Broadwaybabyto on Nostr: My last tip is deep breathing and meditation. When a late night MCAS attack hits - it ...

My last tip is deep breathing and meditation. When a late night MCAS attack hits - it can feel almost identical to a panic attack. This is because of the adrenaline that’s being released along with histamine & other mediators. It’s incredibly scary until you get used to it

It’s important to remember that it’s an MCAS attack & it WILL pass. Keeping the brain calm is integral to calming the body. If prone to anaphylaxis you should have a safety plan with your medical team - but in the absence of life threatening symptoms I focus on being calm

Meditation, deep breathing, repeating a mantra… all of these things can be helpful. I focus on the breath & remind myself over and over that I’m safe & calm. Eventually my nervous system gets the message and begins to calm.

Meditation did not come easy - and there were times it felt futile and impossible. But I can promise the more you practice it the more effective it becomes. Most nights it’s second nature & I calm faster than I did without it.

MCAS can be a very difficult condition to manage and is highly individualized - so just remember what works for me may not work for others. There’s a lot of trial & error that’s required & being patient and kind to yourself is key to success

Remember that flares aren’t your fault - and sometimes we can do absolutely everything “right” and avoid every trigger and still end up in a flare cycle. It will pass. Remind yourself that. Reach out to friends & online community for support. It does get better

Epilogue: I wrote this after a week of nightly flares - I hope it helps others know they’re not alone but it was also to remind myself that this WILL pass. I’ve been dealing with it for years and it still overwhelms sometimes. 2/2