Histamine Overload: Why You Feel Awful and What to Do About It

Is Histamine Intolerance the Missing Piece of Your Health Puzzle?

If you’ve ever felt like your body is playing a game of “Guess what’s wrong this week,” trust me—you’re not alone.

One day it’s a migraine out of nowhere. The next, your skin’s freaking out after a food you’ve eaten forever. And don’t even get me started on the bloating, brain fog, or that full-body “off” feeling you can’t explain.

Maybe you’ve been told it’s allergies, stress, or worse... "just in your head."
But what if it’s not in your head at all?
What if it’s your body struggling to keep up with histamine?

Let’s break this down, friend, because histamine intolerance is often overlooked, but it could be the key to understanding what’s really going on.

So... What Is Histamine Intolerance?

In simple terms, histamine intolerance happens when your body can’t break down histamine properly- so it builds up and causes all kinds of symptoms.

This isn’t the same as a food allergy. It’s not your immune system freaking out—it’s your body falling behind on cleanup duty.
Normally, an enzyme called DAO (diamine oxidase) breaks down histamine in your gut. But if DAO levels are low or if your histamine load is too high, you start feeling it. Everywhere.

Common Symptoms That Might Surprise You:

Histamine affects a lot of systems in your body. That’s why the symptoms can feel all over the place:

• Skin: Flushing, hives, eczema, itching
  

• Digestion: Bloating, reflux, nausea, diarrhea
  

• Mood + Brain: Headaches, migraines, dizziness, anxiety
  

• Heart: Palpitations, low blood pressure
  

• Respiratory: Sneezing, nasal congestion, even breathing issues
  

• Hormones: Worsened PMS, hot flashes, irregular cycles
  

Sound familiar? Many of my clients with histamine issues were told it was everything but this.

Why It’s So Often Missed

Histamine intolerance mimics so many other conditions (IBS, anxiety, allergies, even panic attacks) that it often flies under the radar.

And here’s the kicker: there’s no single definitive test for it. Some lab tests can measure DAO levels or histamine load, but they don’t always match up with symptoms. That means many women end up bouncing between providers, never getting answers that stick.

What’s Triggering the Problem?

A few common culprits behind histamine overload:

• Gut issues: Leaky gut, SIBO, or dysbiosis mess with DAO production
  

• Nutrient deficiencies: Low B6, vitamin C, or copper = poor histamine clearance
  

• Hormones: Estrogen can increase histamine—hello PMS flare-ups
  

• Food triggers: Aged cheese, fermented stuff, wine, tomatoes, spinach, leftovers
  

• Meds: NSAIDs, antihistamines (ironically), some antidepressants
  

Basically, if your gut and hormones are out of sync and you’re low on key nutrients, histamine can start wreaking havoc.

Okay... So How Do You Fix It?

Great question- and no, the answer isn’t “just avoid histamine forever.” (Because spoiler: that’s not sustainable.)

Here’s what a root-cause, whole-body approach looks like:

🧠 Step 1: Support Your Gut

Since DAO is made in your gut, healing your gut lining and microbiome is non-negotiable.

• Bone broth, collagen, and glutamine help patch things up
  

• Use probiotics that don’t produce histamine (like Bifidobacterium infantis)
  

• Treat things like SIBO or dysbiosis if they’re present

💊 Step 2: Rebuild DAO + Nutrients

Give your body the tools it needs to handle histamine like a pro:

• B6 (bananas, poultry, potatoes)
  

• Vitamin C (natural antihistamine!)
  

• Copper (seeds, nuts, organ meats)
  

• Quercetin (a natural mast cell calmer)

🥗 Step 3: Temporarily Reduce High-Histamine Foods

Not forever...just while your body heals. Focus on:

• Freshly cooked meals (leftovers build histamine!)
  

• Fresh meat, non-citrus fruits, leafy greens
  

• Skip fermented foods, wine, and aged cheeses for now

🧘 Step 4: Reduce Stress + Support Detox

Stress raises histamine. Poor detox = slower breakdown. So:

• Breathe. Move. Sleep.
  

• Eat cruciferous veggies (like broccoli + cauliflower)
  

• Stay hydrated so your liver can do its job

🌿 Bottom Line?

Histamine intolerance isn’t a life sentence. And it’s definitely not all in your head. With the right support, you can calm the chaos, get your energy back, and feel like yourself again.

If this feels like your story, you're not alone and you don’t have to figure it out on your own either.

👉 Need help digging deeper? Book a Feel-Like-YOU-Again Call and let’s figure out what your body’s trying to tell you.

References

https://www.rupahealth.com/post/a-functional-medicine-approach-to-histamine-intolerance

Jochum C. Histamine Intolerance: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Beyond. Nutrients. 2024 Apr 19;16(8):1219. doi: 10.3390/nu16081219. PMID: 38674909; PMCID: PMC11054089.

Maintz L, Novak N. Histamine and histamine intolerance. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 May;85(5):1185-96. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/85.5.1185. PMID: 17490952.

Comas-Basté O, Sánchez-Pérez S, Veciana-Nogués MT, Latorre-Moratalla M, Vidal-Carou MDC. Histamine Intolerance: The Current State of the Art. Biomolecules. 2020 Aug 14;10(8):1181. doi: 10.3390/biom10081181. PMID: 32824107; PMCID: PMC7463562.