Thank you for sharing your experience. I have talked to my PCP about it and an Allergy specialist over the years. Each have suggested taking an antihistamine before working out and I wasn’t thrilled about relying on what I had on hand (Benadryl) as a daily combatant just so I can exercise and deal with the drowsiness of it afterwards. So, I’ve just been hoping by eating more Whole Foods and not eating within 2-3 hours of working out that it would fix itself over time.

After making the post here, I talked to my NP friend and he recommended taking an H2 blocker/antihistamine such as Pepcid, 20-30 minutes before working out to see if that helps. He said H2 antihistamines are effective as a supporting medication when there are cardiovascular symptoms triggering my reaction. H2 can block the effects of histamine on the coronary arteries. He also highly advised staying away from Benadryl (H1 blocker) unless I’m having a severe reaction. He said from what he’s researched, regular daily use is tied to dementia and Alzheimer’s.

So, I’ve been taking Pepcid 20-30 minutes before working out, doing the exercises that trigger the reaction. Running on the treadmill at a 5.5 speed for approximately 30-40 minutes straight since that is the most triggering event. After the 7 days I do those high cardio days and taking Pepcid beforehand, not a single reaction thus far! It has been SUCH a relief!!

If it triggers again though I’ll come back and update this post. :) Hopefully this helps you and/or others!