Posted , 47 users are following.
Please try Xolair shots, I had horribly hives for months and months that wouldn't go away with diet or anything. It is a fairly new medicine, but I saw results right away. I have gotten the shot 4 times now, (4 months) and I haven't had a hive in weeks!
4 likes, 142 replies
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g45272 jill43168
Posted
However interestingly running for 10km gives me a respite for two days. Anyone is like this too?
Meemaw29 g45272
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jana94738 Meemaw29
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Meemaw29 jana94738
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Hi Jana; Last month, I did have a few times of red rash and itching when I was really stressed BUT the rash did not go into full blown hives. Yes, I do still take a Xyzal once a day or a Zyrtec. I do miss sometimes, it doesn't seem to be absolutely needful that I take it every day. If I am really stressed....which frankly, is a lot, I still take a Doxipan at night/bedtime too. For the past few months I had not even had any rashes, but this month was one of my tougher months. And, I had a lot of joint and muscle pain/aching too.....
Meemaw29
Posted
Jana, you and I are virtually on the SAME schedule with our Xolair. Mine is tomorrow, the 21st and it's my 7th set.
jana94738 Meemaw29
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Meemaw29 jana94738
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Jana, yes, I understand and I have tried to figure out if the joint pain/muscle pain is for certain the Xolair injections. What I do know for sure is that the pain was not a part of my life until after I started the injections. That's my greatest indication that it IS the xolair. But, like you, I am not willing to risk the hives return with a vengence by discontinuing them.
jana94738 Meemaw29
Posted
diane42294 jill43168
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Wow, after reading this whole thread, I'm feeling quite blessed.
I've only been battling what appear to be hives for only one month now. I think it's from what I think is housing- and work-stress. I'm divorced 4 years now and lost a regular source of income ($1500/mo) 2 years ago and Now, I'm a substitute teacher working full time to make ends meet. The Portland area just keeps getting more expensive so I've been living with friends for over a year now. And I have 2 teens, one who lives with my friend and one who lives part time with me.
Anyway, there's been no mention of stress-induced hives.
Also most people have much worse conditions than I and I wonder if you all have advice for people like me, where it's just the beginning. I've been taking just one benedryl (Waldryl) at night and it seemed to be gone completely so I thought I'd skip a night. I woke in the morning to a mild itchiness so tried skipping again last night (4 hours ago) to waking just now with a rash and welts all along my side and chest where I was laying! Worst outbreak yet! Scary!
Now after typing that and taking a second benedryl, it's traversed to my back and butt and legs (where there's been pressure). I'm afraid now I'll have trouble waking up tomorrow.
My question: how do I reduce the benedryl later (when this gets better hopefully)? Should I buy a pill cutter and do it as gradually as I can?
Thanks for reading! I have so little to complain about, compared to many of you!
Diane
Meemaw29 diane42294
Posted
Hi Diane; I've had them for almost a year now and I, like you, feel so blessed that mine aren't worse or that I haven't lived in this condition for 20+ years. Nevertheless, it IS a difficult condition to control and to live with. Stress DEFINITELY impacts the break outs for most of us and I, like you, have been through some life changes that have certainly impacted my overall health. I learned by trial and error what works best for me. Benedryl doesn't do much by itself, other than make me sleepy. I am way better with Zrytec, Xyzal or Claritin and even then, I rotate them so that my body doesn't get immune to them and then the medications not work. Most of us have been on prescription meds like Prednisone, (bad break outs that is the ONLY drug that works), Doxipin at night for sleep and relaxing nerves, Atarax, Xanax and often an anti-depressants along with the antihistamines. For me, it's a combination of the meds. After 4 months of daily break outs, my doctor started the once a month Xolair injections. It took a couple of months, but now my break outs are limited to an itchy red rash...when I get stressed....and it doesn't typically develop into actual hives. Some people find that Zyrtec and Zantac do well together. At one point in time, prior to the Xolair injections, I probably took about 10 pills a day just to get through the day and be able to keep working. Now, I only take one 24 hour antihistamine pill a day, typically a xyzal butI do take Effexor, an anti-anxiety medication and I have Xanax on hand for those really bad days. It isnt' the same for everybody and it is a challenge to learn what works best for you...but can be done. I have also gone the route of gluten free and clean eating...but didn't see enough bonafide evidence that it made a difference and giving up chocolate just wasn't worth it to me. LOL Finding a good doctor that will listen and work with you until you find a remedy is the biggest challenge. I hope this helps encourage you this morning! God bless!
the.avon.lady1 jill43168
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Thank you for your reply. I have had my 4th shot and soon to have my fifth and have just started to see some limited improvement. The swelling of my lips and eyes that I have been having so far has not happened. And I have had some good days with just a few hives. So I am hoping this next shot might be the magic one. Like you Benedryl does not work. Allegra and Claritin seems to work for me better than Xyzal or Zertic. Then of course there are the other antihistamines that complement these famotidine and Singulair. I am hoping in a day to come after the shots start totally working I can cut back some on so many as I am taking a total of 6 different ones right now. My other Spring related allergies seem to make the hives worse I guess do to my immune system being stressed so right now I am at my son's as he lives about 20 miles from the beach. My allergist suggested I try getting away from the heavy woods I live in and I do better here so we will see.
michelle00762 jill43168
Posted
Hi,
I've also got Xolair shots for 6 months and my hives completely disappeared hours after the first shot and I didn't have any side effects, I was so happy I really thought I was cured. And then the hives came back around 2 months after not taking them anymore. So now I'm back where I started.
And the worst thing is the antihistamines don't work now as they did before I took a shot. They still make my life better, but it's not the same anymore. And I wonder every day if this is a side effect of the shot or if it would have been the same without it.
Has anyone experienced the same problem?
Meemaw29 michelle00762
Posted
Hi Michelle; I took 7 months of Xolair injections and made the decision on my own to try w/o them. I have had a few little red bumps, but not really sure if they are hives because they have just remained small and itchy, but not the horrific itching and spreading that I had before. I'm cautiously hopeful that they won't return......so far, now about 7 weeks since my last shot and I'm still okay!
jana94738 michelle00762
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michelle00762 jana94738
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Hi Jana,
No, I haven't taken it again. Because I wanted to get pregnant and have children and Xolair is a no go in this case
I've changed my diet and now I am eating a low histamine diet and after 3-4 weeks it has gotten better (to the point that I take no antihistamines at all - but they weren't helping too much anyway). It's not perfect, I still have hives, but it's not so bad anymore and I can live with it ...