Discover the Scoop on Headaches and MCAS

Do you know about headaches and MCAS? You might not know that headaches are a common mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) symptom. This post discusses headaches as related to MCAS, and some ways to address them.

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Headaches and MCAS

“Mast cell activation can cause headaches and migraines. Mast cell mediators can affect how much blood is getting to the head and brain, which can cause pain.” – Mast Attack

What is MCAS?

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. MCAS is serious and disabling and people with MCAS experience often significant and debilitating symptoms daily, including anaphylaxis, which can be fatal.

MCAS is often found in combination with other chronic conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

Frequently healthcare providers do not know about MCAS, and the tests for MCAS are problematic because they are not uniformly reliable. MCAS can be difficult to manage. Treatments include blocking mast cell mediators with anti-histamines and mast cell stabilizers, as well as avoiding triggers.

Check out this post on how to manage MCAS.

The bucket theory

The Bucket Theory offers a helpful analogy for understanding symptom reactions with MCAS.

Think of your body as an empty bucket that you want to keep from overflowing. Different foods and activities fill your histamine bucket at different speeds but combine to form the total level of histamine in your body (how full your bucket is). A fuller bucket means you have more histamine symptoms. When you manage triggers, reduce exposure to known triggers, and take medications and supplements to reduce histamine, you can manage the level of your bucket.

Evaluating your symptoms for headaches and MCAS

So if you have a headache, the place to start with your inquiry is with your symptom progression.

If headaches are part of your symptom progression then the next level of inquiry would be to note any other symptoms you are experiencing, whether you have had any triggering events such as new foods or environmental exposures (pollen, car exhaust, heat or cold, emotional stress, etc.)

Know your typical symptom progression

One of the keys to understanding the level of your bucket is knowing your symptom progression. It is helpful to keep track of the symptoms you are having and to evaluate whether they are escalating. Symptom escalation means that the level of your bucket is rising.

Knowing your symptom progression in a symptom flare is the key to developing your own rescue plan. In this post, I discuss how to determine your own symptom progression. Once you know what typically happens in your symptom progression you can design a rescue plan to address those symptoms.

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Atmospheric pressure headaches and MCAS

One of the first places I look at when I have a headache is the weather app on my phone. Why? I am sensitive to changes in atmospheric pressure, and if the pressure is going up or down I am likely to have a headache.

Stable high or low atmospheric pressure is not as much of an issue. It is the change in atmospheric pressure that seems to cause headaches.

Healthline says, “Barometric pressure headaches occur after a drop in barometric pressure. They feel like your typical headache or migraine, but you may have some additional symptoms, including nausea and vomiting, increased, sensitivity to light, numbness in the face and neck, and pain in one or both temples.”

See my other post on Atmospheric Pressure Changes and MCAS.

Hormonal changes as a cause of headaches and MCAS

The next place I look for the cause of a headache is hormonal changes. Hormonal changes are implicated in headaches in normal people, and having MCAS adds another layer of complexity to the situation. Mast cells are highly reactive to hormonal changes because

In addition, many people who have MCAS also have estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance is an imbalance in the ratio of estrogen to progesterone. To put it in simple terms, when you have proportionally more estrogen than progesterone then you have estrogen dominance. If you notice that your MCAS symptoms worsen at certain parts of your menstrual cycle, you might have estrogen dominance because estrogen triggers mast cell activation. One way to determine if you do have estrogen dominance is testing. There are several methods of testing, each with its pros and cons. According to Mast Cell 360, the most accurate testing is Dutch hormone testing.

Headache remedies

The first line of defense against a headache is keeping your bucket at an appropriate level. If I noticed that my symptom progression had begun then I would begin to take the medications and supplements in my rescue plan. That way my mast cells are less reactive and not adding to the problem.

The second tactic I use with headaches is homeopathy. I discuss homeopathy in this post. When I have a headache I typically take an extra dose of my constitutional remedy. You want to work with a trained homeopath to have the appropriate constitutional remedy prescribed for your particular body.

The next tactic I use with headaches is supplements. Depending on the level of my bucket, I might be able to tolerate an herbal tincture in an alcohol base, like Herb Pharm Head Soother. Another option that I have used is Migra Eze, though if my bucket is too full I can’t tolerate it.

For migraines, I typically drink some extra homemade electrolyte powder in my water, put on my EMF shielding hat, and close my eyes for a while.

What do you think?

What helps you when you have a headache? I’d love to hear your comments below!