Bone Broth made me sick - histamine intolerance?

[keepswimming]

Hi all,

Just wondered if anyone has any thoughts. Yesterday I made bone broth for the first time, I put it in a soup. I ate it with cheese on toast. Not long after eating it I felt sick. In the evening I got some stomach pains, and this morning I had a flare up of ibs-d. I also had worsened allergy symptoms - sneezing, congestion. My body felt achey too (although that could be nothing but CFS symptoms). I took an anti histamine tablet and feel a lot better now.

I did a quick Google search, and histamine intolerance came up. I wondered if it's something I should look into. Since getting CFS (triggered by EBV) I have regularly had allergy symptoms, some of which I can't account for. Prior to CFS I had IBS, eczema. I also suffer with migraines, and I found eating chocolate was a big trigger - even a small amount results in an almost instant headache. I see chocolate is on the high histamine list.

However, I haven't noticed a connection with all histamine foods. I drink kefir every day - initially I had a bad reaction to it , but by building it up I tolerate it well now. I eat a lot of nuts, tomatoes, spinach etc and a moderate amount of cheese, and I haven't noticed specific symptoms in connection with these foods - however I don't always knows what has triggered ibs symptoms, so who knows!

Histamine issues are something I'm completely new to, I just wondered if someone with more experience might have a better idea, from what I've said, if it's something I should be looking into...

Thank you.

 

[xebex]

Bone broth causes me issues too, it’s not just histamines that could be causing it, it could be it’s glutamate content too.
My relationship with histamines and other amines is very odd I can’t find a pattern, sometimes I am super sensitive sometimes not, it could be related to hormonal cycle and If you’re well rested.
I’ve never been able to pursue the bone broth though and just had to give up - I’ve trued histamine protocols and they’ve not really helped, I just avoid foods I know are triggers. It’s frustrating not having obvious symptoms or diagnoses that’s for sure.

 

[kangaSue]

If you don't get on with other things such as MSG, whey protein (isolate or concentrate) or gelatin, there's a good chance the issue is with unbound glutamate.
https://chriskresser.com/beyond-msg-could-hidden-sources-of-glutamate-be-harming-your-health/

 

[keepswimming]

Thank you... Like everything else it seems like its not that simple! I will be avoiding bone broth in future as it did NOT suit me and I will have to stay aware of anything else that could be a trigger...

 

[mermaid]

I was interested in your post @keepswimming as I have been researching and investigating the role of histamine intolerance in my own life recently. I had looked into it about 4 years ago and even bought a book on the subject but at that point didn't come to any conclusions.

However something happened to me which has made things clearer. The thing about histamine is that it can fluctuate because food isn't the only source for our bodies of making histamine, so it stands to reason then that there will be time when you can tolerate more in foods than at other times. For example it is released more at times of stress, or during viruses.

I had noticed in the last few years that every time I had a virus I would end up with a kind of nasal allergy at the end of it, but I didn't think of it being histamine induced until I had a mild case of Covid-19 in mid December. I had the virus very mildly but the after-effects went on for ages. It is probably that I was already in a situation where I was eating foods that were too high in histamine (kefir and chocolate in particular - but I had reduced some foods, not knowing that it was histamine that made them intolerant for me). The virus though knocked me over the edge.

I was having diarrhoea, slight coughing, sneezing, headache. and my autoimmune condition Lichen Planus which is a skin condition had gone a bit mad all over my body (they have done recent research which links LP to histamine issues). When the penny finally dropped, I didn't cut foods out, but I have cut them back at present to see what my body will tolerate. I am also drinking Nettle tea (mixed with another tea to make it palatable) as it reduces histamine, and taking Quercetin. I would rather avoid using Antihistamines and use a more natural approach if possible.

So far, so good my symptoms are much reduced. Like you, I have a history of IBS-D, plus I have migraine (aura).

People who have histamine issues (and histamine of course is a necessary part of our body's processes) say they have to think of it like a bucket and they keep their levels at a level where their symptoms are under control.

 

[keepswimming]

That's really interesting, thank you for your reply @mermaid . I am going to try to be more observant of different foods I eat and other factors, and see if there is any correlation to symptoms. It's interesting to hear stress and viruses can have an impact, I had no idea.

One thing I'd never connected to what food I ate, until now, was allergy symptoms such as sneezing. Since developing CFS I have also developed allergies. In the summer I know hay-fever is a trigger, but I have other times when my allergies seem a lot worse and it seems totally random, I've not been able to work out the cause. But the day after eating bone broth my allergies were particularly bad - so I'm now wondering if food could be a factor, which I hadn't considered before. Interestingly, my Dad can't eat apples or he has fits of sneezing.

Like everything else, I think it will take some detective work! So your input is appreciated, thank you.

 

[mermaid]

I would definitely recommend reading around the subject of histamine online @keepswimming but don't get too hung up on the lists of foods that are produced on some sites. I think they are useful in a general sense in that you know what is likely to be higher in histamine, so that you don't eat too many of those items close together (at least that is how I am doing it).

Life would be totally miserable for me if I never ate chocolate again but now I have realised that it's dark chocolate that affects me most (despite it being the one that is healthier), I am having a little milk chocolate to help my cravings. I particularly like the Rhythm 108 bars as the ingredients on the whole are healthier and they are delicious.

I do have hay fever in the summer, but it hadn't occurred to me that my increased sneezing currently could be related to the food I eat either. I had assumed that the histamine was making me more sensitive to particles in the air. I guess that the food is involved in that if you get a spike in the histamine in your body via the food then it makes you more sensitive to other things or it may in fact be a direct result of inflammation in the airways.

I don't come on PR much these days (have had ME/CFS for at least 15 years) but I will log on from time to time as I will be interested to know how things are progressing for you re the histamine issues.

 

[keepswimming]

Thank you @mermaid your advice was really helpful.

Life would be totally miserable for me if I never ate chocolate again but now I have realised that it's dark chocolate that affects me most (despite it being the one that is healthier), I am having a little milk chocolate to help my cravings.

I used to say I could eat a little chocolate, for example if something had chocolate chips. However I've found even very small amounts give me a headache, and the other problem is, I can never manage to eat it in moderation - if I have a bit the cravings are too strong! By cutting it out completely I lose the desire to have it. So that works better for me! You obviously have more self control

Thanks again and if I figure anything else out I will keep you posted

 

[mermaid]

Well I haven't as much control re the chocolate as I would like @keepswimming I try not to have too much of it in the house in one go so I don't get too tempted. I may end up having to cut it out entirely but will see how I go, as I have only just started on this road - at the moment I am bargaining with myself re what I can reduce as opposed to cutting out (there are many things cut out already - wheat, alcohol, citrus fruit, normal tea and coffee so I'm hoping that therefore I can keep some other things in).