Histamine, zinc and copper

Update — histamine issues are highly significant but the doctor referred to in the below post did not appreciate the true depth of the significance at all. Dietary changes (which ultimately allowed for better detoxification) were far more important than anything any one supplement could do at the juncture in which she met me. Needs evolve as health does. Please see: Histamine intolerance roundup

• Histamine Intolerance: can be associated with folks getting psychiatric diagnosis 

• Have you considered histamine intolerance associated with psych drug use and withdrawal?

So awhile ago I mentioned that I had seen a nutritional psychiatrist. I didn’t go into detail at that time because there wasn’t too much to say. She did order some blood work, which I’ve now gotten back with interesting results. I also took a “sensitivity” questionnaire which I mailed back to her. I’ve yet to hear what she has to say about that. She also wanted me to take my temperature for 5 days in a row upon first waking to determine if I have an thyroid problems. I’ve had numerous thyroid tests of all kinds, but sometimes she says they don’t show up in blood work. A fluctuating morning basal body temperature apparently suggests something about thyroid that can be missed in blood work. I still haven’t done that. She also suggested two books on mindfulness and told me I had done a great job in figuring out what supplements I should be taking with available information on the web and she was impressed with how my withdrawals were going.

So, why am I writing this now? I’ve gotten the results of a urinalysis and some blood work back. My pyroluria test came back normal. That website is the lab where they tested the urine.

I also had my histamine level checked, and my copper and zinc levels checked. All these tests came back abnormal, or sub-optimal.

I have high histamine (also called histadelia) which means I’m under-methylated. As seen on the first site there are various nutrients that help with this condition. My doctor recommended SAMe which is a combination of a couple of amino acids. SAMe is popularly used as an anti-depressant as well and it is not in general recommended for people with bipolar disorder for the same reason caution is exercised with any anti-depressant in bipolar disorder–(the chance for mania.) SAMe is used to lower hystamine, in my case, which has a variety of symptoms as seen in the symptom chart I link to above. If I don’t tolerate it there are alternatives to getting the histamine level down.  (update: SAMe proved to give me a radically bad reaction…I much later discovered it’s not a safe supplement for most people withdrawing from psych meds…please use very cautiously if at all)

My copper level is high and my zinc level is low. The zinc to copper ratio is important and mine is completely out of whack.

So I’ve added a high dose of zinc to get the ratio back in order. High copper can cause high estrogen which in turn causes severe PMS!! I certainly hope this works–my psychiatrist is convinced that my PMS is history.

I just started the supplementation with zinc a few days ago and I started the SAMe today. I will probably use a natural progesterone cream the second half of my cycle to further help with the estrogen dominance. I will made a report once I can tell you more.

You may notice if you do more research there is not a ton of information available on any of what this blood work indicates. I am choosing to go down this path because I’ve been a member of mental health groups of whom many members have treated these imbalances and gotten really good results. My doctor uses the Pfeiffer Clinic’s protocols. I know of a lot of people who have used the Pfeiffer Clinic for themselves and their children and had great success.

I can do nothing here but be one more anecdotal story pro or con to these protocols. I’ll let you know how I feel in the next month or two as my body reacts to the supplementation.

Addendum: another interesting article on SAMe.

2nd Addendum: SAMe proved to be terrible. It triggered awful energy and I have since learned it has caused mania in some. I do not recommend it be used by anyone with any history of what gets labeled manic.

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