Alpha-gal SAAT questions and answers

SAAT and Auricular Acupuncture Alpha-gal care.

Patients have questions regarding Auricular Acupuncture  care of Alph-gal, how many needles are placed in the ear, how long do the needles stay in the ear?

The answer is generally 2 needles. The needles are very small, there is minimal pain if any. 

Depending on the patients' symptoms, the acupuncture needles are placed in the ear for 3 to 4 weeks. Often a second set is placed for an additional 3 weeks.

Most patients find great relief with this care. The needles are placed in the right ear. If the patient sleeps more on his or her right side the needles can be placed in the left ear. The acupuncture points are nearly identical in both ears.

After 3 weeks patients can introduce meat or dairy into their diet. Auricular acupuncture has been proven to be very effective care for Alph-gal allergy.  

Symptoms of Alpha-gal allergy are diarrhea, bloating, gas and stomachache. Oher symptoms include headaches, rashes, hives, and shortness of breath. Patients often have to carry a EpiPen in case of an anaphylactic reaction. 

Most people experience symptoms 3 to 4 hours after eating red meat, pork or milk products.   

Anti-gal IgM, IgA, and IgG are one of the first immunoglobulins found in human blood. This is because the sugar is found in mother's milk.  However, it is the IgE immunoglobulin that is associated with the allergy.  IgE is often found after a patient is bitten by a Lone Star tick. 

Some words of advice:

It is wise to see your Dr. and get blood work done to properly diagnose Alpha-gal. Diseases such as celiac disease mimic it.  It is not uncommon for a person to have Alpha-gal for years before being diagnosed. 

There are a lot of social media groups formed to help patients. However, they have been inundated with trolls that spread misleading information meant to make money off of you or doctors. Avoid these sights, the best advice is from people you know who have Alpha-gal and doctors that are familiar with the disease, 

Dr. Moreland has been a board-certified acupuncturist for nearly 30 years. He has treated hundreds of patients with food allergies including Alpha-gal. He is well versed and trained in SAAT and traditional auricular acupuncture. 

If you are considering traditional acupuncture or SAAT for Alpha-gal, give our office a call. There is a small non-refundable deposit for all acupuncture services, this is applied to you first visit. There are NO insurance companies at this time that cover acupuncture for Alpha-ga. There are some that do cover acupuncture for pain, contact your insurance provider for your information. 

573-364-8086     Moreland Chiropractic Clinic

Dr. David J. Moreland, DC, CCSP, CME