rash/hives

[jessica430]

this is my first time posting. i'm still a little confused about how it all works, but here i go. i've had chronic hives for about 8 years now(wow-has it been that long?) i went to an allergist once-never did any tests. no known allergies, no common threads, no new detergent, nothing. and i get them for different reasons. i was told to go to boston for testing, but i'm convinced i'm just afreak. i believe i have angiodema, physical urticaria(cold induced) and pressure urticaria. i get different hives in different places at different times. the last time i had them on my eyes or lips was probably about july 2004. i usually constantly get them in the winter-from my own cold hands. and the pressure ones i usually wake up with. i have a tendency to sleep with my arm under my pillow. i'll wake up with hives on my forearms and wrists-mostly my whole inner wrist will swell up so much that you can't see my veins or tendons(you usually can-i'm very petite and thin) seems like they appear on my veins. anyone else notice this? the cold ones drive me nuts-i hate the winter! since i'm small, i get cold very easy-especially my hands. well, if i have an itch on my face(not a hive) i will almost certainly get one one if i touch it with my cold hands. the allergist i seen (probably about 6-7 years ago) thought it was very strange-the whole ice cube thing. most people will develop a hive if they place an icecube on themselves in the exact shape of an ice cube-i don't believe that's me. i almost always get them in the shower-not even from touching myself. i'll just randomly get them in spots-my legs, hips, chest, back,etc. the ones i get on my face are bad-my lips will get three times their size and my eyes will swell up like a huge bug bite. i haven't had those ones for a while though(since summer) i take benadryl around the clock. if i miss a dose after 4 hrs in the winter, i will almost definately get hives. i haven't found anything else that works. i was put on zyrtec before(6-7 years ago) my doctor will not give me a prescription-they tell me to got to the allergist. why bother going through all that to find out nothing? i'm going to start a journal and i took pictures of myself in june when my lip and eyes swelled up last(separate occassions-but within days of each other) it's not an environment factor-will get them at any place-work,home,school,outside,anywhere. once my whole face was covered-couldn't take and went to the hospital. BEST SERVICE I EVER GOT! they tought i was allergic to a bee or something and rushed me right in for a shot of epinephrine. i was covered-even the bottoms of my feet(which i didn't even touch-usually the more i touch myself,the more i get.)well, any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated. i'm glad to know i'm not the only one who gets them for no known reason. wish i could get long-lasting benadryl-very hard to remember to take it every 4 hrs.(plus, i can't take while i'm sleeping, so i'm almost certain to wake up with them)

[jessica430]

Originally Posted by angel monkey

p.s.
My hives also started with the pregnancy of my first baby who is almost 4 now. At first I didn't worry about it too much because the doctors thought it would just go away once I had my baby. It did get better for awhile, but never went away. Now I also have a 1 year old, and the hives are worse then ever. The doctors said for awhile that it could be stress, I don't think so though, the only think I am stressed about is the stupid hives. And now the doctotrs don't even try ti guess at what is causing them anymore. Well good luck everyone, I wish you all the best

same feeling here! you don't get hives from stress, hives stress you out!!!

[jessica430]

Originally Posted by trinity244

Hi all hive sufferers. I have had chronic hives for 11 years. It all started about 6 months after my son was born. I was excersizing to some workout video and suddenly felt really itchy on my stomach. I had hundreds of welts. Since then I now get red spots, blotches, and hives anytime I do anything that gets my heart going. The doctors have said it's excercise induced, but I also will get them from just being hot from the sun or in a hot tub, cold from the air temperature or touch of cold things, and I will break out when I am highly stressed. I can't even take my dog on a walk without hives. I do not get them when I am asleep at night, so at least that is a relief. I have spent thousands upon thousands of dollars trying to find out what is causing my problem. Specialists, blood tests of every kind, x-rays and ultrasounds (why? I'm not sure), skin scrapings, skin biopsy, parasitology, allergy testing, etc., etc...... I even grew desperate and saw a homeopathic doctor. She gave me mountains of supplements, acupuncture and a weird therape called NAET which is supposed to rid your body of allergins. All it ridded me of was a lot of money. Drugs i've tried (sorry about spelling)- Zyrtec, Singulair, Allegra, Rinitadine, Hydroxizine, Prednisone, Clarinex, and Doxipin. I'm sure there are more but I can't remember them all. I live in Phoenix, AZ and as you might imagine it is very, very hot here in the summer. That is when I really suffer. Anytime I leave the house. Right now I am only taking 25 mg of Doxepin in the morning with a No-Doz caffeine tablet to keep me awake. I can take this up to 4 times a day, but during the winter my hives aren't that bad. I will say the Doxepin helps, but I still can't do anything active. Previously, I was taking a 25mg hydroxizine, and 1/2 of an Allegra 180 with my no-doz twice daily. That was the only way to leave my house in the summer. I also started allergy shots once weekly about 4 months ago. I have to do that for a year. I doubt it is going to help. I went to get my shot today and requested to try sulphasalazine. I'm hoping as usual that this may be the one.I don't want something just to help. I want to be fixed. I want to be normal. I want to have fun. I keep thinking that there must be a common thread between all of us. If we knew that, maybe we could get help.

wow-you are almost the exact opposite of me! i am almost hive free in the summer and covered with them in the winter! i live in massachusetts-it's very cold right now. maybe we should switch homes!

[jessica430]

i was on zyrtec previously-it worked well until i broke out and ended up taking more than the "recommended dose", after moving out on my own and getting my own insurance, my doctor would not give me a new prescription for it and i've been taking benadryl ever since. it's the only thing that works if i take around the clock BEFORE the hives come. but may i ask why the pepcid? i read about someone else taking zyrtec and pepcid, and then benadryl when the hives got real bad. does it work better when taken with pepcid or is it just to calm your stomach?

[syandkm]

I was having a terrible time with hives, welts over my entire body. The itching was so severe I felt as though my skin was on fire. The strange thing was I only got it at work. When I would leave work, the rash/hives/burning would subside after a few hours.
I am a [ please carefully review the posting rules - do not reveal your past, current or future profession ] and people said it was stress related. Anyway, I started to get watery eyes, sore throat, nausea, dizziness, coughing and sneezing along with this terrible rash. I just dealt with it until I felt like I was going to die.I was finally tested for a latex allergy. Well, what do you know! My RAST was 1700 (normal is 0-70). I have a Type 1 latex allergy, also known as IgE anti-body mediated latex allergy. It is an allergy to airborne latex. Basically, every time I was (am) exposed to latex particles in the air, my body becomes more and more sensitized, causing an even stronger response. Basically, my signs and symptoms were the beginning of anaphylactic shock. Now, I have to avoid areas with latex (which is almost impossible), wear an allergy bracelet and carry an epi-pen with me in the event that I am exposed and have a severe reaction.
I get hives and itching all of the time due to latex exposure. I have found that the best medication for me is Atarax (Hydroxyzine HCL). This is an older drug, but it works better than any of the new ones out. It makes me a little sleepy, but it erases the hives and itching immediately. Doxepin worked well, but made me so sedated I felt as though I was in a coma.