Histamine intolerance depends on many factors including intestinal health, genetics, medication, diet, environment, and perhaps most importantly, emotional and spiritual well being.
It is widely recognized that the degree to which we are histamine intolerant is greatly influenced by our level of emotional distress. Many of us have lives that we experience as stressful, which has a major impact on the reactivity of our immune system. An individual who feels calm and centered in the midst of the big and small challenges of every day life, will be less reactive to and intolerant of histamine than someone who is feeling pressured and upset. The more relaxed we feel, the more histamine it will take to overwhelm the enzyme system responsible for its metabolism, and which consequently results in symptom formation. (Please read my previous posts about histamine for a more in depth discussion.)
Increased histamine tolerance affords much greater flexibility and range with diet. People whose immune systems are on high alert, will be more likely to be ultra sensitive to exogenous histamine in the diet. They will need to be much more restrictive and careful, which in turn leads to even more stress. Eating can become perilous, as it results in feeling lousy.
I would like to introduce my readers to a YouTube video which demonstrates an 8 minute series of four exercises that are in the tradition of Kundalini yoga featuring the Breath of Fire, a cleansing and detoxifying breath. The simple movements combined with the breath work have a remarkably powerful calming and stimulating effect upon the body, mind and spirit. The regular practitioner will likely be better able to tolerate a wider range of foods without becoming symptomatic. These exercises create greater flexibility of the spine, which is protective against aging, and helps shake off feelings of depression and anxiety.
Honor your own body and process as you follow along. In time the practice will likely become much easier.
I am so happy to be finding some information on all of this. I am an active non smoking non drinking but have so many weird autoimmune issues. The newest is almost a dozen superficial blood clots. I also have histamine levels of 247. It says they should be under 114 from quest. I also was recently diagnosed with brain lesions a pituitary tumor and fluid in the lining surrounding my heart. I eat healthy and love exercise. I have been married to someone who has NPD and I have been walking on egg shells for 20 plus years. I also had childhood trauma and abuse. I hope I can reverse all the damage.
Most patients in my practice cannot heal without effectively dealing with their stress. I recommend to most patients who are very stressed and who have histories of developmental trauma (childhood trauma) to work with the Dynamic Neural Retraining System Program and to avoid toxic relationships. https://retrainingthebrain.com
Hi there. Thank you for this article. Any luck on finding another or similar kundalini yoga video? I recently have come across the information regarding the link of histamine intolerance and PTSD. It makes much sense to me…especially when I think back to times when I was triggered. Please let me know about any of the kundalini yoga kriyas that you mentioned. Sat Nam
You are welcome. I am sorry that the video that I posted previously disappeared. I edited the post and included a video by Anne Novak that is short and very good for something short first thing in the morning. I like all of the videos that she does. There are a number of them on YouTube. I would just type Kundalini Yoga into the YouTube search box and lots of videos will come up and you can try them and see which ones you like. I think we all respond differently to different teachers and its a matter of personal taste and resonance. I recently have also learned about a link between histamine intolerance and mold toxicity. That is something to keep in mind. The most recent blog post that I wrote is about this. Mold sensitivity really elevates histamine levels for some individuals.
Thank you, Judy, for your sharing spirit. I was so blessed to have found your website while going through a severe histamine reaction last summer. Like so many others, I thought I was eating a healthy diet until my body told me no. Thanks to reading your experiences, and thanks to reading the experiences of all the generous souls who chose to share what they’ve learned with your community, my health is much improved.
I stumbled upon Manuka essential oil while researching natural treatments for paronychia. I knew about Manuka honey, but not Manuka essential oil. It turns out to be a wonderful way to quickly drop histamine levels. It also turns out to be a wonderful way for highly sensitive people to destress. A 10 ml bottle of high quality Manuka oil costs around $20 American.
I was given a sample of Manuka oil tonight, I rubbed a tiny bit around each fingernail, and I instantly began breathing much more easily than I have than before allergy season commenced. The stubborn congestion I’ve noticed at the back of my throat for the past month or so is finally breaking up! I also feel emotionally centered.
In addition, I’m taking a daily dose of MGO 250+ Manuka honey internally to support the action of the oil. Perhaps this information will help at least one other person at least as much as I have been helped by all that you and your many wonderful commenters have shared with me!
Many blessings and abundant health to you and to all who will read this, Sheryl
Dear Sheryl,
Thank you for taking the time to write. I am so happy that the website has been useful to you. A message like this makes my day. Very interesting about Manuka essential oil. I had not hear of that. I will try it. I love to learn about new things that I can share with my patients. Blessings to you.
Hi,
I would really like to watch the kundalini yoga video which you placed after the artcle histamin intolerance. But it is not possible. I need to subscribe? But where can I do this?
Thank you, sat nam.
Harmanjeet
I am very sorry. That video has somehow disappeared. I was looking for another to replace it, but could not find one I really liked. Are you familiar with Maya Fiennes. She has a series of Kundalini Yoga videos I adore, called Journey Through the Chakras. It’s available for free if you are an Amazon Prime subscriber.
I have just stumbled upon your website and find it very refreshing!!
I am currently reading through all your blog posts and really appreciate your perspective.
I was told I have histamine intolerance by a well respected urologist/professor at Imperial College (London) after he treated me for a year-Long bladder infection (while pregnant). After the symptoms persisted once the infection finally cleared he recommended a low histamine diet which has helped a great deal. I’ve been on it for 9 months now but hoping to gradually reintroduce some higher histamine foods that I really miss. I’ve been reading about the GAPS diet and wondering if that’s a better alternative for me, or the Paleo Autoimmune diet. ? Do you have any experience with this?
Yes, I have experience with this. I wrote a post about it entitled GAPS vs Paleo AIP. These days in my practice I am recommending the Paleo AIP approach combined with principles from the GAPS healing protocol. Blessings for your journey and may you soon b restored to radiant health.
hi tnx a lot…i want to knw more about stress effect on histamine secration
..hav a nice day… from a pharmacist
Thank you for the info! I am unable to view the video. When I click on it, a message pops up saying this video is private. Is there another way to view it? Thanks!
I am really sorry. I don’t know what happened. I tried to find the video again on YouTube, but was unable. When I have time I will edit the post and provide another video that serves the same function. Thanks for letting me know.
Thank you. I’m really enjoying your blog and learning so much. I’ve suffered with “Fibromyalgia” and its many symptoms for years and have chased after many treatments trying to find the magic bullet. It was only yesterday that I learned of histamine intolerance. A few weeks ago, I started culturing kefir, kombucha and vegetables as part of my gut healing diet, and began eating them daily. I had a huge flair in symptoms, including hives and extremely sore tongue and inflammation on the roof of my mouth, increased anxiety, sleeplessness, etc and through research I found histamine intolerance was more than likely to blame. Im now doing a histamine elimination diet to figure out which symptoms it may be responsible for, and how severe it is. The puzzle pieces are starting to come together for many of my symptoms that I could not pin point the source of the triggers. Now I think I may have found it. I’m going to do more research.
Its so interesting with the whole histamine intolerance story. It seems that for some people they react strongly to one food that is high in histamine but not another. It’s good to do detective work and to try and figure out what is causing what, and to do a big mind/body/spirit piece with meditation, yoga, prayer, Reiki, other energy work. Anything that calms down the system.
I really appreciate this perspective. Thank you for taking the time to post it. This kind of information, posted on the web, has been key to figuring out how to heal myself. Thank you, again.
You are welcome. I am so happy that it is helpful and meaningful to you.
Do you have any information on the histamine levels or histamine release properties of Statin Drugs?
Other questions: I have a life long muscular reaction to barometer pressure changes. The most intense is from low pressure system/barometric drop combined with big temperature drop. My muscle go weak, lock up, then spasm causing pinched nerves. As a child and an adult I have been immobilized from this.
Could it have any relationship to high histamine levels? I appreciate your work and website, the blog and learning how others cope with these medical mysteries.
Thank you for writing. I don’t know anything about Statins and histamine levels.
I never heard of the syndrome you described of a muscular reaction to barometric pressure changes. It sounds like a very hard thing to contend with. I don’t know if there is any relationship with histamine levels. I would be very interested to understand the pathophysiology of this experience of yours.
My gratitude for your response and this additional information on histamine intolerance and stress. The term pathophysiology is new to me. I am researching, exploring with NMD, and my therapist for PTSD and a Neuromuscular therapist components of histamine intolerance and musculoskeletal problems. The injury incurred during the accident, never healed properly, is not amendable to surgery. It acts up with barometric changes, temp drops, myofascial tissue and muscles are affected. Diet helps but does not eliminate the problems. A wholistic approach, physical, mental and spiritual seems the wisest healing modality.
We know I have a genetic component with allergy exists, an injury in an accident as a toddler ( which involved a fatality, the term pre-verbal trauma used to describe this ), and research has revealed weather system change from warm and sunny to cold and rainy within a day of the accident may have created a body memory.
About 8 years ago, key pieces of memory that had been repressed for 56 years surfaced; in addition to flashbacks, my physiology was affected with this surfacing of PTSD. I called it scrambled brains and scrambled body. It helps to have a sense of humor.
One significant memory came in the form of a release of “the
sound track” of the accident scene! My therapist witnessed it, heard it! Newsapaperr accounts from the next day verify many of the memories.
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Treatment for the PTSD
( EMDR, CBT and Sensiomotor Therapy) have relieved most flash backs. I am still dealing with physiological side effects. My hope is as I continue to heal, my experiences will help others heal as well.
Its very generous of you to share your experience, and I am sure that it will be of help to others. I believe that for many of us there is something that is healing in making use of our own journey to be of help to others.
Dear Judy,
I was wondering whether you’ve seen any changes in your histamine intolerance since adapting the GAPS-Programme to it? Inspired by your other posts I have read loads about GAPS in the last weeks/months and have now finally gotten around to starting GAPS intro and I would love to hear some success stories… 😉
Best, immi