A ? about hives

[ILUVMYBRIT]

Ok, I have had a very itchy case of hives for the last few days. I have not changed anything in my diet or my daily routine so I can come up with no obvious reason for them. They tend to get better as the day progresses, but then when I wake in the morning they come back with a vengence about an hour later. I really don't feel like going to the doctor if I don't have to...they aren't bothersome, just itchy.
Anyone else ever get hives for no reason and if so...how long did the darn things take to go away????

 

[btmfdr]

Ok, I have had a very itchy case of hives for the last few days. I have not changed anything in my diet or my daily routine so I can come up with no obvious reason for them. They tend to get better as the day progresses, but then when I wake in the morning they come back with a vengence about an hour later. I really don't feel like going to the doctor if I don't have to...they aren't bothersome, just itchy.
Anyone else ever get hives for no reason and if so...how long did the darn things take to go away????

I did last year, turns out I was allrergic to a liquid that was in my diet since I was 21, and did'nt develop an allergic (Hive) reaction until I was 33... None the less I no longer consume the liguid much to my shagrin In summation No Beer No Hives)

 

[ILUVMYBRIT]

I did last year, turns out I was allrergic to a liquid that was in my diet since I was 21, and did'nt develop an allergic (Hive) reaction until I was 33... None the less I no longer consume the liguid much to my shagrin In summation No Beer No Hives)

The only thing I have had every day so far is coffee and chocolate. EEEKKK! OH NO Well, maybe I will lay off the coffee and the chocolate and see what happens. Please dont let it be the chocolate. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!

 

[suzannen]

Since it seems to come on about an hour after you wake up, would this be after you've taken a shower? If so, I would first consider any soaps, shampoos, lotions, deoderants, perfume, etc. that you use. If it's not that, have you eaten breakfast by that time? A true food allegic reaction occurs within 3 hours of consuming the offending item. Try to start making a list and if necessary, take off one or two items a day until you can start narrowing it down. If it continues, I would see a doctor.

And, just because you've never reacted to something before, doesn't mean it's safe. Like btmfdr, I developed an allergy at 33 to horseradish, something I had eaten in cocktail sauce my entire life. Or, a product you have used before may have slightly changed its ingredients as well.

Good luck figuring it out. I know how annoying and uncomfortable it can be.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

It can actually be heat, cold, pressure, or even a virus.
DD had a form of Urticaria when she was younger, related to ballet and her tights! She outgrew it. Good luck with finding your trigger.

Below is from a site: http://www.drgreene.com/21_1117.html

There are also a number of distinct physical causes of hives (known as urticaria in doctor-speak):

* Cold urticaria – the most common of the physical causes. These hives are triggered by exposure to cold water or air. This would be a good excuse to avoid swimming in cold pools (something my kids love for me to do).

* Dermatographia -- hives that appear where the skin is firmly stroked. (Named because you can write on someone's skin by raising welts where your finger traced). This occurs in about 5% of people (and many more if you repeatedly stroke hard enough).

* Pressure urticaria -- hives that appear under tightly fitting clothing or jewelry. Unlike dermatographia, which occurs in seconds, this can appear many hours later, obscuring the cause.

* Cholinergic urticaria -- hives that occur in response to heat, exercise, or emotional stress. This usually doesn't begin before adolescence.

* Aquagenic urticaria -- hives that are triggered by contact with sweat or with water. In these people, exercise itself is not a trigger, and they can drink water without a problem.

* Solar urticaria -- a rare disorder in which sun exposure results in hives. Sunscreen can help!

I mentioned earlier that infections could trigger hives. We know that some parasites can be responsible for hives (including giardia and pinworms, which are common in day care settings). We also know that bacterial infections, most notably Strep, can be the culprit. Viruses of many types can trigger hives as well.

Over 70 percent of the time no specific cause is found when children have hives. They were hypersensitive to something, but no one discovers what, and the hives go away. Doctors think that most of these unidentified cases may be from viruses, which would make them the most common cause of hives. This is particularly likely when there is a cluster of cases (although molds, animals, foods, parasites, etc. could also be responsible for clusters).

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

It could also be your laundry detergent or fabric softener. Out of nowhere at the age of about 18 I started to become allergic to certain ones. My hands and feet would itch like no ones business and I would get hives. I switched to Tide free and Downy free and I haven't had a problem since. Same situation for some bars of soap. I would never have a problem with them and then all of a sudden I couldn't even touch them.

 

[#1DizGal]

Mine are always stress-related. Has anything 'big' happened to you or your family lately that might bring on stress?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Both of my dd's had hives over the past couple of weeks due to the start of school.

My youngest who is always getting hives due to anxiety, dreamed she was on an airplane and woke up with a bunch of hives. She HATES flying.

Usually they are gone in about 5 days. Now my youngest hives are big welts, usually about 5 of them.

 

[ILUVMYBRIT]

Nope, nothing out of the ordinary lately happening so I doubt its stress. It hasn't been really warm the last few days so it wouldn't be the heat.
I guess I am going to have to start eliminating things and see what happens.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[nu cruzer]

I had my first case of hives a few weeks ago and I still have no idea what caused it. I did end up going to the Dr. because I thought it was heat rash and was hoping to get something from the Dr. to help as I was leaving on vacation the next day and couldn't stand the burning and itching. He recommended I take Benedryl and it worked very well. They lasted just over a week.

 

[ILUVMYBRIT]

He recommended I take Benedryl and it worked very well. They lasted just over a week.

I have been taking Benedryl and it does help, but I have to be VERY careful because of my job. I marshall in planes at the airport and you kind of have to be alert when you bring in a 737 lol. I have not been doing anything like that at work the last few nights and have stuck to mostly slinging bags instead of handling any of the baggage carts or pushback carts. I tend to be a bit klutzy on a regular basis so add on the benedryl and Im a walking disaster area.

 

[Christine]

The funny (and annoying) thing about hives is that most of the time there isn't a direct cause-and-effect. Something you could have eaten, touched, used 3 days ago could cause you to flare with hives for 2 weeks. I had an allergic reaction to a drug that started right after my 2nd tablet. I had hives for over a week, on my forearms. They would come and go (even though I had stopped the medication).

 

[Syrreal]

I've had hives for most of my life. I get reactions to everything from heat and cold to water, bug bites, etc. I'm now so used to them that I can tell not only when they are coming on but also how long they will last!

It could be anything that is causing your allergies. My friend developped hives last year and found that she was allergic to walnuts and that was what was causing the rashes. She had always eaten walnuts before and didn't even think about it.

If your allergies don't stop or get worse, go to the Dr. If they get bothersome, benadryl can help- A LOT- but it can also make you really drowsy. I live by it actually and always have it on me just in case of a bad outbreak.

 

[camreesmom]

The funny (and annoying) thing about hives is that most of the time there isn't a direct cause-and-effect. Something you could have eaten, touched, used 3 days ago could cause you to flare with hives for 2 weeks. I had an allergic reaction to a drug that started right after my 2nd tablet. I had hives for over a week, on my forearms. They would come and go (even though I had stopped the medication).

This is good to know because I was taking an antibiotic and had an allergic reaction (horrible case of hives) to it on Tuesday night. I called the doctor yesterday and they switched me to a different antibiotic. This morning I woke up with hives again and just assumed that I must be allergic to this new antibiotic also.

 

[RadioNate]

I have chronic autoimmunine urticaria. Not fun. You likely won't ever know the cause unless it keeps happening. Have you taken aspirin or ibuprofen those are both big triggers. Sunscreen, "herbal" supplements or other products. Spices like curry powder or cumin?

Hives can also be the first outward symptom to some autoimmune diseases like Lupus. Now while it is likely that, that ISN"T the case it is something to keep in the back of your mind incase they don't clear up in a week or so.

 

[Christine]

This is good to know because I was taking an antibiotic and had an allergic reaction (horrible case of hives) to it on Tuesday night. I called the doctor yesterday and they switched me to a different antibiotic. This morning I woke up with hives again and just assumed that I must be allergic to this new antibiotic also.

My DD had an allergic reaction to Augmentin and the rash went on for over a week. It gets really hard, though, when taking different stuff because I guess you could also react to the new medication.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I have to be VERY careful because of my job. I marshall in planes at the airport and you kind of have to be alert when you bring in a 737 lol. I have not been doing anything like that at work the last few nights and have stuck to mostly slinging bags instead of handling any of the baggage carts or pushback carts.

With the recent issues at the airport this could be stress related, you never know.
Alot more bags to check and worry.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

My kids both had hives from antibiotics as babies and it went on for 6 weeks! Would flare up when they cried etc. Dr. said that was normal.

 

[Evil Queen]

I got a weird case of them after arriving to my parents house. Each day I was there I would get 2 more, really weird.

As soon as I got home, no new ones and MOST of the old ones are fading away.

I figured maybe the det. she used to wash the sheets or from eating real home cooked meals......

 

[Alex2kMommy]

I had no idea what hives were the first time I got them in college. I had just moved off campus, and they were just on the backs of my legs. The only thing we could figure was taht it was related to a carpet cleanser, because I'd sat on the floor a lot the previous day, and I was wearing shorts.

I have since had them a few times, and it was when I switched laundry detergents.