Virginia woman would throw up hours after eating meat. Turns out she has a tick-borne allergy

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Virginia will soon start tracking a tick-borne condition that can cause people to have allergic reactions to mammal products like red meat and pork.

Alpha-gal syndrome is caused by the bite of a lone star tick, which is common in Virginia.

The condition can lead to allergic reactions hours after consuming mammalian products.

Debbie Miller of Henrico completely changed her diet and household products after receiving an alpha-gal diagnosis in June, following years of unexplained symptoms.

"In the mornings, I will prepare blueberries and I will prepare seeds, and these will be my snacks throughout the day," Miller said.

WTVR

Miller's refrigerator looks very different now. She has revamped her diet, medicine cabinet, and even basic household products like toilet paper after her diagnosis.

"This is the test result that I got from the gastro doctor, and it shows that I have abnormal levels of the alpha-gal in my blood work," she said.

Alpha-gal is a sugar molecule found in mammalian meat, according to Dr. Julia Murphy, the State Public Health Veterinarian with the Virginia Department of Health.

"The bite of a lone star tick seems to cause an immune system response that can result in folks having an allergic reaction to the consumption or exposure to this alpha-gal sugar," Murphy said.

WTVR

Miller recalls getting at least six tick bites in the past couple of years and one in high school. Each bite can make the allergy worse, and the allergic reaction typically occurs 2-6 hours after consumption.

Before her diagnosis, Miller struggled with mysterious symptoms for years.

"I would have meat for dinner at night, and I'd be absolutely fine after I ate it," she said. "And then in the middle of the night, I would wake up and I would be throwing up or have severe stomach pains."

Miller also experienced hives, rashes, asthma issues and fatigue. She began to doubt herself.

"You start thinking that it's in your head. You're making these things up," she said.

WTVR

That changed when a gastroenterologist tested her for alpha-gal in June.

"Praise be to him that he diagnosed the tick allergy," Miller said.

Now she wants to raise awareness about the syndrome that Dr. Murphy called "new and emerging," so others can get diagnosed sooner and make necessary lifestyle changes.

"The muscle aches and problems with my muscles and stuff like that. What's the first thing you go to? You go to an anti-inflammatory, you go to Tylenol, you go to some ibuprofen. Well, I was making it worse because they have mammal products in them," Miller said.

Murphy offered tips for preventing tick bites: Treat clothing and gear with products containing permethrin, shower and check yourself for ticks as soon as you get indoors and make sure you know if you're going to a tick habitat, so that you can prepare.

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