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The human body is an amazing self-regulating machine. The strategy of administering small doses of histamine is meant to balance out the parts of the immune system that stimulates allergies or auto-immunity, and the parts of the immune system that keep the allergic or autoimmune reactions under control.
The body's self-regulation is termed "auto-regulation" -- a basic principle taught in every medical school and in every general course in biochemistry, physiology, and genetics on how the body regulates itself.
History
Interest in the therapeutic use of histamine was prompted by the 1937 observation that infusions of intravenous histamine provoked the onset of headaches. This led to the use of chronic intravenous or subcutaneous histamine as a type of desensitization therapy, predominately for cluster headaches, sudden hearing loss, and Meniere's Syndrome. No controlled clinical trials appear to back this theory up, however. In general this therapy has become discredited over time.
The year 2000 evidence-based guidelines of the American Academy of Neurology for the treatment of headache does not mention histamine therapy as a treatment of headache.
Function; Reasons For Use
Histamine is an important protein involved in many allergic reactions. Histamine is a signaller normally found throughout the body. It is involved in the regulation of allergies, as well as a signaller for T-cell regulation. T-cells are immune cells that are responsible for immune memory (e.g. immunity from chicken-pox). T-cells are also responsible in part for auto-immune conditions (when the immune system attacks healthy tissue in the body).
Allergies are caused by an immune response to a normally innocuous substance (e.g. pollen or dust) that comes in contact with lymphocytes specific for that substance (antigens). In many cases, the lymphocyte triggered to respond is a mast cell. For this response to occur, a free-floating IgE (an immunoglobulin associated with allergic response) molecule specific to the antigen must first be attached to cell surface receptors on mast cells. Antigen binding to the mast cell-attached IgE then triggers the mast cell to respond. This response often includes the release of histamine.
By giving histamine to the body in small doses, the body responds by slowing down the overproduction of histamine. This concept is similar to the breaker switch in a fuse box: When there is an excess of electricity or an electrical hazard in a home, the breaker switches off the power in the house. In the case of histamine, the body's natural production is switched off. The use of histamine, for example, stopped skin swelling and inflammation in ragweed-sensitive people when they were exposed to ragweed.
The intravenous or subcutaneous administration of histamine is proposed as a treatment for headaches, sudden hearing loss, and Meniere's syndrome.
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Histamine Therapy can help with the following: | | | | | Autoimmune |  Multiple Sclerosis | Dr. George Gillson, M.D., Ph.D., reports that after six weeks of treatment with histamine in 19 individuals with multiple sclerosis- 11 noted dramatic improvement
- 3 reported one or more significant improvements in symptoms, including reduced numbness, better motor control, improved speech, much better sleeping, and more energy
- 1 had no change
- 4 had no change due to poor absorption of the histamine, poor patch adhesion, or an interfering drug.
The nurse responsible for the revival of the use of histamine, Elaine DeLack, MS, RN, has collected verbal reports from over 200 individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis who have used histamine: 72% report at least one significant improvement in symptoms, and some many more. |
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Metabolic |
Meniere's Disease| | Histamine diphosphate therapy at 2.75mg in 500cc of 5% dextrose solution given in a slow intravenous infusion can relieve an episode of severe dizziness and nausea due to Meniere's disease. Periodic infusions can lengthen the interval between these episodes. At the University of Maryland Medical System's Looper Clinic, this therapy is performed on 4 to 6 patients each week.
["IV Histamine for Meniere's", Guyther, J. Roy, M.D., Cortlandt Forum, May 1994;78 75-8]
(Address: J. Roy Guyther, M.D., 150 Lockshill Rd., Mechanicsville, MD 20659, U.S.A.) |
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KEY | | Likely to help |
GLOSSARY
Allergy (Allergies)
Hypersensitivity caused by exposure to a particular antigen (allergen), resulting in an increased reactivity to that antigen on subsequent exposure, sometimes with harmful immunologic consequences.
Antigen (Antigenic, Antigens)
A substance, usually protein or protein-sugar complex in nature, which, being foreign to the bloodstream or tissues of an animal, stimulates the formation of specific blood serum antibodies and white blood cell activity. Re-exposure to similar antigen will reactivate the white blood cells and antibody programmed against this specific antigen.
Autoimmune Disease (Autoimmune, Autoimmunity)
One of a large group of diseases in which the immune system turns against the body's own cells, tissues and organs, leading to chronic and often deadly conditions. Examples include multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, Bright's disease and diabetes.
cc
Cubic Centimeter. 29.6cc is 1 fl. oz; 1000cc is 1 liter; 3788cc is 1 gallon.
Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Cluster Headache (Cluster Headaches)
A headache in which pain originates behind or around one eye and generally awakens the individual from sleep; pain may radiate into the temple, jaw, nose, teeth, or chin; the eyelid droops, the eye tears, the face flushes, and the nose congests; causes excruciating pain. Individual headaches last 15 minutes to 3 hours but tend to "cluster", occurring up to several times per day for periods of about 1 to 16 weeks and then not again for months or years.
Histamine
A chemical in the body tissues, produced by the breakdown of histidine. It is released in allergic reactions and causes widening of capillaries, decreased blood pressure, increased release of gastric juice, fluid leakage forming itchy skin and hives, and tightening of smooth muscles of the bronchial tube and uterus. Histamine is the chemical that drives the initial acute allergic reaction, causing itching, swelling and congestion.
IgE (Immunoglobulin E)
Immunoglobulin E is a type of antibody produced by IgE plasma cells. These are specialized B-cell lymphocytes that make free-floating antibodies for what is termed humoral resistance. IgE is not made to be specific against only one antigen, like other gamma globulins, but instead can bind with a number of dangerous proteins. IgE travels to mast cells, sticks to their surfaces, and when antigens get stuck to the IgE, the mast cells secrete inflammatory compounds such as histamine. Since IgE is a generalist, coded for a number of potential toxins, it can decide for example that grass pollen and cat dander are antigens... and you have an allergy. Elevated production of IgE is often inherited, which is why allergies run in a family.
Immune System (Immune Response, Immunity)
A complex that protects the body from disease organisms and other foreign bodies. The system includes the humoral immune response and the cell-mediated response. The immune system also protects the body from invasion by making local barriers and inflammation. The process may involve acquired immunity (the ability to learn and remember a specific infectious agent), or innate immunity (the genetically programmed system of responses that attack, digest, remove, and initiate inflammation and tissue healing).
Intravenous Infusion (IV)
A small needle placed in the vein to assist in fluid replacement or the giving of medication.
Lymphocyte
A type of white blood cell found in lymph, blood, and other specialized tissue such as bone marrow and tonsils, constituting between 22 and 28 percent of all white blood cells in the blood of a normal adult human being. B- and T-lymphocytes are crucial components of the immune system. The B-lymphocytes are primarily responsible for antibody production. The T-lymphocytes are involved in the direct attack against living organisms. The helper T-lymphocyte, a subtype, is the main cell infected and destroyed by the AIDS virus.
Mast Cells
These are a group of cells that line the capillaries of tissues that come in contact with the outside, for example skin, sinuses, and lung mucosa. They, like their first cousin basophils, are produced in the red bone marrow and migrate to the appropriate tissues, where they stay. They bind IgE, supply the histamine and heparin response that gives you a healing inflammation, and cause allergies.
Meniere's Disease (Menieres, Meniere's, Ménière's)
An affliction of the middle ear characterized by vertigo, nausea, vomiting, tinnitus and progressive deafness.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system, causing patches of sclerosis (plaques) in the brain and spinal cord, manifested by loss of normal neurological functions, e.g. muscle weakness, loss of vision, and mood alterations.
Nausea
Symptoms resulting from an inclination to vomit.
pH
A measure of an environment's acidity or alkalinity. The more acidic the solution, the lower the pH. For example, a pH of 1 is very acidic; a pH of 7 is neutral; a pH of 14 is very alkaline.
Protein (Proteins)
Compounds composed of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen present in the body and in foods that form complex combinations of amino acids. Protein is essential for life and is used for growth and repair. Foods that supply the body with protein include animal products, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Proteins from animal sources contain the essential amino acids. Proteins are changed to amino acids in the body.
Subcutaneous (Subdermal)
Below the surface of the skin. Subdermal: Below the surface of the skin, and below subcutaneous, but definitely higher up than the muscles.
Syndrome
A medical condition characterized by a collection of related symptoms (what the patient feels) and signs (what a doctor can observe or measure).
T-Cell (T-Cells)
T cells are lymphocytes that are produced in the bone marrow and mature in the thymus. T cells are responsible for mediating the second branch of the immune system called "cellular immune response." T cells can live for months to years. This lymphocyte population is defined by the presence of a rearranged T-cell receptor.
Last updated: May 11, 2008
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