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Seasonal Urticaria - February to May in the UK

Posted , 3 users are following.

Guest
Guest

Since 2000 I have experienced chronic urticaria every year except for 2 years during the months of February, March, April and May. On each occasion the Urticaria has appeared within a day or so of 20th February and disappears within a day or so of 10th May.

The urticaria moves around the body, so one day and night it will be concentrated around the chest, shoulders and neck, the next day on back shoulder blades and neck, the next day around the waist, groin and thighs, then arms, hands, etc.

One of my urticaria's strangest idiosyncrasies is that alcohol consumption makes it entirely disappear for 12 hours or more. For the first few years I turned to alcohol as a form of medication, however over the years I realised that once the alcohol had left my system the urticaria would return more violently and cover a greater area of my body. I now don't consume alcohol at all during the months when the urticaria visits. The urticaria is therefore constantly on my body but I don't experience the extremes.

I have previously been prescribed steroid treatment but this only dampened the symptoms for the course of the treatment and it would come back fully at the end of the course. I have visited my GP and been referred to the dermatology department at two local hospitals but because they can't establish the trigger easily they have not been interested in investigating further. The only medication that I currently take is Fexofenadine 180mg. This takes away the extreme itch and pain for approximately 8 hours. I take this in the morning so I don't itch and scratch my way through work but this leaves me with sleepless uncomfortable evenings.

Does anyone else suffer from this seasonal form of Urticaria between February and May and if so has anyone had the trigger successfully diagnosed. Can anyone recommend any other treatments?

1 like, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Hi

    I've been reading your experience about urticaria. I've only just been told by doctors that, i have this after about two months of constant itching. The doctors had given me various medications and creams but i think they actually made it worse. Alot of the antihistamine creams seem to block my pores even more and made me more itchy. They gave me fexofenadine but now they think i maybe allergic to certain antihistamine medicines. They have put me on a course of prednisolone steroids and that has taken all the blisters and redness away. I still have the underlying itching going on which like yours tends to have a mind of its own. One day neck, shoulders and arms then the next day legs, groins back. Its so frustrating that no-one can actually find out what causes this ailment as it is so debilitating for the sufferer. I did find that taking a glass or two of wine at night has helped but i will take your thoughts on board with your experience.

    Thanks for your experience.

  • sue_d
    sue_d

    Posted

    I have been wondering how, for the last 10 years or so, around April time, I have developed an allergy, affecting arms, face and neck. It always corresponds with going out into the garden for the first time in the spring - so is something to do with pollen/plants or sunshine - still can't quite work out which!

    Each year I have gone along to the doctor - who always looks at my notes and comments that I was there exactly a year ago with the same thing!

    However, this year, the urticaria developed in March - and could be down to the very high pollen factor - I was told this by a gardening expert, who then proceeded to point out which trees were coming into bloom.

    I take Fexofenadine - if that's how you spell it, and mosturise the skin as often as able in a working day!

    The allergy/urticaria usually goes after about a week and doesn't recur unless I touch certain plants throughout the year!

    Hope this helps!

    • ahmad_78692
      ahmad_78692 sue_d

      Posted

      I've a garden , can you please tell me what kind of plants trigger your urticaria ?

  • ahmad_78692
    ahmad_78692 Guest

    Posted

    I have the same problem since 11 years !

    I've just googled this randomly and it wasn't there last year !

    The only solution is to use Prednisolone during this period , also singulair worked for me the last year .

    Non of anti histamine can help in my case .

    It itch like hell and you can find our forum and benefit from others experience !

    You're the first one who describes the exact date !!!

    I feel sorry , sad , and happy ..

    Other people have it since years and all the time ..

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