If you have them: where did you get, are they useful, roughly what did they cost?
Tonight at supermarket I thought, Oh wow, maybe I really should get a pair. After a long day, rainy/humid out, slightly dehydrated…the fluorescent lights, the blinding floors, so many shelves of so many things(!)…almost did me in.
(Ps: Feel like I maybe posted this a year ago but not totally sure 😶🌫️😵💫😳)
TL;DR: Oral progesterone & CBD are metabolized by same enzymes in the liver. If you take at same time, they compete & it minimizes the “sleepy time” affect of progesterone (and poss both). Be sure to space them apart!
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Long version:
Have been using HRT (transdermal estrogen, oral progesterone) for almost 2 years. It has been profoundly life changing for the better.
The first time I took oral progesterone it was like an elephant tranquilizer. Wasn’t home at the time and had to drink a bunch of caffeine in order to make it back!
Somewhere along the line it stopped being effective in this way. Figured I just built up a tolerance.
I typically take my progesterone in the evening shortly before bedtime with a few other supplements, one of which is CBD (with negligible THC). Prior to starting progesterone, CBD was helpful in calming down & getting to sleep.
I have read a lot here about progesterone helping people get to sleep but thought this just wasn’t working out for me.
Recently I took my progesterone-for the first time in a very long time, apparently-without CBD at the same time, almost by accident. Suddenly, I was back to elephant tranq territory! (Frankly I’m here for it; getting to sleep is tricky for me.)
Turns out CBD & progesterone are broken down by same enzymes in the liver. If you take them at same time, they sort of cancel each other out, in terms of sleepy effect. (You can look this up yourself if interested in nuance.)
Removing CBD from the equation for now (def not needed for sleep!) If I choose to use it again, I’ll space them hours apart.
I tend to research every single interaction of everything but somehow overlooked this critical one. Had to share in case anyone in similar situation!
Edited to add: Studies show CBD doesn’t lessen protective effect of progesterone on uterus (so you’re ok there!), it just absorbs differently so you lose the sleepy effect.
I know there are a few people in this sub who are actual Laundry Experts (eg: you run a laundry svc or do professional cleaning). If a person were stuck in a hotel w limited options for the moment, would you recommend a tiny amount of liquid dishwashing soap or liquid shampoo for washing a few items of clothes? (Or bar soap? This seems like a bad choice.)
Hope it’s ok to link to videos here. This is one of my fave Sesame Street segments. I assume this is in the early to mid 70s, so the kids, if they’re still around (I hope so!) are likely in their 60s or 70s. I wonder what happened to them, who they are, and how they’re doing!
I posted here a LOT when I first got started eating low histamine. It was always nice to see success stories (big or small), so wanted to post my own-maybe it’ll encourage someone else just starting out. :)
I developed HI after my first covid infection (Jan ‘25). Perimenopause likely also played a role, but Covid really kicked it into high gear. All my symptoms were strictly neurological (you can search my user name in this sub if you want details). I also have true (IgE-mediated) food and environmental allergies-my HI didn’t show up anything like them.
I’ve eaten very strictly low histamine since about late Jan 2025. It was pretty hard at first & what I ate was super limited, but also almost immediately worth it for how much better I felt.
I use DAO (Seeking Health brand is the one I like) on occasion (eg: if I’m eating outside of my home), but not as a “get out of jail free” card to eat whatever I want (doesn’t really work that way). I also take Vitamin C & quercetin regularly.
Over the past few months, I’ve been trying small amounts of things I couldn’t eat before, and so far it’s going well. It’s pretty exciting! Happy to answer Qs if anyone has them.
There are some overlaps in MCAS and migraine (including some things that seem to be helpful for both, eg: low histamine diet).
I have a history of migraine since childhood, but they’ve changed form over the course of my life. As a kid they were “traditional” migraines (excruciating pain over one eye, vomiting, intense light/sound sensitivity). Later on I had ocular migraines. Now they’re vestibular (painless but very weird; pretty debilitating).
Hard to know what’s an MCAS attack vs migraine, or if it’s sort of both at once. Not sure that it totally matters except trying to sort how best to treat the general terribleness.
My biggest triggers these days seem to be cooking food smells (esp meat/fish/hot peppers/strong spices) and weather/pressure changes. Probably stress and sleep issues playing a big role too, but that’s a chicken-and-egg thing (do I have those issues because of the health conditions, or vice versa)? FWIW, I already eat a very strict low histamine diet (I have HI too), take quercetin, and vitamin C.
Would love to know anyone else’s experience with this and what, if anything, has been helpful to you. Thanks
I know this has been asked here many times betore, but having an esp crappy night so I’m on a posting blitz trying to figure out how to not feel like this.
This is related to my most recent post (bad neuro flare up tonight form cooking smells; worst in months).
My symptoms are all neurological. (I’ve detailed them elsewhere here-derealization, anxiety, depression, major cognitive issues etc)
Notwithstanding we are all so different in what helps us—I really, really want someone to breeze in and say “this really improved my neurological symptoms!”
Already using Quercetin, vitamin C, Xolair (life changing & amazing), DAO sometimes, strict low histamine diet. Breathing is now blessedly good. Allergy symptoms too. But the neuro stuff is beyond belief.
Anything that’s moved the needle at all for you—LDN, EMDR or something similar, other supplements, sleep related stuff, etc—pls share all details. Rough night and def could use the encouragement. Thanks 💗
TL;DR: Not having control over cooking smells in my own home is incredibly difficult, not sure how to manage. Help??
Long version:
I’ve had histamine intolerance and “MCAS-like” symptoms since my first Covid infection (Jan 2025). All of my symptoms are neurological (brain fog—sometimes to the point of having trouble making sentences, irritability, depression, profound anxiety, disassociation, etc).
The HI symptoms (from food) are well managed with a very strict low histamine diet (been doing it since about late Feb 2025). I’m even able to eat some things now that I couldn’t a year or so ago.
That said, I still *really* struggle with food cooking smells sometimes, particularly meat, and particularly leftover meat. (Forget about seafood—that can’t even be cooked in my home now unless I’m away for a period of many hours and windows are opened, fans used, etc.)
FWIW I also have true (igE-mediated) allergies (environmental/food) and asthma (have had both since v early childhood). I get Xolair (Omalizumab) shots monthly which have made life as I know it possible. I’m unable to use oral antihistamines. I do use quercetin and vitamin C, which are helpful. I also use DAO on occasion and it helps too.
This all helps with food, but not near enough with airborne food stuff. It’s better than it was for sure, but it can still be really debilitating. My family just bought an air fryer (I wasn’t there at the time), no one considering that the ventilation might be an issue. It vents out the back or top of the unit, right into the room. Someone reheated spicy chicken in it today 😫😫and I want to throw myself out the window. I’m dizzy and furious and anxious as hell.
My family is generally very accommodating with my weird food and environmental needs, and they do their best to “get it”, but not dealing with this shit, they definitely don’t entirely get it. I know it’s not easy for them either—it just really sucks all around.
I don’t know what to do. Not having control over my environment is making me spiral atm. Would love to hear about how other people are handling this.
Note: I am a mother of a school aged child & love my family; it’s not a “move out and get your own place” situation. (And even if I weren’t—that place would have to be a freestanding house, wouldn’t it? I imagine an apartment wouldn’t exactly have control over cooking smells either).
Additional antioxidant suggestions? (Can’t use luteolin, messes too much w my hormones.) Any other pro tips of any kind? If you live with others, how do you balance their needs and yours?
Thanks in advance, feeling so terrible atm.
Wondering if any of you with low or sub-optimal ferritin levels have used any kind of iron supplements, and how it’s going. Would like to know:
Thanks in advance!