shewholovescats
New Member
I am sharing a personal story with you in case you or someone you know may be experiencing this same allergy; perhaps my story can save you some time and unnecessary stress if seeking a diagnosis ;-)
In June 2011 and September 2012, I was bitten by the Lone Star tick, a species of tick that inhabits the south & many areas along the East Coast including Calvert County. You can identify this tick by a small white or yellowish dot or star on its back (it is not the same tick that can give you Lyme Disease!) Little did I know that those tick bites would soon make me highly allergic to red meat & pork. The bite from that tick now causes my system to produce anti-bodies to alpha-galactose, a sugar that is present in the meat of only mammals--such as pigs, cows, deer, lamb, buffalo, kangaroo and bison. I can no longer eat any kind of red meat or pork (turkey, chicken and seafood are safe foods for me because they are not mammals & do not contain alpha-galactose in their meat).
If I eat beef or pork products, approximately 4 to 6 hours later, I develop hives, my heart starts racing, my blood pressure plummets; I feel like I am going to faint & have severe nausea. My first reaction was in September 2011, just a few months after being bitten by that first tick. After keeping a detailed food diary & paying close attention to the timing of my reactions after eating certain foods, I was able to narrow it down to a pork and beef allergy and eliminate other foods as “suspects”. I began to do internet research on the incidence of suddenly developing an allergy to red meat or pork & found research done by the University of Virginia, Charlottesville on thousands of people that connected this meat allergy to the bite of the Lone Star Tick. I recalled having been bitten by this type of tick & I immediately felt that “a-ha” moment as soon as I read the materials on this alpha-galactose allergy. I knew I fit the profile of someone who suffered from this allergy. I noticed that each bite mark took a very long time to heal; they remained red and swollen & itchy for months after I was initially bitten which is a hallmark of this particular allergy. The tick doesn’t have to stay on very long; all he has to do is bite—unlike the tick that carries Lyme Disease which requires a 24 hour attachment of the tick to cause Lyme Disease.
It took me a year to find an allergist knowledgeable about this allergy—I contacted many places locally and in Maryland & DC but no one I contacted had heard of this allergy caused by a tick bite, nor were they aware of the specific blood test needed to test for this allergy. My primary care doctor had also not heard of this particular allergy. Her office did the standard allergy test that determined I had a “mild allergy” to only pork—but my reactions when I ate pork or beef were anything but mild!! I located an allergist in Fredericksburg VA who already had about 2 dozen patients with this same allergy & was well aware of the symptoms as well as the specific testing needed to determine if the allergy was present. As soon as I described my reactions after eating beef & pork he ordered the alpha-galactose IgE test; the only blood test currently available to test for this sugar-based, mammalian meat allergy. The standard allergy test that I had previously & that is commonly used to test for food allergies tests only for proteins; this particular food allergy is sugar-based and is not detected by the standard test! Sure enough, using the “alpha-gal IgE” test, I tested positive for an allergy to beef, pork, lamb and alpha-galactose (“alpha-gal”, for short).
The reason the allergic reaction is delayed in someone with this specific alpha-galactose allergy and not immediate-onset (like a peanut or a shellfish allergy is to someone else) is also due to the allergy being sugar-based & not protein-based like typical food allergies. It takes the human body about 4-6 hours to break down the foods we eat. Once the body has broken down the sugar in the food, that’s when it signals trouble in someone who has this allergy to alpha-galactose & the histamine reaction begins that causes hives, a drop in blood pressure, racing heartbeat, nausea, & in many cases anaphylactic shock. This delayed-onset allergic reaction is very puzzling to most doctors who do not know about this particular allergy as their only experience with food allergies is that most occur within seconds or minutes of coming into contact with the allergen.
I am lucky that for me, this allergy is fairly easy to manage. Eating out can be a challenge; I have found the restaurants & the meals that I can easily tolerate so I stick to a routine when eating out. I practice total avoidance of red meat & pork products & by-products. I have not had a reaction in 5 months. Thankfully I have not developed the additional allergy to dairy & many other products that some who are alpha-gal positive seem to experience as time goes on. There are many, many products—both food & non-food that contain small amounts of mammal ingredients—more than I ever dreamed! Depending upon your level of antibodies to alpha-galactose, your reactions can range from mild to severe anaphylaxis. Some people with this allergy have to be careful of their laundry detergent, shampoos, soaps, medications (especially those prescription & over-the counter meds that contain gelatin, which can be mammal-based) & other products.
I have since learned that Dr. Nasr, here in Calvert County is quite knowledgeable about the alpha-galactose allergy, so if you are experiencing any of what I described above after eating red meat or pork, please follow-up and get the blood test--it could save your life!!
Be well, everyone
In June 2011 and September 2012, I was bitten by the Lone Star tick, a species of tick that inhabits the south & many areas along the East Coast including Calvert County. You can identify this tick by a small white or yellowish dot or star on its back (it is not the same tick that can give you Lyme Disease!) Little did I know that those tick bites would soon make me highly allergic to red meat & pork. The bite from that tick now causes my system to produce anti-bodies to alpha-galactose, a sugar that is present in the meat of only mammals--such as pigs, cows, deer, lamb, buffalo, kangaroo and bison. I can no longer eat any kind of red meat or pork (turkey, chicken and seafood are safe foods for me because they are not mammals & do not contain alpha-galactose in their meat).
If I eat beef or pork products, approximately 4 to 6 hours later, I develop hives, my heart starts racing, my blood pressure plummets; I feel like I am going to faint & have severe nausea. My first reaction was in September 2011, just a few months after being bitten by that first tick. After keeping a detailed food diary & paying close attention to the timing of my reactions after eating certain foods, I was able to narrow it down to a pork and beef allergy and eliminate other foods as “suspects”. I began to do internet research on the incidence of suddenly developing an allergy to red meat or pork & found research done by the University of Virginia, Charlottesville on thousands of people that connected this meat allergy to the bite of the Lone Star Tick. I recalled having been bitten by this type of tick & I immediately felt that “a-ha” moment as soon as I read the materials on this alpha-galactose allergy. I knew I fit the profile of someone who suffered from this allergy. I noticed that each bite mark took a very long time to heal; they remained red and swollen & itchy for months after I was initially bitten which is a hallmark of this particular allergy. The tick doesn’t have to stay on very long; all he has to do is bite—unlike the tick that carries Lyme Disease which requires a 24 hour attachment of the tick to cause Lyme Disease.
It took me a year to find an allergist knowledgeable about this allergy—I contacted many places locally and in Maryland & DC but no one I contacted had heard of this allergy caused by a tick bite, nor were they aware of the specific blood test needed to test for this allergy. My primary care doctor had also not heard of this particular allergy. Her office did the standard allergy test that determined I had a “mild allergy” to only pork—but my reactions when I ate pork or beef were anything but mild!! I located an allergist in Fredericksburg VA who already had about 2 dozen patients with this same allergy & was well aware of the symptoms as well as the specific testing needed to determine if the allergy was present. As soon as I described my reactions after eating beef & pork he ordered the alpha-galactose IgE test; the only blood test currently available to test for this sugar-based, mammalian meat allergy. The standard allergy test that I had previously & that is commonly used to test for food allergies tests only for proteins; this particular food allergy is sugar-based and is not detected by the standard test! Sure enough, using the “alpha-gal IgE” test, I tested positive for an allergy to beef, pork, lamb and alpha-galactose (“alpha-gal”, for short).
The reason the allergic reaction is delayed in someone with this specific alpha-galactose allergy and not immediate-onset (like a peanut or a shellfish allergy is to someone else) is also due to the allergy being sugar-based & not protein-based like typical food allergies. It takes the human body about 4-6 hours to break down the foods we eat. Once the body has broken down the sugar in the food, that’s when it signals trouble in someone who has this allergy to alpha-galactose & the histamine reaction begins that causes hives, a drop in blood pressure, racing heartbeat, nausea, & in many cases anaphylactic shock. This delayed-onset allergic reaction is very puzzling to most doctors who do not know about this particular allergy as their only experience with food allergies is that most occur within seconds or minutes of coming into contact with the allergen.
I am lucky that for me, this allergy is fairly easy to manage. Eating out can be a challenge; I have found the restaurants & the meals that I can easily tolerate so I stick to a routine when eating out. I practice total avoidance of red meat & pork products & by-products. I have not had a reaction in 5 months. Thankfully I have not developed the additional allergy to dairy & many other products that some who are alpha-gal positive seem to experience as time goes on. There are many, many products—both food & non-food that contain small amounts of mammal ingredients—more than I ever dreamed! Depending upon your level of antibodies to alpha-galactose, your reactions can range from mild to severe anaphylaxis. Some people with this allergy have to be careful of their laundry detergent, shampoos, soaps, medications (especially those prescription & over-the counter meds that contain gelatin, which can be mammal-based) & other products.
I have since learned that Dr. Nasr, here in Calvert County is quite knowledgeable about the alpha-galactose allergy, so if you are experiencing any of what I described above after eating red meat or pork, please follow-up and get the blood test--it could save your life!!
Be well, everyone
