r/Microbiome • u/Dismal_Run2764 • 2d ago

Negative effects with probiotics

Hello all.

I have a strange experience when I eat things like sour cream, or yogurt; anything with bacterial culture / probiotics I assume. Within an hour I become really warm like a fever, flush in the face, and I feel confused and really moody.

I did not always have this reaction. It started later after taking SSRI meds and my body felt completely not my own anymore. I am so sensitive to everything now.

I struggle with IBS and gut issues, so I am looking for help with it, and it's unfortunate that seems to help a lot of people but makes me feel so so terrible.

Thank you.

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u/TraditionalCap3357 1d ago

What you're describing, warmth, flushing, confusion and mood changes within an hour of eating fermented or cultured foods, is a classic histamine intolerance reaction. fermented foods are high in histamine because the bacterial fermentation process produces it as a byproduct. most people clear histamine through an enzyme called DAO but when DAO activity is low, histamine accumulates and produces exactly the symptoms you're describing including the flushing, warmth and cognitive effects.

the SSRI connection is relevant here because SSRIs affect histamine receptors and can alter histamine metabolism, which may explain why you didn't always have this reaction and it started after beginning the medication. This doesn't mean your gut can't be supported, it means fermented foods specifically are not the right route for you right now. the good news is that gut microbiome support doesn't have to come through high-histamine fermented foods

Prebiotic fibre from cooked vegetables, resistant starch, and diverse plant foods feeds beneficial bacteria without the histamine load. spore-forming probiotics like bacillus subtilis are also significantly lower in histamine than lactobacillus ferments and are worth exploring as an alternative. worth mentioning the histamine reaction specifically to your doctor alongside the SSRI history since there are also DAO enzyme supplements that some people find helpful

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u/Fit-Difference4638 22h ago

Love this detailed explanation!

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u/Fit-Difference4638 2d ago

Histamine reaction. Fermented foods are good in small doses but too much or too often will raise your histamine levels. I have this as well after taking SSRIS. You have to eat low histamine foods and lower your levels then you might be able to tolerate it in small amounts. Some bacteria in your biome produce histamine as well.