Lactose-free and Lactaid

[srivett]

I've done a search on the forums and can't find any information that's less than 2 years old. Can anyone tell me if lactose-free milk is readily available in supermarkets? I saw it was fairly common in Aussie stores, and I'm hoping it's the same in NZ (Christchurch specifically). Also, here in Canada I use a lactose digestive supplement called Lactaid... for those occasions when I can't resist my sweet tooth, or when I don't know the dairy content of a meal, or when my grandmother plies me with ice cream. Is there anything similar over there, and if so, what's the price?

Thanks!

[kanatakiwi]

Hi I phoned a couple of health food stores, and it is available here (Auckland) so imagine it would also be in Christchurch. Nature's Way Lactaid costs $45.40 for 100 capsules and you have to take 3 before each meal, so sounds like 100 wouldnt last too long. I was also told about Solgar (??-might not be spelled correctly) Wafers which is $23.70 for 30 wafers and you you take one before each meal that includes dairy. If its available in supermarkets it might be cheaper there.

If its anything like everything else in NZ , its probably more expensive than Canada so maybe bring a supply along with you. Gloria

[nippa&pippa]

I have seen lots of different type of milk here, my mum used So good milk (soya milk) when she came here and I used Rice Milk when I was bf my daughter as she had milk and soya intolance till 11months. So lactose-free milk should be available easy as well as other milks here as got it from supermarkets.

[srivett]

Thank you both Gloria - thank you especially for going out of your way to call around. The Lactaid you mentioned definitely sounds like the same stuff, just twice as expensive. I'll make sure to stock up before I go.

[kanatakiwi]

and its a good idea to make a trip to london drugs or whereever and stock up on some basics. everything is more expensive here!. For example, I use the "sensitve" toothpaste. Here I can only find sensodyne at just under $10 a tube, and not a very big tube at that. so at LD i stocked up on their generic brand, $2.79 a tube for double the size. Also things like antihistamines if you use them, polysporin, even bandaids, its worth throwing a few packages of things you use regularly in your shipping boxes. Good batteries are expensive, and the cheap ones only last about 2 weeks. (Although I think you should bring those in your suitcase, as I am not sure what the humidity on the ship does to batteries. )
As to electrics, bring small things and buy the converters and adaptors from LD. Larger things that use a lot of electricity are less reliable with the convertors. We brought our electric bed warmer, and it blew the circuit even though we had the adaptors etc. (We wondered if humidity in the shipping container had damaged it?) but a friend in Canada told me that things that use more power (hair dryers, etc) won't necessarily work well even with the convertor, but our little expresso machine works fine! things from the health food store are much more expensive here too.
G

[srivett]

All very good advice - thanks again! I'm starting a shopping list of items based on your recommendations (and other recs in other threads). We're trying to bring as little as possible (we've been renting the last few years and don't own any large appliances anyway; everything else is give-away-able), but an extra box of the drugstore stuff I take for granted will be worth it in the long run. Converters and adapters were never in doubt!

[suebeenz]

I think Canada sells the 'drops' that you can put in, instead of having a pill. Has anybody seen the drops in NZ?

Thanks!

[dilanium]

Just so you know, the active ingredient in Lactaid is called Lactase. It's the enzyme that digests lactose, that people with lactose intolerance have in insufficient quanitities.

I thought that might help when you get there and need to buy more. In the US I always buy off-brands as they cost less but have the same amount of active ingredient.