PMDD and histamines.

Is there a connection?

Your doctor may not tell you that there is, but I bet my left ass cheek that there is certainly a connection between PMDD and histamines.

They may also tell you that antihistamines aren't an effective treatment for PMDD. But again, they'd be wrong — because for many people with PMDD, antihistamines are what's keeping them on this planet. 34% of those with PMDD have attempted suicide. If antihistamines are what keep you here another day, no judgment from me.

I've even used them myself with pretty good success. But ultimately, I switched to more natural antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers before finding my root cause entirely.

Before, we continue. let me remind you I am not a doctor. I'm just someone with pattern recognition skills that was willing to use my body to experiement and my time to converse with thousands suffering with PMDD in an effort to gather enough data to maybe, possibly help someone that was as desperate as I was. 

After spending years being gaslit by apathateic doctors, I finally took my health in my own hands. Out of neccesity. I wasn't going to make it otherwise. 

After decades of trying, the meds simply weren't working as advertised. Which ultimately lead me to desperation. The site you see today, is a result of that desperation. 

I never wanted anyone to feel the way I did, so I built this site for them.

Now back to histamines and the PMDD connection, but first, let's talk about what histamine symptoms REALLY look like. 

What histamine intolerance actually feels like

Most people think of histamine as an allergy thing. A runny nose. Maybe congestion. Itchy watery eyes. But it goes much deeper. Many of the symptoms that you experience each day, are actually a histamine response. The list of histamine symptoms may surprise you. 

For me, histamine intolerance showed up as:

• Irritability
• Rage
• Anxiety
• Flushing and hives after eating
• Heart palpitations that came out of nowhere
• Migraines I couldn't explain
  
• Racing thoughts
  

The list goes on and on. See 50 histamine symptoms here. 

Why histamine and PMDD are so intertwined

Here's what my doctors over the course of decades didn't tell me: estrogen and histamine feed each other. For many, estrogen dominance is the driver of their PMDD.

Estrogen triggers your mast cells to release histamine and then in return, your body has the nerve to produce more estrogen, as a result of those histamines. 

The symptoms overlap in a way that makes it almost impossible to tell where PMDD ends and histamine begins.

For many of us, what we've been calling PMDD symptoms are at least partly histamine symptoms simply amplified by the hormonal chaos of our luteal phase. This all depends on your genetics, which we will get into on a later date.

But to keep it simple, your body also produces less DAO enzyme during the luteal phase. DAO is the enzyme responsible for breaking down histamine which you then see as a series of mental and physical symptoms. 

The histamine bucket

The cruelest part of histamine intolerance is that it's not always immediate. It's cumulative.

Think of it like a bucket. Throughout the day, throughout the week, histamine fills it up based on the foods we eat, the toxins we are exposed to, and even the stress we are under as well.

 One high-histamine food might be fine on its own. But stack a few together, add a stressful day and suddenly the bucket overflows, taking your sanity with it.

For many, this issue is genetic. For others, it's diet and environement, or their fried nervous system.

But typically, PMDD and histamine intolerence does have a root cause, though it varies from person to person. 

I feel incredibly luckyto have found mine.

What was actually driving mine

After years of food journaling, elimination diets, and connecting dots that no doctor had bothered to connect for me, I eventually  found my answer through genetic testing. 

I wrote about my root cause recently. You can read more here: Can PMDD Be Cured? My Answer After Living It.

Pease know that my root cause is not necessarily your root cause, but histamine intolerance  and PMDD both usually has a root cause. and quite frequently, they're connected.

Don't let anyone tell you it's just anxiety or that you're being dramatic. You know your body.

Where to start

If you suspect histamine is part of your PMDD experience, diet is a practical first step while you investigate the bigger picture.

• See what to cut: High Histamine Foods to Avoid for PMDD
• See what to eat instead: Low Histamine Food List
• Understand the full picture: PMDD — The Histamine Storm

And if you have PMDD and you've never been properly tested for celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, ask about it. Especially if your symptoms are getting worse over time, not better.

Remember, your body probably isn't broken. It's just trying to tell you a secret.

Want to read the full story of how I connected all of this? Follow along in The PMDD Chronicles  a real, raw memoir of surviving (and eventually beating) PMDD.