[John_Deer]

I am sorry to hear about your allergy. I would freak out. I am not satisfied unless I have a chunk of meat with my meal.

I use Sevin dust in my yard. I buy a 25 lb bag. Then apply it with a small push type fertilizer spreader. I never have ticks at all. I apply Sevin in the same method to areas where I walk a lot. If you don't have pets spectracide makes a pelletized product you can apply to your yard for less. Spectracide claims it is safe for pets and children after watering. My dog had a reaction to spectracide after several rains. She will dig up and eat white grubs. I had to keep her on a leash for two months to prevent her from eating the grubs. In turn, I went back to sevin dust which has never created a vet bill.

Always wear a dust mask when applying pesticides. Dust masks are cheap. Get a new one every 30 minutes or so until you are finished applying the pesticide.

[HockaLouis]

Tluke;
I'm sorry to hear this. And thanks for sharing. I too have never heard of such a thing!

Anyway, you didn't work your way to the top of the food chain to eat vegetables. It sounds like you'll be getting protein more from poultry, fish, soy, beans, wheat, and personally I'd throw in the occasional roasted tick! Not the end of the world.

Hey, wait aminute, isn't hog "the other white meat"? Actually, what's the first white meat!?

[TLuker]

Originally Posted by ScottA

Can you share what the symptoms are?

The symptoms vary greatly. When it first started I would suddenly feel faint and have to lay down to keep form passing out. I've since learned that a messes up intestine will cause that. Then I had all sorts of blood pressure issues. My Gaul bladder quit working and I couldn't eat much until it came it out (I dropped 40lbs in a month). I could eat again after it came out but had irritable bowel syndrome (alternating diarrhea and constipation) and still had problems passing out, plus I just felt really bad. That was 4 years ago. I slowly got to feeling better and could function. I would have spells hit off and on where I just felt really bad for a few days to a week and almost always had worse stomach problems than normal when those spells would hit. And occasionally I would have trouble breathing after eating.

I stumbled across and article about ticks and allergy to red meat in July. That's when the light bulb went off. I had almost quit eating red meat and ate mostly chicken. I never realized that meat made me feel bad, but I had noticed that I felt better when I ate chicken. I always felt bad when ate meat but I keep thinking it must have been whatever I ate with it that caused me to feel bad. It never occurred to me that it was the meat. I cut out all red meat in July except for an occasional bite just to what happened (not good) and things got better. So I was pretty sure that what it was but needed a blood test to verify it was an allergy and not just stomach problems (like my doctor kept saying and trying to treat for).

When the blood test verified that it was an allergy I read up on it more and hopefully put the last piece in place. Dairy is also from a mammal, as is lard. So this week I'm cutting out dairy and hopefully that will be the end of my problems?

The big thing I learned from all of this is that doctors are just like car mechanics. If you can go in say this is what's wrong now fixing it they do ok. If they have to figure out what's wrong you are on your own. Doctors are trained to treat the symptoms and not the cause, and they are idiots. So why exactly are they paid so much?

[HockaLouis]

OMG Tluker! That's some story. Who knew!!!
Well, it sounds like you're on an upward trajectory. Congratulations and thank goodness. More power to ya and the family!

[rocshaman]

This is bad shi-te, DEET is the only way to go if you live in an area that has these lone star ticks. At this point, prevention is the only cure, but it is rare to develop this allergy.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/11/21/165633003/rare-meat-allergy-caused-by-tick-bites-may-be-on-the-rise

[TLuker]

Originally Posted by JonM

Im going through a similar issue with gluten products at least Maybe if you go meatless for a month or two it might wear off. Good luck.

I feel for you with the gluten. That was going to be the next thing I tried if my allergy test had come back negative for red meat. In fact I had already started thinking about the dietary changes needed for it and was getting ready to try it. It is definitely tougher going gluten free than red meat and dairy free. Good luck with it, and I really hope it works for you.

[JonM]

Originally Posted by TLuker

I feel for you with the gluten. That was going to be the next thing I tried if my allergy test had come back negative for red meat. In fact I had already started thinking about the dietary changes needed for it and was getting ready to try it. It is definitely tougher going gluten free than red meat and dairy free. Good luck with it, and I really hope it works for you.

you have my total sympathy and i totally understand how life changing it is. i know im having recurring issues with higher cholestoral and vitamen deficiencies im having to keep track of. when you make a radical change you need to keep track of it with blood tests until you get the new diet down.

it wasnt as hard to change as i thought as everytime i think i want some bread product or gluten product all i have to do is think about what it will do to me if i indulge. it isnt as hard to change with that sort of motivation we both have.

i just wanted to let you know you aint alone with the life changing diet thing

[Mosin]

Thanks for the heads up! I really hope you get better!!!!!

Fwiw... If you have a bug out location, consider free ranging some chickens on your land. Here in the Maine boonies a lot if people have chickens (and I recently learned, guinea hens) because they wipe out ticks in your yard.

[TLuker]

Here's an interesting article on gluten, and another reason to use heirloom varieties of everything.

http://io9.com/5968164/why-you-should-probably-stop-eating-wheat

[TLuker]

Originally Posted by Mosin

Thanks for the heads up! I really hope you get better!!!!!

Fwiw... If you have a bug out location, consider free ranging some chickens on your land. Here in the Maine boonies a lot if people have chickens (and I recently learned, guinea hens) because they wipe out ticks in your yard.

A friend just told me the same thing about guineas. Plus they are mean as can be and will let you know if anyone is around.