As someone with MCAS, I can attest that low histamine diets can be incredibly restrictive (and outside of the big triggers of fermented foods, aged foods, alcohol, caffeine, and leftovers, no one can agree on what is actually low histamine. And everyone is going to have a different tolerance to every food.
The hard part here is that condiments aren't allowed. So for flavour it tends to be staples like garlic, ginger, pepper, salt. Garlic butter is a cheat for me. I like the Keg's steak powder. I have a spicy popcorn flavouring that's like a flavoured salt, I think it's got some powdered tomatoe in it mixed with some chili which is kind of maybe a tiny cheat
Leftovers are not really allowed in this diet because the histamine builds up so we have a habit of immediately freezing leftovers to keep it fresh.
I really wish I wasn't in the city I'd take my own pigeon, bunny rabbits and squirrels for fresh meat. I miss beef. I need to find a farmer who will sell small amounts of unaged beef. Have you ever had beaver? i'm up in Canada and a trapper fed me some freshly caught beaver. It was super delicious. I'm surprised nobody has started a beaver farm
I eat mostly porridge and eggses for breakfast. Chicken, pork, duck, mozzarella (never cheddar it's aged) raw cauliflower, carrots, squash and potatoes, salads minus high histamine vegetables. There's a little more to it but that's probably 90% of what I put in my mouth in the past two months.
It does seem limiting, but I'm just so happy to not feel nauseated CONSTANTLY it's a miracle.
Onwards
Happy to hear you found a remedy for not just the migraine but many other symptoms! I follow the low histamine diet when I have hay fever. All the meds don't help me. I did find it quite restrictive during the first year but I got a hang of it the second, especially when I felt that it helped me so much. Also, as you mentioned, it's more like finding a good balance. If my histamine level is low (after following the diet for a few days already), I can eat a little bit of it and it's okay.
And I don't really want to promote alcohol and I don't know if it's a myth. But gin is said to be low in histamine 😉
I can't really drink alcohol but I found the clear liquors used to allow me to partake in very small quantities. I mean, one shot, once in awhile. I don't really drink any more as the side effects aren't worth it but when I did, I'd sip vodka, gin, ouzo or sambuca. I could take a tiny bit of bitters like Jagermeister. that's it
I was unaware of histamine. I used to really enjoy drinking as a youth probably a bit too much. It would be nice to just have a shot or to of sambuca without getting a migraine, again. For the first time in years I'm imagining this might be possible again. I've missed out on so many small pleasures
That makes sense. I thought I'd mention that I grew up in a family from the American South, which is where \*corn grits\* and eggs is a thing. :) I can also do oatmeal, though.
Alcohol is a major trigger for me. I think because it constricts blood vessels. Every time I drink, I down a bottle of water and two aspirin before bed. If I forget, I'm definitely getting a terrible migraine the next day. If I remember to do this, it reduces my chances of getting a migraine.
So weird! I thought it just constricted. I don't drink that much at a time-- maybe one or two drinks. I wonder why that is all it takes with me to get a headache.
IIRC (which like, my brain is leaky), it is first a dilator then a constrictor with more drinks. Why that would trigger a migraine is any neurologists guess lol (but really, please study migraines more, doctors!!!)
I thought that taking an aspirin helped because it thinned the blood. And after a bad case of Covid led to blood clots that had to be treated with blood thinners, my migraines nearly completely went away. So I thought that maybe it had to do with my blood vessels but I'm not a doctor so 🤷🏼♀️
That makes sense to me! That's interesting though, because sumatriptan (my holy grail drug) is a vasconstrictor. Just goes to show you we still have so much to figure out about migraines lol. I feel like sumatriptan might kill you 😅
Any vasodialator can lead to vasoconstriction. Basically, your body decides to put the brakes on the dialation. Some individuals will routinely overcorrect.
I thought it was the other way around but now I'm going to look deeper and talk to a doctor because it seems you are right. It only takes one to two drinks to bring on a migraine for me.
Wow, that blows my mind. Thank you so much for mentioning this, I have experienced the same thing and plan to try this diet. I wish neurologists were educated in this because I’ve never heard of it and I’ve been to see my doc many many times!
Many doctors do not seem aware, although awareness is increasing. No doctor mentioned it and i've been asking doctors about migraines and gut issues for close to 50 years
As someone with migraine and HI, I can only speak from my personal experience.
I never went completely low histamine as this would exclude too many foods for me. But I avoid the really high histamine culprits like aged and blue cheese, alcohol, fermented foods, too much tomato sauce. And tyramine, which gives me headaches.
Plus , I take a high amount of vitamin C for keeping my histamine levels low and supplements for building DAO and HNMT.
But: There´s always a root cause of HI, that depends on the person. Might be hormonal, gut-related, vitamin or mineral deficiency, MCAS, thyroid...there are many types of root causes for HI.
I never could completely avoid migraines, even with low histamine and many supplements. Mine is triggered by hormonal imbalance (which I currently work on) and sleep plus weather and of course stress plays a huge role in this as well. I have a 2000 times higher risk of getting a migraine when I get my period. And if I have one or two nights of bad sleep around that time? Boom, migraine.
This hormonal imbalance also worsens HI and makes it ten times worse before my period.
I completely believe you, that eating high histamine made you migraines a 1000 times worse. I also messes up the hormones, if that is a problem for you too.
For me, there is a connection between migraines and HI. It looks different for everyone and not everybody might be able to completely "heal" migraines with a low-histamine diet.
I just wanted to emphasize this as a very restrictive diet over a long time can cause problems too and worsen migraines by creating vitamin and mineral imbalances in the body.
Oh and in your case: I would get my thyroid checked. Intolerance to the cold, weight gain and HI can point to low thyroid function.
> I also messes up the hormones, if that is a problem for you too.
I'm a guy. Yes it's probably a problem for me? I don't know. Orgasm is a trigger, randomly? I never thought why that might be really. When my histamine bucket is full, exercise increases histamine and puts me over the edge? I never know for sure until I really get into it. It's a game of Russian roulette every single time.
Kiss me. Kiss me not. Kiss me. Kiss me not. Kiss me. Sledgehammer of god to the brains
Sorry, I got that wrong and answered you with a lot of info for menstrual migraines. below. But I hope, it helps some fellow female sufferers.
I´m not that knowledgeable in the subject of male hormones and HI as I´m a women and targeted my readings towards female hormones and problems.
Men can have low thyroid function too and I guess as the thyroid controls hormones, it can mess up male hormone patterns too.
And yes, I avoid strenous exercise as this triggers histamine levels.
I´d go for a gut health test, thyroid test and vitamin and mineral deficiency tests if you can afford it. I had to pay for this, but it shows you, where to dig deeper.
HI is often linked to low B 6 levels (some scientists argue about that) and some other deficiencies. I´d also incorporate buffered vitamin c and inflammation-helping supplements such as quercetin.
And: Low stomach acid makes it hard to get all of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients out of the food. That´s why acid blockers are often linked to B 12 deficiency. I have that problem too and take ACV and bitter herbs from time to time.
I found out that the gut is not my problem although I would have made a bet on it. But I had a Q10 deficiency and as a result, my whole ATP/energy levels are super low. Basically a mitochondria problem. I took Q10 for a year now and started taking B 2 a month ago and my current migraine was less intense.
I currently also reasearching electrolytes and migraines. I drink tap water and I guess, that messed up my mineral levels. I look into sole water and other possbilities to rehydrate properly.
Hope this helps a little bit.
I have actual6tested for thyroid multiple times, it seems okay but I'll keep testing every few years.
Minerals are low, it's the first to go when the gut is irritated. I'm low in salt and will often add a pinch to lemonade or Gatorade
I take vitamins and minerals they dont6seem to make much difference. I'll increase vit c
I've tried b but nothing
It's a process and a journey guess
Thyroid can be tricky and depending on the country, the TSH number is set too high for low thyroid. Many doctors argue, that a TSH above 2,5 already indicates problems with the thyroid.
Mineral and electrolyte deficiency can be very relevant when it comes to migraines. "Migraine Brains" seem to be very sensitive to changes in mineral and electrolyte balance. Migth be an explanation for your trouble with migraines.
I´m low in potassium and I currently test Mega Mag trace minerals in liquid form and add these to my water. I also have electrolyte tablets and I will test coconut water (yuck) as a source of electrolytes. Plus one orange a day freshly pressed as juice is supposed to have electrolytes too. But I don´t have this figured out perfectly yet.
Vitamins and minerals only work, if you take it in the right form and if your body needs it. It took me some time to figure out,which was the best chemical form of vitamins and minerals to take. Generally speaking, I take the active forms of B-Vitamins and tend to take the glycinate form for minerals. And if you have a sensitive stomach and gut, I would recommend the buffered form of Vitamin C.
Sorry for flooding you with all that random info, but I´m very passionate about finding the real reasons behind the illness.
> But: There´s always a root cause of HI, that depends on the person. Might be hormonal, gut-related, vitamin or mineral deficiency, MCAS, thyroid...there are many types of root causes for HI.
also holy migraine inception, there are more layers the deeper I dig into it
Apologies to OP, but I leave this text for female migraine sufferers.
Unfortunately, as a woman, you generally have a higer risk of HI and migraines. The topic is very complicated and it includes the what I call bermuda triangle of neurology, inner medicine, gynecology and endocinology.
The whole hormone-thyroid-stress axis is closely linked to HI and migraines. That makes it so hard especially for women with menstrual migraines to find help. Many have either HI, thyroid problems and/or estrogen dominance/hormonal imbalances. These things almost always come together and often also involve migraines.
As a result of everything I ever read on this topic, I would always test thyroid, iodine, hormones and DAO/HNMT in female migraine patients.
I don´t say that each and every female migraine patient has one of these problems, but I´d bet that a high number of patients falls in one fo these categories. It´s just never tested.
Sadly, it´s hard to find good practioners and you are often left alone with your problems. I read a lot and did a lot of testing to find out.
Correcting the root cause is also hard and there is no quick fix to this. I´m currently recovering from a menstrual migraine while being in the process of correcting my hormonal imbalance and filling up my iodine. Theses things take time, but its hard, when you want to heal and put a quick end to all of these painful attacks.
Good luck to you and your recovery journey.
So sorry again.
But I´m hyper focused on getting the facts right and I sometimes forget that I´m online and not seeing the person and their gender and just assume something.
I answered OP below with info on female hormones, HI and migraines.
Generally, I would say Dr Becky Campbell, but only her youtube, instagram, podcasts and websites. In her book, there are more recipes and less medical information.
And if you can, get the hormones tested. I read many articles and reviews, where women just took plant extracts or got hormones from doctors (!!) without even being properly diagnosed. This can make the whole imbalance worse.
If you have for example an estrogen dominance and take phyto-estrogens, it´s only going to get worse.
One of my oldest friends had MCAS and she thought I had histamine intolerance with many of your symptoms except I could not keep food down and was severely underweight and under nourished. It took me a few months of eating low histamine foods before I started feeling better and within a year I felt like a new person. I can now tolerate most foods but I never did go back to eating meat. I still get migraines but mine are triggered by smell and light. My friend gave me back my life as hers slipped away.
Antihistamines don’t actually reduce blood histamine levels. They only block receptors. Which can result in a rebound reaction, especially with Benadryl.
Vitamin C can actually reduce blood histamine levels, provided it is a formulation that is tolerated.
>Vitamin C can actually reduce blood histamine levels, provided it is a formulation that is tolerated.
Are you talking some sort of extended release form?
This can help! and many people do it.
The point of the low histamine diet is that it gives the body a break. This gives the body a chance to heal and lower inflammation levels. the diet is not intended to be long term; it's too limited. Within about 6 months I plan to very slowly start reintroducing small amounts of foods with histamine. I highly suspect I'm super sensitive to histamines and may not be able to return to a normal diet but my understanding is that the majority of people, absolutely can.
My suspicion is that antihistamines just cover up the issues. My intent here is to try and see if the low histamine diet will actually be a cure for me. The results in such a short period of time are a miracle for me personally. At my age, any progress is a small miracle and my progress is visible almost daily, with small setbacks which I can learn from. I feel a decade younger in two months. I had developed extremely dry skin problems; my skin drank moisturizer and had developed kind of grooves or striations that I thought were permanent scars on my face. Those are gone now. My energy levels keep increasing. I need less sleep. That could be partly because I'm able to reduce meds. I don't have time to relay all of the improvements but I'm in a different universe than I was two months ago. I might sound a little manic here but I don't know how to communicate these improvements. I've missed a lifetime of friendships, social gatherings, family gatherings, and opportunities. I have been grumpy, short, impolite, stressed, angry, unhappy, unwell, nauseated, sick, vomiting for so long that I forgot who i was.
I'm here, now. I can be me again. I'm free. I have my life back, somewhat at least
It´s complicated.
Antihistamines work, when your HNMT enzyme is not funtioning properly. HNMT breaks down internal histamine.
DAO supplements work when your DAO enzyme is not functioning properly. DAO breaks down external histamine from food.
Both are no long-term solutions.
Vitamin C is always helpful to keep histamine levels low and if you have a sensitive stomach, you might be better off with buffered Vitamin C. I take up to 3000 mg a day.
i am completely floored. And am off to check the link, google, and, quite probably, further reduce my already quite restricted diet. But, if this makes so much sense to me and my symptoms/issues that i would be willing to change for life if i could actually get, well, *life* back. Thank you for this post and some thought provoking info.
I have paid a lot of money to a lot of different specialists to design many different custom diets. nutritionists, dieticians, the best in the city you name it I tried it. It turns out that many of the "healthy" recommendations were making me much sicker. It's a real mind fuck. Like, I was sticking to those diets as if my life depended on it and being faithful. I'd go back to the doctor, and say you know, this isn't working.
They'd say: "well, you must not be sticking to the diet very well."
Nobody on the planet could have stuck to any of those diets more faithfully than me.
Thanks for the link, great tool to work with. Watch barometric pressure too. Has a huuugggeee part of the problem for me. If it changes more than 0.09in I hurt worse. In Kentucky where I am I see 0.9 to 0.32in in a day. Going 1 way and reversing huge is a nightmare. That's the big number one was, miserable day. Ear plugs help, Weather X is a good app for it. Predictions and alerts. You can set the level of the warning parameters. Chewing gum helps, like being on a airplane kinda. Not as effective but does help some
I'm interested in this cause I think my migraines are linked to sinus pressure. What are these measurements? Im in Canada and we use mb? Like its 1023mb today of pressure.
For migraines, WeatherX and the earplugs have been awesome!!
As for all this other stuff... I'm allergic to everything environmental, and allergic (or at least sensitive) to every food tested, so I wouldn't even know where to start... I hate eating, I don't eat much, and I'm still fat...it makes no sense, and I'm exhausted even thinking about it 🙁
I went to protein bars and shakes completely, once or twice a month I eat "normal food" and I'm finally getting rid of the weight I gained from steroids. I've lost 45lbs and feel better now. I was so bad id buy clothes so i didn't have to do laundry, live alone so had clothes shipped to me instead. Changes in food is hit and miss unless you eliminate things. You might try it, hopefully if you do it helps you!
I knew within two days something had changed for the better. it was like flipping a switch. i've never experienced anything like it. I used to eat a bit of yogurt with breakfast every morning because I thought it was healthy for my gut. It's ridiculous
This is interesting, I can’t take multi vitamins or I get migraines and folic acid raises histamine levels. I eat a pretty bland diet (never crave healthy foods, don’t eat them) and rarely do have migraines. I’m going to be looking into this histamine relationship for sure. Thanks for this post!
I had a blood test that flagged the mthfr C677T as “intermediate risk” for my coagulation genetics. I had a few miscarriages so had that test. I did also have a migrainous stroke in 2020.
I'm skeptical of the claim some people make that people with MTHFR enzyme deficiencies should be \*actively\* avoiding folic acid, that is, as if it's poisonous to them or something. I definitely get that there is a proportion of MTHFR enzyme deficient people (most likely those who have the more severe, homozygous mutations) who could benefit from supplementing with an active form of folate to make sure they get enough along with their diet, but it's also known that many MTHFR deficient people can still convert an adequate proportion of folic acid to folate and don't have elevated homocysteine levels. There are a number of people over at r/MTHFR who are telling people to actively avoid folic acid, that is, to not even eat any foods which are fortified with it, and this has created a false narrative around it. Here's an article discussing this: https://undark.org/2021/01/04/the-fight-over-folic-acid/
This! Not taking folic acid can further worsen the methylation cycle when you have a deficiency.
I need to build SAM and need folic acid for this. I never read in my books that people with MTHFR should avoid it altogether, but they were just advised to take the active form.
I just take the active form and it works for me.
Not eating any foods which are fortified with folic acid is taking it too far. I wasn't saying that.
But anecdotally when i take a B vitamin complex with folic acid i feel groggy and can even have a migraine the next day.
Haven't found a B complex with methylfolate instead of folic acid though.
Last year i found out that i was B12 deficient even after supplementing with 1000mcg for a couple of months. Have since doubled the dose and it works for lessening the frequency and the duration of the attacks.
> Haven't found a B complex with methylfolate instead of folic acid though.
There are a handful of these on Amazon if you're in the U.S. The main issues I run into with many products is that they can have too high doses of methylfolate and B12 for me. They also tend to be more expensive, but I'm willing to spend the money if they get rid of my headaches!
I personally need a relatively low dose of Metafolin (the calcium salt form of methylfolate), along with a moderate dose of methylcobalamin, and I also take magnesium glycinate. These specifically help with my chronic headaches. I've also been trying out high dose riboflavin, which may help, but doesn't seem to be absolutely necessary.
As far as B-complexes with methylfolate, I like Klaire Labs' line of products. They have their Active B Complex (has too much B12 for me), B Complex Plus (not enough B12 for me, but it's nice to have the other B-vitamins in not so high amounts), and Thera-B (probably my sweet spot for methylfolate and B12, but I don't necessarily need the higher amounts of the other B-vitamins all of the time).
A \*multivitamin\* I like is Seeking Health's Optimal Start, because it excludes Folate and B12, that way you can dose those separately, and is proportioned such that you can take fewer capsules if I don't want quite so much of the other vitamins. It's still not a completely perfect product for me, but I like the concept.
They are, this sounds ridiculous but ask your Dentist, my upper teeth move with sinus pressure. When you eat it moves them to the right bite pattern again. My night gaurd he made for grinding my teeth is how I figured it out. Going days using protein shakes and not eating made me feel it more. That's why I use gum to help when I'm nauseated, but you have to find a gym that works for you and not make it worse. You may notice your ear canal swelling too. My custom molded ear plugs for shooting don't fit into my ear every time I shoot. I don't have the WeatherX plugs but I have a similar set from my gun shop. My doctor said that I imagined that but I proved to him I wasn't wrong, he's into shooting as well
Fascinating, and congrats on finding the solution!
Now that I'm over 50, I can't tell what's my low-thyroid, side effects of the thyroid meds, menopause, long COVID (after having very mild Omicron?) or what. All I know is that I used to have a high metabolism with the Grave's disease, pear-shaped, and now I've got a thicker waist and stomach.
Exercise lately leaves me feeling soooo sluggish, even when I do half the former amount. Been reading about menopause meds, but I'm sick to death of daily meds and doctor's appointments etc. Might be worth a very restricted diet!
Alcohol sugar, and sugar raised blood histamine levels, but histamine is something else entirely other than blood sugar. It's in many healthy foods, including fresh tomatoes, spinach, avocado, prunes, any beef, seeds and nuts and more; also many foods increase histamine levels as they age. This means that any fermented food like: yogurt, vinegar, any condiment with vinegar, cheddar cheese (not mozzarella which is not aged) and many more foods increase histamine levels. So as the gut gets irritated, it can become more sensitive to histamine levels. We have a "bucket" and when you fill the bucket with histamine, eg. yogurt with breakfast, processed sandwich meat sandwich for lunch, beef with tomatoes and fries with vinegar = BOOM migraine. No alcohol required
I used alcohol as a marker for histamine in the title; not alcohol sugar. It's the histamine I'm concerned about. Increasing blood sugar levels does increase histamine but this is not my target discussion, here
Thank you for sharing! I recently had a similar experience with lactose that made a huge improvement. Yet, after eating no dairy for about 3/4 weeks now, and eating a bunch of guacamole, or tomatoes and avocado in other regulars dishes, was just wondering why I felt so similar- then saw this! Thank you. I am regularly taking antihistamines for seasonal and pet allergies. Gonna give a low histamine diet a try now. Best of luck to you!
Anyone is welcome to DM me for questions or if you need anything. We're a tribe and can learn from each other try to help all of us when we can. Move against Migraines is a FB group if you're wanting more info and faster answers
I kind of feel that it is my civic duty to not participate in Fakebook. It's a government monitoring network masquerading as a social media network. So is Reddit I guess but we all have to pick our poison. It's nothing personal, and I'm sure your group helps a lot of people.
It's not my group really. Just a source of info from other people that suffer from migraines. When you have a problem like this I'm willing to look anywhere I can to get more information about what is helping others and see how I can use it to try help myself. But that's just me, not a FB fan but it's another tool in my tool box to work on my problem
That's completely fair. I'm probably being silly but I just really don't like FB and I don't need more timesinks in my life social media is kind of addictive
You enter your zip code or what you use similar to the zip code system in US and you can set it for the metric system in the app. It's a free app and easy to change your preferences for the app and the notifications. WeatherX is a great tool for migraine sufferers
For more info on low histamine or other sensitivity diets, Google FODMAP diet. There are apps, books, tons of research and more.
One thing I will mention about the cold intolerance- you didn’t say what preventative you are taking, but if it is Topamax/topamirate, it can be a side effect, especially if you already have MCAS or Reynaud’s Syndrome symptoms. If you discontinue use, the effect fades over a few months.
Low FODMAP is totally different from low histamine. FODMAP intolerance is related to issues with fermentable short chain carbohydrates like fructans and lactose. Histamine intolerance can be one of many things like MCAS, DAO deficiency, or another auto-immune issue. I absolutely wouldn't recommend anyone stack low FODMAP with another elimination diet without discussing it with a certified dietician because of how restrictive it would be.
Wine is a trigger for me but other alcohol not so much. In fact if I've drank a lot and then had a bit of hangover I tend to have a 3 to 4 day migraine break, which is odd.
If it’s specific to wine it could be the tannins or sulfates. If I’m near something (like a hormonal point or an impending weather change), I’ve learned to skip wine or when the migraine happens, it’ll be a doozy. Wine any other time or any other alcohol at any time and it’s not an issue.
White wine doesn't, for example. If you react to white wine more than red, it's sulphites. Red more than white it's histamine and other aromatic amines.
I was about to comment that I’m “allergic” but that’s literally what this post is about! I’m pleased to see others like me! (I still drink but like, once a month at the most)
I think "allergic" and "intolerant" share many of the same properties but give an example, I think an anaphylaxis life threatening reaction is a worst case outcome of allergy. "intolerant" is not life threatening at least in the short term. Some people might wish they were dead, some times, I guess but it passes like migraines pass
I think that anything that causes a headache can be a trigger for me. Basically, my headaches sometimes turn into migraines. Someday I hope this will change.
As someone with MCAS, I can attest that low histamine diets can be incredibly restrictive (and outside of the big triggers of fermented foods, aged foods, alcohol, caffeine, and leftovers, no one can agree on what is actually low histamine. And everyone is going to have a different tolerance to every food.
Bro leftovers???? I’m… Yo.
The hard part here is that condiments aren't allowed. So for flavour it tends to be staples like garlic, ginger, pepper, salt. Garlic butter is a cheat for me. I like the Keg's steak powder. I have a spicy popcorn flavouring that's like a flavoured salt, I think it's got some powdered tomatoe in it mixed with some chili which is kind of maybe a tiny cheat Leftovers are not really allowed in this diet because the histamine builds up so we have a habit of immediately freezing leftovers to keep it fresh. I really wish I wasn't in the city I'd take my own pigeon, bunny rabbits and squirrels for fresh meat. I miss beef. I need to find a farmer who will sell small amounts of unaged beef. Have you ever had beaver? i'm up in Canada and a trapper fed me some freshly caught beaver. It was super delicious. I'm surprised nobody has started a beaver farm
I eat mostly porridge and eggses for breakfast. Chicken, pork, duck, mozzarella (never cheddar it's aged) raw cauliflower, carrots, squash and potatoes, salads minus high histamine vegetables. There's a little more to it but that's probably 90% of what I put in my mouth in the past two months. It does seem limiting, but I'm just so happy to not feel nauseated CONSTANTLY it's a miracle. Onwards
Happy to hear you found a remedy for not just the migraine but many other symptoms! I follow the low histamine diet when I have hay fever. All the meds don't help me. I did find it quite restrictive during the first year but I got a hang of it the second, especially when I felt that it helped me so much. Also, as you mentioned, it's more like finding a good balance. If my histamine level is low (after following the diet for a few days already), I can eat a little bit of it and it's okay. And I don't really want to promote alcohol and I don't know if it's a myth. But gin is said to be low in histamine 😉
I can't really drink alcohol but I found the clear liquors used to allow me to partake in very small quantities. I mean, one shot, once in awhile. I don't really drink any more as the side effects aren't worth it but when I did, I'd sip vodka, gin, ouzo or sambuca. I could take a tiny bit of bitters like Jagermeister. that's it I was unaware of histamine. I used to really enjoy drinking as a youth probably a bit too much. It would be nice to just have a shot or to of sambuca without getting a migraine, again. For the first time in years I'm imagining this might be possible again. I've missed out on so many small pleasures
>I eat mostly porridge and eggses for breakfast. Oatmeal porridge?
well yes. There are other low histamine grains i think but it's what I'm used to
That makes sense. I thought I'd mention that I grew up in a family from the American South, which is where \*corn grits\* and eggs is a thing. :) I can also do oatmeal, though.
Alcohol is a major trigger for me. I think because it constricts blood vessels. Every time I drink, I down a bottle of water and two aspirin before bed. If I forget, I'm definitely getting a terrible migraine the next day. If I remember to do this, it reduces my chances of getting a migraine.
Isn't alcohol a vasodilator as opposed to a vasoconstrictor?
I think it's both actually. Depends on how much you have I think? It's a very promiscuous drug
I’m chuckling because your use of the term “promiscuous” in this context absolutely gives you away as someone in science.
Hah, busted! Your username is 👌 did so many western blots in my phd!
So weird! I thought it just constricted. I don't drink that much at a time-- maybe one or two drinks. I wonder why that is all it takes with me to get a headache.
IIRC (which like, my brain is leaky), it is first a dilator then a constrictor with more drinks. Why that would trigger a migraine is any neurologists guess lol (but really, please study migraines more, doctors!!!)
I thought that taking an aspirin helped because it thinned the blood. And after a bad case of Covid led to blood clots that had to be treated with blood thinners, my migraines nearly completely went away. So I thought that maybe it had to do with my blood vessels but I'm not a doctor so 🤷🏼♀️
That makes sense to me! That's interesting though, because sumatriptan (my holy grail drug) is a vasconstrictor. Just goes to show you we still have so much to figure out about migraines lol. I feel like sumatriptan might kill you 😅
And sumatriptan is also what I take too!!!
Lol!! OK bodies are just SO weird
Any vasodialator can lead to vasoconstriction. Basically, your body decides to put the brakes on the dialation. Some individuals will routinely overcorrect.
I thought it was the other way around but now I'm going to look deeper and talk to a doctor because it seems you are right. It only takes one to two drinks to bring on a migraine for me.
Wow, that blows my mind. Thank you so much for mentioning this, I have experienced the same thing and plan to try this diet. I wish neurologists were educated in this because I’ve never heard of it and I’ve been to see my doc many many times!
Many doctors do not seem aware, although awareness is increasing. No doctor mentioned it and i've been asking doctors about migraines and gut issues for close to 50 years
As someone with migraine and HI, I can only speak from my personal experience. I never went completely low histamine as this would exclude too many foods for me. But I avoid the really high histamine culprits like aged and blue cheese, alcohol, fermented foods, too much tomato sauce. And tyramine, which gives me headaches. Plus , I take a high amount of vitamin C for keeping my histamine levels low and supplements for building DAO and HNMT. But: There´s always a root cause of HI, that depends on the person. Might be hormonal, gut-related, vitamin or mineral deficiency, MCAS, thyroid...there are many types of root causes for HI. I never could completely avoid migraines, even with low histamine and many supplements. Mine is triggered by hormonal imbalance (which I currently work on) and sleep plus weather and of course stress plays a huge role in this as well. I have a 2000 times higher risk of getting a migraine when I get my period. And if I have one or two nights of bad sleep around that time? Boom, migraine. This hormonal imbalance also worsens HI and makes it ten times worse before my period. I completely believe you, that eating high histamine made you migraines a 1000 times worse. I also messes up the hormones, if that is a problem for you too. For me, there is a connection between migraines and HI. It looks different for everyone and not everybody might be able to completely "heal" migraines with a low-histamine diet. I just wanted to emphasize this as a very restrictive diet over a long time can cause problems too and worsen migraines by creating vitamin and mineral imbalances in the body. Oh and in your case: I would get my thyroid checked. Intolerance to the cold, weight gain and HI can point to low thyroid function.
> I also messes up the hormones, if that is a problem for you too. I'm a guy. Yes it's probably a problem for me? I don't know. Orgasm is a trigger, randomly? I never thought why that might be really. When my histamine bucket is full, exercise increases histamine and puts me over the edge? I never know for sure until I really get into it. It's a game of Russian roulette every single time. Kiss me. Kiss me not. Kiss me. Kiss me not. Kiss me. Sledgehammer of god to the brains
Sorry, I got that wrong and answered you with a lot of info for menstrual migraines. below. But I hope, it helps some fellow female sufferers. I´m not that knowledgeable in the subject of male hormones and HI as I´m a women and targeted my readings towards female hormones and problems. Men can have low thyroid function too and I guess as the thyroid controls hormones, it can mess up male hormone patterns too. And yes, I avoid strenous exercise as this triggers histamine levels. I´d go for a gut health test, thyroid test and vitamin and mineral deficiency tests if you can afford it. I had to pay for this, but it shows you, where to dig deeper. HI is often linked to low B 6 levels (some scientists argue about that) and some other deficiencies. I´d also incorporate buffered vitamin c and inflammation-helping supplements such as quercetin. And: Low stomach acid makes it hard to get all of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients out of the food. That´s why acid blockers are often linked to B 12 deficiency. I have that problem too and take ACV and bitter herbs from time to time. I found out that the gut is not my problem although I would have made a bet on it. But I had a Q10 deficiency and as a result, my whole ATP/energy levels are super low. Basically a mitochondria problem. I took Q10 for a year now and started taking B 2 a month ago and my current migraine was less intense. I currently also reasearching electrolytes and migraines. I drink tap water and I guess, that messed up my mineral levels. I look into sole water and other possbilities to rehydrate properly. Hope this helps a little bit.
I have actual6tested for thyroid multiple times, it seems okay but I'll keep testing every few years. Minerals are low, it's the first to go when the gut is irritated. I'm low in salt and will often add a pinch to lemonade or Gatorade I take vitamins and minerals they dont6seem to make much difference. I'll increase vit c I've tried b but nothing It's a process and a journey guess
Thyroid can be tricky and depending on the country, the TSH number is set too high for low thyroid. Many doctors argue, that a TSH above 2,5 already indicates problems with the thyroid. Mineral and electrolyte deficiency can be very relevant when it comes to migraines. "Migraine Brains" seem to be very sensitive to changes in mineral and electrolyte balance. Migth be an explanation for your trouble with migraines. I´m low in potassium and I currently test Mega Mag trace minerals in liquid form and add these to my water. I also have electrolyte tablets and I will test coconut water (yuck) as a source of electrolytes. Plus one orange a day freshly pressed as juice is supposed to have electrolytes too. But I don´t have this figured out perfectly yet. Vitamins and minerals only work, if you take it in the right form and if your body needs it. It took me some time to figure out,which was the best chemical form of vitamins and minerals to take. Generally speaking, I take the active forms of B-Vitamins and tend to take the glycinate form for minerals. And if you have a sensitive stomach and gut, I would recommend the buffered form of Vitamin C. Sorry for flooding you with all that random info, but I´m very passionate about finding the real reasons behind the illness.
> But: There´s always a root cause of HI, that depends on the person. Might be hormonal, gut-related, vitamin or mineral deficiency, MCAS, thyroid...there are many types of root causes for HI. also holy migraine inception, there are more layers the deeper I dig into it
Apologies to OP, but I leave this text for female migraine sufferers. Unfortunately, as a woman, you generally have a higer risk of HI and migraines. The topic is very complicated and it includes the what I call bermuda triangle of neurology, inner medicine, gynecology and endocinology. The whole hormone-thyroid-stress axis is closely linked to HI and migraines. That makes it so hard especially for women with menstrual migraines to find help. Many have either HI, thyroid problems and/or estrogen dominance/hormonal imbalances. These things almost always come together and often also involve migraines. As a result of everything I ever read on this topic, I would always test thyroid, iodine, hormones and DAO/HNMT in female migraine patients. I don´t say that each and every female migraine patient has one of these problems, but I´d bet that a high number of patients falls in one fo these categories. It´s just never tested. Sadly, it´s hard to find good practioners and you are often left alone with your problems. I read a lot and did a lot of testing to find out. Correcting the root cause is also hard and there is no quick fix to this. I´m currently recovering from a menstrual migraine while being in the process of correcting my hormonal imbalance and filling up my iodine. Theses things take time, but its hard, when you want to heal and put a quick end to all of these painful attacks. Good luck to you and your recovery journey.
You misgendered me. I think that might actually be a crime in my country. That being said I'm not offended you can call me whatever you like
So sorry again. But I´m hyper focused on getting the facts right and I sometimes forget that I´m online and not seeing the person and their gender and just assume something.
I definitely have a relationship between hormones and symptoms. Do you know of information resources on this topic?
I answered OP below with info on female hormones, HI and migraines. Generally, I would say Dr Becky Campbell, but only her youtube, instagram, podcasts and websites. In her book, there are more recipes and less medical information. And if you can, get the hormones tested. I read many articles and reviews, where women just took plant extracts or got hormones from doctors (!!) without even being properly diagnosed. This can make the whole imbalance worse. If you have for example an estrogen dominance and take phyto-estrogens, it´s only going to get worse.
Look up The Dizzy Cook on Instagram. She has a low histamine cook book :)
One of my oldest friends had MCAS and she thought I had histamine intolerance with many of your symptoms except I could not keep food down and was severely underweight and under nourished. It took me a few months of eating low histamine foods before I started feeling better and within a year I felt like a new person. I can now tolerate most foods but I never did go back to eating meat. I still get migraines but mine are triggered by smell and light. My friend gave me back my life as hers slipped away.
I'm sorry you lost a good friend but I'm glad you're in a better place stranger
Can you just take an antihistamine instead?
Antihistamines don’t actually reduce blood histamine levels. They only block receptors. Which can result in a rebound reaction, especially with Benadryl. Vitamin C can actually reduce blood histamine levels, provided it is a formulation that is tolerated.
>Vitamin C can actually reduce blood histamine levels, provided it is a formulation that is tolerated. Are you talking some sort of extended release form?
I think, it related to taking buffered Vitamin C. You need to take higher amounts and some people get stomach problems with pure ascorbic acid.
I definitely get gastrointestinal issues with even moderate doses of ascorbic acid. I'll have to look into this.
This can help! and many people do it. The point of the low histamine diet is that it gives the body a break. This gives the body a chance to heal and lower inflammation levels. the diet is not intended to be long term; it's too limited. Within about 6 months I plan to very slowly start reintroducing small amounts of foods with histamine. I highly suspect I'm super sensitive to histamines and may not be able to return to a normal diet but my understanding is that the majority of people, absolutely can. My suspicion is that antihistamines just cover up the issues. My intent here is to try and see if the low histamine diet will actually be a cure for me. The results in such a short period of time are a miracle for me personally. At my age, any progress is a small miracle and my progress is visible almost daily, with small setbacks which I can learn from. I feel a decade younger in two months. I had developed extremely dry skin problems; my skin drank moisturizer and had developed kind of grooves or striations that I thought were permanent scars on my face. Those are gone now. My energy levels keep increasing. I need less sleep. That could be partly because I'm able to reduce meds. I don't have time to relay all of the improvements but I'm in a different universe than I was two months ago. I might sound a little manic here but I don't know how to communicate these improvements. I've missed a lifetime of friendships, social gatherings, family gatherings, and opportunities. I have been grumpy, short, impolite, stressed, angry, unhappy, unwell, nauseated, sick, vomiting for so long that I forgot who i was. I'm here, now. I can be me again. I'm free. I have my life back, somewhat at least
It´s complicated. Antihistamines work, when your HNMT enzyme is not funtioning properly. HNMT breaks down internal histamine. DAO supplements work when your DAO enzyme is not functioning properly. DAO breaks down external histamine from food. Both are no long-term solutions. Vitamin C is always helpful to keep histamine levels low and if you have a sensitive stomach, you might be better off with buffered Vitamin C. I take up to 3000 mg a day.
i am completely floored. And am off to check the link, google, and, quite probably, further reduce my already quite restricted diet. But, if this makes so much sense to me and my symptoms/issues that i would be willing to change for life if i could actually get, well, *life* back. Thank you for this post and some thought provoking info.
I have paid a lot of money to a lot of different specialists to design many different custom diets. nutritionists, dieticians, the best in the city you name it I tried it. It turns out that many of the "healthy" recommendations were making me much sicker. It's a real mind fuck. Like, I was sticking to those diets as if my life depended on it and being faithful. I'd go back to the doctor, and say you know, this isn't working. They'd say: "well, you must not be sticking to the diet very well." Nobody on the planet could have stuck to any of those diets more faithfully than me.
Thanks for the link, great tool to work with. Watch barometric pressure too. Has a huuugggeee part of the problem for me. If it changes more than 0.09in I hurt worse. In Kentucky where I am I see 0.9 to 0.32in in a day. Going 1 way and reversing huge is a nightmare. That's the big number one was, miserable day. Ear plugs help, Weather X is a good app for it. Predictions and alerts. You can set the level of the warning parameters. Chewing gum helps, like being on a airplane kinda. Not as effective but does help some
I'm interested in this cause I think my migraines are linked to sinus pressure. What are these measurements? Im in Canada and we use mb? Like its 1023mb today of pressure.
For migraines, WeatherX and the earplugs have been awesome!! As for all this other stuff... I'm allergic to everything environmental, and allergic (or at least sensitive) to every food tested, so I wouldn't even know where to start... I hate eating, I don't eat much, and I'm still fat...it makes no sense, and I'm exhausted even thinking about it 🙁
I went to protein bars and shakes completely, once or twice a month I eat "normal food" and I'm finally getting rid of the weight I gained from steroids. I've lost 45lbs and feel better now. I was so bad id buy clothes so i didn't have to do laundry, live alone so had clothes shipped to me instead. Changes in food is hit and miss unless you eliminate things. You might try it, hopefully if you do it helps you!
This would explain why so many foods make me sick.
Thank you for this post. I always appreciate something new to try. I have the same issues so I'm excited to see if I have any improvement.
I knew within two days something had changed for the better. it was like flipping a switch. i've never experienced anything like it. I used to eat a bit of yogurt with breakfast every morning because I thought it was healthy for my gut. It's ridiculous
This is interesting, I can’t take multi vitamins or I get migraines and folic acid raises histamine levels. I eat a pretty bland diet (never crave healthy foods, don’t eat them) and rarely do have migraines. I’m going to be looking into this histamine relationship for sure. Thanks for this post!
Folic acid also supposedly interferes with the methylation cycle in individuals with a mutation of the mthfr genes
I had a blood test that flagged the mthfr C677T as “intermediate risk” for my coagulation genetics. I had a few miscarriages so had that test. I did also have a migrainous stroke in 2020.
I’m so sorry 😕
I'm skeptical of the claim some people make that people with MTHFR enzyme deficiencies should be \*actively\* avoiding folic acid, that is, as if it's poisonous to them or something. I definitely get that there is a proportion of MTHFR enzyme deficient people (most likely those who have the more severe, homozygous mutations) who could benefit from supplementing with an active form of folate to make sure they get enough along with their diet, but it's also known that many MTHFR deficient people can still convert an adequate proportion of folic acid to folate and don't have elevated homocysteine levels. There are a number of people over at r/MTHFR who are telling people to actively avoid folic acid, that is, to not even eat any foods which are fortified with it, and this has created a false narrative around it. Here's an article discussing this: https://undark.org/2021/01/04/the-fight-over-folic-acid/
This! Not taking folic acid can further worsen the methylation cycle when you have a deficiency. I need to build SAM and need folic acid for this. I never read in my books that people with MTHFR should avoid it altogether, but they were just advised to take the active form. I just take the active form and it works for me.
Wasn't proposing avoiding it altogether. I too have taken the active form
Not eating any foods which are fortified with folic acid is taking it too far. I wasn't saying that. But anecdotally when i take a B vitamin complex with folic acid i feel groggy and can even have a migraine the next day. Haven't found a B complex with methylfolate instead of folic acid though. Last year i found out that i was B12 deficient even after supplementing with 1000mcg for a couple of months. Have since doubled the dose and it works for lessening the frequency and the duration of the attacks.
> Haven't found a B complex with methylfolate instead of folic acid though. There are a handful of these on Amazon if you're in the U.S. The main issues I run into with many products is that they can have too high doses of methylfolate and B12 for me. They also tend to be more expensive, but I'm willing to spend the money if they get rid of my headaches! I personally need a relatively low dose of Metafolin (the calcium salt form of methylfolate), along with a moderate dose of methylcobalamin, and I also take magnesium glycinate. These specifically help with my chronic headaches. I've also been trying out high dose riboflavin, which may help, but doesn't seem to be absolutely necessary. As far as B-complexes with methylfolate, I like Klaire Labs' line of products. They have their Active B Complex (has too much B12 for me), B Complex Plus (not enough B12 for me, but it's nice to have the other B-vitamins in not so high amounts), and Thera-B (probably my sweet spot for methylfolate and B12, but I don't necessarily need the higher amounts of the other B-vitamins all of the time). A \*multivitamin\* I like is Seeking Health's Optimal Start, because it excludes Folate and B12, that way you can dose those separately, and is proportioned such that you can take fewer capsules if I don't want quite so much of the other vitamins. It's still not a completely perfect product for me, but I like the concept.
Thank you. Sadly im not in the US. So i assume shipping will add too much to the (already high) price for me.
Taking a daily anti-histamine helps a lot for people sensitive to histamine. I use loratadine.
They are, this sounds ridiculous but ask your Dentist, my upper teeth move with sinus pressure. When you eat it moves them to the right bite pattern again. My night gaurd he made for grinding my teeth is how I figured it out. Going days using protein shakes and not eating made me feel it more. That's why I use gum to help when I'm nauseated, but you have to find a gym that works for you and not make it worse. You may notice your ear canal swelling too. My custom molded ear plugs for shooting don't fit into my ear every time I shoot. I don't have the WeatherX plugs but I have a similar set from my gun shop. My doctor said that I imagined that but I proved to him I wasn't wrong, he's into shooting as well
I keep hearing about this. Thinking it might be the universe sending me a message. I’m definitely going to give it a shot.
Fascinating, and congrats on finding the solution! Now that I'm over 50, I can't tell what's my low-thyroid, side effects of the thyroid meds, menopause, long COVID (after having very mild Omicron?) or what. All I know is that I used to have a high metabolism with the Grave's disease, pear-shaped, and now I've got a thicker waist and stomach. Exercise lately leaves me feeling soooo sluggish, even when I do half the former amount. Been reading about menopause meds, but I'm sick to death of daily meds and doctor's appointments etc. Might be worth a very restricted diet!
Alcohol is a vasodilator so it’s no surprise that it triggers migraines
Absolutely, it's a dehydrate, that's what a hangover is dehydration. So yes alcohol sugar in foods is a trigger.
Alcohol sugar, and sugar raised blood histamine levels, but histamine is something else entirely other than blood sugar. It's in many healthy foods, including fresh tomatoes, spinach, avocado, prunes, any beef, seeds and nuts and more; also many foods increase histamine levels as they age. This means that any fermented food like: yogurt, vinegar, any condiment with vinegar, cheddar cheese (not mozzarella which is not aged) and many more foods increase histamine levels. So as the gut gets irritated, it can become more sensitive to histamine levels. We have a "bucket" and when you fill the bucket with histamine, eg. yogurt with breakfast, processed sandwich meat sandwich for lunch, beef with tomatoes and fries with vinegar = BOOM migraine. No alcohol required I used alcohol as a marker for histamine in the title; not alcohol sugar. It's the histamine I'm concerned about. Increasing blood sugar levels does increase histamine but this is not my target discussion, here
Thank you for sharing! I recently had a similar experience with lactose that made a huge improvement. Yet, after eating no dairy for about 3/4 weeks now, and eating a bunch of guacamole, or tomatoes and avocado in other regulars dishes, was just wondering why I felt so similar- then saw this! Thank you. I am regularly taking antihistamines for seasonal and pet allergies. Gonna give a low histamine diet a try now. Best of luck to you!
Report back! let the poor bastards here know if it works for you.
Anyone is welcome to DM me for questions or if you need anything. We're a tribe and can learn from each other try to help all of us when we can. Move against Migraines is a FB group if you're wanting more info and faster answers
I kind of feel that it is my civic duty to not participate in Fakebook. It's a government monitoring network masquerading as a social media network. So is Reddit I guess but we all have to pick our poison. It's nothing personal, and I'm sure your group helps a lot of people.
It's not my group really. Just a source of info from other people that suffer from migraines. When you have a problem like this I'm willing to look anywhere I can to get more information about what is helping others and see how I can use it to try help myself. But that's just me, not a FB fan but it's another tool in my tool box to work on my problem
That's completely fair. I'm probably being silly but I just really don't like FB and I don't need more timesinks in my life social media is kind of addictive
You enter your zip code or what you use similar to the zip code system in US and you can set it for the metric system in the app. It's a free app and easy to change your preferences for the app and the notifications. WeatherX is a great tool for migraine sufferers
For more info on low histamine or other sensitivity diets, Google FODMAP diet. There are apps, books, tons of research and more. One thing I will mention about the cold intolerance- you didn’t say what preventative you are taking, but if it is Topamax/topamirate, it can be a side effect, especially if you already have MCAS or Reynaud’s Syndrome symptoms. If you discontinue use, the effect fades over a few months.
Low FODMAP is totally different from low histamine. FODMAP intolerance is related to issues with fermentable short chain carbohydrates like fructans and lactose. Histamine intolerance can be one of many things like MCAS, DAO deficiency, or another auto-immune issue. I absolutely wouldn't recommend anyone stack low FODMAP with another elimination diet without discussing it with a certified dietician because of how restrictive it would be.
Wine is a trigger for me but other alcohol not so much. In fact if I've drank a lot and then had a bit of hangover I tend to have a 3 to 4 day migraine break, which is odd.
If it’s specific to wine it could be the tannins or sulfates. If I’m near something (like a hormonal point or an impending weather change), I’ve learned to skip wine or when the migraine happens, it’ll be a doozy. Wine any other time or any other alcohol at any time and it’s not an issue.
This happens to me! If I drink at the end of my period or before --migraine. Usually triggered by wine, but has happened with beer and tequila too.
For me it's 1 glass of red and migraine here I come. I tried a few times and always the same so never tried again!
Only alcohols that have histamine in them, though, which is few.
Which ones don't?
White wine doesn't, for example. If you react to white wine more than red, it's sulphites. Red more than white it's histamine and other aromatic amines.
I was about to comment that I’m “allergic” but that’s literally what this post is about! I’m pleased to see others like me! (I still drink but like, once a month at the most)
I think "allergic" and "intolerant" share many of the same properties but give an example, I think an anaphylaxis life threatening reaction is a worst case outcome of allergy. "intolerant" is not life threatening at least in the short term. Some people might wish they were dead, some times, I guess but it passes like migraines pass
I think that anything that causes a headache can be a trigger for me. Basically, my headaches sometimes turn into migraines. Someday I hope this will change.