Wanted to share since most doctors don’t help at all. I’m located in Berlin if anyone wants to go see her. Please note that she only takes private patients and therefore was very expensive. She’s a regular GP and functional medicine doctor but she’s very knowledgeable in gut health issues like HI or SIBO.

She gave me a base list of foods to start with and I pretty much stuck to it exactly (except her list didn’t include the onions but I was able to tolerate them even at my worst so their on here). I’ve noticed that different people’s tolerances vary significantly but for whatever reason, her list worked perfectly for me - also when I would go off it, I had issues. I’ll share the list but just know your personal tolerances might vary greatly. If you don’t have professional help, it might be a good list to start with.

The list:

(All organic) eggs, chicken, rice, butter, olive oil, one slice per day of sourdough high-quality organic and then immediately frozen bread (obviously toasted it before eating), zucchini, cucumber, radish, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, green beans, apples, pistachios, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, anything coconut (oil, shredded, water etc), plain oats, small amounts of garlic powder (weirdly garlic powder is fine for most ppl with HI whereas fresh garlic is super bad), any herbs, small drizzles of lemon juice. I ate only these things for months on end.

On top of that, I was advised to change my entire lifestyle to accommodate my nervous system. This is just as important as the diet since at its root, HI is a nervous system dysfunction.

1. reduce stress drastically: I didn’t work and I only focused on rest and healing

2. meditated every day for 15-20mins, breath deeply and slowly

3. acupuncture treatments during luteal phase (8 days before my period was set to start, then again 3 days before, and again the day before)

4. Daily walks, light-weight weight-lifting 2 times per week and gentle swimming 2 times per week (strenuous exercise causes massive histamine dumps but no exercise is terrible for the nervous system)

5. Weekly therapy

6. osteopath sessions regularly

7. Only eat 2 times per day in order to allow the digestive system to rest because we can either be digesting or healing but not both at the same time. Eat large enough quantities to avoid calorie deficit and nutrient deficiencies as the body needs surplus energy to heal

8. No eating 3 hours before bed

9. No screens 2 hours before bed (not even television and also dim the lights significantly at the same time)

10. She said most importantly: go to bed at the exact same time and woke up at the exact same time every single day. She said to make it an 8.5 hour window to ensure a full 8 hours asleep and accounting for the time it takes to fall asleep.

And now here is the list of vitamins, supplements and digestive aids that she prescribed me after doing blood, urine, stool, spit and breath tests. Your needs may differ. Always best to at least do a blood and urine test to see your precise needs, but the vitamins and nutrients I was lacking tend be consistent with what most people experiencing a histamine intolerance also lack so the following list could be a good starting point for you in determining what to supplement. Also worth noting (because others have questioned it) is that she just gave me a list of what she determined would help and then I bought them from my own sources. Nothing listed should be considered frivolous because she wasn’t getting any kickbacks from any of the items.

The protocol:

Morning: methylated b vitamins, iron, vit c, amino acids, lactobacillus planterum (Innovall RDS), and a common probiotic (pascoflorin sensitiv)

Immediately before breakfast: DAO, calcium/magnesium butyrate, a digestive enzyme tincture (it was a dandelion root one but there are many different kinds which all do the same trick which is assist in mucus and saliva production both of which are essential for proper absorption & digestion)

With breakfast: quercetin, omega 3, vit d, astaxanthin, coenzyme Q10, selenium, NRF2 Aktivator (Natugena brand)

Immediately after eating: digestive bitters tincture, ginger root & artichoke root (only necessary if you have SIBO as a symptom of HI as they increase gut motility which halts when you have SIBO thus causing a build-up in the digestive system and thus causing a histamine dump)

2 hours after eating: magnesium Malate (glycine in magnesium glycinate will cause insomnia to HI sufferers so look for MAG MALATE), amino acids

Immediately before eating meal 2: DAO, calcium/magnesium butyrate, a digestive enzyme tincture

With meal 2: astaxanthin

Immediately after eating: digestive bitters tincture, ginger root & artichoke root

1 hour before bed: zinc l carnosine, lactobacillus planterum

30mins before bed: 2.5mg melatonin

Further info since I know it’s so hard to figure everything out:

• ⁠Unmethylated B vitamins cause symptoms, mainly insomnia related, that’s why it needs to be methylated. Make sure you aren’t accidentally taking any folic acid, they add it to a lot of foods and it’s in multi vitamins.

• ⁠Lactobacillus Planterum is a probiotic that processes histamines very efficiently. It’s very expensive but it has made the biggest difference in terms of me healing. I would strongly recommend taking it as it has reduced all my symptoms so significantly that I have very few dietary restrictions now

• ⁠zinc l carnosine as opposed to regular zinc because zinc helps a lot with HI but tends to make people feel extremely nauseous when taking it alone whereas zinc l carnosine has a stomach and gut coating effect that is actually very soothing while also getting your zinc

• ⁠iron, zinc and magnesium need to be spaced out properly because they prevent one another from being absorbed. Iron should always be taken with vitamin C. And vitamin D & astaxanthin need to be taken with a fat source so either with food that has oil or you can take it with the omega 3.

• Some people also need to take copper as well but my copper levels were fine. Note that taking copper is rather complicated and needs to be taken in conjunction with zinc. Do research before just taking it if you do end up wanting to add it to this regime. It’s about making sure the zinc and copper are taken in proper ratios.

Happy to answer any other questions!

Edit: I removed this sentence: “I just don’t eat anything super high histamine, aged, fermented, or leftovers - everything else is fine because of this probiotic” because I had copy and pasted parts of this post from other comments I made responding to posts on this subreddit. I had written that comment 6 weeks ago when I was only 2 weeks into recovery and still not eating high histamine foods. I am eating all kinds of high histamine foods now (strawberries, chocolate, fermented foods, coffee, and even leftovers are all no problem at all)

Edit #2: wanted to share what I take in terms of supplements now that I’m 8 weeks into being in recovery. I’ve reduced the list significantly. I’m nervous to take things out as I can’t afford a follow up doctors appointment with more tests to check my levels so I’m just removing based on intuition and ChatGPT recommendations. I formed a psychological attachment to taking these things since they made me feel better so keep that in mind. This aspect of my post is not guided by a professional but many have asked so I’m just sharing where I’m at now.

I now take the following : DAO sometimes when I feel nervous before eating, lactobacillus planterum, vit c, iron, astaxanthin, quercetin, omega 3, 1 ginger root pill after eating, magnesium malate & zinc l carnosine.

In a few days I will run out of the L planterum and I’m not planning on buying more. I will post an update once I know how I get on without them. I think I will probably start taking a generic and basic probiotic instead but I may go a few days without it cus I want to see how my body reacts to zero probiotics.

Here's a post that might be helpful for many of you. Histamine intolerance isn't an accepted, well-known or well-understood diagnosis in the medical system. What IS more widely accepted is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Going to an MCAS specialist is your best bet in getting the proper diagnosis and treatment for this condition. It is currently incurable and requires lifestyle modification to manage.

Histamine is an inflammatory mediator. Our bodies NATURALLY release histamine, from our mast cells as a result of many different things. These "triggers" can often be confusing and unpredictable, which can make it difficult to diagnose MCAS. What often happens, is that a "trigger" will happen on a certain day, your super-sensitive mast cells will overreact and begin "degranulating" (or releasing histamine,) and your body will show a delayed reaction to the excess of histamine 2 days later.

For example, here are a few of these triggers:

Environmental triggers: Allergens (e.g., pollen, dust, pet dander) Mold Smoke Chemicals (e.g., fragrances, pesticides) Heat or cold Sunlight Sudden temperature changes (change in season) Weather (barometric pressure changes)

Medication triggers: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Antibiotics, Anesthetics, and Chemotherapy drugs.

Food triggers: Certain foods (e.g., shellfish, nuts, dairy, gluten, alcohol) Histamine-rich foods (e.g., aged cheese, fermented foods) Artificial dyes and preservatives

Infection triggers: Bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections

Stress triggers: Physical or emotional stress.

Other Triggers: Exercise, Insect stings or bites, Autoimmune disorders, Hormonal changes, and Idiopathic (unknown cause).

It's important to note that triggers can vary from person to person, and what triggers one person's MCAS symptoms may not trigger another's.

Identifying and avoiding personal triggers is crucial for managing the condition effectively, in addition to being prescribed a maintenance medication (a mast cell stabilizer such as ketotifen or cromolyn.)

I finally bit the bullet and went to an allergist to get tested for food allergies. I figured I might as well see for myself is this histamine intolerance or is this food allergies. I arrived prepared. I took detailed notes of my symptoms and foods that trigger them. I went to a doctor that was recommended by a friend who has food allergies. After the test lo and behold I am not allergic to any foods. What’s even more shocking is that I’m not allergic to anything at all. I didnt react much beyond baseline to anything seasonal or food related. My doctor comes back in and goes..well I think you have this rare condition where your body over produces histamine. I literally felt like I was going to cry.

THEN come to find out he said he specialized in mast cell related disorders in medical school. He said that the diagnoses of MCAS and related disorders are becoming more common as people are connecting with each other on the internet. He sent me for a blood test for mastocytosis which is not one of the mast cell disorders that I have researched extensively. However, he said he used to diagnose about one patient a year and now he is doing about one a month as folks find out what it is online. The test he sent me for is a tryptase test which is a protein produced by mast cells. I will know the results of the test this week.

What’s also interesting is that he said even if the test is negative he has a treatment plan in mind for food sensitivities and he can make more of a decision after the test.

I wish I knew the results of the test asap but just being able to google mastocytosis has really helped. It literally explains all of the symptoms I have had my whole life and the various ways they flare up and go away. I hope this info helps. I just wanted to put this out there that there are doctors who exist who might listen to you and help.

Edit: 3/9 I have all of my results back and I went for my followup visit. I do not have MCAS and I discussed at legnth HI with my doctor. He beat around the bush a little but he basically said that the medical communty is not in agreement about HI. Right now HI like symptoms are treated as "food intolerances" That seems to be more medically accepted. He said that many many things can cause food intolernaces and it can be one ingredient or one component of the food. He spent a lot of time talking to me about how allergies worked and I felt like I have a more general understanding of it.

He basically said that intolerances are to proteins within food and the only way to truly tell if you are intolerant to a food is the elimination/ reintroduction diet. I have been eliminating for like 6 months now and have been avoiding my triggers. He gave me very specific instructions for reintroduction.

he said to try one bite of the food in its simpliest form cooked with no oil or seasoning. Do this on an empty stomach in the morning every day for 2 weeks until I either have a reaction or work up to a serving size of the meal. He said that the proteins need to build up slowly in the body and this method will rule out any seaosnings or additves in foods. He said that this method also allows the body to slowly adjust to the new food and I can monitor how I feel.

Am I going to try this, I mean why not? DO I feel like maybe this is a solution idk. In addition to this he said that I should keep a detailed food diary any time I have a reaction. I think this information coupled with the results that I am not MCAS or allergic to seafood is an interesting development. Sigh the search continues.

I was on birth control for 20 years. It destroyed the DAO enzyme in my gut. I ended up with nasal polyps, chronic sinusitis, migraines, blocked nose, waking up 7-8 times a night, and was 2 months away from sinus surgery. I fixed it myself. No doctor helped. Here's the full mechanism and exactly what I did.

I need to write this because I spent years being failed by the medical system while the answer was looking at my diet the whole time.

The timeline

2018 — first signs. Flushing after wine. Reactions to sulphites. Breathing getting harder. I thought it was just allergies. I never had allergic reactions before.

2019–2023 — progressive decline. Dairy had to go completely. Nose permanently swollen, I could feel the tissue inside flapping when I breathed. Sinus pain. Migraines from the pressure building. Reactions to wine, sulphites, fermented food, vinegar, aged cheese, spinach, spirulina, chlorella, quercitin. Waking up 7-8 times a night unable to breathe. Steroid sprays. Antihistamines. Nothing fixed it.

2025 — rock bottom. Completely blocked nose. Diagnosed with grade IV nasal polyps. Was told surgery was the next step. I posted about it here actually — I'd found that cutting dairy helped temporarily, and Nattokinase helped with the polyp tissue. But it never fully resolved because I still hadn't found the root cause.

I went to the NHS. I told them exactly what I thought was wrong. It took 4 months to get anywhere and when I finally got answers they confirmed what I'd already told them (that I had nasal polyps, "we don't know why they happen, and if we operate, they will grow back." No, you morons. They don't if you fix the root cause.

Doctors kept handing me prescriptions for steroid sprays while ignoring the question of why a previously healthy woman was suddenly reacting to half of what she ate.

June last year — I came off the pill after 20 years.

The root cause nobody mentioned once in 6 years of suffering

The enzyme is called DAO — diamine oxidase. When it's depleted, foods becomes a trigger and your body is flooded with histamine it cannot clear.

Birth control destroys it. Systematically and silently over years.

Here's the mechanism. The pill depletes B6. It disrupts your zinc and copper balance, both of which the enzyme requires. It keeps oestrogen chronically elevated which primes mast cells to release histamine constantly. So after 20 years on the pill I had almost no functional DAO, chronically primed mast cells, and a gut lining so compromised it couldn't produce the enzyme even when I gave it the raw materials.

The nasal polyps, the sinusitis, the migraines, the 3am wake-ups, the flushing, all of it was histamine. Not allergies. Not IBS. Not anxiety or polyps that needed surgery. One enzyme, depleted over two decades, causing systemic havoc that six years of medical appointments never once identified.

Why some supplements made me worse

This part is important because I made mistakes that set me back and I don't want you to make the same ones.

Solgar quercetin — marketed specifically for histamine intolerance. Contains bromelain, a pineapple enzyme, to enhance absorption. Bromelain is a histamine liberator. I was triggering myself with a supplement sold to fix my exact problem. If your quercetin contains bromelain, throw it out. Get a bromelain-free version.

Chlorella and spirulina — I thought these were healthy. They triggered immediate mast cell degranulation independent of histamine content. This is not a DAO issue — these compounds directly stimulate mast cells regardless of how good your enzyme is. I still avoid them.

PQQ (for mitochondria biogenesis)— reacted badly, next day complete nasal blockage. The oxidative burst PQQ produces at standard doses was enough to trigger mast cell response in a depleted system. May revisit at a micro dose once fully stable but not worth the risk.

What I actually did to rebuild

I started in July last year and ran this consistently for 10 months.

The cofactor stack — these are the nutrients DAO literally cannot function without:

- Zinc 22mg

- B6 as P5P specifically 50mg — not regular pyridoxine. P5P is the activated form the enzyme uses directly. Regular B6 needs liver conversion which is sluggish under stress. This distinction is critical. (Had to take double dose rather than the recommended 25 mg daily as I was completely depleted).

- Copper 3mg— almost nobody mentions this but DAO needs it for catalytic activity. Most people supplement zinc without copper and create an imbalance that makes things worse.

- Selenium — brazil nuts, 3-4 daily. Supports gut lining environment that produces DAO.

- Vitamin C (lemons, kiwi, pomegranates) — direct cofactor and gut lining support.

- MG glycinate at night — HPA axis regulation, reduces the cortisol load that competes with enzyme production.

- NAC 1800-3600mg daily — precursor to glutathione, the liver's master detox molecule. Birth control chronically depletes glutathione. This was critical for clearing the systemic histamine backlog.

Food changes:

- Pomegranate every single day ( I started a year before) — punicalagins in pomegranate directly repair the intestinal epithelial cells that manufacture DAO. This is not a general gut health claim. The specific compounds in pomegranate feed the exact cells you need to rebuild. I cannot overstate how much I believe this accelerated my recovery.

- Nettle tea daily — I used to drink this every spring instinctively without knowing why. Quercetin and kaempferol content stabilises mast cells and reduces the histamine your DAO has to process. Less incoming fire means the enzyme isn't perpetually overwhelmed.

- Dandelion tea (and fresh dandelion)— liver and bile support, clears systemic histamine backlog, one of the best herbal cholagogues available.

- Fresh meat only, cooked and eaten same day. Leftovers sitting in the fridge accumulate histamine dramatically. This one change removed a constant background load I hadn't even identified.

- Removed chlorella, spirulina, and any fancye green pwders supplements entirely.

What I stopped:

- Birth control. The cause. Everything else I did was fighting an active depleting force while still on it. Coming off was when the real recovery could begin.

- Long term ketogenic eating — I'd been keto for years and looking back I was eating a massively high histamine diet. Aged meats, bone broths, fermented foods constantly. I was pouring fuel on the fire every day.

The DAO supplement I didn't know existed

DAO is available in pill form. You take it 15-20 minutes before high histamine meals and it degrades dietary histamine in your gut before absorption. Look up DAOsin or Seeking Health HistDAO. I had no idea this was possible and it would have helped enormously in the acute phase while I was rebuilding. Please don't make my mistake of not knowing about this for years.

Where I am now — 10 months later

I sleep through the night. Every night. After years of waking 7-8 times unable to breathe.

No steroid sprays. No antihistamines. No nasal rinses.

The inflamed tissue in my nose is gone. The flapping sensation — that was turbinate inflammation from chronic histamine exposure. It has completely resolved.

No migraines. No sinus pain. No pressure.

I can drink milk. A full glass. I am eating cheese every day now. No congestion, no mucus, no reaction. After years of thinking dairy was the enemy — dairy was never the enemy. My gut just couldn't clear the histamine load that dairy added on top of everything else.

The rosacea I'd been managing topically for years is completely gone. Not under control. GONE. The rosacea trigger list and the high histamine food list are essentially identical.

Zero flushing.

What I wish someone had told me

The pill depletes B6, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and glutathione. Every single one of those is critical for DAO function and gut lining integrity. If you have been on the pill for years and have unexplained reactions to food, wine, fermented foods, vinegar, or aged cheese - your DAO is almost certainly depleted.

The 3am wake-up is a histamine symptom. Cortisol rises naturally around 3am and elevated histamine amplifies that spike enough to jolt you awake. It is not anxiety or insomnia.

Nasal polyps don't just come out of nowhere.. Mine were histamine-driven inflammatory tissue. Remove the histamine load, rebuild the enzyme, and the tissue reduces. I was two months from surgery that I didn't need. (I would still do it if I get triggered again)

If you have rosacea, nasal polyps, chronic sinusitis, IBS, 3am wake-ups, and react to wine and fermented food - and you are on or have been on birth control - please look into DAO and histamine intolerance before accepting any of those as separate permanent diagnoses.

It took me 20 years of unknowing damage, 6 years of symptoms, and 10 months of methodical rebuilding to get here. I did it with no prescription, no specialist, and no diagnosis that the medical system arrived at before I did.

Ask me anything.

I had very bad symptoms of histamine intolerance. I had gastritis and SIBO confirmed by endoscopy and analysis. I couldn’t walk properly because my back was hurting so much. I saw many doctors and did analysis. I took rifaximin 2 times, flagyl, 2 weeks of fluconazole. Tons of supplements for sibo and candida. Tried PPI for gastritis, no effect at all. I couldn’t walk properly, even think properly because of brain fog. Then a random parasite test that was included in an analyses package that I did while I was on vacation abroad found I had pinworms. I didn’t have any classic symptoms of pinworms, like itching etc, so no doctor thought to test me for those.

The tests that you can do for parasites are a simple stool tests, that you need to try at least 3 times in 3 different days because seeing eggs in stools is hit or miss, and a stool PCR that is more precise. I did the first and they found parasites eggs the first time, meaning that the infestation was probably pretty big at this point.

Well, I took an Albendazole pill and 3 days after that I’m 95% healed. I can run, swim for hours and I even tried to drink looooot of coffee and also some alcohol (I wanted to try how I felt after that, because prior to this pill alcohol in particular was killing me after even a first drink) without feeling immediately bloated, fatigued, blocked nose, tears from my eyes, pressure in sinus etc.

So my experience shows that parasites can trigger histamine intolerance, sibo and gastritis. You won’t find this listed among the symptoms of a parasites infestation, but it can be due to them wreaking havoc of your immune systems that goes haywire and gives you all the histamine symptoms.

Edit: I wanted to add an important piece of the puzzle. My blood analysis showed a mildly elevated reactive protein value and also a very high eosinophils value.

Elevated eosinophil levels, known as eosinophilia, can indicate an allergic condition, parasitic infection, or other underlying issues. They also correlate with histamine.

You might want to check those 2 values when doing blood analysis, as they can help you interpreting the overall situation.

My histamine intolerance had a clear cause, but the cure was something entirely different, which makes this feel particularly interesting to me.

In 2021 my [genetically fragile] methylation cycle was absolutely destroyed by doctor prescribed cyanocobalamin injections (synthetic B12). Histamine intolerance hit me like a freight train as soon as I started these injections, and even though I discontinued, it was too late, the damage was done. I have spent the last 4 years trying to repair my methylation cycle, which was pretty challenging given that along with the HIT I developed intolerance to all methyl donors, so I couldn’t do anything but microdose B vitamins.

About 9 months ago I started megadosing molybdenum and it seems like that resolved a bottleneck that got my methylation cycle up and running again, and I was able to resolve my deficiencies, but my HIT only somewhat improved.

A couple months ago, in an attempt resolve other health issues having absolutely nothing to do with histamine intolerance, I started supplementing 200mg of micronized progesterone and 130mg of desiccated thyroid, and like magic, my histamine intolerance vanished practically overnight.

I have stopped taking the daily Zyrtec and nightly Benadryl I have relied on for 4 years. And I’m eating canned fish, sauerkraut, and long-ferment yogurt daily and having zero histaminic reaction.

I’ve got a boatload of health problems and I guess I never really expected to be able to post a success story here… but here we are 🤷‍♀️. Hopefully this info is helpful for someone 🫶

Hello. I am not a doctor but I have struggled with food allergies for the last 25 years, which started around middle school. I was completely normal until then. I have dealt with constant evolving skin issues, arthritis/inflammation, and brain fog and anxiety the entire time. I have tried just about every diet from candida to nightshades, oxalates to salicylates, fodmap, gluten, dairy, alpha gal, all of them. I have taken blood allergy tests and based on those test eliminated foods that trigger abnormal and even moderate ige reactions for me. 20 years of food journaling, eliminating things and reintroducing taking every supplement you can imagine outside of pharmaceuticals as I believe antibiotics contributed to my issues - I can't really sum it up but it has been exhausting. I have felt relief along the way but never complete relief, and never any confidence in what is actually causing my issues or a diet I can stick to. I eventually came to understand that the main issues I could never get rid were histamine based.

Just by chance I watched a video recently about sulfur sensitivity, by a Dr. Greg Nigh. I have tried everything else but I have never specifically eliminated foods high in sulfur, nor consistently took epsom salt baths. But I now believe I have found or am at least closer finding out the root cause of my issues - improper sulfur digestion.

The sum as I understood it: For various reasons, environmental (i.e. glyphosate especially) as well as genetic, essential enzymes in our body end up inhibited - could be later in life. Inhibited enzyme functions can lead to all sorts of health issues, including the inability to process dietary sulfurs - which leads to an excess in the body. Excess sulfurs leads to systemic inflammation due to digestive bacteria converting the excess into sulfites/sulfides which gets distributed to all areas of the body and then converted to the usable form, sulfate, through a localized inflammatory reaction - which may contribute many modern chronic diseases, including arthritis, asthma, auto-immune disorders, mental disorders like autism and Alzheimer's, all that stuff.

Sulfate is needed in every organ and tissue of your body. If sulfite/sulfide (an unusable form) is sent to the tissue instead of the usable form sulfate then it must be converted to sulfate, through an inherently inflammatory conversion process that causes localized inflammation in that tissue - in your brain, in your joints, skin, etc. This I believe is the source source of my inflammation that I could not get rid of despite trying everything!

The simplest way to avoid the negative impacts of improper sulfur digestion and reduce this type of inflammation is simply taking epsom salt baths regularly and very often. This gets sulfate directly to your body tissues so that sulfites/sulfides from the digestive system are not sent there instead. Eventually you will have enough sulfate in your body that sulfites/sulfides will not be necessary to store.

Reducing sulfur in diet is the other thing that has helped. It is the only diet that I do not have any issues with! But I think epsom salt baths constantly are more important.

One thing I also found interesting when looking into sulfur. Sometimes I find that literally just feeling anxious is enough to trigger my symptoms - blushing, itching, shivers, brain fog. Well guess what the body puts in your saliva when you feel anxious - a form of sulfur! Which then gets broken down by bacteria to the wrong form and causes those issues. So symptoms really can be triggered by anxiety itself and it happens through your saliva.

I really just want to get this info to others because I have found what works for me

It took me 12 years to find out the root cause of all my symptoms, and no doctor was able to do it. 12 years i've been going through hell with the following health issues:

Histamine intolerance:

- Pollen allergy (watery, itchy eyes)

- Horrible insomnia (nights with zero or 2h sleep)

- High resting heart rate and heart palpitations

- Dizziness especially after eating high histamine food

Digestion & others:

- Constantly burping throughout the day

- Heavy stomach after eating

- Excessive, frequent urination (constantly feeling the urge to urinate and peeing more than i could drink)

- Being underweight despite eating normally

- Not able to gain any muscles despite protein intake

- Hair loss & thin hair

- Dry skin and atopic dermatitis (feet)

- Depression, bad mood

The symptoms got a lot worse after i had spent 1 week in hospital with strong antibiotics treatment due to a bursitis (ellbow).

Then recently i stumbled upon a youtube video about low stomach acid. And i thought, what do i have to lose... So i did the test with baking soda + water on empty stomach in the morning, twice, and every time i didn't burp.

So i decided to buy this supplement called "Betaine HCL + Pepsin"... i slowly increased the dosage. Even with 4 x 650mg when eating a high protein meal, i still don't get any heartburn. It's crazy, my stomach acid must have been super low, for several years now apparently.

After only 2 weeks of taking the supplement i already noticed a significant improvement to my symptoms. I can now eat almost everything again, no histamine reactions anymore, i'm sleeping again like i haven't in years.

My theory: Due to the low stomach acid, your body develops nutrient deficiencies (magnesium, calcium, zinc...) because you just don't absorb minerals and vitamins anymore like a person with normal stomach acid would do. And these deficiencies then cause most of the issues that i listed above. Also, mold or candida in the gut, and SIBO often develop as a consequence of low stomach acid.

Apparently potassium, zinc and vitamin B1 are needed for the body to produce enough stomach acid. But the problem is, when your stomach acid levels are already super low, you won't be able to get enough of these minerals anymore from your food because the lack of stomach acid prevents their absorbtion. So it becomes a vicious circle.

So guys, if you have similar symptoms, go check your stomach acid. This shit can literally change / save lives.

Back in May, I found out my ferritin was at 9, but all the other blood exams were perfect, no deficiencies or abnormalities. My GP prescribed iron supplements and told me to eat more iron-rich foods. So, from that point, my food was basically spinach, legumes, and orange juice without even knowing these are all high in histamine.

About a month later, I suddenly started experiencing intense anxiety, panic attacks, and brain fog, things I'd never dealt with before. I went back to my GP, who dismissed it as Generalized Anxiety Disorder and prescribed Xanax. At first, it helped, but within two weeks, my symptoms got worse. I became dependent and side effects of Xanax started kickin in, I developed agoraphobia, and couldn't even drive without having panic attacks.

Desperate, I saw a psychiatrist after two months. Thankfully, he immediately recognized that my issue wasn't psychological. He told me to immediately taper off Xanax and suggested checking my gut health and trying a low-histamine diet. Within a week of following a strict low-histamine diet, all my symptoms disappeared. So please, always advocate for yourself and dig deeper into your symptoms. Don't let a doctor brush you off with anxiety meds or a mental illness without considering other possible causes.

Hi everyone,

I'll keep the backstory brief, but in short I'm a generally fit male in his late thirties that developed debilitating histamine intolerance last year after taking a very large daily dosage of a supplement known to be high in histamines (Nattokinase). By the Fall, I had developed facial flushing, 3am wakeup histamine dumps, panic attacks and heart palpitations (I've *never* been an anxious person and my hormones are all balanced, so this was a humbling unexpected experience), severe neck/trapezius/chest tension, wild fluctuations of blood pressure high and low (when it went low I could barely keep upright), increased RHR, pulsatile tinnitus, shakes, etc... I saw a PCP and cardiologist and after tons of testing everyone came down to "you have anxiety". The interesting part is I never felt anxious prior or dealt with anxiety (yes, I realize you can have subconscious anxiety, not discounting those that deal with it in the least).

I spent the Fall struggling through all of this while doing everything to become the healthiest version of myself - tons of fasting, runs, an incredibly clean diet, massages, breathing exercises- but nothing solved my problem.

Eventually through Google/Reddit I pieced together that this was histamine intolerance, especially after having horrible reactions to wine/chocolate/dried fruit/bananas/raisins/pickled onions and all the other things we typically deal with. I stopped Nattokinase (now just take K2), but all the symptoms persisted. I then tried everything - quercetin, SAMe, low histamine diet, high vitamin C, bromelain, zinc and copper, OTC antihistamines.... Most of these mildly improved symptoms but seemed to only heighten the histamine response if I stopped and then had a trigger food. TMI for a moment, but during this time, most of my bowel movements were fine besides the 3am wakeups, so I never thought about fixing my gut.

The fix (I'm in no way affiliated or whatnot with this brand): I started taking two capsules of "Seeking Health ProBiota HistaminX" (Amazon) every day (often I would dump the capsules into some apple juice with Naked Greens and Naked Gut and down it all mixed together). Within a week things started to improve. After a week I got daring and even had some wine, dumping a capsule into the wine. No bad reaction. Now, one month in, my chronic pain is disappearing, facial redness gone, heart behaving totally normal, sleeping through the night, etc.

So, thanks to this community for helping me identify what I was suffering from and some stop gaps until I reached a solution.Just sharing because I was really humbled by the experience and would never want anyone else to deal with this like I did.

not a doctor / best of luck

I'm very grateful to this community, as it helped me through a histamine problem and I wanted to 'give back' by sharing my histamine recovery process and what had worked for me.

Context
My histamine issues lasted for about 1 year - and I tried 'everything' under the sun: antihistamines, low-histamine diet, removing all chemical triggers I could think of, lowering my 'stress' levels. Nothing had helped me until I did 2 things. My symptoms were: skin rashes all over my face, swollen eyes, blocked sinuses, headaches, runny yet blocked nose, brainfog.
I tolerated anti-histamines badly: I was constantly fatigued and had the biggest sugar, carb and food cravings of all kinds, put on weight and really couldn't regulate my blood sugar properly. I was also super sleepy, sluggish and my brain fog was even worse.

Edit: Antihistamines are known to hinder the body's absorption of vitamin B12 and they also hinder the absorption of calcium, iron, folic acid, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and chromium. As you will read below, many of these minerals are essential for the body's functioning of the DAO enzyme.

What helped
1. Fixing my vitamin and mineral deficiencies: not even related to my histamine issue, I had done a hair-mineral test with 72 markers (vitamins, minerals, amino-acids, etc). Turned out: I was low-ish in B1 and other B Vitamins, zinc, copper, magnesium - and a few other things.

Low B1, zinc, copper (and other deficiencies) cause histamine flares!
For the science enthusiasts, this paper from 1988(!) shows an excellent explanation:

" In the case of the hypothalamus, thiamine deficiency produced a significant increase in histamine levels. These changes observed in the thiamine deficient group were reversed to the normal levels by supplying the normal diet." ( https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021519819432162#:~:text=In%20the%20case%20of%20the,by%20supplying%20the%20normal%20diet)

In case you wondered, most people are never tested for B1, but we deplete it with carb consumption, stress, illness etc. ⚠️EDIT: Thank you to this group for pointing out that Vit B1 in the Benfotiamine version is a high sulfur containing supplement. So: B1 Hydrochloride (HCL) may be better suited for people with sulfur/sulphate/sulphite issues, as these can trigger histamine problems in some (as seen in my Part 2 post to this...)

Zinc, copper and other B Vitamins are essential for the body's DAO enzyme functioning:
"Decreased degradation capacity of DAO can be caused by lack of its cofactors, vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper and zinc.²" (Science Paper reference: https://www.elsevier.es/en-revista-allergologia-et-immunopathologia-105-resumen-histamine-histamine-intoxication-intolerance-S0301054615000932 )

Fixing these deficiencies in a targeted way with bio-active forms of B-Vitamins (i.e. B6 as p5p; B1 as benfotiamine or HCL) was the key to find lasting recovery.

Addressing the above took time to replenish deficiencies. I guess my deficiencies got worse after having had Covid, and the jabs etc that can deplete our vitamin and mineral status.

Result: In my case, I can eat high histamine foods again, wear perfume etc

2. Other things that helped that I will summarise in a different post (to avoid confusion):
I also later found out that my histamine issues were partly masked sulfite problems, but I'll make another post about that.
I also lowered oxalates, that were a strong contributing cause to my histamine issues.

I hope this helps someone 🙏💜 - wish you all insightful and speedy healing 🙏💜

Since I took care of my gut problems (ibs-d) and deficiencies I no longer react to high histamine foods.

I regularly eat tomato sauce with no problems or old cheese or I can drink alcohol.

I started to have diarrhea regularly which is why I saw a doctor and tested different things. Was lactose intolerant and we did test DAO in blood. ( I also then had to journal what I eat how I react and they said I should do elimination diet to see)

I used to get racing heart after eating, hot flashes, insomnia, nightmares

Couldn’t even drink one drink anymore because it would cause those symptoms but had the same with high in histamine foods.

After a stool sample that also showed my microbiome was out of whack I had to take probiotics for months anti inflammatory things for the gut and was recommended a low fiber diet since I wasn’t digesting well. Had an iron infusion, B12 shots, took high doses Zink and Vit-D (those were the deficiencies I had) And after a while I took Deanxit was for anxiety and depression but as a side effect it also helps with diarrhea so I didn’t have any at all. But at that point it also wasn’t really bad anymore.

Now I eat everything I want I’m still someone that can get gut issues when I’m really stressed that’s the IBS.

Hi Everyone, I have got news that changed my life overnight. The reoccurring skin rash which I’ve had for the past 3 years, that no health professional GP, Dermatologist, Naturopath, Kinesiologist could give a correct prognosis for was a symptom of Cholangiocarcinoma, now a Stage 4 terminal Cancer. Please trust your bodies and go get checked.

Edit: all the professionals told me I had histamine intolerance, none even considered cancer. which is heart breaking because I wasted time trying to treat histamine intolerance issues. I’m still so young in my early 40s was fit healthy got barely other symptoms except fatigue was told time and time again you in your 40s it’s your hormones etc and so I pushed on. hoping someone will read this and get checked

Edit: couldn’t tell it was cancer until I was suddenly in the emergency room with numerous symptoms, I had to push for more tests! the only ongoing frequent symptom was the skin rash for years, (on face, neck, back and stomach mainly) which I was trying to workout. If you are concerned, speak to your health professional about how to get tested for cancers, with bloods, scans etc 🙏🏻

Edit: thank you for all your kind messages. I’m not looking for advice about how to cure cancer as it’s no cure prognosis.

edit: for testing the only ways it showed up was when they did bloods: tumour markers. Scans CT scans, PET scans, Ultrasound on abdomen (for this type of cancer)

My (39F) HIT seemingly came out of nowhere, about 6 months ago. Even though I had been on a carnivore-ish diet for the 6 months preceding that, my diet was heavily animal based before that anyway. Smoked salmon, canned tuna, pickled olives and aged steaks were all very much day-to-day part of my diet for a good decade. I never had symptoms until recently.

So it was such a mystery why I suddenly starting getting VERY itchy swollen eyes and sniffles every time I ate, that seemed to last days and days. My HIT bucket was overflowing. I will say, I'd always gotten a bit itchy after Red Wine, so I knew there was a life-long underlying vulnerably to histamine issues, but this was a bomb that exploded out of nowhere.

My HIT I gradually got worse and worse over the course of a month or two, and then to a point where chicken and rice was about the only thing I could eat without reacting badly.

I trawled the internet. I eventually found Ben Lynch's work with genetics. I had done 23andMe years ago, so I thought I'd look in the archives to see if I had any "dirty" genes that might be playing a role. Sure enough, I had 2 genetic variants involved in the Histamine n-methyltransferase enzyme, AND the diamine oxidase enzyme. I'm thinking, "Ok - not surprising, but why are they suddenly acting up now?"

Here's the interesting part: I also am homozygous for MTHFR (as is ~50% of the population), and apparently the methylation cycle its important for breaking down histamine.

I started looking over my last few months with a magnifying glass. What had I done that was different?? What was suddenly busting up my methylation cycle???

Then a light-bulb: A few months ago, I'd started a program by Dr. Stasha Gominak called "RightSleep" which is basically a lot of Vitamin D, and B Vitamins, and a multi. The Vitamin D sent me into a terrible downward spiral of intense insomnia (the opposite of what I hoped) so I quit the D supplement, and got a UVB lamp. But I kept taking the B50. It had been about 4 months on the B50 at this point in time when all the pennies fell from the sky.....

I ran into my bathroom and picked up the B50 bottle and read the label. 800 micro-grams of non-methylated synthetic folic acid in every pill. And another 400 in the multi. GASP. THAT was what was busting up my methylation cycle in one fell swoop!

The pills went in the trash right away. Within 3 days my symptoms subsided about 50%, and within 10 days, I was totally symptom-free. I can now eat whatever I want again - No itching or sneezing at all.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

The past few months have been an intense deep-dive journey into everything I could find on HIT - books and podcasts and YouTubes and everything I could get my hands on. But I never heard any talking about folic acid in relation to HIT. I hope that by me sharing my story, I can help someone else.

TLDR: Guys, make sure there is no synthetic folic acid in your diet. Check your supplements, and fortified foods like cereals and wheat. (Folinic Acid, or Methylfolate is ok). Make sure you get natural sources of folate in your diet, like beef liver or leafy greens.

I was considering writing a post about this for awhile but wanted to feel comfortable again and get through some of the trauma this has put me through.

I struggled with histamine intolerance/MCAS for a long time pretty much from getting sick with Covid. A lot of people started developing these issues after Covid.

My histamine intolerance was so bad that I actually developed “Covid psychosis” which was me hearing audible hallucinations and almost leaving my wife and daughter because I believed that I had a special mission from God and that he was talking to me and wanted me to do all these delusional things when it was actually just audible hallucinations. You can google Covid psychosis, I wasn’t the only one who experienced this.

I was put on an antipsychotic which was horrible with side effects but I eventually learned that the first antipsychotics ever created were developed as antihistamines, which is how I went down this rabbit hole.

I had such bad histamine intolerance that I had to do the lions diet like Jordan Petersons daughter Mikaela Peterson which is meat, salt and water only and I had to buy unaged beef from a special supplier online because any histamine would trigger more psychosis and fatigue so bad I was basically bed ridden and would have times where I couldn’t breathe very well when I got flared up.

What I eventually learned through months of research is that some people have a genetic defect that makes them not metabolize niacin properly, which is vitamin B3. Back in the 1940s, a lot of people started developing schizophrenia due to a vitamin b3 deficiency called pellagra. But pellagra doesn’t just cause psychosis, it can cause severe gastrointestinal issues.

To help with this, the government started fortifying the wheat with niacinamide, a different form of vitamin B3 that uses a different pathway than regular niacin. A couple years before Covid, I started doing a gluten free diet, meaning I wasn’t eating the wheat that is enriched with niacinamide and I probably wasn’t metabolizing it from food properly.

After learning this, Thank God, I started taking about 3,000mg-4,000mg of niacinamide everyday (1000mg after each meal and sometimes right before bed because histamine dumps at night). The brand I take is microingredients on Amazon, but I also have tried getting some from the vitamin shoppe in store and it seems like the brand doesn’t matter too much. Just note that it has to be niacinamide and not regular niacin due to the different pathways your body metabolizes it and having the genetic defect.

After 4 weeks of taking this, it completely cured my Covid psychosis and I was able to stop doing the lions diet and started introducing more foods again. I can now eat bananas, take grassfed beef organ supplements, and eat other higher histamine foods again, but still be have been eating a lower histamine diet.

I also recommend taking 3,000-4,000mg of vitamin c that’s made from tapioca as most vitamin c is made from gmo corn. There’s a company on Amazon called ecological formulas that sells this. Vitamin C helps so much with histamine but it has to be not made from corn.

I feel like I have my life back and I just want to share what worked for me because I had many days I just wanted to call it quits and be done with this life. I know how debilitating this issue is and wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

Covid was a weird virus and it seems to be the culprit to everyone developing chronic fatigue syndrome/histamine problems/long covid. It sounds crazy the solution could be so simple, but I had it probably just as bad as you can imagine, and especially for us that do gluten free, we aren’t getting enough niacinamide and thiamine and basically people are developing vitamin deficiency issues like pellagra and beri beri which is vitamin B1 deficiency.

I wish you all the best of luck and God bless and I’m sorry that you are dealing with this. Just know there’s still hope, don’t give up!

I'll only be brief, as there isn't really much research into this whole area

For the last few months I've been tortured by hives and other unexplained allergy like symptoms; which is how I came across this sub (and the idea of taking DAO)

i'm sure you all know what exactly DAO is, and its function in the body (just incase; it's the enzyme responsible for breaking down histamine in our bodies), but for the sake of certainty and safety I really feel the need to bring this up;

Histamine is not the only thing that our bodies use DAO to break down.

In the case that someones symptoms are caused by excess histamine, and that excess histamine s the result of a lack of DAO in the body, you should take DAO.

However, in people who have an excess of histamine for any other reason, or are sensitive/intolerant to histamine, but are not certain they have a DAO shortage, taking DAO in the long term could cause health issues.

One of these issues that really sticks out is problems with blood pressure, which can cause a whole host of problems.

DAO supplements are not a regulated/scheduled medicine, and research into when and how they should be used is incredibly limited. In the future, when it's all a little more researched, I would imagine that doctors will require extensive blood work before prescribing them to avoid such complications.

TL;DR: DAO is an enzyme that breaks down histamine in our bodies, but also other important neurotransmitters. Taking DAO supplements to counteract a shortage of DAO is perfectly fine, but taking extra DAO when your body is not lacking it could cause problems with your health.

Sorry for rambling! I have a passion for pharmacology, and with my recent histamine related issues, I did a lot of research on treatments and this possible issue stuck out to me like a sore thumb, so i had to share. keep safe everyone!

Just found out cum contains a bunch of histamine. Idk who needs to hear this but this is a warning. I had rlly bad chest pains and got a headache so beware for all my freaky friends out there.

After nearly five years of being sick, I’ve finally had significant improvement in symptoms consistent with MCAS/histamine intolerance, long COVID/vax or mold-related illness.

My symptoms started shortly after my second Pfizer vaccine, though I was also exposed to mold around the same time for several years, so it’s difficult to know the exact cause.

I spent years seeing doctors, specialists, and trying different treatments with little success. More than 60 GP appts in 5 years. Thousands of dollars.

What helped:
Vitamin B12
Mounjaro (tirzepatide)
Creatine
L-theanine
B vitamins
Magnesium
CoQ10
Naturitas DAO (NATURDAO)

SAUNA/steam

B12 deficiency can cause histamine intolerance.

I suspect B12 deficiency was a major factor. I’m now looking into whether this was related to mold exposure, malabsorption, or an autoimmune cause.

One thing I’d note: standard serum B12 tests measure circulating B12 and don’t always reflect tissue-level deficiency. Markers like methylmalonic acid (MMA) and homocysteine can sometimes
provide additional information.

B12 deficiency can cause fatigue, brain fog, and neurological symptoms. Creatine and CoQ10 may support cellular energy production, while magnesium is involved in hundreds of metabolic processes. Mounjaro for inflammation.

For the first time in years, I’m pain-free, clear-headed, and no longer dealing with debilitating fatigue/memory loss/food restriction.
Posting in case this helps someone else.

EDIT::
I also lifted weights, walked, and practiced yoga as much as I had the capacity to, doing something no matter how small every day.

A few years ago, I got heavily into meditation. Looking back, I don’t think I would have had the capacity to manage the despair and hopelessness I felt at times without it. I also believe the body needs to feel safe for healing to occur, and that the mind plays a major role in creating that sense of safety.

Histamine competes with dopamine in the brain, meaning if you have HIGH HISTAMINE, your dopamine receptors aren’t functioning properly.

Low dopamine can manifest as depression, anxiety, mood swings, low motivation, brain fog, and difficulty concentrating, making daily tasks feel overwhelming. It also affects physical health, leading to low libido, sleep disturbances, stimulant cravings, dizziness, fatigue, and low blood pressure.

Some people experience orthostatic hypotension (dizziness when standing) and constipation, as dopamine plays a role in regulating circulation and digestion. If you struggle with these symptoms and feel like SSRIs or conventional treatments aren’t working, it might be worth exploring dopamine support.

For years, I struggled with pre-fainting episodes at the gym to the point I stopped going. I had blood tests, an EKG, and a lung X-ray and was told I was perfectly healthy. I have chronic asthma and daily allergies so my body is always releasing histamines which were clearly wrecking my dopamine balance. Now? My pre-fainting and mental symptoms are almost completely gone since I started a new supplement routine.

For the past week, I’ve hit 10K steps daily and started going back to the gym. In two days, I’m down 3 lbs (1.3 kg), my stomach is flat, my energy is high, and I don’t crave chocolate. My ab lines are coming back, and I’ve started eating organ meats. My executive dysfunction has almost completely gone.

I felt effects within a week and have been taking these for 2-3 months. I only started exercising now because I thought my fainting was a seperate issue. I was in the gym yesterday for 1.5 hours and didn’t have any problems. I used to feel faint within 10 minutes at the gym. I basically couldn’t do anything and often had to lie on the floor.

I feel like myself again.

What I Take (Ranked by Importance)

DopaBoost (Dopamine precursor, but I used to take 800mg Mucuna Pruriens by Nutricost—anything with Mucuna works)

5-HTP (Serotonin precursor—helps me sleep deeply/, if you have serotonin syndrome or can't handle SSRIs, 5-htp is dangerous)

8000mg Ashwagandha (Lowers stress, great for stress eating. If you have mood swings during your period give this a try)

Antihistamine (I have allergies daily, and high histamine affects dopamine)

200mg Magnesium Citrate (Swapping to Magnesium Glycinate—chocolate cravings during PMS are linked to magnesium deficiency. If you have low magnesium, your brain can’t use dopamine properly)

1250mg Omega-3 Fish Oil (I don’t eat fish, so I take this, though I don’t notice a huge effect)

On Sunday I ate Korean BBQ. I ate all of the fermented veggies (banchan) which where sitting in vinegar and soy sauce. I did this all with no symptoms. I took 2 Doctor's Best Betaine HCL caps at the start of the meal. Normally these foods will give me a pounding heart and swollen nasal turbinates (stuffy nose).

I say 'cured' because the betaine HCL is curing my symptoms and making me able to eat fermented food but not addressing the etiology which is a bartonella infection from a tick that caused the dysbiosis and histamine (and tyramine) sensitivity in the first place. I treated the infection and am stable but not in complete remission. The bartonella caused the HI but the betaine HCL can temporarily fix it for better lifestyle. I am not aware of any way to naturally raise stomach acid besides taking the pills, if you are aware let me know. Some signs that I had low stomach acid that I ignored where, food still in stool and I can take lots of baking soda with no burps.

I saw a post on here that histamine intolerance was due to low stomach acid and I thought it was silly but I had the betaine HCL pills so I tried them with meals and it actually worked. The poster was 100% correct so if it was you, thank you!

Best part is the betaine HCL pills are cheap like $9 and I no longer have to buy DAO which worked but worked a little bit not too much.

Histamine is still a bucket so I can't abuse this but its great for periodic meals and adding some things to meals I thought I couldn't like real soy sauce.

I posted a few months ago about this and this is my follow up that its still working. I ate the KBBQ for 90 mins so it was a real test and I passed the test easily.

Lactoferrin has completely ended my histamine derived issues from h2s sibo and it's barely talked about anywhere as an anti-microbial, over the last 6 months my ferritin went from 151 just when I got sibo to 72 now most likely because pathogenic bacteria. The improvement was immediate. Lactoferrin has two main ways of action on microbes: 1) it deprives them of iron, which is curiously a very physiological response of the body during bacterial infections, you will see iron levels tank, because a decent amount of bacteria use iron to survive 2) it actually acts directly on some membranes of various microbes and produce lysis.

The dose I've been using is 3-5g bovine lactoferrin a day and then I plan to bring it way down after my function is restored. Just started human lactoferrin, excited to see the benefits.

Hello and God is good! WOW! What a ride this has been since 2019. I am now realizing that my years of PMDD, mental issues and gut ridiculousness is from histamine and my intolerance to it. Took many doctors and a lot of praying to get here. Found out about HI on my own (thinking it was all the praying I have done to get here). Stumbled on a post that a gal STOPPED suicidal ideation by taking Pepcid (H2 antagonist). I thought....I wanna jump off a bridge right now....why the heck not! Took one and it bloody worked! So...I made appointments with Dr. Google and Dr. Amazon to find natural ways to kick this issue in the butt so I can live my life again. Dao Enzyme, Low Histamine Probiotic, B Complex (methylated), Omega 3's are my true start. I am also gradually getting on a low histamine diet (more veggies and less dairy). I have wasted so much time on Dr's and even psych wards. I KNEW there was an answer regular medicine just doesn't want to see yet. If you are reading this and thinking....crap...I know who she feels, you are not alone. I have felt alone for years. Not anymore. Also should add I am taking natural progesterone cream too for the estrogen dominance that, fyi, exacerbates this brutal problem. Happy I found HI Group here on Reddit. Enjoy your day!

I want to say thanks to the person who posted a few weeks ago that the cause of their histamine intolerance was mold. it was an eye opener for me. I've been sick for 2-3 years, severe symptoms, nothing seemed to relieve them except a low histamine diet that kept my life a little less miserable.

Then I went to South America for two months and my symptoms dramatically improved. I kept doing the low histamine diet and I thought it was the sun that was helping me feel better. I came back home and my health got instantly trashed. All the old symptoms came back: lung problems, sore throat, fatigue, foggy brain, gut issues, lots of pain.

And that post made me realize it was mold. I had hidden mold underneath the old wallpaper of my home. Now I'm trying to figure out the process to heal from mold toxicity. if any of you have any experience on this, I'd be grateful for info.

My advice for most of you is to not to be satisfied knowing you have HIT. There has to be a reason for it. my functional doctor said it could be stress, but it was mold all the time.

Hi community, I just want to share my story because finally I feel like myself again - I healed from this curse after 3 years...

Short intro: male, 30 y/o, 175cm, 60kg

I had only one symptom: itching. Some of you probably know how crazy it feels… whole body itching, from top to bottom, for 15–30 minutes, up to 4 times a day. My triggers were anything that made my body warm - workout, sex, stress, even cleaning the house or warm weather. Basically, anything that sped up blood circulation. So my social life was completely broken.

It was honestly hell.

How I healed (it was a complex approach):

1. Diet – for 2 years, I ate only fresh food, freshly prepared. I eliminated: fermented foods (cheese, dry meats/fruits, etc.); all seafood (I live far from the ocean); tomatoes, nuts, bananas, strawberries, some others veggies/berries; chocolate, sweets with trans fats, sauces, eggs, alcohol (beer, wine, scotch), tea and coffee; spicy food; basically i was on a strict diet.

2. DAO supplements – this was huge support. started with 30k HDU DaoHead - worked for ~3 months, but then the itch came back; switched to NaturDAO 1M HDU - 8 months, lowered frequency + intensity; then NaturDAO 1.5M HDU + vitamins/minerals (B-vitamins, zinc, vitamin C, etc.) - 7 months, much better results

3. Gut healing – this made the biggest difference. Prebiotics for 6 months (to prepare the gut); then probiotics for ~9 months (to rebuild microbiome).

4. (Bonus) stress reduction - last 6 months, I found a job I enjoy, lowered overall stress.

5. BONUS UPD: I forgot about the tobacco and marijuana. After 1 year of itch, I eliminated tobacco, but I switched to snus. Regarding weed, I smoked almost every day. Don't know exactly how impactful it was on the healing process. But maybe a bit.

My take: I think HIT started because my gut microbiome + immune system were weak after years of antibiotics for chronic sinusitis

Also, i think:
from prebiotics + probiotics I had the best impact
DAO was a great support for managing symptoms
diet was important for giving my body a break

Now I feel normal again ^_^

PS> To anyone suffering: I know your pain. It’s hard, but it’s not forever. With time and the right approach, your body will heal. Don’t give up.

When you’re dehydrated, the body may increase histamine release as a survival mechanism to help retain water and regulate fluid balance.

Make sure you are getting enough water AND minerals!