Alpha-gal tick virus

[Sam squanch]

Hi. Be sure to check for ticks on you and the family. I have the Alpha-gal virus. Not a lot of fun. You basically develop an allergic reaction to mammal meat, and dairy products. Which means you may be RUNNING to the restroom a lot ! I don’t feel too bad, but I miss hamburgers and pork chops! Use that repellent!

 

[Michiganmuzzy]

Is that a permanent condition? Or will you get over it and be able to eat mammal meat again?

 

[Sam squanch]

The doc told me I may be ok in a month,or I may have it permanently, but in remission. There is not enough information yet. I’m keeping the chicken restaurants busy!

 

[deerstalkert]

snake, the other white meat!
i absolutely hate, despise, abhor, give me the creepy crawlies for days, TICKS. of any flavor.

 

[oldwood]

Remember , best tick repellent is Permethrion. It's not for on the skin ,but spray it on your clothing. It is available sometimes at the Walmart. Tractor supply also has in in a mix-it-yourself form. Just follow the instructions and use a spray bottle like window spray cleaner comes in . Directions say one application is enough for a couple weeks. We tested Deet at hunting camp with real ticks and a volunteer with a tan Carhart bib outfit on. We sprayed him up with Deet and sent him into the laurel and bushes. He came back with 18 ticks on his bibs in a short time. Put a new set of bibs on him and sprayed him down with Permethrion and back in the bushes. Not one tick on him. We been using the good stuff for over 12 yrs now and no ticks.........oldwood

 

[deerstalkert]

the bib wearer, your brother in law by chance?

 

[BallBoy]

oldwood speaks the truth!
Permethrin is best repellent.
Hope you get past this mess no pun intended.
For the past couple of years before summer camps etc. we’ve been soaking our kids clothes in a permethrin solution. After they hang dry we rinse/wash hang dry again. Has help immensely protect against tick jiggers and others. It’s not a guarantee but it helps. The spray solution is costly so we decided to mix it ourselves. Seems like it last’s up to 2-3 washings.

 

[Brokennock]

Remember , best tick repellent is Permethrion. It's not for on the skin ,but spray it on your clothing. It is available sometimes at the Walmart. Tractor supply also has in in a mix-it-yourself form. Just follow the instructions and use a spray bottle like window spray cleaner comes in . Directions say one application is enough for a couple weeks. We tested Deet at hunting camp with real ticks and a volunteer with a tan Carhart bib outfit on. We sprayed him up with Deet and sent him into the laurel and bushes. He came back with 18 ticks on his bibs in a short time. Put a new set of bibs on him and sprayed him down with Permethrion and back in the bushes. Not one tick on him. We been using the good stuff for over 12 yrs now and no ticks.........oldwood

DEET is meant for skin, not clothing.
Permethrin is meant for clothing. One may still wind up with ticks on the clothing but they won't live long enough to do any harm.

Use both. Or use Permethrin on clothing and Picaridin in place of DEET on skin.
Picaridin doesn't have the odor or nasty feel on the skin that DEET has,,, and,,,, it won't melt plastic and rubber like DEET does. No more ruined watches, glasses, etc.

 

[Brokennock]

Hi. Be sure to check for ticks on you and the family. I have the Alpha-gal virus. Not a lot of fun. You basically develop an allergic reaction to mammal meat, and dairy products. Which means you may be RUNNING to the restroom a lot ! I don’t feel too bad, but I miss hamburgers and pork chops! Use that repellent!

Sorry to hear you've contracted this. I hope the effects are temporary for you.

 

[oldwood]

One more thing , go on line and buy a pack of those small plastic tick pullers that look like tiny miniature crow bars. The smallest one is what the ER Doc. . used to pull a tiny tick out from between my eye lashes one night about midnight.

 

[Sam squanch]

The other bad news was that I was told I can’t bite other people to infect them ….

 

[William O.]

The other bad news was that I was told I can’t bite other people to infect them ….

Dang, does the misery ever stop with this disease?

 

[excess650]

Lemon eucalyptus oil on the skin keeps the chiggers and ticks at bay and no harm to humans other than it can be a little HOT on certain, sensitive spots.

I had developed some allergies to certain foods, and the Dr immediately said "alpha-gal", but I had never had a tick imbedded. Too, he was convinced that I already had Lyme, but the results on various Lyme specific tests were really low. When I do have a food triggered reaction, usually 4+ hours after eating, never immediate, I take Benadryl to unclog my sinuses.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alpha-gal-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20428608

 

[Sam squanch]

Please understand that I’m NOT giving any medical advice . I’m not a doctor, although I may pretend to be one to get good parking…if you have an allergic reaction a few hours after you eat red meat , it may be alpha-gal. The tick does not have to be stuck on you that long.

 

[Okie Hog]

Remember , best tick repellent is Permethrion.

What oldwood said.

i soak shirts and pants in diluted permethrin and hang to dry. Ticks and chiggers die on contact with treated clothes. Stuff also repels mosquitos and other insects. My treated clothes hang in the garage. i have not seen a fly, skeeter or spider in the garage.

One soaking treatment is good for at least ten washings.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Please understand that I’m NOT giving any medical advice . I’m not a doctor, although I may pretend to be one to get good parking…if you have an allergic reaction a few hours after you eat red meat , it may be alpha-gal. The tick does not have to be stuck on you that long.

Yeah, a buddy's son got it..., only it made him puke up red meat. Took more than three years to get clear of it.

LD

 

[fishmanbeene]

Sorry to hear this. I contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Tick Fever 5 years ago still dealing with the side effects. With hunting season approaching be careful out there.

 

[4575wcf]

I've only got one deer tick on me in my whole hunting career, but that was a doozey. I picked him up going through some long grass in OR coast range, and he got VERY well imbedded in my forearm on the drive home. We covered him with Vaseline and and pulled him out complete when he started to suffocate and let go a little. Fortunately no Spotted Fever, Lyme disease etc. The little buggers don't just bite you, they chew out a small swimming pool, and just drink freely. I still have the scar the size of a matchhead. One was enough. We have no chiggers here out west, but plenty of mosquitoes in the lower elevations, and the West Nile disease is here now of course.

 

[BadDaditood]

I've only got one deer tick on me in my whole hunting career, but that was a doozey. I picked him up going through some long grass in OR coast range, and he got VERY well imbedded in my forearm on the drive home. We covered him with Vaseline and and pulled him out complete when he started to suffocate and let go a little. Fortunately no Spotted Fever, Lyme disease etc. The little buggers don't just bite you, they chew out a small swimming pool, and just drink freely. I still have the scar the size of a matchhead. One was enough. We have no chiggers here out west, but plenty of mosquitoes in the lower elevations, and the West Nile disease is here now of course.

We’ve got chiggers in SoCal… I hate them so much I’m gonna move north, to America

 

[Sam squanch]

Thanks for your well wishes! I really need to eat better anyway, so maybe this is a blessing in disguise.