THERE HAS TO BE A CAUSE OF URTICARIA ...

Hi Melinda my Urticaria was really itchy all the time, mine flares up when I am super stressed!, what did the doctors say ?

Every time I am ill with anything my immune system kicks off a small outbr ask of urticaria.  I had a two huge outbreaks which was controlled by cyclosporine and I had to mend my digestive system with L-Glutamine powder, probiotics and multi vitamins. All this worked. Stress is also a trigger. Get a referral to a good dermatologist that know about urticaria, GP s unfortunately know very little about this condition.

Try increasing your vitamin c intake. A safe amount of course. I found that when I was dealing with hives vitamin c helped. Boosting your immune system helps your body fight the hive outbreaks.

Vitamen C is good for everything and it is one vitamen that you can't overdose on meaning you can take alot and not have any reaction, at least I don't when I'm sick I doub;e up on Vitamen C and it shortens the length of whatever cold or sickeness I have.

Hi David I put mine down to stress they started about 10 yr ago didn't know what it was I was covered head to toe in angry itchy rashes I was out on ceterizine all down to bother with my ex husband and to this day had to take 1 a night if not I can't breathe and my angiodema kicks in, 3 month got a new job low & behold Urticaria! Doctors would not help offered me therapy !!!! Was livid they then tried me on fenofexodine or something like that useless lasted 6 hours and no help, mine sounds similar to yours sunburn rash itchy I had a new job as a manager and it looked like I had bites on my neck!! Doctor told me to cover up!! I then looked at other tablets I was taking and 1 the side effect of you sufferered with urticaria & angiodema it excelled , I came off it (pill! Won't effect you I'm sure) it got so bad I was going to work with the head to toe rash and swollen eyes & mouth 1 day it was in my throat, luckily mine only lasted 4 weeks this time I'm still taking cerezette but I didn't feel stressed but obv I subconsciously stressed, my doctors wouldn't even take a blood sample, the rash joined together some places like a sunburn I got great relief from aveeno skin relief took the sting away, hope you get sorted if you think it's stress related what about exercise it helps me

Hi David, you are right it is stress related because anxiety affects our immune systems which then triggers histamine release which results in hives.  You may need a course of cyclosporine alongside prednisone and antihistamines. A friend of mine on this site had the same as you and Ali and after quite a tussle finding the right dermatologist went on the above treatment and is now mostly free of hives. Tackling long term stress is another thing. I was put on Doxepin which is an antidepressant and a antihistamine combines. My depression and stress was relieved which helped the other treatment as well. Along side this I treat my digestive system because problems in this area can also trigger hives. I use L-Glutamine powder, probiotics and multivitamins. Again this all needs to come together to sort your body's system out. Normal GPs do not know how to treat this so you will need to find a dermatologist who specialises in chronic urticaria. There is one in Sheffield (UK) called Dr Sabroe and you will need your GP to refer.  There is a product called Lanacane anti chafing cream which I still use on areas where chafing/rubbing occurs. In the case of Ali oestrogen changes also affect our immune system and cause hives. Good luck

Good Morning All

I am a good friend of Lorraine's that too has suffered from Chronic Urticaria. Mine seems to be brought on by stress as well.  As Lorraine shared it really affects the immune system.  I have had outbreaks twice in my lifetime each time lasted about two years but was easily controlled by antihistamines. I am now 64.  This past outbreak started 2 years ago and was SEVER (must be age).  I had lost my sister suddenly and had other stresses....several months later the outbreak started.  Doctors (allergist/immunologist doctors) tried me on all kinds of meds including the Xolair injections....nothing worked...much suffering.  My doctor could not help me so she referred me to see specialist at Johns Hopkins here in the US.  I was put on Cyclosporine slowly going up to 150mg ...was better but still did not take away all the hives so then doctor upped to 200mg then added the Prednisone which finally took away the hives.  I have been on a VERY slow taper of the Prednisone and Cyclosporine (it's been almost a year now ).  I am down to 25 mg of cyclosporine and 4mg of Prednisone.  I see my specialist on the 24th and hope to go off the cyclosporine. I can't remember what Prednisone mg she started me on..I'll research that. But I would go down so gradually each week by only 1 mg then stay on that for a short time then go down...gradually is the key for the immune system.  My doctor is wonderful and has given me my life back this past year.  Unfortunately as life goes I'm under much stress right now and just pray that I can get through this without another outbreak.  I pray for a forever remission.......my heart goes out to all.....I hope this information may encourage you and give you hope.  Like Lorraine I also take the L- glutamine and a good Probiotic.

Have a good day!

Wendy

I'm from Australia and the doctor didn't know what's wrong with me.

It feels at first like something bit me and the itching was very short lived.

Then appeared a circular whealt I then i ignored it because I thought it was a spider bite.

Then I felt more and they kept spreading, the older whealts kept on spreading across my skin like something is eating it away.

I feel so tired all of the time.

I've had no diagnosis so far.

Hi David,

I can stand the itching because it only comes and goes very fast but what I'm afraid of is when the whealt starts spreading across my skin. I get nauseated and extremely tired.

I've taken antihistamines Loratadine 10mg

It's done absolutely nothing.

The doctor had no idea and its starting to freak me out.

Hi Melinda, try a thing itchy areas with very salty water, it has always worked for me. You may need stronger antihistamines, read Wendy's and my posts.

I have no idea how your medical system works in Australia but you need to go on line and try to ind an urticaria specialist, normal doctors and dermatologists do not know enough about the condition.

I really feel bad for you, I too have been suffering for over a year and just when I think its almost gone I get another patch somewhere else. When I had the sores too I went swimming and the clorine in the pool seemed to make it go away faster and healed the open wounds. Crazy I know but makes me want to swim every day!! The prednisone really helped with whatever cream she gave me which I can't remember what it was. I really appreciate this site although I live in US it helps to know I'm not the only one suffering and it helps to kow what works for everyone else!! Thanks to everyone who has made a comment!

As I said before....have any of you tried taking high doses of b12-methyl?

I delt with chronic hives for 1.5 years. Nothing helped. But then I went to DR that specialized in vitamins and minerals. She diagnosed my issue in ten minutes. I've been on the b12-methyl for 6 months and was hive free after 1 month of taking the b12-methyl. I was severely deficient. I also added an iron supplement. One thing the medical doctors failed to tell me is that anti-acids, alcohol, cafiene and pain medicine exaggerate the hives. Please look into this. I suffered just as badly as alot of you are describing. Go to your local natural vitamin store and ask about a dissolvable b12-methyl. It has to have the methyl and the dissolvable is best. I put them under my tongue and let them dissolve so it goes right to the blood

Thank you for getting back to me! I will definitely be going and getting that over the weekend! Again thank you for your help, it's helped a lot as although my family and friends are trying to understand, unless you are going through it, it's difficult for them to understand how it feels it and why I am taking so much medication.

It definitely helps to know we are not alone.  My doctor has abandoned me!!! I have done some research on the Methyl B12 and find some people with Urticaria are allergic to Cobalt, but it's worth a try.  Let me know if it works for you too Emily....thank you for posting.

Yes let me know if it works for you!

I was at my wit's end with the chronic hives. I was so depressed. They were so bad and I was losing my mind dealing with them for so long. It has been so much relief. I do get a few hives during my period. The natural Dr advised me that during your period you become more aenimic so there may be a few hives popping up around that time but to not let that bring you down. It can take several months of b12- methyl treatment to build those red blood cells back up. All I know is it has done wonders and I feel so much better. My quality of life is back to normal again.

Acupuncture did help me alot in the beginning but it only gave me relief from the hives. It did calm the hives down.

All I know is once we figured out it was a b12 defiency I felt angry (cause it was something so simple that was missed by 5 medical doctors) and I felt so relieved I cried. best of luck to you. Let know your progress after a couple weeks. My hives were reduced by 50% after two weeks of taking that b12

The natural doctor has seen more than just me dealing with chronic hives. Most cases she seen are from b12 defiency. I didn't know what to do anymore. The last doctor I saw said to me , " I don't know what to do for you anymore. You are just going to have to ride this out" I couldn't believe it. So I went to an acupuncturist, which helped calm the hives down. After a year and a half I finally just thought wth and went to the natural vitamin and supplement place near us. I am so glad I made that decision. I stopped taking ibuprofen all together. The vitamin place advised I stop taking it and recommended a natural pain reliever which is magnesium and grape fruit extract. That does wonders as well for headaches and muscle pain

Hi Becky

My blood results came back in normal range for B12.  Is that what you are referring to?

thanks

Wendy

Yes but the results are often false. So it doesn't hurt to try the b12 methyl and see if it helps. B12 is safe to take in higher doses. I had blood work done and they said I was fine. So I read up and found that the red blood cell test can often give false readings. All I know is I have no more hives since taking the high doses of b12-methyl. Hives were 100% gone after a month of taking the b12 methyl.

I'm trying to tell as many people as possible just in case it can help anyone who is going through what I went through. This may not be the case for everyone but if it helps one person, that is wonderful.

I was skeptical at first with the b12methyl but after two weeks I saw such huge improvements I stuck with it and I am so glad I did. Having my body back to normal is such a huge relief.

The first and most common Vitamin B12 blood test that is done is actually not for Vitamin B12 at all. When laboratories do a regular Complete Blood Count or ‘CBC’, they further categorize this test by measuring the size of the red blood cell and the number of them on the portion of the test called an MCV Blood Test. If the cells come back larger than normal with fewer of them, you will be said to have Macrocytic Anemia- which is often caused BY vitamin B12 deficiency. But macrocytic anemia often won’t occur for up to 2 years after the onset of Vitamin B12 deficiency.

So, even if you are severely deficient, if you haven’t been that way for up to 2 years, you won't show macrocytic anemia. Therefore, IF you have macrocytic anemia, it's extremely likely that you do have Vitamin B12 Deficiency, but if you do not have macrocytosis, you can still have Vitamin B12 Deficiency.

Yes Becky....It is so important to share what works for each of us.  As mentioned earlier with me I have been hive free since around September and have been on the extremely slow taper of Cyclosporine and Prednisone..almost down to nothing now and hav not broken out in hives. I'm a little reluctant to try the B12 at this time.  I am praying for remission!  A forever remission would be wonderful.  As my Dr. Says I need to keep my immune system CALM.  Unfortunately I am undergoing much stress with in my life right now, including our pet that we are losing.  So I pray after doing so well...that because of the stress it may bring on the hives again ??.  My doctor said she never wants to see me like was suffering from hives ...ever again,  unfortunately it did take these meds to relieve me of them as I tried everything else........well not the B12??.?.yet. But I have been able to have quality of life with no side affects.

Lets all keep in touch

best

Wendy

That's great! Nothing worked for me. I was put on prednizone 4 times and the hives got worse. Each of us is different. One thing that was pointed out to me is that chronic stress depletes your b12 levels. For me my chronic stress was from PTSD. So Everytime a little stress came on, my hives would get even worse. My life feels very stress free now, especially since the hives are gone. I feel like a million bucks and am glad to no longer need benedryl.

The last time I went off Prednisone last year I did great for about a month until on a road trip when I got a severe migraine and ended up in the ER.  Unfortunately I was given Toradol for pain which may have been the cause of the hives coming back in a vengeance.  We are not as you know suppose to have any NSAIDS. How slowly did you go off the prednisone each time?  

Wendy

The prednizone only worked one time for me. I was put on it 3 times after that and never again cause the hives became worse with the prednizone. Like I said, I tried everything nothing worked. Acupuncture gave me some relief in calming the hives down. But after being on the b12 for a month, I've had no hives. So hive free for 6 months now.

I couldn't even work out anymore with the hives, so I had gained weight and my blood pressure went through the roof. Now....i lost 4 inches and my blood pressure is back down to where it always was.

I went to the natural vitamin place cause I was in the midst of breaking out in hives. I left work cause they were all over my chest neck and face. I walked in to the vitamin store. The doctor took one look at me, took a bottle off her shelves and handed me these two pink pills. She said put these under your tongue and let them dissolve. 10 minutes later the hives started going away. I just couldn't believe it. Once they started it typically was hours before they went away. She gave me free samples for 7 days. She said take 2 in the morning and 2 in evening. If you don't see any improvement after one week let me know. I saw a significant improvement after 4 days. I went back and bought a bottle of what she gave me. At 2 weeks I saw a 50-60% improvement. At one month no more hives at all.

That is great Becky! Hopefully this could help others!  I also take L-glutamine  for the gut and take a very good probiotic.  This really helped my good friend in the UK along with her Cyclosporine.  She has been hive free for many months living a normal quality of life. She fortunately did not have to take the prednisone.

A year ago I also did start taking L glutamine and probiotics, cause after we eliminated all allergic possibilities, we thought it may be gut issues. So I took everything that was recommended. But it didn't help. I still take the L glutamine and probiotics. I also heard vitamin c is a good way to help fight hives. So a year ago I added the vitamin c. I did so much research on chronic hives and there are really no answers. But once I researched chronic hives and b12 defiency, I found alot of articles that talk about how they are linked together but they don't know exactly why.

Hi Becky

Have you heard about Quercetin ?  There was someone in the blog here in the US that tried it and was very successful.  I believe it helps with inflammation.

Wendy

I've heard alot about the B-12 on this site and without specifically naming a business where do you get it, is it sold in vitamen section or do you have to go to doctor to get it? Thank-you very much!

Try Amazon and look for B12 methylcobalamin and it pops up on screen, no worries about finding it and it's not expensive.

Hi readers,

As an RN/FNP x 22yrs, I would caution anyone against taking high doses of minerals (iron), vitamins (B12-methyl) and even some of the OTC drugs used to treat Chronic Idiopathic Hives (e.g., ranitidine/Zantac, supplements) without 1st speaking with your PCP or specialist. Get baseline and periodic lab work done every 4-6 months to include CBC w/differential, chemistry and liver panel to determine if you are anemic (from an iron, folate, or B12 deficiency and/or thalassemia) and to measure your kidney and liver function both before and after taking medications. The provider can also measure your Vit B12, Vit D, iron stores, thyroid function and lipid levels. No point in damaging your body trying to treat the hives. If your provider doesn't do the most basics of good medicine/practice, run! Be sufficiently EDUCATED.

Taking too much iron can lodge in your vital organs (enlarged liver & heart) and tissues b/c your body has no mechanism too get rid of extra iron; the iron component of RBCs is always recycled unless it is lost via blood loss (e.g., menstruation or abnormal internal bleeding). Some of the suggestions here point towards a lack of understanding in human anatomy, physiology and pathology.