Debbie Bode , Thetford, Norfolk

13th May 2008

I’ve been lactose intolerant for about ten years, since a bad bout of Montezuma’s Revenge while on holiday in Mexico. Initially, I couldn’t take any form of milk, including the powder form used in some tablets and cereal bars, and even (I’ve since discovered) some alcoholic drinks.

Symptoms ranged from mild to extreme nausea, gripes to excruciating stomach cramps, physical weakness and even migraine. One doctor thought it was irritable bowel syndrome, but at least he tried to diagnose correctly, the rest just fobbed me off with prescriptions for stomach-settling preparations.

Any type of milk product used to set me off, cheese, cream, ice cream, custard even cauliflower with cheese. I didn’t think it could be just milk though, (food-poisoning puts your stomach off a lot of things) until I went to a homeopath for treatment for a sinus problem. He asked me about my diet and dairy products in particular, as these make respiratory problems worse. He recommended giving up all dairy for a few weeks to see if my sinuses improved.

I took his advice, and that’s when I noticed the difference. I cut out all dairy, not just milk, including butter and cheese, and switched to non-dairy alternatives, soya milk (only on cereal) olive-oil spread, black and herbal teas (an acquired taste). I soon noticed my bloating had disappeared and I had more energy. My skin improved with my digestion, and of course the sinuses cleared up – but that was a separate problem.

About a year ago I went into my nearest Morrison’s and saw LactoFree in the chiller section. Initially I was skeptical, but since a few sips seemed to go down okay, I decided to try it in different drinks until I got as far as a milkshake.
A few friends were disparaging, suggesting my intolerance has simply improved with time, but a single dollop of cream on a fruit pie still sent me hurrying for the Pepto-Bismol. Any full on dairy – like cream, yoghurt or regular milk still makes me feel like I have been kicked in the stomach.

I recently saw that Lacto-free is now available at my local Tesco on Long-Life tetra packs, which means I can buy it by the case and not worry about refrigeration.

Now I can have a summer with milkshakes again.

Debbie Bode, Lab Technician,