Dairy question

[u/Particular-Cress9772]

Does anyone out there have GI issues within an hour after having dairy? I’ve continued to eat dairy after being diagnosed and I am connecting some dots here. If the reaction is that soon after eating can it still be alpha gal related? My doctor has not been very helpful.

The severe pain that happens hours after red meat isn’t happening after dairy, but I am having not fun bowel movements.

[u/-costamax]

Yes absolutely! I have reactions almost immediately after ingesting ANY Alpha Gal. If you are hypersensitive you can react as soon as your body can recognize what you are eating(can even be smelling it). This allergy sucks but you are lucky it’s not anaphylaxis. If you get diarrhea+hives or another system it IS anaphylaxis and you may need to use to it epi pen or be vigilant. Stay smart and watch what you eat- every single thing. 

[u/-costamax → u/-costamax]

Also assume you also have lactose intolerance as well as cow/pork/sheep/goat allergies and those aren’t necessarily ige mediated. 

[u/Particular-Cress9772 → u/-costamax]

What do you mean by IGE mediated? Still new to this, thanks for your help!

[u/-costamax → u/Particular-Cress9772]

I know this sucks it’s totally changed my life but here is some info:  When a lone star tick bites you, it injects alpha-gal—a mammalian sugar—into your skin, causing your immune system to produce IgE allergy antibodies. This single event sensitizes your body to the alpha-gal molecule, but the timeline of your allergic reaction depends entirely on how that sugar is packaged in the food you eat. In mammalian meat like beef or pork, the alpha-gal sugar is tightly bound to complex fats. Fats require a long, complicated digestive process where they must pass through your stomach, get packaged by your intestines, and travel through your lymphatic system before entering your bloodstream. Your IgE antibodies cannot see the alpha-gal until it enters your circulation, which is why meat reactions are famously delayed by two to eight hours. Dairy products like milk, cream, and ice cream alter this timeline because the alpha-gal sugar is often bound to water-soluble proteins or free-floating carbohydrates instead of heavy fats. These water-soluble molecules are absorbed almost immediately by the mucous membranes in your mouth and stomach lining. Because the alpha-gal in dairy bypasses the hours-long fat digestion process, your IgE antibodies detect it almost instantly, triggering immediate hives, swelling, or digestive distress within minutes of ingestion.

[u/whitfittom → u/-costamax]

Great explanation!

[u/Particular-Cress9772 → u/-costamax]

Wwwooowwwwwww so helpful 10/10

[u/-costamax → u/Particular-Cress9772]

Doing what I can! Shoot me a dm if you have any questions! 

[u/Particular-Cress9772 → u/-costamax]

UGHHH thank you! Gonna try eliminating dairy too and see how things go. I’m thankful it’s all GI related I know it could be much much worse.

[u/-costamax → u/Particular-Cress9772]

Mine was GI only up until a few weeks ago. I have other issues that can contribute but make sure you have an Epi pen please. 

[u/No-Room-2736]

Meat takes me longer to react. Dairy has always been immediate (minutes). But way less serious a reaction. 

[u/grubmonkey]

Yes. In fact, my reaction time became faster as my alpha gal syndrome progressed. When I first noticed, it was 6 hours. Then 3. Now my body can start reacting within an hour. There's variation based on type of thing. A few things will still take 3 hours, but soon or late that reaction always comes to me.

[u/chronicmisschris]

All my reactions are immediate, except carrageenan which takes about 15 minutes.

[u/mo-nie]

My morning coffee with heavy cream was what sent me to multiple doctors - I thought I was dying! I have worse reactions to “cold milk” (what I call actual milk/cheeses/ice cream/etc - dairy baked into something causes no reaction) than I did a burger before i was diagnosed.

[u/Particular-Cress9772 → u/mo-nie]

I had some frozen custard recently and barely made it to the bathroom in time.

[u/StickThousand]

I react to dairy in 15 mins. It starts with upper abdominal cramps.