I Discovered I Had Histamine Intolerance — Here's What I Did To Heal
More and more, we’re learning about the havoc that a surplus of histamine can cause in our bodies. Histamine isn’t inherently bad; it’s made by our immune system in response to perceived threats.
The problem occurs with histamine intolerance, which develops when histamine builds up, often because the body has an underlying issue that prevents proper breakdown, particularly in the digestive tract.
When histamine becomes a problem
In my case, I began experiencing symptoms of histamine intolerance in 2022.
Anxiety, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dizziness, and brain fog were a part of my daily life. I often felt allergy-like symptoms after eating, including tightness in my ears and throat (I never had trouble breathing or swallowing, which are signs of anaphylaxis and a medical emergency). What finally sent me to the gastroenterologist was an intermittent nausea that lasted two months.
After my bloodwork and H. Pylori test showed normal results, I decided I needed to dig deeper. In seeking answers with an integrative medicine practitioner, I discovered that I was experiencing histamine intolerance as a result of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), leaky gut, hormonal imbalances, and postural orthostatic tachycardic syndrome (POTS). All of my conditions were contributing to the histamine intolerance, and the intolerance, in turn, was worsening those conditions. I knew I had to find a way to get the imbalance under control.
Supporting histamine processing
There is hope for supporting your system in processing histamine and getting symptoms under control. I’ve learned that histamine intolerance can be managed through a combination of practical lifestyle strategies and targeted interventions that can include:
- Reducing stress1 using methods like breathwork and vagal toning
- Opting for a low-histamine diet that can give your digestive system a chance to catch up or maybe even heal
- Supporting your detox pathways with hydration, sweating, gentle movement, and regular bowel movements
- Over-the-counter antihistamines, including H1 blockers like Zyrtec and H2 blockers like Pepcid
- Prescription-strength antihistamines in collaboration with a provider
- Natural antihistamine supplements
Natural antihistamine supplements
There are naturally occurring compounds in food and in our bodies that have antihistamine properties. While increasing intake through food can be helpful, supplements can provide a more targeted approach, particularly when dietary restrictions accompany underlying conditions. It’s always a good idea to discuss options with your physician.
- Quercetin, a polyphenol found in onions, broccoli, apples, berries, and grapes that is known for antioxidant activity
- Diamine oxidase (DAO), an enzyme found in the body that is necessary to degrade histamine in the digestive tract
- Vitamin C, a familiar vitamin that keeps the helps reduce histamine concentration in the blood (while vitamin C is most commonly associated with citrus fruits, citrus is considered a high-histamine food, which is why supplementation rather than food sources can be helpful in this case)
- Stinging nettle2, an herb that inhibits histamine activity at histamine receptors in the body and is often consumed as a tea or supplement
- Bromelain, an enzyme found in pineapple that has anti-inflammatory properties (pineapple may be too high in histamine for some people, making supplements a useful alternative)
- Luteolin, a flavonoid shown to stabilize immune cells called mast cells, often activated during histamine overload, with research suggesting more significant effects than prescription cromolyn3
What I tried & how it helped
My integrative health practitioner recommended trying Zyrtec and Pepcid first as a diagnostic tool. If these medications, which work by blocking histamine receptors in the body, alleviated my symptoms, then we would know histamine intolerance was a key issue.
Almost every time I experienced relief, particularly when I took the two together. But the long-term usage of H1 and H2 blockers can have drawbacks, so we discussed incorporating lifestyle changes and natural antihistamine supplements as an alternative approach.
We switched to a natural antihistamine supplement, and I personally take it shortly before meals to support histamine processing after eating. I’ve also found that the supplements can help during my environmental triggers, and when my flares tend to be worse around my luteal phase. In conjunction with becoming familiar with the histamine content in food, my own personal triggers, and incorporating movement and stress reduction, I’ve been able to reduce my symptoms significantly.
The takeaway
A build up of histamine can cause a lot of discomfort in the day-to-day, but with a combination of supplementation and lifestyle changes (and working with a knowledgeable provider) there is hope for improving histamine intolerance.