'I Suddenly Became Lactose Intolerant After A Bad Bout Of Food Poisoning.'

Dawn Chen Didn’t Even Know This Was Possible.

- Dawn Chen Didn’t Even Know This Was Possible.

Sometime last August, I had a serious bout of food poisoning. My stomach has not been the same since. From just food poisoning, it turned into a long-drawn battle with an incredibly weakened digestive system and, surprisingly, a severe case of secondary lactose intolerance.

I’d never had a problem with dairy before this. I used to drink a cup of milk every other day and was a huge cheese eater. But since that August incident, I’ve come to accept that my stomach will churn and I’ll have the runs if I drink even the slightest hint of milk.

Initially, I thought it was because I was still recovering from food poisoning. But after seeing three doctors over the span of six months and tracking my diet, I realised that my biggest trigger for an upset stomach is dairy. The worst culprits so far are fresh milk, ice cream (the tragedy!) and yogurt.

I seriously never thought that this could happen to me – or anyone else for that matter. And I’d never heard of anyone developing lactose intolerance after food poisoning. So, just what happened to my gut health? I sussed out Dr Gwee Kok Ann, medical director and consultant gastroenterologist at Gleneagles Hospital, to find out more.

Is it possible to develop lactose intolerance after a bad bout of food poisoning?