Ticks are icky. They spread Lyme disease. And now it appears they might interfere with your ability to enjoy a hamburger. A team headed by Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills, U.Va. professor and former president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, recently published findings that suggest that tick bites may cause allergic reactions to red meat. Dr. Platts-Mills says that tick saliva may trigger the human immune system to produce antibodies to a carbohydrate called alpha-gal, which is found in red meat.
Dr. Scott Commins, an assistant professor of medicine at U.Va. and lead author of the study, explains that an allergic reaction occurs when the body produces antibodies—meant to defend against harmful bacteria or toxins—against an otherwise benign substance, the allergen. When antibodies bind to the allergen, certain cells release histamine, which in turn causes symptoms such as swelling, hives and breathing problems.
The researchers screened hundreds of human blood samples from locations in the U.S., Africa and Central America for the antibodies against alpha-gal. Their findings? Meat allergies are more common in places where tick populations are on the rise. The team also studied people with the allergy in the laboratory setting. “We’re sure ticks can do this,” Dr. Platts-Mills told the Washington Post. “We’re not sure they’re the only cause.”
Unique to this particular allergy is that the reactions are delayed. Symptoms don’t appear until several hours after exposure, which can make them difficult to diagnose. “We have now performed this under observation, and there are no symptoms until after 3 to 4 hours,” said Dr. Commins. Dr. Platts-Mills and his colleagues’ next topics of study: Why are the allergic reactions so delayed? And why do only some people develop the problem?
Comments
How can I get into touch with Dr. Commins and/or Dr. Platts-Mills? I am a classic example of having been bit by a tick and now cannot eat red meat. Once I saw the Washington Post article about Hayden Newell, it all fell into place. I had been hives free for almost 2 years by avoiding all red meat. Last night I got bad hives, and I did not eat red meat. I ate a Stouffers Chicken Quesadilla. I want to send the lengthy ingredients to the Drs, thinking they have added a sugar that may trigger this, or they cross contaminated during manufacture process. I also have been bitten several times and I think I am super contaminated because the dose relationship is off the charts. I react to the smallest amount of meat including white pork loin which I was able to eat in small quantities but no more. One time I got hives caused by cross contamination of a Papa John’s chicken pizza made during a NFL playoff weekend. It got a slight amount of ham due to the way they were throwing the toppings around.
My husband developed this allergic reaction to red meat about two years ago. He has had several tick bites in the last couple of years. He thinks it seems to be worse when it is red meat with more fat. Very lean beef n pork do not seem to be a problem. Have you found a correlation from the amount of fat in the red meat, and should he keep an epi-pen?
I always carry lots of dissolve in your mouth benadryl. When it happens I have to take between 3-4 strips and ride it out. I also carry an epi-pen, especially when flying. In the beginning, it was dose related, and now looking back I think fat in the meat did play a role. I could eat ham sandwiches and lean pork loin, but not anymore. After getting bit several more times, now it is so bad I am even afraid of beef flavoring, or using the same spoon to stir my food that was used to stir other family members when they are cooking red meat. I have e-mailed Dr. Commins and Dr. Platts-Mills, but they have not responded. I sure hope their research includes looking at either a cure or a pill that can be taken when eating red meat. Certainly am getting tired of chicken, turkey, and fish. Never thought I would be tired of eating shellfish
I too have this. My reaction time is 8 hours every time. I do really good at not having any problems, I cook from scratch! I am fearful when I do go out, they don’t understand how dangerous this is.
I had never had a tick bite until 6 years ago when I moved to the country. Since then, I’ve probably had 80-100 bites. But I’ve probably only had to remove around 10 ticks. They usually bite and run (I can tell they’re tick bites because they take a month or more to heal and often leave chicken pox-like scars). I’ve never had a tick attached for more than 24 hours (that I know of) and have never had a target pattern on the skin or have any other ‘tick’ disease symptoms.
But about 3 years ago I started having the reactions 3-6 hours after eating. I originally thought cheese was the culprit. But I ruled out cheese and milk and pinned it on beef (and now pork). I get hives on all the ‘tender’ skin areas (bottom of arms, back of legs, et al). A couple times I started having trouble swallowing and was concerned about breathing but it never got to that point.
I’ve been the guinea pig for myself by testing different types of meat. I think I have also made a correlation to fat content. On vacation last year, I had Prime Rib 3 nights in a row (because I could) without incident. The next night, I had a beef chimichanga and had a terrible reaction. Only once have I reacted to prime rib. I always have a reaction to ground beef. Quantity also matters. But sometimes it’s just worth the discomfort.
I live in the uk. I’ve had 8-10 anaphalactic episodes in the last 8 years. The first of which followed within a month or two of having a tick bite (in Scotland) that ended up swollen, red and very itchy for a week or so after the tick had been removed. During this first reaction the tick bite itself grew large very red and very uncomfortable. This only lasted for the duration of the reaction and into the following day. I have had reactions to beef, pork and lamb and the quantity as well as the fat content definitely appears to play significant part in their cause. I have only recently discovered the research in Virginia by Dr Platts-Mills and have not yet had a blood test carried out to confirm the alpha gal allergy. I am in this process though fear our NHS may lack the capability and facilities to conduct this. Any suggestions will be most greatfully received.
ALCON,
Please keep in mind that I have had numerous hives outbreaks from cross contamination and hidden red meat sources.
Example - Beef Flavoring and/or Beef Broth will set it off. I really like Classic French Onion Soup. Never again as the Beef Broth is a base. It does set it off…....
Wow! I have had this for two years, didn’t know what was going on. I break out with hamburger, all cuts of red meat. I can eat processed meat, ham, bacon at least so far. I can eat red meat IF it includes a high acid food ex. chili, Italian sauces. I live in the country and tick bites just goes along with it, right now I probably have eighteen bites, no way around it.
I had Lyme antibodies found in testing mid June 2008, got bit again four days after testing and developed the bullseye rash - no doubt I’ve had the disease. Treatment was as bad as having it - long term antibiotics required leave you with serious troubles.
Lyme affects adrenals, which can result in low cortisol. Digestion is an inflammatory process and without this natural anti-inflammatory it can feel like your insides are on fire, no matter what you eat. This hormone deficit seems to linger even after other signs of the disease are gone.
Long term antibiotics makes a mess of your internal microflora. I went through all sorts of gyrations, and finally spent about six weeks eating yogurt, drinking kombucha, and double dosing on probiotics and a natural anti-yeast cure. If you don’t rebuild an environment unfriendly to yeast you get all sorts of weird stuff that leads to pain and fatigue when you eat.
This stuff with meat related antibodies is something I’ve sensed for a while, now the article confirms what the path is. Some times I can eat the lamb kabob at my favorite Mideastern place and I’m fine, other times it’s like this afternoon - terrible pain, fatigue, and a three hour nap in the middle of the work day.
More research like this is needed, and I wonder how much the anti-body test is - it’s good to have paper records of these things, given the resistance Lyme victims face when seeking proper treatment.
My doctor called me this evening and told me not to eat any red meat,pork, or lamb. He said that my food allergy test had come in and I have a red meat allergy. I found this hard to believe that this was the cause of two trips to the ER in the last six months. I’ve always eaten red meats and have never had any problems before. He told me to go onto the internet and look up Red Meat Allergy.
I can see the connection now between my allergy and ticks. Living in a wooded area of KY where ticks are a part of life and a real problem for six months of the year. When I get a bite, I know about it for three to six weeks.
I have been having reactions to red meat for close to 7-8 years now. I live in a rural part of central Arkansas. After a couple of years and a few trips to the emergency room I figured out that I was reacting to beef, pork to a lesser extent. I completely removed red meat from my diet for about 3-4 years. Over the last year I have been able to eat red meat again without any allergic reactions. I was bitten recently by a tick that looked like a lone star tick. I am not for sure how long it was attached, but it was in deep. Now I am once again having reactions to red meat. My only hope is that I will once again be able to eat red meat. I had not known the cause of the reactions prior to reading the studies released by the Virgina researchers.
I too have this,Is there any remedy for this ?
I was doing some land surveying in Central Texas in 1985 and got covered with little tiny ticks from head to toe. Within at least one month time I started having allergic reactions to some food. It took several months of trial and error to learn not to eat red meat, pork, venison, etc. I still have a reaction when I inadvertently eat even something cooked with these meats. All the doctors brushed me off when I tried to tie the problem to the ticks.
While I do not have this problem I did develop severe arthritis symptoms, a 104 degree fever months later and Auto immune Hepititis , again months later after a bad tick bite.Why, because I was not treated for many months with an antibiotic. I populate heavily infested deer tick areas daily with my dogs. The dogs have gotten Lyme’s and are more easily treated that me. The doctors on Long Island, NY told me that I did not have Lyme’s although I tested positive for one titer. I had to BEG for the Doxicycline . Only now are more doctors finding more illness from tick bites. I’d love to find a central information site to explore what other illnesses and symptoms are from tick bites. Does anyone know of any?
I developed an allergic reaction last year to red meat and I recall having been bitten by at least two ticks, on with a white dot on its back. I never thought the two were related. I strayed away from red meat and stuck with chicken or pork (minimally) and was fine. Now I find I have developed an allergic reaction to chicken (even organic with no seasoning). Has anyone else had this? I would love to help out with a study or something because I love eating tasty tasty meat.
I’ve had a serious red meat and dairy problem for over 13 years but 2 years ago the new alpha-gal test confirmed that I had the antibody. Early routine allergy tests showed reactions to red meat but not dairy. As time went by, and without further tick bites, the routine skin and blood tests were negative. During the later period I had a few bad episodes after eating/drinking dairy products.
I noted that Bob Bauer mentioned he thought the chicken was the cause of a problem after eating chicken pizza. Following the positive alpha-gal test, the allergist advised me to also avoid dairy products since they are mammal related. Sometimes chicken, maybe fish, is marinated in milk and many sauces contain cream or milk. If anyone is avoiding red meat, but still having problems, they may want to lay off the dairy.
John,
Good info. I never thought about the relationship between milk and red meat. WRT the pizza, I am 95% certain it was a cross contaminated chicken pizza. The pizza manager admitted that because the bacon container was located right next to the chicken, and because it was NFL playoffs with crazy number of orders being processed, small amounts of meats were likely mixed.
Was bitten by a tick 2 years ago and a month later had a severe reaction to a hamburger steak. For months after I would get itchy and hives after eating hamburger but the severety lessesed with time. Was bitten a month ago and removed the tick but the area stayed irritated and red. Last night I had a hamburger and had a bad reaction 8 hours later. Here we go again. Took a lot of benedryl and it slowed it down but swelling still today. Wish there was some kind of treatment.
This round of allergic reactions from the latest tick bit didn’t last long. I am now once again able to eat red meat without reactions after about a month. I thought I would come back and add this comment in addition as a follow up to my earlier post. I didn’t see a way to edit my earlier post.
I went into anaphylactic shock and have reason to believe I may have the meat antibody. I asked my dr for the blood test and he refused to order it saying he wouldn’t begin to know what to order, then saying the cost would be prohibitive—thousands of dollars. Has anyone had the blood test and what was the cost?
Elizabeth,
I had the blood test 2-yrs ago. I forget what it cost me but it was probably less than $50! You can actually download a test request form at allergytoredmeat.wordpress.com. Click on FAQS and scroll down to the question about testing. This is a very good site for info re the alpha-gal problem. The site is an UVA resource and I believe it is associated with the university’s allergy research lab. The form is for the Viracor-IBT labs. Two years ago the UVA and Viracor labs were the only ones providing the tests. I hope this info is useful to you and good luck!
Elizabeth,
Sorry, I made a mistake re the web site. It is allergytomeat.wordpress.com. (vice redmeat)
I am also allergic to anything from a cow or pig..even milk, ice cream, and most cheese…So I was interested in this tick related article, as we moved to Tn. in 1995 and the hives started around 1998..I made the deductions myself and figured what the cause was after trial and error..I would get terribly sick, ears burning and hives about 3 hrs. after eating. Finally found out benedryl kicked it..Now for the past 10 years, by not eating any of the above, I have not had an attack..So maybe it was the tick bites I got when we first moved here and have gotten every year since..or it could be the hormones etc. they are giving the cows and pigs..I guess I will never know.
I have little sympathy as I am a Vegi! Also, I have always felt that cow’s milk was for baby cows - No?
Michael I am not sure if anyone requested your sympathy or feelings but your comment gets a big old “who cares”. This discussion is for meat eaters, not grazers.
Perhaps you should care. I am 77 and am well and healthy except for a problem with my right eye - not serious. M.
Michael Brine
Alcon, including you Michael,
Please, please do not let this stop helping people. It is not the intent to turn this into a Vegi vs Animal forum. Way too important to stick to the MD facts and special information for us how have a medical problem. If you or someone else turns this into a V vs M issue the Virginia Mag will shut it down for a lack of human helping value.
We all have stopped eating red meat by no choice of our own. Many of us are perhaps, like me, forced to work on our normal red meat habits, which is still a debate upon the experts.
Please no Vegan vs Meat war here! Lots of other places for that….
I will make this my last comment so allow me. North Americans - I say North Americans as I am a Canadian - are the sickest in the world without exception. We are also the largest meat eaters in the world. The meat you eat to-day is not the meat of years past from cattle who were grazing in fields. To-day these animals are litterally ‘grown’ in huge barns and never see the light of the sun but each is confined in a very restricted area. They are then injected with numerious drugs to keep them ‘healthy’ [?] and to grow them as fast as possible. You, the consumer never see this but I assure you I speak the truth. Michael.
Looks like I am another victim of this allergy in Australia. Live in the paralysis tick area & have very bad reactions to them. Have had terrible trouble with red meat but I seem to have found a solution.
I have found that I can eat beef that is guaranteed hormone free & pork that is guaranteed antibiotic & hormone free only. Can eat fat from these meats with no problems.
I didn’t intend to be rude Michael but your badge of vegi superiority just seems out of place here. I love hamburger and Helen I have indeed found that Costco hormone free hamburger didn’t cause a reaction. No other meat or anything else really is a problem except bean sprouts. Just kidding Michael. This problem is growing and thanks for the info.
The 3-4 hour delay in symptoms is the same delay i experience when i accidentally eat wheat (I have celiacs disease) and I would hypothesize that it has to do with digestion and how long it takes for the allergen to be taken up by the stomach and intestines.
Do you know about B5 & B6 moderating allergic reactions?
This from Hans Selye’s research, now 50+ years old, in Montreal
It take a long long time to make a difference (a year)
Male:250mg B5, 100mg B6 (unless emotional, then use women dose)
Women: 250mg B5, 250 B6.
After a month or 2, you will realize that this is helping
Three years after moving to the country in middle Tennessee I developed an allergy to Beef and Pork. My allergist was amazed when the test for Beef swelled up and became ichy and inflammed before his eyes. That sample is as organic as they come. Two and one half hours after I ate beef or pork, I would begin to itch, develop hives behind my knee and around my waist until they became so prominent they all ran together. I also had difficulty breathing and required an ER visit every time. That was 11 years ago. Since then, I moved away from ticks, haven’t eaten meat (poultry and fish only) until very recently, and haven’t had a tick bite in 7 years at least. I discovered this year that I can eat Beef and Pork again, without issue. I had NO IDEA how this could be possible until now.
My first and only tick bite was May 10, 2012. I started experiencing anaphylactic symptoms within a week of the bite. My third anaphylactic episode lead me to search for an explanation. The search lead me to Alpha-Gal, I connected the dots and each of my episodes can be traced back to eating beef.
Never having any type of allergy before, I have now become my own guinea pig
I still have the tick in the freezer and it is a Lone Star.
If there is ever to be a clinical study, count me in.
Linda,
You and others new to this are lucky that is happened now versus mine that started in 2006. I went nearly 4-years not knowing what it was. I have no idea what damage I have done to myself with about 15 episodes, each requiring massive amounts of Benadryl.
To you and to all, please remember to check everything carefully. A couple of weeks age, our Safeway had a 2 for 1 sale on Hillshire Farm Chicken Hardwood Smoked Sausage. After bringing it home I discovered “Made with Beef Collagen Casing.” Dodged another episode.
I recommend you obtain an Epipen, especially if you fly….
I’m 66 and live in KS, around ticks. I had anaphylactic from eating red meat at 60 yrs old. It went from hives, two yrs off red meat, then ate one small burger and experienced the anaphylactic. I was tested and have a number of allergies to foods with beef, pork and milk being the highest along with lettuce.
My 29 year old son, who has worked in the state park system for over 6 years in SC with multiple epidsodes of many tick bites. Suddenly in December he experienced an epidsode of racing heart difficulty breathing, lightheadedness. Escalating over the next few months and over 20 trips to the emergency room with irregular heart rates. They even did a heart cath on him saying nothing wrong with his heart. One Dr. starting giving him a heart rate regulating med, but the incidents still occur randomly and regularly sending him to ER.
Has anyone else with these tick bites had incidents with irregular heartbeat or temporary elevated blood pressure ?
I do have an irregular heartbeat which was found about the time of the anaphylactic shock to beef.
I do have high blood pressure but that runs in my family.
I forgot to mention that in the middle 90’s I was steroid poison (high dose long time) where it shut down my immune system for awhile. Is that another smoking gun, anyone else?
Kitty,
I went into atrial fib several times when I had allergic reactions. For the first two years the doctors had me on various heart meds and dosages which of course did not stop the reactions. If your son has not already done so, I stronly urge him to stop eating all mammal products, including dairy, and see what happens. Good luck!
Our daughter just suggested that this might be the cause of my husbands huge hives. He has been treated as if it were an autoimmune issue for the past two years. As a golfer it is very likely he has had tick bites but none come to mind. We are going to try cutting out beef but are not sure what to do about taking/or not taking the zertec he has been using in the past. Friday night he had 3 and several hours later had the huge welts. They are all gone today having eaten chicken yesterday.
I believe my father may have been one of the earliest victims of this allergy, having been bitten by a tick around 1974 in Missouri. He developed the allergy after his next Big Mac which brought new meaning to the “Big Mac Attack!” The tick bite was life threatening and he was hospitalized with such severe infection that upon release, the pharmacist had to confirm the antibiotic dose with the doctor before he would fill it. At first he suspected MSG in the burger, or a reaction to the massive doses of teramycin which he thought might have done something to his digestive system, due to the delayed reaction of the allergy. It took many years of trial and error to figure it out and to actually believe it was the meat causing the problem. I can’t count the number of reactions (or the bottles of Benadryl) he had between 1974 and his death in November of 2011 at the age of almost 91. But we knew one correlation for certain…he had a serious tick bite and he could not eat meat after that. I wish he had lived a few more months to learn of this research and finally have people not think he was crazy when we tried to explain his condition! We grew to be experts in his dietary parameters. If it swims or flies, he could eat it…unless it was a fresh caught turtle. Although, frog legs were okay. The dairy and cheese allergy came a little later. But, it was odd. He could eat white, low-fat cheeses (Swiss, Farmer’s, etc.) but no yellow cheese (Cheddar, Colby.) Fat content in the dairy was definitely problem. And for some odd reason, he could eat low-fat milk in recipes if it had been boiled. Somehow, boiling changed the structure of the dairy so that he could tolerate it in small amounts. Had to watch out for anything with gelatin, or turkey dogs with pork casings, or barbeque joints that used the same spoon to serve beef and turkey! Sure wish we had known that the IgE levels drop over time. He always said he was going to eat a big juicy steak on his death bed, but “chickened” out when the time came. Sure wish he had known he might get away with one last T-bone! He was a Missouri cattleman and no one loved eating beef more than he did!
I also suffer from this allergy, and went years of midnight trips to the ER. I only recently found out the whole story, but have carried an epi pen, benadryl and steroids with me at all times. My allergist has even hinted at injectable benadryl. When out to eat, I question preparation, as the slightest cross contamination means a trip to the ER, and in some cases a 911 call.
My 5 year old daughter broke out in hives this afternoon. It started with just a few, and couple of hours later she looked like somebody had beaten her with a baseball bat. I took her to the ER and while we were waiting I found a tick on her. The doctor came in as I found it and he removed it, so I don’t know what kind of tick it was. It was still flat, so it had not been on her for an exceptional amount of time. The hives started about 3 hours after she had lunch, but she had not had any red meat. She had chicken tenders that are made with breast meat and rib meat, green beans and some V8 splash. I may be overreacting because she is so young and it has me completely freaked out that she can go from normal to being absolutely covered in welts in 3 hours time, but has anybody else experienced this allergy with chicken at all or is it just red meat? When ya’ll had the allergy test performed, was it at a specialist or is this something her pediatrician can do? Thank you for any responses!
Sorry to all of you who have meat allergy,I think I’m going to stay from eastern part of USA.I Sure hope they can find somthing to stop this.I’ve learned about this tick allergy,thank you all.
I’ve had neurological Lyme Disease for 10 years. I received no help from regular doctors and finally found a doctor that saved my life. I thought I was finally over this and then got another tick bite. Within a week I had an anaphylactic reaction. I should have gone to the hospital but like I said; been there, done that and got no help. I went to my regular doctor, not lyme doctor who is not covered by insurance. She put me on 3 antihistamines and it barely touched this but I was still eating meat. When I read about this allergy I asked my regular doctor for the test so that my insurance would pay for it. She said I did not need it. I had to “insist” before she would order the $34.50 test. I have not gotten the results yet but am finding that even touching meat or anything with meat products in them sets me off. That includes, shampoo, deordorant,soap,lotion and food you would never imagine such as bread. Products of meat are in everything. Even the thyroid medicine I take is from pork. So if you are not getting better go to a Vegan site and look at where meat products are hidden. Finally after a month of research and buying new vegan products I woke up without itching. Hope it lasts.
I believe the anti-bodies formed against the tick bite, be it with or without Lyme perhaps, might be creating intolerances not just to beef, but other things as well.
I was bitten by a tick, contracted Lyme, and like Neal Rauhauser said, the treatment is as awful as the disease. We have discovered that I am intolerant to eggs, dairy, yeast (baker’s yeast in bread, not candida infections). I made a link between what I was eating and faster heart-rate, and then an IgG test (this is for intolerances, not allergies) was done and confirmed my suspicions.
So, no, not noticed beef, but other things instead, that I was fine with pre-tick bit. I think the anti-bodies formed, may also then over-react to other substances. The havoc anti-biotics causes in your system also plays a role. It all messes about with your immune system. I also suddenly get itchy from shampoos and deodorants.
Thank you for publishing this life-saving article. I live in rural central NH and have had several slow-to-heal tick bites in my lifetime. I had an anaphylactic reaction to beef a few years ago, and another recently after eating pork (the so-called “other white meat”). In both events, I had to be rushed to the ER several hours after eating, to be given life-saving measures. The doctors here readily identified that I have a red meat allergy, but are clearly bewildered as to why. I’m taking this article to my PCP tomorrow. We have had milder winters in the past five years, and both the numbers and species of ticks here are on the rise in the northeast.
The real problem is the Lyme Disease itself.So many doctors refuse to acknowledge what serious and lasting problems are caused by the Disease. If you have not seen"Under Our Skin”, you need to see it. Also, do your own research into the variety of complications caused by this silent epidemic sweeping the nation.Read “Coping with Lyme Disease"by Denise Lang.It has been the most accurate description of what has happened to me and to others I have interviewed.If you have been bitten, the meat allergy may be the least of your worries. If you don’t get serious help quickly, you will face a life filled with complications, ignorant doctors, hostile insurance ,and declining health.Good luck and may God help you.
Interesting about ticks and meat as I have been reading about this in a different forum and this site was referenced. Thankfully I have not been (knowingly) bitten by a tick, but found one feasting on my cat years ago. It was dispensed with to put it mildly.
As a meat lover I will keep my eyes peeled for the ticks, have always been aware of the increase in Lyme Disease but not this aspect of it, the rotten little parasites!
As for Michael Brine, I am a Canadian, enjoy meat and one can avoid factory farm meat by eating organic meat without toxins, hormones and antibiotics. Lyme Disease has been making incursions into parts of Ontario but am hoping eastern Ontario is still too cold and will freeze the little beasties. If not, I will just have to watch out for those beasties when walking around deer areas. Cover up with pants stuffed into boots but on these hot humid days this is difficult. More tick inspections will be a priority of we out of doors people.
I have the meat allergy exactly as described here but more with beef. I don’t have any symptoms of Lyme and wondering if this is a pre lyme indicator or something. I do have A+ blood type which fits and I have noticed when I get first symptoms, Alka Selser seems to help. Not sure why. If anyone knows of other places to possibly learn from others who have this I would sure appreciate that info.
Could it be the CHEESE?If you are avoiding red meat and still have anaphylatic events, this info might be helpful.Test results reveal that I am positive for alpha gal mammalian meat allergies. After three event-free years of avoiding red meat, the life-threatning events began again (and yes, I live in the country and receive around 5-10 tick bites per year). Resent allergy testing reveals that I am now allergic to DAIRY! Many of the people commenting have believed their chicken pizza or chicken cassedia was cross contaminated, as I had often thought. Not the case with me—- it was the CHEESE or the CREAM, not cross-contamination. I now avoid dairy and episodes have vanished!
One morning in 1988 my heart stopped several times and then started to race. (I had been eating a lot of Whoppers) By the time the medics arrived I was on the floor with uncontrolled hip rattling. After many trips to the ER over the next 9 years, a recently graduated Heart Specialist made a profound statement that solved the problem. I told him that my heart problem seemed to happen about 30 minutes after I ate - sometimes. And he said, “Dale, I do not know what is wrong with your heart, but it is not food related!” He contradicted himself, so I went to see a Food Allergist, where I tested highly allergic to Beef.
When in the National Guard (40 years ago) I was bit by ticks many times. Whether or not there is a connection, I cannot say, yet after I developed the beef problem I also developed allergies to - pork, milk, wheat, corn, chocolate, High Fructose corn syrup, peanuts, and most medicines the doctors try to give me, including Benadryl. So I eat little and suffer a lot. I read labels. If I do not understand a word, I do not buy the product.
As to those of you who also suffer reactions. Alka-Seltzer Gold will sometimes help with itching. I use Tri-Salts, (mixed by a compounding Pharmacists) when I start to itch. I mix 1/8 teaspoon with 4oz of water. Although it tastes like dirt, it works in about 20 seconds. My main reactions include itching, hives, irregular heartbeat, and a-fib, which is life threatening. Dale
This is a great forum - and thanks to all. Last week - hives. Unknown cause. This morning- I plucked off my waist (at the boxer waistband line) what I thought was a red skin-tag. On the floor- a live crawling tick. I.D. confirmed: Lone Star Tick. What a curve ball. I had the hives last week, so it’s been feeding on me for a week. Yikes!! I’ll avoid red meat for a while, and hope this all goes away… Then- a nice juicy steak! Thank you all for your comments!
Just thought I would come back and post again about another study that is somewhat related to this topic.
Recent studies at the University of Duke by Dr. Wesley Burk have found that people can over come their allergies to food by ingesting small amounts of the allergen each day and slowing increasing that amount over time. I think this is how I was able to over come this allergy. After recent bits that were slow to heal and a renewed allergy to meat again I was able to more quickly over come my meat allergy this time around. Only took about a month this last time i noticed a tick bit and started having meat reactions again. http://ondemand.duke.edu/video/23440/wesley-burks-on-peanut-allergy
@ Michael Brine, Troll much?
Thanks for the comments in here, useful information! My GI (gastro) Dr. didn’t seem to understand why I would want to get the allergy test if I “already” know that mammal meat is making me sick, just avoid the meat. I’d like to have the test to confirm, although I see her point, and to be able to compare to a future test to see if the level come down. Haven’t had a reaction when I haven’t had mammal meat, plenty of tick bites over the past couple of years including two lonestars just a month or so ago. Sure would like a bacon wrapped filet!
Two months ago I went to an allergist because of hives and swelling of the tough, however I wasn’t sure why I was experiencing these symptoms. After a series of skin test and a blood test, it came back that I was allergic to beef, pork and lamb. I had an appt. yesterday with my internal medicine doctor (teaches at Duke) who also warn me against eating wheat, soy, egg, peanuts, shellfish and milk in addition to the meats listed above. She stated that I will basically be eating a vegan diet. She strongly warned me against eating any of the foods listed above saying that you never know if the next bite may trigger a severe reaction.
I started with my lips swelling, then after several episodes, my tongur swelled. I always had problems with benedryl, but took it anyway and seemed to work. My family docter ran blood tests that showed slight milk allergy. I ignored this. In june of 210, I started having tongue and throat swelling and stayed in E>R> for two months, once almost dieing, save for a good paramedic in the ambulance. I went to several physicians including “THE BEST” in the state and they laughed at me when I told them about reading the research on a tick bite..alpha gal. I was given the Epi-pen, pretisone, etc. and told I was allergic to my Blood Pressure Meds. I continued to go to E>R> and just quit eating. I finally got online and found the phone no. for the research at V.U.I have done my own testing and I am allerigic to all red meat as well as dairy. I use Silk products instead of milk and only eat chicken and fish. I have had some terrible experiences trying to eat ou. Just touching ham or even my dog’s food gives me a reaction. I swell, have rashes and burn. I do not take pretisone and try to make bebadryl work. I have researched some allergy meds. and they will eventually shut down your kidneys. I am a 65 yr. old female. I have been suffering from other health problems for several years. This has totally changed my life and I just feel helpless at times. I eat too much and snack constantly because I never feel satisfied with what I can eat. I think part of that is mental. Good luck to everyone suffering along with me. Hopefully there will be “SOMETHING” in the future to help us. Thank God for the Website that led me to help and saved my life.
Histamine blockers lesson :
I have had the meat allergies for a few years now and only recently learned of its association with tick bites.
Upon my first visit to the hospital, the paramedic has administered Benadryl into my IV, followed by Pepsid into my IV at the hospital.
Pepsid, which is usually used for acid indigestion, is actually a H2 histamine blocker and will work faster with your Benadryl at clearing up your symptoms.
Here is an article for further research. Hope this helps. I have benadryl an pepsid on hand at all times.
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/hives_and_angioedema/page8_em.htm
Thank you Dan Elliot. I had been seeing that most people take an antihistamine daily and it dawned on me. When I first started getting the reactinon (hives especially) I actually thought I was having allergies either seasonal or to something like laundry detergent. I started taking Loratadine (Claritin) and this seemed to help. I hadn’t been taking it in a while and that’s really about the time that my reactions started getting worse (severe abdominal pain etc). The last couple days I’ve been back on the Loratadine, I don’t know if this is a histamine blocker of choice or not and I have pepcid at home, so I think I’ll start taking that regualarly as well and see if this helps, although I’m mammal free as much as I can be, though some dairy still.
I just found out that I am one of the lucky to develop the meat allergy from the Lone Star Tick…I am grateful to my doctor who was persistent in trying to discover what was causing my trips to the ER…The first time my body was covered in hives, and my whole face was swollen…after the ER administered Benedryl into my IV I started to improve. The 2nd trip 2 weeks later was not so easy…I had an anaphylatic episode and lost consciousness. I was given 4 Epi-Pens and an Epi-Drip in my IV…I suffer from severe asthma so this on top of that was very scary. They were stumped as to why this happened. I saw an allergist and mentioned to him that I had a tick bite that left a small scar…they tested me for Lyme Disease which was negative. He was persistent and decided to test me for a red meat allergy which came back 300 times the normal range…I was told the normal is .035-5 or 6 and my level was 97…So we’ve come to the conclusion that this tick bite has caused me to have a red meat allergy. Time for an all new diet.
I just had a visit to the er from this.
I believe from half raw cooked frozen hamburger.
I am a surveyor and have had hundreds of tick bites.
This happened to me 20 years ago a couple of times.
The allergist could not find an answer to a delayed allergic reaction. But now I know, I had the alpha-gal blood test and my level was 1.5, anything over 0.35 is positive. I just got into a mess of ticks and chiggers. I have been eating hamburger and steak for years. I think it was a certain combination of the raw hamburger.
God damn, had to type this again
It is curious that no-one has made any-follow up to my
comment above
Nutritional therapy will partially heal your immune
dysfunction, you will still be allergic, but much less so,
and likely avoid trips to the ER
The adrenal cortex is very slow to heal, as much as a year
but people take meds for a long period of time so….
A note: B5, pantothenic acid is very hard to find, remember
where you got it, when you realize that I am not full of
shit, then buy 2 or 3 or 4 bottles ahead.
It will be a life-long thing, take extra when immune
challenged, you will have an allergic response, but it will
be minor. Also, do not tell your MD, he will disparage
it, convince you to stop, this is not correct.
Correctly targeted nutritional therapy can be very helpful
for many conditions, this included.
This is so amazing that so many people are experiencing this! I think I am super sensitive as my hives began but I had been a vegetarian for 20 years, not vegan the whole time though so my allergist mentioned the mammalian proteins could be of course in dairy as well. I went back to being vegan while waiting for the test results and no more hives! Only has a few since, when I missed a milk ingredient in an unexpected place. Have been getting some hives this past week though and can’t figure out what I am taking in, even wondering about lanolin, derived from milk, in lotions, etc. Anyone found mammalian proteins in really obscure places that I might be missing?
Wow what an interesting review. I have just been diagnosed with dangerouse mammalian allergy and dairy allergy . I have been vegetarian for 10 years and have been struggling with symptoms of what appeared to be arthritis and IBS and lethargy etc. many visits to doctors over the past 3 years made me feel like a serial pest . Raging allergies and heart palpitations which resulted in heart echo and bloods being taken. All good except elevated cholesterol which could not be treated due to allergies to medication and heart palpitations ! So I pushed on ,eventually trying for support from an acupuncturist . He questioned my breathing and heart palpitations and recommended I see an allergist. This was a long shot but I unenthusiasticly booked. 2 weeks later and I now have a medic alert and an epi pen ,no meat products no dairy or gelatin . 1 month on and I feel amazingly better than I have done in years I can sleep and walk pain free ,it is a struggle in these early days with diet but it will be ok. We live on the mid north coast of Australia in a tick infested area so this is going to be a battle but I now understand what I am dealing with. This appears to be quite an unknown problem here so I will follow you all with some great interest. Thank you all for your stories and taking the time to educate others.
I have had a beef allergy since 2006. I would have thought it was IBS except for the fact that my Mom also suffers from this. She has seen Dr. Platts-Mills and told me to watch out for pork as well. Two weeks ago I ate pork and woke up with hives and diarrhea. Then this past weekend I was up all night sick to my stomach with diarrhea again, even went to the doctor on Saturday morning. She told me to look out for gelatin in foods and maybe dairy was a problem for me since I had eaten ice cream the night it happened. So today I have been researching gelatins and found out that they are in lots of packaged foods, not just jello. To my surprise I read that gelatin can be a binding agent in ice cream. Gelatins come from the hides and hooves of cows and pigs. They are even used to make pop tarts and packaged candy. Rhya, you may want to research Gelatin. I am disgusted to find out that manufacturers are slipping this into food we would not suspect. I hope that this study will result in new packaging which will require that food companies label their products as containing meat products.
I am 64 and just last week was diagnosed with alpha-gal allergy. I’ve been a meat eater all my life with no apparent problems. Five years ago I went into full anaphylactic shock and after testing blamed it on naproxen in Aleve. I was then fine for four years. Now for the last year I have awoken early in the AM with hives about every two months and with benedryl have been okay. Concerned with the frequency I recently went to my alergist who suspected alpha-gal and the test came back with an alpha-gal reading of 70. I am now a new poultry/fish guy. I read above of some suggesting lean pork may be fairly safe. Can anyone comment on that?
Bill,
I wish I had good news for you, but I do not. I have just had yet another event. My wife and I went out for our 27th anniversary last Friday. Went to a great new restaurant (http://bridgesrestaurant.net/ ) here at Kent Island. When I got to the bottom of the bowl of their steamed clam appetizer I found tiny pieces of a pork meat called Bruschetta. It was identified on the menu but I did not know what it was. I went to sleep that night thinking I would wake at 2 am with the hives and normal accompanying diarrhea. When I woke I was amazed - no hives, but I did notice the dull pain. This problem festered all weekend long and caused me to miss my first day of work at a new job today - I had to go to urgent care. I am still recovering.
Bill, I once could eat the white meat called pork loin. However, I now cannot eat any type of pork now. I have been bitten several times such that I think it is amplified. I am now so sensitive that I cannot eat French Onion Soup (Beef Broth). I really miss Bacon and Ham. Keep on the lookout for great salad creations, not to mention simple potato skins, as well as others like clam appetizers.
Perhaps I should start a website dedicated to my recopies for all of ….
@Bill,
I agree. I think there is a correlation with the amount of tick bits, how recent the bites took place, and how severe the reactions are.
I was bitten many times in a short time span about 7-8 years back. It took me a long time to fully get back to eating mammal meat on a regular bases afterwards. I was recently bitten a few months ago just once. The tick was on for an extended period. Afterwards I began to have reactions to eating meat. It didn’t take long after that exposure until I was able to eat meat again without reactions, about 1-2 months. I am back to eating meat again.
New studies are showing that mild then gradual exposure can build up a persons immunity to food allergies.
Previous comment was for Bob not Bill, sorry.
No comment. Accidentally removed my notifications.
Mickey, I don’t know about mild then gradual exposure is the thing for everyone. It wasn’t in my case.
I had hives for a number of years after eating. Finally traced it to beef so I didn’t have beef for 2 yrs.
I tried a very small hamburger and went into anaplylatic shock. That was so scary I will never try red meat again. Pork is a close second along with a few other foods.
Has anyone had swelling of the feet, and ankles? I was bitten by a lone star tick in June in Virginia. My symptoms are in the lower extremities only and I have difficulty walking. I have not been tested for alpha gal. All other blood tests normal and no other health problems. In retrospect, I have noticed a pain spike after eating red meat so will probably ask for the test. Just seems my symptoms are atypical.
Nancy, get the test! I don’t think anything is “typical” with this crazy allergy. I am a vegetarian but my alpha gal symptoms can arise with just the tiniest milk byproduct - in bread, even just something cooked in butter. So now I a a strict vegan. I have had swelling in the bottoms of my feet - feels like I am walking on a ping pong ball. I’m a runner and at first thought I had a foot injury but then realized it was another form of a hive.
I agree. I am so certain, yet today I was examined by an allergist who knows about the issue and he ordered the test and I had blood drawn….
So happy to find this thread….I have experienced almost the exact reactions to red meat and byproducts within 4 to 8 hours of consumption. My Dr was unaware of the correlation with tick bites until after I found U Va research info on the web. I had blood drawn to be tested for most allergies including beef. A beef allergy was confirmed shortly after as well as dog dander and Milk. So I gave up Beef and Milk…luckily I had no dog. But within a week had reaction to pork. Gave that up, then a month later to jelly beans, then to bar soap. I have given up all red or mamalian meat and have researched the uses of beef byproducts in other consumer items…including medicines,cleaning products, film, adhesives, sizing, make-up..the list goes on and on. Marshmallows, margarines, egg substitutes, shortening, gelatins..(including Jello!)Just got a letter from BCBSNC my insurance wich stated the Ige test was considered experimental would not be covered. My PA sent me to an allergist who looked at me dumbfounded and said he was wasting my time he couldn’t help me he was an ENT allergist????? Didn’t charge me..LOL I currently have an appointment with a “allergy specialist” this coming Wednesday…not because I want treatment I just want answers, clear and defined or I would like take part in any further studies or research of this disorder. Having worked for 12 years now in the chemical safety industry I am careful about my seafood consumption because of Mercury concerns. I have however discovered many ways to prepare chicken and turkey (careful to purchase those sausage items made from them in ground form not link) but not enough to satisfy my need for a steak or a good burger!
I first posted here when I was gathering info on the alpha gal blood test. I went into anaphalactic shock and was trying to determine the cause. I ask my family dr for the test—I even had the lab form—and he refused. Not only did he refuse, he told me (and was backed up by his nurse practitioner) that even if he ordered the test which he wasn’t going to do the cost would be prohibitive at thousands of dollars. I went to another doctor, had the test ($50);the results were positive. I stopped eating mammalian meat. I started having trouble with my foot (this was before I even knew about alpha gal). It swelled up on the ball and was very painful—throbbing and pain all over my foot and up into my ankle. Then I read to posts about this symptom—I DRINK A LOT OF MILK. So, now I am experimenting. This is my second day without milk so I’ll see how my foot reacts.
Good luck Elizabeth! I would be sure to cut out all dairy to really test out the theory, and milk byproduct are in a ton of things!
My husband was not allergic to meat but he WAS very allergic to Erbitux and seconds after receiving it he died. Please, if you know of anyone being treated for cancer in the Southeast USA warn them of this allergy. The drug maker DOES NOT WARN about the tick bites - they are too concerned with how may people would not get the drug if they did a very simple blood test before they gave it (costing them millions - but hey, it’s just a life, right??). Remember that name ERBITUX (CETUXIMAB).
I just developed alpha-gal allergy this year. I don’t recall any tick bites, and I live in Wisconsin which has deer ticks but not lone star ticks. I wake up in the middle of the night with major facial swelling (lips, cheeks, chin, tongue). I noticed that if there is an acidic sauce (tomato, lemon, etc…) or if I drink wine there isn’t a problem. Also, fatty, ground meat is worse than lean steaks. I know that if I eat a lean steak (sirloin) and have a couple glasses of wine I won’t have the facial swelling, but I’ve been avoiding mammalian meat and dairy products altogether since I found out I have alpha-gal since even lesser reactions can’t be good for your system.
I was bitten by the Lone Star tick three years ago in Arkansas, and knew immediately that I was in trouble. I went to the ER and started a heavy dose of antibiotics within 24 hours, but proceeded to become extremely ill for two weeks following the bite- extreme joint pain and swelling, high-grade fever, headaches and sensitivity to light. All of this subsided after about two weeks, and then the allergic reactions started. It took almost 8 months and several trips to the ER with anaphylaxis to finally come to the come to the Alph-gal diagnosis. I started keeping a food journal and realized it was happening after eating mammalian meat (not just beef, but pork and venison as well). I found an infectious disease doctor and he sent my blood to Dr. Commings, who confirmed the Alpha-gal diagnosis. Along with the meat allergy, I have sporadic bouts of joint swelling and inflammation, but I seem to be more prone to this when under stress. Also, I have developed allergies to just about every environmental allergen there is- grasses, molds, pollen, dust, dander- none of which I had before.
I actually saved the tick when I pulled it off of me because I knew something was wrong right away. I was bitten on the hand in between two fingers, and within an hour my hand was swollen and achy, and there were red lines from my hand to my elbow. My lymph node swelled up on the inside of my elbow to the size of a golf ball. Within two days I could barely walk for the pain in my joints. When I took the tick to the ER, they looked at me like I was crazy and tossed it out. From there, I proceeded to see nearly a dozen doctors, all of whom told me that my symptoms were not related to the tick bite, and one who told me that I was making the symptoms up in an attempt to get pain medication. Trust me when i tell you it was a long and often infuriating process to get to a diagnosis.
I suggest to everyone suffering from this- read ALL food labels and ingredients. Ask about ingredients in restaurants (many Mexican restaurants use pork lard in their refried beans). Even beef bouillon can cause a reaction (I have since discovered that some Bloody Mary mixes contain beef bouillon or flavoring). Carry an epi-pen and know what you’re putting in your body.
And carry Deet. Lots, and lots of Deet. Good luck to you all.
This is so interesting to read this thread. I’m a 47 year old living on a few acres in Southern Virginia and on July 12, 2012 I went out to dinner and had a hamburger steak at about 7:30. At 11:45 I got chills, heartburn, very itchy and hot hands and feet, then large red swollen areas all over my body (one in particular was in a place where I know I had a tick bite at least a year prior that took forever to go away)and by midnight my tongue had swollen three times it’s normal size. All of these symptoms occured within a 15 minute timespan. I immediately began downing water and Benedryl. I went to the emergency room and was just beginning to have trouble breathing and they treated me for anaphylasis. I was tested for alha-gal the first week of September and sure enough I tested positive (6.7). Now what? I have been completely avoiding mammilian meat since learning that I might have this allergy but for the 1 1/2 months between my episode and the appointment with an allergist I ate red meat with no serious reactions. I may have had some minor feelings of being uncomfortable but nothing like the eipisode that took me to the ER. I have a million questions. Where can I have these questions answered? Such as, the geletin capsule that Benedryl usually comes in, is that a derivative of a mammalian product? Same thing for the dissovleable Benedryl strips; is that mammalian based? Can one ribeye cause this reaction while another ribeye not cause any reactions? Does this allergy produce other reactions? One person in an earlier thread mentioned joint soreness; ist that a symptom as well? Is there any source where I can find answers as they come available? I had no idea this allergy existed until now and most people I tell about it look at me as though I’m crazy. I hope someone out there has some answers. Thanks for listening.
I am an ALPHA GAL gal. It isn’t just a simple matter of cutting out meat or dairy. I have been on a diet roller coaster because of the HIDDEN culprits in food. Read my story here: http://rcvfarm.blogspot.com/2012/09/alpha-gal.html
My husband is developing a host of alpha gal recipes as I struggle to make the transition to quasi -vegan! See them here: http://rockycreekvalley.com/food/alpha-gal.html
We have dedicated this page on our website to alpha gal sufferers. It contains recipes and research links. Please feel free to use it and we would appreciate any feedback.
You are not alone!
thank you all for posting here. I had my first ever tickbite 3 weeks ago then another 2 each a week apart and funnily enough all on the same day each week. first bite gave me a burning sensation then itch all over my body. once i had had a few glasses of wine it all dissappeared. suddenly i had fatty lamb meat dish and in the middle of the night woke up itchy and just about wanting to rip my skin off ears nose throat and realised the last bite in such a short space of time has now gone into my very being and went to the doc who gave me antihistamine which im hoping will work soon. only thing is i didnt know i was having an allergic reaction the meat and i ate it again tonight soo will wait and see how we go. thanks and keep posting cos it is helping us to understand and im just glad i found out almost as soom as i had my first attack.
@Nan
“I tried a very small hamburger and went into anaplylatic shock.”
When I said small, I wasn’t referring to a small hamburger. Eat a piece of meat, the size of a pellet or pea, once every other day. Gradually work your way up from there. Don’t start out with a patty, regardless of how small it might be.
I live in New York, Long Island to be exact. The Lone Star tick has made its way to NY. I was bit in June. I have had two allergic reactions and have been tested positive for beef and pork allergies. The strangest thing about this is that in between attacks and before we realized the cause, I had eaten beef and pork with no reaction what so ever. My two reactions occurred when I ate beef in a restaurant and a fast food place.
Thank you for all for sharing your stories…they are so helpful to all of us Alpha-gal sufferers. And, thanks to all of you who have traveled to my blog alpha-gal page: http://rcvfarm.blogspot.com/2012/09/alpha-gal.html
So sorry the recipe link was on the blink, but it’s all fixed now and Farmboy hubby is adding more each day.
I was diagnosed a year ago after 10 years of dealing with ER trips, severe stomach pains, etc. I was beginning to think I was crazy! It is so funny to see the reactions on people’s faces when trying to describe this allergy. I get the strangest reactions. I think most people think I am nuts. So glad to find this and be able to read about everyone else dealing with this! I am from Kansas and I saw someone is also which is nice to see I am not the only one! I have found dairy products don’t bother me if they are baked in something such as muffins, cakes….maybe it breaks it down enough?? I haven’t had an anaphylactic reaction in a year! I am continuing to figure out what I can eat. It is so awkward to go to someone’s house or an event and figure out what to eat. I hate that it becomes a burden to other to have me over or to simply wait on me when I am out. Frustrated but getting there.
I live in VA and believe this is what I have although I have not had an allergy test to confirm diagnosis. (I have no health insurance) Last yr I was bit by a tick and then was unable to eat red meat. After a while I was able to again. This year I found a tick embedded on my stomach and soon after noticed I was unable to not only tolerate red meat but pork as well. I do not get hives, swelling, anaphylactic, or any heart issues but I do get severe stomach pain, nasea and vomitting if I eat anything but chicken, turkey, or fish . So my question is this, does anybody else get JUST these symptoms? Can I have this allergy without hives etc or am on the totally wrong track for what is causing this?
@ Lisa S:
Although typically my reactions were anaphylaxis, I have had the reaction you are describing. It sent me to the ER twice, the second time resulting in a CAT Scan and Ultrasound, only to find that “nothing was wrong.” My infectious disease doctor (who I credit with virtually saving my life and finding this diagnosis), told me that he believes it’s what’s called Angioedema. It’s an allergic reaction to the Alpha-gal that can happen externally in the form of hives, or internally in the form of GI swelling. He warns thought that it can also swell other organs or areas of concern like the heart or the lungs. So in other words, it’s another form of a severe allergic reaction, or at lest that’s how I understand it.
I sympathize with you because I know how utterly disabling this pain can be. I thought I was dying, no kidding.
It’s been just over four years now since I was bitten, and I can say that since I received the diagnosis and eliminated mammalian meat from my diet, I have had no reactions to food. However, I am curious if anyone else has had other symptoms of increased allergies to environmental elements like pollen, etc. I had absolutely zero allergies before the bite, and now I am allergic to just about everything: grasses, pollen, molds, dander- you name it. Also, I have sporadic bouts of extreme joint pain which my doctor calls “Migratory Arthritis” that is crippling, but only for about 24 hours at a time, and then it just goes away. It typically starts in my hips and spreads to my knees, then back, then literally every joint in my body including the little bones in my feet. I can’t figure out a pattern to it, although stress seems to play a factor. Has anyone else experienced this? I never thought I’d have arthritis starting in my 30’s..
I am so grateful for this forum!! It’s at least a little comforting knowing that I am not alone, and to hear that more and more people are becoming aware of this allergy.
Thank you all, and be well.
@Lisa & Tanya,
I’ve had this problem for 15 years. Although I had several anaphalaxis episodes, I often had only severe stomach pain with vomiting, etc. and rarely developed hives. After two years of problems , I saw an allergist and skin prick tests showed reactions to beef, pork and a host of emviromental things. After sever years of no more tick bites none of the normal skin and blood tests were positive, but I still could not handle beef. pork or dairy. The new Alpha-gal test I had two years ago and another this year were positive, although the more recent one was lower. Hopefully it eventually will go negative!
I am curious. I have had hives that I thought was parasitic, though every test came back negative and nothing that worked on parasites helped. I had to fight and seek alternative help from Lyme disease as well. Did anyone else first think they had parasites? Also, I have been off red meat and pork for almost a week, my skin seems to be shedding what I have had! I have always been a huge meat eater, eating it daily 2-3 times a day. I am learning to like turkey bacon and will have to learn to like fish. It is a very odd felling but it seems like what my skin is now ejecting is what has made me itch and have really bad breakouts all over, but my face has been the worse. Just wondering if anyone else may have gone thru this?
A new item at allergytomeat.com showing Dr. Platts-Mills interview on Richmond’s NBC 12 is worth checking out.
Sorry, but the web site in the previous item should be allergytomeat.wordpress.com.
I was just diagnosed with this alpha gal allergy in the last few months. I had 4-5 allergic reactions in the previous year or so before being diagnosed, each one became worse. The last two were full blown anaphalaxis! I was very lucky that I sought the advise of an allergy doctor that was familiar with this and after talking with me about triggers and reaction times, etc. asked me about tick bites. I’d had 2 in the last year or so, with one resulting in extremely swollen inguinal lymph nodes and two rounds of antibiotics. He immediately suspected this and sent me for bloodwork. By the way, my allergy tests in his office showed very minimal allergic reactions to red meat, but the blood tests for alpha gal antibodies came back positive. He called me and told me I did have this alpha gal allergy. I have since avoided all beef, pork and lamb and have not had one reaction since. I was never a big red meat eater, but it is not a pleasant allergy to have! But, I can say that even though I am a registered nurse, being the one having an anaphylactic reaction is a very scary one! I do still have a few questions myself, like what other types of meats can cause the reaction? I live in rural Kentucky, where I always did enjoy venison and I’m not sure now if it is a meat I can enjoy or not? As a healthcare professional who has this new found problem, I would love to help in any way with research involved in finding out more about it. If any of the physicians would like to contact me, please feel free to email me.
I live in Fredericksbur, Virginia. I had an allergic reaction that started around 11:00 pm with a stuffy nose and itchy arms. It progressed through the night and I eventually my throat felt like it was swelling on the inside and I got scared so my husband took me to the ER. I was covered in hives when we got there about 5:00 AM. I was given Benedryl, Prednisone, Pepcid AC and Atavan and sent home. The doctor told me to follow up with my allergist so I called and told his nurse what happened. I thought it was a reaction to naproxen that I was taking for arthritis pain because I reacted with hives to Tylox, another pain medication, about 20 years ago. My allergist knew about this mammal meat allergy and sent me for the blood test. I found out yesterday that it was positive. I feel blessed that I have an allergist who was knowledgable about this type of allergy. His name is Dr. Peter Smith. I am already on allergy shots for all trees, weeds, grasses, cats, dogs, and dust mites. I am now noticing reactions to dairy and eggs as well. About a month or so ago I had numerous bug bites on my ankles and forearms after I spent a couple of days cleaning out fallen branches in the woods around our house. I don’t know what bit me, but the itching was severe and the bites took 3 weeks to heal and stop itching. Now, I am assuming that this sudden onset of meat allergy is caused by those bites. I have been thinking about becoming a vegetarian for awhile to see if diet would help with my joint pain. Now I am really motivated!!
Back in July I started having severe stomach pain about three or four hours after eating. I had just been to my GI doctor for a check up because about a year before that I had an infection in my colon and had been having “colitis” and “gastritis” symptoms. At the time I saw my doctor I had not had any problems for months and I was excited to tell him how well I had been doing. After I left his office, I began having severe abdominal pain before I even got home, (I had eaten a hamburger steak for lunch). I was thinking, “oh no, here we go again with the GI problems” and had to call his office and let him know I was hurting again. This pain was not the same as before though. This pain was a constant pain just below my sternum that felt like someone had scraped out a spot about the size of a baseball and poured alcohol in it. My doctor responded immediately and did all sorts of tests to check my gall bladder, liver enzymes, you name it. He was sure I had gall stones and even ordered an ultra sound and cat scan of my abdomen. Nothing. He scheduled an EGD, which I had about 20 months before along with a colonoscopy when I had the infection in my colon. Still Nothing. After the EGD, I had no contact with my doctor’s office for several weeks. I continued to have pain pretty regularly and one night while I was having one of these 6 hr long pain episodes I broke out in hives. I took benadryl and realized that the benadryl was not helping I went to the ER. I was told by the ER physician that she could not tell me what caused it. I had eaten a hamburger steak earlier that day as well and I told her all about my pain I had been having and wondered if maybe whatever was hurting inside me could be producing something that caused the hives. She didn’t think so. I started avoiding fatty foods and had the pain one day after eating a ham sandwich. I then thought it could be a preservative or additive in meat because it was always worse when I had eaten ground beef compared to say…a ribeye, which I had eaten with no pain. I was looking for allergies to preservatives online and found the alpha gal allergy and the FAQ from UVA. I knew about a tick bite causing a meat allergy, but I had not been bitten by a tick. I had an aha moment when I read that this could be caused by chiggers, also. The day I went to my GI and announced how well I had been doing I was covered in chigger bites that I still have scars from. I printed the FAQ and the testing form and took it to him and he ordered the test. POSITIVE. He also said that the small bowel can have edema and swelling and react just like the skin. I have what I consider a way more uncomfortable problem. I cannot take benadryl to stop the unbearable pain I get when I encounter cross contamination or eat something inadvertently. I have not found anything to ease this pain except maybe pepcid, it seems to lessen the time of the pain and ease it just a tad, but I still hurt for at least 4 hrs and I am not able to function at all during this time. The last time I had this happen was 5 days ago. I have had a rough 5 days. Although the pain was gone just below my sternum after 4 hrs, I have had a migraine for 3 of the 5 days and stomach problems, similar to spells of spastic colon or IBS the other 2 days. I am not sure if this is residual effects from whatever I may have eaten Friday or not, but two days ago I started breaking out with tiny “mosquito bite” looking hives during the IBS spell. I have only had the major hives that one time a couple of months ago, but this abdominal pain and lingering headaches and GI distress is hard to deal with. I think I have also had some gynecological symptoms as well. I have had lots of pain, which I thought was an ovarian cyst and my cycle has been twice a month for 2 of the last 3 months. I have no idea what to do about all of these symptoms. Hives would be easier to deal with.
I am responding to Robin’s comments on 11/14/12.
I joined this blog with a post on 8/27 this year after being diagnosed with this allergy. I too live in Fredericksburg, Virginia, know Pete Smith personally and his partner ( Mark Wenger) is my allergist. Mark went to UVA medical school and likely because of his connections there, made his practice aware of this strange allergy. I also went into severe shock five years ago from a reaction to naproxen. How coincidental! Only in this past year did reactions become more frequent and I was diagnosed with alpha gal allergy. For the past three months I have been very good about no meats, but will confess to an occasional BLT and a slice of pepperoni pizza! To date, I’ve had no reaction from eating that. However, with great bravado three weeks ago, I ate some veal scallopini and sure enough, the hives broke out five hours later. I think the understanding of this allergy is still in it’s infancy and wonder if I might just have a beef reaction and not a pork. Stay tuned. No doubt we will cross paths at the allergist’s. Good luck.
Bill,
I’m allergic to beef and pork but found for a BLT use turkey bacon works for me so far. I’m allergic to lettuce too so leave that out.
Also, we make our pizzas with turkey pepperoni.
Thanks for your comments Bill. Today I got a copy of my blood work and I am posting the name and address of the lab that did the test in case anybody needs this information. In many of the earlier posts people stated that they had trouble getting the blood test due to their doctor’s lack of knowledge about this new allergy.
Test performed by:
Viracor-IBT Laboratories
1001 NW Technology Dr.
Lee’s Summit, MO 64086
Phone: 800-305-5198
Galactose-Alpha
A normal level is o.35. My level was 62.50
They billed my insurance company and I haven’t gotten a bill yet so I don’t know what my copay may be.
I have noticed some issues with eggs and dairy since this happened so I am going in for tests next week. I get a metal taste in my mouth and tingling lips sometimes.
I had a tick bite in June 2012 and about 50 chigger bites in September.
Ten years ago, through the process of elimination, my allergist and I determined my allergy to beef and pork after several hive attacks and then two trips to a hospital for anaphylactic reactions. She guessed the culprit of allergic reaction because she had another patient with a beef allergy. At that time, she hypothesized that my body reacted to the protein structure of the meats. Now, many years later I am grateful that she was correct about the food source. (Initially thought reaction may have been from antibiotics in meats.)
I avoid everything related to beef and pork. Unfortunately, there is no middle ground…and like many of you have said…eating out is an interesting experience. Bottom line, when in doubt I don’t eat.
I live in Tennessee and have worked in a nature center, lived out in the country, hike, and fish in the southeast. I can’t even begin to count the number of tick encounters I’ve had because it’s part of living here. However, since the meat/tick correlation I am now quite fond of DEET and use it religiously. (And then shower with peppermint soap as soon as possible.)
Thanks to all the researchers who have worked hard and continue to find connections to this interesting bodily response. I, for one, am grateful to have a specific reason to explain this allergy to the many people who ask the never-end question, “How can you be allergic to meat?” (I can eat lamb…)
I’m Back, After yet another Anyphylactic Reaction to Cross contamination of Eggs @ a hotel I had been staying in for a week, and eating the continental breakfast for 3 mornings and on the fourth morning those eggs had been contaminated and about 3 hours later while attending a class in the hotel I went in to Aniphylaxis, BP dropped to 70/40, Bronchials closed off in minutes. Luckily I had confided in another attendant to the class and she knew that one of the students was an EMT he quickly took the needed steps, calling 911 and administering my Epi Pen that I carry with me everywhere. I now know I can take no chances with any foods prepared outside of my home are dangerous. I have started a website that will be on line very soon. ticktalkallergy.com will have links to all of my research including links to where I found great info, videos, testimonies, Articles, news reports etc. As well as a Blog Page for anyone effected by Alpha-gal to share their stories, meet other alpha-gal guys and gals. I startedthis page with the hopes that we can get together and share as well as support each other while those researching continue to look for a means of releif for all of us. Sometimes we all need someone to talk to that really knows what we are going through, that is why I come here and I hope that my site will help someone.
Thank you, all of the above! My Dr. sent me home with an EpiPen 2-Pak today (my first visit). He is scheduling an emergency appointment for me with an allergist. He is among the best Drs. in Maryland and had not heard of this tick/allergy relation. I could copy and paste most of your postings here without fear of plagiarism. Thanks again to all for sharing. This site has been of invaluable assistance and I DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU!
Im convinced. This past spring i started to have the reactions described above, and have been searching for answers….its hard to explain this phenomenon to others, and dietaru changes are not easy…missing bacon!ut the very thought of it makes me cringe now. Thank u for the stories and resources that will help me on this very new way of eating. Northwest Arkansas area- case.
I’m from Northwest Arkansas, too. That’s where I was bitten and eventually diagnosed. My doctor is Steven Hennigan, doctor of infectious diseases in Fayetteville. I HIGHLY recommend him!! Good luck. I too miss bacon, but turkey bacon does the trick
For Carrie, Re the eggs. If the eggs were scrambled there’s a good chance they contained milk and/or butter, which contain the alpha-gal sugar. Just a thought.
I have read thru many of your very helpful comments. I had thought that my problems were a combination of gout arthritis and menopause. But I never felt these were the bottom-line cause. I just didn’t put it together with having gotten a tick bite around 2005 in NW Illinois.
I gave up meat and milk and eventually even eggs. I did not have the severe reactions that so many of you mention. Instead I have severe, arthritic-like joint and muscle pain, starting a day or two after eating meat or any milk products except cheese. And for two years, I had a severe cough that worsened when I inhaled fumes from meat cooking.
The cough is what made me think it was an allergy, rather than gout. Allergic reactions vary from person to person. I wonder if there are many more people who have this allergy, without knowing it is the cause of less severe reactions.
I am writing again, this time is response to CaryEastNC. I do not eat eggs anymore. I used to eat eggs, until after eating them for 3 days in a row for breakfast, on the fourth day, my body pain started up again. My allergies to other things started acting up too. I found that I was sensitive to eggs in baked goods for several months, too.
Just an idea, maybe it was the eggs, day after day, not cross-contamination. I know that many people say they can tolerate small amounts of their allergy triggers, as long as they do not pass their individuals limits.
This site is really great. I have few allergies but am very allergic to beef and pork after getting bitten this summer. About 4-6 hours after eating meat it starts with varying intensity and swealing, itching, joint pain comes with varying intensity. I keep testing to see if it is subsiding but no luck yet. I was tested and positive (beef 20.2, pork 18) and apparently insurance paid. I wonder if there may be more sites where we can communicate and possibly help each other more directly. This site has helped me a ton and I would have never figured this out otherwise. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Thanks Robert
This site is really great. I have few allergies but am very allergic to beef and pork after getting bitten this summer. About 4-6 hours after eating meat it starts with varying intensity and swealing, itching, joint pain comes with varying intensity. I keep testing to see if it is subsiding but no luck yet. I was tested and positive (beef 20.2, pork 18) and apparently insurance paid. I wonder if there may be more sites where we can communicate and possibly help each other more directly. This site has helped me a ton and I would have never figured this out otherwise. Thanks Robert
I have known about the alpha-gal allergy for a while, because articles about it were posted at the tick list for dogs months ago. But it was only yesterday that I realized I may have it. Ten or more years ago, I had a few allergic attacks of intense, burning itching that would last for a few hours. It usually started a little while after I got up in the morning, was mostly in my hands and feet, and never turned into anaphylaxis. But the itching sometimes spread over my body, and it was usually quite painful. After it subsided, I still felt vaguely sick for a day or two. I had never heard of alpha-gal back then.
I rarely eat beef, and I never figured out the cause of the attacks till now. But I happened to eat beef for a couple of days this week, and had attacks the morning after each beef meal, including today. They were not the most painful attacks I’ve had, but pretty bad, and today’s attack has lasted a long time. I think they are either a reaction to tomato, or the beef. I had chili with beef and a lot of it.
I’ve been reading about alpha-gal most of the day, and found this site. It’s good to hear of people’s individual experiences, and it helps to see that the allergy affects everyone differently. I’ve only seen hives once, earlier this week, and there were only two hives. Just intense, burning itching and general malaise.
I eat pork more often than beef—-probably once every week or two, where I eat beef only a few times a year. So far, I don’t think I react to pork, and probably not to dairy either. Although I have to watch the dairy and see if it causes problems.
I don’t have a regular doctor, because they haven’t been helpful to me for many years. Is anyone else here in the same boat? Were you able to find a clinic to do the blood draw and send out your test for alpha-gal?
I’ve had thousands of tick bites in my life, because my family camped and hiked all over the eastern US when I was a kid, and I live in ticky woods in the Southeast. Lone Star ticks are very common here. I have trained myself to notice tick bites by feel very soon after they attach, and I get them off fast these days, but may have missed a few in earlier years when I was not as aware of them. I’ve had hundreds of chigger bites, too. So I’m a likely candidate for this allergy.
I recently bought some pants and shirts with Insect Shield, which is a Permethrin treatment. I was against it at first, because I’m chemically sensitive, but decided to try it and didn’t react to it. Permethrin repels AND kills ticks, mosquitoes, etc. I feel safer wearing these outfits when I’m in the woods, and I put DEET on my socks and shoes, and tuck the pants into the socks. There are ways to keep ticks off, including using DEET on all your clothes. We really don’t have to continue to get tick bites.
I am a new comer to this allergy. on oct. 6,2912 I ate a hammburger at a football game -7:30. Came home had a gin&tonicwhile; watching datline & nightline. Then took a hot shower & sat down at the computer.At midnight I felt my legs starting to itch& thr lymph nodes in the groin area swelling. then I got the hives & swelling, Took Bdryl, got scared ,ended up in ER. Went to an allergist last mon. & am confirmed to be allergic to red meat.I have eaten ham with no reaction at Tday & Xmass with no reaction, I did have another bout Dec. 6. I ate an Angus wrap at McD’s at noon. I’m a bus driver for Alb. Co..When I finished my PM run 5:39/6:00,I did our dishes in hot water,as soon as I put my hands in the water,I felt them get tingle and atarting swelling and the lymph nodes in the groin started swelling.I knew then exactly what was happening. I stared the B’dryl& applying solarcaine on the hives that broke out-mostly in the groin area,& I had some anti-itch fom the previous time. That was under control an hour later. I haven’t had any breathing problems yet.I have pulled many ticks off me in the last few years.From what I have been reading, the more tick bites I get, the worse it gets.Since I’m close to UVA.,Ihope I can Get in on any studies thst Drs. Cummins&Platt;-Mills are conducting.Yhis allergy really sucks.
It’s been almost 2 weeks since my recent attacks of itching that I think were from the alpha-gal allergy. For a few days after it started, I avoided all animal products—no dairy, eggs or meat. Then I tried some butter, which was OK. Yogurt didn’t seem to cause reactions either. Finally I had two strips of bacon a few days ago, and didn’t notice any reaction. Repeated that in a couple of days, and again no reaction. I think I can tolerate pork at this point, but I’m afraid to even try beef.
This last attack lasted a long time; I felt systemically sick and slightly itchy for a week or more, though the intense itching calmed down in about about 3 days. It didn’t use to last this long, but I’ve had a few tick bites in the last 10 years since my first experience of this allergic reaction.
I noticed in the comments that some people are concerned about gelatin coating on Benadryl. Is there any Benadryl without gelatin?
Has anyone had heart attack like symptoms, stabbing pain through heart writhing on floor with profuse sweating..My farmer son in law had been allergic to the red meats taking benadry for hives and itching almost daily and had been staying away from red meats knowing he had been bitten by lone star tick. These symptoms yesterday happened after eating chicken pizza (ordered out). He was rushed to hospital. Dr. in Culpeper hospital said heart and vital signs were fine and the pain was due to “chest spasms” The paramedic said he could see the spasms. He had done his own research on the red meat allergy and being tough had not seen a doctor for it.
Re Ingrid’s item,
I never had heart attack symptoms, but went into atrial fib several times. If your son-in-law has the alpha-gal allergy, he probably should avoid, or reduce, dairy products since they are mammal related. Pizza is loaded with cheese.
Re: Ingrid’ statement.
John Bissinger is right. In my own case my heart went into Atrial flutter which left me faint and weak. So to get more blood to my head (after calling 911) I lay down on the floor. Then my heart went into A-fib and the rapid (racing) heart caused an adrenaline rush which caused my body to start jerking around, and by the time the Medics arrived, my hips were rattling on the floor so hard they could not get a reading on me. That was in 1988. After many trips to the ER, in 1992 I went to the right doctor and found I was very allergic to Beef. So I stopped eating beef, yet still had heart problems. After finding this thread,I took the alpha-gal test. Although it showed normal I stopped eating all mammal products and my heart problem has also stopped.
Your son-in-law needs to make some changes in his life. First, he must keep his body hydrated. This means drinking H2O. The body needs WATER. Not iced water, not coffee, not tea, not soda-pop, just plain lukewarm water. Water in any other form - the body treats as food - something that has to be processed before being used. He also needs to feed his body on time, and every day. And although it is hard to do, we need to be eating raw colorful food as much as possible. If we put good things into our bodies, we stay healthy.
I’ve been experimenting. I’ve eaten almost no red meat for the past few weeks. At the most, I have 2 ounces of pork one day, and then skip red meat for a few days. I don’t notice any itching if I do this. But today I had about 4 oz. of pork, and now several hours later I’m moderately itchy, with a burning itch that travels from one spot to another, and with red palms. This is all typical of the severe itching attacks I’ve had, but less intense so far tonight. Eating beef a few weeks ago set off a bad attack and made me realize that I might have alpha-gal allergy. I seem to react more to beef than pork. It might be safe for me to eat a little pork occasionally, but I think beef is too dangerous for me.
Re: Ingrid’s comment.
Ingrid, as others have pointed out here, foods from restaurants can be contaminated: even if it was a chicken pizza, it might have had some beef or pork in it. Even a very small amount might be enough to trigger a reaction. I think for people who react severely to alpha-gal, this means that we can’t eat at any restaurant that serves red meat. And since some people with the allergy react to dairy, it makes sense for him to cut that out too, or find out if dairy is a problem for him.
I am an alpha gal guy. No dairy or mammals for me. Itchy crawling skin at times. Dissatisfied eating at times. Most of the rest.ER visits and epipen carrying card member. I have chosen to try and avoid. Which to those who haven’t been in this boat is not as simple as it sounds. I mostly don’t eat out. Not easy for an otr truck driver.
My body seems to try and expell and inflame over the slightest trace of dairy.[all this since alpha gal] Mostly on my face and neck. Is anyone else got any problems like this. We have become label and ingredent reading fools. Thanks to my wife. Any similar success stories would be appreciated.
Hi, again. I thought about not posting this, as is, because it is so long. But I hope that others, especially, Jo Ellingson, August 6, 2012, Col, August 18, 2012, and Ingrid Mullens, January 2, 2013 will find this. Most of my family works in, or retired from, the medicine production field. So we, crazily, spend time sitting around and talking about out this kind of stuff. I cannot eat meats, etc. either. I’ve posted here twice so far.
BUT FIRST, EVERYONE – here’s a great site!— barnivore.com— alcohol is NOT all animal-product free. HONEST!!! A lot of it is filtered or treated with animal or fish products. It takes time to search through the site for alcohols you are considering buying, but it will help you know which brands of alcohol are safe! I don’t drink much, but even a little of an allergy trigger is sometimes all it takes to start up my reactions.
—- This tick-induced allergy thing is showing up how differently our bodies react to everything. Since it is showing that some of us have our digestive systems react right off, and others of us have pain and swelling later— or others of us have trouble breathing or heart palpitations, and so much worse——we have to keep sharing ideas and spreading information. Also, I think we have to remember that what works for one of us, may not work for another.
—A couple ideas from my own experience:
Depending on where I was in this experience, I’ve have all-over pain, swelling, coughing, near fainting, heart palpitations, a bone spur, weakness, more severe existing allergies, etc. I’ve found I can’t eat gelatin, meat, chicken, fish, eggs, or dairy, except for cheese. (Watch for GELATIN in foods.) The tick borne allergy worsened other, existing, sensitivities. And I found that, for me, antihistamines are an Almost Daily Necessity. Many antihistamines don’t work for me, tho. For me, it’s Alavert that works. Each of us needs to find what works for us. And even that may change over time. Experimentation seems to be key. Personally, I need Alavert’s quick dissolve, quick release affect, because the med wears off after different lengths of time. Alavert’s active ingredient is Loratadine. There are many brands with Loratadine, but they don’t all work the same, like all brands. Even though two medicine brands (or even forms within the same brand) may have the same ingredients listed, they can affect us differently, as the sources of their ingredients differ. And of course, different combinations of ingredients cause different metabolizing by the body. And then we have to be careful that the medication does not interact with other medications, or increase or decrease blood pressure dangerously, etc. You know what I mean.
——- I know many of you are having to use epi-pens. But a little more info - Most all antihistamines have several forms, besides the usual pills. There are liquids and quick dissolve tabs and different time-release formulas. It’s gotten easier to find them than it used to be. One good research source that I have found is Walgreens website. It lists a lot of the forms within brands.
—- ** Jo, I know what you mean about fear of taking the wrong, or too many antihistamines. Talk with trusted pharmacists, besides your doctor. For me, and I am only saying me, keeping reactions in check has helped my overall health. I take blood pressure medication. I used to have to take other meds for pain and depression. On antihistamines, my body is not primed to overreact to everything. Since I have figured out what sets off my allergies, it has still taken me a longgg time, for my body to get stronger and healthier. But of course, you have to do what you feel safe with.
—** Ingrid — Sometimes I am very sensitive to our dogs’ poop. Other family members usually clean up the poop. Animal waste might be contributing to your farmer son-in-law’s problems. I don’t know how much he deals with poop, of course— Just an idea. Also, I have found that I cannot feed our dogs their food most of the time. Other family members do it. I would wear a mask if I had to do it all the time. Turning on the kitchen exhaust fan helps vent the odors and food dust to the outside, too.
—- Cooking for this changed life style takes a LOT of getting used to. For anyone else who is having trouble adjusting to not eating meat/animal products, like I did – think spices. I have a spice Cabinet now, not just a spice drawer. When I started this journey, I found one of the Dummies books about Vegetarian Cooking. There are several books in the series. For ideas about changing diet, there are a lot of good ideas in books and websites about eating or going Vegetarian / Vegan. Vegan leaves out ALL the animal products. (Just remember that we are not the only ones who have to watch what we eat. Other people have food problems that are life threatening, too— problems with peanuts, wheat, shellfish, milk, pineapple, bananas, sugar, and the list goes on and on. We are lucky to know the cause for this allergy.) When I really got serious about eating vegetarian, I started cooking Indian food. It helped with the transition. It got me trying more spices. It is full of flavor, healthy, and much of it is meat free. Look for recipes and websites that keep meat-free cooking simple. Substituting today’s meat alternatives for meat is sooo easy. Most meat substitutes cook up in no time. And meat substitutes do not spoil quickly, like meat does.
—There are a lot of vegetarian and vegan products out there, and the number is increasing. Though finding them can still be hard. Boca, Morningstar Farms, and St. Ives are some of the brands that we have around here. Better Than Bouillon and Frontier brands have vegan forms of broth powders that are very good.
—- Part of the trouble with this meat allergy is the mental aspect - we feel so dang vulnerable. It is tiring to have to read all the small print food labels. It’s tiring to have to cook so much of our own food. We can’t just duck into a fast food joint for food. That is why I so happy to find some of the fake meat products that are so darned easy to fix like Flame Grilled “Burgers” and “Chicken” Patties. They are so easy to microwave and keep so long in the freezer. They are not meat, and do Not taste just like meat. But they are decent, once one gets over the meat-taste threshold. I often use condiments with mine.
—Three quick tips –
1. As per Alton Brown on Food Network, most dairy-intolerant people can eat cheese because the cheese forming process changes the physical characteristics of the milk. That may work for some of us who can’t handle milk and ice cream. But not all of us, of course. I have to watch that I don’t pass my own personal cheese limit.
2. Soy is Meant to have flavors added to it. Most people don’t know what to do with it because it’s been considered a weird health food for so long. Soy is a good protein source, but some of us are allergic to it, too. I have learned to drain it, cube it, and fry it up with spices and add it to other ingredients. Hot pan and hot oil, before adding cut-up soy, is key. There’s even a tofu “scramble” mix that comes out kind of like an omelet. (The “hot oil” reminds me. The other day, I came across a recipe site that seemed promising – until I realized that its recipes hardly used any oil for cooking things like tofu – duh – tofu takes oil or liquid so it doesn’t stick. And then it talked about baking meat substitutes that most of us would microwave. Vegetarian / Vegan cooking is not that hard. I did not bookmark that website!)
3. To cut the gas from eating beans, rinse your beans really well before adding them to your cooking. - also, as per Alton Brown.
—- ** Col, I was relieved to find someone else who has symptoms like mine. I haven’t had to go through the life threatening experience, like so many. But I have spent so many years with so much pain and coughing that I didn’t feel that I wanted to keep living that much longer. But with watching my diet, I have finally gotten to where I have been pain free for longer and longer periods. And now there are so many products that are vegan that it is getting easier to find tasty foods. I say “vegan” because “vegetarian” can have concentrated milk ingredients, gelatin, and even lard.
My twelve year old daughter has been allergic to beef since she was 4. She woke me up in the middle of the might with severe stomach pain vomiting diarrhea hives sneezing and nose running. After six months and countless trips to the ER. afroind 2-3am we figured out by a blood test she was allergic to beef. But we still did not know why she woke up always in the middlenof the night with a severe allergic reaction to beef? Why not after she ate it? Why six to 8the hrs after consumption? We have learned to eat at home. . Even the slightest cross contamination can trigger a serious reaction.I worry with her being a child. I tell her all the time please ask questions don’t be careless as to what you put in your mouth. She has a good allergist here in Georgia. He just this week told us we were testing for alpha gal. Now im waiting on her results. She was bit by two ticks two weeks before her allergies began. ...off the subject when we started making these late night trips to the ER doctors would think I was crazy and say I couldn’t be and allergic reaction “no allergy starts 4-8 hrs later.“this some DRS would say she has a virus but id have to argue with them and when the hives started coming out we’d get treatment. Im sure she has alpha gal .....its sad and scary. Even though you avoid the meat there can be so many cross contaminations and hidden ingredients. Praying for a cure!!!!!!
Thank you all for the great information found here esp. in response to my VA farmer Steve’s dilemna with severe reactions; he has now constant feeling of having asthma….so I am forwarding Diane B’ comments to him today….there are several dogs and cats in house and there is much dry dog and cat food being dished out daily…wow that could be a contributing factor to respiratory reaction… Thanks to all for the great posts….and to everyone better health this year!
My husband has been through so many allergy test and after several ER visits, we were sent to Vanderbilt where he was diagnosied with alfa-gal. He used to cycle every three weeks. He ended up in the ER last December with an severe episode and his heart was in A fib, so after reading other post here I found it a common link. This past year we’ve only have three outbreaks and one ER visit. He eats no beef, pork, venison, goat, or buffalo. Cross contamination and learning where the hidden beef products are like Jello. It is not as easy road by any means, but I’m learning to cook new ways. I make all my own ground turkey meatballs and tasty breakfast sausage as we found prepared ones seemed to cause reactions. This site has been so helpful.
For Pam:
You did not mention dairy products, which contain alpha-gal,in your item. If your husband is not already doing so, he should try avoiding dairy. I also went into atrial fib several times and in some cases dairy products were the cause. Also, some turkey sausages have pork casings. Good luck!
Ingrid, your post reminded me that I don’t think I mentioned something else that could be a trigger for reactions—the cooking of meats. I was working as a job coach for a student in a Culver’s restaurant. Wow was that a mistake! That’s was what got me into a vicious cycle of breathing problems that only got worse over time. It got so that I couldn’t sleep for the coughing. I coughed night and day, went through tests for lung cancer and such. Just didn’t know what was causing the problem. Finally figured it out when I couldn’t stop coughing until I got out of the exhaust cloud from a restaurant. For two years I have been staying away from meat cooking and trying to avoid the exhaust from restaurants. The coughing has decreased to only a few times a day. (I can now get near restaurants’ good-smelling exhausts.) But I still can’t walk fast without whizzing. Some days are better than others, of course. The trouble with lung problems is that the lungs have millions of nooks and crannies to trap molecules we are allergic to. So it is hard to get those trapped allergens out of the body. And there is so much surface area for contact with allergens. I wonder if some kind of mask might help Steve by keeping some larger allergen molecules out of his lungs.
Thanks John for your imput. It is nice knowing others are walking a similiar path. We now have cut out all dairy. That for me has been more challenging than giving up the meat products. He’s never ate cream cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt. We found he tolerants the Almond Breeze Milk. He does miss cheese and butter, trying to find subsitutes for this in our life without using margarine. Found Gimbals candy that are allergy free so that made his day!
Oct. 5 on I-40 in NC, I stepped into a mound of red ants. Many, many bites later my feet started to swell and blister. Ended up in the ER on Oct. 6 and then back to the doctor on Oct. 9 for antibiotic and itching medicine. Three weeks later after finishing dinner of pork chops, broke out in hives. Back to the doctor for a shot and second round of predisone. Sent to allergy doctor in December for testing. Said I was allergic to beef, dogs, cockroaches, grasses, mold, etc. Follow up with blood work for alpha gal and repeat office visit in January. Now told to avoid beef and pork. Anyone been bitten by red fire ants rather than a tick bite and have these reactions? If I eat any beef product or by-product, I have diarrhea for several days. I have had pork twice in the past 2 weeks with no reactions. I do have epi pens with me at all times. Going back to 2009-2011, I was hospitalized 3 times with what they thought were heart problems. Passed out once in the restaurant after dinner of steak/shrimp. Could this have been the beginning of the alpha gal? I would gladly be a candidate for any research at UVA or Duke.
I was diagnosed and posted here in November 2012. I have totally eliminated all mammal meat from my diet and have not had any more issues. I am able to eat eggs again without symptoms. I love pizza and once ate one pepperoni and reacted but was able to treat with OTC meds at home. I won’t try that again. I have found that I like turkey sausage (can’t even tell the difference) but I don’t like turkey bacon. I was never a big meat eater to begin with so I have adjusted well. I no longer cook meat at home and my family is fine with it. I just don’t think it is worth trying to eat any kind of mammal meat. One severe reaction and trip to the ER was enough to scare me. So far I have been fine eating out at restaurants. I always order fish and other types of seafood.
Linda, I have not read anything about red ants causing this allergy, only ticks and chiggers, but you never know…
@LINDA most reactions from alphagal are 4-10 hours after consumption. So usually in the middle of the night. But who knows who would have ever thought in our wildest dreams that a person could become allergic to beef, pork, etc…...praying for everyone on here. God bless!
You are correct every visit to the ER has been during the middle of the night and the scariest thing about that is what if the person doesn’t wake…a very real possiblity.
The best thing we’ve found is to not eat anything beef, pork, etc. or the by products just to be on the safe side.
Jello is a by product, something we’d have never dreamed could land us in the ER.
I grew up on a farm in Colorado, and have been allergic to red meat for more than 23 years!! My family was the, “beef, it’s what’s for dinner” type. They thought I was being a difficult teenager and trying to go “vegetarian”. (I actually eat a ton of fish, chicken and Turkey). It wasn’t until my reactions became less ‘feeling bad’ and developed into full blown hives and digestion issues, that they finally believed me!
Having been self-treating by avoiding mammal meat for so many years, I finally feel like I’m not the crazy one! Every doctor I’ve seen in my life just looks at me funny.
I’ve also noticed that hospitals don’t really have any idea what ‘red meat’ consists of. I have three kids, and had C-Sections with each. They only let me eat Jello and pop cycles for 24 hours after and then would tell me that the hives are from the pain meds. Thank goodness I didn’t have an anaflactic reaction!
Some things still remain a mystery to me, so any other foods that are likely to give me a reaction would be great.
For the last two years I’ve gone to the USMC Birthday Ball at the same hotel. Both times I’ve had a 3am wake-up call with a sever reaction. I am ordering the vegetarian option, which doesn’t have anything I detect ‘meat’ like… Thoughts?
My immediate thought is cross contamination. Black bean pattie or even turkey burger is not void of “red meat” if cooked on the same grill. The base of many soups, stews, and sauces may have beef component.
For those “broo ha ha” functions-salad. At least that’s what I do, and then have to explain to the folks who I don’t even know that well at my table why I am not eating whatever is the entree.
I feel as if is some sort of cross contamination too. Unless its cooked in/on a different pan or grill its all cooked together.
Is there anyway we could get an organization going to get the word out to doctors, people, and restaurants?
I have the same look, like you are crazy! We need to get something going to get the word out.
Make fliers to take to doctors office buildings and restaurants?? It would have to be some official thing. OR get it on your local news or national news. Maybe if we all write into national news? But we really need a doctor/s backing us.
There seem to a be a lot of people on here to start with, and I bet we all have different groups we belong….
Could start a Facebook group, all join, put a picture of the Lonestar Tick and a status on it… Could go viral.
I would say first we start the group, get members, then pick a day/week and see if it catches!
Join Facebook Group “Alpha-gal and the red meat allergy”, open membership…
Join the group-
Alpha-Gal: Tick-related Illness Awareness Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/559004390784274/
I guess I have been lucky-my allergist didn’t know why I reacted to beef and pork, but she put it all together over 10 years ago. I request that food be cooked in separate clean pan-in the Northest no one questions the request. A chef in a gourmet “dive” breakfast joint in South Boston came out to verify that he was going to prepare the eggs and homefries safely. Here in Tennessee I get the cross-eyed look and we are tick city! Fortunately my internist is very knowledgable.
I’m in Northern VA and IF I ask and tell them I have an allergy, people take it serious. I just don’t always do it. I have noticed that you cannot, CANNOT, eat anything with gravy out-side your home. They generally use pork stalk, even on chicken and turkey!
When my youngest was born, she was intolerant to milk, eggs, gluten, soy,, corn, fish and birch tree fruits (apples, peaches, pears, plums)... I would request special meals a week before we went out for something (like a birthday or corporate event), and they always prepared me something special. I think it’s like a fun challenge.
Word to the wise, don’t be shy, ask!
February 04, 2013 @ 18:38 hrs CT (Texas)
to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Dear Doctor A.E. Plats
On 23 June, 2012, I responded to your inquiry e mail asking if I tolerated Pork.
To date I have not received any further e mail from your good offices.
I am again asking for further guidance as to the latest medical information as related to the so called “Lone Star Tick” and the Allergic reaction to the consumption of “Red Meat”
Can we the afflicted individuals look forward to a cure and or any future return to normal Beef Eater Capability?
I await you reply as I remain;
Respectfully,
Fredrick Howard Ramsay
E Mail—.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
http://www.meatallergy.com
I have created a forum for fellow suffers of this allergy.
Please share your thoughts, knowledge, and experiences.
I am very interested in hearing from all of you!
Thank you Nishant for starting a forum! I found it and am joining.
Thanks!!
The ticks don’t have to wear cowboy boots to pass this on.I live on the eastern shore of Md. I’m pretty sure the tick that tagged me was a deer tick.
I was diagnosed with alpha gal in Sept 2012. I was hospitalized multiple times before from severe allergies. It was always pushed off as something other than meats. Finally they tested me last year for alpha gal and I was positive with numbers of 4.93. I just got tested again and my numbers are down to 2.23! Hopefully this will not be a life long problem. Looking back I learned that this probably came from a tick bite I got approximately 5-6 years ago, we went back to the list of times I went to the hospital and all was times I either had pork or beef for dinner. I’m so relieved to now know not to eat 4 legged animals…however a huge filet mignon would be wonderful.
Good luck to you guys that have this irritation as I do. Stay positive.
Yep, this must be what I have, no need to get tests done for me. I got bit by a tick under my armpits, which I removed after coming across while taking a shower. Then rashes developed under both of my armpits. The rashes would seem appear randomly for me. That was until I had a severe attack from an itchy version of one about 3 hours after having a beef dinner, which got me googling for answers.
It is rather unfortunate, because I do like the occassional beef or pork. But my fiancee will most probably be quite happy when I break the news to her this evening, because she really does not like meat products.
But, well, life does go on. I wouldn’t complain much, because compared to other more deadly chronic illnesses such as cancer, I would consider myself lucky. Man!
For the sake of research, let me just add that I reside in East Africa, so the proliferation of the infected ticks may be more widespread than originally thought.
Kevin, this allergy is not a tick-borne infection. We have an allergy to a carbohydrate that is in tick saliva and also in red meat. You can be bitten by a tick and develop this allergy without being infected with anything, or you might be infected without developing the allergy.
They have proven that the Lone Star tick bite can cause the allergy, but it seems that other parasites may be able to do the same. So there may be another parasite species in your area with the same carb in its saliva that has given you this condition.
The research doctors plan to study why the Alpha-gal reactions are so delayed, and also, why do only some people develop the problem.
The first - why is it delayed has to do with how the digestive system works. Each part of the bowel has its own job. (The bowel is the whole system, which starts at the mouth and ends at the anus.)
We take a bite, chew, and swallow. If you have no teeth, you should still go through the chewing motion as this allows the saliva to mix in the food, which is part of the digestive process. Then you swallow.
Between your throat and your stomach is a tube about 10 inches long that is called the esophagus. The esophagus has three main functions. First, it is the passageway from throat to the stomach. Second, it prevents air from your oral cavity (mouth) from getting into the stomach. Third, it prevents the the stomach contents from going back up into the throat. In humans, the passage of food through the esophagus can take up to two minutes.
Your mother told you not to “wash your food down”, yet she did not tell you what that meant. That two-minute time from swallow to stomach is important. If you drink while you eat you actually wash the food directly to the stomach, which allows air into the system and dilutes the stomach acid. This in turn causes the digestive system to work harder as it now must remove the water from the liquid before the digestive juices will work properly. For proper digestion it is best to drink 8-12 ounces of lukewarm water 30 minutes before you eat, and no other liquid until at least an hour after you eat. The water you drink before you eat is absorbed into the digestive system membranes and actually improves the digestive system. If you feel the need to wet your mouth while eating try using a small amount of water with a lemon slice in it.
In 1995, a study at the Mayo Clinic showed that 50% of what goes into the stomach is processed within 2.5 to 3 hours, and total emptying takes 4 to 5 hours. It also showed that the small intestine takes 2.5 to 3 hours to process 50% of the meal once it leaves the stomach. The small intestine is where most of the nutrients are absorbed. Inside the small intestine are receptors that only accept the nutrient molecule that it is designed for.
So now back to the question: Why are the alpha-gal reactions so delayed? The delay in some people is shorter than in others. The delay is caused by the way each individual eats. Until the “Sugar Carbohydrate” found in red meat and products related to red meat actually reaches the proper receptor in the small intestine, it is not absorbed into your system, and you will not have a reaction until it is absorbed. The doctors, in their research will be looking for the location of those receptors and will try to find a way to block them so absorption cannot occur.
Why do only some people develop the allergy is a little more complicated, and I will not try to explain it here, at this time. I hope this has been helpful. Dale
I’ve prob had this since 2002 but reactions
have been variable. Sometimes nothing never
anaphylaxis so far. I always thought it was
antibiotics in beef. Ok last night I had a
reaction to lamb burgers. I’m allergic to a
lot of antibiotics but I’ve had many tick and
chigger bites too. I guess I’ll have the test.
r
WE are in the May 2013 Reader’s Digest, page 34.
But it says ‘only the southeast and east coast’. I know we have others from other places, I’m from Kansas.
I tested postive for alpha gal this year, took my allergist 6 years to figure it out after many nightly visits to the ER and 2 anaphalic episodes. I was wondering if there is any safe cold medication to take and if anybody has had a reaction to any. I feel I had a small reaction to tylonel and contacted Mcniel and the did state that alot of thier products contain animal by products. Any advice would be greatly apprecaited.
Hello all, my husband has this has severe allergy to all red meat (hoofed animal) his Dr. told him he was crazy when this all started. We need to find a new doctor, we are on the Eastern Shore. Now it is more common in others. If we eat out for pizza they have to wash the pizza cutter or don’t cut it at all,he will get hives from the meat greases. Has anyone herd of a cure yet? Is UVA doing any studies?
I just read the post from Dale Martin Davison. He mentions how many things he is allergic to now. He mentioned being bitten by ticks 40 years ago. Then he is probably in his 60s??? I have been wondering if there isn’t some pattern to the tick allergy sensitizing the body so that some people have other, latent, allergies start up - mild food sensitivities that were not serious until the body’s allergic responses started heating up. Also, I am wondering if we older folks aren’t a little more likely to have a wider range of allergies start up, along with the alpha gal, because we are going thru other body changes and some systems not being as hearty as they once may have been.
On the Facebook group, Alph-gal: Tick-Related Illness Awareness Group, there is this from:
Carrie Jayne Yopp
Hey to you all! Over at the group “Alpha-Gal” we have a map we are putting our marker on the world map to see just how widespread alpha Gal is…please feel free to add your pin to your location or where you were bitten with at least your first name. (please only one for each person affected)...with any other info you feel comfortable with adding.
This is the address that is linked to from facebook.com:
http://www.zeemaps.com/view?group=555038&x=-83.492148&y=36.240709&z=10
I can’t have lettuce now and a possibility of broccoli. I will have to test for the broccoli again. Those run right through me. Figured it’s older intestines (67) but could be tied to all the other allergies?
I have recently heard that there might be a cure on the horizon for alpha-gal.Has anyone else heard this some of my co-workers said they heard it on the radio,right here in charlottesville home of UVA.
Holy Crap! I am covered in radh/hives this morning! My ears and face are swollen and I am so itchy!!!! I ate an organic steak last night(which I only do one in a while) and bam! 5 hours later its midnight and I am itching viciously and in a cold shower and then toss and turn to wake up to see big rasht hives and swollen head!!! Maybe I got the tick bite!!! I was in the woods riding my horse yesterday too!!!! But I haves pulled plenty of ticks off of him already and I think I have had a bit myself…I feel like crap! ITCHY!!!
So Sorry to hear abt your misery, KOA. Good luck feeling better fast!
So Sorry to hear abt your misery, KOA. Good luck feeling better fast! Have you tried Benadryl or Alavert or some such allergy med?
Oh no. I had an attached tick on my leg the other day. Only the second time in my life that I know of. If allergy to red meat develops there will be lite to eat. After having cdiff some years back I have had permanent lactose intolerance and now have an allergy attack every day after eating. Not eating makes me feel better and being underweight is the result. The problem seems to be foods high in histamine. Any meat can be high in histamine if not fresh, if it’s a leftover, or sits in the fridge quite awhile before cooking. Some posting with problems might look into that if you’re like me with no health insurance or money for doctors and tests.
I also have alpha gal and sensitive to all beef, pork, dairy and peanut products and byproducts. In the morning zyrtec, children’s benadryl allergy liquid (Vicky - Setp 2012 post) for breakouts, and cetirizine or Levocetirizine Di-hcl Tabs 5mg before bed is my daily routine. Levocetrizine is also very effective for dander allergies. Clobetasol Prop Cream 60gm 0.05% is very effective for hive itching. Avoid corticosteriods if at all possible, lots of side effects in the long run and they didn’t help my hives at all.
To Mary Ann Oct 2012: I too thought I had parasites and took humaworm for a month, and many GNC herbal supplements for them, I don’t know for sure I had any, but felt much better after treatment. I also have allergic to candida, so the treatment helped with overgrowth.
To Di April 2013: I do believe alpha gal makes other allergies worse. I also am allergic to many trees, grasses, dog, cat, candida, mold, and dust mites. Highly sensitive now to soy, wheat, strawberries, kiwi, and tomatoes too, anyone else experiencing that????
I juice daily with mean green and it has saved me from starvation in the beginning of this thing and very nutritious!
Tanya 2012: I also experience severe joint pain when breaking out and more days afterwards. I think it farily common to have extremely itch palms and bottom of feet?
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE A HOLLOW HEAD??? By this I mean when I am struggling with breakouts by head sounds hollow and brushing my hair hurts????
So grateful for finding this site…...I now know many of my symtoms are common with this, that relieves alot of the fear I was experiencing. I seriously, as many of you, was sure I was terminally ill for months, and went to many, many doctors….luckily the allergiest my doctor referred me do in in Northwest Arkansas: Tina Hatley-Merritt is one of the researchers of this disease and knows alot about it…Thank you everyone!!!!!!!
Thank you for your comments, Margie. I have had numerous tcick bites over the years and have not paid a lot of attention to them since it is so common in the South. We are now getting the No See Ums with all the mild weather and I am so allergic to those things. The bite is painful and I get a terrible rash. I have resorted to my own lotion of Olive Oil and Oil of Oregano, this seems to help keep the bugs at bay and also helps with any fungal problems. I rarely eat beef or pork now and my hives and itching are greatly reduced. It does help to know others have similar problems. Doctors just think I am nuts and have told me I do this to myself and need a psychiatrist. Since they can be all over, I would be awfully busy making all those sores and as limber as a teen, I am 65.
Hi, Vi, I don’t know if you will find this, but, I don’t know what the grocery stores near you carry, but have you discovered some of the vegan/vegetarian foods out there? There are various yogurts that are NOT dairy based. Silk and So Delicious are 2 brands I was aware of. Just did a quick search for non-dairy yogurts and came up with this link to more brands:
http://voices.yahoo.com/5-delicious-non-dairy-yogurt-options-3922320.html .
Since you have posted here, you must be Internet saavy. There is so much out here. My Mom had cdiff. Search the vega/vegetarian info. It has gotten so much more mainstream, not all the weird stuff that it used to be. There are more cookbooks now. We, my daughter & I with our sensitive insides, have found veganessentials.com. The site gave me so many ideas abt what to eat and things to try to make to eat. I feel for all your misery, have experienced some of it.
Margie, and all, have you checked out the Alpha-Gal Group on facebook? I didn’t really use facebook until I found the Alpha-Gal groups there. There is also —- Alpha-Gal: Tick-related Illness Awareness Group. But they’ve started working at joining together at the Alpha-Gal Group. There are a lot of views, but not everyone posts. There is a lot of support there tho.
Margie, one more thing, are you checking for everything, and I mean everything, you and your family use? You sound like there is something that keeps your allergies very active. We read all the labels, and smell everything, from foods to lotions to laundry detergents to deodorants to alcoholic beverages (we check http://www.barnivore.com/ before buying any beer or any alcohol), etc. After while all the checking becomes a habit, and doesn’t seem so bad. I find that my sons’ Axe products were causing my allergies to stay more active. We use the kitchen and bath fans so much to keep dog food fumes and fast food meat smells moving out. Part of my family still eats meat, but grills outside or eats things cooked elsewhere, or quickly cooked in the microwave.
Di: I have been off facebook for awhile but may consider jumping back on it for these support groups! I will start being more thorough on checking labels, I have already changed so much but could be missing something. Thank you for the link!
Mary Ann: Doctors also thought I was nuts and kept telling me it was stress! I told them: I have always had stress, that’s who I am!!!!!!! This is something different! Finally after an emergency room trip in Chicago in anaphylatic shock from surf & Turf (almost worth it in hindsight) I got the allergy tests complete with the alpha gal IgE test and that was it!
Does anyone always experience exhaustion even after a full night’s sleep? I struggle with this, and try to supplement and eat right for energy…any suggestions?
There is an interesting item re meat allergies in children at the following web site: allerytomeat.wordpress.com. It’s an ABC news item titled Alpha- Gal in the News—Meat Allergy in Children.
Wow! What a revelation to find out about Alpa-Gal! I must have been one of the early on victims. I had my first reaction at age 10, back in 1978. I grew up in rural Arkansas and had multiple tick bites. It took us years to figure out that the allergy was something to do with red meat as I didn’t always react. Then, we decided it was some kind of residue in the meat. As an adult, I tried organic beef and pork and usually had no problems. However, I would occasionally react. We thought, they had “run one through” that was not really organic. I just found out about this, so I have not been tested yet. I am going to be tested ASAP.
Gina, I imagine this must really be a relief, too, to find out about this. For a couple years, I thought I had Gout Arthritis because I’d hurt like heck, starting at first 2-3 days after eating meat, then it went to only 1 day. Have a miserable cough from meat fumes, chest pains, and such— Different than the the anaphylatic shock reaction. Have you gone to facebook and our alpha gal group? Margie, have you checked it out yet? There is a lot of support there, and good ideas. There is also a link to a zeemap.com map that is slowly adding more markers, showing where people are getting alpha gal.
Di,
Thanks so much for the info. I just went to Facebook and joined an Alpha-Gal group. Is your FB group the one that has 174 friends? I don’t see the zeemap link. Where do I find it?
Di: I am having trouble finding the alpha gal page on fb…can you help? I have found all the online resources to be of get help, thank you for all the advice.
Gina: is the page you joined just titled alpha gal? or does the title have more!
Thank you all so much!
Hi, Margie, I think this will work - it worked for me just now. On the facebook page, in the Search box in the big blue bar near the top of the webpage, type in Alpha Gal Group. You will get a list of related groups. We are the one that says just Alpha Gal and has abt 171 members, tho numbers keep growing. Hope to see you there soon. I am not real familiar with facebook’s workings yet, so I can’t be as much help as I’d like to be.
Hi, Gina, I saw you’ve joined Alpha Gal. The map, hmm. We keep “bump"ing it up the group’s page. You can scroll down the page or do a search for either “bump” or “map” by doing either of these:
1. copy or type in http://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=555038
OR—
2. Click File at the top of the page,
Go down to Find, and click it.
A box, usually in a bar, will appear somewhere on the page.
Type in a word in box to look for, like: map.
The word should appear, highlighted, some place on the page (often hard to find at first).
Hit Next and Previous to scroll around the page.
Hope this helps you find the map. Good luck, Di
I wonder if it is the red meat or is it something in the red meat. One post mentioned more symptoms with a fattier piece of meat. Pesticides are known neurotoxins with an affinity for fatty tissue. I was at a farm one day and saw the cows being given these huge tablets via a pipe stuck down their throats. It was a pesticide being given to them so that their feces would kill the flies that tend to congregate on them.
It could even be a combination of things. But people even have reactions from organically raised meat. Perhaps the pesticides are part of weakening people’s immune systems, or changing things in the environment. Everything has to be considered as part of working to find the solution.
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