Woman is ‘vegan against her will’ after developing severe meat allergy ‘overnight’
A woman, who was a ‘big red meat eater’, was ‘forced’ to go vegan because of a rare allergy.
Daisy Holstine developed a severe allergy to dairy and meat in what appeared to be an overnight sensation for the 36-year-old.
The woman, from Arkansas in the US, told The New York Post that she woke up with her ‘eyes swollen shut’ and ‘hives’ which covered her body, ‘even on my scalp, my hands, the bottoms of my feet’.
It all began in December 2024, when the Korean mum-of-two went on a trip to Nashville that led to her noticing some red patches on her skin.
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Initially believing it was because of the ‘Asian glow’ red flush that sometimes occurs when a person drinks alcohol, Daisy took some medication and the redness went away.
But days later, it came back, so she tried a steroid.
However by the weekend, Daisy was ‘hiving out’ so she sought advice from her doctor.
They told her she should be tested for alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), but because she hadn’t spotted a tick on her skin, she didn’t think it could be the culprit.
AGS is carried by the lone star tick and is transmitted via a bite.
Once inside of the blood stream, it treats meat and dairy enzymes like a threat, leading to dangerous allergies to suddenly occur after consumption.
It’s also an expensive blood test in the US, that isn’t always covered by medical insurance.
So, her doctors suggested she wait until she sees a dermatologist to find out more.
There, Daisy was diagnosed with chronic urticaria, which means to have hives for an unexplained reason.
But the possibility of AGS loomed ahead, with the mum thinking it would end her life due to the molecule causing sufferers to become allergic (sometimes deathly) to meat a dairy.
“In some people, this molecule triggers a reaction from the body's immune system,” the Mayo Clinic warns. “It causes an allergic reaction to certain meats, such as beef, pork or lamb, but not poultry or fish.
“It also may cause reactions to other foods, such as dairy products or gelatins, that come from mammals.”
As for Daisy, she thought the prospect of AGS was too much, stating: “I’m literally going to die if I ever get that diagnosis. I’m a big red meat eater … if I’m going to a restaurant, I’m going to have a steak.”
However, soon, it became a ‘medical necessity’ to cut out those foods due to her symptoms and she went vegan.
To manage her health, Daisy ended up trying antihistamines and later, an injectable medicine which suppresses the immune system.
After that it was a drug used to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases that caused her hair to fall out.
“I was desperate at this point,” she said. “I went from taking one pill daily to 10 to 15.”
Oddly, ChatGPT seemingly gave her the answers to her ailment, confirming her symptoms line up with AGS.
However, Daisy was pretty certain she had the condition once she started eating meat again and her symptoms came back full force after having been managed for one week out of the five months since they began.
“I could have cried getting that diagnosis,” she said. “We finally figured out what the heck was going on with me.”
Currently, there is no cure for AGS, but Soliman Auricular Allergy Treatment (SAAT) has offered some relief.
SAAT is a needle that is embedded into the skin of the ear to continuously stimulate and desensitise the body to the alpha-gal allergen, blocking it from activating.
“I want a Whopper so bad, but it’s OK, I’m getting there,” Daisy admitted. “I can see the end in sight.”
Topics: Food and Drink, Health, US News, Vegan
Britt Jones