Mast cell disorders are prevalent in the hypermobile population, but can often go undiagnosed.  Persistent pain can be initiated and perpetuated by mast cells, which have also been referred to as “gatekeepers of pain”.  How can someone who suspects mast cell issues go about seeking relief for mast cell-related pain? How can medical professionals accurately seek to diagnose and treat mast cell pain?For this conversation, we put Bendy Bodies founder, Linda Bluestein, MD, in the hot seat. With her many years as a practicing anesthesiologist and her long career treating people with hypermobility disorders, she’s been in a unique position to research, diagnose, and treat these complex conditions.Dr. Bluestein defines mast cell disorders and ways they may present. She explains why people with hypermobility should be aware of mast cell disorders, and reveals the prevalence of pain associated with mast cell issues.Dr. Bluestein shares her techniques for evaluating pain in a patient, and offers advice on treating pain in a patient with mast cell issues. She suggests ways to communicate with a medical professional about your own pain, and shares her wish list of ways she would address mast cell disorders on a large scale.With practical advice for both medical practitioners looking to improve patient care, and hypermobile people searching for ways to mitigate their own chronic pain, this episode is filled with tips and insight into a complex problem.Additional notes: 
Excipients:  All medications have excipients (“inactive” ingredients in medications that may cause problems in susceptible people).
Mast cell disorder testing:  Tryptase is just one mediator that is important to check (both at baseline and within four hours of a flare).  I provide lab slips to my patients that they can take in for testing as needed.  Tryptase levels can be helpful (especially if they are elevated) but a normal level does not rule out a mast cell problem.
Pain sources:  People with EDS and comorbidities (like mast cell disorders) can have all the types of pain.  These include nociceptive (coming from actual or potential tissue damage), neuropathic (problem within the nervous system) and nociplastic (dysfunction of how pain signals are processed).
Want to maximize your medical appointments? Check out this course created by Dr. Bluestein and Keeya Steel, founder of Hells Bells and Mast Cells.
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