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No More Burgers!

Most of you know that I have alpha gal syndrome/allergy (whatever you call it) but I haven’t had a reaction since 2013. For years, I wouldn’t touch ground beef unless I cooked it at home, drained all the fat off and never used ground beef that had more fat than 93/7.

It was only after we moved here that we began going to Babe’s and eating burgers. We’ve been probably 6 – 8 times. I never had any problems til yesterday. We went there probably about 2 p.m., ate burgers that were delicious and greasy. Like clockwork, 7 – 8 hours after eating, I began to itch, then broke out in hives. For years I kept epi-pens but after not needing them for so long, I quit keeping them around.

My doctor in Nevada, MO, without knowing what the problem was but seeing the reaction, told me to take Benadryl and a cold shower when I first started itching. Usually half a Benadryl will cause me to sleep for 24 hours straight. Last night, not wanting to go to the ER, Vince insisted I take two of them. I kept saying “Are you trying to kill me?” He assured me he was not trying to kill me but hoping to not have to go to the ER. I took the Benadryl, took a cold shower and waited. I did shave my legs just in case I had to go to the ER. First things first, right. Who wants to die with hairy legs?

It took about 1-1/2 hours after taking the Benadryl for the new hives to stop appearing. I went to bed about an hour after having had no new hives and I still had quite a few but, I survived and the hives are all gone this morning.

I’m pretty groggy and will probably go take a nap after while. I did wake up several times during the night . . I would wake up and think . . am I alive? Vince woke me several times to see if I was ok.

Seriously, I didn’t come anywhere near dying but it is scary because the air passages can swell up.

We were counting last night and I think I went to the ER 4 or 5 times in Kentucky, twice in Nevada, MO and once in Louisiana while we were still living in MO but I was there visiting. It was just a couple of years after we moved to Texas that I found out what was causing the reaction and haven’t been back to the ER and . . I don’t intend to have it ever happen again.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ugh! I’m so sorry it happened again after all this time. Especially after you have found a good burger place!

  2. I’m so glad you’re feeling better. I know this is a serious subject, but when I read the first line, I thought you were going to say you’ve been bossing Vince around — being an alpha gal! I didn’t remember the name of the syndrome. 🙂

    • The fat has to be removed and I try to spread it out so I don’t eat beef but about every 4th day. Some people with alpha gal can’t even eat buttter or drink milk, and they cannot even eat foods that were prepared near red meat. I’ve been very lucky with my limitations but yesterday was a total surprise.

  4. I’m glad you are feeling better this morning and that your hives are going away. That is very scary.

    I had a coworker with an allergy to onions – but only raw ones. She needed the epi-pen she carried once in a restaurant when I was with her. She specifically told the waiter NOT to let them put raw onions on her salad due to a severe allergy. Our guess is the cook put them on, then realized the mistake and “tried” to remove them but missed some tiny pieces. She immediately started swelling up.

    • That is so scary, as are most food allergies. People make mistakes or just don’t realize the serious reaction that can occur.

  5. My Dad just got his positive test results yesterday after a reaction he had a few weeks ago. No meat for him now. Do you get your numbers tested periodically? They will retest him in 2-3 months from now.

    • When I was first diagnosed, testing was not even available. Now there are blood tests and skin prick tests. For the longest time, there was only one lab (in MO) and all blood had to be sent there. My doctor in Texas didn’t want to do that but the allergist in Austin would do it, even though I don’t think he was 100% confident in the testing at that time. Now, there are more labs that will test for it but I haven’t been tested in a couple of years. Once my numbers started staying the same from year to year, the doctor told me there was no reason to continue the testing unless I felt I was having greater reactions. Since I know that it’s only when I eat a lot of fat that I have a reaction, there’s no reason to continue being tested. I know what to do to avoid the reaction – for me, it’s skim the fat off fatty cuts of meat (chuck roasts, brisket, etc.) and no hamburgers unless I make them at home. I don’t eat the fatty pork cuts (except occasional pulled pork and when that’s smoked, most of the fat is drained out). I’m one of the lucky ones. Some cannot even eat butter or drink milk.

      I hope your dad is able to keep it under control. It’s very scary when the reaction occurs.

  6. Time to get a new epi-pen. it would make a great Christmas stocking gift, Vince, hint, hint.

  7. Scary! Glad you’re okay. Guess now that really was the last trip to Babe’s, too bad it had a bad ending.

  8. My husband ate shrimp and crab legs all the time. Then, twice he got hives and itching, worse the second time. Now he won’t eat any kind of seafood. He says he’s good as long as he can eat steak. LOL

  9. You know, I’ve been wondering about your burger eating! I have been surprised that you were eating them and staying healthy. I am glad that the Benadryl worked!!!
    Also: “I did shave my legs just in case I had to go to the ER.” Seriously?! You crack me up!!!

  10. Glad you are doing better! I too cracked up about shaving the legs part but then I probably would have done the same thing!!

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