occasional short bouts of itchy hands and feet, dizziness, palpatations, fainting, nausea

Like others im so happy im not the first person to suffer with this. Physicians act baffled and im at my wits end. This started almost a year ago. The first time I ate at a fast food restaurant and about 20 min later had hand and feet itching. From then on the reactions were worse. The next time I had severe abdominal pains followed by diarrhea and hands and feet itching. The third time was worse; I had all the previous symptoms along with my face swelling (around the cheek area). and ear swelling, hives, and tongue swelling. I went to the ER the 4th time because i had all the other symptoms plus vomiting and my eyes swell this time. I have been to the allergist which of course im not allergic to anything, but when i went to my PCP i did find out I had Lyme Disease which in my state they dont have alot of cases. I was on the medication for 2 weeks and started to feel better no out breaks or body aches (which was another symptom i had off and on throughout this period). I was off the medication for about 2 weeks when once again it has started. I went back to the doctor because of the body aches and a small reaction i had to fast food which was just the hands and feet itching. They checked me for Lyme disease again and I am currently still positive but the level went down from last time. I am back on medication hopefully this is the reason why this is all happening.

I Have been having these symptoms for years and now they are getting worse. It started as prickly itchy hands, vomiting, diarrhea severe gas cramps and then after 30 minutes or so it is over! That was over the last several years. Now I am experience tingling itchy hands, slight nausea and tingling in hands an feet. i am really getting scared.

Hello,

I posted already about my attacks about 2 months ago. I again had a terrible one whilst being on a city trip in Athens. This time it was at night, first time it happens at night for me. I woke up with stomach cramps and then it all started, diarrea, then those horrible itchy hands (sometimes feet or other body parts too and this is a sign for me, I KNOW it's going to start....) and then the vomiting and fainting started. I felt so weak that my husband almost called an ambulance again. I took buscopan for the stomach pain and zyrtec, not sur it helped because I was still vomiting but everything was over after about an hour. I don't think it's related to food. I've now had this about 8/9 times during the last 4 years and there has been even a period of time while nothing happened and I ate everyting (during 1 year and a half) so it's definitely not food related. Again I believe it's a digestion problem, I vomit the food that I've eaten almost a day ago, which means that I didn't digest it at all, it's like something got blocked! I did so many tests the last 4 years, all negative, allergy tests (except dust, cats, dogs and some trees), I went to see a gastro enterologue too, all don't know!

I'm still scared to death that it will happen again, when and most of all where?

J.

 

All of you suffering these symptoms. As stated in my previous posts, few docs have a clue. Start taking a Pepcid and a Zertec or Claritin (generics are okay) every day. See what happens and report back to us. These are OTC and every doc I've asked about them have said the side effects are very minimal. I can attest to that. With this combination I have been attack free for over a year!

Hey guys. . .I've had these symptoms for a number of years and was talking to a doctor that sits next to me at work today and she said I should be checked for HISTAMINE INTOLERANCE. She said it's not the same as a food allergy, but food and combinations of food can instigate it. She said histamine can cause all the symptoms I have - itching palms and feet, stomach and GI issues and the dizziness and fainting. I just "googled" it and my symptoms seem to fit. The last few times I've taken liquid Benadryl and a Pepcid as soon as my hands start to tingle and itch and it has definately helped.

Hi,I'm also had these symptoms for 4 years...I've always suffered with IBS and sometimes when i eat i get cramps and diarrhea but nothing like these attacks i've had. My first attack was 4 years ago when i was pregnant with my first child,i woke up at 5 in the morning with severe stomach pain followed by diarrhea and vomiting my hands and feet were tingling and itchy and my skin was bright red i was very close to passing out when my husband came in and i told him to call an ambulance.I didn't know at the time but my lips had swollen and the hospital said it was a severe allergic reaction (my white cell count was very) high but couldn't say to what.

Hi there I just want to share some insight with everyone if you are interested.......I am on the slightly upside of my health issues now. Finally getting some positive results. I want you guys to read a book called "The Gluten Connection" by Shari Lieberman. This breaks it down. I think many of us have the same problems and they could very well be food related. Bye the way (YES) you can still have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity and still come up negative on blood tests and others. Please take the time to honestly try this out. In the past I have had, all of the following.....heart palpitations, breathing problems, rashes and burning on hands and feet, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, severe bouts of diarrhea, gastroenteritis, and a few others. I have discovered that changing my diet has made a huge difference and quickly.  Take care everyone.

I could just about cry, having found this thread.

I have suffered from these exact symptoms for 3.5 years. I have spoken with two doctors, both all but blew me off.

My first attack was in Feb 08, when I was 37 weeks pregnant with my third child. I was absolutely terrified of the horrendous abdomen pain, right up by my breast bone; the diarrhea, which became liquidy; the itching - first my palms (which became bright red), my feet, my neck, my abdomen, and even my vagina; the nausea (no vomitting); scary-fast heart rate. I scratched my self so badly due to the itching that I had red streaks all over my skin for days.

Called my OB, who said it was food poisoning. Ok, I could deal with that.

Since then, I have had... probably 10 episodes of varying severity, although none have been as bad as the first 3 or 4. In subsequent visits, my OB said it was pregnancy hormones and I should end up not having these attacks any more.

I finally saw my family physician, some time in 09, I think. Because of the heart rate, she ran some tests on my heart. When those came back fine, she basically threw up her hands and said she didn't know what it could be, unless they CAUGHT it happening.

These attacks are terrifying. I have come very, very close to asking my husband to call an ambulance, so that SOMEONE in the medical profession could see it happening. But, my attacks last less than an hour, generally.


 
I have tried to describe it as a panic attack, but not. As an allergic reaction, but not. It has almost always happened at night, say 8pm or later. Once, it happened at 5:30pm, as my husband was walking in the door and the parents of my daycare children were arriving to get their kids. And I had to disappear with no word to any of them, leaving my poor husband to handle pick-up, without a clue as to why I'd disappeared.  Mortifying.

After the attacks, I am bone-achingly tired. In the morning, I awake, feeling run over by a truck, and usually have a dull pain remaining in my abdomen.

I thought recently that MAYBE I was finally done with these attacks. And then I awoke to one at 1:30 last night. I came to while sleeping once or twice, due to severe gas pains. I finally awoke enough to realize I NEEDED to get to the bathroom. Even while the digestive tract was sorting itself out, I thought, "man, at least it isn't an ATTACK." Then my palms started itching. And I knew it had come back to haunt me.

I think the thing that makes the most sense to me, in trying, and TRYING to Google symptoms and reading through this whole thread is some sort of crazy allergic reaction. The possibility of a combination of foods and/or chemicals causing it makes the most sense to me. I can remember a few times when it happened, that I knew EVERYTHING I had eaten that day and the previous day were things I've eaten LOTS of times, like yogurt. But, maybe certain foods in certain combinations, or certain chemicals included in those foods, cause some sort of allergic reaction every now and then.

But, for me, right now, the biggest thing is this:

I am no longer alone.

I no longer feel half-crazy at the thought of trying to explain this to someone. Or trying to tell my husband what is going on. I don't feel like I'm the ONLY PERSON who deals with this.

Thank you.

After doing some looking into on the "histamine intolerance" info, I truly believe this is what I have. 

Upon reading the list of symptoms, I began to realize that some of my seemingly unrelated issues are probably actually this. Like, the severe menstrual cramps I've had in the last 3 years. The insomnia I have. My anxiety. Headaches. Extreme tiredness. Eczema. Acne (at 32 years old). Cardiac arrhythmia.

It all makes so much sense!

@ANannyMess

I also googled histamine intolerance and I am now convinced that this must be IT! I've been suffering from these attacks since almost 4 years now, last night I had my latest one, cramps, terribly itchy hands (this is THE sign) and all the usual that follows, it took almost 3 hours. Today I went to work with terrible abdominal pain but at least no attack since yesterday evening. In my case it always happens in the evening as well, though I believe it's not related to the food that I took for dinner. There is always a gap of minimum 1 month (sometimes 6 months or longer) between my 'attacks'.

I'll now check with my doctor to see how to test on histamine intolerence.

I'll keep you posted.

J.

 

 

Hello,

Still not wiser after more blood/allergy tests. My doctor stated that it's not histamine or gluten intolerance, apparently I was already tested for that.

Now what? I'm allergic to dust, dogs, cats, some trees and to Soy, nuts and celery but I can't believe it's coming from this. I was free of 'attacks' during almost 1.5 year and I ate everything!

Still desperately looking for an answer.

J.

 

I saw a new allergist today and after telling him my symptoms he said they were the classic histamine response.  He asked if I took much Ibuprofen or aspirin - I am an Excedrin addict. He said that a very small group of allergy sufferers have a response to these medications (he explained how it worked but I didn't fully understand what he said). It was along the lines that the medication builds up in your system until you have a histamine response. He said meds like Zyrtec would help a little, but typically the symptoms start to subside before the antihistamine takes full effect. He encouraged me to cut all aspirin and ibuprofen use and use Tylenol or Excedrin Tension instead. Gonna give it a try and see what happens. I am 50, but other than seasonal allergies I don't have any other medical or GI problems and honestly believe this isn't IBS or some of these other thinks. I am certain that this is a response to histamine release in my body.

I just had my 2nd episode! The first was one mild and lasted 1 hour..3 weeks later I had a morfe violent attack which included feeling that my lips were swollen, light headed, stomache ache, diarreah, itchy palms..only lasted 1/2 an hour but it kicked my Butt! So I want to ask some questions to see if any of us has OTHER simular things happening.

1) I started a low carb diet which is mostly protein about 1 month ago

2) I started running (Adreniline release)

3) I have noticed in the past 6 months that I get a lot of mucus, like I am constantly having to hard swallow (I do not spit them up..I would puke)

4) Runny nose without having a cold or being sick...just runny



So I looked up histime release in my body. I found that the runny nose and mucus production and Histime are all related. From what I read:

Histamine intolerance is due to a (temporary) deficiency or an inhibition of the enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO). DAO is the enzyme responsible for the degradation of histamine. Although DAO is virtually found in the whole body, the bowels constitute its most important site of action. The enzymatic activity of DAO determines the rate of degradation of histamine. If a DAO deficiency and / or inhibition is present, the organism will not be able to degrade quickly enough the histamine taken in with food or released from body cells and the symptoms of histamine intolerance will occur.



So i have found a few products online that help with DAO definiency they are:

Histame and Muco Stop. I am going to do more research on both products before I spend the money.



I called my Dr and cant get in till December...so until then I will log my food, attacks, duration etc..and start some sort of natural enzyme to fight the histimine build up in my body.



Please let me know if anyone has noticed the Mucus/Runny nose connection with your attacks.



Thank you!

LolasMom wrote:

BethAnn wrote:

I saw a new allergist today and after telling him my symptoms he said they were the classic histamine response.  He asked if I took much Ibuprofen or aspirin - I am an Excedrin addict. He said that a very small group of allergy sufferers have a response to these medications (he explained how it worked but I didn't fully understand what he said). It was along the lines that the medication builds up in your system until you have a histamine response. He said meds like Zyrtec would help a little, but typically the symptoms start to subside before the antihistamine takes full effect. He encouraged me to cut all aspirin and ibuprofen use and use Tylenol or Excedrin Tension instead. Gonna give it a try and see what happens. I am 50, but other than seasonal allergies I don't have any other medical or GI problems and honestly believe this isn't IBS or some of these other thinks. I am certain that this is a response to histamine release in my body.

I just had my 2nd episode! The first was one mild and lasted 1 hour..3 weeks later I had a morfe violent attack which included feeling that my lips were swollen, light headed, stomache ache, diarreah, itchy palms..only lasted 1/2 an hour but it kicked my Butt! So I want to ask some questions to see if any of us has OTHER simular things happening.
1) I started a low carb diet which is mostly protein about 1 month ago
2) I started running (Adreniline release)
3) I have noticed in the past 6 months that I get a lot of mucus, like I am constantly having to hard swallow (I do not spit them up..I would puke)
4) Runny nose without having a cold or being sick...just runny

So I looked up histime release in my body. I found that the runny nose and mucus production and Histime are all related. From what I read:
Histamine intolerance is due to a (temporary) deficiency or an inhibition of the enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO). DAO is the enzyme responsible for the degradation of histamine. Although DAO is virtually found in the whole body, the bowels constitute its most important site of action. The enzymatic activity of DAO determines the rate of degradation of histamine. If a DAO deficiency and / or inhibition is present, the organism will not be able to degrade quickly enough the histamine taken in with food or released from body cells and the symptoms of histamine intolerance will occur.

So i have found a few products online that help with DAO definiency they are:
Histame and Muco Stop. I am going to do more research on both products before I spend the money.

I called my Dr and cant get in till December...so until then I will log my food, attacks, duration etc..and start some sort of natural enzyme to fight the histimine build up in my body.

Please let me know if anyone has noticed the Mucus/Runny nose connection with your attacks.

Thank you!

LolasMom

My daughter also suffers from excessive mucus. She does however have to spit it out, as it is too much to swallow. She has had this for about 6 years. We were always to match this up with seasonal allergies and it does seem to coincide with them but she also has this in the dead of winter. And also has it when most high allergy season has past.

She is never without a tissue, has had a drippy nose for as long as I remember.

She also has had eczema of some sort on her upper arm, since she was little and is itchy but doesn’t seem to itch on those areas. She gets random hives constantly.

She has bouts of vomiting, seems her system can only take so much of something and once she vomits she is fine. (This is unrelated to virus or food poisoning)

She is often dizzy.

It takes her most of the morning to empty her bowels and until then she does not feel well, she will be fatigued even with having good nights sleep. She does periodically have some insomnia but this is unrelated to the fatigue on those days we understand the fatigue.

Her stomach never really feels right but by afternoon she feels better than the mornings.

You are the first person that I have seen with the excessive mucus production. I have been searching for this for years and always just come up with that the body makes mucus to carry away things out of the body I suppose they could be talking about histamine there. But there never was much on how excessive hers was.

We are looking into the Histamine Intolerance; right now we are waiting for the doctor to call about where to go for testing. Until then she is going to keep eating the same way for the testing and once tested she will begin the low histamine diet.

We are hoping this is the cause of her issues. She also gets the flushing on her face but also sometimes her feet are bright red anyone have that?

Kay

khill wrote:

LolasMom wrote:

BethAnn wrote:

I saw a new allergist today and after telling him my symptoms he said they were the classic histamine response.  He asked if I took much Ibuprofen or aspirin - I am an Excedrin addict. He said that a very small group of allergy sufferers have a response to these medications (he explained how it worked but I didn't fully understand what he said). It was along the lines that the medication builds up in your system until you have a histamine response. He said meds like Zyrtec would help a little, but typically the symptoms start to subside before the antihistamine takes full effect. He encouraged me to cut all aspirin and ibuprofen use and use Tylenol or Excedrin Tension instead. Gonna give it a try and see what happens. I am 50, but other than seasonal allergies I don't have any other medical or GI problems and honestly believe this isn't IBS or some of these other thinks. I am certain that this is a response to histamine release in my body.

I just had my 2nd episode! The first was one mild and lasted 1 hour..3 weeks later I had a morfe violent attack which included feeling that my lips were swollen, light headed, stomache ache, diarreah, itchy palms..only lasted 1/2 an hour but it kicked my Butt! So I want to ask some questions to see if any of us has OTHER simular things happening.
1) I started a low carb diet which is mostly protein about 1 month ago
2) I started running (Adreniline release)
3) I have noticed in the past 6 months that I get a lot of mucus, like I am constantly having to hard swallow (I do not spit them up..I would puke)
4) Runny nose without having a cold or being sick...just runny

So I looked up histime release in my body. I found that the runny nose and mucus production and Histime are all related. From what I read:
Histamine intolerance is due to a (temporary) deficiency or an inhibition of the enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO). DAO is the enzyme responsible for the degradation of histamine. Although DAO is virtually found in the whole body, the bowels constitute its most important site of action. The enzymatic activity of DAO determines the rate of degradation of histamine. If a DAO deficiency and / or inhibition is present, the organism will not be able to degrade quickly enough the histamine taken in with food or released from body cells and the symptoms of histamine intolerance will occur.

So i have found a few products online that help with DAO definiency they are:
Histame and Muco Stop. I am going to do more research on both products before I spend the money.

I called my Dr and cant get in till December...so until then I will log my food, attacks, duration etc..and start some sort of natural enzyme to fight the histimine build up in my body.

Please let me know if anyone has noticed the Mucus/Runny nose connection with your attacks.

Thank you!

LolasMom

My daughter also suffers from excessive mucus. She does however have to spit it out, as it is too much to swallow. She has had this for about 6 years. We were always to match this up with seasonal allergies and it does seem to coincide with them but she also has this in the dead of winter. And also has it when most high allergy season has past.

She is never without a tissue, has had a drippy nose for as long as I remember.

She also has had eczema of some sort on her upper arm, since she was little and is itchy but doesn’t seem to itch on those areas. She gets random hives constantly.

She has bouts of vomiting, seems her system can only take so much of something and once she vomits she is fine. (This is unrelated to virus or food poisoning)

She is often dizzy.

It takes her most of the morning to empty her bowels and until then she does not feel well, she will be fatigued even with having good nights sleep. She does periodically have some insomnia but this is unrelated to the fatigue on those days we understand the fatigue.

Her stomach never really feels right but by afternoon she feels better than the mornings.

You are the first person that I have seen with the excessive mucus production. I have been searching for this for years and always just come up with that the body makes mucus to carry away things out of the body I suppose they could be talking about histamine there. But there never was much on how excessive hers was.

We are looking into the Histamine Intolerance; right now we are waiting for the doctor to call about where to go for testing. Until then she is going to keep eating the same way for the testing and once tested she will begin the low histamine diet.

We are hoping this is the cause of her issues. She also gets the flushing on her face but also sometimes her feet are bright red anyone have that?

Kay

Hi Kay,

Your poor daughter! I do not have the dizzy spells like your daughter does but I have noticed an increase of naseau in the mornings, so much so that I took a pregnancy test (negative). It is not horrible just enough that I can't eat till about 2 hours after I wake up. I have also had potty issues but I think this is due to the low carb diet which is common.

My exzema has also acted up more, I have a very small amouny on my lower arm and use a cream that calms it down.

I have read that Vitamin B6 helps control the production of histamine which is done in the intestines, but B6 on its own is hard on the digestive track so you would want to take it as part of a B Complex. There are a few good ones out there ones is called Stress Reliefe (who cant use that??).

I really think there is a corralation between the mucus, runny nose, Nauseu, dizzyiness and the histimine production. I have also noticed that I can feel my hands "tingle" during the day, as if an attack is just under the surface..my lips also feel kinda Numb during the day..I have started taking Claritin during the day and that helps a lot.