Some time ago, I began the simplifed protocol. I had to stop because of itching and a rash that has never gone away. My PC doctor was mystified, I went to a dermatologist who wrote with a stick on my skin and voila, raised welts. He said allergic reaction, histamine is being expelled through my skin (rather than sneezing or such). So I am on anti-histamines. So.... what do I do? Do I start the protocol again? Any suggestions are appreciated.
Wendy
Hi, Wendy.
I'm sorry to hear about the rise in histamine. Histamine is made from histidine, and tetrahydrofolate is needed to metabolize histadine to glutamate. When there is a partial methylation cycle block, tetrahydrofolate is not being produced at a normal rate by the methionine synthase reaction (this is what produces the elevated Figlu on a urine organic acids test). It may be that more of the histidine goes into forming histamine when the conversion to glutamate is impeded by low tetrahydrofolate.
The other aspect to consider is the breakdown of histamine. If this is slow, histamine can build up. There are two main pathways for this. One is a methyltransferase pathway, and a partial methylation cycle block would be expected to interfere with it. The other is diamine oxidase, which requires vitamin B6 (actually its active form, P5P) and copper. If either of these is deficient, it could slow the breakdown of histamine and produce higher levels of it.
What can be done? Well, together with your physician, you might check the levels of copper and B6, and supplement if low. If copper is supplemented, zinc should also be supplemented at a dosage that is a factor of 10 or 15 higher, to keep them in proper balance. It's also important not to overdo the copper, because it can produce oxidative stress via the Fenton reaction.
Antihistamines are another possibility. There are at least 3 types of histamine receptors, and each requires certain antihistamines. There are some supplements that reportedly decrease the production of histamine, one being quercetin.
In the long run, I think that restoring the methylation cycle function should control the histamine levels, and together with your physician, you might consider trying lower dosages of the methylation protocol supplements and raise them slowly. It's important to be careful so as to avoid anaphylaxis, which can be serious.
Best regards,
Rich