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Could I have IBS?
Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 12:29 pm
by Guest Posts
Hi. Im 45 years old and have always suffered sickness and diarrhoea when eating or drinking milk products. Sometimes it’s just stomach pain and discomfort or it can be constipation. Even as a young child I have had issues. I have never been tested or diagnosed by a Doctor for lactose intolerance. I have always managed to avoid foods that I know will cause a problem. I find that milk, yoghurt and ice cream are the worst. But I can eat some hard cheese without a problem. But lately I find that I have been getting lower back ache with pain radiating round to the front of my hips. I can also eat something that doesn’t have any lactose in that will give me sudden diarrhoea. If I am out of the house this can be embarrassing as I need to go to the toilet ASAP. Is this all lactose related or could it be IBS or something else? Thanks. Samantha
Re: Could I have IBS?
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 10:58 am
by Dr Jamal Hayat
Hi Samantha,
We don't routinely do a test for lactose intolerance but base it on symptoms and whether they improve on reducing dairy products. Cheeses in general have less lactose than milk, yoghurt and ice cream and hence why you may not get symptoms with cheese. In addition, some people can still manage a small amount without significant symptoms. There are lots of causes of back and hip pain, of which IBS/food intolerance is just one - so at some point it may be worth discussing this with your GP in a bit more detail, and having some screening blood tests eg to exclude coeliac disease.
Last point - if you are excluding dairy products - then you would need to ensure you have an adequate intake of calcium/vitamin D from other sources, plus regular exercise to maintain bone strength and reduce risk of osteoporosis/factures in later life.
Kind Regards,
Jamal Hayat