Don't know if this has been discussed on here before, but here goes. Just got bit by a couple of these things, and come to find out that they can cause meat allergies. To the point of shutting down your airway! anyone have any experience with these things. Waiting to hear back from my doctor, if I should come in for any tests. Thanks in advance for any insight.
Tick bites can cause different results for different people.
It is possible that it may only irritate your skin.
You know better what insect bites do to you and similar care is needed.
If you are having any symptoms that appear life threatening go to a doctor ASAP.
I've found it best to wash insect bite with soap and water immediately and take some sort of allergy med if you have any known issues.
techls, post: 323754, member: 6448 wrote: Don't know if this has been discussed on here before, but here goes. Just got bit by a couple of these things, and come to find out that they can cause meat allergies. To the point of shutting down your airway! anyone have any experience with these things. Waiting to hear back from my doctor, if I should come in for any tests. Thanks in advance for any insight.
Every insect bite has the potential to award the recipient with something unpleasant. Last summer a fellow less than 40 miles from my home was bit by a tick and ended up dying of something that was totally new to the medical profession.
Geee thanks for that info........I didn't hate ticks enough already after contracting lyme disease twice
I have had the meat allergy for over 3 years. No pork, beef, lamb or any other mammal. The tick bite increases the Alpha Gal in your system. A normal count is 0.35. Presently, I am at 9.8. The sugars in the fat create a histamine reaction, which can cause hives and swelling of the face and throat I carry an epipen at all times. I had one episode that just about did me in. The biggest problem eating out is that bacon is added for flavour in many items.
I would suggest that you google the University of Virginia study. Currently, there has been no cure found. However, there is recently more interest in the Lone Star Tick Virus as this causing some severe reactions to some Chemotherapy.
Eating poultry and fish in Georgia
I had probably 300 chigger bites about 5 years ago. I got hives in the middle of the night several times after that. A benedryl usually cured it but did go to the ER a couple times, but they did not know what had caused them. I was bitten by a deer tick about 3 years ago and the late night hives started again. I live about 1.5 hours from the University of Virginia so I got an appointment and it was confirmed. Red meat allergy! They told me it would probably go away and it did after about 8 months. I can now eat red meat but don't over due it.
Ticks are the scourge! Bites are different for everyone. If you're worried, you should get it checked. Lyme's and all the other stuff you can contract from them is pretty serious stuff.
Pretty much all of my tick bites result in an itchy rash around the bite site in addition to seemingly random rashes around my body. It usually takes a couple weeks to clear up. I've been checked for Lyme's...luckily negative.
Permethrin + 100% DEET (clothes only of course) seems to be the best solution I've come up with. Our area is pretty bad for deer ticks and their nymphs (turkey ticks/lice as they're known around here)
Good Luck!
In the past year and a half I've broken out in hives after eating beef and pork. 3 times eating beef and the last was with pork on memorial day. Went to the allergist 2 weeks ago and patiently waiting the results. The most recent episode on memorial day was the worst and my throat started to swell up. No one has mentioned above but it is not an instant reaction, it will happen 4-10 hrs after you eat when your food starts to digest. The dr said he was 99.9% sure I was going to be positive for it, and did say that it would hopefully work out of my system. He was looking at my chart and saw my occupation and said I might be out of luck being in the woods majority of the week.
Thanks guys. How long after the initial bites did it take for the Alpha Gal antibodies to start causing reactions?
It was a few weeks for me. Remember it's the fat that causes the reaction. I went 6-8 months without red meat. Then I finally I tried some venison, (Couldn't pass up fresh loin), and I was fine. I then slowly started trying other red meats. I would suggest eating smaller portions of less fatty red meat. I avoid prime rib and rib eye's all together. (And yes it sucks.) Grilling it is best. Venison and most wild game is basically fat free.
As bad as tick and spider bites are, most problems are infections from not disinfecting the wound. That being said some of us draw the short straw.
I was bitten in Austin in 1985. My liver nearly failed and the infection turned both legs purple.
Use the highest DEET repellant you can find, seal access points and check yourself frequently. Disinfect bites religiously. I'm no expert but I've heard dying sucks..
The Alpha-Gal tests came back negative, so wasn't bit by a carrier. Can still eat hot dogs and hamburgers!
No doubt Nate will chime in here when he reads this. From what I understand he's recovering slowly from his bout with those little devils.
