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Brain Body Well ~ Natural & Lifestyle Medicine / Digestive Wellness / Mental Health

The Histamine-Anxiety Connection

Itchiness, skin rashes, hives, hayfever, nasal congestion, blocked nose, diarrhea, tummy pain, headaches, dizziness, low blood pressure, fatigue. Do you struggle with any of these symptoms?

If you experience these symptoms on a regular basis, you could have an intolerance to histamine. What's more, histamine intolerance could be driving your anxiety symptoms. Symptoms like heart palpitations, insomnia, overstimulation and panic attacks have all been linked to histamine excess. Keep reading to find out more about the histamine-anxiety connection AND what you can do about it.

What is Histamine Intolerance?

Histamine intolerance is a condition where the body has difficulty breaking down histamine, a chemical involved in the immune response and digestive processes. Trouble breaking down histamine can lead to a buildup in the body. This can cause irritation in different areas of the body and result in symptoms ranging from nasal congestion, to skin rashes and fatigue. 

How is it linked to Anxiety?

One of the ways histamine can create havoc in the body is by affecting the brain and nervous system. That's right,  histamine intolerance has also been linked to anxiety symptoms. Some research even suggests that high levels of histamine can contribute to panic attacks. One study also found that histamine intolerance is more common in people with anxiety disorders, and that treating it could improve anxiety symptoms.

The connection between histamine intolerance and anxiety could be due to the role that histamine plays in the nervous system. Histamine is involved i regulating the body's stress response, and high levels of histamine can lead to increased nervous system activity and heightened anxiety.

Histamine excess can also contribute to anxiety and panic by causing anxiety provoking symptoms, such as difficulty breathing and rapid heart rate. Digestive issues related to histamine intolerance can also contribute to anxiety as gut health is so closely connected to mental health.

How do we Treat it?

Treatment for histamine intolerance often involves following a low-histamine diet, avoiding trigger foods, and taking supplements to support the body's ability to break down histamine. This can help to reduce the symptoms of histamine intolerance and improve overall health and well-being.

If you think you may be suffering from histamine intolerance, here are 5 things you can do to help treat the condition:

  1. Avoid trigger foods: Certain foods are known to be high in histamine or can cause the body to release more histamine. This includes fermented foods, aged cheeses, processed meats, shellfish, and alcohol. Avoiding these foods can greatly help to reduce symptoms of histamine intolerance.
  2. Take antihistamine supplements: Over-the-counter antihistamine medications can help to block the effects of histamine and relieve symptoms in the short-term. If you see an improvement in your symptoms this is a strong sign that you have a histamine intolerance. In the long-term however natural anti-histamines such as vitamin C and quercetin are a better choice to help reduce histamine.
  3. Eat a low-histamine diet: Some people benefit from following a low-histamine diet, which involves avoiding both high histamine foods and histamine promoting foods.
  4. Support your digestive system: Histamine intolerance often results from damage to the gut lining. Maintaining a healthy digestive system is therefore important for breaking down and eliminating histamine from the body. Eating gut healing foods, taking low histamine probiotics, and avoiding food allergens can all help to support a healthy digestive system.
  5. Address underlying conditions: Histamine intolerance can be the result of underlying conditions such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), hormonal imbalances or toxic exposures. Treating these conditions can help to improve symptoms of histamine intolerance.

Histamine intolerance and anxiety symptoms are closely connected, with high levels of histamine contributing to anxiety and panic attacks. Treating histamine intolerance can improve anxiety symptoms and overall health. Remember that this is a complex condition that often requires a personalized approach. So it is also important to work with a healthcare provider to determine the best course of treatment. By avoiding trigger foods, taking antihistamine supplements, eating a low-histamine diet, supporting your digestive system, and addressing underlying conditions, you can help to manage symptoms of histamine intolerance and improve your overall health.

16 Comments

  1. Jeffrey Brotzman

    Reply

    I am having a terrible time with histamines, I need help . The Dr’s here know nothing, been suffering 5 years. Please help. Thanks

    • brainbodywell

      Reply

      Hi Jeffrey, I hear your frustration. To really get on top of your symptoms you will need a thorough health assessment. Once we have figured out what is causing your symptoms we can then treat the underlying cause. If you would like to book in or find out more information about how I work please get in touch via my contact page.

  2. Reply

    I have severe anxiety attacks since I to take blood pressure medication.
    I’m histamine intolerant, cardizem pill and losartan blood pressure meds I suspect

    • brainbodywell

      Reply

      Hi Marlies, I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Thank you for sharing. If you would like further support with managing these symptoms please get in touch with me via my contact page.

      • Vinnie

        Reply

        Can allergy pills help with histamine I body? I have irritated eyes , ibs and anxiety depression

        • brainbodywell

          Reply

          Anti-histamine medication may improve these symptoms if they are driven by excess histamine. However in the long term it’s better to treat the cause as ongoing use of antihistamine medications can cause unwanted side effects. It’s also good to be aware that some antihistamine medications such as cimetidine and promethazine decrease the activity of diamine oxidase (DAO) which is our histamine degrading enzyme.

  3. Viktoria

    Reply

    Everytime I take methyl donors, like SAMe, my IBS anxiety and allergy goes away. Is there a real connection between these? Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

    • brainbodywell

      Reply

      Yes there could be a real connection. For example if histamine is contributing to your IBS, anxiety and allergy symptoms, methylation can help to clear up excess histamines in the body.

      • brainbodywell

        Reply

        Methyl donors are compounds (e.g. SAMe) that provide a methyl group (CH3) to another molecule. This process, referred to as an methylation reaction, changes the structure and function of the original molecule. Methylation is a common process involved in the deactivation and metabolism of hormones, neurotransmitters and biogenic amines such as histamine.

  4. Samantha Smith

    Reply

    Can a virus like HSV2 cause histamine intolerance? Will taking an antiviral medication help?

    • brainbodywell

      Reply

      Persistent pathogens like HSV2 can be a source of inflammation which is known to upregulate the production and release of histamine.

  5. Reply

    Can I take antihistamines as needed not every day. If they just block receptors how come I feel ok the day after an antihistamine when in theory histamine is still in my system? How long will it be hanging around for? Thank you.

    • brainbodywell

      Reply

      Hi Moira, it is best to check with your prescribing doctor how often you should be using antihistamine medications. Histamine is removed from the body at different rates depending on a number of factors. Some of these are more stable, such as genetic variations in enzymes responsible for histamine clearance. However others are changeable, such as estrogen levels and stress. This is why we can be fine one day and struggling with symptoms of histamine excess the next. So, unfortunately I can’t provide a clear answer to your questions. I would need to do a health assessment to know more about the drivers affecting your symptoms in order to guide you.

  6. Anne

    Reply

    I’ve been treated for SIBO but now seem to have a histamine intolerance for which I take DAO for my evening meal + Colostrum to help heal my gut which is ? leaky. I am so scared of food my diet is severely restricted so I won’t go out plus my anxiety levels are horrendous- nearly everything I do causes me to worry. Is it advisable to also tackle the anxiety problem in the hope that then the histamine intolerance will reduce? Many thanks

    • brainbodywell

      Reply

      Dear Anne, I can see that you’re really struggling and I’m sorry to hear it. Without doing a full assessment to understand your symptoms and underlying drivers it is difficult to give helpful advice. Hypothetically however, if you have been treated for SIBO and you have now developed histamine intolerance, the SIBO may not be resolved or the treatment could have had unwanted side effects. Addressing this might require looking at your overall digestive function and gut microbiome. I do believe that it’s best to address both the emotional and physical drivers of histamine intolerance since both feed the problem. I wish you a steady recovery, please do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like to book in for further support.

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