OT - anyone have/had this issue with Herbalife ShapeWorks meal replacement?

DaniB

DIS Veteran
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Feb 17, 2010
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So back in February, I started using this "meal replacement" powder in a shake for breakfast. Two (2) scoops/tbsps of the powder, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of frozen fruit, and 3 tbsps of bran fibre. I really like having this shake in the morning as mornings are crazy busy.

Then in May I started having a lot of nausea and stomach pains. I started thinking it was the meal replacement powder.

Now I have narrowed it down to MILK! I have never been allergic to milk in my life, but ohhh - if I drink a glass - a few hours later my stomach is in pain for a couple of hours.

The lady I purchase this from told me that she has found people who were not allergic to milk (milk protein or lactose.. not sure which) BEFORE using the meal replacement powder - have become allergic later on. She said it's not so much the powder causing the issue, as this stuff "cleans out your insides" (my choice of words) and the body's system can develop a senstivity to milk.

I have no issues with this powder when I use orange juice. To be certain, I stopped using it and drinking milk for a week. Then had the powder/OJ/fruit again - fine. Waited a week (no milk again), then drank a tall glass of milk - stomach pain. I did this twice in the past month with the same results...

In any case, I'm going to ask the doctor for a lactose intolerance test.

However I'm wondering if anyone else has used this product and suddenly become sensitive/allergice to milk products?
 
So back in February, I started using this "meal replacement" powder in a shake for breakfast. Two (2) scoops/tbsps of the powder, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of frozen fruit, and 3 tbsps of bran fibre. I really like having this shake in the morning as mornings are crazy busy.

Then in May I started having a lot of nausea and stomach pains. I started thinking it was the meal replacement powder.

Now I have narrowed it down to MILK! I have never been allergic to milk in my life, but ohhh - if I drink a glass - a few hours later my stomach is in pain for a couple of hours.

The lady I purchase this from told me that she has found people who were not allergic to milk (milk protein or lactose.. not sure which) BEFORE using the meal replacement powder - have become allergic later on. She said it's not so much the powder causing the issue, as this stuff "cleans out your insides" (my choice of words) and the body's system can develop a senstivity to milk.

I have no issues with this powder when I use orange juice. To be certain, I stopped using it and drinking milk for a week. Then had the powder/OJ/fruit again - fine. Waited a week (no milk again), then drank a tall glass of milk - stomach pain. I did this twice in the past month with the same results...

In any case, I'm going to ask the doctor for a lactose intolerance test.

However I'm wondering if anyone else has used this product and suddenly become sensitive/allergice to milk products?

Not using weight-loss products, but I did have that happen to me using a rice protein drink. I switched back to regular organic milk when Almond milk "went" soy, but now I see that the new BD Almond milk in the cooler has ***** no soy***** :woohoo:, I hope that they just didn't take it off since it was minimal. It has a blank where the soy was and now just says lecithin .:headache:.
 
Were you drinking a cup of milk a day regularly before you started taking these shakes?

I don't know a lot about milk allergies, but the connection to cleaning out your insides sounds like a long shot (but I could be wrong). It seems like many adults start to develop lactose intolerance at some point, regardless of the shake. I'm assuming it is more related to the cause of that. I'm noticing some issues as I get older and I wish it would go away!
 
I was on a similar diet plan/product - Medifast. I ended up developing gallstones and had to have my gallbladder removed 6 months into the diet. Needless to say, I stopped that plan as soon as the gall pains hit and I learned it was attributed to the high protein and rapid weight loss. :scared1: :sick:

Ever since then I've had lactose issues. I've never correlated it to the diet, but it seems too coincidental to NOT be related. :confused: Hmmmmm, thanks for bringing this up!
 

Yes, I drank milk regularly before this problem started. Usually one cup a day, sometimes every two days. I always put some in swiss mocha, hot chocoalte and tea. I love cheese although I had to cut down on that while trying to lose weight.

The bit about gallstones is interesting. My doctor thought that is what I had and ordered an ultrasound. Nothing showed up though. And the pains stay away as long as I do not drink milk.

I get nausated at times, for what seems to be no reason. I'm thinking it might be when I eat other dairy products, like cheese. I'm going to see what happens the next time I have pizza.
 
now I see that the new BD Almond milk in the cooler has ***** no soy***** :woohoo:, I hope that they just didn't take it off since it was minimal. It has a blank where the soy was and now just says lecithin .:headache:.

Lecithin is typically a soy product. Write the company and ask if it still has soy.

Pacific Naturals makes an Almond milk free of soy lecithin.
 
You definitely sound lactose intolerant (but get tested to be sure). It can happen very suddenly, and may or may not be from the meal replacer. I developed lactose intolerance when I was 19. One day I could eat yogurt, milk etc. The next day (literally) I was horribly ill.

Milk is hidden in food in so many ways. if you're feeling ill other times, it's from hidden lactose. Whey, nonfat dried milk, buttermilk solids, butter etc are all hidden lactose in food. Whey has the highest concentration of lactose. Anything with cheese (goldfish crackers, lots of crackers etc) will make you ill too.

Have you tried lactose free milk to see if that bothers you?

My DH can not drink milk or eat yogurt (don't believe that you can always eat yogurt wigth lactose intolerance). But, he can eat pizza and small amounts of ice cream if he has other foods with them.

I am so intolerant a hershey kiss makes me ill.

Good luck!! There are lots of really good dairy free alternatives (finally).
 
I never had a problem with milk (or so I thought) until I started drinking it all the time when I was pregnant -- really didn't agree with me. But I didn't drink much milk before that except maybe in cereal, or creamer in coffee. Ice cream had never bothered me. So for me, it just seems to be milk in large doses. They do say that you can develop lactose intolerance as you get older, especially if you don't drink a lot of milk on a regular basis.
 
You definitely sound lactose intolerant (but get tested to be sure). It can happen very suddenly, and may or may not be from the meal replacer. I developed lactose intolerance when I was 19. One day I could eat yogurt, milk etc. The next day (literally) I was horribly ill.

Milk is hidden in food in so many ways. if you're feeling ill other times, it's from hidden lactose. Whey, nonfat dried milk, buttermilk solids, butter etc are all hidden lactose in food. Whey has the highest concentration of lactose. Anything with cheese (goldfish crackers, lots of crackers etc) will make you ill too.

Have you tried lactose free milk to see if that bothers you?

My DH can not drink milk or eat yogurt (don't believe that you can always eat yogurt wigth lactose intolerance). But, he can eat pizza and small amounts of ice cream if he has other foods with them.

I am so intolerant a hershey kiss makes me ill.

Good luck!! There are lots of really good dairy free alternatives (finally).

I decided to try lactose free milk early this past week (with the fruit & meal replacement powder), and I had no issues!

This morning I tried again - only I think I goofed. I put 1/4 cup yogurt in it. Now my stomach's rolling again.

I'm fairly certain I did not put yogurt it in the first time. Guess I will wait a few days and try again without yogurt this time.
 
While searching I came across this old thread I originally posted. Since I found it, I thought I would put an update on it.

I can drink milk again!

I couldn't drink milk all summer. I didn't have milk at Disney either, nor all fall once we were back home. However sometime over winter I tried milk again, and I'm fine. So strange.

I even started up the shakes with milk again 2 months ago and no issues to-date!
 
My daughter is lactose intolerant. It is a problem that is one of degrees. People can usually tolerate a certain amount of dairy with it (each person has their own amount), but then once they go over that amount they have symptoms. And it may be worse one week and better the next, sometimes with no rhyme or reason.
 












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