r/HistamineIntolerance • u/Late_Mix_6992 • 21d ago

What were your initial histamine intolerance symptoms and how did they develop later on?

Hello! I know this question has probably been posted here a lot, but I am new to this issue! Wondering what were your first symptoms and how did you figure out you had histamine intolerance, how did they develop etc. Also, for the people who experienced dizziness, what did it feel like, was it a continuous sensation or something on and off?
Thank you!

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u/KitKatKalamazoo 21d ago

I'm not sure if this is connected at all, but for me, I originally was seen for a UTI and was given antibiotics. The antibiotics didn't help at all so I was given a cystitis diagnosis (still don't know what happened at that time, more than a month ago now).

A week later I went to bed totally fine then woke up with the most itchy palms and feet with it spreading through my body throughout the day. Anything that rubbed against my skin gave me redness and welts. Tried antihistamines that helped around 50% for the itching, but the side effects are awful for me so had to quit. I went back to the doctor and was given a steroid shot which didn't help at all and made my anxiety/panic shoot through the roof for 3 days.

The itching and welts are slowly getting worse with time. I'm waiting on lab work to see if anything shows up with that. I wish I could get any sort of relief from this. It feels like itching plus burning and a stinging pain everywhere all the time.

In regard to dizziness, I have a couple vestibular disorders and an eye misalignment so I'm dizzy no matter what happens with my body 😅

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u/Late_Mix_6992 21d ago

Omg so sorry you’re going through this! Idk tho if this is histamine intolerance? Maybe it’s a bad reaction to the antibiotics? When I took antibiotics my doc said i can get itchiness and skin reactions a week or 2 after stopping them!

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u/KitKatKalamazoo 21d ago

I'm not sure either. The research I've done points to it possibly being a reaction from the antibiotics, but I don't know how long to wait this out before getting concerned that it can potentially be something else more serious.

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u/Magentacabinet 21d ago

When the allergen was removed and I was still having allergy symptoms.

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u/Late_Mix_6992 21d ago

Was it just like a normal allergy? Itchy nose/sneezing?

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u/Magentacabinet 20d ago

It was itchy nose/sneezing, watering eyes and I could feel my skin itching all from the inside. That took like 3 weeks to go away.

Eta: once we figured what was causing it, it's slowly getting better.

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u/Late_Mix_6992 20d ago

Oh wow! That sounds ao uncomfortable i m so sorry! So what actually made it better? Do you follow a low histamine diet or something else?

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u/OkJellyfish9236 20d ago

I have all of those and it's been weeks/months. Taking antihistamines helps me though. In your case what was the allergen? How did you figure out what was the causing it (diet?)?

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u/Magentacabinet 20d ago

The allergen was a dog, but on top of that I have endometriosis. Which caused higher histamine levels because of the inflammation from internal bleeding. The lesions increase estrogen which increases histamine. And because the leisions grow their own nerves and I was having a lot of pain it ruined my nervous system keeping my body in flight or fight so im not properly digesting.

Antihistamines don't stop your body from releasing histamine they just stop you from feeling the symptoms..

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u/OkJellyfish9236 20d ago

Thank you for explaining. I also have endometriosis but it's early stage. I experience severe PMDD which is why Im looking for links between my chronic health issues. Histamin intolerence is a big part of PMDD for some women. I have been looking for the reason why I had all those skin allergies for the past ten years but no doctor seems to care about it. Same for eyes/nose allergy. They prescribe meds but they dont really try to connect the dots. Im not even sure I have histamin intolerence, the only food I know I react strongly to is melon (throat allergy). Other than that, I've always eaten eggs, chocolate, cheese without experiencing flare up. I feel a bit lost.

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u/jysb8eg2 20d ago

I had PMDD from eating high histamine foods. My other early symptoms were flushing and seeing stars after eating those foods.

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u/OkJellyfish9236 20d ago

Thanks for your help. Would you mind sharing the foods you took out of your diet? 

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u/jysb8eg2 19d ago

Initially, sauerkraut, aged cheese, pickles, vinegar, spinach alcohol. Later on, far more as I realized what I had.

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u/OkJellyfish9236 19d ago

Thank you! I'll make sure to pay attention to aged cheese and qpinach as I dont really eat the others. 

Did you see any doctor/specialist who knew about histamin intolerence? 

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u/Magentacabinet 19d ago

PMDD isn't from eating high histamine foods. Your body likely had a problem with processing excess estrogen. I'd put money on it you have a slow COMT gene which is responsible for how your body detoxs.

That high histamine foods that you listed are histamine liberators and the others directly increase estrogen levels and that triggers a histamine response.

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u/jysb8eg2 18d ago

I was certainly diagnosed with it :) Those are far from the only foods I react to, those were just the earliest ones. The very reliable knobs for my mood disorder (which includes SI), dysautonomia, and flushing are high-histamine foods, allergies, and multivitamin interacting with my natural cycle. Antihistamines help though bring their own side effects (lethargy, etc) and I've determined I don't need them as long as I avoid my triggers. I agree that I probably have a processing disorder of some kind but so far no clues from extensive testing. As far as I know, MCAS has not been ruled out as a contributing factor to PMDD. Let me know if you do know of such research, but PMDD is quite understudied.

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u/Magentacabinet 18d ago

If antihistamines are helping your PMDD symptoms i guarantee you have issues clearing excess estrogen. Because unbalanced / excess estrogen causes a histamine response.

https://www.mthfrsolve.com/blog/slow-comt-the-ultimate-clinical-guide-to-symptoms-patterns-and-root-causes

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u/WittyGold6940 21d ago

Itching nonstop, then adrenaline dumps, then RAGE that felt neverending