I have recently returned from a most stimulating conference/think tank with Dr. Afrin and 30 other leading clinicians on Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) at Commonweal—a cancer retreat centre in northern California.
MCAS is a type of mast cell activation disorder (MCAD) characterised by an abnormal activation of mast cells resulting in chronic multisystem polymorbidity of a general inflammatory nature, with or without an allergic nature. Mast cells are white blood cells that are concentrated at the entrances to body tissues (ears, ears, nose throat, skin, genitalia, rectum), and when activated, they release over 200 signalling chemicals (e.g. histamine, prostaglandins, leukotrienes, cytokines and chemokines). These chemical mediators trigger inflammation in response to the invasion of foreign toxins, infections or chemicals, resulting in a range of chronic symptoms. With MCAS, this function becomes upregulated and chronic, occurring at inappropriate times in response to substances that are not necessary a threat. This can lead to widespread symptoms in many different body organs and systems.
Mast cells are located throughout your body in many different tissues, primarily including dermatological, gastrointestinal, neurological and respiratory tissues. While we need mast cells to protect us from threats, they become a problem when they are overactive and hyper-responsive and will not ‘turn off’. Dr. Afrin, a leading mast cell researcher, believes that between 15 and 20% of the North American population may be affected by MCAS. The symptoms of MCAS vary greatly. As a result, many people spend years, even decades, in search of a correct diagnosis, visiting many different subspecialists. What is more frustrating for patients is that many doctors are not familiar with the multiple ways in which MCAS may manifest.
MCAS is often found in individuals with hypermobility syndromes (Ehlers–Danlos syndrome), postural orthostatic hypotension (POTS) as well as chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) and tick-borne illnesses (Lyme disease and co-infections).
The most common symptoms of MCAS include:
The condition may be mild in some people and only exacerbate in response to a significant life stressor, which may be either physical or psychological in nature (divorce, bankruptcy, loss of job, travel, infection, death of a loved one, exposure to novel infections, occupying a water damaged building, exposure to cold or heat). In others, symptoms may develop from a young age and slowly become worse over time. People with MCAS are likely to experience a few of the most common symptoms. Because mast cells are located throughout the body, symptoms can affect the eyes, nose, ears, throat, skin, heart, blood, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and the nervous, endocrine and musculoskeletal systems.
The symptoms of MCAS are often confusing. For a long time, many people with MCAS have been told that their condition was psychosomatic or ‘in their head’. Fortunately, awareness of this frustrating and debilitating condition is spreading. Testing for MCAS is somewhat complex and confusing, as positive biomarkers may only be observed when a patient has a flare up. Incorrect collection of specimens may also lead to false negative testing. Many specimens need to be chilled with a refrigerated centrifuge, which is not available in every lab or doctors’ office.
If you need a comprehensive overview MCAS, I encourage you to read my article: Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine: When Your Immune System Runs Rampant.
The most common drugs that are prescribed for treating MCAS include:
While your doctor may prescribe you some of these mast cell stabilizer drugs to help your symptoms, there are also several natural treatment options. A benefit of using natural treatments for MCAS is that you can take these on your own and they do not require a prescription. However, because most patients with MCAS present differently, it is a good idea to implement these with the guidance of a functional medical doctor who is experienced in MCAS.
Although there is a good possibility that you will eventually find the right therapeutic combination of treatments that will help alleviate many of your symptoms, the fact is that there are no specific biomarkers that will predict which therapy will be the most effective for your specific manifestation of this condition. Trial and error with both drug- and non-drug-based options is often the name of the game.
Also, if you opt for natural treatments for MCAS and mast cell activation disorder, always be sure to disclose everything you are taking to your doctor so he or she has a clear idea of what is going on. It is also important that you make only one change at a time when attempting different combinations of treatment options.
There are many advantages of using natural treatments for MCAS, including:
Many of my patients find that these natural treatments are sufficient when it comes to treating their MCAS. For others, these natural treatments allow them to reduce the number or amount of drugs they need. When it comes to natural treatments for MCAS and mast cell activation disorder, the most effective work in the following ways:
With that in mind, here are some of the best natural treatments for MCAS according to the mechanisms they influence. These recommendations were presented at the think tank by Dr. Brian Bouch, a leading integrative medical doctor from California.
One of the best things you can do for MCAS is add natural treatments that stabilise your mast cells. Such therapies work by inhibiting the inflammatory mediators mast cells release and can be broken down into three groups (A, B, and C) based on how helpful and potent they are.
The “A” Team:
The “B” Team:
The “C” Team:
Here is some further information about select products that are used most often
Quercetin
Green Tea – EGCG
Curcumin
Resveratrol
Vitamin C
Silymarin
Other supplements that have been used in MCAS:
Important Caveat:
Both quercetin and green tea extracts may inhibit the COMT enzyme. If you have a COMT ++ enzyme (slow function) on your 23andme, be careful when using these two supplements. The COMT gene determines your ability to process catechols, oestrogen and the major neurotransmitters adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine. Your anxiety, insomnia and pain may increase due to further slowing down of the excretion of these excitatory chemicals plus the excitatory catechols, substances found in green and black tea, coffee, chocolate, green coffee-bean extracts and quercetin.
Other things to consider in MCAS patients:
Diamine oxidase (DAO) stabilises mast cells, but more importantly, it is the predominant enzyme that breaks down histamine. To increase your DAO levels, you can take DAO enzymes. I recommend taking two capsules with each meal. You can also increase your DAO levels with high doses of vitamin C.
You should also avoid anything that blocks the release of DAO. First and foremost, this includes any form of alcohol. Histamine and alcohol metabolic pathways share common enzymes—aldehyde oxidase and aldehyde dehydrogenase. When you drink alcohol, histamine is released from your mast cells and DAO is simultaneously inhibited. This can cause a runaway chain reaction, which results in greater sensitivity to alcohol and worsening histamine intolerance. Aged cheese and wine together may induce a major mast cell activation.
To reduce histamine levels in your body, you should adopt a low histamine diet. Avoid the following:
Try to eat foods as fresh as possible, and stick to anti-inflammatory foods. Adding rosemary oil to fish reduces histamine formation as the fish ages.
For a comprehensive resource on low-histamine foods, diets and recipes, I recommend my guide on the Low Histamine Diet as well as Healing Histamine.
Calming the immune system and reducing inflammation is a critical part of any MCAS protocol. The recommendations above mainly help to stabilise the immune system and reduce inflammation, though there are a few other effective methods:
Many patients will need to experiment with various therapeutic options at different doses until they find the right combination of medications that helps with their particular symptoms. If unusual side effects are experienced with known medications, remember that the excipients contained within the medications may be the problem, not the medications themselves.
While there is no cure for MCAS, there is a lot you can do to minimise the condition’s impact on your life. The good news is that most of the natural treatments for MCAS are recommendations for a healthier life that anyone would benefit from. To read more about living with MCAS, check out 12 Tips for Living With Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.
With a chronic illness such as MCAS, it is possible to live a full life—the treatment just requires a careful, comprehensive approach. If you believe you have MCAS or have already received a diagnosis and need a functional medical doctor who specialises in MCAS in Calgary, Alberta, you can request an appointment here call 403-206-2333.
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