My Antihistamine Experiment........BINGO!

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 7:45 am

Mornin' Good Buddies!

So, although I have followed all of the discussions about mast cells with great interest, I never thought they applied to me. Mainly because I have never had any respiratory or skin allergies like so many here.

In recent weeks I have been coming off of a flare (self-induced - I was feeling sorry for myself because of all my food limitations and rebelled and ate a bunch of things I shouldn’t have) and just couldn’t seem to get it to end. I went back to eating my phase II MRT foods (very safe ones) and increased my meditation and exercise. Still no results……the D lingered. So…..based on the experience of folks like Mary Beth, Leah, and others, I decided to look at histamine as a culprit. I eliminated the major histamine containing/releasing foods (I wasn’t really eating many of them, but I did enjoy a 3 or 4 oz. glass of red wine most nights of the week) and bought some antihistamine, Claritin (loratadine). I didn’t really expect to see any difference with the Claritin. Boy, was I WRONG!

The results have been striking! I have found that the very smallest dose has a major effect. I have discovered I can cut the 5 mg Reditab (12 hour) in half and take it in the morning. Sometimes I take the other half (2.5 mg) in the late afternoon but not always. Immediately upon starting Claritin I could feel that my gut was a lot calmer. It really is amazing! I had my first Norman this morning…..about a week after starting the Claritin. I have experienced no side effects from the Claritin. I know that it stopped working for Gloria and that Kari developed an intolerance to it, so I am being cautiously optimistic.

It appears that hyperreactive mast cells in the gut may be a significant component of MC for some of us. Imagine how corrosive those mediators in the mast cells must be when they get released into the gut. Those mediators are designed to kill foreign invaders like bacteria, so they are really potent. I read a journal article where they found that in biopsies of those with inflammatory bowel disease, the nerves were closer to the mast cells than in those without IBD. Those nerves receive messages from the brain so this helps explain how stress makes our disease worse.

Anyway, isn’t it super that we may have discovered another simple, OTC treatment for some of us?

Love,

Polly

Post by **tex** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 7:55 am

Truly impressive results.

Thanks for posting this.

Love,
Tex

mzh · Post by **mzh** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:12 am

That's amazing, Polly! And that's probably a lot cheaper than even Histame.

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:18 am

Ahhh, Histame! I actually ordered some just before trying the Claritin. And then Mary Beth reminded me that it is derived from pork (one of my sensitivities) so I haven't taken it. Sigh. Does anyone want it? LOL!

Hugs,

Polly

JFR · Post by **JFR** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:29 am

I've been taking Allegra daily since April, after I joined this forum. Since I made dietary changes at the same time that I started the Allegra I do not know what part of the improvement in my symptoms can be attributed to the Allegra. I also have had allergies to various things, pollens, dust etc, since childhood as well as an asthma diagnosis so starting Allegra (which is the antihistamine I had been taking for years off and on) seemed a no brainer, especially when Tex pointed out that my symptoms indicated mast cell issues. Eating anything was sending me to the bathroom within 10-20 minutes and was seemingly unstoppable by anything except starvation and around 6 immodium. Since this is ragweed season, my worst offender, I had no intention of stopping it just yet. Perhaps I should consider rotating antihistamines. Glad you figured it out Polly.

Jean

mzh · Post by **mzh** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 9:04 am

Polly wrote:Ahhh, Histame! I actually ordered some just before trying the Claritin. And then Mary Beth reminded me that it is derived from pork (one of my sensitivities) so I haven't taken it. Sigh. Does anyone want it? LOL!

Hugs,

Polly

Yes, I do as long as it costs less than $22.71 - what I paid for it on Amazon

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 10:42 am

Polly I have not needed the loratidine (Claritin) for several months with the prednisone I have been on, but I have found that when I am having trouble settling things down that taking 10mg dose per day does help. I have also experimented with Allegra (fexofenadine) and found that to be beneficial as well. I believe they are both a H1 antagonist

Joe

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 11:13 am

Polly,
I've been on the fence about starting Histame or Claritin or Allegra. I am staying clear of Zyrtec based on past side effects (drowsiness, dryness), and the withdrawl my daughter went through. Your post is inspirng me to give it a try. I'll talk to my new nutritionist today about it when I get my MRT results!

jmayk8 · Post by **jmayk8** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 2:58 pm

Polly which brand are you using? I thought they regular claitin contained lactose?
Jenny
ps congrats!!!! :)

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 3:10 pm

Hi Jenny,

Thanks. I use the Reditabs, 12 hr. The inactive ingredients are listed as: anhydrous citric acid, gelatin, mannitol, and mint flavor. Don't see any lactose listed.

mzh,

If you send me a PM with your name and snail mail address, I'll send them to you - no charge!!

Hugs,

Polly

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 3:41 pm

Polly I forgot to mention in my other post that in the past I have used loratidine (Claritin) for sinus allergies and did note its efficacy with the GI symptoms. As others have mentioned some experience a fading in how effective the medicine is over a number of days, for me that has been about 10 or so days. In past experiments I found that Allegra (fexofenidine) worked as well as loratidine and did not seem to fade in its efficacy, I believe they are both H1 antagonist and work on the same receptors.

I've not needed these for the past few months as I have been on prednisone which masks both the sinus and GI symptoms, hopefully I'll be off the prednisone within a month.

Thanks for posting this, I had a similar thread roughly last Janurary, it does seem that these H1 antagonist can really help with the effects of mast cell degranulation.

mbeezie · Post by **mbeezie** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 5:53 pm

Polly,

Good to hear you are still finding relief from Claritin. That coupled wioth a low histamine diet should help . . .but stick with your meditation and exercise . . . I am a firm beleiver.

Z,

Don't count on the dietitian knowing anything about mast cells or claritin . . . trust me, this is uncharted territory for my peeps.

Mary Beth

Leah · Post by **Leah** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 7:40 pm

Isn't it amazing Polly? I also thought I wasn't one of the people who had histamine issues because I didn't have the outward allergy symptoms. Like you, it amazed me how fast it worked. I am now in the process of figuring how much I really need. I am doing one tab every other day ( with good results so far), but I guess I could break it in half. I really want to take as little as possible. I'm so relieved that I can now be off of the Entocort. It's been over a week and I'm "normal". I hope you continue to have success.

Leah

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:13 pm

Polly
i was another one who didn't take full notice of the discussions on histamine/mast cells etc until Joe suggested that the heart rate/headache/vomitting issues i was having 9 months ago, were H2 related.

it was amazing that the solution to so many symptoms was OTC H1 and H2 antihistamines. and 7 months later i am hardly using them at all.

at that time backtracked through previous discussions and thanks to the info posted by Mary Beth, Faithberry, Julie, i was able to pull togther a summary of info and good articles. In Julies post in January she had a link to an article about mast cells and their mediators, the link does not work anymore but there are quite a few studies published.

A big woo hoo for feeling better

- sad face that you have had to give up the wine

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Fri Aug 31, 2012 6:56 am

Hi All,

Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts.

Z. - it's worth a shot, IMHO.

Gabes, it was actually following the posts from you and Joe about your experience with antihistamines that started me thinking and trying to learn more about this issue. I'm so glad you shared all of that. And I am so happy to hear how well you are doing after such a long, difficult, and winding road to health. You know me well! Giving up red wine for now is a bummer - it was my only safe "treat".

Leah, your recent positive experience grabbed me, especially since you, like me, had never had any "traditional" allergies. And hooray to you for getting off Entocort!

Jean, interesting about the Allegra. Let me know what you decide about rotating antihistamines. I think Mary Beth alternated Claritin and Allegra for about 2 years until she was able to stop them. (MB-correct me if I'm wrong here and please let us know your thoughts on rotation.)

Mary Beth - don't worry. I will not give up exercise and meditation! I am hooked, thanks in large part to the references you have shared with me.

Love,

Polly