This isn’t a request for medical advice, but I’m just genuinely curious about the situation in general. I’ve talked to doctors and we all agree that my condition is far from life threatening and unless something changes, it’s really not worth further investigation. At this point, my questions are just general as I really don’t know anyone else who has this type of allergy and I like to learn about stuff because I’m lame like that.
Slight background for context: since I was a baby, I’ve had an allergic reaction to milk. As a baby, this lead to my throat closing and a rushed visit to the ER, but as an adult the symptoms are no worse than a sore throat (from milk) or a swollen tongue/ lips (from cheese/ice cream, etc.).
If I drink whole milk or something with whole milk in it, my throat will get scratchy and sore. 2% milk will make my throat a little dry, but not bad at all. 1% and non-fat milk have virtually no effect on me. Dairy products made with whole milk will usually make my lips or tongue swell (cheese is notorious for the tongue thing).
Logic tells me that there’s something in the milk fat that I’m reacting to (doctor agrees). Is there any more information on this type of thing available online? Searching for milk allergies pretty much only brings up information on lactose intolerance and various stomach issues.
I wonder if this specifically has anything to do with the milk proteins themselves.
Anywho, I’m just curious if anyone has ever heard of this type of allergy and could possibly have some more information to explain it. I’ve always been curious how it works.
Thanks!
Oh, and I still eat dairy products all of the time- a little bit of a sore tongue isn’t enough to turn me away from dairy products all together. Of course, that might be a bad thing for me to do
From Milk Is Not for Every Body: Living with Lactose Intolerance, by Steve Carper
With your mild symptoms and lack of need to give up milk, this seems to fit you. I don’t know of any more recent research either, but if I’ll be curious if anyone can cite something here in response.
Thank you! That’s certainly more than I could dig up. Perhaps my Google-fu is weak, but I couldn’t come up with anything other than your basic lactose-intolerant sites.
All varieties of milk have the same amount of casein. Yet her symptoms from them vary considerably. That would be extremely odd if a casein protein allergy were the cause. Or a whey protein allergy, for that matter.
The question about butter is a good one, but most people have such small amounts of butter at a sitting that it is always hard to connect butter with symptoms.
While I love Paula Dean, two things effect me here. 1: I can’t cook. 2: I want my heart to continue pumping nicely for at least a few more years .
It’s funny, because for as much of a lard butt as I am, I actually don’t like high concentrations of super fatty food (except cheese, it’s my swollen downfall). I never use more than a tiny bit of butter at a time.I can go home and lick the stick for science if you’d like, but that really doesn’t seem like a happy way of going about things.
Actually though, last night we made garlic bread. All night I kept wondering why my lips were tingling, so maybe that was why? Roomie slathers butter all over the bread.
Could be. Try a chicken kiev in the name of science. Much more pleasant than licking a stick. I think.
(Is there any not-dirty way to read that sentence?)
Or maybe we just shouldn’t be tempting people over the internet to push their exposure to food allergens, stupid! :smack: (That’s me, not you. I stupid. You nice. You cute. You don’t eat too much butter and die, 'kay?)
Suicide by butter. You have to admit, it has a nice ring to it.
I think it would just puff me up or sore throat me- nothing awful. But if I do die by butter, I promise my last thing I do will be raising a hand to the sky dramatically and screaming, “DAMN YOU, WHY NOT! DAMN YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!”.
An allergy and lactose intolerance are NOT the same thing at all. Lactose intolerance is caused by the absence of an enzyme that breaks down the sugar in milk and is quite common in adults. Lactose intolerance causes discomfort but is not life threatening. An allergic reaction can be life threatening.
I’m actually fully aware of this, but thank you. I just clarified because whenever I say that I’m allergic to milk, whoever I’m talking to will pop out with, “SO YOU’RE LACTOSE INTOLERANT? THAT SUCKS!”
How are you with goat or sheep products? Health-food stores and some supermarkets carry the milk and yogurt, and there are lots of cheeses. (Try Boucherolle for a great goat cheese, Manchego for sheep, and some Greek cheeses for a mixture.)
Agreed; that is likely the case. You should try goats milk, and see if the same thing happens (to rule out certain things). Vaccine damaged people are commonly allergic to casein as the vaccine agivants have made their immune systems highly reactive to more non-specific proteins.
It’s a myth that goat’s milk is acceptable for people with casein allergies.
What is true is that casein is a family of proteins and that cow’s milk and goat’s milk have a different distribution of different specific protein fractions, as they are called. Because of that a certain number of people whose allergy is to one of these fractions peculiar to cow’s milk can have goat’s milk because those particular variants of the protein are not found there. Same with sheep’s milk or other milks.
Nobody who has a truly severe, anaphylactic-type allergy should even attempt to drink goat’s milk, unless under extremely controlled conditions. Those with mild allergies can give it a try. But it’s certainly not a panacea.
I certainly agree with Exapno on the risks for anybody with a severe allergy, but since the OP says this is a relatively mild case goat and sheep products might be worth a try. Just be careful!
The thought of drinking straight goat’s milk sort of freaks me out, though I can’t exactly say why. I’ve definitely had goat cheese and stuff. I love feta, but every time I’ve ever eaten it, it’s made me puff up in the lips. So, I’d say goat’s milk seems to have a similar effect, yes?
Feta (in North America at least) is usually cow’s milk, sometimes sheep. Common generic goat cheeses are most often crumbles for salad or a sort of cream cheese. There are quite a few named varieties as well. Look for a cheese shop or a supermarket with a good cheese department, and feel free to ask. Most of us like to talk about cheese!
