From Fear to Freedom
Hi, welcome to Histamine Health Coach, the blog for women navigating histamine intolerance and looking for real answers. I’m Teresa Christensen, a functional medicine certified health coach, and I help women with histamine intolerance calm their symptoms and recognize their personal triggers—from food and stress to environmental factors.
If you’ve been struggling with symptoms like headaches, extreme fatigue, GI issues, anxiety, unexplained rashes, muscle and joint pain, or just feeling like you’ve lost control of your body, you’re in the right place. I’ve been there, and I can relate to your story. Today, I want to share a bit of my journey—how histamine intolerance turned my life upside down and how I found a way to move forward.
My hope is that as you read this, you’ll feel a little less alone and start to believe that healing is possible and freedom from fear is real.
The Beginning: A Simple Rash That Wasn’t Simple
It all started with a rash on my belly. At first, I thought it was something simple—something that would go away on its own. Take a Benadryl, and it’ll be gone in the morning, right? Wrong. That’s also when I realized I react to Benadryl too, but that’s another story for another time.
My “simple” rash wasn’t simple at all. It was actually Urticaria Pigmentosa. Keep in mind, this was the mid-1990s, and very little was known about histamine intolerance at the time. The doctors sent me on my way with no real answers.
Since there was no internet back then (and Google was just a dream), I assumed the rash was my only symptom. Over the years, I had other issues—migraines, extreme fatigue, and brain fog—but I had no idea they were connected to histamine intolerance.
A Wake-Up Call: When Anaphylaxis Changed Everything
It wasn’t until I started experiencing anaphylaxis that I realized all these symptoms were related. It was like a flashing neon sign: Histamine! Histamine! Histamine!
About 15 years into my journey with urticaria pigmentosa, I moved to Chicago. There, I found a doctor who specialized in mastocytosis. He seemed to understand what I was going through, but his solution was to prescribe more medications for each new symptom.
During that time, I noticed my food intolerances and digestive issues were making it tough for me to leave the house. After a complete hysterectomy, I discovered a connection between histamine and hormones. For three months, I had no food intolerances. My energy returned, my headaches disappeared, and I felt amazing—until menopause hit, and everything came flooding back.
Afraid of Food and Stuck Inside
If you’ve ever been to Chicago, you know it’s a city known for its incredible food. My husband, a food scientist, loves trying new restaurants. Unfortunately, I was growing more and more afraid of food. I had no idea which foods were safe, and my GI issues were unpredictable.
The idea of eating out became overwhelming, and I avoided leaving the house altogether. The walls felt like they were closing in on me.
At my worst, I was taking seven antihistamines a day. Seven. Despite that, my symptoms were getting worse each year. I liked my allergist, but I became afraid to mention new symptoms because I knew the response would be more tests or another medication.
When my allergist retired, I saw it as my opportunity to break free from traditional medicine.
Finding Functional Medicine and Changing My Life
With the encouragement of several friends, I reached out to a local functional medicine practitioner. It was the best decision I ever made.
Finding functional medicine and changing my lifestyle completely changed my world. I learned how to listen to my body and give it what it needed. Today, I don’t take any medications, and I feel better than ever. There are still a few foods I avoid, but I’m no longer trapped by fear.
What’s Next for You?
This is just a condensed version of my story. In upcoming posts, I’ll share the strategies that helped me—everything from food choices and lifestyle tweaks to simple ways you can calm your symptoms, recognize your personal triggers, and relieve stress.
I’ll also bust some myths about histamine intolerance and share tools to help you feel empowered, not overwhelmed.
If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, please reach out at teresa@histaminehealthcoach.com. Remember, you are not alone. You can take control of your health—one small step at a time.
Thank you for being here! If you found this helpful, please share it with someone who might need it.
Take care,
Teresa
