Last updated August '21

This 40 page factsheet will help you identify if histamine intolerance is part of your issue and, if it is, what to do about it! Yes, we know we have to follow a low histamine diet - but which list is the right one - they all vary don't they?! But it's not just about the diet.

Histamine Intolerance is not actually an intolerance at all; that's a bit of a misnomer. It's a condition of histamine excess and the key is working out why histamine is high in the first place - and why it is high some days and you're fine on others! My theory is that many people simply don't have the nutrition co-factors in place to break the histamine down effectively, hence the build-up. In this factsheet, I give you my take on what's going wrong and how to address each issue, helping you to lower your overall histamine load and keep it down! Clue: it's FAR from being as simple as throwing a DAO supplement at it, although that can help if your problem happens to be low DAO. But what if you can't even tolerate the DAO supplements, what else can you do?

There are some estimates that up to 10% of the population suffer from some degree of histamine sensitivity and possibly 2% who have severe histamine excess. Basically, we need histamine. It’s just that some people can have too much in their system and they overload, triggering the classic histamine symptoms that include mood changes, head pain, hives, sensitivity reactions etc. Commonly, excess histamine is also involved in wakefulness and insomnia and gut problems, so not just the allergy symptoms we mostly think of.

These are all Histamine Intolerance symptoms. Recognise yourself?

• Headaches and migraines
• Itching and irritation - especially eyes, ears, nose, skin; hives, urticaria, prickly heat
• Eczema, psoriasis
• Chills/shivers
• Fatigue – HIT and adrenal fatigue are often found together
• Dizziness
• Facial/neck flushing
• Nausea/vomiting, motion sickness
• Fast heart rate and blood pressure changes, sometimes nose bleeds
• Large bites when bitten
• Anxiety, panic attacks, sudden mood changes, blackouts
• Swelling (inflammation) esp in face, mouth and throat – histamine is linked to rheumatoid arthritis too
• Insomnia, sleep difficulties, waking etc
• Sneezing and sinus congestion, dry mouth, runny nose
• Irregular periods and worse symptoms before periods and in perimenopause because oestrogen releases histamine and histamine triggers oestrogen
• IBS symptoms including abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, feeling of fullness
• Heartburn, indigestion
• Asthma and exercise-induced asthma, chest tightness, constricted breathing
• Chest pains
• Thyroid problems – histamine helps control the release of TSH
• Weight problems – low or high, because histamine is involved in appetite control and leptin levels
• Light sensitivity, even not being able to go out because of reactions

It's a bit of a minefield, isn't it?! Don't worry, I've simplified it for you. Here's what's included:

Contents

Welcome and Housekeeping 4

Introduction 6

Neurological Histamine Imbalance 9

What Causes High Histamine? 11

Testing for Histamine Intolerance 16

The HIT Diet Guidelines 18

Treating Histamine Intolerance 19

Histamine and Genetics 22

A First-Line Treatment? 24

The HIT Protocol 26

Boosting DAO 29

Probiotics 32

Symptom Support 36

Getting Support 39

Resources 41

I hope it helps, truly.