Today I have another guest article for you, a personal experience report from Nora Hodeige. She suffered from permanent dizziness for 5 years, and despite numerous examinations, conventional medicine only came to the diagnosis "it's all psychological". You can read how she found the cause of her symptoms and how she is doing today in this exciting experience report.
My aim with these reports is to show you how much influence our food can have on our well-being. And to encourage you that you too can find a solution to your inexplicable symptoms.I hope you enjoy reading them.
The diagnosis after an exhausting, long journey
I have a histamine intolerance. At best, this statement is met with ignorant eyes, but more often than not with great skepticism. What is histamine? And how does it manifest itself?
Even many doctors look skeptical and tick this information off under "it's all psychological".
But in fact, around 1% of the population struggles with histamine intolerance (HIT), some of whom certainly suffer undiagnosed. Many people feel sorry for me because I can now eat "nothing at all", but for me the diagnosis of histamine intolerance still feels like coming home and taking a deep breath after a really long and very exhausting journey.
The odyssey begins
It all started with the dizziness. It came into my life 5 years ago and I couldn't shake it off. The dizziness was my daily companion, only in the hours when I slept I couldn't feel it.
As soon as I woke up, it was there again. My bed felt like I was lying on a ship, the floor was constantly rocking back and forth. This feeling was particularly unpleasant when I was walking, because when the floor is moving as if on the high seas but is actually stationary, it can lead to some mental confusion. That's why I was sent to a neurologist and an MRI and an ear specialist who tested my sense of balance - oh dear, I was dizzy afterwards!
Examinations and stress reduction didn't lead to any results
Several ECGs were done because my heart started to stumble right after the dizziness, there were days when it was racing, beating loudly and seemed to be protesting. Only against what?
I reduced stress, stopped going to university, avoided crowds, rarely met my friends, drank a lot of alcohol even though it didn't agree with me at all, tried to ignore what was obvious to all the doctors: it's psychological! They said in unison, because they couldn't find anything physically wrong. "You're healthy," they said and discharged me, but I felt worse every day.
The diagnosis finally brings clarity
After many months in which I ate far too much on some days and nothing at all on others, a blood test finally provided clarity: histamine intolerance. The histamine-degrading enzyme DAO was negligible and my diet was changed. From that day on, I was able to eat and live histamine-free.
Finally I had a plan that I could stick to and no longer had to "try out" everything.
For me, this meant in plain language: I had long since given up coffee and alcohol, and strawberries, tomatoes, cheese, yeast and spinach had to make way. Mixed spices were difficult and ham gave me shortness of breath, so the best thing I could do was to prepare everything fresh, seasoned with salt and olive oil - and stick strictly to a histamine-free diet. Which really isn't a problem in this situation.
Happy again from one day to the next
And the dizziness disappeared - as quickly and suddenly as it had appeared. After a year of panic attacks, constant dizziness, hesitation, procrastination and despair, I had suddenly reached the end of my journey - and from one day to the next, I finally felt happy again.
I learned that HIT has probably been with me for some time in my life. Symptoms like: Migraines, hormonal fluctuations, severe PMS, digestive problems, numerous other intolerances or sensitivities to food, red spots after drinking red wine, severe stomach cramps, caffeine intolerance, circulatory problems in the heat, sensitive (head) skin and and and.
How do you recognize a histamine intolerance?
The symptoms of histamine intolerance are incredibly varied, which is why it is so difficult to make a diagnosis. A blood test or, even better, a stool test, in which the DAO value and the histamine value are measured, can provide a clue. Vitamin B6, zinc, selenium and vitamin D should also be checked, as these are often deficient in HIT.
A really good starting point is a food diary, in which you write down what you eat every day and whether symptoms occur afterwards (the period can extend up to 5 hours). It is also advisable to eat very selectively, not to snack in between meals and to prepare the meals yourself at home, because then you can be sure that no additives are used (even iodized salt can cause problems).
In the end, there is gratitude
Today, after numerous detox cures and a low-histamine diet, I'm doing well again, I feel healthy, I've just become a new mother and I've worked on dealing with stress better. I have also learned to trust my body, as it has made a lot of things clear to me during these difficult months and shown me what is really good for me. For example: Pausing and enjoying life instead of rushing on and on. I am infinitely grateful for that.
Nora Hodeige
About the author
Nora has already overcome several intolerances, but her histamine intolerance has stayed with her (for now). Nevertheless, she firmly believes that (almost) every body can get back on track with a change in diet and a healthy lifestyle.
On her blog Leben mit Ohne, Nora writes very personally about her life with histamine intolerance, shares histamine-free recipes and passes on health tips that she has tried and collected over the years.
Nora and I look forward to hearing from you in the comments! Have you ever had the suspicion that your complaints could have something to do with your diet? Have you ever felt the positive effect of a change in diet yourself? Or do you have questions about histamine and histamine intolerance? Then please write to us!
