Gut Health, Histamine & Sensitivities Support in Sydney |
Sonia Savage, Functional Nutritionist
If your gut has turned on you, bloating after meals, reactions to foods you used to enjoy, flushing or headaches that seem to come from nowhere, you have probably been told it is stress, or IBS, or simply to cut things out and see. In my experience, that rarely gets to the bottom of it. A lot of what looks like a food problem is really a gut, histamine, and hormone story, and once we understand what's driving it, there is a lot we can do.
Book a Gut Health ConsultationIs This You?
You are bloated, uncomfortable or unpredictable after eating, and no one has explained why
Your list of "safe" foods keeps shrinking, and you are reacting to more things, not fewer
You flush, get hives, headaches or a racing heart, sometimes worse at certain points in your cycle
You have been diagnosed with IBS, or told it is "just stress", but you know something more is going on
You suspect histamine or MCAS, and you want someone who can tell the difference properly
You have tried probiotics and elimination diets, with only partial, short-lived results
Why I Start With the Gut
In my experience, everything is connected, and a great deal of it starts in the gut. Most of your immune cells and much of your serotonin live there, so when the gut is out of balance, the effects show up far beyond digestion: in your skin, mood, sleep and reactions to food.
A Proper Investigation, Not Guesswork
A thorough clinical history helps us work out when and why this started, whether after antibiotics, a gut infection overseas, a mouldy house, a stressful season, the pill, or whether it has always been there. Where it will genuinely change the plan, I use a comprehensive stool test to see what is actually happening: your beneficial and dysbiotic bacteria, signs of SIBO, digestive markers, and gut permeability (what people call "leaky gut", though the more accurate term is intestinal hyperpermeability, measured through a marker called zonulin).
The Histamine Piece, Done Properly
I look at histamine carefully. Histamine intolerance is a load-and-clearance problem: too much coming in, too little broken down. True MCAS, where mast cells themselves are unstable, is different and less common. I will never hand you a heavier label than the evidence supports, and I will explain the oestrogen–histamine connection if your symptoms track your cycle.
Diversity, Not Restriction
Your list of safe foods should not keep shrinking. The answer is rarely to cut more out; it is to calm the gut and restore tolerance, working towards the widest, most enjoyable diet you can comfortably manage.
See the Oestrogen–Histamine Connection for Yourself
Histamine and oestrogen drive each other in a loop many people never hear about. Use the interactive tool below to explore how they connect.
How I Approach Gut & Histamine Differently
We Stop Guessing and Look Properly
Bloating and food reactions have a cause. I use functional testing like the GI-MAP to see the actual microbial landscape, alongside markers of digestion, inflammation and immune activity, so we're working from evidence rather than trial and error.
We Follow the Histamine Trail
Histamine intolerance and MCAS are widely missed. I look at where histamine is coming in, where it's being broken down, and what's driving the overload, including gut bugs that produce it and genetic factors that slow clearance.
We Calm the Gut Before We Rebuild It
Throwing probiotics and ferments at a reactive gut often makes things worse before they get better. I sequence the work carefully, soothing inflammation and restoring the conditions for a resilient microbiome, rather than piling in.
We Connect the Systems, Not Just the Gut
Your gut talks to your hormones, your immune system and your nervous system. I map how they're interacting, because the thing driving your gut symptoms is often sitting somewhere else entirely.
We Go at a Pace Your Body Can Tolerate
Histamine and MCAS work demands gentleness. Moving too fast provokes the very reactions we're trying to calm. I'll be honest about what's realistic, and we'll build tolerance back up step by step.
What Working Together Looks Like
Before we meet, complete your health history and share any recent bloods. I review everything beforehand.
Initial Consultation
A deep dive into your history, symptoms and triggers, so we can map out what is likely driving things.
Your Plan
A staged plan to remove the true drivers, restore digestion, and rebuild diversity food by food, with targeted supplementation where genuinely needed (dispensed through Vital.ly).
Testing Where It Changes the Plan
A GI-MAP, or bloods, only where the result will alter what we do.
Regular Reviews
We track your progress and expand your tolerance over time. This is a partnership over months, not a one-off appointment.
Timeframes, Honestly
Gut work is not an overnight fix, and I will always be honest about that. Most people notice meaningful change within the first several weeks, and a comprehensive gut rebuild typically runs over three to six months, depending on what is driving things. Issues that took years to develop deserve a realistic timeline.
From Clinic
"Very highly recommend! I was referred to Sonia by another person and I am very happy to say that my digestive and overall health has been completely turned-around! Sonia is very caring and also has excellent knowledge and experience when dealing with gut-health, energy levels, sleeping issues, hormones and chronic ecoli-embedded infections."
-Sara
Consultation Fees
Initial Consultation
Comprehensive health history & plan
$250
Follow-Up Consultations
30 MINUTES
$120
45 MINUTES
$160
Functional testing fees are additional and discussed before anything is ordered.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a GI-MAP and do I need one?
A GI-MAP is a comprehensive stool test that measures your beneficial and problematic bacteria, signs of SIBO, digestive and inflammation markers, and gut permeability (zonulin). Not everyone needs one. I recommend it when the result will genuinely change your plan, such as in stubborn or long-standing cases.
Is it histamine intolerance or MCAS?
They are not the same thing. Histamine intolerance is an imbalance between the histamine coming in and your ability to clear it. MCAS is a more complex condition where mast cells release their contents inappropriately. When we look properly at your symptoms, history and triggers, the difference usually becomes clear, and I will never give you a heavier label than the evidence supports.
Why do I keep reacting to more and more foods?
Expanding food reactions are often a sign of an irritated, hyperpermeable gut or a histamine-clearing problem, rather than true allergies to each new food. Cutting more foods usually is not the answer; calming the gut and restoring tolerance is.
Do probiotics fix gut health?
Not on their own. Probiotics can help, but lasting change comes from feeding your own microbiome through dietary diversity and addressing what unbalanced it in the first place.
Do you offer online consultations?
Yes. I consult online worldwide, with in-person appointments available in Sydney. Stool test kits are done at home and posted to the lab.
Let's Work Out What's Really Going On
Book a gut health consultation online. You will receive a confirmation with your health history form, so I can review your story before we meet.
I look forward to working with you. Thank you for trusting me with your story.
Book a Gut Health Consultation