Milk/cheese allergy?

can you suddenly grow an allergy to milk or cheese? i often drink a gallon of milk a day and i always eat cheese. lately i have been having stomach cramps, constipation, and when i do finally poop its like mucusy and diaheria like.

the reason i think it might be milk and cheese is because i just talked to my brother and he told me he had to stop drinking milk and eating cheese and it cured his diaheria.

ive decided to stop drinking milk and eating cheese and see if thats my problem too.

can you just suddenly get an allergy to something you eat/drink everyday? ill be saddened if it's the cause because i love milk and cheese soo much.

First I know I have said this over and over but milk allergy and lactose intolerance are different!!!! Milk allergy is an immune response to the protein in milk where as lactose intolerance is the lack of an emzyme used to break down the milk sugar.

With the symptoms you describe it could be either of these and your brother is right, if it is one of these problems not eating or drinking milk products should stop your symptoms after all the milk has left your system.

And yes you can develope or a mild allergy can become more severe at anytime in your life. I developed a serious, life threatening milk allergy that was only diagnosised last year after a very painful and extremely scary trip to the emergency room. I would advise you to go talk to you doctor, tell him your symtpoms and have him check it out.

If you are allergic you will have to give it up.

If it is an intolerance there are suppliments and lactose free products that would allow you to eat the foods you love without the painful affects.

Sounds like you've developed lactose intolerance, which is a little different than an allergy. As you've gotten older, your body isn't making the enzymes or "keys" that you need to break down the sugar that is in milk and cheese. It certainly can happen later in life, even if you've been drinking milk and eating cheese all your life!

Don't be sad - there are many lactose free alternatives available on the market, and more becoming available every day! You can eat and drink soy stuff.. and theres lots of dairy based lactose free items out there. It's a bit of a pain, but watching what you eat is a lot better than being doubled over with cramps, and dodging for a bathroom every few minutes!

(Oh - and you're in good company - about 25% of the population is lactose intolerant so you're not alone!)

Absolutely! You can grow to be allergic to anything. I have eaten eggs and tomatoes all of my life and just recently, I tested positively for allergic reaction to them. Now, I've got to take eggs and Tomatoes out of my diet!!! Before you play the funeral music for milk products, you may want to consider talking to your doc about lactose intolerace. There are two forms of allergies related to milk. You can be unable to digest lactose, which is the sugar in milk or allergic to milk protein. If you are just lactose intolerant, there are medications that can help your body digest those sugars. Talk to your doc. A simple little pill may be the only thing that stands between you and the milk you love!