83. Are there any supplements that help manage mast cell symptoms?
- Yes.
- Mast cell patients are often vitamin or mineral deficient.
- Iron deficiency is extremely common. This is likely due to anemia of chronic inflammation. Basically, if your body is inflamed long enough, your body hoards the iron and stops moving it from your GI tract into your bloodstream where it can be used. Iron supplements are pretty harsh so patients don’t always tolerate oral supplements. IV iron is an option if your iron is low enough. I personally like the Lucky Iron Fish for increasing iron. It’s pretty neat.
- Many mast cell patients are magnesium deficient. The exact cause of this is unknown. Lots of us take magnesium supplements.
- For reasons that aren’t clear, a lot of mast cell patients are vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D acts on mast cells. There is some evidence to suggest that vitamin D can decrease mast cell activation. I personally found that effectively supplementing vitamin D has helped me a lot. A lot of symptoms I blamed on mast cell disease were actually vitamin D deficiency.
- A number of supplements can decrease mast cell activation or block the action of mast cell mediators. There are a ton of natural mast cell stabilizers. They are sometimes used to help patients manage symptoms, especially in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which in recent years has been studied in clinical trials. Quercetin and resveratrol are commonly used by mast cell patients.
- I take turmeric daily to reduce inflammation. Turmeric or curcumin can decrease prostaglandin production.
- Holy Basil is a popular supplement in the mast cell community. It also decreases prostaglandin production. It can also block the histamine H2 receptor. While I often see people say that holy basil is as effective as an H2 blocker as H2 antihistamines like ranitidine or famotidine, I have never been able to find any evidence that this is true. But it does definitely have some ability to block the histamine H2 receptor.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency sometimes occurs in mast cell patients, especially those with mast cell activation syndrome. This can have some interplay with MTHFR mutations, which can affect the form of vitamin B12 best suited to your body.
- Vitamin C decreases the amount of histamine released by mast cells. It is recommended by some prominent mast cell researchers and many patients respond well.
- Alpha lipoic acid is sometimes used, particularly for neurologic symptoms and neurologic pain.
- I’m not sure if CBD oil is considered a supplement but it is widely used with excellent results. Be aware that the popular notion that marijuana derivatives do not interact with any medications is inaccurate. It especially can interact with tricyclic antidepressants to cause dangerous tachycardia.
- Keep in mind that all supplements have the potential to interact with medications or to affect a person adversely if they have certain diseases. Exactly how much this happens is hard to pinpoint because over the counter supplements are held to a much lower standard for this type of study than FDA approved medications.
- Always discuss any supplements you plan to try with your managing provider. Vitamins and minerals can cause toxicity and too much can cause very serious side effects and complications.
- Do not assume that just because something is derived from nature, or because it is available without a prescription, that something is automatically safer for you than medications.
- This is not really in my wheelhouse so I would encourage you to ask other patients what has helped them or to consult with a nutritionist.
For additional reading, please visit the following posts:
Effect of vitamin D on mast cells
Naturally occurring mast cell stabilizers: Part 1
Naturally occurring mast cell stabilizers: Part 2
Naturally occurring mast cell stabilizers: Part 3
Naturally occurring mast cell stabilizers: Part 4
The MastAttack 107: The Layperson’s Guide to Understanding Mast Cell Diseases, Part 19
MTHFR, folate metabolism and methylation