"Histamine Intolerance and MCAS: When Your Body Declares War on Cheese (and Everything Else)"
- Jennifer Tollefsrud
- Mar 20
- 6 min read
"Histamine Intolerance: Because Life Wasn’t Already Hard Enough"😩
Ah, #histamineintolerance. The gift that keeps on giving—unless, of course, you’re talking about giving me a break. If you’ve never heard of it, congratulations! You’re either blessed with a normal #immunesystem or you’ve been living under a rock. For the rest of us, histamine intolerance is like having a drama queen for a body. Everything is fine until suddenly it’s not, and then it’s really not.
What Is Histamine Intolerance? (A Crash Course in Misery)
#Histamine is a chemical your body produces to help fight off #allergens and invaders. It’s like your immune system’s version of a bouncer at a club. But for some of us, our bodies are the overzealous bouncers who kick out everyone, including the guy who just came in to use the bathroom. Histamine #intolerance is when your body can’t break down histamine properly, so it builds up and throws a tantrum. Symptoms include #headaches, #hives, #bloating, #anxiety, and the overwhelming desire to explain to everyone why you can’t eat the cheese platter at parties.
What’s It Like to Have Histamine Intolerance?
Imagine your body is a poorly written soap opera. One day you’re fine, eating a delicious leftover pizza, and the next day you’re lying on the couch Googling “can histamine intolerance cause #spontaneouscombustion?” 💥(Spoiler: no, but it sure feels like it.) You never know which food will betray you next. Was it the #avocado? The #fermented soy sauce? 🥴 The single sip of red wine you dared to enjoy? Who knows! It’s like playing Russian roulette, but with snacks.
High-Histamine Foods: AKA the Forbidden Snack List
If you’re histamine #intolerant, your diet becomes a #minefield of “nope.” Here’s a quick rundown of foods that will make your body freak out:
Aged cheeses: Because why enjoy life when you can suffer? As one of my favorite comedians once said..."no more happiness..."😒
Fermented foods: Kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha are basically histamine grenades. But what about gut health??😱
Alcohol: Wine, beer, and champagne are all off the table. Yes, even the fancy stuff.🫠
Leftovers: That lasagna you were so excited about? Too bad. After 24 hours, it’s basically poison.🤬
Avocados: Nature’s butter is now nature’s betrayal. (Yeah, I know! I've been told to eat these by doctors!!)😵💫
Cured meats: Salami, prosciutto, and bacon are all on the naughty list. (I know, I’m crying too.)☠️
Tomatoes: Because apparently, we don’t deserve joy. 😩
How Do I Know All This? (Spoiler: I’m a Sufferer)🫤
I didn’t choose the #histaminelife; the histamine life chose me. One day I was a carefree human eating sushi and drinking wine, and the next I was a walking science experiment trying to figure out why my face was red and my stomach looked like I was smuggling a basketball. After countless doctor visits, #elimination diets, and desperate Google searches at 2 a.m., I finally figured out what was going on. And let me tell you, nothing makes you feel more like a detective than realizing your body hates you because of a chemical you can’t even see.
The MCAS Connection: When Your Immune System Goes Full Telenovela
If histamine intolerance is the drama queen of your body, then Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is the over-the-top telenovela villain. #MCAS is like histamine intolerance’s evil twin, but with more flair and a bigger budget for chaos. In MCAS, your mast cells (the immune system’s overachievers) decide to release way too many inflammatory chemicals, including histamine, at the slightest provocation. Think of it as your immune system throwing a rave and forgetting to turn off the smoke machine.
The symptoms of MCAS can range from annoying to downright terrifying: flushing, itching, swelling, gastrointestinal issues, brain fog, and even anaphylaxis in severe cases. It’s like histamine intolerance on steroids, but without the fun of actually being on steroids.
And yes, MCAS and histamine intolerance often go hand in hand.
If you’ve got one, there’s a good chance you’ve got the other, because why settle for one immune system malfunction when you can have two?
How Are They Related?
Histamine intolerance and MCAS are like distant cousins who show up to the same family reunion and cause chaos. Here’s the breakdown:
Histamine Intolerance: This is when your body can’t break down histamine efficiently, usually due to a deficiency in the enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO) or histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT). Histamine builds up in your system, and your body throws a fit over things like aged cheese, wine, or that one rogue avocado.
MCAS: This is when your mast cells (the immune system’s overachievers) are hyper-reactive and release way too many inflammatory chemicals, including histamine, at the slightest provocation. Triggers can be anything from stress to temperature changes to certain foods. It’s like your immune system is a toddler with a megaphone, screaming “ALERT!” at everything.
The kicker? If you have MCAS, your mast cells are dumping histamine into your system like it’s confetti at a parade. This can overwhelm your already struggling DAO or HNMT enzymes, making histamine intolerance worse. So, yes, you can absolutely have both—and it’s as fun as it sounds.
What’s It Like to Have Both?
Imagine histamine intolerance as a leaky faucet and MCAS as someone turning on the fire hose. You’re already struggling to manage the drip-drip-drip of histamine from foods, and then MCAS comes along and floods the place. Symptoms can overlap and amplify each other, creating a perfect storm of misery. You might experience:
Skin issues: Hives, flushing, itching, or rashes that make you look like you’ve been in a fight with a cactus. Being out with friends when this starts to happen is always fun(not), no I don't need to go to the hospital..yet..don't panic because my face is turning bright red...it's probably fine...
GI problems: Bloating, diarrhea, or nausea that makes you question every life choice that led to this moment. NEVER try new foods, or mystery foods when you are away from home! Nothing worse than having some horrifying remaking of that bathroom scene from the movie Dumb and Dumber.😣
Neurological symptoms: Brain fog so thick you could spread it on toast, headaches, or anxiety that makes you wonder if you’re just allergic to existing. I've been dealing with this for a couple of days...I keep making simple mistakes and spending hours trying to figure out how to fix it.
Anaphylaxis: In severe cases, MCAS can cause life-threatening reactions, because why not add a little extra drama? This is extra fun when it happens in the middle of the night...did you know you can have a delayed anaphylactic reaction? Talk about excitement and drama! Will I wake up before I suffocate to death??? Maybe...🤔
How Do You Manage Both?
Managing both conditions is like juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle—it’s not impossible, but it requires skill, patience, and a good sense of humor. Here are some strategies:
Low-Histamine Diet: This is your new best friend. Avoid high-histamine foods like aged cheeses, fermented products, alcohol, and leftovers. (Yes, I know, it’s tragic.)
DAO Supplements: These can help break down histamine from foods, giving your body a fighting chance.
Antihistamines: H1 and H2 blockers (like cetirizine and famotidine) can help manage symptoms. Think of them as your body’s bouncers, keeping histamine in check. These are my besties, I thank the brilliant scientist that invented these miracle drugs that let me live outside of a bubble. I owe you my life...literally!
Mast Cell Stabilizers: Medications like cromolyn sodium can help calm those overzealous mast cells.
Stress Management: Stress is a major MCAS trigger, so yoga, meditation, or screaming into a pillow (whatever works) is essential. Wreck it rooms are fun if you like to break things.😏
Work with a Specialist: An allergist or immunologist who understands MCAS and histamine intolerance can help you navigate this mess. Here in Central NC, Duke is the place that got to the bottom of my issues. I highly recommend them.
The Silver Lining (Yes, There Is One)
The upside of histamine intolerance is that it forces you to get creative with your diet. Who needs aged cheese when you can have… uh… fresh cheese? (Okay, fine, it’s not the same.) And sure, you’ll miss wine, but have you tried sparkling water with a sad lemon wedge? It’s basically the same thing if you squint hard enough.
Plus, you’ll become an expert at explaining your condition to anyone who will listen. “Oh, you’ve never heard of histamine intolerance? Let me tell you all about it while you eat your pizza and I nibble on this plain rice cake.”
Final Thoughts
Living with histamine intolerance (and possibly MCAS) is like being in a toxic relationship with your own body, or maybe more like being stuck in a never-ending episode of Survivor where your immune system is the villain and you’re just trying to make it through the day. But hey, at least it gives you something to talk about at parties—assuming you can even go to parties without breaking out in hives.
So here’s to us, the histamine-intolerant, mast-cell-activated warriors. May our flare-ups be few, our diets be tolerable, and our sense of humor be unshakable. Because if we don’t laugh, we’ll cry—and honestly, crying might trigger a reaction(yes seriously, some people react to their own tears and stress hormones😬). Cheers! With a low-histamine beverage, of course.
*If you would like more information on low histamine diets or have questions, feel free to message me, or you can book a free Discovery call to see if I can help you.
Book at redtreelifeandwellnesscoaching.com or call/text 919-246-9905
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