Getting to the root of it all

There are many people who believe that the aches and pains they experience are a result of foods they have eaten, but nobody believes them. Sometimes they are fobbed off as imagining it all. An increasing number of people believe they react badly to red wine, for instance. Others may be diagnosed with other adverse reactions to food such as coeliac disease, fructose malabsorption or lactose intolerance – but they still feel that something is not quite right. Some are even afraid to leave their home, because they are unable to find out why they repeatedly have seemingly unpredictable digestive problems – a few of whom are likely to have been diagnosed with IBS. Others may have unpredictable headaches or a wide range of other symptoms. These are only a few examples of the problems faced by people with histamine intolerance (HIT) if they have only been partly or even completely misdiagnosed.

For those who would like to regain control over their life, and who have in some cases resorted to literally lurching from medic to medic, trying to establish whether they have some kind of general medical condition, intolerance or allergy, it may be a good idea to also check out whether they could be suffering from HIT. A change of diet can work wonders if HIT is identified as a cause. In theory no other medication is needed. A few supplements can help. Some pharmaceuticals even need to be avoided as they can make symptoms worse.