This post is about the difference between dysautonomic temperature dysregulation and flushing.
I experience temperature dysregulation as a symptom of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). It comes on quickly as part of my mast cell activation symptom progression as a wave of overheating triggered by my usual MCAS triggers like foods, strong emotions, exertion, fragrances, etc.
It is also tied to eating sweet foods of any type, including sugar-free ones like those sweetened with monk fruit. If I eat something sweet, I experience the wave of overheating within a few minutes. H1 blockers and Nettle/Quercetin generally help keep it under control.
When my bucket is too full, I experience waves of neuropathy with the heat, and it gets progressively worse as my flares worsen, and if I have other triggers going on. I don’t have a POTS diagnosis but a lot of the POTS symptoms fit my symptom picture. During my worst MCAS flares, I have waves of heat and neuropathy raging through my body in continuous waves, with hives, tachycardia, flushing, and nausea.
Read on to learn about temperature dysregulation, neuropathy, and flushing, and how I use the Safe and Sound Protocol to stop these symptoms in their tracks.
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Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. It can cause severe, disabling symptoms every day, including potentially fatal anaphylaxis. MCAS often occurs with other chronic conditions like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Managing MCAS is challenging because many healthcare providers are unaware of it, and diagnostic tests can be unreliable. Treatments involve using antihistamines, mast cell stabilizers, and avoiding triggers. Check out this post on how to manage MCAS.
Temperature dysregulation refers to an inability of the body to properly regulate its internal temperature in response to environmental or physiological changes. This can result in symptoms like heat intolerance, cold intolerance, excessive sweating, or inadequate sweating and is often linked to dysfunction in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), hypothalamus, or immune system.
Symptoms of temperature dysregulation include:
Some ways to manage temperature dysregulation include:
Dysautonomia is a condition affecting the autonomic nervous system, which can lead to temperature deregulation, causing heat or cold intolerance, and potentially leading to symptoms like abnormal sweating, dizziness, and lightheadedness.
Dysautonomia, also known as autonomic dysfunction or autonomic neuropathy, is a condition where the autonomic nervous system (ANS) fails to regulate certain body functions, including body temperature.
The ANS controls processes like blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, and sweating, all of which are crucial for maintaining a stable body temperature. When the ANS malfunctions, these processes can become erratic, leading to temperature deregulation.
Autonomic temperature dysregulation and flushing associated with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) can sometimes overlap but have distinct underlying mechanisms and presentations.
Autonomic temperature dysregulation is caused by dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (often seen in conditions like dysautonomia, POTS, or MCAS).
Mechanism: The autonomic nervous system controls sweating, blood vessel dilation/constriction, and other mechanisms that regulate body temperature. Dysfunction can lead to:
Heat intolerance (due to excessive vasodilation or impaired sweating)
Cold intolerance (due to excessive vasoconstriction)
Sweating abnormalities (excessive or absent sweating)
Unexplained fevers or chills
Autonomic temperature dysregulation can cause episodes of feeling too hot or too cold without a clear external cause. It often affects the entire body or larger regions, not just the face. And it may be linked to postural changes, stress, or environmental triggers.
Flushing is a common symptom of MCAS caused by abnormal mast cell activation, leading to the release of histamine and other inflammatory mediators. Histamine and other mast cell mediators cause vasodilation, leading to transient redness and warmth, which presents as redness, heat, and prickling. It typically affects the face, neck, chest, and upper body and can be triggered by allergens, stress, heat, certain foods (like alcohol, histamine-rich foods), or mast cell degranulation. Flushing is often accompanied by other symptoms such as itching, hives, swelling, or anaphylactoid reactions. Episodes tend to come and go quickly, lasting from minutes to hours.
| Feature | Autonomic Temperature Dysregulation | Flushing in MCAS |
| Cause | Autonomic nervous system dysfunction | Mast cell degranulation |
| Symptoms | Feeling too hot or too cold, sweating abnormalities, full-body temperature changes | Redness, warmth, sometimes itching or burning, usually in the face/upper body |
| Triggers | Postural changes, stress, temperature extremes | Foods, allergens, stress, medications, temperature changes |
| Duration | Can be prolonged (hours to days) | Typically short-lived (minutes to hours) |
| Accompanying Symptoms | Dizziness, fainting, sweating changes, blood pressure swings | Itching, hives, swelling, anaphylactoid reactions |
The bucket theory simplifies understanding symptom reactions with MCAS. Imagine your body as an empty bucket you don’t want to overflow. Reactions to various stimuli fill the histamine bucket at different rates, forming the total histamine level (how full your bucket is). More histamine means more symptoms. By managing triggers, reducing exposures, and taking medications and supplements, you can control your bucket’s level.
Knowing your symptom progression in a symptom flare is the key to developing your rescue plan. This post discusses how to recognize your symptom progression so you can be prepared to address those symptoms.
Want a tool to easily keep track of your symptoms? Sign up for my newsletter and you will receive my free 50-page ebook of lower-histamine, grain-free, sugar-free recipes, my free symptom log, and a free two-week meal plan!
The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a listening therapy based on Polyvagal Theory that helps heal nervous system regulation. Many people with MCAS have nervous system dysregulation stemming from infections, toxic exposures, concussions, and trauma. The SSP is an easy-to-use app where you listen to specially filtered music for 30 minutes each day for a 5-hour cycle. Studies show the SSP has a profound effect on mental health and chronic conditions
You can sign up for the SSP here!
The connection between autonomic temperature dysregulation and neuropathy lies in the role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in regulating body temperature. Neuropathy, particularly autonomic neuropathy, can disrupt the signals controlling heat production, sweating, and blood flow, leading to temperature dysregulation.
There are several ways that neuropathy affects temperature regulation
1. Dysfunction of the Autonomic Nervous System (Dysautonomia). Neuropathy damages these autonomic nerves, leading to improper temperature control.
2. Loss of Normal Sweating Response
3. Abnormal Blood Flow Regulation. Neuropathy can impair the ability of blood vessels to constrict or dilate properly, leading to flushing (due to excessive vasodilation), cold hands and feet (due to excessive vasoconstriction), and temperature swings unrelated to environmental conditions
4. Mast Cell Involvement in Neuropathy. Mast cells can become overactive in neuropathy-related conditions like Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), triggering flushing episodes, heat intolerance, or sudden chills
Conditions that both share the symptoms of neuropathy and temperature dysregulation include:
Key symptoms of temperature dysregulation in neuropathy include:
When I am experiencing temperature dysregulation, flushing, or neuropathy, I use the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) to stop these symptoms in their tracks. The SSP is a listening program that uses specially filtered music to retrain the nervous system to recognize safety.
People with MCAS and other chronic conditions, concussions, and trauma often have damage to their autonomic nervous system (ANS), including damage to the vagus nerve. With a damaged ANS, your nervous system constantly sends messages to your brain that you are in danger. Because your nervous system is constantly sending messages of threat, and is continually searching for the threat, your body responds as if it is in danger. Mast cell activation results in more symptoms, and further activation.
But I’ve found a way to stop this cycle in its tracks. I use what is known as the 30-second reset. I listen to the SSP Core Program for thirty seconds, and then turn off the filtered music.
Rocks and Roots chronicles my journey solo backpacking the Superior Hiking Trail and overcoming nervous system dysregulation, gut dysbiosis, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome symptoms to hike 328 miles successfully.
Healy is an individualized microcurrent device I use to reduce inflammation. Check out this post for more about Healy.
I provide one-on-one in-person and remote chronic illness and caregiver coaching and Sacred Self-Healing Sessions based on the Sacred Self-Healing Method, a proven novel co-creative healing modality detailed in my Books.
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The preceding material does not constitute medical advice. This information is for information purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, cure or treatment. Always seek advice from your medical doctor.
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