Lactose intolerance symptoms and treatments (2024)

FAQs

Lactose intolerance symptoms and treatments? ›

The most common symptoms of lactose intolerance are belly cramps and pain, nausea, bloating, gas, and diarrhea. There is no treatment that can help your body make more lactase. You can manage your symptoms by changing your diet. Or you can take enzyme supplements when you eat or drink foods that have lactose.

Symptoms vary from person to person, but may include: gas, diarrhea, bloating, belly pains and nausea. There is no treatment for lactose intolerance, but symptoms can be managed through diet changes.

You can take lactase tablets before you eat or drink milk products. You can also add lactase drops to milk before you drink it. The lactase breaks down the lactose in foods and drinks, lowering your chances of having lactose intolerance symptoms.

Q: How do you flush dairy out of your system quickly? A: To flush dairy out of your system quickly, eliminate all dairy products from your diet and load up on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and seeds. These are high in fiber and acids that help break down and push out all milk proteins from your system.

Imodium AD (loperamide): This medication can treat diarrhea caused by undigested lactose, which draws large amounts of water into the intestines from elsewhere in your body. Imodium capsules (loperamide and simethicone) or Pepto Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate) can help treat diarrhea and gas/bloating.

This form of lactose intolerance occurs when your small intestine decreases lactase production after an illness, injury or surgery involving your small intestine. Diseases associated with secondary lactose intolerance include intestinal infection, celiac disease, bacterial overgrowth and Crohn's disease.

In general, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii spp. Bulgaricus are known to be effective against lactose intolerance. They have higher β-galactosidase (β-gal) activity and are more effective than other strains.

In addition to your meal, drink a large 12 fl. oz. glass of fat free regular milk. Over the next 3 hours after drinking the glass of milk, keep track of any discomfort you experience (gas, bloating, cramping, diarrhea) and its intensity using the Day 1 test checklist above.

For those who suffer, ignoring symptoms can lead to enhanced stomach issues, chronic diarrhea, and additional health problems. For example, the development of chronic diarrhea can lead to anemia, dehydration, and kidney damage, among other serious concerns.

It will take two to three weeks before you can “really feel the difference in your body and mind,” says Savage. “When your body no longer has to work to eliminate foreign substances that it cannot digest, everything just works better,” she adds. “Your digestion, metabolism, sleep improves, and mood improve.”

What settles your stomach after eating lactose? ›

Lactase supplements, lactose-free products, and probiotics may help manage symptoms. However, if someone is in pain, they may need to take OTC medications for pain relief, gas, diarrhea, or bloating.

Symptoms of lactose intolerance usually begin between 30 minutes and 2 hours after consuming dairy. The symptoms last until the lactose passes through your digestive system, up to about 48 hours later. The severity of your symptoms can be mild or severe depending on how much dairy you eat.

Your skin reacts to what you put inside your body, and in some cases, your diet can wreak havoc on your skin. Case in point: a recent phenomenon called “dairy face.” Milk, cheese, and the like could actually be the main culprits for dark circles, under-eye bags, and white spots.

If you want to be able to digest lactose, you need lactase in your gut. Most people with lactose intolerance can't produce lactase naturally. Lactase supplements can give your body the lactase it needs to break down lactose. You can take these as tablets or drops before consuming lactose.

Some people may take 12 hours, others 24 hours, while others may take as long as 72 hours to fully digest and eliminate the lactose-containing food from their system. Research shows that the symptoms usually peak 5-10 hours after you have consumed the lactose-containing food before subsiding.

Lactaid® pills are a brand of lactase that come in a chewable tablet. This medication helps your body digest lactose. Lactose is a substance in dairy products like milk and cheese. This medication prevents bloating, diarrhea and gas caused by lactose intolerance.

Symptoms of lactose intolerance are similar to those in some other digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Some people have both lactose intolerance and another disorder like IBS. Still others mistakenly think they have lactose intolerance, but do not.