Hormones or histamine? Understanding your midlife symptoms – with Dr Clare Ashby

Apr 3, 2026

44:18

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Could your anxiety, brain fog, IBS and itchy skin be signs of something more than midlife hormonal changes? Dr Clare Ashby, histamine intolerance and MCAS specialist joins Liz to reveal the condition that's often overlooked – and how it can make HRT less effective.

In this episode, Liz and Clare discuss how symptoms we might have normalised for years could be signs of histamine intolerance, how it can be confused with perimenopause, and how healthy diet choices could be working against us.

Clare also explains how hormones and histamines work together, the food and lifestyle adjustments that can reduce reactivity, and the simple over-the-counter remedy that can make the world of difference.

In this episode:

· How hormone changes in midlife can lead to histamine imbalance

· The signs you may be histamine intolerant

· Why your HRT might not be working effectively

· Is avocado on sourdough making you ill?

· The surprising link between mast cell disorder, hypermobility, ADHD and IBS

· How over-the-counter antihistamines can help more than hay fever

Links mentioned in the episode:

· Pulsetto

· Neurosim

· The Gupta natural healing programme

· The British Dietetic Association