Tick borne diseases...Alpha Gal Allergy

Gather App
chevytaHOE5674 said:
To each their own. Plenty of things have been considered "safe" only to find out they are toxic and have nasty side effects years later. Thinking any man made chemical compound (like a pesticide) in close contact with your skin and mucas membranes is "safe" is not something I'll subscribe too.
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We used it in the Army in the 90s. They convinced us that malaria is worse than side effects when Im 80. We were used as pin cushions. From basic to the end. We had to have a full round of shots before we went anywhere. I've been to 42 countries (most were involuntary) in my 10 year tour. I had lots of shots... and white creamy repellent "lotion" from the green bottle.

I have lots of issues, without cause.
 
farmerjan said:
For anyone who has read what are you eating today, a post by @kenny thomas on gluten/wheat allergies, and lists of RESTRICTIONS of foods that can trigger this to flare up.... prompted me to comment on another "food allergy" .... Alpha gal.... a mostly tick borne disease/allergy to red meat and other things produced by mammals... including Dairy products...

Like any other farmer I know, we get ticks on us... it's in the nature of the job being around the animals, in grasses, all that... and some get attached... Have had dozens over the years... You get them off as soon as you find them...

Then came the big deal with Lyme disease... naturally, being from Conn... it became prominent and well known... my mom and son have both had it... mom in Conn, son here in Va... recurring bouts for many years. I have been lucky, never seemed to have any after effects from those nasty disgusting ticks...

Then this past spring, May, I had a couple ticks attached.... found after work on the tractor raking hay and such... took them off... same ole same ole.... Then I noticed a BIG typical BULLS EYE rash... scared me... weekend so went to the urgent care as I know that antibiotics as soon as you find it can stop the Lyme bacteria gets too bad...... kill the bacteria... and it takes some serious antibiotic treatment.. Gave me 2 weeks and said go see PCP but that it was probably nothing... too serious to worry about... FIRST RED FLAG...
Called PCP first of the week, they could see me in 3 weeks... after telling them what and why... figured if I was on antibiotics no big deal.....
Went in, did some blood work for Lyme... then wanted to do all this other "well care stuff" since I don't go to drs.... I agreed to some things... non-invasive.... but told them that I was having more headaches, and feeling more run down.... they said it was partly my overweight... according to the chart I am borderline obese according to the charts... Yes I am way overweight, but I still got around pretty good... then said my BP was high anywhere from 127/76 to 155/84 ... and wanted me to go on bp medicine... I said absolutely NOT... did a bunch of blood work for other stuff... low Vit D, B vitamins, magnesium... so went on some supplements.. all good... bone density test... borderline osteo but not disastrous... ....
Lyme comes back negative, so she blows it off...
Felt run down all summer, tired out... and back ached all the time still.. had a rash on my left ankle (total replacement 2020) and itchy lower back...
Always felt like I had a cold... some congestion, always clear "runny nose".... and cough.

Finally in late Sept., went back for 3 month check up... same complaints but now I am more out of breath than I used to be, no stamina... back ache all the time... and intermittent bouts of explosive diarrhea that I did not keep track of at first....I keep saying this all started with symptoms right after that bulls eye rash... I said, look, I have been researching the tick bite diseases... and I have all the symptoms of Tularemia except the fever (used to be called rabbit fever as people who used to hunt rabbits would get it from exposure to blood when killing rabbits, or ticks or fleas off rabbits on to people)...and all she could focus on was the "no fever" as not having the first common symptom... or I said what about ehrlichiosis.... many of the same type symptoms... oh that's not common in this area, more up north in PA and New England.... ordered more blood tests for Lyme, and Tularemia, and Alpha Gal.... started in on how I need to have a colonoscopy.... sent me for an EKG.... everything normal...

Then we got busier on the farm, late hay , corn chopping, calving fall group...company from Conn to visit... and something that the friends from Conn said really stuck with me... her dad got real sick, hospital, and almost died before they diagnosed Ehrlichiosis.... he walks for exercise ..... so I called and asked if there were any results back not long after the blood work... said no to the Lyme, but not everything was back yet... Tularemia takes time to culture... sid they would call me... and then like I said, we got busy. I found myself more and more tired out, run down... then I started having more bouts of coughing and shortness of breath and diarrhea... and paid attention... it seemed it was when I ate deep fried food like FF .... getting quick meals at Wendy's or DQ on my way to test cows and such... blamed it on the greasiness of the FF or onion rings...
Got sicker and sicker. and felt like I had a bad flu/cold without the fever/hot/cold chills... just the backache, that I can barely pick up a 5 gal bucket half full of water...
Had another 3 month scheduled "check up" and went to that a couple weeks ago... I am so worn out, sick, weak that it hurts to do most anything... clear mucous nose running... not like a sinus/typical cold bug... I called the dr office a couple days before, said that I was not coming for a 3 mo check up again, but was coming because I felt like I might have walking pneumonia.... since I was already scheduled...

She sent me for x-rays, because I said that I couldn't lay down and sleep because I felt like I was going to suffocate or drown, cough constantly.... then she asked if I had asthma as a child, how bad was it.... ???? WHAT are you talking about.... I never had asthma as a child... but that explains the shortness of breath, not getting "enough air"....
Then she said you didn't follow up on the allergy tests, and I said no, I didn't go have any allergy tests, and you never called me to tell me I needed to have some and the call I got from some company that said they wanted to schedule allergy tests wouldn't tell me anything else; I never heard from you so wasn't going to just give out information and schedule any tests without your direction... she said well the alpha-gal came back positive... way out of range... so I wanted to have more allergy tests done... AND I PRACTICALLY LOST IT.... 3 months they had these results, could not be bothered to call me and leave a message at least.... they didn't have the results when I called shortly after the dr visit in late Sept.... but do they NOT CARE????? I have been suffering for 3 more months, real sick, weak, worn out exhausted... FOR NOTHING???
I had a bit of a sinus infection, some inner ear fluid, and some bronchial issues, so put me back on an antibiotic.... but said I needed to see what I could tolerate with the alpha gal ....
REALLY?????

In the meantime, I jumped on the Alpha Gal thing... causes, reactions, symptoms, everything...Cut out all red meat that day... didn't realize that the dairy was a big deal... anything mammalian sourced.. so a couple days of milk and stuff and then cut it all that I could possibly think of... Researched it and talked to a dairy farmer friend who's brother in law was just diagnosed in Dec because of a rash and hives that would not clear up on top of the nausea and other things...

Found online research on clinics, and called one that is a couple hours away... Left them a message and they said they would call back next day.. it was after hours... And bright and early at 8:15 the next morning they called... and spent an HOUR with me on the phone... they gave me an appointment within a 10 day time frame... weather permitting it will be this Monday ..... will do the SAAT treatment that @SmokinM mentioned...

Had no idea that it was sooo Prevalant.... it's a real B%$#& to deal with... and the more sensitive to it, the worst... because BOVINE and other mammal derived products are used in everything....
I am a beef farmer, that works in the dairy industry, and drinks milk and eats milk products like they are going out of style... this has been a real miserable 2 weeks....
BUT at least there is a "REASON" ... none of this "you're getting older" crap.... like after 70 you are supposed to become the frail failing little old lady that can barely get around and not do anything that taxes your energy....

Hoping to get a handle on it and start to feel better.... Spring calving starts in March... then before you know it we will be in the hay fields...

Anyone else?????? Experiences, thoughts????
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I'm so sorry you have to go through all this. The doc might have wanted to get all the tests done to have a definite answer before having a discussion with you, but I still think it's inappropriate they didn't call you first. Avoiding eating certain foods won't change the test results but you might have started to feel better had they called to say " Hey, it's looking like you're now allergic to the alpha gal protein, you might want to avoid mammalian products until we know for sure"

That said, I can give you hope that if you do have it, it might not be permanent. Some people's sensitivity to the alpha gal protein goes away after 2-5 years.

Good luck and hope that you feel better soon
 
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farmerjan said:
I do use it ... but are you saying as a treatment for it??? Or preventitive for ticks??? I "accidentally" would spill some of the cattle wormer on me about once a week during all the covid crap.... never got it... never took any "vaccine shot" either... Now have the pills for it... haven't researched it for use with alpha gal... but if taking it, regular during the season will help to keep the ticks off... I'm all for it...
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Some of the stuff I read said that it took some time for the tick to transfer the disease to a human. If you use ivermectin, there is a chance that the tick dies pretty quickly. What about deet on clothing for a repellent? Permethrin on clothes and not directly on skin is not as dangerous as skin contact.
 
vectra 3 d is a wonderful repellant, i use it extra label it on pants cuff gloves bandana and feel it to be safe
used it daily in country when working in rural Guatemala-zika virus consider it.
research "hot foot technology"
 
Little update... Had an appt with the dr specializing in Alpha-gal treatments with the SAAT method...
Not good, but not the worst I guess... I had positive allergy results for alpha gal, rocky mountain spotted fever... totally negative for Lyme... plus several other positive allergy results... I cannot use the acupuncture needles in the ear because I am showing an allergy to the "glue" they use... have had reactions to previous tape/glue used for surgery... terrible reactions when they "taped" the knee replacements as opposed to staples/stitches... I was in agony with the allergic reactions to the tape/glue used...red, swelling, raw, itching, where the tape was attached to my skin plus some other allergic reactions... I cried alot until that tape came off...
So, I am using the alternative which are sprays that aer used under the tongue for absorbtion. If it works to desentisthize the things like the allergy to the "glue" , then I can have the SAAT treatment... however, with the other specific sprays, I may be able to get the immune system "reset" without the needles, and it may well work for the alpha gal....
So this is an 8 week program... a mist spray under the tongue for each of the ones targeted... 3x a day... it's like a tiny atomizer of spray... it is alcohol based and is swallowed after a minute or so... we'll see how I do with it...
Stay off/away from all red meat, all dairy products (which I did show an allergy to), as well as a few other things including molds.... to help this work better...

Going to be an interesting 2 months... looking forward to continued feeling better by NOT eating the things that I didn't realize were making me sooo sick until I got the positive Alpha gal result... but not looking forward to the restrictions. However, after getting so sick that I thought I would suffocate when laying down from all the clear "runny nose" discharge,,, never getting my throat clear feeling... and thinking I had the worst case of pneumonia with the congested feeling and coughing... and trouble breathing... just 2 weeks of no red meat and cutting out obvious dairy... I feel so much better just to be able to breathe and have some strength back ..... I will do everything I can to try to "be good" and follow the plan...

Wish me luck....
 
Yes the Alpha gal is tied to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever not Lymes. I had RMSF a few months before my symptoms for Alpha gal started showing up. That is pretty common.

I have heard of the sprays but haven’t talked to anybody that has used them. Bummer on the acupuncture, that really works good. If you get to craving red meat look into Emu it is pretty good eating as is duck bacon. Downside is it is very expensive. There is a place out of I believe NC or TN that sells it shipped to your door. I always said I was going to shoot a goose and grind it for burgers but got straightened out before I did it.
 
Jan hope your treatment goes well. Tommy Clark over in Culpeper got alpha gal bad and he was the first person I know who successfully used SAAT to recover. I have another friend and cattleman doing the same now but has had alpha gal for 8+ years. Also I hear that doctors over on the other side of the Blue Ridge are including alpha gal in annual blood work.
 
farmerjan said:
Going to be an interesting 2 months... looking forward to continued feeling better by NOT eating the things that I didn't realize were making me sooo sick
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I've had to change my diet over the last few months because of an autoimmune issue. Changing what you eat isn't fun but feeling better makes it worth it. I can't imagine being allergic to red meat though. I've had to limit red meat to leaner cuts and eat mostly chicken and fish now.
 
Another update... Not great but still not the worst.

Some of the allergy responses have been mitigated... BUT still very allergic to most things that the Alpha Gal triggers. I am doing another round of 12 weeks of the "tincture" sprays under the tongue... for Alpha Gal, Milk/Dairy products, Grass allergies, AND the "glue" adhesives.... and still finishing up the rest of the sprays although I showed much more immune response to things like mold and such... SO NO SAAT treatment with the acupuncture...YET....
Go back in July after the followup a few weeks ago.

Seems like with the onset of "allergy season" I have become super sensitive to everything....
And no rain for days and weeks has the pollen every where, instead of the rain "washing it out of the air" .

Back to getting way out of breath and using an inhaler some. I am really hating feeling like this.
THANK GOD I like chicken...
I can eat eggs so my chickens have done a very good job of keeping me fed.
Get tired of seafood too... can't use butter to broil fish, I like mild white fish like Cod, and filet of sole, flounder... have to be careful, I used some margarine thinking I was okay... many margarine's have dairy in them...so had to find one that was ALL plant based...

Spaghetti and tomato sauces.. no pizza due to the cheese... and some of the dough's have different emulsifiers....

Someone mentioned in another thread, "Dairy Cross finishes"... about possibly eating rabbit... with having so many reactions to so much, I won't even try it now... But the dr at the clinic said that is is unlikely I would be able to tolerate any red meat... to try things if I wanted... Never know. For me, after these past 2 weeks of having reactions to some regular bread, and a supplement that the capsules are derived from bovine products... and even some grilled chicken breast eating out where they cooked a hamburger on the same grill... that is the only thing we can figure out set it off again... I am NOT willing to try anything else that is mammalian... not even the rabbit... It is unlikely I could tolerate it anyway with all the reactions I have to nearly everything. I finally broke down and picked up some oat milk today... have not tried it yet... I miss milk and dairy products terribly.... Friends say oat milk is more "tolerable" to use on cereal.... we'll see. Guess the cats or the chickens can have it if I can't stand the taste.
Some people seem to be able to tolerate pork... NOPE... tried a pork chop.... that was not a good night.

Turkey jerky is barely tolerable but when I need something to "chew on"; and always had jerky in the car for days I tested and wanted something on the drive home from a farm.... I now keep some in the car. Not very satisfying but at least I can eat it.

Got some tortilla's to try making things like an egg burrito... of course no cheese..... and to cut back on the bread... but have found that I can eat Sourdough bread...so can have a "normal sandwich"... Mostly I eat chicken salad or tuna on a bed of a lettuce leaf without the bread if I am home. But sliced chicken is nice with some cranberry sauce and lettuce on a sandwich....

Some deep fried vegs bother me too... might be because they cook some sort of meat in it??? Breading on chicken patty's and things sometimes set it off...
Can eat Chick-Filet grilled chicken breast... BUT .... the bun causes a reaction so have to wrap it in the lettuce and eat it....

Junk food seems to be tolerated because it is all man made crap..... really BITES to not eat real food.....

OH WELL, it could be worse.... maybe the next trip will tell me that I can tolerate the glue/adhesive and get the SAAT treatment...

PLEASE......
 
I must smell bad to ticks. I seldom find one and if I do, it is crawling.
I am really sorry that you must go through all the torture with this. It just does not seem fair to give you so many allergies from a tick bite. Seems it would be an allergy for one or two things, but seems the list keeps growing to most everything. I know it must be really tough.
 
farmerjan said:
Another update... Not great but still not the worst.

Some of the allergy responses have been mitigated... BUT still very allergic to most things that the Alpha Gal triggers. I am doing another round of 12 weeks of the "tincture" sprays under the tongue... for Alpha Gal, Milk/Dairy products, Grass allergies, AND the "glue" adhesives.... and still finishing up the rest of the sprays although I showed much more immune response to things like mold and such... SO NO SAAT treatment with the acupuncture...YET....
Go back in July after the followup a few weeks ago.

Seems like with the onset of "allergy season" I have become super sensitive to everything....
And no rain for days and weeks has the pollen every where, instead of the rain "washing it out of the air" .

Back to getting way out of breath and using an inhaler some. I am really hating feeling like this.
THANK GOD I like chicken...
I can eat eggs so my chickens have done a very good job of keeping me fed.
Get tired of seafood too... can't use butter to broil fish, I like mild white fish like Cod, and filet of sole, flounder... have to be careful, I used some margarine thinking I was okay... many margarine's have dairy in them...so had to find one that was ALL plant based...

Spaghetti and tomato sauces.. no pizza due to the cheese... and some of the dough's have different emulsifiers....

Someone mentioned in another thread, "Dairy Cross finishes"... about possibly eating rabbit... with having so many reactions to so much, I won't even try it now... But the dr at the clinic said that is is unlikely I would be able to tolerate any red meat... to try things if I wanted... Never know. For me, after these past 2 weeks of having reactions to some regular bread, and a supplement that the capsules are derived from bovine products... and even some grilled chicken breast eating out where they cooked a hamburger on the same grill... that is the only thing we can figure out set it off again... I am NOT willing to try anything else that is mammalian... not even the rabbit... It is unlikely I could tolerate it anyway with all the reactions I have to nearly everything. I finally broke down and picked up some oat milk today... have not tried it yet... I miss milk and dairy products terribly.... Friends say oat milk is more "tolerable" to use on cereal.... we'll see. Guess the cats or the chickens can have it if I can't stand the taste.
Some people seem to be able to tolerate pork... NOPE... tried a pork chop.... that was not a good night.

Turkey jerky is barely tolerable but when I need something to "chew on"; and always had jerky in the car for days I tested and wanted something on the drive home from a farm.... I now keep some in the car. Not very satisfying but at least I can eat it.

Got some tortilla's to try making things like an egg burrito... of course no cheese..... and to cut back on the bread... but have found that I can eat Sourdough bread...so can have a "normal sandwich"... Mostly I eat chicken salad or tuna on a bed of a lettuce leaf without the bread if I am home. But sliced chicken is nice with some cranberry sauce and lettuce on a sandwich....

Some deep fried vegs bother me too... might be because they cook some sort of meat in it??? Breading on chicken patty's and things sometimes set it off...
Can eat Chick-Filet grilled chicken breast... BUT .... the bun causes a reaction so have to wrap it in the lettuce and eat it....

Junk food seems to be tolerated because it is all man made crap..... really BITES to not eat real food.....

OH WELL, it could be worse.... maybe the next trip will tell me that I can tolerate the glue/adhesive and get the SAAT treatment...

PLEASE......
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Sounds absolutely miserable. And here i thought people with genuine gluten sensitivities had it rough. I am more paranoid with ticks now, even though I've been finding them on me pretty regularly.

I did a quick google search. Chik fil a puts milk and eggs in their breading to their chicken as well as coating all their buns in butter. that obviously explains the breading issue, though it really should be declared on any food label, assuming its bought at a store and not restaurant. Hope your treatments work and you get better sooner rather than later!
 
If you can handle soy, you can substitute cheese with vegan shredded cheese.
Vegan foods have come a long way..
Vegans do not eat ANYTHING that has to do with Animals or bees.In any way.. Even if it doesn't harm ...
Some vegetarians choose to consume honey, milk, and eggs —things that don’t harm an animal or bee.

I have been allergic to all meats since birth. My brother was the same..
I can eat eggs and fish ( eggs makes me queasy till noon ,IF I have in the morning , mid day or supper don't get queasy) ,fish I must limit..Again wigs my stumach if I eat it more than 4x a month ,Have to be careful with milk.a little lactose intolerant
But can have it baked in things, and I can do butter...Doesn't really seem to bother me..But 99% it is cooked...
Goats milk No issues was raised on that...

The one thing taking any kind of pill is that it must not have gelatin in the coating.
Remember Gelatian is made from (Hooves and hide)

I Can Not eat chicken, beef, pork, venison, groundhog, or snake mutten, bear or fats ,tallow,lard and so on..
One must become a label reader...

As I like to put it ,Nothing that breaths air or has Lungs..

I'm closer to 70 than 50 in age...

I have never had Jello...
or a twinkie (beef fat)

Good Luck to @farmerjan
Once you get in to the grove.. You got this...

But it is easier for me.. Never lived anyother way..

Also side note: Flea n tick shampoo for cats n kittens Only
Is safer to use as it has the natural pyrethrum (from flowers)
And yes I do use that now and then.....
 
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farmerjan said:
There's a site to go on, but have had issues with it, and they even admitted they have some issues with it at the office.... SO.... JUST take the time and CALL.... that's supposed to be part of the patient dr relationship thing....
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I was given a "halter monitor" to wear for a month and they wanted me to drive 120 miles to see them for a consultation afterwards. "Specialists" that are too important to think about their patients. When I got there they came in and said the halter monitor results were normal. So I drove 240 miles (round trip) to spend five minutes with the doctor to find out their monitor didn't work... because I KNOW I had an AFIB episode while wearing it and could even tell them what day and time.
But I did learn something. My wife asked if I might be dehydrated after the AFIB episode, so I started drinking more water and I haven't had one since. With a little research I found out that a lack of proper hydration can cause AFIB.
After driving for 240 miles for no reason I'm presently looking for another cardiac specialist.
 
farmerjan said:
Another update... Not great but still not the worst.

Some of the allergy responses have been mitigated... BUT still very allergic to most things that the Alpha Gal triggers. I am doing another round of 12 weeks of the "tincture" sprays under the tongue... for Alpha Gal, Milk/Dairy products, Grass allergies, AND the "glue" adhesives.... and still finishing up the rest of the sprays although I showed much more immune response to things like mold and such... SO NO SAAT treatment with the acupuncture...YET....
Go back in July after the followup a few weeks ago.

Seems like with the onset of "allergy season" I have become super sensitive to everything....
And no rain for days and weeks has the pollen every where, instead of the rain "washing it out of the air" .

Back to getting way out of breath and using an inhaler some. I am really hating feeling like this.
THANK GOD I like chicken...
I can eat eggs so my chickens have done a very good job of keeping me fed.
Get tired of seafood too... can't use butter to broil fish, I like mild white fish like Cod, and filet of sole, flounder... have to be careful, I used some margarine thinking I was okay... many margarine's have dairy in them...so had to find one that was ALL plant based...

Spaghetti and tomato sauces.. no pizza due to the cheese... and some of the dough's have different emulsifiers....

Someone mentioned in another thread, "Dairy Cross finishes"... about possibly eating rabbit... with having so many reactions to so much, I won't even try it now... But the dr at the clinic said that is is unlikely I would be able to tolerate any red meat... to try things if I wanted... Never know. For me, after these past 2 weeks of having reactions to some regular bread, and a supplement that the capsules are derived from bovine products... and even some grilled chicken breast eating out where they cooked a hamburger on the same grill... that is the only thing we can figure out set it off again... I am NOT willing to try anything else that is mammalian... not even the rabbit... It is unlikely I could tolerate it anyway with all the reactions I have to nearly everything. I finally broke down and picked up some oat milk today... have not tried it yet... I miss milk and dairy products terribly.... Friends say oat milk is more "tolerable" to use on cereal.... we'll see. Guess the cats or the chickens can have it if I can't stand the taste.
Some people seem to be able to tolerate pork... NOPE... tried a pork chop.... that was not a good night.

Turkey jerky is barely tolerable but when I need something to "chew on"; and always had jerky in the car for days I tested and wanted something on the drive home from a farm.... I now keep some in the car. Not very satisfying but at least I can eat it.

Got some tortilla's to try making things like an egg burrito... of course no cheese..... and to cut back on the bread... but have found that I can eat Sourdough bread...so can have a "normal sandwich"... Mostly I eat chicken salad or tuna on a bed of a lettuce leaf without the bread if I am home. But sliced chicken is nice with some cranberry sauce and lettuce on a sandwich....

Some deep fried vegs bother me too... might be because they cook some sort of meat in it??? Breading on chicken patty's and things sometimes set it off...
Can eat Chick-Filet grilled chicken breast... BUT .... the bun causes a reaction so have to wrap it in the lettuce and eat it....

Junk food seems to be tolerated because it is all man made crap..... really BITES to not eat real food.....

OH WELL, it could be worse.... maybe the next trip will tell me that I can tolerate the glue/adhesive and get the SAAT treatment...

PLEASE......
Click to expand...
I told my wife that you can't cook your fish in butter... and she said, "Bacon grease!" And then we both said, "Mammal", at the same time. So I guess pork is a no.
 

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farmerjan said:
For anyone who has read what are you eating today, a post by @kenny thomas on gluten/wheat allergies, and lists of RESTRICTIONS of foods that can trigger this to flare up.... prompted me to comment on another "food allergy" .... Alpha gal.... a mostly tick borne disease/allergy to red meat and other things produced by mammals... including Dairy products...

Like any other farmer I know, we get ticks on us... it's in the nature of the job being around the animals, in grasses, all that... and some get attached... Have had dozens over the years... You get them off as soon as you find them...

Then came the big deal with Lyme disease... naturally, being from Conn... it became prominent and well known... my mom and son have both had it... mom in Conn, son here in Va... recurring bouts for many years. I have been lucky, never seemed to have any after effects from those nasty disgusting ticks...

Then this past spring, May, I had a couple ticks attached.... found after work on the tractor raking hay and such... took them off... same ole same ole.... Then I noticed a BIG typical BULLS EYE rash... scared me... weekend so went to the urgent care as I know that antibiotics as soon as you find it can stop the Lyme bacteria gets too bad...... kill the bacteria... and it takes some serious antibiotic treatment.. Gave me 2 weeks and said go see PCP but that it was probably nothing... too serious to worry about... FIRST RED FLAG...
Called PCP first of the week, they could see me in 3 weeks... after telling them what and why... figured if I was on antibiotics no big deal.....
Went in, did some blood work for Lyme... then wanted to do all this other "well care stuff" since I don't go to drs.... I agreed to some things... non-invasive.... but told them that I was having more headaches, and feeling more run down.... they said it was partly my overweight... according to the chart I am borderline obese according to the charts... Yes I am way overweight, but I still got around pretty good... then said my BP was high anywhere from 127/76 to 155/84 ... and wanted me to go on bp medicine... I said absolutely NOT... did a bunch of blood work for other stuff... low Vit D, B vitamins, magnesium... so went on some supplements.. all good... bone density test... borderline osteo but not disastrous... ....
Lyme comes back negative, so she blows it off...
Felt run down all summer, tired out... and back ached all the time still.. had a rash on my left ankle (total replacement 2020) and itchy lower back...
Always felt like I had a cold... some congestion, always clear "runny nose".... and cough.

Finally in late Sept., went back for 3 month check up... same complaints but now I am more out of breath than I used to be, no stamina... back ache all the time... and intermittent bouts of explosive diarrhea that I did not keep track of at first....I keep saying this all started with symptoms right after that bulls eye rash... I said, look, I have been researching the tick bite diseases... and I have all the symptoms of Tularemia except the fever (used to be called rabbit fever as people who used to hunt rabbits would get it from exposure to blood when killing rabbits, or ticks or fleas off rabbits on to people)...and all she could focus on was the "no fever" as not having the first common symptom... or I said what about ehrlichiosis.... many of the same type symptoms... oh that's not common in this area, more up north in PA and New England.... ordered more blood tests for Lyme, and Tularemia, and Alpha Gal.... started in on how I need to have a colonoscopy.... sent me for an EKG.... everything normal...

Then we got busier on the farm, late hay , corn chopping, calving fall group...company from Conn to visit... and something that the friends from Conn said really stuck with me... her dad got real sick, hospital, and almost died before they diagnosed Ehrlichiosis.... he walks for exercise ..... so I called and asked if there were any results back not long after the blood work... said no to the Lyme, but not everything was back yet... Tularemia takes time to culture... sid they would call me... and then like I said, we got busy. I found myself more and more tired out, run down... then I started having more bouts of coughing and shortness of breath and diarrhea... and paid attention... it seemed it was when I ate deep fried food like FF .... getting quick meals at Wendy's or DQ on my way to test cows and such... blamed it on the greasiness of the FF or onion rings...
Got sicker and sicker. and felt like I had a bad flu/cold without the fever/hot/cold chills... just the backache, that I can barely pick up a 5 gal bucket half full of water...
Had another 3 month scheduled "check up" and went to that a couple weeks ago... I am so worn out, sick, weak that it hurts to do most anything... clear mucous nose running... not like a sinus/typical cold bug... I called the dr office a couple days before, said that I was not coming for a 3 mo check up again, but was coming because I felt like I might have walking pneumonia.... since I was already scheduled...

She sent me for x-rays, because I said that I couldn't lay down and sleep because I felt like I was going to suffocate or drown, cough constantly.... then she asked if I had asthma as a child, how bad was it.... ???? WHAT are you talking about.... I never had asthma as a child... but that explains the shortness of breath, not getting "enough air"....
Then she said you didn't follow up on the allergy tests, and I said no, I didn't go have any allergy tests, and you never called me to tell me I needed to have some and the call I got from some company that said they wanted to schedule allergy tests wouldn't tell me anything else; I never heard from you so wasn't going to just give out information and schedule any tests without your direction... she said well the alpha-gal came back positive... way out of range... so I wanted to have more allergy tests done... AND I PRACTICALLY LOST IT.... 3 months they had these results, could not be bothered to call me and leave a message at least.... they didn't have the results when I called shortly after the dr visit in late Sept.... but do they NOT CARE????? I have been suffering for 3 more months, real sick, weak, worn out exhausted... FOR NOTHING???
I had a bit of a sinus infection, some inner ear fluid, and some bronchial issues, so put me back on an antibiotic.... but said I needed to see what I could tolerate with the alpha gal ....
REALLY?????

In the meantime, I jumped on the Alpha Gal thing... causes, reactions, symptoms, everything...Cut out all red meat that day... didn't realize that the dairy was a big deal... anything mammalian sourced.. so a couple days of milk and stuff and then cut it all that I could possibly think of... Researched it and talked to a dairy farmer friend who's brother in law was just diagnosed in Dec because of a rash and hives that would not clear up on top of the nausea and other things...

Found online research on clinics, and called one that is a couple hours away... Left them a message and they said they would call back next day.. it was after hours... And bright and early at 8:15 the next morning they called... and spent an HOUR with me on the phone... they gave me an appointment within a 10 day time frame... weather permitting it will be this Monday ..... will do the SAAT treatment that @SmokinM mentioned...

Had no idea that it was sooo Prevalant.... it's a real B%$#& to deal with... and the more sensitive to it, the worst... because BOVINE and other mammal derived products are used in everything....
I am a beef farmer, that works in the dairy industry, and drinks milk and eats milk products like they are going out of style... this has been a real miserable 2 weeks....
BUT at least there is a "REASON" ... none of this "you're getting older" crap.... like after 70 you are supposed to become the frail failing little old lady that can barely get around and not do anything that taxes your energy....

Hoping to get a handle on it and start to feel better.... Spring calving starts in March... then before you know it we will be in the hay fields...

Anyone else?????? Experiences, thoughts????
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