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Chronic/Cholinergic urticaria helped by Chlorphenamine

Posted , 6 users are following.

steve95196
steve95196

Hi all,

I just wanted to offer some potential help and hope to people suffering from Chronic or Cholinergic urticaria.  I must stress that the below is my own experience and is not guarenteed to work on everyone:

In January 2016 i started to get small/non itchy hives on my hands and arms, as the weather was cold I put it down to chillblains.  After a few weeks I pinpointed the problem to changes in temperature...I.E going from cold to warm when getting home and putting the heating on.  By Feb i was getting more and more annoyed so visted my GP who pescribed 180mg of Fexofenodine...this worked slightly but only for a few days!  After this the symptoms got alot worse, soon i would be covered on my hands, arms, neck, shoulders and legs. Exercising was causing havoc with my skin where only minutes after getting home from the gym i would be a blotchy red mess from head to toe...i was going crazy with it!

Weeks of research/ food intolerance tests/ derrmotology vists were getting me nowhere. The only glimmer of hope was the different amounts of antihistimine available that I hadnt tried so i decided to trial and error different types...until i discovered Chlorphenamine.  From what I understand this is a first generation antihistamine that can have some side effects..non of which i have experienced so far. Chlorphenamine stopped the flare ups 100% and has also helped a mild rhinitis issue i have had for years. 

I dont plan to stay on them forever so i will keep the forum updated when I stop...but 1 month of being hive free is fantastic and i hope this can help others to.

2 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • desmond01416
    desmond01416 steve95196

    Posted

    Hi Steve,

    Antihistamines definitely do seem to work for a lot of people (maybe the majority). And you are right, trial and error can help find one that works better than others. For me it was actually fexofenadine that helped quite a bit. 

    But for some people the effectiveness of the antihistamines wears off after a few weeks and months. That happened me with fexofenadine, raising the dosage to 2x180mg twice a day helped for a few more months. But then they seemed to lose effectiveness. Cetrizine then seemed to work better for a while. But in the end, antihistamines couldn't control it long term for me. I hope they do for you.

    Now I'm 3 weeks into ciclosporin and the mild persistent nausea is fading away, the blood tests are ok and I haven't had itching in 3 weeks and the rash is much reduced. I have cold urticaria. I used to be covered in whole areas and have nasty persistent itching all over about 3 days of the week.  Sometimes now I very little or no rash now since ciclosporin when I go for a run, and other times its there but a fraction of what it used to be. 

    I started ciclosporin on 4mg/kilo. They've just reduced it to just over 3 mg/kilo.

    • wendy62425
      wendy62425 desmond01416

      Posted

      Hi Desmond and Steve

      i too have been on Cyclosporine. My Chronic Urticaria was severe and nothing helped until the doctor put me on Cyclosporine which helped but they had to bump me up to 200mg then added prednisone with a very long and slow taper.  That was 9 months ago...I am now down to 50mg of cyclosporine and 4 mg Prednisone and have been on that for a month. I have been hive free for all those months.  I have apt. With my specialist the end of the month to see where I go from here....what to back down to.  I just pray for remission!  It appears going down on these meds extremely slow is key.

      Just wanted to share my experience.  I think my urticaria is brought on by stress.  

      Have a good day all!

      Blessings,

      Wendy

    • crydtal40489
      crydtal40489 wendy62425

      Posted

      Wow, am surprised you have been on prednisone that long. My doctor only gave it to me for 1 week as it's very bad for the liver. Yet, helped me very much. Stress, bread and chocolate are what I have been strongly trying to avoid which helps a lot.
    • wendy62425
      wendy62425 crydtal40489

      Posted

      Hello

      after trying just about everything the doctors added the prednisone.  Prednisone is not good for your body but was the only thing that stopped my hives....as meantioned my urticaria was severe.  My specialist tests my blood frequently that is important...so far I have been good.  Some people with other illnesses have to be on it for years unfortunately.  It also can effect your bones. 4 mg now is very low now.  I'll see what my doctor says next week whether she will lower the prednisone more or the cyclosporine.

  • martina_71751
    martina_71751 steve95196

    Posted

    Hi serve my adult son was away on a stag party and a few days late he came out In a rash they went to Edinburg and the accommodation was very dirty I'm wondering did he pick up something of the sheets the doc give him chlorpheamine and cetirizine can I use these both together there tablet form 

    • martina_71751
      martina_71751

      Posted

      I'm new to this forum and was wondering if anyone could advise me please

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