Are Mast Cells Driving Autism? with Dr. Pejman Katiraei (Ep 145)

What if the diagnosis was just the beginning—and the root cause was hiding in plain sight? In this riveting episode, Dr. Linda Bluestein welcomes pediatrician and integrative medicine expert Dr. Pejman Katiraei, whose work with children struggling with autism, mold exposure, and mast cell activation reveals a shocking truth: many kids aren’t just neurodivergent—they have neuroinflammation.

Together, they peel back the layers on what’s really driving autistic behaviors, why some children can’t tolerate food, noise, or even hugs—and how mast cells and histamine might be behind it all. Dr. Katiraei shares remarkable stories of transformation, explains why traditional testing often fails, and reveals a controversial treatment that’s changing lives.

If your child is sensitive, reactive, or struggling to connect—and you’ve been told it’s just "behavioral"—this conversation might rewrite what you thought was possible.

Takeaways:

• One child's refusal to eat broccoli held more answers than anyone expected.

• Could colic be the first warning sign of central inflammation?

• He couldn’t feel love—until one unlikely medication changed everything.

• A house tested clean… but the child kept getting worse. Why?

• Some diagnoses miss what’s burning beneath the surface.

Find the episode transcript here.

Reference Links:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18626069/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0941950014001936
The Dust Test
https://www.thedusttest.com/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/itraconazole-oral-route/description/drg-20071421

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149291813001823

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10932299/

Watch Ep 32 with Dr. Jessica Eccles: https://youtu.be/BmIFATctyzk

Watch Ep 47 with Dr. Jessica Eccles: https://youtu.be/nhsLDzLpUWE

Watch Ep 139 with Dr. Theoharides: https://youtu.be/u1pxvAzXh7M

Connect with YOUR Hypermobility Specialist, Dr. Linda Bluestein, MD at https://www.hypermobilitymd.com/.

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