What is Alpha-Gal Syndrome?

Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS) is an allergic condition triggered by the bite of a Lone Star tick. It causes allergic reactions to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), a sugar molecule found in most mammals. Symptoms typically appear 3-6 hours after eating red meat, pork, or lamb, and can range from hives to life-threatening anaphylaxis. According to the CDC, over 450,000 Americans may have developed AGS since 2010.

What foods should Alpha-Gal patients avoid?

Alpha-Gal patients must avoid all mammalian meat including beef, pork, lamb, venison, and bison. Many also react to mammalian by-products like gelatin (found in gummy vitamins and gel capsules), dairy products, and ingredients derived from mammals such as lard, tallow, and carrageenan. Safe alternatives include poultry (chicken, turkey, duck), fish, seafood, eggs, and all plant-based foods.

What medications are safe for Alpha-Gal Syndrome?

Many medications contain hidden mammalian ingredients. Gel capsules and softgels often contain bovine or porcine gelatin. Safe alternatives include tablets, caplets, liquids, and capsules made with vegetable-based HPMC. Always check inactive ingredients for gelatin, magnesium stearate (usually plant-derived in US), lactose, and stearic acid. VectorShield helps patients identify safe medication alternatives.

What are the 4 sensitivity levels of Alpha-Gal Syndrome?

Alpha-Gal sensitivity varies by patient: Level 1 (Mild, ~40%) - react only to mammalian meat; Level 2 (Moderate, ~30%) - also react to gelatin products; Level 3 (Significant, ~20%) - also react to dairy products; Level 4 (Severe, ~10%) - react to trace amounts and cross-contamination, sometimes called 'super reactors'. Sensitivity can change over time, especially with additional tick bites.

Can Alpha-Gal Syndrome be cured?

There is currently no cure for Alpha-Gal Syndrome, but many patients see improvement over time if they avoid additional tick bites. Some patients report tolerance returning after 1-5 years of strict avoidance and no new tick exposures. However, a single new tick bite can restart or worsen the condition. Management focuses on strict avoidance of trigger foods and carrying emergency medication like epinephrine.

Support

An independent project, funded by the people who use it.

Name: VectorShield
Author: HutchWare, LLC

I am Sam. I built VectorShield because I have alpha-gal syndrome and I could not find an app that told me whether a specific menu item was safe to eat.

Nobody funds this. No company, no grant, no advocacy organization. VectorShield is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or funded by the CDC, the NIH, or any patient group, even where this site links to their work. When the restaurant data is wrong, that is on me, and when it is right, it is because somebody paid for the hours it took to check.

Support on Patreon Fund something specific

Where it goes

What support pays for

Three recurring costs. The first one is most of the work.

Restaurant menu upkeep

The largest recurring cost, and the one nobody sees. Menus change, chains swap suppliers, and a rating that was right in March is wrong by September. Somebody has to re-read them.

Medication data upkeep

Inactive ingredients change between manufacturers and between lots. Keeping the lookup honest means re-checking sources, not copying an old answer forward.

Hosting and the Apple Developer fee

The site, the database behind the app, and the yearly fee Apple charges to keep an app on the store at all.

Limits

What it does not buy

A safety tool that can be bought is not a safety tool.

A rating

A restaurant cannot pay to change its safety rating, and no rating is for sale. If that ever changes, the app is worthless.

Your data

Support does not come with access to anyone's reaction history, location, or health data. It never will.

A promise the whole app is free

Emergency guidance and reaction logging are free and stay free. Medication search is capped for free accounts, history is limited, and free accounts see ads. I would rather tell you that than claim otherwise.

How to give

Three ways

Monthly

Patreon

Recurring support, cancel any time. Monthly is worth more than the same amount given once, because the costs above recur.

Support on Patreon

One time

Give directly

A single gift, no account, no subscription. Most people who support a project like this give once.

Get in touch

Larger gifts

Fund something specific

Some people would rather fund one named thing than subscribe. Email me and I will send you the actual cost of the piece you are interested in, and what I will report back to you when it is done.

Email me

Tax status

Support is not tax-deductible

VectorShield is built by HutchWare, LLC, a for-profit company, so money you send is not a charitable contribution and you cannot deduct it. I am looking at whether a nonprofit structure makes sense for the data upkeep specifically. If that happens, this page will say so and will name the entity. Until then, assume no deduction.