Are Those Histamines in Your Pocket or are You Just Happy to See Me?

Hello Fellow Fathomers!!  I’ve decided to use my blog not only to writing, music, and other facets of entertainment, but, also to share my journey. I’ve had significant health problems for almost two years. Initially, my rheumatologist diagnosed me with systemic lupus (SLE) on June 19, 2013. However, the medication wasn’t working and I kept getting worse and developing new symptoms. So, after second, third, and fourth opinions, my neurologist believes instead I have fibromyalgia. 
Thank you for listening, each week I will have a new installment chronicling my journey. Please, please feel free to comment, write, share. I hope to use this forum as a help to all of us, no matter what pain you are experiencing. You may also send stories to me via finlessbook at gmail dot com. I will respect your privacy and maintain your anonymity, if you so desire.
Hugs for today …
Spinach and Histamines and Darn Seasonal Allergies
One of my favorite “new” foods for my healthier eating plan included lots of fresh spinach. However, after I routinely ate it several times in a row, I felt swollen and itchy at times. What I did not realize was that fresh spinach contains a high level of histamines. It isn’t the only food either. Many very healthy foods contain high levels of histamines.
As a young child, I would develop hives quite often with no known culprit. However, one pediatrician diagnosed me with a histamine imbalance. Now, he didn’t give us any clues on how to treat it, but, that term stuck with me all these years. Imagine my surprise that I find the term, Histamine Intolerance, just recently. The amount of similarities between me and the list of possible symptoms is uncanny.
I found this wonderful site among many, MindBodyGreen - Mind/Body Wellness and Green Living Tips, News, and Interviews and it gives a full article to Histamine Intolerance. When I read the common symptoms, I kept reading. According to their site:
Common symptoms of histamine intolerance include:
  • Headaches/migraines
  • Difficulty falling asleep, easily arousal
  • Hypertension
  • Vertigo or dizziness
  • Arrhythmia, or accelerated heart rate
  • Difficulty regulating body temperature
  • Anxiety
  • Nausea, vomiting
  • Abdominal cramps
  • Flushing
  • Nasal congestion, sneezing, difficulty breathing
  • Abnormal menstrual cycle
  • Hives
  • Fatigue
  • Tissue swelling
But, even further research led me to understand that my exacerbation of fibromyalgia, or even lupus, can be worsened by the histamine intolerance. Now, I have to wonder if what I actually have body wide is an extreme histamine intolerance over a more serious diagnosis.
I have an appointment with both a nutritionist and a rheumatologist soon and will ask these questions. I will talk more about some other key bodily occurrences in a future blog including:
Until then, stay healthy, do your yoga, get plenty of sleep, and eat things that don’t come in a wrapper. (well most of the time anyway.)

Comments

Iris B said…
Oh my ... I know how u feel. Ive had the symptoms of HIT for a few months now and really struggled. I saw a naturopath last week and feel slightly better with all the stuff she's given me. I keep u up to date but let me know if u need info on hit. There are some really good sites out there and not so good ones .

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