Every Morning I Have A Histamine Reaction - Itching All Over - Before I've Eaten Or Done Anything

[thisoldtown1978]

It lasts a couple of hours, and then just stops. Nothing severe; I can carry on with my day, but I'm constantly scratching my face, my beard, eyebrows, behind my ears, scalp, stomach, legs etc.

I can't find any correlation with anything I eat or drink the night before.

Any ideas?

 

[Hans]

It could be low blood sugar after a night's fast. Low blood sugar increases stress hormones and that increases gut permeability. This leads to an increase in the absorption of toxins in the gut. Furthermore, in a low blood sugar state, the body is a lot more reactive to absorbed toxins. That could be why you're getting a histamine reaction.
In the past, when I woke up my nose would clog up and start running and I'd feel very agitated and so on, which is a clear sign of increased stress hormones. When I had some sugar and aspirin, it all subsided.

 

[Maljam]

Could your bed sheets be irritating you, something you wash them in? Do you sleep/live in a damp or moldy house or bedroom? Most likely to be blood sugar related though as Hans said above I was just trying to think of other ideas.

 

[Peater]

What's your calcium intake like? I used to suffer with exactly this (I posted about it ages ago) and every time I thought I'd correlated it (Dates, smoked cured sausage, using biological detergent, etc) it would come back.

I read in a book that calcium can be used to to relieve the itching of hives. I supplement now, and have not had the mysterious itching for a while.

Worth trying I think, no promises though sadly.

 

[thisoldtown1978]

It could be low blood sugar after a night's fast. Low blood sugar increases stress hormones and that increases gut permeability. This leads to an increase in the absorption of toxins in the gut. Furthermore, in a low blood sugar state, the body is a lot more reactive to absorbed toxins. That could be why you're getting a histamine reaction.
In the past, when I woke up my nose would clog up and start running and I'd feel very agitated and so on, which is a clear sign of increased stress hormones. When I had some sugar and aspirin, it all subsided.

Thanks Hans. This is interesting.

When I stay up late - 2-3am - I always end up ravenously hungry by that hour, and it makes me wonder how I ever make it through the night if my body is that hungry while I'm asleep. Would you recommend trying to remedy this first thing in the morning, or is there anything I can do the night before or in the night to help me through?

 

[thisoldtown1978]

Could your bed sheets be irritating you, something you wash them in? Do you sleep/live in a damp or moldy house or bedroom? Most likely to be blood sugar related though as Hans said above I was just trying to think of other ideas.

Thanks. Definitely something I'm conscious of. Used to live in a very old house, but my new one is pretty new. Wouldn't irritants in the sheets have an effect the night before also? Hmmmm

 

[thisoldtown1978]

What's your calcium intake like? I used to suffer with exactly this (I posted about it ages ago) and every time I thought I'd correlated it (Dates, smoked cured sausage, using biological detergent, etc) it would come back.

I read in a book that calcium can be used to to relieve the itching of hives. I supplement now, and have not had the mysterious itching for a while.

Worth trying I think, no promises though sadly.

Thanks - worth a shot! I know it's been discussed to death on this forum, but have you found a safe and reliable calcium supp that you do well with? I tried eggshell once, but it left me feeling like I had a rock in my stomach.

 

[boris]

Thanks Hans. This is interesting.

When I stay up late - 2-3am - I always end up ravenously hungry by that hour, and it makes me wonder how I ever make it through the night if my body is that hungry while I'm asleep. Would you recommend trying to remedy this first thing in the morning, or is there anything I can do the night before or in the night to help me through?

Ray Peat: "...everything becomes an allergen if the glucose is chronically low."

Going to bed hungry is harmful. You can deplete your glycogen stores and when they are gone your body will eat your own tissues to make sugar.

 

[Maljam]

Thanks Hans. This is interesting.

When I stay up late - 2-3am - I always end up ravenously hungry by that hour, and it makes me wonder how I ever make it through the night if my body is that hungry while I'm asleep. Would you recommend trying to remedy this first thing in the morning, or is there anything I can do the night before or in the night to help me through?

Eating enough before sleep (ideally eating enough during the day to not need to do this) is needed for restful sleep. Ive found enough fat to be crucial for preventing the night time blood sugar issues, allowing blood sugar to rise and fall slowly. When I was very low fat I was waking up 2 hourly feeling ravenous, despite my blood sugar tested with glucometer to be fine, it was the sensation of rapidly falling sugar that woke me, even though it was within normal range.

 

[thisoldtown1978]

Ray Peat: "...everything becomes an allergen if the glucose is chronically low."

Going to bed hungry is harmful. You can deplete your glycogen stores and when they are gone your body will eat your own tissues to make sugar.

There's no chance of me falling asleep when I'm hungry. The issue is, at bedtime I'm satiated, but when I do happen to be awake at 3am, I'm starving again. Could it be that I'm not storing glycogen efficiently?

 

[Peater]

Thanks - worth a shot! I know it's been discussed to death on this forum, but have you found a safe and reliable calcium supp that you do well with? I tried eggshell once, but it left me feeling like I had a rock in my stomach.

I just take calcium citrate powder. Very happy with it, no 'side effects'. Would love to know if this sorts your itching out

 

[Hans]

Thanks Hans. This is interesting.

When I stay up late - 2-3am - I always end up ravenously hungry by that hour, and it makes me wonder how I ever make it through the night if my body is that hungry while I'm asleep. Would you recommend trying to remedy this first thing in the morning, or is there anything I can do the night before or in the night to help me through?

Peat suggested to people that wake up during the night at a certain time to set their alarm for 30 or so min before then to get up and have some OJ and then go back to sleep. Before long they don't wake up anymore.
I like to take aspirin before bed, it helps me with deeper more restful sleep.
And then when you wake up in the morning, have carbs first thing to get blood sugar up again.

 

[SamYo123]

It could be low blood sugar after a night's fast. Low blood sugar increases stress hormones and that increases gut permeability. This leads to an increase in the absorption of toxins in the gut. Furthermore, in a low blood sugar state, the body is a lot more reactive to absorbed toxins. That could be why you're getting a histamine reaction.
In the past, when I woke up my nose would clog up and start running and I'd feel very agitated and so on, which is a clear sign of increased stress hormones. When I had some sugar and aspirin, it all subsided.

Can it be from too high blood sugar too?

 

[Hans]

Can it be from too high blood sugar too?

You might get low blood sugar and start itching, then cortisol kicks in and blood sugar goes up and itching goes away after a few hours. So it would probably depend on when you test.

 

[SamYo123]

You might get low blood sugar and start itching, then cortisol kicks in and blood sugar goes up and itching goes away after a few hours. So it would probably depend on when you test.

I noticed if i start itching and drink Oj or some sucrose the itching stays longer, but if i eat starch it goes within about 5miniutes, whats going on there?

 

[aliml]

Itchy Skin: This is also called pruritis.
When the gallbladder is obstructed it leads to a rise in a compound called autotaxin (ATX) and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) which causes the characteristic itching.

22 Symptoms of GallBladder Disease

The gallbladder plays a critical role in the digestive system. Learn the functions of bile and symptoms of gallbladder disease.

drjockers.com

 

[SamYo123]

Itchy Skin: This is also called pruritis.
When the gallbladder is obstructed it leads to a rise in a compound called autotaxin (ATX) and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) which causes the characteristic itching.

22 Symptoms of GallBladder Disease

The gallbladder plays a critical role in the digestive system. Learn the functions of bile and symptoms of gallbladder disease.

drjockers.com

Intense itching and OJ with gallbladder connection? Itching only occurs on the upper back, side of lats

 

[koshko]

It could be low blood sugar after a night's fast. Low blood sugar increases stress hormones and that increases gut permeability. This leads to an increase in the absorption of toxins in the gut. Furthermore, in a low blood sugar state, the body is a lot more reactive to absorbed toxins. That could be why you're getting a histamine reaction.
In the past, when I woke up my nose would clog up and start running and I'd feel very agitated and so on, which is a clear sign of increased stress hormones. When I had some sugar and aspirin, it all subsided.

I having extremely dry nose sometimes,mostly starts at midday.My nose and upper teeth become numb for few hours sometimes half day.Do you think cortisol might be causing these symptoms? Thank you.

 

[boris]

I having extremely dry nose sometimes,mostly starts at midday.My nose and upper teeth become numb for few hours sometimes half day.Do you think cortisol might be causing these symptoms? Thank you.

Sounds like low blood sugar. I have a dry nose until I eat something. Usually a piece of cheese with salt and a pint of OJ and my nose is lubricated again.

 

[koshko]

Sounds like low blood sugar. I have a dry nose until I eat something. Usually a piece of cheese with salt and a pint of OJ and my nose is lubricated again.

Thanks Boris. I forget to eat sometimes. I will try to have more snacks.