Anyone Else Have Histamine Problems Due To Caffeine?

Post by **tex** » Tue May 05, 2015 8:16 am

Hi All,

I have genetic mutations that (among other things) interfere with my ability to metabolize caffeine. Consequently caffeine affects me way longer than it should. I find that I can drink 2 cups of coffee in the morning, and probably do OK, but if I drink 3, or drink a glass of iced tea in the afternoon, for example, I will usually awaken about 4 or 5 am, and be unable to get back to sleep.

But the most troublesome problem seems to be a histamine reaction if I overdo the caffeine. It appears that caffeine causes me to have an itchy rash on my lower legs. It took me a while to make the connection, but I can't find any other reason, and after I began to wonder about it, I looked it up, and sure enough, caffeine triggers a histamine reaction in the brain.

Histamine level significantly increased beginning 30 min after caffeine administration and remained elevated for at least 140 min. Immunostaining showed a significantly elevated number of c-Fos-labeled histamine neurons in caffeine-treated rats compared with saline-treated animals. We conclude that increased glutamate levels in the PH activate histamine neurons and contribute to caffeine-induced waking and alertness.

Caffeine promotes glutamate and histamine release in the posterior hypothalamus

My slow metabolism of caffeine may mean that it has much more time to influence histamine production.

Tex

Vanessa · Post by **Vanessa** » Tue May 05, 2015 12:21 pm

My mother in laws lips get really red and puffy with regular drip coffee but not instant. She had an aunt with awful mast cell issues. I think most people walk around with their guts leaking and they don't even know it. "Excuse me sir, but your guts are leaking...."

I find I can drink one cup but two will send me to the loo. No rashes though. I possess one slow and one fast metabolizing gene for caffeine.

Lilja · Post by **Lilja** » Tue May 05, 2015 3:32 pm

Back in the 80's and 90's I was into alternative medicine; such as homeopathy. This was long before my CC diagnosis.

When given the small white pills, I was always instructed to stay away from coffee at least 1 hour after taking the pills, because caffeine would damage the effect of the pills, and also drain nutritients from my body.

I've never investigated the truth of this, but out of old habit I don't mix meals with coffee.
And if by occasion (dining out, parties etc) I should feel that I have to drink coffee, I make sure that I put some fat into it and wait as long as I can to drink coffee after the meal.

Lilia

Sheila · Post by **Sheila** » Tue May 05, 2015 7:34 pm

23andme tells me I metabolize caffeine slowly. I can tolerate one cup of coffee a day, usually in the morning. Before MRT testing forbade tea, I drank a cup of tea every morning and never drank coffee. Too much caffeine and I get the shakes and a belly ache. Now I drink only Pellegrino water for the added minerals, one cup of coffee and one (large) glass of wine each day. Simplicity is best.

Sheila W

Post by **tex** » Tue May 05, 2015 7:46 pm

I may have to cut back to one cup, too.

Thanks for the responses.

Tex

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Wed May 06, 2015 6:43 am

My husband seems to metabolize coffee badly, as well. He can handle just one cup in the morning and even that gives him the shakes. He also gets very talkative! Caffeine seems to make him ADHD!

A while ago I found empty starbucks frappucino bottles in his truck and he confessed he was imbibing once in a while. Of course he was also have insomnia for the first time in his life!