Mast Cells, Histamine & Perimenopause: What Every Woman Should Know | Dr. Tracy Shevell

Written By Gennifer Mantych

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Tracy Shevell MD

The hormone nobody talks about.

This week on Her Time, Her Health, I sit down with Dr. Tracy Shevell — a board-certified OB-GYN and maternal fetal medicine specialist with over two decades in academic medicine, and founder of Blue Moon Perinatal, a high-touch concierge OB practice built around whole-person care.

We dig into a topic that doesn't get nearly enough airtime: the surprising link between mast cells, histamine, and perimenopause. Dr. Shevell breaks down why so many women's symptoms — flushing, headaches, GI issues, palpitations, poor sleep — get dismissed as "just anxiety," and how a simple over-the-counter antihistamine trial can sometimes offer real relief while the medical system catches up.

We also talk about medical dismissal, patient advocacy, the three life cycles of womanhood, and her deeply personal path from burned-out high-risk OB-GYN to entrepreneur and author of the upcoming book Labor and Deliverance.

In this episode, we cover:

  • The immune system's changing relationship with hormones across pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause

  • Why estrogen aggravates mast cells, and progesterone stabilizes them

  • Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), histamine intolerance, and Long COVID's role in bringing it to light

  • The Pepcid/antihistamine "trial" approach and how to safely self-advocate

  • How AI can help women translate medical jargon before their doctor visits

  • Puberty and perimenopause as mirror-image hormonal transitions

  • The patient encounter that pushed Dr. Shevell to leave traditional medicine

  • Building a following, writing a book, and turning pain into purpose

Connect with Dr. Tracy Shevell:

Gennifer Mantych http://www.handsdownbestever.com/
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