Alpha-Gal Syndrome, Carried By Expanding Tick Populations, Has Gone From Dozens Of Cases In 2009 To 450,000 Today

[mackdaddy]

22. I have the Alpha Gal mammal meat allergy.

I am in SE Ohio, not too far from Athens. I have a couple of miles of hiking paths through my woods and am out every day so ticks are an ongoing issue. We always had what they call Dog ticks but in the last few years teeny sized ticks started showing up which turned out to be Deer ticks which can carry Lyme Disease. Deer Ticks can be literally the size of a period on a printed page. About 4 years ago the Lonestar Ticks also showed up. They are usually a bit smaller than the Dog ticks and have a distinct single white or gold dot on their back.

Both of my dogs have been tested positive for Lyme disease and my older girl is on Doxycycline antibiotic for another tick born disease called Ehrlichiosis. I was on Doxycycline for several weeks last winter for a tick bite that showed a worse reaction than normal, but I have never tested positive as of yet. Unlike Dog Ticks, these new ticks are active year round, even in the winter if the temps get above freezing.

About 3 years ago I would suddenly get a 'overfull' or cramping feeling after just a couple of bites of a hamburger or sausage. I also started avoiding sour creme as it would also upset my stomach. I saw an article on the meat allergy and it had a photo of the Lone Star tick which I had started seeing. I printed out a sheet from the Cleveland Clinic and highlighted the symptoms I had and stapled a tick encapsulated in clear tape and took it to my doctor and asked for the blood test. He was skeptical but ordered the test. He was a little shocked when it came back that I was positive for the allergen. I was the first in his practice to test positive. He has actually had many more since then.

I now keep an Epi-Pen in my pocket although I fortunately have never had to use it. Getting protein is an issue now only turkey, chicken or fish.
No milk but I tolerate hard cheese like sharp cheddar, and I have an occasional Ice cream cone, but a Frosty is a no go. A reaction is not consistent and some people are extremely sensitive. You have to watch as even a chicken sandwich from fast food may be cooked on the same grill as the hamburger. Medicine Capsules can be a problem as they are often made of gelatin, a mammal product.

So shopping is a pain and I really miss bacon. But I have had an overall recovery in my health levels. All kinds of minor issues happen to your body when you are constantly dosed with something your body is allergic to. I have read stories about people with celliac's disease who have wheat allergies having similar systemic reactions.

Might sound strange, but if a tick actually bites me, I put it in a Ziploc bag. I just looked, and my Ziploc for the last six months has over 25 ticks of all three types. I put on spray and now even permetherin on my pants legs. I could hide I guess, but I enjoy being outdoors.

I am sure global warming has nothing to do with the massive migration of different tick species....