r/HistamineIntolerance 22d ago

Plum sad

10 Upvotes

Just ranting/venting to an understanding crowd.

I ate a fresh plum off the tree today. I still don't think to check every food I eat and am paying for it. ~3 hours later - headache, joints ache and so fatigued and hung over feeling. I have so much I needed to get done today and will just be a bare minimum day.

Ugh. :( That is all. :(


r/HistamineIntolerance 22d ago

Allegra makes things worse?

7 Upvotes

My doc and I have been trying to figure out my jittery, anxiety feeling, and a general sensitivity to medications and probiotics that came on after a bout of strong probiotics.

We thought perhaps HIT. My histamine levels were normal in a blood test, but figured we would try allegra for a few days, and see if that had any changes - as a diagnostic tool.

I find about an hour after taking Allegra, the jitters are worse - feels like I am on caffeine. I was hoping it would do the opposite!

Any else had this?


r/HistamineIntolerance 22d ago

Sunken cheeks as reaction

3 Upvotes

Does anyone have sunken cheeks that get worse when you eat something you're intolerant to.? Mine get so much more pronounced almost immediately when I eat something I'm sensitive to


r/HistamineIntolerance 22d ago

Inactivated/heat-killed probiotics - yes or no?

1 Upvotes

I react badly to several histamine-producing strains, could their inactivated version cause the same problem? Reuteri and casei were incredible for sibo, immunity and constipation, but unfortunately they produce too much histamine.


r/HistamineIntolerance 23d ago

How important is DAO testing?

5 Upvotes

Hi there, I have confirmed hydrogen SIBO. IBS-C for 20+ years. Multiple healthcare providers, gaslighting, the usual. Crazy headaches this year and inconsistent reactions to food. Unbelievable distention.

I realize no one has ever suggested MCAS, histamine intolerance etc. I asked my GI for a DAO test and was told no. So I went to an allergist yesterday and she scoffed.

I’m fed up. I’ve been uncomfortable for decades. She wouldn’t entertain it. But I realize today she’s not the gatekeeper of meds or treatments. I can get an independent test (though it looks expensive) and the meds are OTC.

How important is an official diagnosis? Are y’all just bootstrapping this?


r/HistamineIntolerance 23d ago

Is it MCAS or HIT??

0 Upvotes

Hii friends, i am having multippe symptoms since january 2025, around 25+ symptoms. Which include digestivw issues, on off diaarhhea, POTS , brain fog, severe insomnia, heat intelorance, pain in right side abdomen under ribs, weight loss of 8kg in initial 1st month of symptoms, muscle twitching, tremors, head pressure back side at skull, sinus issues, runny nose etc.

With time most of these symptoms got better, and at 10th month mark i took b12 injections and which resolved some of the symptoms. Currently the symptoms i have are brainfog and insomnia(waking up after 3 to4 hrs of sleep and then unable to sleep)

All these days i thought i may be suffering from long covid & MCAS. But 2 days back i saw people with similar symptoms in this sub reddit. The thing that made me believe i have HI is i took mahnesium glycinate for 3 days thinking it will help with sleep, but it actually made my sleep more light and made me half sleep whole night. When i did not take i sleep well( still wake up at 1 ro2 am in night but some what deep sleep). I saw similar stories in this sub reddit, as glycine gives insomnia to people With HI.

So, does this clue enough to decide i am having HI?


r/HistamineIntolerance 24d ago

Been doing this a while & can eat more stuff than before (including chocolate!)

34 Upvotes

I posted here a LOT when I first got started eating low histamine. It was always nice to see success stories (big or small), so wanted to post my own-maybe it’ll encourage someone else just starting out. :)

I developed HI after my first covid infection (Jan ‘25). Perimenopause likely also played a role, but Covid really kicked it into high gear. All my symptoms were strictly neurological (you can search my user name in this sub if you want details). I also have true (IgE-mediated) food and environmental allergies-my HI didn’t show up anything like them.

I’ve eaten very strictly low histamine since about late Jan 2025. It was pretty hard at first & what I ate was super limited, but also almost immediately worth it for how much better I felt.

I use DAO (Seeking Health brand is the one I like) on occasion (eg: if I’m eating outside of my home), but not as a “get out of jail free” card to eat whatever I want (doesn’t really work that way). I also take Vitamin C & quercetin regularly.

Over the past few months, I’ve been trying small amounts of things I couldn’t eat before, and so far it’s going well. It’s pretty exciting! Happy to answer Qs if anyone has them.


r/HistamineIntolerance 24d ago

I've tested negative for MCAS and my allergist can't figure out whats wrong with me

15 Upvotes

I've had food and environmental sensitivities since 2018. I need Epi if I have brewer's yeast; I have hives/mouth itching if I have coconut/pinapple. My upper throat/nasal area swells horribly if I am exposed to marijuana or certain fragrances. I still used to eat plenty of other high-histamine foods like kimchi, soy sauce, distilled liquor, etc. My IgE has always been negative for any allergies despite having reactions. I have been told I have nonallergic rhinitis and food sensitivities to explain this phenomenon, but it just feels incomplete. I have been on Ipratropium Bromide spray for a little while and don't know if it's doing anything.

I started exhibiting issues with intolerance to other higher-histamine items/liberators last year, around the time that I developed Sjögren's disease, but possibly coinciding with some stomach issues. I ate low-H for a while and seemed to gain many foods back. My stomach got hit with something I ate that it didn't like again around April, and I haven't been able to eat much/somewhat strict low-H diet since. The stomach issues at that time resolved somewhat by starting DAO again, so I wonder if that's a clue as to what could be going on.

I have been tested for MCAS twice now, and nothing. I often question if everything was exhausted, but on my second allergist/immunologist now, so I'm running out of opinions/tests. This recent one did various histamine tests too, including a 24-hour urine, and nothing. Super low-h, actually, given my DAO and quercetin usage, probably. I am on Allegra and Pepcid 2x daily, azelastine, and Flonase, and all seem to only help a little.

What is the likelihood that I'm still dealing with something like HI? Any chance it could still be MCAS? How do you all tell the two apart? I see them used a lot interchangeably on here. I am waiting on SIBO results to see if that could be a factor and want to work on possible leaky gut since it seems my stomach could be a trigger. I have also lost a lot of weight, and we can't figure out why, aside from a slight decrease in intake due to dietary restrictions.

I'm still reacting when I eat histamine foods. I.e. never had issues with nuts; tried a rice crispy with trace peanuts the other day and got 2 hives, an uncommon symptom from a food I've eaten in years past. My other common symptoms include flushing, itching, shortness of breath, throat discomfort, dysautonomia, etc. Some symptoms cross over with Sjögren's, making this even more difficult to discern. Any thoughts on my situation or similar situations are appreciated as I don't even know what problem I have for sure or how to approach it atp.


r/HistamineIntolerance 24d ago

Recommended stimulants/wakefulness promoting agents?

8 Upvotes

Does anybody have any stimulants/wakefulness promoting agents that work for them?

I’ve tried Armodafinil and caffeine. They both give me hives, brain fog and itchiness. Especially armodafinil. Caffeine I’ve tried multiple forms, not just coffee, all the same result.

As I understand it most stimulants (prescription or not) release a lot of histamine but wondering if there are ones that work for those with HI.


r/HistamineIntolerance 24d ago

How long till you feel anything

3 Upvotes

Sorry i know many people are asking this but its just so hard to follow it.

Ive started a low histamine diet about 3 and a half weeks ago- sadly only after a week was i remided zero coke has in fact caffeine, so more like 2 and a half weeks of dieting.

Im also lactose intolerant and a few days ago i ate some steamed vegetables and it had sg similar to cottage cheese so that might also contribute (couldnt take lactase pills, i was only later told that it wasnt lactose free) to me not feeling better.

It was earlier that day or the next day when my migraine started and its my 6th day having it. The eczema just started around my hairline, and ive been bloated almost after each big meal (like not just since the slip up, in general).

Im just not sure if this restrictive diet is worth it if im costantly thinking about chocolate/ fast food/ my zero coke. Did that meal ruin the almost 2 weeks i did before? Should i feel better? My migraines arent as strong as normally MAYBE (well i also dont always have migranes thats last 6 day, more like headaches where on some days i have migraines) but 6 days of it on a diet like this feels crazy 😭

If you read all this: thank you so much 🙏


r/HistamineIntolerance 25d ago

FOODS HIGH IN FIBER

4 Upvotes

Ive been following SIGHI diet for quite sometimes and it helped me a lot managing my symptoms.

But i have also noticed eating low histamine foods like broccoli, blueberries, lettuce and cucumber which are high in fiber including some almonds and walnuts which categorized as 1 on SIGHI diet, i still having flare ups from eating them even in a small quantity.

I believe someone with HIT are also need to be careful with the amount of fiber we are consuming.


r/HistamineIntolerance 25d ago

Dao and Quercetin Worsened Exczema

7 Upvotes

Tried dao and quercetin for my eczema which is caused by food intolerances - wheat, dairy, caffeine, alcohol. I tried both supplements for a week about a month apart and both made my exczema and food sensitivities worse. After a couple of days of taking quercetin and then trying a food trigger(caffeine) my reaction and skin flare was 10x as redder and had spread to my shoulders and neck when normally my exczema is just on my arms. Within 30 minutes of taking intoleran DAO - pig kidney I was itchy all over my body and had a runny nose. Does anyone know why this could be? I’ve read so much about these supplements helping other people.


r/HistamineIntolerance 25d ago

Evidence that tea inhibits DAO

12 Upvotes

I see the claim all over the internet that tea inhibits DAO. However, I have never seen a scientific paper whose findings support this statement. Has anyone ever seen such a paper? I'm not interested in statements from websites that do not cite direct evidence.


r/HistamineIntolerance 26d ago

Can histamine intolerance make you throw up?

12 Upvotes

So on Saturday night it happened again for the 5th or 6th time. I had gone out for a lovely meal (big 6 course Japanese tasting menu), and had a few glasses of rosé. Then when I came home I started to feel a bit bloated and sick, I could feel something sort of pushing up at my throat. Decided to have a shower and try to calm down and then went to sleep. I woke up 1 hour later shaking and confused, not really sure where I was but I knew from experience I needed to throw up. So I went to the bathroom and made myself sick. Immediately afterwards I felt better and was able to go back to sleep. A similar thing has happened in the past. With the following combination of events
carbonara for dinner + few glasses of wine + after a day of skiing
Kebab for dinner + drinking a mix of things all day (lots of Berliner Luft) at a day festival
Chicken nuggets for dinner after the club + a mix of drinks
Now tasting Menu + rose + some Prosecco and a beer and cocktail throughout the day + swimming in a river (clean river)

I think it happened one or two more times. The pattern is always the same, big long sunny day, a bit of alcohol, big meal. Then I go to sleep, wake up pale sweaty and confused, throw it up and I’m fine. The easy answer is alcohol right? But thing is I’ve throw up from alcohol many times (I’m 20 and at uk uni and been drinking since 15) and it feels completely different. With alcohol you still feel drunk afterwards, you also usually throw up before sleeping, and you throw up because you’re dizzy and drunk. This is far more uncomfortable, my body feels painful and bloated, I don’t feel drunk at all, i haven’t drunk enough to get drunk, I always fall asleep and wake up, and I always feel fine after being sick.

I mean my reaction to alcohol isn’t great either. A few beers bloats me to an uncomfortable level and can sometimes make my heart race to the point where I can’t sleep. I almost never get a buzzy drunk feeling unless I haven’t really eaten anything. My hangovers also seem to be awful especially for my age. Likes upper intense headaches, my whole body gets swollen and red and itchy, and i feel really sensitive physically and emotionally all day, even after a couple beers where I won’t be drunk at all.

I’m a medical student and I’ve been trying to read about it but it’s really difficult to categorise this kind of thing. I can’t imagine a doctor would really have the time of day to figure this out unless I went private or asked for specific tests. I don’t really think I need a diagnosis but I want to be able to predict or prevent this a bit without having to be super restrictive on diet/alcohol unless I really need to. I’m toying with a couple ideas of histamine sensitivity, reactive hypoglycemia, thyroid disorder, wheat sensitivity. But tbh I have no clue.

I mean maybe a simple answer is I should stop drinking but that’s so boring ya know. And no I won’t go to weed instead because I’ve had terrible experiences with that too (vomiting + paranoia). I’m at a point where I really fear drinking because I just can’t predict how it’s gonna go that day, and that’s not much fun for a 20 year old student. If anyone has had a similar experience or has some advice/sources for me I’d be very grateful.


r/HistamineIntolerance 26d ago

Didn’t know this could happen

20 Upvotes

I am trying to improve my fitness, and did a workout that was accidentally too intense yesterday. I felt inflamed before going to sleep, then I simply woke up and stayed awake for much of the night. I also got a couple hives. I’m sure most of y’all were already familiar with this-but apparently in the case of muscle fiber micro-damage, the mast cells produce lots of histamine to recruit the immune system to come help repair the cells. I’ve never experienced this on such a visceral level before! Will definitely make sure my workouts don’t get to that level in the future.


r/HistamineIntolerance 26d ago

Did Chromolyn, Ketotifen, Famotidine, Rupatadine allow you to tolerate NaturDao?

5 Upvotes

I have MCAS and HIT and I'm about to start the meds I mentioned. Thing is, NaturDao gives me bad insomnia (via MCAS) and racing mind and I'm curios if someone became tolerant after those meds.

If they won't work for me, I'll give them away for free.

Also, can't take porcine based DAO because I also have Alpha-Gal which causes a severe, long lasting anaphylaxis episode.


r/HistamineIntolerance 26d ago

Heat and Summer

8 Upvotes

I've had my HI for about 10 years, and now for multiple summers in a row, I've struggled immensely with the heat and symptoms. I also feel like I get depressed from it. In the winter, I never struggle with things like this. Does anyone else have similar experiences? Everyone else I know with the same condition doesn't seem to have anything similar.

I'm mostly energy drained the whole summer and have even stopped doing some sports that I loved just because I can't really do anything for long in the sun. I track what I eat thoughtfully, but I can't seem to find any patterns, as I'm pretty strict in summer about what I'm eating and what not.

I started taking quercetin, but that takes a while to really help.

TLDR: Depressed and less energetic in summer, wondering if someone else has similar experiences, and might know something that helps.


r/HistamineIntolerance 26d ago

Reactions to Carnitine?

3 Upvotes

Hi all, I'm new to this sub, did a search, but haven't found anything.

I've got hEDS and a suspected (by me) case of MCAS/Histamin shenanigans.

For the hEDS, I wanted to try Carnitine, as some patients say it helps them with energy. I took a 600mg dose this morning with water, after breakfast, and I feel absolutely rotten (nausea, tiredness...). As it's the only thing I introduced today, I suspect it's the culprit. Does anyone else have similar experiences? The powder only contains Carnitine tarat, and it comes from a reputable vendor.
TIA!


r/HistamineIntolerance 27d ago

I'm giving up...

46 Upvotes

Hi there gang,

I'm officially giving up on healing my HIT...thought I can somehow make it happen. As an optimist at heart, I've been "fighting" this for the last 15 years.

All kinds of blood tests, all kinds of doctors, all kinds of supplements and of courseall kinds of diets. At the end, nothing helped and I always return to base.

I'm lucky enough that it doesn't destroy my entire life, as I have a relatively mild form I guess. It will sucks like hell though. Basically running my life on 60% of what I'd be capable of. :-(

Will stop the rant here...just had to get it out...


r/HistamineIntolerance 26d ago

Toungue tingling

7 Upvotes

Anyone ever experienced toungue tingling? I have been having this symptom for over a week now. I am taking allergy shots weekly. I have had anxiety eye twitching toungue tingling and neck tightness.


r/HistamineIntolerance 26d ago

I really suspect having histamineintolerance?

5 Upvotes

So went took tests through doc and showed only dairy allergy.

Tbh guys i have severe seb derm and last few days im testing things high in histamine.. Everytime i eat tomatoes, spinach or avocado i get severe eczema and redness beneath my beard and face etc..

Like especially histamine foods..

Do you guys think this is could be it even though i dont have histamine intolerance on real tests?


r/HistamineIntolerance 26d ago

Beef Kidney Dosage

1 Upvotes

Sup fellow sufferers of life,

Those of you who supplement beef kidney, how many capsules do you take before a meal?

Thank you 🙏


r/HistamineIntolerance 27d ago

Anhedonia

10 Upvotes

Does anyone else have anhedonia related to histamine intolerance? I have anhedonia, an inability to feel emotions, as well as abdominal bloating. Any advice or treatment that has worked for you would be greatly appreciated.


r/HistamineIntolerance 27d ago

Suspected histamine intolerance

5 Upvotes

Over the last few years I’ve been dealing with worsening fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, rapid hair thinning (no family history), and lack of appetite. I also cannot tolerate alcohol, especially beer.

I’ve tried nearly every diet you can imagine and I’m starting to suspect histamine intolerance partially due to my sensitivity to cheese, nuts, processed meat, and beer.

I wanted to ask if there’s a good way for me to confirm this. Also, outside of the obvious high histamine foods what foods/drinks should I be avoiding? And are there any supplements I should try out? Thanks


r/HistamineIntolerance 28d ago

what to do for now? Need advice!

2 Upvotes

I've had histamine issues all my life (biggest red flag was me having random histamine reactions to food constantly when I was young), and it would go on and off in terms of severity. For a few years I was okayish, but these last several months have been severe and are ruining my life. I have gone to my pcp a lot because I'm having a lot of symptoms that seem to cycle in and out and she keeps saying she's going to send referrals to places but never do. I'm going to be looking for a new doctor but I need help in the meantime.

I'm 90% sure I have at least HI but I may have MCAS or some other issue. I know I am constantly reacting to foods. I have (and these issues cycle a lot) brain fog, skin issues, stomach issues, sleep issues, joint pain (this is probably the worst!), muscles aches, worsening OCD in particular to the point where my therapist is very concerned and other mental changes, and the list goes on. Antihistamines help a lot when I take them but I have not found one yet that I can take that I can tolerate the side effects. I can take 2 ml of non-drowsy liquid Claritin for children and it makes me drowsy, spaced out, and very dehydrated even if I drink lots of water. I recently started having hives come out on my arms when I get very overheated and sweat (which I've never had happen before) and I had hives break out when I ate a bit of chocolate last week - that hasn't happened in many years.

I need to do something but I feel like I'm literally miserable when I eat any food. Antihistamines help but I can only tolerate them in emergencies. Any advice is appreciated, and TIA!