Are Your “Random” Symptoms Actually Histamine Intolerance or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome?
Ever feel like your symptoms are all over the place?
Nausea one day. Heart palpitations the next. Maybe an itchy rash after a shower, or feeling light-headed when you stand up too fast.
You’ve done the rounds of specialists, allergy tests, and blood work… all “normal.”
So what’s going on?
Let’s talk about histamine intolerance and its sister condition, mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) — two sneaky, under-recognised issues that can make your body feel like it’s constantly overreacting to life itself.
Common Signs of Histamine Intolerance or MCAS
You might relate if you experience:
Nausea or reflux
Motion sickness or dizziness
Low blood pressure or seeing stars when it’s hot
Itching after showers or random flushing
Hives, redness, or swelling without a clear trigger
Runny nose, sneezing, or allergy-like symptoms
Anxiety, heart palpitations, or insomnia
Feeling worse after bone broth, fermented foods, chocolate, dairy, or wine
If that list reads like your last month of symptoms — you’re not alone.
So What’s Actually Happening?
Histamine isn’t just about hay fever — it’s a neurotransmitter and signalling molecule that affects your brain, gut, hormones, and circulation.
You need histamine for digestion, wakefulness, and immune defence — but when levels climb too high (or your body can’t break it down fast enough), you end up with a messy mix of symptoms:
flushing, dizziness, anxiety, reflux, nausea, rashes, and palpitations — sometimes all in one day.
Why Histamine Builds Up
Histamine overload happens when production outweighs breakdown.
Here’s why that might be happening:
DAO or HNMT enzyme deficiencies or genetic variants – you simply don’t clear histamine efficiently.
Gut dysbiosis or SIBO – certain bacteria make histamine and reduce DAO production.
Oestrogen dominance – oestrogen actually triggers histamine release.
Chronic stress and poor sleep – both activate mast cells and reduce tolerance.
Nutrient deficiencies – especially B6, vitamin C, copper, and zinc.
Medications that block DAO, like antidepressants, NSAIDs, PPIs, and some blood pressure meds.
Post-viral, mould exposure, or post-vaccine immune activation – all can leave mast cells stuck in overdrive.
What Is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)?
Your mast cells are like your immune system’s alarm system — they release histamine and inflammatory chemicals to protect you from invaders.
But in MCAS, they start firing for the wrong reasons — releasing histamine at random, without a clear allergen.
The result? Chronic inflammation, swelling, pain, and hypersensitivity… yet your standard tests look “normal.”
It’s basically your immune system behaving like that one smoke alarm that goes off every time you boil water.
Natural Support: Calming Histamine & Mast Cells
Here are key nutrients and compounds that help lower histamine and stabilise mast cells naturally:
Quercetin & Luteolin – natural mast-cell stabilisers that reduce histamine release.
Vitamin C – acts as a natural antihistamine and supports DAO enzyme activity.
Nettle & Ginger – gentle herbal antihistamines.
SAMe – supports histamine breakdown via methylation pathways.
Vitamin B6 & Copper – essential cofactors for DAO enzyme production in the gut.
Toxaprevent (zeolite binder) – helps mop up excess histamine in the digestive tract.
Magnesium glycinate – calms smooth muscle and lowers reactivity.
Omega-3s & Curcumin – reduce inflammation and stabilise the immune response.
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) – supports glutathione and reduces oxidative stress (use liposomal glutathione instead if sulfur-sensitive).
DAO enzyme supplements – taken before meals to help degrade histamine from foods.
Low-histamine diet (short-term) – remove aged, fermented, and leftover foods while you focus on gut repair.
Mast cell stablising medications are sometimes needed in acute phases, I often defer to these along side supplements when dealing with clients who have mould toxicity.
The Bigger Picture
Histamine issues are rarely random — they’re your body’s way of waving a red flag that something deeper is out of balance.
Whether it’s gut health, hormone overload, nutrient depletion, or immune dysregulation, histamine is the messenger, not the enemy.
If you’ve been dismissed with “it’s just allergies” or told your symptoms are in your head, it’s time to look deeper at your histamine metabolism and mast-cell health.
And yes, you can calm it naturally once you understand what’s driving it.
Much Love,
Megan
