Crohn's and MILK
#62228 - 04/17/04 05:59 PM
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Back when I had several puzzled docs testing me for everything from Giardia to Lyme Disease, and trying to figure out what the heck was the matter with me, one of them suggested that one of the things remaining on the list of possibilities was intestinal tuberculosis. WHOA.
Found this today, an about.com article, which explains that about 20 percent of the cattle herds in the country have a disease that is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium paratuberculosis. It's controversial, but there's a theory that this intestinal TB in cows causes Crohn's in humans. (There are some other links here about this.)
Now I have this awful dilemma. I have been a Dairy Girl for all of my life. I mean, I pretty much live on dairy product. Milk, half&half, cheeses of all kinds, sour cream, yogurt, you name it, I like it. I can't imagine giving up dairy products. Now with diagnosed Crohn's, and after a couple surgeries (one resection), I don't seem to have any trouble tolerating dairy. But this is a pretty scary article. OTOH, being an editor and having written a lot of articles myself, I know better than to make any major moves based on one article .....
So -- there must be a question in here somewhere -- did you give up dairy? Why? How did you manage it? What made you do it? For those of you who can tolerate dairy, what do you think of this article?
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Hi Kelly,
This is a very interesting article. I think it would be of great interest especially to those in the Crohn's Board; why don't you post it there?
Dairy wasn't easy for me to give up because I love cheese. Soy cheese isn't bad, but lets face it, it ain't CHEESE. I don't miss ice cream because soy "ice cream" is fabulous. I was never much of a milk drinker, and soy milk is fine for me on cereal and for cooking.
I can understand how difficult it is for you to give up something you've loved all your life. I had to give up coffee which I've been addicted to for over 40 years now. It's still hard for me, especially when I pass through the coffee aisle at Safeway or when I go to ihop for breakfast with my hubby (the coffee at ihop is THE BEST!). However, nothing is worth an attack, not even coffee --
-- and not even dairy.
Bev
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<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
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I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the end of February and spent 11 days in hospital. I was told by my specialist and my dietician that I am now lactose intolerant. That means no more milk products of any kind.
For me, if it was going to help me feel better and heal then I was more than willing to give up milk products.
Yes, it's been an adjustment. But I now use lactose free margarine, rice cheeses, soy milk, non-dairy creamer, and lots of other products instead. It hasn't been as hard as I thought it would.
When you know something is going to make you sick or could send you back to the hospital it's one heck of a motivator.
When I came home from hospital my husband and I became label readers. It's amazing what products contain milk products and what foods I have to stay away from now.
If you want to try to live without milk products, it's possible. If you want to just reduce the amount of milk products you use, that's possible too.
I'm coping really well without my milk products.
Good luck making your decision.
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CityWoman 
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