Posted by Jane (California) on March 17, 2000 at 19:18:16:

In Reply to: Allergic to the Cold??? posted by Beth on January 14, 2000 at 09:59:03:

: Is there a such thing as being allergic to the cold? If so, I am. This started about a year ago when I got really cold, I broke out with hives. If I go out for a walk and a part of my body becomes really cold, I'll start to get really itchy and when I go inside, I am broken out in hives. Yesterday I was outside for about 15 minutes and when I went inside the hives were all over my neck, legs and they started on my face. Has anyone ever heard of this?
Wow! I guess I am not the only one who has this freakish allergy. My body has been breaking out in hives when I get cold for the last fifteen years. When I was ten years old, I went for a swim in the ocean, got out of the water and was covered in hives. Since that time I have been to numerous allergy specialists, but have gotten no answers. In the mean time I have managed to adapt to my allergy by dressing warm and avoiding sports such as swimming or skiing in the winter. I hope you check this follow message because if we put our heads together we might be able to gain more insight into this rare and burdensome allergic reaction.