4th bout of hives covering every inch of my body
Posted , 4 users are following.
i am having my 4th bout of hives in 6 months. each time they cover my whole body from my head down to my feet. huge welts, that die off in 24 hours only to be replaced by new ones.
i have been given antihistamines which do nothing, and steroid cream which also does nothing. everything i do make it worse, the only thing that doesn't make it worse is lying still with a sheet on me and staying as cold as possible. even having a cool bath or shower makes it worse. calamine lotion also makes it worse.
this time so far its been about 3 days so far but usually lasts about a week or longer.
first time i had it they thought it was bacterial and gave me penicilin but turns out i am allurgic to that.
other issues i have is i do have hayfever and cat allergies historically but in recent years havent seemed to have been bothering me.
i also have IBS-C for years and high triglycerides, had my thyroid hormones tested and seems normal they said.
any idea what i should do and what could be the cause? its very distressing and i am running out of money to cover the time off work.
0 likes, 10 replies
mary31634 vincent14140
Posted
Hi Vincent, sounds like your night times are a nightmare, and without sleep you will not (in my opinion cope with the daytime episodes) Ask whoever is prescribing your meds to allow you a script for the following: Doxepin 25mg x 3 per evening. It was these that saved the day for my coping strategy. My dermatologist trusted me and I her, I used to take 1 x 25mg at around 3pm - by about 7pm I was ready for a nap, then before bed I took another 1 x 25 knowing that I had yet another 1 x 25mg if I was not coping. I quickly worked out that 1 x 25mg could take me through the night when I trusted the regime my dermatologist had allowed me to use. That was now years ago, and still when it pops up again works! It may or may not work for you. HOWEVER many pharmacists do not seem to realise that Doxepin in this low dose works as a histamine. So you may have to advise them. Best of luck my friend.
vincent14140 mary31634
Posted
it is true i suffer from anxiety and insomnia at the best of times, i got prescribed citalopram which has exacerbated the anxiety .. possible link there. will consider Doxepin thanks
vincent14140
Posted
and obvious hives are often worse
at night, is anxiety the cause do you think or more like rash increases anxiety?
mary31634 vincent14140
Posted
Night time is worst for anxiety thinking and wondering, but my histamine level was highest at night so was worse without me being anxious, I truly think that it is finding out what serves your body best that will be the answser. There did not seem to be any magic pill. But my thyroid was also underactive, and it took a brilliant man to try moving my meds around, and I am positive that helped my itching too. But for all? Probably not. Take care.
michelle55235 vincent14140
Posted
hi vincent sorry you are going theough this. the only comfort i would take is that it only lasts a week each time. ive had mine everyday since august. initially they disappeared by lunchtime when i woke up with them, now i hve them all day and are replaced by new ones.
i am currently starting xolair injections as every antihistamine has failed for me.
maybe this could be an option for you.
as crazy as it sounds a red hot bath eases mine
Allysonson michelle55235
Posted
Hi. Allyson, here. I've had hive breakouts for the last 6+ years. Body consuming to the point I look like a topographical map- scalp to toes, in the beginning.
I did a Whole 30, wiping out all processed foods, sugar, dairy, grains... resetting my gut and body. It works. My body quit accepting the garbage (corn, corn bi-products, soy, corn fed meats, pesticide sprayed veggies and fruits, etc..) The solution to pollution is dilution. Now, my breakouts happen every two weeks with my progesterone production but the breakouts are minimal based on what I eat and drink.
I probably never would have changed my food lifestyle if I had not hit a wall (debilitating hives).
good luck with everything-Allyson
vincent14140 michelle55235
Posted
im terrified of having hot bath, heat seems to make worse, as its often worse in warm parts of body. i cant imagine how awful it is for you. it feels as though no one takes this condition seriously, they dont even refer to allergy specialist , i dont understand why its not understoof more
Allysonson
Posted
I believe mine is autoimmune... autoimmune progesterone dermatitis. From reading, It Starts With Food and other books, and talking with my acupuncturist, it seems as though the body can only heal itself so many times. Eventually, the gut begins to leak leading to leaky gut syndrome- and from there our bodies respond in kind...or not so kind. Acquiring an autoimmunity is more and more common.
Unfortunately, it is not convenient to not eat processed food-like products and sugar so.... we'll see more and more of what we are suffering from. 😦
mary31634 michelle55235
Posted
Every person is different, just take care.
mary31634 vincent14140
Posted
Yes heat does make things worse, but a cool bath is not so bad Vincent. Still nearly 12 years on I cannot shower, the water hitting my body just burns, but I control everything the best I can, its difficult to explain. There is no specific reason it all kicks off I feel.