Histamine intolerance

[Gumbear]

Just wondering if anyone has any experience of this. For the past three years I've had a number of strange symptoms, including sinus tacchycardia, facial flushing, unexplained itchy rashes on my arms, reflux, muscle twitches, tingling tongue, pins and needles in legs/feet, cotton wool spots in one eye, occasional bouts of gastritis, periods of vertigo, sinus pain and pressure, and really bad anxiety. I also sometimes get really hot when I eat, which I thought might be the start of hot flushes but recently realised it only happens when I'm eating. I get tachycardia on standing amd after eating. I also have Raynauds.

I've had loads and loads of tests and there is no explanation for any of these symptoms (except anxiety as feeling ill all the time has made me anxious!). I've been diagnosed with sinus tachycardia, orthostatic intolerance and benign calf fasiculation syndrome, with the rest of the symptoms unexplained. I've had blood tests, MRIs, gastroscopy, nerve conduction tests, loads of cardiology investigations.

I've just been reading about histamine intolerance and lots of it makes sense. I'm going to try a low histamine diet, although feeling a bit daunted as it's so restrictive.

Would love to hear from anyone who's experienced similar or is on the diet.

That's really interesting- I've been on HRT for years well past peri , not into post . I had early meno. It's interesting to read Progesterone may calm things down . I'm currently on cyclical dose so may just take everyday and see what happens . It's difficult to distinguish what symptoms are due to menopause and what symptoms are due to histamine intolerance.!

For now I'm finding it difficult just getting grips with the low histamine diet. For instance I'm cooking shepherds pie this evening I've got a pack of Irish beef mince from Sainsbury's which says it's fresh. Doesn't seem to have any additives will that be okay to eat? !

Interestingly, I seem to be eating more cheese on this diet and more red meat which are things I'm trying to avoid because of my high cholesterol..

Rubyslippers - from Amazon.

the background is , that for a few years now (since
menopause), I get what seems to be a mini bout of flu on a regular basis. Itchiness, sore throat, slightly raised temp, lethargy, headache, red face. Would disappear after a day. Typically comes on in the evening

I met an American lady o a cruise who had the same thing. She had massively eliminated things from her diet - thinking allergy- and not really got much further. Then she saw a specialist who told her she wasn’t allergic to anything, that histamines were her problem. They would build up during the day, hence her (and my?) feeling unwell in the evenings. He put her on the DAO tablets, which are basically an enzyme which breaks up histamines, and her life has been transformed

so I got some, and am waiting for a break in my driving schedule (in case of tummy side effects) to try them

I have very similar symptoms, GP referred me for a load of blood tests including Rheumatoid related illnesses (Lupus and Rheumatoid arthritis) plus hormone levels, liver function and some other things. All came back fine. So now they’ve concluded it’s all stress related and upped my sertraline dose and referred me to talking therapy.
I can’t find any pattern at all for my symptoms, food, environment etc doesn’t make any difference it’s all random. I have the most awful brain fog and random swellings in my eye lids, face and skin plus a feeling of pins and needles on my skin. Already take fexofenadine for eczema and have been tested for allergies (nothing new identified), been under a dermatologist and ENT but no explanation for my symptoms. GP agreed that my current skin issues dont look like eczema.

Please could PP advise which medical specialism would diagnose histamine intolerance?

@MostlyGhostly you'd want to see an Immunologist, ideally.

@rubyslipperss very often it's a 'suck it and see' approach. You may be OK with it, you may not be. 'Fresh' for someone with HIT is tricky. I don't eat red meat so can't give you my experience on that. I do know with chicken I need to cook it as soon as I buy it or freeze it immediately. Even then, I've no idea how long it has sat around after being packaged and transported to a supermarket. Occasionally I react to it, mostly I don't. When I react it tends to put me off it for awhile.

Ok thanks @CrunchyCarrot will see how it goes !

Hi OP,

Just wondering how you are getting on now? I have all the same symptoms and have done for the last 5.5 years since I had my second child. I was fit and healthy before and like you, nobody is putting the symptoms together. Just recently started to come out in hives too and always have a sore throat/feel congested. It's awful!