Need some advice.

[Janie]

BW hun, I have only skimmed this thread. This is a tricky stage you're at, I sympathise .

True Lactose intolerance is quite rare, it is more likely that Sam has some sort of Cows Milk Protein Intolerance. In fact, given that he reacts to cheese and yoghurt, but not his formula, I'd say it's more than likely.

Your best best to sort this out is to seek the opinion of an experienced Dietician or Naturopath, who specialises in this area. I could try to help you find someone in Sydney if you are interested.

In the meantime, I would persist with the Nan, but you can always drop the amount he has. MR has written some excellent stuff for you about the necessity (or lack of) dairy in our diets, and what you can replace it with. Given that you are concerned about Sam's diet, a dietician might be a really helpful way for you to go. And there are always Calcium/Magnesium supplements available! But best to start down that road under an experienced advisor.

Having BTDT, I know how hard it is, and how hard it gets if you persist with the dairy......not worth it. Because I was so lost for somewhere to go, I waited too long to get DS diagnosed, and as a result, 2008 was an unhappy year for us. Life is definitely on the up now we know what the deal is . And hey, it might not turn out to be that at all for Sam! But best to know for sure what you're dealing with .

ETA Something else you may be interested in......exposing a person who has intolerances to the very things they are intolerant to, over a period of time, will weaken their immune system. The body is so busy fighting these proteins it doesn't cope with, it doesn't have the strength it should to fight regular bugs etc. As an example, over 6 months in 2008 DS had moderate/severe croup SIX times . It was ridiculous, and awful. I was most concerned about this winter. But having changed his diet, he only had one moderate bout, which was a vast improvement (I was assured this would happen after removing the offending proteins from his diet). Knowing your history, I thought that was something you might want to note