How to Treat Histamine Poisoning

Histamine poisoning, or scombrotoxicity, is a toxic condition caused by eating tainted or spoiled dark-flesh fish from the scombroid family. The symptoms develop about 45 minutes after the victim eats the fish. Doctors diagnose histamine poisoning by reviewing a patient's recent food intake. While histamine poisoning is not fatal, it can be quite frightening.

Instructions

• 1

  Make sure the patient ingested dark-meat fish from the scombroid family, which includes mackerel, tuna, albacore and swordfish. Other toxins found in cheeses, monosodium glutamate, sodium nitrites and some wines may produce similar symptoms.

• 2

  Treat the symptoms after making a report to a physician to determine if the patient needs medical help. To treat severe symptoms, like refractory hypotension and airway compromise, the patient will need intravenous fluids.

• 3

  Expect symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, dizziness, headache and flushing, which is the most common, to resolve within one to two hours after their onset.

• 4

  Place wet hand towels in the freezer and allow them to get to near the freezing point. Remove them and drape them over the flushed areas of the patient's body. The flushing will look like a serious sunburn.

• 5

  Consult a physician if serious symptoms continue past the two hour mark. Consider administering a H1 antihistamine in conjunction with a H2 histamine if symptoms do not subside in a few hours.

• 6

  Assess the situation afterwards to determine the exact cause of the reaction. The patient should make it a point to avoid scombroid fish if he's experienced histamine poisoning.