About a year ago, I started developing hive reactions after eating. The foods that triggered it were, it seemed, random. I went to the doctor and got an allergy test. I was surprised to find I had a high IgG response to foods that are “healthy” and in my daily eating regimen.
After working to heal acid reflux, I was dumbfounded. Here was another issue. When I would get the hives they sometimes would be accompanied by stomach pain. It was clearly linked to digestion, but what in the world was happening? It wasn’t one food. And sometimes the food that I thought was causing the problem, would later, not cause hives. They were sporadic and occurred on feet, hands, neck, chest. My ears and face would get hot. Benadryl helped at first during the onset of symptoms, but if you know me, I am not an advocate of pharmaceutical band aids. Long term use of Benadryl has been associated with Dementia as the compounds in the drug block acetylcholine which is necessary for learning and memory.
Symptoms of Histamine Intolerance
- Headaches
- Brain Fog
- Hives
- Flushed Face/Ears
- Runny Nose
- Stomach/digestive distress
- Rash
Down the research rabbit hole I went. I emerged with a new diagnosis and took it to my GP and nutritionist. Histamine Intolerance or HI for short. Histamine intolerance is the body’s inability to break down histamines in the body. You have an internal histamine tolerance and when your “bucket” gets too full, your body becomes overwhelmed and can’t breakdown the histamine fast enough. Histamine response is normal, but an abnormal tolerance means you can’t process them functionally or fast enough.
Here’s where it gets crazy or rather, it starts to make sense. Histamine intolerance is very closely associated with acid reflux. The same annoying acid reflux I’ve been attempting to conquer for 3 years. When our body releases histamine in response to either the environment or food, we react by increasing the production of stomach acid. This increase can translate to heartburn or GERD especially when we are making HCL on an empty stomach. In relation to LPR Laryngopharyngeal reflux, a histamine intolerance can mimic or trigger symptoms of LPR which affect the throat and sinus cavity – think coughing, mucus production and throat clearing. Often, if you have both HI and LPR, lowering or monitoring your histamine bucket levels can also positively affect or minimize your LPR reflux symptoms.
I started noting natural ways to keep my histamine levels in check and since I’ve implemented these strategies, I have not had a recurring instance of hives, flushing or debilitating stomach pain after eating. In fact, I haven’t since had a migraine either.
WAYS TO LOWER YOUR HISTAMINE BUCKET
- Take a DAO supplement before eating histamine rich foods. DAO is the enzyme responsible for breaking down histamine in the body. If you aren’t making enough DAO, and are consuming high histamine foods, you could be seeing HI symptoms occurring. I like Seeking Health Histamine Block. Spendy but totally worth it. Pea sprouts are a good bio-available source of DAO too. You can even grow your own!
- Lower the amount of Histamine rich foods. Chocolate, Yogurt (fermented foods), Bananas, Smoked meats, deli meats, processed foods, soft cheeses, avocado, spinach, strawberries, dried fruits, alcohol, and citrus are some of the worst offenders.
- Stinging Nettles. Nettles are a natural anti-histamine and are anti-inflammatory. I take tincture of stinging nettles daily in 2oz of water. I like this alcohol-free formulation from HerbPharm. I also brew a loose tea and do an overnight infusion then sip on it throughout the day. To make, take 1/3 cup dried nettles and hot water and combine in a mason jar. Cover and let sit on the counter overnight. Strain and enjoy.
- Lavendar Essential Oil. Studies have shown that when used on your skin, it can have anti-histamine properties. I use a diluted roller blend from DoTerra. Holy Basil is also a good choice. Both can be diffused if you don’t tolerate them topically. I have heard good things about Frankincense oil as well.
- Quercitin. Quercitin is my go-to supplement for histamine intolerance as it is a natural histamine stabilizer. It will help your body to control the release of histamines and can control allergy symptoms. Found naturally in cruciferous vegetables. I take 500mcg daily. You can also take this with Bromelain for added support. This is especially helpful for people with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). With MCAS, mast cells become over-active and are responsible for allergic responses in the body by releasing histamines. I’m not 100% sure if I also have MCAS, but something I am working with my GP to figure out. If you have symptoms of leaky gut and histamine intolerance, chances are you have MCAS too.
- Vitamin C. Natural anti-histamine, anti-inflammatory and immune boosting.
In the end, my key takeaway is, never stop investigating. Never just assume you have a simple allergy to one food. Everything is so incredibly complex and interconnected in the body. Take a symptom, an imbalance, and dive deep. You may be surprised at where it will lead and what level of healing you have the potential to unlock.
Happy healing everyone!
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