Allergic to Red Meat due to a tick bite!!

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 :)
 

ICit

Jam out with ur clam out
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 :)



OMG... I love him...

very knowlegeable about all tick borne diseases.... :coffee:
 

Roman

Active Member
wow, that is interesting. Thanks for sharing.
I'm proud to say that I worked for him for many years, and he is very knowledgeable on Tick-bourne illnesses. It's amazing that there are Doctors to this day, that don't believe in the Lymes Diagnosis.
 

ArkRescue

Adopt me please !
I wonder if he can help me? I discovered that I am allergic to the entire aspirin family of products, however having been off the aspirin-family, I still seem to get small reactions. I am wondering what else I could be allergic to that is causing the same reaction?
 

ICit

Jam out with ur clam out
I wonder if he can help me? I discovered that I am allergic to the entire aspirin family of products, however having been off the aspirin-family, I still seem to get small reactions. I am wondering what else I could be allergic to that is causing the same reaction?

dont think thats what he does... you would need to look into an allergist



do you take Aleve? Motrin/Ibuprohen???
 

ArkRescue

Adopt me please !
dont think thats what he does... you would need to look into an allergist



do you take Aleve? Motrin/Ibuprohen???

Nope I can't take anything in the aspirin family - not even anti-inflammatory meds. Even the topical gel RX's like Declofenac (sp?) cause the bad reactions.
 

ICit

Jam out with ur clam out
Nope I can't take anything in the aspirin family - not even anti-inflammatory meds. Even the topical gel RX's like Declofenac (sp?) cause the bad reactions.

same here...

you may want to start to keep a log of what you eat... what you take....
 

ginwoman

Well-Known Member
yup that's what I was afraid of ...... I better not be allergic to beer or life won't be worth living ..... LOL

Can I ask what kind of reactions you have? I ask because I have recently been dealing with some sort of reaction to something (itching, rash). I have been cutting off some of my meds and supplements trying to figure out if any of them triggered it. I have been to dermatologist and allergist.
 

ArkRescue

Adopt me please !
Can I ask what kind of reactions you have? I ask because I have recently been dealing with some sort of reaction to something (itching, rash). I have been cutting off some of my meds and supplements trying to figure out if any of them triggered it. I have been to dermatologist and allergist.

I get mucous membrane ulcers so that is totally different. I also have psoriasis so I can sympathize with the itchy rash thing.

I was a regular kid that played outside, ate dirt, and was exposed to lots of germs because for many years my Mom was the director of a large day care center on base (Anacostia). So in Vrai's theory, I shouldn't be allergic to anything lol.
 

mamatutu

mama to two
I'm proud to say that I worked for him for many years, and he is very knowledgeable on Tick-bourne illnesses. It's amazing that there are Doctors to this day, that don't believe in the Lymes Diagnosis.

My children went to Dr. Nasr for years until they moved away. Good doc. :yay:
 

ArkRescue

Adopt me please !
Whoops the exposure to stuff theory was based on environmental factors, which I guess wouldn't apply to medications?
 

jazz lady

~*~ Rara Avis ~*~
PREMO Member
First hand account here. :howdy:

Never having had hives before in my life, it was strange when I ate a hamburger and several hours later wound up in the ER with hives everywhere. Other than giving me massive doses of steroids, the doctor didn't have much info to pass on other than to carry Benadryl at all times and take it at the first sign of an outbreak.

My friend Dye Tied linked me to an article about this reaction and it so fit. After several more outbreaks after eating beef, but lesser and lesser over the next year or so, it was clear this was what was happening.

But the good news for me was that without reinfection from another tick bite, the reaction fades over time. I haven't had an outbreak in several years and now am back to eating beef without a problem. :yay:
 

shewholovescats

New Member
"But the good news for me was that without reinfection from another tick bite, the reaction fades over time. I haven't had an outbreak in several years and now am back to eating beef without a problem."

The reaction can fade over time with some people if you don't get bitten by another tick, but in my case, the last bite was 2012 and I still react; my levels are still high. I hope one day to be able to eat a pork chop on occasion but don't want to chance it, yet! I am glad to hear that you don't have reactions to beef anymore; gives me hope :)
 

misstheburgh

New Member
I've had this same allergy since Oct 2011 (first reaction). It's nice to hear that there is a Doc down here that is somewhat familiar with it. You (loves cats) are only the 4th person (that I know of) here in SoMD that has this allergy. I suspect there are more, but that's all I know of.

If you're not already familiar, there is a closed group on FB called Alpha-Gal. There are about 400 members in the group, and they are a wealth of knowledge.

Wish you the best,
Jeff
 

shewholovescats

New Member
thanks, Jeff! I know about the closed group on facebook; found it late one night doing a search to find out more about this allergy; they have been quite helpful to me! I bet there are lot more people around with this allergy; I'm doing what I can to help get the word out and even giving info packets to the local allergists who have never heard of this. It took me some time to figure out it was the meat causing my symptoms mainly because I don't eat much of it to begin with, and then with the reaction being delayed 4-6 hours it was really puzzling--but I basically "self-diagnosed" and am not teaching my primary doctor a lot about it, lol!
 

misstheburgh

New Member
I was actually diagnosed by someone I work with; she knew about the issues I was having, and saw a story about AG on the news. I had a severe anaphylactic reaction in Oct of 2011, and then another in May of 2012. She sent me the info in July of 2012, and I've not had mammal meat since. I do still get cross contaminated every now and then, but fortunately Benadryl has worked every time.

The allergist I saw here in St Mary's was totally clueless, and even seemed unwilling to listen to me when I tried to explain that the reactions were delayed about 4 hours. When I first asked him to help me get tested, he told me to save my money. I finally got tested last Aug and my # was 22.7 (very high positive).

Going undiagnosed for those 8 months was the worst feeling in the world. I lost 25 lbs and thought I was going to die. When I didn't get hives, it would cause terrible chest pains and GI problems. If there is anything I can do to help you get the word out, I would be glad to help!
 

jazz lady

~*~ Rara Avis ~*~
PREMO Member
"But the good news for me was that without reinfection from another tick bite, the reaction fades over time. I haven't had an outbreak in several years and now am back to eating beef without a problem."

The reaction can fade over time with some people if you don't get bitten by another tick, but in my case, the last bite was 2012 and I still react; my levels are still high. I hope one day to be able to eat a pork chop on occasion but don't want to chance it, yet! I am glad to hear that you don't have reactions to beef anymore; gives me hope :)

I hope yours fades, too. I feel lucky I know what it was, what caused it, and that it has gone away.

But even after all these months being reaction free, I still get a little anxious when eating beef and check for hives for hours afterwards. :smile:
 
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