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Urticaria - everyday 15 months now

Posted , 9 users are following.

hanneke54158
hanneke54158

June 2014 I woke to find what I thought were a couple of mosquito bites on my wrist, gradually spread during the day. Lasted a day or two and I went to GP who prescribed me fenofexadine ... These just made me break out head to toe! I was then given another anti histamine to try, again head to toe breakout lasting 36 hours so looks like I am now allergic to anti histamines

1st hospital appointment through Nov 2014 - junior prescribed me 3 month course fenofexadine despite me stating that I react. Didn't listen and insisted I take them. I tried, same reaction.

2nd appointment - April 2015 - actually saw a consultant who saw my reaction photographs, confirmed it looks likely that I'm allergic to the treatment and said he'd transfer me to his colleague who specialises in urticaria.

3rd appointment - June 2015 - saw consultant ( not the specialist!) who prescribed me with montelukast and said I'd have an appointment within 6 weeks to do a placebo test regarding the anti histamine - basically saying we don't believe you and think it's in your mind! Montelukast didn't do anything.

4th appointment - not until December 2015 so that 6 week period has turned in to a six month wait!

Now, apart from when I've taken the anti histamine which covers me in hives, my outbreaks have mostly been on my hands and wrists in the mornings, and where my knicker / bra line too tight or I scratch myself.

However October 2015 they've just got dramatically worse ... Typically whilst on holiday in South of France. Husband and I enjoy a bottle of wine for dinner and I wake the following morning to find the whole top half of my body - hands, arms, neck, chest covered in hives!! All calmed down by lunch time. Wasn't until the second night and another bottle of wine, waking to the same state that I realise ... Am I now unable to drink wine??? Is this what is making my outbreaks worse all of a sudden?

Why would this be? I've been able to drink why happily over the last year ... What's going on!

The only time in the last 15 months that I had a break was after my GP gave me a kenalog injection for my hayfever.

So fed up and tired of this ... Been 15months and I am still waiting for some help from the hospital ... They haven't actually done anything as yet and my

appointment in December is just

for them to give me an antihistamine so they can see for themselves!

How long do I have to wait ... It just seems to be getting worse!

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • lorraine34338
    lorraine34338 hanneke54158

    Posted

    I had the same problem with my first specialist she made light of the problem. I think you need a comprehensive allergy test but you may have to pay but it would be worth it. You would have to find someone to do the referral. I paid a nutritionalist to do some different test on me and it helped my hives because I had leaky gut syndrome which my medical specialist didn't believe in. It does look like you are reacting to wine. Wine does have a lot of things in it that could set you off. How are you with beer, not lager? Does spirits have the same effect? You have slot to think about good luck.
  • heather94146
    heather94146 hanneke54158

    Posted

    I feel so bad for you! Antihistamines are the only thing that keep my hives at bay! You may find that while you have hives, you may be sensitive or allergic to things that you normally arent. I can't drink wine, eat beef etc... You also can't take motion or aspirin (if you do now) Not that I love steroids, but maybe they will bring you some relief. It is also awful that the doctors don't believe you are allergic the antihistamines! I've learned from this discussion group that making dietary changes helps! There was someone else on here that get hives on their wrists and from pressure like bands on clothing & underwear. Keep us posted!

  • Guest
    Guest hanneke54158

    Posted

    I was having trouble controlling my asthma. Long story short, it was the lactose in the antihistamine tablets. Swapped over to liquid cetirizine and asthma settled right down. A food/symptom diary helped me to work out what was happening. IgE allergy testing would be a good investment. I cant eat anything from cows. Wines and Beer are made sparkling clear by using a cow product, casein. Prednisolone pulse is the only thing that calms my hives down.
    • heather94146
      heather94146 Guest

      Posted

      I had NO IDEA about that casein was used to clear beer! Thank you!
    • debbie61829
      debbie61829 Guest

      Posted

      Wendy, yesterday we went to a fall festival, very cold out was wearing a jacket but the sun bright my hands broke out with hive badly buy for the first time my face broke out in hives severely never happened before. I am to the point of never going outside again, at heart I am an outside hate being indoors. Finding no relief anywhere. I take quercetin, vitamin D and Claritin. No relief. Does anyone have any suggestions. It sound like that shot everyone speaks about has more side effects than anything
    • lorraine34338
      lorraine34338 debbie61829

      Posted

      There are many triggers for hives and sunlight can be one of them as can cold. Treatment can really vary and if you can I would suggest you have a comprehensive allergy test. It will cost alot but then you will know what you react to including medication before you change or add new druggs. Good luck.
    • Guest
      Guest debbie61829

      Posted

      I take Luteolin and a teaspoon of olive oil with the Quercein. As described by Dr Theoharides in his youtube videos. It hasnt stopped the hives but helps me immensely with fatigue, facial flushing caused by exercise, heat intolerance, cold ,etc.
    • heather94146
      heather94146 debbie61829

      Posted

      The only thing I can suggest is dietary changes. I honestly feel the gluten free/leaky gut diet allowed my antihistamines to work and after a few weeks (maybe a month now) I didn't have hives last night! If course I am still taking otc antihistamines, but only 1 Claritin am & 1 zytrec and 1 or 2 benadryl pm. I didn't go out for weeks and I felt so bad, all I did was cry and itch and I found this forum and having help from people who are going through the same exact thing as me/you is such a help. Especially since doctors are at a loss. Xolair wasn't out the last 2 times I suffered from these hives and I was saving it as a last resort because, to me, I didn't want to take it because of the list of side effects. If I tried everything I could, without relief, then I would get it because we need to live and function. Taking a medicine for an unknown diagnosis is scary but being cut off from the world is worse. So far diet changes really helped. I hope you can find some relief. Good Luck!
    • lorraine34338
      lorraine34338 heather94146

      Posted

      Me too, I did the leaky gut diet and I am positive it helped alongside the meds I was taking. I echo Healther. Good luck.
  • jaret1969
    jaret1969 hanneke54158

    Posted

    My hives started in 2012 for no apparent reason. Nothing the doctors gave me worked. I got to a point where I accepted I'd have them for the rest of my life. Alcohol and exertion of any kind aggrivated them. I stopped exercising and my fitness was going to pot. Just this year I tried Xolair for the first time. I've not had a single hive since the first shot. I take the shots monthly. I've not had any side effects from Xolair
    • debbie61829
      debbie61829 jaret1969

      Posted

      Thank you Jaret, I just read too many people that have had bad side effects. Glad you found relief from it.
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