Brief Answer:
Lactose intolerance is very likely but other causes explained also

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for asking at healthcaremagic.

I carefully read your question and understand your concern.

Lactose intolerance is the most common food intolerance and has a tendency to be more common with increased age. So it is a very high chance that it might be the cause of the gastrointestinal symptoms you are experiencing.

Trying a milk free diet for a month is the best way to know it. Having yogurt is OK.
On the other hand lactose intolerance is not the only cause of it.
Gluten intolerance is another food intolerance that might be considered.

Other causes like chronic parasite infections like giardia (this depends how common this is in your area and if you have traveled in areas that have a lot of giardia).

Irritable bowel syndrome is another cause of the symptoms also, it is mostly related to mood/anxiety and stress and is generally a diagnosis after we rule out other organic causes of the symptoms.

So to conclude I would say:
1. try a milk free diet for 3-4 weeks and see if there is a difference in the symptoms.
2. If no improvement with milk free diet you will need to have some common tests like stools for ova and parasites, stools for fat amount, stool antigen for giardia,etc
3. if these tests come out normal than next step would be to do tests for gluten intolerance
4. irritable bowel syndrome might be strongly considered if all the above tests come out normal.

I hope this is helpful to you and answers to your questions but please feel free to write in case any more clarification is needed on this.

Kind regards

Antoneta Zotaj, MD

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