Lately I have been having more reactions from my high histamine levels that come with my chronic blood neoplasm. Between that and my Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) I begin each day with my proverbial "histamine bucket" already full to the brim. After having read up and done research on low histamine diets, I've decided to attempt to decrease reactions by eating healthier. I have been focusing on foods that are low histamine, antihistamine, anti-inflammatory or high in antioxidants. Yesterday I made my breakfast smoothie with goat milk, mangos, almonds. pea sprouts, cucumber and flax seed. Since it was Saint Patrick's Day and not green looking I decided I would try my newly purchased chlorella powder. The label on the bag of chlorella said to put in one teaspoon but since I was not sure how I would like the taste or handle it I only put in one half teaspoon. That half teaspoon made it a lovely shamrock green fit for any Irish festivity but had a pungent aroma of grass clippings a couple days in the compost. While I may be somewhat repulsed by the aroma, I am sure Bessie the cow would have been tantalized by it.
I convinced myself I can drink anything for health if I put my mind to it and get my mind off of bovine meal comparisons. I drank about one third of the sixteen ounce glass over about ten minutes and was suddenly hit by nausea, stomach pains and a migraine. I left the rest of the glass on the counter to add a festive Saint Pat's green to my kitchen. As the day progressed so did my reactions. The nausea, stomach pains and migraine were later joined with a prego belly from bloating, brain fog and fatigue, swollen and painful joints and facial angioedema. I was still awake at 2:20 am from my discomfort. My symptoms came much too quickly to be detoxification and identical to many of my food reactions. I should have listened to my nose and not drank any of it. You can believe I won't again...EVER!!!
Today I am improved to the point I only look three months pregnant rather than seven, digestive symptoms continue, headache and joint pains still very much there though improved and my face looks like a cartoon hound dog from the angioedema.
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| I did not get any photos of this reaction but these first two are from a reaction to the yeast in gluten free homemade pizza crust I had on March 8th give a clear idea of how I am visibly impacted. |
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This is me just twelve hours after the first two photos
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| How my face looks between reactions |
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| Angioedema where I get hound dog lines and what my hubby calls a balloon valance below my lips |
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My take away from this is to once again realize how individually unique each person's tolerances and reactivity. While I research for answers, I need to pay attention to what things my body does or does not like and rather than to just follow any given list somebody else developed. Going forward, I will continue to pray for wisdom, glean wisdom from forums, FaceBook groups and blogs of others traveling a similar path to find ideas, resources and support. In the very near future, I plan to have genetic testing done to see if it points to any other underlying causes to my issues.
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| Dexter hopes your Saint Patrick's Day was a blessed one! |
So here's to more days without prego bellies and hound dog faces!
Blessings,
Deb
Blessings,
Deb
Low Histamine Chef
Hista-what? A Visual Guide to Histamine Intolerance
What is Multip;e Chemical Sensitivity
I have been looking everywhere for months, this is EXACTLY WHAT I GET, same place as yours........I did find that i had to stop my red wine, couldnt drink white wine due to allergies, well apparently allergic to red too...........i would get a sore on my face, below my lip and it took 6 weeks to get rid of that little sore, where my face was swollen just below the lip...........how?? stopped drinking wine......and this has been months, ocassionally I cave and have an apple beer, i can feel my right side face and eye tingle and feel swollen but the most obvious is my face below the lip.............now that that is figured out, today i worked in the yard, pollen in ga is on the rise this month.....i felt my upper lip starting to swell, i went in and washed my face and i could feel it subsiding............Im going to read the histamine link you posted...........thanks for your blog! So do you follow the histamine diet to get your swelling to go away? Sometimes I think childrens benadryl makes it swell too
ReplyDeleteThe swelling in my lower face under my lip is still there but not as bad since I've removed some things from my diet, right now Im on a very simple diet as my whole body was bloated and 10 lb weight gain. I feel better already, I am gonig to investigate the histamine diet as I know that any processed foods I cannot eat, along with any homemade foods with flour or sugar in them. I still have coffee with creamer, might have to eliminate one or both of those, oh i dread that. LOL...my goal is to feel good AND to ssee if i can get rid of that lower lip swelling. So are Im on no citrus fruits, only apple and fresh whole foods, raw or sauteed with olive oil, I also removed coconut oil... This whole thing started a while after I started following a whole foods diet tho i had added coconut oil and was drinking red wine...........now to experiment! Thanks for your site!
DeleteThe swelling in my lower face under my lip is still there but not as bad since I've removed some things from my diet, right now Im on a very simple diet as my whole body was bloated and 10 lb weight gain. I feel better already, I am gonig to investigate the histamine diet as I know that any processed foods I cannot eat, along with any homemade foods with flour or sugar in them. I still have coffee with creamer, might have to eliminate one or both of those, oh i dread that. LOL...my goal is to feel good AND to ssee if i can get rid of that lower lip swelling. So are Im on no citrus fruits, only apple and fresh whole foods, raw or sauteed with olive oil, I also removed coconut oil... This whole thing started a while after I started following a whole foods diet tho i had added coconut oil and was drinking red wine...........now to experiment! Thanks for your site!
DeleteMy guess is the angioedema may have come from the goats milk or the mango allergy, that would have been mine anyway
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ReplyDeleteKathy I have high histamine and chronic blood cancer and in process of being diagnosed with MCAD (Mast Cell Activation Disorder). I went to an allergist who specializes in Histamine intolerance and Mast cells February 2016 and started me on a protocol that included antihistamines ( H1 and H2), and Cromolyn ampules in water 30 minutes before meals. These and eating low histamine have really helped and not as likely to get the swollen belly reactions. Several groups on Facebook on histamine diet, histamine intolerance including Low Histamine Chef. Hope you figure out your triggers and ways to manage your symptoms.
ReplyDeleteI am currently blogging at www.joyfulrefuge.wordpress.com
Oh no! I have found just in the past few days that some fruits on the hi histamine list along with sweet potato are triggers. I am currently on a low histamine now and will try fish, the swelling under my mouth has increased since the reactions to those foods but most people say they cant see it.....Is this all you are on a cure for chronic blood cancer? I usually dont bloat so bad unless I eat at certain restaurants, usually asian style....Thanks for your response, will check out your other blog too, thanks! Kathy
ReplyDeleteDeb, I have to ask, do you do lymphatic massage therapy, cranial massage therapy, liver and kidney cleanses? Maybe with a low histamine diet it will help the lymph system but I understand if any of those are clogged and not detoxed then your body cannot function properly....Im just looking at all options adn trying to incoorporate them all. I know cranial massage is helping get back my husbands vision that he lost after his stroke last year. So Im a believer in clean lymph and body.
ReplyDeleteHigh alkaline diet and now that I know of the histamine diet, incorporate the two. Thanks, Kathy
ReplyDeleteKathy,
DeleteI am on low dose oral chemo for my chronic blood cancer. The other things I do for histamine are quercetin, nettles, vitamin C (non-citrus), Holy Basil, Cromolyn, Zyrtec, Allegra and Benadryl with more severe reactions and exposures. Chemicals and fragrances are worse triggers for me than foods though keep Histamine bucket down helps. Some people also react to foods with salicylates or oxilates not just histamine. Depends how full you Histamine bucket is whether or not I tolerate massage therapy or lymph massage because sometimes friction of massage can trigger if at a less than ok place. What I have found in these online groups is everybody is unique in their triggers and reactions and what works great for one doesn't help others. Joining groups, asking questions and researching helps.
Bless you. Thanks for the tips.I am high histamine, totally revamped my diet.....again....I noticed you said non-citrus, that seems to be a trigger for me. ALso have found sulfites trigger it. So probably chemical sensitivities in general for me.. I will keep you in my prayers. I enjoy your blogs, Kathy
ReplyDeleteHad a biopsy done on a sore that would not heal on my ballon valance below my lip and it came back as an allergen....that was a relief,sores that dont heal are scary but no more wine or citrus or chocolates for me, it has improved but not gone away, My blood work was good the same year, year before last, months before my valance appeared, have not had any more blood work yet.
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