Living with Alpha-gal Syndrome
Written by Brittanie Benavidez interviewed with Michael Branham
Some stories are hard to forget—not because they’re filled with adventure, but because they’re filled with lessons we can’t afford to ignore. When a close friend of mine was diagnosed with Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), I knew it was a story worth sharing. His experience shows just how quickly one tick bite can change a life, and it’s a reminder to every outdoorsman and woman that tick protection isn’t optional—it’s essential.
Q: When did you first notice reactions, and how long after eating did they occur?
A: I’ll never forget it—it was November 2, 2016, during Game 7 of the Cubs vs. Cleveland World Series. I started itching under my arm but brushed it off. Hours later, I woke up covered in hives, my feet on fire with pain, like I was walking on glass. The ER didn’t have answers.
A month later almost to the exact day, I ate a bacon cheeseburger and about 4 hours later, my throat started closing. That night, two EpiPens kept me alive. That’s when I realized this wasn’t just some random allergy.
Q: What foods triggered your reactions?
A: Beef and pork, without question. I was a “5 out of 5” on the allergy scale for both. For three years, I couldn’t touch them—not even with cross-contamination. I had to stop eating both beef and pork for 3 years and I mean quit cold turkey.
Q: Do you remember when you were bitten?
A: After I realized it was a tick bite that caused my allergy, I looked back and 100% remember getting bitten multiple times on opening day of deer season that year. October 11 to be exact. When I got home that night, I realized I had around 10 total bites on my left leg, but I didn’t know what the bites were from. In SC, it could have been anything as simple as ant bites or chiggers or spiders for that matter, but a tick bite wasn’t necessarily something I thought about. But that’s definitely what the bites were from.
Q: What symptoms have you experienced?
A: Itchy palms, itchy ears, itchy tongue, swollen lips, hives everywhere on my body, my
body temperature gets hot fast and it feels like my face will explode. The pain on the bottom of my
feet making it feel like I’m walking on glass, the worst one was my throat closing up and not
being able to breathe. Constipation is a big thing too, which causes some of the worst after
symptoms which would bloody stool (yes you read that right). Usually the next day, when I finally had a movement, my stool itself was bloody and when I’d wipe, its like a dark red blood, absolute terrifying thing to experience. That alone will mess with your head.
The scariest part of it all though? Reactions hit in the middle of the night when you’re least expecting them. Waking up from a deep sleep and not being able to catch your breath, or feeling like your body is on fire and the level of pain. I hate it for anyone to experience.
Q: Have you needed emergency care?
A: Twice. The first 2 reactions I was rushed to the ER. With the first reaction, they gave me a bunch of medicine and steroids because they had no clue what it was. The 2nd reaction hit harder, they hit me with 2 EpiPens that night to clear my airways. The second time nearly killed me. If not for those EpiPens, I might not be here.
Q: How did you figure out it was Alpha-gal?
A: Honestly, I had to figure it out myself. Doctors couldn’t explain it. After researching online, I came across Alpha-gal, and everything matched. Eventually, I found a specialist who confirmed it. After the 2nd episode which nearly killed me, I went to an ENT and took a RAST test. The RAST test was a blood test for allergies, they
took 7 tubes of blood to test everything possible. When I got the results back saying I was highly
allergic to beef and pork, I was confused and they had no explanation. Shortly after is when I
started doing self-research online and discovered an article about Alpha Gal. It was so new at this time and so little was known and as I dug deeper,
it made sense and I knew without a doubt THIS is what I had.
Q: How do you manage food now?
A: For three years, I lived on chicken and fish. In 2019, my tests showed the allergy had disappeared, so I ate beef and pork again. But in 2022, it came back stronger than ever after I decided to take a chance and eat a burger. Now, I avoid ground beef I won’t touch the stuff. But I can eat venison, which has become my go-to and is great for me because I’m an avid hunter and for a minute there I couldn’t even eat that!
Q: Do you carry emergency meds today?
A: Always. My EpiPen goes everywhere with me. At restaurants, I avoid burgers but feel safe with steak, if I get a strange feeling about it I’ll stick to chicken. At home, deer meat replaces all beef.
Q: How has this changed your habits outdoors?
A: I’ll be honest—I don’t always take as many precautions as I should. I do use sprays and check myself, but I still take risks sometimes when I’m out alone. However I will say, now that I have my own kid you can guarantee I have taken a lot more steps towards tick prevention.
Q: What do you wish people understood about Alpha-gal?
A: That it’s life-changing. This isn’t just a “no burgers” thing—it can kill you. The scariest part is the unknown: you eat, and hours later, in the middle of the night, you’re fighting to breathe. People joke, “I couldn’t live without burgers,” but the truth is—you might not get that choice.
I’m still going to hunt, I’m still going to spend as much time outdoors as I can. That’s not going to change. And even though there is no cure for Alpha-gal syndrome at this time, I’m not going to let it control my life. I’ll adjust and do what I got to do, but I still have a life to live. And it’s going to be a good one.
Closing Thoughts
Listening to my friend’s story, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of how easily this could happen to any of us who love the outdoors. One tick bite led to years of fear, hospital visits, and a permanent change in lifestyle.
We protect ourselves against the obvious dangers—guns, treestands, sharp hooks—but we often overlook the tiny dangers crawling in the woods. Ticks may be small, but their bite can change everything.
So next time you head into the woods, don’t shrug off tick protection. Spray your clothes, treat your gear, check yourself and each other after every hunt or hike. Because as this story shows, the cost of ignoring them could be far greater than we ever imagined.
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