I've always been very healthy... had allergic reaction to pollen...but never thought I had any allergies to food. I woke up last Tuesday being very itchy... it started out with my head, arms, neck, shoulders then back to my head. It just kept going. I went to my doctor, and he tested for my general health and everything was normal. So we decided to test to see if I have any allergies to a few things that I ate over the weekend.
We tested for crab, shrimp and peanuts. I have a feeling I might be allergic to crab. Everytime I ate crab, my body usually tensed up, then my whole body got tingly then sort of stung a bit. My mom also got this way, so I didn't think anything of it. I had crab & shrimp on Saturday.. .and my symptoms started happening on Tuesday.. aren't allergic reactions pretty instant? Or can it happen a couple of days later?
Anyway, for the time being, he prescribed me some medrol... and I've been taking this for 4 days now, and it hasn't helped. I itch heavily at night, but in the day time.. I can control it by taking claritin. When I scratch, bump into something, or wear tighter clothing... it leaves a wheal on my skin that lasts for about 30 minutes. As the wheal forms, it starts itching for about couple minutes and swells up. I heard this was called Dermagraphism. Can this be treated? I read a lot of postings saying that this will stay with you forever. Is this true? Why does this happen all of sudden?
This is really upsetting... and frustrating. Is there something that's worked for anyone out there that's had Dermagraphism?
My daughter itched a lot from an allergy to lotion (might want to consider your soap, shampoo, conditioner, etc.) and she also itched a lot with a wheat allergy. In our family we are allergic to the fragrance, propylene glycol, and formaldehyde (has a few different names) which is in soaps, lotions, shampoos, and conditioners.
I've always been very healthy... had allergic reaction to pollen...but never thought I had any allergies to food. I woke up last Tuesday being very itchy... it started out with my head, arms, neck, shoulders then back to my head. It just kept going. I went to my doctor, and he tested for my general health and everything was normal. So we decided to test to see if I have any allergies to a few things that I ate over the weekend.
We tested for crab, shrimp and peanuts. I have a feeling I might be allergic to crab. Everytime I ate crab, my body usually tensed up, then my whole body got tingly then sort of stung a bit. My mom also got this way, so I didn't think anything of it. I had crab & shrimp on Saturday.. .and my symptoms started happening on Tuesday.. aren't allergic reactions pretty instant? Or can it happen a couple of days later?
Anyway, for the time being, he prescribed me some medrol... and I've been taking this for 4 days now, and it hasn't helped. I itch heavily at night, but in the day time.. I can control it by taking claritin. When I scratch, bump into something, or wear tighter clothing... it leaves a wheal on my skin that lasts for about 30 minutes. As the wheal forms, it starts itching for about couple minutes and swells up. I heard this was called Dermagraphism. Can this be treated? I read a lot of postings saying that this will stay with you forever. Is this true? Why does this happen all of sudden?
This is really upsetting... and frustrating. Is there something that's worked for anyone out there that's had Dermagraphism?
Oh Jessica, do I know what you are going through!!! I have a feeling that I have the same thing, although I believe most of mine is delayed pressure uticaria. I have numerous doctors tell me there's nothing that can be done other than taking an oral antihistamine to keep them at bay. Mine is strictly at night. Whatever way my sheets/pajamas are, I get red, long welts that itch in the same pattern and on the same side of my body I sleep on. If I don't take Claritin, then I get little welts all over the inside of my thighs and arms. They just *appeared* overnight for me back in February and have never left
Turns out I'm not allergic to crab, shrimp or peanuts. They say I might not be allergic to crab, but they do have a lot of toxin. And I guess you can get hives due to a lot of toxin in your body.
I'm done taking the medrol. I guess it helped a little.. the swelling on my face & eyes did go down after taking them. I went to my doctor again, and now I'm on an anti-depressant called doxepin for 2 weeks. He also gave me a higer dose of prenisone, which I'll start taking this weekend.
I feel like I got a bit better.. I'm not as itchy during the day & evening, but that can be due to claritin. My doctor told me that 20% of the population have dermagraphism in their lifetime. Some will last longer than others.. but from the 20%... about 5% of them have it for a long time (meaning longer than 6 weeks.. up to years). I'm hoping I'm not in that 5%...
Anyway, it would really help if anyone of you would write back with your experience with dermagraphism.. and what you did about it. Thank you.
Well I have the same dermagraphism as the rest of you all and I too have yet to find out what caused it. I have spent soo much money on antihistmines as well as anti anxiety medicine. I am very upset because this will not go away. I am taking zyrtec, atarax and was at one time taking xanax. Everywhere I touch turns red and wheals up. I itch more at night or when I get hot than during any other time. I thought my acrylic nails were the culprit, but once they were taken off nothing changed other than now I am scratching with nubs not nails. Anyways, My doctor told me to also start taking pepcid ac to cover the histamines my stomach lets off due to a possible food I am eating that I have an allergy to. I was also encouraged to start a food diary to keep up with what foods I have eaten and possibly start eliminating them. I got new detergent, and fabric softener sheets that are free and clear supposedly. I guess through prayer and time one day this will go away. It it doesn't, I can only imagine the money I will have dumped into the medicine in the mean time as well as all the alternate products that I will try to see if this will eliminate the culprit. Good luck to the rest of you,
Jen
Dermagraphism.. Dermatitis? 
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