Histamine is a natural substance which we all make in our bodies. We tend to think of it in terms of allergic reaction, but in fact it also has an important role in brain chemistry. That’s one reason older anti-histamine medications could have a sedative effect, while the newer ones are non-sedating.
So what about histamine intolerance? It occurs when the histamine-releasing cells (mast cells) act in an unregulated way, or when a person is extremely sensitive to histamine levels. Yet others may not be breaking histamine down effectively, so levels remain high.
Symptoms of histamine intolerance vary from person to person, but include headache or migraine; digestive issues; dizziness or vertigo; skin reactions like hives or itching; dizziness, and fatigue.
Treating histamine intolerance
Our first goal is always to understand what is causing your intolerance – is it an issue with how you release histamine, overall sensitivity, or how you break it down?
The gut tends to be very heavily involved in histamine intolerance. An imbalance in your microbiome may be slowing the breakdown of histamine. The right supplements can help to address this. If you’re highly sensitive, you may need to limit foods with high histamine levels, or those which trigger histamine release – at least until we can improve your gut microbiome and maintain it in a healthy state.
Hormones, methylation imbalances and other environmental and biochemical influences may be strong driving factors for this condition as well.
Our aim is always to work with you to achieve the best possible outcome for you – to control symptoms without limiting your diet and lifestyle more than necessary, so that you can enjoy your newfound sense of wellbeing.