Has anyone had any experience of treating histamine issues with quercetin while having an underactive thyroid?
I have checked through this forum, Thyroid UK, Stop The Thyroid Madness websites and many other sources but not come up with much, but there are definite links between thyroid and histamine.
I have researched hypothyroidism and using quercetin and some sources state it has a negative impact, due to being a flavanoid (aren't flavanoids in fruit and veg??)
However I am a believer in anecdotal evidence, so just wondered if anyone with hypothyroidism uses quercetin for histamine issues, and successfully with no thyroid problems?
Thanks
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vthyroid
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Yes, there is most definitely a link between histamine issues and hypothyroidism. I suggest going to the Allergy UK forum. I haven't been there for quite a while, but I know there was quite a bit of discussion about this a few years back. Just type thyroid in the search box at the very top right of this page
Many hypothyroid members have mentioned allergies and high histamine responses//intolerance. ... possibly initiated and perpetuated by the sharpened over active immune responses to Hashimotos ? ? ..) ..
Quercetin is in fruit & veg but if you were wanting theraputic doses you would need to supplement. I have read that quercetin can interfere with thyroid activity but you won't know without trying.
Alpha lipoic acid has exactly the same cautions but was recommended by my endo and it appears to have interfered in a positive way. It is to do with methylation and how we utilise and detoxify. If you have MTHFR issues and suffer allergies, it is worth avoiding fermented foods.
A lot of my allergy issues (post nasal drip, etc) stopped when thyroid meds got optimal and worked properly. Supplementing Curcumin dampened by immune responses but I still get hissy ears & sneezing after alcohol so hardly drink now.
I use quercetin, which seems to be helpful, but not on its own. I still take antihistamines, especially if I am going to be having alcohol, which is a major trigger for me. I have found zinc very helpful as well. My plasma zinc levels are very low, despite supplementing, so I take quite a high dose now (around 50-55 mg per day), which is usually not recommended for long periods. Vitamin C is also helpful.
You may have already read this book, but if not, I would highly recommend it:
"What HIT me? Living with Histamine Intolerance... " by Genny Masterman.
If you do a search on zinc and allergies, you will find a lot, especially on the relationship between zinc and asthma. My histamine response is always respiratory - sneezing, stuffy nose, difficulty breathing.
Maybe you should have your plasma zinc tested and see if you're still deficient. I found I was still deficient on 40 mg supplementation per day.
I also found that reducing the histamine rich foods in my diet has helped, though it's difficult to stick to that long term.
I also take 3 g vitamin C. That seems to be a good dose. Sometimes I take a bit more (if I'm going to have alcohol!)
Radd, you sound a bit like me with the allergies which have been lifelong for me. The hissy ears with drinking struck a cord with me, and I even go a bit deaf, as well as very flushed, especially with wine and champagne, a classic histamine response. And post nasal drip has been my life for 40 years! Along with a multitude of other allergies since childhood.
I've suspected recently that I have histamine intolerance (after discovering it quite accidentally) and think it's having an impact on my thyroid, and vice versa, a kind of vicious cycle really. I've ordered the DAO replacement enzyme and I'm waiting for it to arrive, so I'll see how I get on with that, and I've switched my probiotics to the type that helps clear histamine. I have a multitude of digestive issues including coeliac disease, so it wouldn't surprise me at all to have a low or missing enzyme. I'm also going to try vitamin C in therapeutic dosages. I'll try all these treatments one at a time so that I know whether I have a good or bad reaction, or none at all.
All this is what has lead me to ask about Quercetin on this forum, it's something I can also try instead of OTC antihistamines and I've read that it can regulate mast cells as well, which also helps with histamine intolerance. However I'm cautious due to its potential impact on my thyroid. I've had quite enough of my thyroid not behaving over the last couple of years so I shall wait and see with that one.
As you can see I've done my research and have got the book suggested on the way too (I'd already earmarked it online).
I've been on a real journey with my health for some time now and have seen no end in sight, and the NHS just want to prescribe a pill for every ill or refuse to recognise obvious issues and gaps in health care. The whole histamine intolerance thing just seems to really make sense to me and I wouldn't be surprised if I've always had it. I'll just have to wait and see what happens with my experiments.
My doctor is actually very good and I always tell her what I'm doing and she monitors me alongside her conventional treatment, she's just bound by the narrow and sometimes archaic rules of the NHS.
I'll report back with the results of each thing I try, at least maybe that way it can help others who don't know which way to turn next, people who just want to feel well, and normal, again.
I was using Optibac anyway, the everyday ones plus everyday extra, but then I read that some good bacteria help clear histamine and some encourage it, so I stopped the extra ones and switched to daily immunity, they have 2 of the 3 recommended bacteria. The cholesterol ones have the 3rd bacteria but none of these probiotics are cheap so I'm just sticking to the 2 types for now. Seems to be working well. Optibac are good because they don't need refrigeration.
PS I have just been reading a well renowned and highly thought of thyroid book, and they actually recommend taking quercetin for underactive thyroid! So that's great news for me as it could have a double positive effect for me. They also recommend supplementing with certain vitamins and in certain amounts, so I'm just building that up, and then I'll start the quercetin. I'm struggling a bit with vitamin A though, my digestive system really doesn't like it, it's quite common apparently as it difficult to digest like that, even if taking it with fat. I'm waiting for a different type to arrive, if that doesn't help then there is a sublingual liquid version available. This book is definitely the best I've ever read on the subject. It's no nonsense and to the point, and gives excellent active advice on how to help yourself rather than simply relying on doctors and thyroxine alone. It's called Thyroid Power and I bought a used version from a well known online retailer 😉
I'll report back once I've taken the vitamins for a while to see if I feel better. It's the fatigue and low mood that impacts me the most. I feel like I've already benefitted from taking high doses of vitamin C throughout the day, does help with energy a bit, and in the long term it's supposed to help with the Thyroid. (Start slowly with vitamin c and build up to bowel tolerance levels, I take chewable vit c which is much easier). Got nothing to lose by taking some vitamins eh? I don't mind popping a few extra pills everyday if I get to feel better. I see it as concentrated food, and Thyroid people can be lacking because we absorb less, and I absorb even less as I have gluten intolerance issues as well as IBS and low stomach acid, and this can all be linked to Thyroid too. It doesn't replace a healthy diet of course, and my breakfasts are key for me. Good luck to whoever reads this!
Apologies I didn't get alerted about your message to me. However if you read the addtional post to another person below you'll see my latest progress and how I did it.
Basically:
Gluten = leaky gut (permeable bowel)
Permeable bowel = things released from the bowel that shouldn't be (let's call them foreign food bodies)
Foreign food bodies = autoimmune response from immune system
Autoimmune response = immune system attacking parts of our own bodies (i.e. gut, thyroid, pernicious anaemia, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes etc)
End result = Hashimoto's, Graves, Coeliac disease and a host of others
Root cause = gluten
Treatment - remove gluten from diet (forever), heal leaky gut, support thyroid
Hi, no not at all, and I was advised to take it for leaky gut too. No problems at all. I take 500mg per day. I do take NDT, though, not thyroxin, which makes a big difference.
Thank you!! Good to know!! I take synthroid and the doctors say that my levels are fine, I just feel sluggish, unless I exercise a crazy amount everyday! Maybe this will help!
Yes it should be a good natural non-chemical antihistamine. I haven't taken it quite long enough to test hayfever season yet. Have you been tested for Hashimoto's? If not get it confirmed, and don't take no for an answer from your doctor. I highly recommend you switch to natural dessicated thyroid as it's a game changer, but don't expect to get it from your doctor or many other doctors. If you aren't aware of it already get a book called Stop The Thyroid Madness (first edition), (they also have a website) there is a lot to take in but this is also a game changer. I don't know where in the world you are based but there is also an excellent advocate website called Thyroid Patient Advocacy which will give you the best advice and support out there. tpauk.com
Don't let your doctor rely on the TSH test alone, insist on FT4 and FT3, and understand what they mean, and the reference ranges. Above all go by how you feel and your symptoms, not what is considered within the "normal" range.
If you have any gut problems at all, its likely linked to your thyroid issues (especially Hashimoto's) get a book called Fix Your Gut (there is also a website, fixyourgut.com). This has also been a game changer for me in the last 3 months alone, and I've made significant progress since only Christmas.
What's really really helped me though is
purehealthclinic.co.uk. This really helped me to understand a whole range of related issues and the root cause of it all, and changed my health and quality of life for the better. There are tests avallable here too, but can be expensive. Not available on the NHS but well worth the investment for me.
It's all quite complex and sometimes hard to accept, but take your time and be patient with yourself, you'll get there.
I am from NJ and had thyroid cancer. Yes you are absolutely right, the doctors depend on the “perfect” numbers. I had my thyroid surgery in 2011 and have been dealing with these issues since that time. Thank you sooo much!!! I have been looking for more information!!! I will definitely read the books and check out the websites.
You're welcome. I'm glad I am able to tell you these things to speed up your journey to optimum health. I had no one and have spent the last 2 years on this journey whilst struggling to get through each day.
BTW, Stop The Thyroid Madness have a Facebook group. I've learned things only very recently, such as taking vitamin K2 if you take vitamin D as it helps calcium deposit in your bones instead of your arteries. High doses of Vit D are supposed to be good for reducing antibodies.
STTM (as it's known) has a special section on thyroid cancer:
Also, in my personal experience, I developed hypothyroidism after a 2- years binge consumption of green tea (about 800ml per day or more) which has catechin in it, and also high levels of fluoride (more if consumed with tap water)
I am having similar issues. Allergies for years, now thyroid problems. Recently started synthroid medication, which actually helped my allergies , but I now have other symptoms and I just don't feel well. Looking for an alternative to help me feel normal again.
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