About 20 years ago whilst still working, I noticed that soon after I arrived at work I become tight in the chest. Eventually after a "scientifically" conducted series of tests I reckoned it to be cow's milk I had with my breakfast cereal. I found this to be the case with cow's cream, but not butter or cheese. Also, some bought puddings seem to affect me to some degree. Since then, I have used goat's milk and ALPRO "cream". Trouble is goat's milk is over twice the price of cow's milk.
I know there to be lactose intolerance with milk which affects the digestive system, but can't find any problems affecting the lungs documented.
Anybody else out there had this problem?
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I was told my asthma as a child would be linked to an allergy to cows milk, which aggravated my already fragile lungs. In more recent years, have been told that there are 2 different tests, one for allergy to lactose and the other for allergy to cows milk. I know I have one or other of these as threw milk up from the day I was born. However as an adult can cope with cheese (thank god) and double cream (they say less lactose than milk). Some foods have lactose in their ingredients, when my Crohns is bad I have a magnifying glass to check ingredients on tins and packets
It is extremely common for dairy products to cause breathing issues. I believe it is to do with mucus production…. Am pleased it doesn’t affect me because I would struggling without (especially) cheese products.
I love almond milk. My granddaughters have an intolerance to cows milk One has oatly and the other has prescription baby milk. I suppose our bodies react in different ways to these intolerances- some get Ezecma others hives or sleep problems or tummy issues therefore your tight chest could well be a symptom. Take care xx
I would suspect one possible explanation is the milk can cause some bloating in the large intestine that could put pressure on your diaphragm which would transfer to your chest/lungs.
It feels more like a gentle attack of asthma when I take cow's milk. A restriction of my tubes. I don't have asthma, but other lung problems, COPD and Bronchiectasis.
One of the reasons I studied dietetics in the 1990s was because my husband who had severe COPD had developed an intolerance to cows milk products and bleached wheat flour. The milk made him swell up and the flour made him really breathless. I used to stablilise him with soya milk and no wheat for two weeks, then added goat or sheep milk and Allinsons' wholemeal flour products. So yes, it does happen. You might want to ask your GP for a prescription for free from foods to help you. Wishing you all the best.
I did have tests probably 40 years ago at St. Marys, Paddington to see what I was allergic to. Dairy was one, can't remember what else. Anyway, avoiding cow's milk and cream sees me ok. Occasionally get caught out by bought puddings, which may have milk in; Cadburys Pot-of-Joy caramel gets me a bit. The milk chocolate one is fine. It's just trial and error.
It depends whether you're allergic to the protein or intolerant of the lactose (milk sugar). So some people are fine with dried powdered cows milk, but others can't even take tablets with lactose fillers.
It can't be Lactose that affects me as I use goats milk, which contains Lactose, with no problems at all. I do not know what is in cow's milk and not in goat's milk. Perhaps somebody knows?
The make up of the milk proteins in the two milks are different, which is why you can react to cows milk but may be okay on sheep or goats milk.As someone once explained to me, cows make milk for baby calves to grow, goats make milk for baby kids to grow, with their different needs. So you may well be safe drinking the milk of any other creature that can be milked, despite not coping with cows milk.
An interesting fact: goat's milk comes ready-homogenised, with the fat globules spread evenly through the milk so it doesn't separate into cream and skimmed on storage. This makes goats milk the safest to freeze and keep. That is useful if you see quantities of goats milk for sale at a reduced price on the use by date, and have a freezer to store the milk in.
Thank you Ergendl; this sounds really scientific, which I like, and seems feasible in answering my question. However, nobody has replied to say they have the same problem with cow's milk and cream that I do, i.e. giving me a tight wheezy chest.
Allergies and intolerances can affect people in different ways, as it depends which area's mast cells have been activated to be trigger happy. The sense of smell and taste are interlinked, which means that particles of the food we eat can be breathed into the lungs. If the mast cells there have been sesitised to cows milk protein, they will react.With my previous husband Bob, when he consumed cows milk products, his stomach and blood vessels were affected. The blood vessel between his gut and his liver shut down and he swelled up like a football in about 20 minutes, putting up to 16 inches on his waist.
It was when he ate bleached flour products that he had the breathing problems.
So just because you haven't heard of anyone else having a similar reaction, doesn't mean your reaction is not valid. Dietitians now have specialist training in this area to help people identify and treat food intolerances, but when I was training in the 1990s, it was still considered quackery by the professionals, and that attitude still lingers in some areas.
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