Lactose intolerance vs milk allergy?

Your description sounds like classic Lactose intolerance which is a sugar digestion issue. Try LactAid, or yogurt, or simply avoiding dairy in significant quantities. But try to get calcium some other way if you cut back on milk.

Milk allergy on the other hand is a protein reaction, and the symptoms are different and on a different time scale.

See the noted websites

Quoting from them here but more data available at each.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/nutrition/...

MILK ALLERGIES: People who are allergic to cow's milk react to one or more of the proteins in it. Curd, the substance that forms chunks in sour milk, contains 80% of milk's proteins, including several called caseins (pronounced: kay-seenz). Whey (pronounced: way), the watery part of milk, holds the other 20%. A person may be allergic to proteins in either or both parts of milk.

When a person who is allergic to milk eats a food that contains milk products, the body's immune system mistakenly sees the milk proteins as dangerous "invaders." The immune system responds by creating specific antibodies, which are designed to fight off the "invader." These antibodies — called immunoglobulin E (IgE) — trigger the release of certain chemicals into the body, one of which is histamine (pronounced: hiss-tuh-meen).

So when a person with a milk allergy eats a food that contains milk, the immune system unleashes an army of chemicals to protect the body. The release of these chemicals can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin, and the cardiovascular system — causing allergy symptoms like wheezing, nausea, headache, stomachache, and itchy hives.

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/lact...

LACTOSE INTOLERANCE is the inability or insufficient ability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and milk products. Lactose intolerance is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme lactase, which is produced by the cells lining the small intestine. Lactase breaks down lactose into two simpler forms of sugar called glucose and galactose, which are then absorbed into the bloodstream.

Each site gives some solutions

Hope they help

I have a casein intolerance. Casein is a protien found in milk and dairy products. Lactose is a sugar found in milk/dairy products. If you are lactose intolerant you can take a pill to replace the enzymes that you are lacking in order to digest the milk product. If you are casein intolerant, it isn't something that is lacking in your digestion, or treatable with a pill. It is your auto-immune system kicking in and causing damage to your system and making you feel generally yucky. The only thing you can do for casein issues is to avoid dairy products all together. In my case eating casein caused me terrible constipation and sinus troubles. These problems went away almost immediately after removing dairy. You might want to not eat dairy at all for awhile to see if you improve. If you improve, maybe you are having a casein problem instead. Good luck!