How 10 Years of Antihistamines Affected My Health – And What I Did to Heal (Part One)

For ten years, I took antihistamines every single day. I had chronic urticaria—hives that appeared out of nowhere, red, itchy welts, covering my body (including my neck and face). At first, I thought it was just a passing reaction. But when it didn’t go away, and the only solution I was given was daily medication, I accepted it as my new normal. It wasn’t until my body started resisting the medication that I realised something deeper was going on.

The Symptoms No One Connected

Looking back, the signs had been there long before the hives appeared. As a teenager, I was highly active—sport and exercise were a huge part of my life. On the surface, I was healthy. But beneath that, I struggled with digestive issues, fatigue, and unpredictable breakouts. At the same time, I was also navigating family stress, which, though I didn’t realise it then, was likely playing a significant role in my body’s responses.

Then came university. Another level of stress, late nights, drinking, and the typical student lifestyle took over. I had no idea that what I was eating and how I was living were affecting my gut, immune system, and, ultimately, my skin. The hives seemed to appear out of nowhere, and I blamed it on an isolated allergic reaction. But the reality? My body had been in distress for years.

At first, antihistamines worked. They kept the hives under control. But as time passed, I started needing more than one dose. Doctors continued to prescribe me with the antihistamines and before I knew it, I was stuck in a cycle of dependency—one that never addressed why my body was reacting this way in the first place.

The Hidden Impact of Long-Term Antihistamine Use

I never questioned what daily antihistamines were doing to my body. No doctor ever mentioned the potential long-term effects on my gut, liver, immune function, or nervous system. But over time, I started experiencing more health issues—digestive problems, fatigue, brain fog, and even anxiety and depression—I didn’t immediately connect the dots. I just assumed it was stress, or that something else was wrong with me.

Back then, we didn’t have the easy access to health information that we do now. Growing up in the ’90s, there was no Google at our fingertips, no social media filled with wellness advice, no way to instantly research symptoms or find alternative approaches. You relied on doctors, mainstream advice, and whatever was passed down from family. So when I had reactions to food or my skin flared up, it never crossed my mind to question whether my diet, gut, or stress levels were the cause. I just did what most people did—took a pill and carried on.

Histamine isn’t just about allergies, It plays a critical role in digestion, immunity, and nervous system regulation. Blocking it every single day for years had consequences I was never warned about:

✔️ Gut Health – Long-term antihistamine use can disrupt the gut microbiome, contribute to intestinal permeability (leaky gut), and reduce the production of digestive enzymes. My gut health had been deteriorating without me realising it.

✔️ Liver Detoxification – The liver plays a key role in breaking down histamine. By constantly suppressing histamine, I wasn’t addressing why my body was struggling to process it in the first place.

✔️ Immune Function – Rather than supporting my immune system, antihistamines had created a rebound effect. My body had become hypersensitive and reliant on external suppression.

✔️ Nervous System Regulation – Histamine interacts with neurotransmitters like serotonin. Over time, suppressing it may have contributed to the anxiety and mood imbalances I experienced.

✔️ Nutrient Depletion – Key nutrients like zinc, vitamin B6, and magnesium are essential for histamine metabolism. Years of medication had potentially depleted my body of what it needed to function optimally.

At the time, I didn’t have the full picture. I just knew my health was declining, and I needed answers beyond another prescription.

The Moment Everything Changed

The turning point came when my body stopped responding to antihistamines altogether. The hives returned with a vengeance, and I was then given steroids. That was the moment I didn’t realise would mark the beginning of even bigger health challenges. Years of symptom suppression were about to catch up with me, and further complications in my health were on the horizon.

At the time, I didn’t realise how much the stress I had been under—emotionally, physically, and mentally—was playing a role. From navigating personal struggles to pushing through daily life, I had no idea just how deeply my body was holding onto it all.

In Part Two, I’ll share what I discovered to be my triggers, the deeper connections between my gut, liver, and nervous system, and the diagnosis I never expected.