Yes. My mother had it too.

I asked my primary care doc and she said it was not uncommon to develop it as one ages. Lactose tolerance is required of babies and children to digest milk and milk products. Not so to the same extent for adults and especially in later years, she said.

I use the commercial enzyme Lactaid in pill form. I don't drink milk anymore but yoghurt (espec whole milk Greek style) and good cheese are foods I don't want to do without. The softer the cheese, the more Lactaid I need and the harder the cheese, it's less necessary. It works pretty well.

I've also developed a tolerance for being lactose intolerant. If I find myself somewhere without the little pills and decide I want to order lasagna, or a dinner host has made it or cheese enchiladas, so be it. Life goes on and it's not like I go into anaphylactic shock without the pills, Different topic but the same is my use, when convenient, of Beano. It works great and when I don't have it with me when I'd like to take a few pills, no big deal. I know what to expect.

Good luck.

I am very lactose intolerant and have been all my life -- as have my sisters (brother is not). Lactase isnt enough for me so no yoghurt, milk or soft cheeses. I can eat hard cheeses without any problems... and half and half in small amounts.

My bff developed lactose intolerance in her 50s .. and sister developed an avocado allergy also in her 50s. I dont think it is all that unusual.

How does lactose intolerance manifest itself?

For me, the reaction to dairy products as well as to legumes is the same - intestinal gas. Flattulence. Never to the point of pain or discomfort, just the expulsion of more gas than normal and sometimes a slight disturbance in the normal flow of things out the back end.

Edit to add - I chuckle, that's probably as personally revealing a comment as I've ever made on the internet. Fortunately, unlike other inadvertent or ill-advised disclosures, this isn't one that could lead someone determined to discover my real identity.

I was afraid of that.

No lactose intolerance here - thank goodness. We love dairy and both drink milk with every dinner eaten at home. 1% for him, whole milk for me.

What I have found is that we both seem to have picked up what I believe to be a tree pollen allergy as we've aged. We never had it when younger and I keep air cleaners in a few of our living spaces - one in our bedroom that runs on low all night every night.

DH had some allergies when young, tested for and outgrew! He was allergic to chicken, eggs, hops and while he enjoys chicken and eggs now, he has never been a beer drinker.

Bunny, let me tell you, compared to other things people at my age experience, I'm grateful that's mostly it so far.

Friends of mine have died and are no longer around. Some have had heart surgery (one several times) and heart attacks. Replacement hips and knees. One had a cancerous kidney removed 6 months ago. A good friend has the beginnings of a type of dementia and it's getting worse quickly. Another Parkinsons disease. An oldster on a branch of the family tree is nearly blind and doesn't have enough cognitive ability to remember or recognize people. Another, not in my immediate portion but also about my age, has trouble remembering things and needs to be accompanied when leaving the house. And can't drive anymore because he gets lost

The story isn't over for me but so far, the biggest change in my life is that I have to deal with flatulence and I can mostly avoid it. I've been quite fortunate!!!

I wish everyone a good gas passing session!!

avocado allergy

Oh, no!! For me that would be a real tragedy.

I was afraid of that.

Different people have different reactions, mine are not like that.

I am not. And I find myself kind of taken aback with how many people that I encouter that are. I bought a ton of different ice cream treats to give out at work because it HOT. I was surprised at how many people turned them down because of being lactose intolerant. They asked if I had popsicles instead of ice cream. I ended up bringing my Ninja Slushi machine to provide refreshment for those unfortunates.

I eat a lot of dairy. I would be one of those people that would just have to try to avoid consequences with medication or just take the bad with the good. I could not give it up.

Allergies and intolerances are so odd. I never had allergies growing up. then when I was a teen a developed a pretty severe cat allergy. Then a dog allergy. They manifest in different ways, The cat makes my eyes swell and my throat itch. The dogs just make me break out in a temporary rash wherever their nose or slobber touches me. I take a 24 hour Allegra everyday just on case something else decides to mess with me. I will say that since we took in George, the Orange tabby cat, my reactions have become much less severe on those days I forget to take the meds. Exposure therapy maybe.

One of my sisters had an affliction to where she could not eat eggs without getting violently ill. So she said anyway. She could eat things with eggs in them, like cakes and stuff. But scrambled, hard boiled, fried eggs straight up, all of which she loves, made her sick. That has gone away now and she is fine to eat as many as she wants. So Strange.

I was definitely headed in that direction a few years ago. The thought of no ice cream was horrifying. So I embarked on my own desensitizing project and ate a bit daily. I considered it "training". It worked. I can now eat ice cream with no ill effects.

I feel for the lactose intolerant. Not my problem but I get the issues. When I was younger I recognized my life went better without garlic. I loved garlic and it did not love me. Fast forward and I started having intestinal issues that I though was connected another medical issue. No it was I had developed an intolerance to onions. Well that is a problem. I used a lot of onions in my cooking. No onions and I wasnt having gerd and sucking down Tums. And then after vomiting in the shower again I realized that the bloating and gas I was getting was a developed intolerance to watermelon. Watermelon!! I adore watermelon. No more as while I know I can eat onions and suffer I am not sure I am not allergic to watermelon. The symptoms are equivocal. It hurts my heart but I no longer eat it. Your systems change as you get older.

Patriciae

Lactose intolerance surfaced for me when I was about 30.

It makes me feel very queasy, with some audible stomach rumbling. No actual gas though. Whatever my GI system hates about it is entirely contained in my stomach.

Lactaid works, thankfully. However the queasiness can be very bad without Lactaid, so if I don't have any pills handy I abstain.

I developed gluten intolerance at some point in adulthood. My best guess is that it actually started to manifest during my 20s, got worse in my 30s, and I didn't find a doctor to help me out until I was 40. It seems to have a genetic component, as my brother is also gluten intolerant. His symptoms are slightly different than mine and less immediate. I think it might be different than lactose intolerance, where if I'd kept eating gluten (most commonly in the form of wheat), I would have continued to have some problems but it wasn't that extreme until I stopped consuming gluten and then if I accidentally do consume it, it's far worse now. At the same time, tests detected some damage to my intestines from eating gluten that is now repaired. So I am hopeful that maybe I started avoiding it in time to avoid potentially far worse problems down the road. I haven't done a lot of reading, but I think untreated gluten intolerance can cause intestinal cancers.

Allergies and intolerance issues can come and go any time they please, which can be frustrating. My father was recruited into a study of people with allergies to [I can't remember], and during the pre-test work up, they told him he was not (i.e. no longer) allergic to it.

I don't have a lactose intolerance, but I do seem to have an allergy to cow dairy, which is a shame because I love milk and cheese. Dairy makes me very congested, but it's dose dependent, so I can eat a little, occasionally, and live with a snuffly nose. If I eat a lot, or eat it daily (or both), I have to blow my nose constantly and have trouble breathing through my nose. I do have some goat's and sheep's milk cheese, but the consistency is different and they don't melt as well.

I think our bodies pick and choose their spots. I have no allergies at all, I never have a reaction or side-effects to medicines or injections. No food intolerances except with lactose and legumes, and with the enzyme pills I can continue to enjoy both. As before, I know challenges and problems are ahead for me as for nearly all of us. So far, so good.

I got it 6 or 7 years ago after over indulging in some really delicious, really sharp cheddar cheese. My initial symptoms were so severe that I thought I had colon cancer.

I can eat a little dairy - cream in my coffee, a few spoonfuls of ice cream, a slice of pizza with a little cheese. But no more gloppy lasagnas or Chicago pizza for me.

I really miss my dinners of cheese and crackers.

I guess I am lactose intolerant because some dairy (milk, soft cheeses) will give me diarrhea, but that is the only symptom, other than stomach cramps.

I have avoided milk since I was a child, and I also did not like cheese, but I loved leafy green vegetables, such as spinach, turnip greens, lettuce, etc plus broccoli, okra. I'm sure I got my calcium somewhere. We grew some of our vegetables, notably turnips and okra, and so we had those often. Anyway, I ate a lot of vegetables growing up - dairy products not so much, and I would not eat pizza back then because of the cheese.

We had dairy cows, and for a while I was supposed to milk them, but that did not work out, as I usually spilled the milk on my way back from the barn. I also insisted on taking a bath after visiting the barn, and I had to have special shoes to wear in order to go there. I would never wear those shoes in the house and left them on the screened-in porch.

Glucose intolerance as people age I am finding common among my people.

I do have severe medication reactions. If there is some really bizarre reaction a tiny percentage of people are going to have I am going to be in that group and it is something that I shared unaware with my mother and two of my sisters. But that is different from the food intolerances. That is GI. I have GI issues with peanuts and cashews. But those are not allergies. It can be hard to tell the difference and that I why I no longer eat watermelon. I am erring on the side of caution. My reaction was growing in intensity. Old people can end up eating gruel for a good reason as their GI system doesn't digest things like they used to. We could all end up there.

Patriciae

Fortunately, unlike other inadvertent or ill-advised disclosures, this isn't one that could lead someone determined to discover my real identity.

Who tooted?

Now we all know who it was.

Elmer, I kid.

Anyway, I can relate.

About 12 years ago DH developed a sensitivity to lactose, gluten, garlic and onions. Consuming too much lactose or gluten resulted in bloating and stomach cramps, as did consuming any onions or garlic. Over time he has become less sensitive to these and can eat onions or garlic as long as they are grated up very small, and eat dairy and gluten as long as he doesn't binge on them. I've had to change my cooking style a bit to accommodate him but I'd rather do that than make him sick.

Funny story- before this happened, we had been buying a small container of lactose free milk for our cats, who had become lactose intolerant in their old age. Most cats are lactose intolerant, and the milk sold specifically for cats is lactose free with added taurine. It's also about four time the price of regular lactose free milk. So we used to joke that now DH had to drink the cat milk :-)

" Who tooted? "

That was me. Not really, I do that seldom.

patricia, you likely know that peanuts are not nuts at all but are legumes like peas and beans. Do you have digestive issues with other legumes?

My DD is lactose intolerant. She was diagnosed as a toddler. When I asked her pediatrician if she might grow out of it, he told me that people are born with as much lactose intolerance as they get, and your tolerance only goes down as you age. Which explains why many people become lactose intolerant later in life — including me, but mine is pretty minor and can be addressed with Lactaid tablets most of the time.

My reaction is much worse than Elmer describes-- i become quite ill.

I feel for you having a sudden change of dietary needs. I have suddenly developed food allergy/intolerances to things that never bothered me before: salmon, eggplant, walnuts, and pineapple. Bummer.

I cut back on dairy 20 years ago when my husband suggested it could reduce the amount of colds and sinus infections I got. It worked like a charm. Thankfully there are great dairy substitutes now.

I thought I was lactose intolerant for a long time. Lactaid pills did not help. One day I saw an ad for A2 milk. It said something to the effect of ”I thought I was lactose intolerant but it was sonething else.” I read further. Many people who think they are lactose intolerant actually have an intolerance to the A1 protein in milk. Cows either produce A1 or A2 protein in milk. A2 milk is milk from only A2 producing cows. I bought it and drank a small glass. no problem. The next day I used a medium glass. No Issues. The third night I used a very large glass. Wow-no reaction whatsoever. It was unbelievable!

Remember there's an unusual acquired allergy that's showing up in people at all stages of life caused by tick bites - an allergy to the sugar in red (mammalian) meat, and other products from those animals. . https://utswmed.org/medblog/meat-allergy-alpha-gal-tick-bite/

It develops from a reaction in some people to the bite of a Lone Star tick and the range and numbers of that tick, like all species of ticks, is spreading. So, be sure to do tick checks, and use tick prevention on your dogs and cats!

Skipping down to add that I understand one must continue regularly be consuming lactose to keep one's tolerance for it.

I developed the same problem with lactose intolerance in my early 50's. The only dairy products I eat are hard cheeses and a little cream in my coffee so I don't bother with lactaid.

Amylou - I am in the same situation as your sister with respect to eggs. I can't eat actual eggs (don't know what else to call them -lol} such as omelettes, scrambled etc. My mom remembers me as a toddler refusing to eat them and she couldn't figure out why until I was old enough to tell her that it just "hurts" to eat them . But, I can eat them in cakes etc. and I think it's simply because the proportion of 2 eggs in a cake is so miniscule compared to the rest of the ingredients.

I just have an intolerance to eggs but my nephew, my sister's son, was born with an anaphylactic allergy to eggs. I was lucky.

" I understand one must continue regularly be consuming lactose to keep one's tolerance for it"

That isn't how it was for me. I'm a lifelong milk drinker and consumer of other dairy products. The problems digesting lactose began amidst no change in my eating habits, got worse, and was finally identified. No more milk drinking for me but with Lactaid and remembering to take it when necessary, I'm just fine with everything except liquid milk.

I've never been a frequent ice cream eater, though I like it, so eating that less frequently hasn't been a sacrifice for me. I do miss regularly enjoying a cold glass of milk, or having dry cereal with cold milk on it for breakfast. I have that anyway every now and then and accept the likely consequence..

While milk upsets my stomach (I hate it anyway), cream does not, and when I make ice cream or caramel candy, I use 100% cream and no milk - and also no salt. It tastes much better this way as well.

I do have some odd reactions to some drugs, such as Claritin and Erythromycin. Both of these will cause me to become paranoid schizophrenic, if I take them every day for at least three to four days. The effects do not happen right away, but after a week of taking them, I will start to have paranoid delusions, such as having the feeling that I am being watched or followed or that everyone is ganging up against me. Fortunately, I am able to recognize these feelings as being delusional and know to stop taking the medications. I told my doctor about this, and he told me that these are not recognized reactions to these drugs, but I noticed online that a lot of other people have the same reactions that I do, and so it is not just me.

I told my doctor that if he wanted me to take these medications that he would have to prescribe anti-anxiety medication for me to take with them, but he told me that he would just prescribe something else instead, since there are good alternatives.

I've had anxiety attacks in the past - mostly when I was much younger - but I seem to have outgrown them - or else whatever caused them has gone away.

Lactose intolerance and dairy allergies are completely different things. About two thirds of the adult population of the world does not produce lactase, “and yet only a very small proportion, mostly people in the west, complain about lactose intolerance,” according to Mark Thomas, a professor of evolutionary genetics at University College London in England.

Paraphrasing one conversation about the subject: one of the jobs of our large intestine is to reclaim the extra water that comes from the waste, recycling it back into your body and your bloodstream. Lactose interferes with that process, throwing off the osmotic balance and essentially liquifying the material in your large intestine.

I was ”lactose intolerant” as a child; I hated milk and it caused frequent stomach upsets. When I was finally old enough I simply refused to drink it or eat anything milk based. As an adult I consume very little dairy, including only a small amount of yoghurt, milk and cream used for cooking, and very little cheese. I can tolerate small amounts but generally stay away from it. If a food makes me ill or uncomfortable the decision (and practice) to eliminate it from my diet is pretty easy. Of course since I don’t absolutely love the taste of anything dairy that’s easy for me to say 😎

" yet only a very small proportion, mostly people in the west, complain about lactose intolerance "

I think that's because it's mostly in the west where dairy foods stay an important cultural part of the diet.

You don't have to give them up (ordinarily). It is easy to have a container of Lactaid in your kitchen and purse.

Fortunately, unlike other inadvertent or ill-advised disclosures, this isn't one that could lead someone determined to discover my real identity.

We’re narrowing in on you, Elmer. You shop at one of two TJ’s in the Bay Area, you were recently in a state that had tornado warnings, and you fart after eating yogurt. And your wife is from a family of dunderheads. I might know who you are!

More seriously, I’m interested to see this discussion, particularly the comments about developing an intolerance later in life. My mom has “something” going on for a while now, where she barely dares to leave the house. She basically lives on yogurt and bread with cheese. Her doctor told her to try fiber gummies and Metamucil but so far that hasn’t helped much. She would not willingly undergo testing or an elimination diet, so maybe I’ll just have her pop lactaids and see what happens.

Put me down as a late in life lactose intolerant person. I have always hated milk and cheese but I do miss butter and ice cream. I will take a lactaid if I want some butter with a meal. I eat it less often so it becomes a real treat when I indulge now.