Transcript of Sex hormones and the histamine/MCAS connection 2020

Have you ever noticed that your histamine intolerance and MCAS symptoms are worse at certain times of the month especially when your estrogen levels are high? Hormones imbalances such as low progesterone, low testosterone and high estrogen as seen in Estrogen dominance, can significantly impact your symptoms.

In today’s video. I’m going to explain how your sex hormones are connected to histamine intolerance and MCAS, I will talk about the role these hormones play, how they contribute to the symptoms of histamine intolerance/ MCAS and finally, I will share with you 5 lifestyle tips that will help support histamine levels and hormones.

Dealing with histamine intolerance/MCAS can be incredibly challenging due to the fact that there are many aspects of your health that need to be considered- yet they are often overlooked! I talk about Histamine intolerance and MCAS being like a bucket and the more things filling up your bucket- the more you struggle the more you will suffer.

Some people with MCAS and histamine intolerance have a bucket that is filled with all kinds of problems but if you are serious about getting your life back and feeling good again and being in control- Your focus needs to be on understanding what is filling up YOUR bucket- not your FB friends bucket – but your histamine/MCAS bucket! We are all different so what causes your histamine intolerance and MCAS bucket to fill and overflow will be different that mine.

Whats in Your Histamine/MCAS Bucket?

There are a number of reasons that histamine and other inflammatory mediators can be out of balance. These include things like genetics, the health of your microbiome, childhood environment, stress levels, diet, nutritional deficiencies, liver health, gut health, hormone balance, environmental chemicals, and food. One by one, these factors fill up your bucket until it begin to overflow. In past videos, I have talked about Gut Health, I have talked about Mold allergies and Mold biotoxins being a trigger for Histamine intolerance and MCAS, So today it’s time to focus on the balance of hormones.

For Additional information and Health Tips watch the video below

How Sex Hormones including Estrogen Affects Mast Cell Stability.

Sex Hormones affect the mast cells in many different ways. While it’s true that more woman seem to struggle with mast cells problems than men, men who have sex hormone imbalances are also at great risk.

Studies have shown that Fluctuations of estrogens trigger mast-cell degranulation, while testosterone and other androgens are credited to having a stabilizing effect. Progesterone has also been shown to have a stabilizing effect on mast cells.

Let’s break this up a bit….. what does this mean to you? and how does it apply to your histamine/MCAS symptoms?

First thing is that this study shows us that estrogen triggers mast cells to breakdown, when mast cells break down they release histamine as well as other inflammatory chemical immune mediators. We also know from other studies, that high histamine stimulates estrogen- so we have this vicious cycle going on. High estrogen causing mast cells to break apart (degranulate) releasing histamine and we have histamine leading to more estrogen production.

One other thing we know is that Estrogen decreases DAO activity. If you remember from previous videos, DAO is the enzyme that breaks down histamine. If you are a woman who has terrible menstrual cramps, or you have increased heart rate (you feel your heart racing) or you have low blood pressure here is why this is important to you.

Histamine and Uterus

The muscular layer of the uterus is loaded with H1 receptors. When estrogen binds to the H1 receptor you get uterine contractions. Period pain/cramping is often caused by too much estrogen and not enough progesterone.

H1 receptors are not only found in the muscular layer of the uterus, H1 receptors are also found in the heart, the brain and the inner layer of blood vessels, arteries and capillaries.

2^nd thing that this study points out is that “other” sex hormones like testosterone and other androgens as well as progesterone has a stabilizing effect on mast cells.

So If you are a man and you have low testosterone, or you are a man who has high estrogen you are more prone to suffer with symptoms of histamine intolerance and MCAS symptom. This might be the man who get testosterone shots and the testosterone is getting converted into estrogen. So this is one scenario….

2^nd scenario applies to woman who have low progesterone like that seen in woman during menopause and perimenopause, it might be the woman who has high estrogen from synthetic forms of estrogen like birth control pills, IUD or other forms of hormone therapy, it might be the woman with estrogen dominance or…. It could be the woman with low testosterone.

Synthetic hormones often cause more problems then they fix, they often make histamine and MCAS symptoms worse. So. I recommend that if you are considering using this you research and exhaust all other avenues first.

5  Tips to Help Reduce Excess Estrogen and Estrogen Dominance.

Tip #1-Exercise–

Exercise is so important- by shedding those extra pounds you will reduce your estrogen load. Estrogen is stored in the fat tissues and the more fat you store the more estrogen dominant you can become. Fat cells in the breast tissue and belly, can actually convert androgens into estrogen. This is called aromatization.

When your testosterone gets converted into estrogen, this leaves you with low testosterone levels. Remember, testosterone and other androgens has a stabilizing effect on the mast cells. The best kind of exercise for promoting healthy testosterone levels is high intensity interval training.

Tip #2 Change The Kind Of Beauty Products/Personal Health care Products You Use. 

Most of your personal care products can be major culprits for chemicals that mimic estrogen in your body. These are called xenoestrogens or endocrine disruptors.

Choose natural kind of makeups, soaps, deodorants, lipsticks, etc also stop using plastic.

Plastic will affect the immune system and causes more hormone imbalances especially to the thyroid.

Tip #3 Avoid All Forms of Synthetic Hormones When Possible. This Includes Birth Control Pills, Patches, IUD and HRT.

These hormones wreak havoc on woman’s hormones because a woman body was never designed to be exposed to the synthetic/unnatural and high levels of hormones that you see in HRT, birth control and patches. These are known to cause very high levels of estrogen and we now know from todays video, that high levels of Estrogen Cause mast cells to release histamine.

If you are man be very careful with testosterone replacement because for most men with low testosterone- your testosterone is getting converted into estrogen.

Remember testosterone and other androgens, have a stabilizing effect on histamine levels and mast cells. If you take testosterone and your testosterone gets converted into estrogen- you are going to flood your body with more histamine.

Tip #4  Get Your Stress Levels Under Control.

Stress hormones like cortisol have a profound impact on not only your histamine levels but also on Thyroid function, and sex hormones. When someone has been under long term chronic stress, or has experienced thyroid problem, they often experience low cortisol levels. Remember, Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands and is responsible for regulating inflammation as well as regulating the stress response.  When cortisol levels are low, inflammation goes unchecked.

Take a look at this patients Cortisol levels!! This patient consulted my practice with anxiety, trouble sleeping, hives, headaches, chronic neck and back pain, and many other typical symptoms of histamine intolerance. This was one of the tests among many that we ran.

Tip #5 Eat more Fiber.

Fiber will keep your bowels regular and help eliminate waste, including unnecessary estrogen.

Final Thoughts about Todays Video

• If you want to feel better and start having more good days than bad days, you need to identify YOUR root causes- what’s filling up YOUR bucket- If you are having symptoms of hormone imbalances (PMS, heavy menstrual flow fibrocystic breasts, fibroids, endometriosis, and premenstrual insomnia and anxiety) alongside your histamine intolerance/MCAS symptoms, get your hormones properly evaluated – we can help with this.
• Estrogen dominance can worsen histamine and MCAS symptoms
• Testosterone and other androgens as well as progesterone has a stabilizing effect on mast cells.
• Synthetic hormones often cause more problems then they fix, they often make histamine and MCAS symptoms worse. So. I recommend that if you are considering using this you research and exhaust all other avenues first.
• Keep this in mind when it comes to testing hormones. There are three main ways to evaluate hormones- Blood, Saliva and Urine and then there are tests for woman who are cycling and woman who are not cycling.
• Each of these tests, provides information that the other one doesn’t. Which tests YOU need really depends on several factors and what’s going on with you. Things like your age, your symptoms, if you are a cycling woman or non-cycling woman, if you are currently on Hormone Replacement therapy, and how long you have been on them. Unfortunately, not knowing anything about you, I don’t know which type of testing is the most appropriate for your needs.