QUESTION:
A: A 35 yo female patient of mine is having really weird reactions to foods. She is on an SCD/low histamine diet and avoiding IgG food reactions. Still, 1-2x/week she is experiencing what she refers to as “throat closing” or throat tightness within 10-15mins of eating. The food triggers are random and inconsistent. The sxs last 10-60 minutes, but create real anxiety around eating. The throat closing is accompanied by increased mucus production and improves with B5, DAO enzyme, and/or Benadryl. She has a hx of hives, constipation and burning sensations. Any idea how to help her out of this hyper-reactive state? I told her to increase B5 and DAO enzyme but am having a hard time figuring out how to actually keep her from reacting to foods in the first place. Does it seem like there is a neurological component? Or that it could be dysphagia rather than throat swelling?
B: Finally, another patient (56yo female) fits the typical excess histamine, low-methylation picture. I started her with trace minerals, taurine and pantothenic acid. She reports having some dizziness, numbness/tingling and itchy legs since starting the supplements. I thought I started really easy to avoid over-methylation reactions. Do you think the sxs are related to speeding up methylation pathways? Or just that she is sensitive and any supplement might cause temporary reactions like this?
ANSWER:
A: Can be all the above. I have seen GI dysbiosis and parasites aggravate the HIS and the Sx often. I’d do a full stool panel with PCR (DrData or Genova). Also in folks like this a HIS based food test (I use ALCAT) is helpful as the test measures the patients HIS release to the foods rather than Ig’s. Removal of those foods and the “bugs” is key. Until you get to the HIS and other cytokine triggers the case circles around – and even at that I have had them take 1-2 years to lessen in sx. I also run baseline total IgE and follow that as well.
B: That is common and (unless you are giving a lot of methylator) not over methylation. As the nervous system responds all sorts of weird shit happens. Can take 3-12 mo to change. In case she is sensitive however I would add P5P and Mag (if you have not) and a source of 1-3 mg hydroxo-B12 (helps with the NO production) as well as glutathione support. Generally that helps too.