There are a number of options available to address high histamine levels, including diet, enzymes, and supplements. Below are the suggestions that our Naturopathic Doctor (who is also a Defeat Autism Now! doctor) gave us, as well as some things that I have researched on my own. Of course, this is meant for educational purposes and not meant as medical advice!
The suggestions that my doctor gave me for my family are this:
Take between 1200 and 2000 mgs of calcium per day
Take as much vitamin C as the bowels can tolerate (too much can cause diarrhea). My kids are both at 2000 mgs per day and I take 4000 mgs per day. My doctor said she’d known people to go as high as 10,000 mgs per day! (People who have an oxalate problem may need to skip this as vitamin C can slowly convert to oxalate in some people, building up in the adrenals and the lymph system).
Start with 200 mgs of SAM-e once a day, then up the dose by adding another 200 mgs a day, and if this is tolerated, go as high as 400 mgs twice a day (some people use methionine instead of SAM-e). Also, SAM-e tablets are enteric coated and are AWFUL tasting crushed, so I give my son who doesn’t swallow pills a liquid version made by Cellfood, which seems to be the only liquid on the market. The dose is low but it seems to be helping). SAM-e is said to work best on an empty stomach.
It is my understanding that the calcium helps to pull the histamine out of the tissues and into the bloodstream, and the vitamin C and the SAM-e flush it out of the body. I've read that the intestines don't absorb more than 500 mg of calcium at one time, so I break it up into several doses of 500 mgs each throughout the day, keeping in mind to give it at least 2 hours away from other mineral supplements (especially zinc and iron). Also, calcium is relaxing, so before bed is one good time to give it. I (and others) have noticed that sometimes histamine symptoms flare up as the histamine is leaving the body. If this is a problem, than reduce the doses of the supps (especially the calcium).
Magnesium helps to stabilize mast cells so they are less likely to release histamine in the first place. Quercetin and Curcumin may also do this. To improve methylation, which can also help, you can try DMG, TMG, or methylB12. In some cases folic acid supplements can produce excess histamine and should be avoided (however, taking the active form called 5-MTHF can help methylation).
There are several things that can be done to help reduce histamine symptoms at an acute level. The herb Stinging Nettle can help and can be taken as a tea, tincture, or dried herb capsule. One good brand of herbs available at many health food stores is Oregon's Wild Harvest. High quality nettle can also be ordered from Mountain Rose Herbs. AlkaSeltzer Gold is also effective but be sure to use the "gold" version and not the regular formulation. This seems to work by triggering the release of pancreatic enzymes (baking soda also does this, but the effervescent quality of AlkaSeltzer means that it gets through the stomach much more quickly). Lastly, epsom salt baths can be helpful. For an acute situation use 1 cup of salts in the tub unless you are known to be sensitive to it. Epsom salt cream or lotion can also be purchased (from Kirkman) and made if a bath is not a viable option. I bought the lotion from Kirkman because Roo is very resistant to taking a bath (a residual sensory symptom?).
Thank you so much for posting all this about the low histamine diet! I am currently doing this diet along with low salicylate/amines/free glutamates and have found much relief to my symptoms. It is interesting to see how diet has helped your son, as well -- my oldest is autistic and I've been wondering if he has the same sensitivities as me.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your info. It's a nightmare out there to get the right help. Your summary is much appreciated!! It's a journey that's for sure. How did you and your physician decide on the doses of the minerals and vitamins? Did you do some blood test that your physician discussed with you or were you referred to another specialist?
ReplyDeleteThanks again!
Thank you, Sierra, for sharing with the world all that you've learned. You're doing a lot for many of us by just sharing. Now, I've got to make some dietary changes. Off I go...
ReplyDeleteHi Annelie, I'm glad you found this useful. I'm expanding the posts about histamine because I've come into more information, BTW, so check back later for more :) As for the doses- I think they are pretty standard. The only testing that was done was a blood histamine test (mine, and both of my kids, were off the charts). It's also a matter of seeing what works for you- this is pretty imprecise. Please let me know how it's working for you!
ReplyDeleteTMG seems to help with methylation. Keep in mind that methylation and sulfation are closely related, practically part of the same cycle. If you are taking any sulfur-containing supplements like sulfur amino acids (NAC, L-Taurine, L-Methionine) or some B vitamins (biotin in particular has a lot of sulfur), TMG can also be taken to move the methylation-sulfation cycle along. For example, I don't tolerate L-Taurine very well unless I take it with TMG, then all is well and I get the benefits of both supplements.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of vitamin c do you give your son that doesn't swallow pills? My daughter has mastocytosis and I'm thinking of starting her on this regimen although she doesn't have any obvious symptoms of high histamine. Just the spots. Do you know anything about mastocytosis?
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to do a post about mastocytosis, thanks for the reminder. As for the vitamin C there were many powdered ones available when I did this with him. I tended to order from OurKidsASD.com I no longer give him vitamin C as it can convert to oxalate in some people. Our histamine issues seem very much reduced since we did the GAPS diet and got our gut flora back in balance.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful information. I am female, 34, and have suffered CFS symptoms on and off since I was a teenager. I have a mother with Rheumatoid Arthritis/Fibromyalgia and a brother with Asperger's. I agree these problems run in families. I believe I have high histamine (as well as my brother), although I do not have all of the symptoms. I have seasonal allergies but also restless legs, which I've read can be a symptom of low histamine (?) At any rate, folic acid makes me feel so much worse and so does calcium alone. When I read that calcium releases histamine it was like a light bulb went off in my head! A few years ago my doctor gave me large doses of vitamin D because I was deficient during the winter. I took it with calcium, brought up my D level to normal, but came down with a horrible chest cold that lasted for a month. I've tried several times to take calcium (because I really do need it. I don't eat much dairy) and the same histamine symptoms always flare up and I have to stop. I'm starting to think my aversion to milk all these years is because I seem to feel better not drinking it! :) So, a couple of days ago I started the l-methionine along with calcium (both 500 mg in the morning to start) and I'm experiencing some flare up symptoms again (sneezing, cough with mucus, and even some insomnia at night). I'm determined to stick with the treatment but does it get better? Are the first few weeks the hardest? I've tried in the past to take l-methionine alone and it made me so extremely drowsy. Maybe taking the two together help balance each other's side effects? Thanks again for your blog. :)
ReplyDeleteHello! Thank you for your wonderful blog...I always return to your blog to find out the newest info you've got because you definitely have a gift for logic and clearly explaining this mind-boggling info!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to share that I have recently discovered that the homeopathic remedy "histaminum" is quite effective at reducing histamine levels. I know this is no longer an issue for your family...but for anyone else out there struggling with this issue, the remedy provides very fast and effective relief from elevated histamine levels. I discovered this after I had been unsuccessfully trying to incorporate fermented foods into my diet. I started getting the classic symptoms of high histamine (irritability, runny nose, stomach burning, weepiness). My children also started showing more irritability. I gave all three of us histaminum 30c from Whole Foods and our histamine symptoms have improved significantly in 48 hours.
Thank you for mentioning that! Yes it has been great for us too. We used to see a homeopathic doctor, and when I asked about this, he insisted that "it doesn't work that way", but when I finally shelled out the $5 for it we've also had great success. While we are no longer sensitive to histamine in foods, we do still get symptoms from undermethylating. I'm actually trying to revamp all of my histamine posts because I've learned a lot since I began learning about this 5 years ago. I'm glad you enjoy then blog and glad you found something that helps!
DeleteThank you for the information. Histamine intolerance was driving me crazy! I went to two different Allergists, and of course, they did not find anything. They just dispatched me saying that I did not have an allergy. Well, thanks to people like you I found out that I had histamine intolerance. I did my research, followed your diet and started feeling better. I am also using Histame. It has worked like a charm, however it is kind of expensive. If you want to give it a try, this is the website: http://naturally.com/
ReplyDeleteThankful for any information I can get on this subject, it is all new to me, I have been suffering for several years and truly believe histamine intolerance is what is the root cause of my symptoms. Thank you again. Joyce
ReplyDeleteVery informative blog, thank you for sharing, I just discovered that my son who sufered from severe eczema since birth has high histamine levels and salicylate sensivitive. and I have a question, did you solve the histamine problem? or do you have to continue with supplements to maintain the levels.
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