Can LI Hurt You?

Lactose Intolerance (LI) isn't a disease, yet it can cause symptoms that vary from annoying to sheer misery. It's not surprising that every once in a while I get questions asking whether LI can cause actual damage.

I replied:

It depends (you knew that was coming, right?). If your symptoms are minor, then really nothing of concern is occurring. If you have serious diarrhea, you can wind up with several things that are bad to have, although certainly not life threatening. You may become dehydrated; may lose important nutrients; may develop anal fissures or hemorrhoids from the continue strain on the tissues. If you start bleeding while on the toilet, you need to see a doctor. It's most likely hemorrhoids, but you need to make sure.

The same advice holds for those who wonder whether going off lactase pills is a bad thing. The symptoms may become a problem if you don't take lactase, but whether you take it or not has no effect on your intestines or any other part of your system.