swelling in my lips and face and hives

[tyler99]

I have had this for almost 13 years, it comes and goes I have hives all over my breast on my waist on my head on the inside of my upper legs I also suffer from swelling of both my upper lip and bottom lips. Somethimes they are so big I look like a duck, and on Sunday night while at work they began to swell and with in 45 min. my entire face except for my eyes was so swollen I looked like a freak my lips have gotten so big at times until they have split inside. I have had 100 needles stuck in me twice and they say I have no allergies, but somthing has got to cause this do you have any suggestions? PLEASE

[Titchou]

They sound like several things that allergies tests won't show. Contact allergy of some sort from maybe a lotion, soap, etc. Also, the lips could easily oral allergy syndrome. What did you eat Sunday before the swelling began? Or some odd ingredient in a food you eat regularly.

[CheerAngel]

Hi there, this sounds like a case of chronic urticaria. But I am no doctor and you have to get this checked out by a dermatologist. What doctors have you consulted? Usually for symptoms like yours, it is not allergy. Firstly, you must know what is the skin condition that's going on with you now. For allergies, skin test or blood test can help check for allergens.

If it's chronic urticaria, usually the cause is not known. It could be from underlying infections, autoimmune disorders, illnesses associating with CU... etc.

Other times, it could be that your body is sensitive to some chemical being used. It could be daily household products. You might want to keep a diary of the food you ate, things you touch/come in contact, places you went, things you did... and maybe you might find something.

I was dx as having chronic idiopathic urticaria, meaning I get daily hives but no known cause. Then few years later, I found out I have cold urticaria. I'm doing well with antihistamines.

Since you have swellings of the lips and face, do let your doctor know. You might want to get an Epi-pen if you do not already have one. If your throat also swells up - blocking airway- the epipen could help with the anaphylactic reaction but you still have to get to an ER asap.

Do you get them daily and almost 24/7? If it comes and goes, keeping a diary might help identify the cause/problem. Good luck to you!

[smileygirll]

Check what over the counter medicines you frequently take and their side effects. For years I suffered with some of the same symptoms as you. I had swelling lips, tongue, throat, hives all over my body, swollen and itchy hands and feet. I went through rounds of allergy testing, skin tests and blood, avoided foods I loved and to not figure out what I was allergic too. The allergist often mentioned that I needed to stop taking Alieve (which I took for headaches, menstrual cramps and just regular pain). I always thought she meant while I was having an episode to stop taking it. The last time I went to see her, she told me the same thing again, stop taking the Alieve and try to use Tylenol. Something trigged that time and when I got home from work, I looked at the bottle of Alieve and I had EVERY allergic reaction possible. I stopped taking Alieve and have been allergy free for months.

[bella1023]

There are other things you may need to avoid. It sounds like you have a senstivity to Aspirin. I have had the same symptoms you mention for years. If I eat anything with Tartrazine or Yellow dye #5 I get the same reaction as if I'd taken Aspirin. The other thing that has helped me is the drug Accolate. Its used to help Asthma sufferers but it really cut down on the severity of a reaction. My allergist said it helps to strengthen MAST cells, keeping Histamine from being released into tissues. I still get hives now and then. I think its difficult to guarantee that labels are correct so every now and then I get a reaction. I look for the yellow dye and usually find it! If you can afford it shop at Whole Foods or a natural market where they screen all theyre products for dyes etc... But you may not be senstitive to dyes but most people experience a cross reaction.