Dairy In Vaccines and Certain Medications!

Hey everyone! Just wanted to let y’all know, you need to be on the lookout for vaccines and medications that contain traces of dairy or that are grown in casinate bases (a form of milk/dairy). I know from experience (and the hard way) that you absolutely need to CHECK THE INGREDIENTS OF MEDICATIONS AND VACCINES BEFORE ADMINISTERING THEM. This first time I found out the hard way was while taking the asthma prescription ADVAIR diskus. It does have a form of milk powder in the medicine, and if you are severely allergic to dairy, like me, you do not need to take this. It was supposed to improve my breathing, but ended up causing my throat to begin to close. Also, when I was 13 (I’m almost 15 now), I had to get the tetanus shot. They recently came up with a new version of the vaccine. Not thinking anything about it, my mom and I agreed to go ahead and let me have it. Normally, you don’t feel too well after having taking the shot for about a day, right? Well, I stayed sick for a WEEK until all of a sudden it got really bad. I started having severe abdominal pain, couldn’t breathe well, and started to sweat, shake, and break out in hives. When I went to my pediatrician, he immediately told my mom to start looking up the ingredients for the vaccine. It was grown in a casinate base, which is a form of dairy! Unfortunately, they couldn’t do anything for me, so I suffered for another two days. Just this past summer, I was scheduled for a yearly physical, and was in need of my Meningitis shot. Remembering the last time i recieved a vaccine, I immediately started googling the vaccine, and it DOES have lactose in it, so I did not take it. I’m glad I checked the shot before I took it. Since I have found out the hard way, I want all of you moms and dads to know that you need to check your children’s medications, because I know I don’t want y’all to watch your children suffer the way that my mom saw me suffer.

Lactose is commonly used in medications. I was concerned about this and contacted a few different allergists. Remember, you are allergic to milk proteins, not lactose, which as a sugar. Lactose intolerance is not an allergy, it is a deficiency of an enzyme. So, having said that, lactose is not going to be a problem. Casein, though, you’re right, could be an issue. Egg is another issue. I was concered about getting flu shots; as a health care provider, I am at high risk for flu, after all, I have patients coughing on me all day! I had a 2+ reaction to eggs, so I decided the risk of flu was greater to me than having a rash (my usual problem) so I did it. The offical recommendation is not to get the shot if your allgery is “serious”, which I would take to be things like, not breathing. I’ll have to look into the ingredients, too. You know when you are getting a shot, your doctor gets a circular with each vial of vaccine. They can show it to you and it will list ALL the ingredients (in little, teeny print).

I remember my doctor giving my mom one of the circulars, that’s how we found out about the casein, but I’m almost positive I tested allergic to lactose. I know that’s not the case for all milk-allergic patients, but it is a problem for some. And you’re right about the eggs. I’ve never had a flu shot because of it!

**completely lacking the enzyme lactase to break down the lactose found in milk