Is it easier just to take an antihistamine tablet a day or can it be controlled by diet and eliminate stress.
Thanks.
Low Histamine Diet Sources?
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Low Histamine Diet Sources?
Trying to research low Histamine diet right now and I'm having some problems with gathering information. Can you direct me to a trustworthy list and websites or books.
Is it easier just to take an antihistamine tablet a day or can it be controlled by diet and eliminate stress.
Thanks.
Is it easier just to take an antihistamine tablet a day or can it be controlled by diet and eliminate stress.
Thanks.
Hi,
Since we are all different, some of us have to take more steps than others in order to resolve mast cell/histamine issues (just as is the case with controlling our MC symptoms in general). So we tend to develop our own particular protocol, based on whatever seems to work best for us personally. A low histamine diet alone might be sufficient in many cases, but frankly, most of us who have significant mast cell/histamine issues find it more expedient to both limit histamine intake from foods, and take 1 or 2 antihistamines each day, in order to get prompt and reliable resolution of symptoms. After a while, we can usually wean off the antihistamines, and as our intestines heal, we may be able to allow more histamine in our diet, also.
It's usually easy to tell if an antihistamine is helping, because we will typically see an improvement within a day or 2 if the histamine is beneficial for us. Sometimes changing the brand (type) of antihistamine makes a big difference, also. IOW, if one doesn't help, try a different brand. Here is my theory of why there is so much confusion among various lists of foods rated by histamine content:
Virtually all such lists appear to assume that histamine content of food is a static (constant, unchanging) number, and that's simply not true. Histamine content of food is constantly changing (increasing as it ages). IMO, histamine in food is primarily due to the invisible growth of mold. Histamine is a byproduct of mold, and as the mold continues to grow, the histamine level continues to rise. That's why a banana that is just barely ripe is not a high-histamine food, but a banana that has been ripe for 2 or 3 days or more has become a high-histamine food.
Most people assume that food (including leftovers) placed in the refrigerator is stable and safe from mold growth or any other changes (at least for a few days). But that's not true. Mold continues to grow at refrigeration temperatures (even though we cannot see it until enough time has passed for the mold to become obvious), and the histamine content of food stored in the fridge continues to rise. I can eat leftover chicken soup that has been stored in the fridge for a day, without any problems. But by the next day, eating it will cause me to have a slight amount of gas/bloating. By the third day, eating it will cause me to have significant bloating, and diarrhea (from the relatively high histamine level), and even itching on my lower legs or forearms.
In order to stop the growth of mold in food, it must be stored at deepfreeze temps (zero degrees F, or below). Therefore, most of us who have histamine issues, promptly freeze all leftovers and thaw them in a microwave just prior to reheating them for a meal. Some foods (chicken, fish, etc.), are more prone to mold growth than others, and therefore offer higher risks of more rapid histamine increases.
Hopefully someone else who is more familiar with lists of foods ranked by histamine levels can direct you to some websites or books on the topic. For some background information on how mast cells and histamine are associated with MC, have you read the short articles at the following links?
What are mast cells?
How are mast cells associated with microscopic colitis?
How do I know if mast cells are causing problems for me?
How are mast cell issues treated?
Tex
Since we are all different, some of us have to take more steps than others in order to resolve mast cell/histamine issues (just as is the case with controlling our MC symptoms in general). So we tend to develop our own particular protocol, based on whatever seems to work best for us personally. A low histamine diet alone might be sufficient in many cases, but frankly, most of us who have significant mast cell/histamine issues find it more expedient to both limit histamine intake from foods, and take 1 or 2 antihistamines each day, in order to get prompt and reliable resolution of symptoms. After a while, we can usually wean off the antihistamines, and as our intestines heal, we may be able to allow more histamine in our diet, also.
It's usually easy to tell if an antihistamine is helping, because we will typically see an improvement within a day or 2 if the histamine is beneficial for us. Sometimes changing the brand (type) of antihistamine makes a big difference, also. IOW, if one doesn't help, try a different brand. Here is my theory of why there is so much confusion among various lists of foods rated by histamine content:
Virtually all such lists appear to assume that histamine content of food is a static (constant, unchanging) number, and that's simply not true. Histamine content of food is constantly changing (increasing as it ages). IMO, histamine in food is primarily due to the invisible growth of mold. Histamine is a byproduct of mold, and as the mold continues to grow, the histamine level continues to rise. That's why a banana that is just barely ripe is not a high-histamine food, but a banana that has been ripe for 2 or 3 days or more has become a high-histamine food.
Most people assume that food (including leftovers) placed in the refrigerator is stable and safe from mold growth or any other changes (at least for a few days). But that's not true. Mold continues to grow at refrigeration temperatures (even though we cannot see it until enough time has passed for the mold to become obvious), and the histamine content of food stored in the fridge continues to rise. I can eat leftover chicken soup that has been stored in the fridge for a day, without any problems. But by the next day, eating it will cause me to have a slight amount of gas/bloating. By the third day, eating it will cause me to have significant bloating, and diarrhea (from the relatively high histamine level), and even itching on my lower legs or forearms.
In order to stop the growth of mold in food, it must be stored at deepfreeze temps (zero degrees F, or below). Therefore, most of us who have histamine issues, promptly freeze all leftovers and thaw them in a microwave just prior to reheating them for a meal. Some foods (chicken, fish, etc.), are more prone to mold growth than others, and therefore offer higher risks of more rapid histamine increases.
Hopefully someone else who is more familiar with lists of foods ranked by histamine levels can direct you to some websites or books on the topic. For some background information on how mast cells and histamine are associated with MC, have you read the short articles at the following links?
What are mast cells?
How are mast cells associated with microscopic colitis?
How do I know if mast cells are causing problems for me?
How are mast cell issues treated?
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
You're very welcome.
Good luck with your treatment program, and please keep us posted on your progress.
Tex
Good luck with your treatment program, and please keep us posted on your progress.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.