels for hidden dairy.

I google all foods to check for dairy. I watch the menus at restaurants and have to ask a lot of questions to make accommodations. I try to keep it simple right now with just protein, fruit and vegetables. I have found a-lot of dairy free items such as cheese, sour cream, almond milk, oat milk, etc. that makes it easier. I’m still learning and it can be really frustrating to want to eat things I used to love and not be able to until we can find a non dairy solution.

Shae Averaimo (@shaeallergy_07 – 15 years old)

August 3, 2022 / , , , , ,

I was diagnosed with a dairy allergy when I was 6 months old. When I was a baby, I had skin rashes, vomited after I ate, lost weight, and cried a lot. My parents took me to my pediatrician and that is when I was diagnosed. I had my first anaphylactic reaction at 1 year old after eating a small piece of cheese. That is when I saw an allergist and started carrying an Epipen. I am now 15 years old and I did not outgrow my allergy. Unfortunately, it is still just as severe as it was when I was a baby. I have learned how to manage my allergy in all aspects of my life. I was diagnosed by my doctor so I did not use any websites to diagnose. My family and I frequently use information from FARE’s website. I also use the Spokin app.

Lauren (18+ years old)

January 5, 2022 / , , ,

From when I was a baby I was able to eat all foods and was able to have everything. I had no issues with food until my late teens when it all started. In 2017/18 I noticed that I would become unwell soon after eating meals/snacks and first thought that it could have been a bug but then noticed it was happening more regularly and only after I had certain foods which had dairy in them. This then lead me to think that I could be dairy intolerant, so I spoke to the doctor and after a discussion with them I was referred to the dietitian. Before my appointment I had to keep a food diary to track what I was eating and what reaction I was having after it, when I went to my appointment we discussed my symptoms and after our discussion it was decided that I was to avoid dairy completely from my diet. Then a couple years later I began to start becoming unwell again after meals/snacks and thought like I did with the dairy, is it a bug? But no it turned out that I was becoming unwell with egg, then a few months later I was becoming unwell again and because I had already taken dairy and egg out of my diet, the only other allergen I had eaten was gluten/wheat! So I then spoke to the doctor and got another referral to the dietitians; I had to do another food diary, when I spoke to them I discussed about how I was becoming unwell after having egg and gluten/wheat and that it just seems to be one thing after another I am now not able to have. So they said that I should remove them completely from my diet and to start taking multivitamins daily to help make sure I am still getting the nutrients. I’ve also had allergic reactions to vegan cheese as well where my neck and lips become really itchy and my throat and tongue become tingly, so I avoid this too! I’m still currently avoiding all dairy, egg and gluten/wheat and all vegan cheeses. But sometime not in the near future I might reintroduced these one by one in small amounts. I used the NHS website a lot when figuring out symptoms, and google in general. I also got good leaflets from my couple of appointments from the dietitians as well.

@theallergyteen – 14 years old

August 11, 2021 / , , , , , , , ,

My sister had a dairy allergy, so I was invited to the LEAP food allergy study – this is where I was diagnosed with a dairy, egg, peanut, and sesame allergy. When I was younger, allergies were very much in the dark ages and eating out or buying allergy safe alternatives were simply not options! Because of this my mum (@lucysfriendlyfoods) decided to start baking and creating allergy friendly recipes. This really transformed my life and made me feel as though I was ‘normal’ and the same as all of my friends, who also enjoyed these baked goodies, and even said they were better then dairy and egg containing bakes!

Medications Taken: salbutamol (inhaler) for asthma and i carry antihistamine and epipens around as a precaution

@theallergybadge – 6 years old

August 11, 2021 / , , , , , ,

As a baby Ella was very unhappy. Always crying, covered in eczema and her face would swell. She then went on to have an anaphylactic reaction to dairy at the age of 1. This was a very frightening experience. She now carries Epipens for dairy and peanut allergies and although it’s sometimes tough checking everything she eats, she is a very happy little girl.

Medication taken : She carries Epipens. Also, she has asthma so she uses inhalers daily.

Tarah Jakubiak

January 31, 2021 / ,

I was rushed to the hospital when I was an infant as I stopped breathing after consuming one of my allergens (dairy).

Payton (@The Allergy Strategy – 18+ years old)

March 8, 2021 / , , , ,

When I was a baby, I was constantly sick anytime I would eat anything with dairy, but it was my first bite of mac and cheese that sent me into anaphylactic shock. After this, the doctors ran tests to diagnose my other, equally as severe, allergies to peanuts, eggs, fish, and shellfish. While I have not grown out of my allergies as we had hoped that I would, I would say we have overcome them mentally by changing our attitude towards my allergies. When I say “our” I mean to include my family, as I know I could not have had the full life that I have despite my food allergies without them. The road hasn’t been easy, but I have learned to see the blessing in the struggle. For one, not a day or a meal goes by that I am not grateful for the safe foods that I can eat. Secondly, my allergies have inspired me to reach out to the greater food allergy community, and have fueled my passion for helping others with severe food allergies which has inspired me to consider adding a Nutrition track as my second major, so I will be able to work as a registered dietitian specializing in helping children with severe food allergies. My greatest hope is to encourage anyone with food allergies to not let it hold them back mentally or make them feel any less than anyone else! Our differences shouldn’t be seen as a hindrance, but as a unique gift that we get to use for good if we decide to.

My allergies primarily involve avoidance of the foods, so no medication on a regular basis, however, I never leave the house without Benadryl, my inhaler, and my EpiPen. I have kept up with my allergist for skin testing and blood tests to keep tabs on the status of my allergies, so I have never had to search for information on my own based on my symptoms. I will say, though, that we are constantly researching new allergy finds and studies, and actually considered OIT, Oral Immunotherapy, as a possibility after a great deal of research a few years back! In general, FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) is a wonderful resource for food allergy news, but there are many more up and coming resource and informational platforms that I have recently discovered such as EpiCenter and the EpiCenter app by AssureTech.

theallergykids (1 year old)

November 13, 2020 / , , , , , , , , , ,

Lactation consultant suggested CMPA, after cutting dairy the list of other allergens grew to soya, egg and peanut confirmed on skin prick test and food challenge. We are still awaiting our youngest to outgrow his allergies. My eldest had an allergic reaction to me eating cashew nuts and after A LOT of fighting with the GP we finally got allergy testing. This confirmed a tree nut allergy which we carry EpiPens for her now. She too is yet to outgrow her allergies but we are hopeful.

Both kids have piriton for first line reactions. We also carry EpiPens for my eldest in case of anaphylaxis. I contacted Allergy UK directly for information and helped get a diagnosis for my eldest and her butt allergy.

With my youngest cmpa through breast milk I had a close friend and I also read through all the information on the Dylan and me blog. Super helpful!

Amanda (18+ years old)

March 8, 2021 / , , , , , , ,

I was born with rashes, leaving my mom to suspect I suffered from food allergies since my first day. However, I was not properly diagnosed until I was 4 years old. My mom was taking me in and out of doctors who couldn’t figure out why the rashes were starting. Most just gave her creams to help them go away but that never helps. It took until one doctor finally suggested an allergist and we learned I was allergic to dairy, shellfish, and red meat. I never grew out of my allergies. They expanded instead. Today, I am allergic to dairy, soy, corn, gluten, shellfish, nightshades, and coconut.

We kept up with the trends of FARE. Recently, we discovered Spokin to help us find new food allergy brands.

A’s story (5 years old)

November 13, 2020 / , , , , , ,

I suspected he had allergies. When he stopped eating dairy/egg/nut products I noticed a considerable difference in his eczema. He was not offered an allergy test, I was advised to give him allergens through my weaning journey – one spoonful of dairy and we were in hospital – another taste of cooked egg and we were in hospital. His doctors diagnosed his allergies based on his reaction to the food introduced during weaning. He used an adrenaline pen, Jext, piriton, and an asthma pump inhaler.