Are you experiencing histamine intolerance symptoms?

Histamine Intolerance Clinic

Histamine Intolerance Clinic

At Essex Private Doctors, we recognise that histamine intolerance can be a complex and often misunderstood condition.

Our approach combines the latest in lifestyle medicine with patient-centred care, ensuring that we provide effective solutions to help you manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Histamine intolerance occurs when your body is unable to break down histamine effectively, leading to an excess of this naturally occurring compound. Histamine plays a crucial role in immune responses, digestion, and even as a neurotransmitter.

However, when it accumulates in the body, it can trigger a variety of uncomfortable and sometimes debilitating symptoms. In this guide, I’ll explain what histamine is, how it affects your body, and how I can help you manage histamine intolerance in a comprehensive and patient-friendly way.

histamine moelcule

What is Histamine?

Histamine is a biogenic amine, a naturally occurring chemical that acts as a mediator in immune responses and is well known for its role in allergic reactions. However, histamine has a much broader function.

It is found throughout the body—in your blood, cells, and tissues—and has a variety of roles, including regulating immune responses, supporting gut function, and acting as a neurotransmitter in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Because histamine is involved in so many bodily systems, an imbalance can lead to symptoms affecting multiple organs, including the gut, skin, respiratory system, and even the brain.

Histamine helps protect the body by triggering inflammation when pathogens or threats are detected, prompting the immune system to take action. It is produced by immune cells such as mast cells and basophils, and stored in tissues throughout the body, particularly in the digestive system and the skin. Normally, enzymes like diamine oxidase (DAO) and histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT) break down excess histamine, maintaining a healthy balance in the body.

However, when histamine is not effectively broken down, it can build up and trigger a range of symptoms. This build-up, known as histamine intolerance, is often the result of a combination of dietary, genetic, and environmental factors.

Causes of Histamine Intolerance

Dietary Sources: Many foods are naturally high in histamine, particularly fermented, aged, or processed items such as wine, beer, cheeses, and cured meats. Additionally, certain foods can stimulate the body to release histamine even if they are not high in histamine themselves, including some vegetables (e.g., tomatoes, spinach), tropical fruits, and shellfish.

Endogenous Sources: Your body also produces histamine internally. Gut bacteria can contribute to histamine production, and hormones like oestrogen can cause an increase in histamine levels, especially during menstruation or menopause. Other factors, such as chronic stress, infections, and environmental triggers like heat, can also raise histamine levels.

The body relies on enzymes like DAO and HNMT to degrade histamine. Some individuals may have low levels of these enzymes due to genetic factors, nutrient deficiencies (e.g., low levels of copper, vitamin B6, or zinc), gut disorders, or medications that inhibit enzyme function. Without adequate breakdown, histamine accumulates, leading to intolerance.

Histamine Intolerance Symptoms

Diarrhoea, bloating, nausea, and abdominal discomfort

Wheezing, shortness of breath, or nasal congestion

Low blood pressure, palpitations, or an irregular heartbeat

Headaches, migraines, dizziness, or anxiety

Painful periods or menstrual irregularities

Diagnosing Histamine Intolerance

While histamine intolerance is not always widely recognised in traditional medicine, I use a lifestyle medicine approach that looks at the bigger picture. Diagnosing histamine intolerance begins with a thorough review of your symptoms, medical history, and lifestyle.

Key Diagnostic Approaches Include:

  • Symptom Tracking: We encourage our patients to keep a detailed food and symptom diary to help identify potential triggers. This can be an invaluable first step in determining how your diet may be contributing to your symptoms.
  • Elimination Diet: One of the most effective ways to diagnose histamine intolerance is through a low-histamine elimination diet. By removing high-histamine foods for a few weeks and gradually reintroducing them, we can determine which foods may be triggering your symptoms.
  • Laboratory Tests: While tests for DAO and histamine levels are available, they are not always conclusive. However, when combined with symptom tracking and dietary adjustments, they can provide useful information to support a diagnosis.
  • Gut Health Assessment: Since gut bacteria play a role in histamine production, it can be helpful to assess gut health as part of the bigger picture.

Managing Histamine Intolerance

Our goal is to help you regain control over your health and improve your quality of life by effectively managing histamine intolerance.
Treatment is highly individualised and focuses on balancing histamine levels through a combination of dietary changes, supplements, and lifestyle modifications.

A low-histamine diet is a key component of managing histamine intolerance. We work closely with our patients to create a personalised plan that eliminates foods high in histamine, such as:

  • Alcohol (wine, beer, champagne)
  • Aged cheeses, processed meats, and fermented foods
  • Certain vegetables (e.g., tomatoes, spinach, aubergines)
  • Shellfish and certain types of fish (e.g., tuna, mackerel)
  • Tropical fruits (e.g., bananas, pineapples, citrus fruits)

By avoiding these foods and slowly reintroducing them, we can help identify which items are triggering your symptoms.

In some cases, we recommend supplements to support the body’s ability to break down histamine.
DAO supplements may help with the breakdown of dietary histamine, while vitamins such as B6, C, and zinc can support enzyme function.
We also address any nutrient deficiencies that could be contributing to your symptoms.

Depending on the severity of your symptoms, we may suggest medications such as:

  • H1 and H2 antihistamines: These help block histamine receptors, reducing the impact of histamine in the body.
  • Mast Cell Stabilisers: These medications help prevent mast cells from releasing histamine, reducing the overall histamine load.
  • Probiotics and Gut Health Support: Supporting healthy gut bacteria can help reduce histamine production in the digestive tract.

Living Well with Histamine Intolerance

While this condition can be challenging, with the right approach and support, many people find significant relief from their symptoms. By identifying your triggers and balancing your histamine levels through personalised care, We aim to help you lead a more comfortable, symptom-free life.

Whether you are just beginning to explore histamine intolerance or have been struggling with symptoms for some time, We are here to support you.

Dr Eleanor Beddoe is our clinical lead in histamine intolerance. Book at histamine intolerance clinic appointment today.