Allergic to Zyrtec...

[basilisk]

I was prescribed allgera 2 months back for hives... I got the worse hives in my life after taking it. So now the allergist prescribed zyrtec, and I was very hesitant to take it after the allegra. I had a very similar reaction to the zyrtec with hives all over.

Originally Posted by basilisk

Well I have had hives for over a year and was prescribed allgera 2 months back... I got the worse hives in my life after taking it. So now the allergist prescribed zyrtec, and I was very hesitant to take it after the allegra ordeal. But I was assured that it was different from allegra. Guess what? I am sitting here and developing hives as I type, more than I have had since the allegra. Allergic to another antihistamine...

Do you have any idea of what you are allergic to that causes the hives to begin with? I have been on antihistamines since 1974 for chronic hives and taken many kinds of med's. Now after maybe five years i am having a problem with the Zyrtec making me itch. At the moment I am on a diet of water and rice for a week.

[basilisk]

Originally Posted by nanan

Do you have any idea of what you are allergic to that causes the hives to begin with? I have been on antihistamines since 1974 for chronic hives and taken many kinds of med's. Now after maybe five years i am having a problem with the Zyrtec making me itch. At the moment I am on a diet of water and rice for a week.

I have tried watching what I eat to try and associate it with food for 2 months with a food log. The hives seemed to randomly come and go. They were worse about 6 months ago, calmed down for a month, and then came back.

I also get them when I excercise and they usually appear daily when I wake up in the morning, which is strange to me.

The allergist told me to take prednisone if I was allergic to the zyrtec. I did and it seemed to halt the spread of the hives. I can still see them as red marks now 13 hours after taking zyrtec but they have gone down a lot...

[Murphy]

Basil, Your post is very timely! yesterday morning I woke w/ allergy attack from ? I
just know my lids were swelling, ears popping fluid, massive hd-prssr. I took a sample
Zyrtec. It helped, then wore off 4hrs? I decided to try a 2nd one 12 hrs later since
the all day pill `wasn't'! Big mistake! 1hr later I was covered in speckled rash & flush
face. I needed a antihistamine for the one I took? Won't try those again. Anyway,
I test neg. for allergens but went to hospital several times yrs ago for hives. I found
out that many folks get hives from something ingested, not breathed in. I know that
most Dr's don't test for additives in products. By trial/error, I found out I was allergic
to `red dye 40'. It's even in Pillsbury Biscuits! The pink in Benadryl tabs is red-40!
Anyway, get a script for atleast 50mg Atarax (hydroxyzine)=g. Will make U drowsy
& may take 100mg, but it will take away the hives. You must be hm. & not out. Look
at the labels of everything. See what's common. It may be an `ingredient' that's in
food +. Mine was almost a `no-brainer'. I had BBQ Sc, red jello, & a biscuit the last
time I went to hospital. 2 days later I read all the labels. Red-40 in ea! Few weeks
later & ready w/ my Rx, I ate ribs & sc! 3 hrs later, hives! Thank heavens for those
pills. I don't believe Zyrtec will help hives. I know stress makes them worse so you
need to sedate. Gd. thing my Zyrtec was samples! All-day-relief my fanny! Gd-Luck.

Originally Posted by Murphy

Basil, Your post is very timely! yesterday morning I woke w/ allergy attack from ? I
just know my lids were swelling, ears popping fluid, massive hd-prssr. I took a sample
Zyrtec. It helped, then wore off 4hrs? I decided to try a 2nd one 12 hrs later since
the all day pill `wasn't'! Big mistake! 1hr later I was covered in speckled rash & flush
face. I needed a antihistamine for the one I took? Won't try those again. Anyway,
I test neg. for allergens but went to hospital several times yrs ago for hives. I found
out that many folks get hives from something ingested, not breathed in. I know that
most Dr's don't test for additives in products. By trial/error, I found out I was allergic
to `red dye 40'. It's even in Pillsbury Biscuits! The pink in Benadryl tabs is red-40!
Anyway, get a script for atleast 50mg Atarax (hydroxyzine)=g. Will make U drowsy
& may take 100mg, but it will take away the hives. You must be hm. & not out. Look
at the labels of everything. See what's common. It may be an `ingredient' that's in
food +. Mine was almost a `no-brainer'. I had BBQ Sc, red jello, & a biscuit the last
time I went to hospital. 2 days later I read all the labels. Red-40 in ea! Few weeks
later & ready w/ my Rx, I ate ribs & sc! 3 hrs later, hives! Thank heavens for those
pills. I don't believe Zyrtec will help hives. I know stress makes them worse so you
need to sedate. Gd. thing my Zyrtec was samples! All-day-relief my fanny! Gd-Luck.

I am also allergic to the dyes...I have found that most people that react to those dyes have a problem with all salicylates..Aspirin. So many foods contain them as well as drugs. Tomatoes, peppers, apples, tea, etc. I am also allergic to wheat and gluten which many people have a problm with. When I run into a large problem I stick with rice, water and wheat free bread for a week or so and then start to add one thing back at a time. Have had this problem for 30 years along with dermagraphism. Have never gone more than 3 days in the 30 years without a antihistamine. No fun for sure....BUT i did fine out most of the things that i react to from blood tests...Only foods, no outside things.Can't have the pin ***** tests because of the dermagraphism.