In the United States, this pathology is predominately seen in the southeast, but has been associated with other tick species on every continent except Antarctica. Due to the use of mammalian proteins in many common medications, surgical equipment and prosthesis, unexpected reactions can occur. Dermatologic or gastrointestinal symptoms are usually delayed by four to six hours after exposure, making the diagnosis difficult. Meanwhile, I’ll keep eating chicken.Alpha-gal allergy, or mammalian meat allergy, is described as the development of IgE antibodies to the oligosaccharide galactose-a-1,3-galactose following a bite from the tick species Amblyomma americanum (Lone Star tick) or Dermacentor variabillis (Wood tick). I will do my best for the next year and get tested again, remaining hopeful that I can overcome this allergy. While my test results were not ideal, I expected that would be the case. Thomas Platts-Mills are early pioneers in discovering this allergy. This surprising bit of information comes from Dr. While there are even others who suggest that it’s the symptoms themselves that determine whether someone should be diagnosed with this allergy. There are some who suggest that the higher the number, the worse the condition, as the chart on this page suggests. That is if you’re positive, greater than 0.35, then you have the allergy, and there are no levels of severity, per se. I have heard that the number doesn’t matter. My reactions have not been anaphylactic, more like hives/welts, or increased heart rate, or swelling/redness. I know this because I have had a few reactions throughout the year, as I learn about things like hidden ingredients and cross-contamination. Although I try to reduce mammalian meat and by-products from my life, I have made mistakes. Last year, my results were 1.73, and this year they were 12.60. The test measures your IgE antibody response to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), on a scale of 0-100 kU/ml. I believe you can get this test done at other places as well, just so long as they send the bloodwork to Viracor, as that is the only place that does the testing, at least to my knowledge. There’s information on specific costs in the posting, but it’s not terribly expensive. Costs will vary depending on your insurance. I recommend the panel, but it does cost a bit more. One is only the alpha-gal IgE level, while the other (the panel) is the IgE number as well as the breakdown for beef, pork, lamb. Unlike common food allergens, which are usually proteins, this allergen is a carbohydrate (sugar). So I’m holding out hope!įrom a post on the Facebook support forums, I learned that LabCorp offers this test, Alpha-Gal Panel, although it does require a doctor’s order. In susceptible individuals, multiple tick bites can result in sensitization to the allergen galactose-alpha-1-3 galactose (alpha-gal), which is present in many non-primate mammalian tissues. This may or may not be the case, but I have heard of people who have had this allergy who eventually no longer have it. After learning of my Alpha-Gal Allergy diagnosis last year, I decided I would take the blood test once a year, in hopes that it will someday go away.įrom what I’ve learned, it’s possible that your body can “forget” about the allergy if you can gain zero exposure for some amount of time.
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