Histamine and what to do to get better

I was put on a CT in 2016 and once the WD started so did the horrible histamine issues.  I was allergic to everything from smells, spicy food, medications etc.  I was reinstated on xanax after 8 months and it took a couple months, but the histamine issue got better!  I did not know it was histamine until a few months ago.

 

In February, I had an allergic reaction daily for 9-10 days to the smell of paint (which I have been allergic to before benzos) that was creeping into my condo, and I got over sensitized and then the histamine issues came back!  I am low in dose at .160 mg of xanax (from 4mg when I started) as of tomorrow and the lower in dose I go, the worse the histamine issues have become, mostly to food.  I am so limited to what I can eat and am so frustrated by the things I cannot eat.  It started with just feeling bad after I ate, and I thought it was regular WD.  Then my mouth started to get sore, my face would swell, and my throat would feel like it was closing, and I would have to take benadryl.  The last few days, it has changed again.  I ate some pickled red cabbage and did not realize it was pickled and had vinegar in it and by the next morning, I was so off balance that when I got up, I kept falling back onto the bed.  It took a bit for me to be able to walk at all.  I finally had to use a cane for the rest of the day to walk.  My mouth was sore and my throat felt like it was closing for hours!  Then a couple days ago, I ate 2 little fired chicken legs that had a little spice on them and 3 tablespoons of dirty rice and within an hour or 2, I started to feel awful, and the off balance came back but nowhere as bad as it was a couple days before that.  It lasted until the next day!  I am afraid to eat!!

 

I cannot eat anything with vinegar in it so that takes away any condiments from my list of things I can eat!  I started to diet at the end of December and have lost 34 pounds so I had already limited my sugar intake and have been making healthier choices as far as my foods go but this histamine issue is really hard to navigate.

 

There are so many conflicting articles on the internet about low histamine diets etc that I hate to look anymore.

 

I have been watching what I eat and am down to eating eggs, white bread, butter and a little raspberry preserve and I can eat pasta without sauce.  I just do not know what to do to make this better.  Will this continue to get worse as I get lower in dose and then when I am off of the xanax?  What do I do?

 

I am sensitive and cannot take supplements or other meds, so I am perplexed.  I even tried to take a Vit C supplement and had a reaction to that!!  UGGGG

 

Any input would be appreciated.  I know many people are having issues with histamine.  Just wanted a spot for people to share their experiences and if anyone has something that has helped them, it would be great if they would share that!

 

Thanks for sharing your experiences and any tips on how to get through this!!

 

 

I've had some problems with histamine, although not severe. In fact, I think it may have contributed to some of the symptoms that got me a script for ativan in the first place. I definitely don't have tons of answers and am still struggling some myself, but I can mention a couple of things that I think help.

There's a supplement from Seeking Health called Histamine Block that I take before some meals. It has DAO in it. I also take digestive enzymes, but I'm not sure if that helps with histamine. One thing that I did awhile back was get a food allergy test, and removed the foods I was allergic to. The thought was that would lower my overall histamine,  and make me less reactive to other foods that may have histamine,  but that I'm not allergic or sensitive to. There are certain nutrients that our body needs to process histamine,  so if we are deficient in those, histamine can build up. The bacteria amd fungi in our gut can also be a root cause of elevated histamine---dysbiosis will increase it.

I looked into a program called DNRS awhile back. There are a lot of success stories for people with histamine issues. I haven't really followed through with it, though, so idk if it is legit. It really is a nightmare; I'm sorry you are dealing with it.

Thanks for your response.  I am sorry you have had histamine issues too!  This stuff is crazy!

 

I am not able to take any supplements so that is out for me!  I wish I could!

 

I made a cut this morning and am dealing with more issues of histamine.  My face is swelling/puffy, headache, throat feels like it is closing but it is not, anxiety - which makes it worse!!  I am not going to be able to stay at this dose and will recut my pills and go back to the dose I was on until I can figure out what the heck to do.  This is scary!  I did just take a benadryl and for my second dose of the day I will go back to yesterday's dose. 

 

I can only assume this is only going to get worse the lower in dose I go.  I will have to make cuts that are smaller and that is not what I wanted.  I was hoping to get off this sooner rather than later.  It has already been 3 1/2 years of tapering! 

 

I had been tested for allergies a couple of times and I am not allergic to foods, it is the histamine that is causing the reactions to the food for me. 

 

Are you tapering or are you off the benzo? 

 

 

 

That sounds really really frustrating,  and hard to figure out what to do! I am still tapering,  but am almost done. I'm down to .040 mg dose (weight is .005 on jewelry scale). I'm still having symptoms every time I go even a tiny but lower, so I'm planning on slowing doing a couple more cuts if I can get an accurate enough weight!

That sounds really really frustrating,  and hard to figure out what to do! I am still tapering,  but am almost done. I'm down to .040 mg dose (weight is .005 on jewelry scale). I'm still having symptoms every time I go even a tiny but lower, so I'm planning on slowing doing a couple more cuts if I can get an accurate enough weight!

 

Good for you!  That is great that you are so low in dose!  I am using a scale too!  Well - my husband cuts my pills as my sight is not good enough to do that!

 

Sorry you are still having symptoms too!  You are right, it is very frustrating! 

 

I hope others reply here so maybe we both can get more support!

 

That sounds really really frustrating,  and hard to figure out what to do! I am still tapering,  but am almost done. I'm down to .040 mg dose (weight is .005 on jewelry scale). I'm still having symptoms every time I go even a tiny but lower, so I'm planning on slowing doing a couple more cuts if I can get an accurate enough weight!

 

Good for you!  That is great that you are so low in dose!  I am using a scale too!  Well - my husband cuts my pills as my sight is not good enough to do that!

 

Sorry you are still having symptoms too!  You are right, it is very frustrating! 

 

I hope others reply here so maybe we both can get more support!

 

 

So sorry to hear you are struggling.  These d*mn drugs!  I think you are right to want to get off sooner than later, because the toxicity caused by the drug that your body cannot detox due to being so low on nutrition contributes to the histamine problem. Toxicity in the body causes histamine. And coming off benzos causes histamine because GABA is a brake on histamine in the brain, histamine being the ultimate neuro-transmitter.

 

I can't remember, have you tried DAO? You might have a problem taking it because it produces ammonia and hydrogen peroxide when it breaks down histamine, which require nutrition to detox.  The combination of (zyrtec or claritin or benedryl or allegra) plus pepcid (histamine-1 and histamine-2 blockers), if it works, would give you relief the day you took it. It wouldn't have to build up or anything, so it's worth a try. The only problem is that I know benedryl blocks DAO enzyme in the body, so I probably wouldn't use it. I don't know if the other block DAO, but I don't think so.

 

When I have read up on people who can't take any supplements, it is always suggested that they focus on detox to lower their histamine so they can take supplements. Have you tried anything to detox like far infrared saunas and sweating, or taking low doses of modified citrus pectin (I found that I am able to take 6 capsules of modified citrus pectin called Pecta-Sol-C without it affecting my withdrawal symptoms (ie making them worse bc its pulling out drug) and many taking it report an instant feeling of relief because it lowers Galectin-3 in the body which drives whole body inflammation. The other option is going back up on the drug to stabilize and detoxing the bejesus out of your body so the histamine isn't as bad when you try to come off.

 

Are you able to meditate? Even to do a guided meditation? Meditation is one of the best tools in hard cases involving histamine. People have recovered from mast cell disorders just with meditating 3x per day. These are not anecdotal-- it's been many people with chronic fatigue syndrome and long covid. Because stress raises histamine and being sick is stressful, so meditation turns that fight or flight off and lowers stress-caused histamine. That alone could do a lot to help you, as the food/supp/drug issue doesn't leave many paths open.

 

I hope this is helpful. Again, I am so, so sorry you are having to deal with this. I know you are anxious and afraid, but you will get through this. Sending you a big hug--Quinn 

That sounds really really frustrating,  and hard to figure out what to do! I am still tapering,  but am almost done. I'm down to .040 mg dose (weight is .005 on jewelry scale). I'm still having symptoms every time I go even a tiny but lower, so I'm planning on slowing doing a couple more cuts if I can get an accurate enough weight!

 

Good for you!  That is great that you are so low in dose!  I am using a scale too!  Well - my husband cuts my pills as my sight is not good enough to do that!

 

Sorry you are still having symptoms too!  You are right, it is very frustrating! 

 

I hope others reply here so maybe we both can get more support!

 

 

So sorry to hear you are struggling.  These d*mn drugs!  I think you are right to want to get off sooner than later, because the toxicity caused by the drug that your body cannot detox due to being so low on nutrition contributes to the histamine problem. Toxicity in the body causes histamine. And coming off benzos causes histamine because GABA is a brake on histamine in the brain, histamine being the ultimate neuro-transmitter.

 

I can't remember, have you tried DAO? You might have a problem taking it because it produces ammonia and hydrogen peroxide when it breaks down histamine, which require nutrition to detox.  The combination of (zyrtec or claritin or benedryl or allegra) plus pepcid (histamine-1 and histamine-2 blockers), if it works, would give you relief the day you took it. It wouldn't have to build up or anything, so it's worth a try. The only problem is that I know benedryl blocks DAO enzyme in the body, so I probably wouldn't use it. I don't know if the other block DAO, but I don't think so.

 

When I have read up on people who can't take any supplements, it is always suggested that they focus on detox to lower their histamine so they can take supplements. Have you tried anything to detox like far infrared saunas and sweating, or taking low doses of modified citrus pectin (I found that I am able to take 6 capsules of modified citrus pectin called Pecta-Sol-C without it affecting my withdrawal symptoms (ie making them worse bc its pulling out drug) and many taking it report an instant feeling of relief because it lowers Galectin-3 in the body which drives whole body inflammation. The other option is going back up on the drug to stabilize and detoxing the bejesus out of your body so the histamine isn't as bad when you try to come off.

 

Are you able to meditate? Even to do a guided meditation? Meditation is one of the best tools in hard cases involving histamine. People have recovered from mast cell disorders just with meditating 3x per day. These are not anecdotal-- it's been many people with chronic fatigue syndrome and long covid. Because stress raises histamine and being sick is stressful, so meditation turns that fight or flight off and lowers stress-caused histamine. That alone could do a lot to help you, as the food/supp/drug issue doesn't leave many paths open.

 

I hope this is helpful. Again, I am so, so sorry you are having to deal with this. I know you are anxious and afraid, but you will get through this. Sending you a big hug--Quinn 

 

Hi Quinn,

 

Thank you so much for your post!  It is helpful!  I really needed to know there is hope to get through this!

 

No I did not take try the DAO and do not think I can take that for the reasons you stated and I was afraid of a reaction!  I tried to take a Vit C supplement but had a reaction!  I do not know for sure if it was the Vit C or just my system responding out of fear! Fear is part of my problem because I have had so many allergic reactions to meds etc, I am always afraid to try something. 

 

I am going to try the claritin and Pepcid combination starting tomorrow, even though I am afraid but I have to try.  I will start with the claritin and have already cut the dose from 10mg to a 2.5mg dose to see how I react to it.  I tried claritin a couple months ago using the 2.5mg dose and took it for 2-3 days and had a reaction, but again, that could have been to something else.  I am willing to try this because if it even helps a little bit, it is worth the risk to me.  This is a horrible way to have to live!

 

I had to take a benadryl today and I do not think it worked!  That is also scary to me as I have always been able to take a benadryl when I have a allergic reaction!  Today could have been a fluke too, I do not know!

 

 

I have not tried any kind of detox.  I do not leave my home unless I have to.  I will check into the citrus peptin.  Being so sensitized from histamine causes me to not be able to take much!  I am at the point I have to try whatever may help!

 

I tried to do a meditation earlier and I just could not get through it but I think it was not a good one for me!  I am listening to meditation music now and will put it on my phone so I can use it anywhere.  It does seem to help with my stress. 

 

That is great information about meditation helping people with CFS and long covid and I am going to keep doing meditation as many times a day as I can and hope and pray it helps!!  Thank you for that information too!

 

Thank you Quinn for posting and for all the information and tips.  I will be trying as many as I can to try to get this histamine issue under control!  It is really taking over my life at this point!  You are so right,  I am anxious and scared!  This is horrible!  I had this histamine issue when on CT 6 years ago but it got 95% better when I was put back on the xanax but that is not an option for me!  I want off this drug as soon as I can safely get off it so I can heal and my system can get back to pre benzos.  This is the worst thing I have had while tapering and I have had a lot of bad WD at times!  I really think that getting over sensitized in February from having allergic reactions to the paint for 9-10 days straight is what started this and once that sensitized my CNS even further, the histamine situation started and has not gotten any better, it has gotten a lot worse.

 

Thanks for the hug!!  I needed that!! 

 

I hope you continue to do well!  You are an inspiration!!

 

:smitten:

 

 

TOLNBLTP

 

One more big thing I forgot to tell you. This will sound crazy but it works. There is a yoga place called "Body and Brain" yoga. It is basically kinda like a cult. But the guy who started it brought down some old yoga form the mountains of Korea. He found that this particular yoga healed the brain, that it eliminated anxiety. The main thing it involves, besides other yoga moves, is getting like a wooden spoon or something like it (they sell something called the belly button healer, you can google it) and using the end of it to repeatedly push in your belly button and then also on a point 2-finger-distance below your sternum (this is the solar plexus and the most important point). These are where the chakras are, the solar plexus and another one, where we store our fear, anxiety, anger, etc. As you push and release on these points, stop after like 1 minute and notice how you feel. You will feel a sense of relief and peace. They have people push on these points for 30 minutes or longer when in crisis, and to push on them every day. They say its a way to move the stagnant energy. I have met numerous people that have done this practice religiously and got off all psych meds without a problem, after being on them for years. Any time I can't sleep, I push on this point. I have 2 belly button healers, one for each floor of my house. You should be able to google all this to see how they do it.  This with the meditation could really get you places, and you don't need to buy anything to do it.

 

Glad my previous email helped!! Fingers crossed for you! xxoo - Quinn 

 

And please report back if these methods help you!! I am looking for ways to help people with this histamine/supplement problem

One more thing I want to put in this thread,

 

Histamine, Benzo Withdrawal and Sensitivity to Supplements

The reason that people get so sensitized to supplements in withdrawal is that there are 2 sources of histamine.

 

Histamine Source 1: Toxicity from Taking These Drugs

First, we have high histamine as a result of being on these drugs for so long. So before you even start tapering, you already have a pretty full histamine bucket that you are starting with. The drugs toxify the brain and body and cause increased histamine as a result, because the immune system just starts firing histamine at the perceived invaders, the drug. The drugs also gum up receptors in the brain making all of us dependent on the drug because when we pull the drug, the receptors cannot function properly because there is toxicity. This is why the scientologists, as crazy as these folks are, have published research showing that using infrared saunas help get people off drugs. Detoxing cleans the body out so it can work without the drug thereby making it easier for people to get off the drug. Of course, the problem with this tactic is to detox without kicking one into bad withdrawal symptoms just from the detox.

 

Histamine Source 2: Reducing Benzos or Remeron

GABA acts as a brake on histamine, so when you start lowering the benzo, the histamine starts to go up and fast. At a certain point, the combination of the histamine from toxicity and the histamine from withdrawal as tapering continues can overwhelm a person and make it where they can't eat many foods or take many supplements without having an allergic reaction.

 

The Phenomenon of Kindling

Kindling most likely happens when a person in benzo withdrawal takes a substance that causes an allergic histamine response to the substance. The allergic reaction is likely due to the high histamine status of the person caused by toxicity and pulling the benzo. It worsens withdrawal because an allergic reaction only increases histamine even more, so the withdrawal gets worse and there's a setback.  This can also happen when someone is off benzos entirely, because it's about adding histamine to an already full bucket and making withdrawal (histamine overload) worse. Antibiotics, for example, may kill gut bacteria that make the DAO enzyme that breaks down histamine in the body. This sends histamine up high, resulting in a set back.

TOLNBLTP

 

One more big thing I forgot to tell you. This will sound crazy but it works. There is a yoga place called "Body and Brain" yoga. It is basically kinda like a cult. But the guy who started it brought down some old yoga form the mountains of Korea. He found that this particular yoga healed the brain, that it eliminated anxiety. The main thing it involves, besides other yoga moves, is getting like a wooden spoon or something like it (they sell something called the belly button healer, you can google it) and using the end of it to repeatedly push in your belly button and then also on a point 2-finger-distance below your sternum (this is the solar plexus and the most important point). These are where the chakras are, the solar plexus and another one, where we store our fear, anxiety, anger, etc. As you push and release on these points, stop after like 1 minute and notice how you feel. You will feel a sense of relief and peace. They have people push on these points for 30 minutes or longer when in crisis, and to push on them every day. They say its a way to move the stagnant energy. I have met numerous people that have done this practice religiously and got off all psych meds without a problem, after being on them for years. Any time I can't sleep, I push on this point. I have 2 belly button healers, one for each floor of my house. You should be able to google all this to see how they do it.  This with the meditation could really get you places, and you don't need to buy anything to do it.

 

Glad my previous email helped!! Fingers crossed for you! xxoo - Quinn 

 

And please report back if these methods help you!! I am looking for ways to help people with this histamine/supplement problem

 

Hi Quinn,

 

Thanks for this information too!  I did look it up and there is something to this!!  Going to look at more tomorrow.

 

I will definitely let you know if these methods help me! I think you are an angel trying to help others with this!!  I know I am very appreciative that you are helping me and anyone having these issues!

 

Listening to meditative music today has calmed me some!  I ate a sandwich, and I am having reactions again!!  UGGG  I stay hungry now and I do not like that but I am so afraid to eat!!  I am doing all I can to eat low histamine foods.  It is hard!

 

One more thing I want to put in this thread,

 

Histamine, Benzo Withdrawal and Sensitivity to Supplements

The reason that people get so sensitized to supplements in withdrawal is that there are 2 sources of histamine.

 

Histamine Source 1: Toxicity from Taking These Drugs

First, we have high histamine as a result of being on these drugs for so long. So before you even start tapering, you already have a pretty full histamine bucket that you are starting with. The drugs toxify the brain and body and cause increased histamine as a result, because the immune system just starts firing histamine at the perceived invaders, the drug. The drugs also gum up receptors in the brain making all of us dependent on the drug because when we pull the drug, the receptors cannot function properly because there is toxicity. This is why the scientologists, as crazy as these folks are, have published research showing that using infrared saunas help get people off drugs. Detoxing cleans the body out so it can work without the drug thereby making it easier for people to get off the drug. Of course, the problem with this tactic is to detox without kicking one into bad withdrawal symptoms just from the detox.

 

Histamine Source 2: Reducing Benzos or Remeron

GABA acts as a brake on histamine, so when you start lowering the benzo, the histamine starts to go up and fast. At a certain point, the combination of the histamine from toxicity and the histamine from withdrawal as tapering continues can overwhelm a person and make it where they can't eat many foods or take many supplements without having an allergic reaction.

 

The Phenomenon of Kindling

Kindling happens when a person in benzo withdrawal takes something most likely as an allergic histamine response to the substance. It worsens withdrawal because an allergic reaction only increases histamine even more, so the withdrawal gets worse and there's a setback.  This can also happen when someone is off benzos entirely, because it's about adding histamine to an already full bucket and making withdrawal (histamine overload) worse. Antibiotics, for example, may kill gut bacteria that make the DAO enzyme that breaks down histamine in the body. This sends histamine up high, resulting in a set back.

 

Hi Quinn, 

Not sure I understand what the following means:

 

Kindling happens when a person in benzo withdrawal takes something most likely as an allergic histamine response to the substance.

 

It amazes me how strong and powerful these drugs are and also how strong and powerful histamine is.  I can feel when my body is suffering from inflammation.    My glasses get tight on my face!  It feels so strange!  It has been happening every day actually and it usually gets worse by afternoon/evening.  I have been having head pressure/tightening as well.  From my ears up just feel like my head is in a vice. 

 

Thank you again for all your input!!

 

 

Will keep you posted!

 

:smitten:

 

 

I'll edit it in the post. It should read,

 

"Kindling most likely happens when a person in benzo withdrawal takes a substance that causes an allergic histamine response to the substance. The allergic reaction is likely due to the high histamine status of the person caused by toxicity and pulling the benzo."

I'll edit it in the post. It should read,

 

"Kindling most likely happens when a person in benzo withdrawal takes a substance that causes an allergic histamine response to the substance. The allergic reaction is likely due to the high histamine status of the person caused by toxicity and pulling the benzo."

 

Thanks for the clarification Quinn!!

 

I did take a 2.5 mg of the claritin this morning.  I am having a reaction but I do not know if it is from the claritin or something else.  It is not severe so I am holding on before I have to take a benadryl which I am hoping to not have to do.

 

I feel like I am in interdose withdrawal because I am shaky this morning.  This started before taking the claritin.  I think that I might having a reaction too because I am so fearful of taking anything.  Listening to calming music and distracting myself. 

 

I read last night too that if you can do the sauna, taking a 15 minute warm bath can help with the histamine and pulling toxins out of the body so I am going to try that too!

 

Thanks again for all your input, it is invaluable!!

 

 

I also have this :

 

reactions to the tv and computer  - ( EMF radiation from Radio or TV broadcasting towers)

 

I have had to wear a mask when I watch TV or am on the computer for a couple months now!  I do not cover my whole face but part of it!  I had this before when I was on the cold turkey too.  Went away once I reinstated on xanax!  I hate this crap!!

 

Very strange stuff!!