Are You Suffering from Histamine Intolerance

Histamine intolerance is a condition where the body has difficulty breaking down histamine, leading to symptoms like headache, hives, and digestive issues. It is often related to a deficiency of the enzyme Diamine Oxidase or DAO. There are many more symptoms related to histamines that most healthcare providers are not always aware of.

Eczema, hives, irritability, loose stools, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, motion sickness, heartburn, irregular heartbeat, and asthma. There are more listed below. Often even a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis, a chronic pain condition of the bladder area and lower vaginal area (feels like UTI)  is caused by histamines.

Most common:

• Headaches/Migraines

• Difficulty falling asleep, easily arousal.

• Hypertension

• Vertigo or Dizziness

• Arrhythmia, or accelerated heart rate

• Difficulty regulating body temperature.

• Anxiety

• Nausea, Vomiting

• Abdominal cramps

• Flushing

• Nasal Congestion, Sneezing, Difficulty Breathing

• Abnormal Menstrual Cycle

• Hives

• Fatigue

• Tissue swelling

We have four centers for receptors in our bodies.

• Histamine H1 receptors: Smooth muscle and endothelial cells affecting skin; blood vessels (Benadryl and Claritin block activity of these receptors)

• Histamine H2 receptors: Cells in the intestines control acid secretion, abdominal pain, and nausea; heart rate

• Histamine H3 receptors: Central nervous system controlling nerves, sleep, appetite, and behavior.

• Histamine H4 receptors: Thymus, small intestine, spleen, colon, bone marrow and white blood cells; inflammatory response

Histamine intolerance is a condition where the body has difficulty breaking down histamine. Some of the causes could be medication use (NSAIDS), a diagnosis of SIBO otherwise know as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, leaky gut, too many histamine foods in the diet and/or enzyme blockers as well as nutrient deficiencies. Sometimes our bucket just becomes too full and overflows.

There is no cure for histamine intolerance, but it can be managed very well once you know how. These anti-allergy medicines work ok for the short term. Long term they are not really helping you. You’re better bet is to learn to eat low histamine meals and/or minimize histamine exposer with histamine liberators or blockers at the same time.

A list of histamine foods includes: 

• Fermented alcoholic beverages, especially wine, champagne, and beer.

• Fermented foods: sauerkraut, vinegar, soy sauce, kefir, yogurt, kombucha, etc.

• Vinegar-containing foods: pickles, mayonnaise, olives

• Cured meats: bacon, salami, pepperoni, luncheon meats and hot dogs.

• Soured foods: sour cream, sour milk, buttermilk, soured bread, etc.

• Dried fruit: apricots, prunes, dates, figs, raisins

• Most citrus fruits

• Aged cheese including goat cheese.

• Nuts: walnuts, cashews, and peanuts

• Vegetables: avocados, eggplant, spinach, and tomatoes

• Smoked fish and certain species of fish: mackerel, mahi-mahi, tuna, ancho sardines

• Processed foods of all types – Preservatives are high in histamine.

If you suffer from many of the above symptoms and you eat these foods, there is a good chance that you are right now suffering from histamine intolerance. With the right guidance, supplementation, and diet for a while you can overcome this and learn to keep the level of your bucket low enough to enjoy food again.