# Antibiotics and lactose intolerance



## skinny (Jul 27, 2002)

I have had lactose intolerance for over a year now. It started with increased gas after eating something with dairy in it then it evolved into IBS with constipation. I've tried everything to treat my LI from lactase enzymes to probiotics to reintroducing lactose in small increments daily. My lactose intolerance is so severe that eating trace amounts of lactose (i.e. butter) will give me rumbles and gas.Recently I've went on three different antibiotics and noticed a surprising observation:Neomycin Sulfate - I could eat all kinds of dairy after my course. I could drink regular milk with no gas and eat bowls of ice cream. Unfortunately after a month it returned in the form of D and then just plain non-smelly gas.Doxycycline - Didn't do a thing for my LI. I believe it had lactose as a filler and it was setting me off, so I would have to take a buffer food with a lactase pill to not upset me.Amoxicillian - Started working from day one I think, since I had a slice of cheese. During the course, I was eating ice cream with no gas, no rumbling in the guts. I'm done with the course now and had two large bowls of chocolate ice cream and a slice of pizza at dinner. No problems so far.The antibiotics haven't had much of an positive effect on my IBS-C, but I'm glad that I can eat dairy as normal for now. I'm on Culturelle (a probiotic Lactobacillus GG) for a while since going on a lot of antibiotics.I heard that a lot of people became LI after going on antibiotics. Perhaps it upset the flora in the small bowel to inhibit the production of lactase.In my case, amoxicillan worked like a charm. I wonder if this is going to last for good. skinny


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## flux (Dec 13, 1998)

> quoteosted 10-20-2003 12:20 AM ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½I have had lactose intolerance for over a year now.


Your testing indicated you never had it.


> quote: My lactose intolerance is so severe that eating trace amounts of lactose (i.e. butter) will give me rumbles and gas.


This argues *against* your LI theory as well.


> quoteoxycycline - Didn't do a thing for my LI. I believe it had lactose as a filler and it was setting me off, so I would have to take a buffer food with a lactase pill to not upset me.


This rationale is not rational.


> quote:Amoxicillian - Started working from day one I think, since I had a slice of cheese. During the course, I was eating ice cream with no gas, no rumbling in the guts. I'm done with the course now and had two large bowls of chocolate ice cream and a slice of pizza at dinner. No problems so far.


It could just be the condition (whatever that is) fluctuates.


> quote:I heard that a lot of people became LI after going on antibiotics. Perhaps it upset the flora in the small bowel to inhibit the production of lactase.


Since LI is generally not a problem for people and it is not easy to detect, I would discount these ancedotes. However, antibiotics can affect the gut floraï¿½s ability to process gas in either direction making it worse or better.


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## nmwinter (May 31, 2001)

skinny - I'm glad you're doing better. But I doubt that your problem with dairy was lactose intolerance. given that LI can be treated with lactase enzyme since it's caused by too little of this enzyme, this should have worked for you. Maybe your issue with dairy was something else. My friend thought she was LI also but found even trace amounts caused probs even with taking lactase enzyme. now she's pretty sure it's something else.I've always found that anti-biotics make my IBS worse. When I take them, I take care to take extra probiotics to replace the bacteria the anti-biotics kill.nancy


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## Gret (Sep 23, 2003)

Many IBS patients who think they are lactose intolerant, may actually be intolerant of the protien in milk, not necessarily the lactose! Either way, dairy isn't very good for us!


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## flux (Dec 13, 1998)

> quote: may actually be intolerant of the protien in milk


This sounds plausible, but gas would *not* be a symptom.


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## skinny (Jul 27, 2002)

nwinter, I have been lactose intolerant (couldn't tolerate the gas) but not in the same sense that it is understood from a genetic standpoint.You can be LI from secondary causes. For example, celiac disease can cause intolerance to lactose because the villi are damaged by gluten. Once a person goes off gluten for a while, the villi heal and one start consuming lactose as normal.My problem seems secondary because of SIBO or some bacteria that's causing it.skinny


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