Welcome Vivian! I'm so glad you found this forum. I don't know where I would be had I not found these wonderful people.
I'm sorry you are going through such a difficult time. I understand! I'm sorry I can't offer much for help but I'm sure someone will have some suggestions for you. I just wanted to welcome you and let you know you are not alone.
Kim

Kim and Joan -
Thank you both for your thoughts.

I'm starting the Low Histamine diet today - scouting around to find some recipes.  I'm a bit confused about leftover meat - some say stay away and others say freeze first??  Sadly, everything in my darn fridge now is a DO NOT EAT food - Happy Thanksgiving huh??  

It certainly is wonderful, this site.  I was so down last night when I finally logged in and introduced myself and after sharing and reading I felt so much better - I need to stop being angry and make every   effort to take charge!!  Hence my diet change today - not sure what I'll be having for lunch.

Any suggestions on recipe sites or cookbooks??  I do see The Red Wine Headache Cookbook is all about low histamine, I'm gonna try to order up a copy.   Not sure what my triggers are and feel a bit lost at how to go about eliminating.  I've been so flared up lately that it feels I want to eliminate everything - except my loving family, of course!

Hope your day is going well and you're feelin' good.

Thanks again and I look forward to building the friendships!

  To clarify about histamine in leftover meat and meat-containing dishes, freezing stops histamine from forming, but chilling doesn't.  The recommendation is to freeze meat-containing dishes within 2 hours of cooking.  They can be portioned before freezing, and then you can take the leftovers to work for lunch or thaw another time for a meal.  If you do take it to work, be sure to put it into the freezer or let it thaw inside the refrigerator.  By lunchtime a quick zap in the microwave should give you a safe meal.

 In case you haven't seen it, this website has a chart of foods which are safe on a low histamine diet:

[url]www.urticaria.thunderworksinc.com/pages/lowhistamine.htm/[url]

  Over time, you will find substitutions in your usual recipes for the things you can't eat, although some foods will have to be permanently eliminated.  If you have any specific questions about a particular dish, feel free to post it (or PM me) and people will give you suggestions.  Some of us have been dealing with this problem for many years and have figured out ways to both eat well and be safe.

  A daily food and symptom diary can help you figure out your triggers.  For some people, other substances, such as salicylates or tryptophan can cause problems.  A food diary can tell you whether or not something besides or other than histamine are triggers.

  Your positive attitude is exactly what you need to help yourself feel better!

Thanks for the suggestions....I will be off to get Singulair - is it OTC?  And Joan - the food suggestions....you've made my day!  

I wonder.....can we freeze the histamine out of Pinot Noir??  

Good day to everyone!!

Hello Vivian, I also have TMEP. What meds helped me most are zantac(H2 blocker) which helped with the flushing that was followed by heat hives. I started on 150mg twice daily but now take 300mg twice daily, Ketotifen has helped me a lot too. Ketotifen is a mast cell stabilizer and antihistamine in one. It is only available in US by prescription and has to be compounded. Or you can get it in pill form from Europe or Canada. Cromolyn soduim is another mast cell stabilzer that helps a lot of us, also is compounded. But mostly the low histamine diet helps and I noticed a big difference with that as well as not eating left overs. Do you know you triggers? For me heat is huge, stress gluten,dairy,soy,eggs,grapes,oranges, all booze and wine and I can keep writing for a while but these are my big ones.
I don't know of any TMEP specialists. Did you have a skin biospy yet? When you say burning rash do you when it burns all over? Or does it feel like it is getting hot and then you feel like someone is poking you with needles in different spots and the itching is constanly moving from spot to spot? My TMEP doesn't itch unless I get over exposure to the sun or I get super hot. But I get cholinergic urticaria daily sometimes real bad and other times very slightly.
Melissa