Does anyone else fight hives constantly?

[Aimeedyan]

I am so tired of itching constantly!!

If you have chronic hives, what do you treat them with? I have the kind that comes up only when I scratch them - so I itch like crazy, get to scratching, and then have big red welps appear. It's lovely.

Thankfully, 1 Benadryl will stop the itching. I just wish it never started!

 

[transparant]

I get hives out of the blue every so often. I have no idea what triggers them - but they can get to be the size of dinner plates and they drive me insane. Make's me want to rip my skin off! MY Dr. gave me Zyrtec for them and that helps tons!

Hope you get relief soon! Hive's are no fun!

 

[ducklite]

I am so tired of itching constantly!!

If you have chronic hives, what do you treat them with? I have the kind that comes up only when I scratch them - so I itch like crazy, get to scratching, and then have big red welps appear. It's lovely.

Thankfully, 1 Benadryl will stop the itching. I just wish it never started!

Time to find out what you are allergic to!

Sorry you're going throughn that, it's maddening!

Anne

 

[ElizK]

I've started getting hives all over my arms since about 2 weeks ago. THEY'RE MAKING ME !!!! I've taken to carrying Benadryl Gel with me all the time, and when they start itching I rub some of the Gel into them. Works great, but I sure wish I wasn't having to bother with them! I'm assuming it's from stress, but haven't been to the doctor for it.

Interesting how your hives come up. Mine kind of do that, too. I'll get an itchy spot, scratch it (a lot), and end up with small round red welts that itch like crazy.

 

[Honu]

I have an impaired immune system and I used to have hives ALL THE TIME. The doctors called it systemic and said nothing could be done. I doped myself with Zyrtec, Allegra & Benedryl, but I also had to regularly take Epipen injections because my face and throat would swell up. Not fun.

Then I started having leg cramps when I was sleeping. They were unbelievably painful. My doctor put me on several meds, but they really didn't help. The guy at the vitamin store said I may have a calcium imbalance. I got tested and sure enough my calcium was very low and magnesium was high. So I started chomping on calcium chews. I eat about 10 a day. Not only did the leg cramps go away, but I haven't had a hive in months.

People get hives for different reasons, but I suffered for 10+ years and the doctors never did a flippin thing. My doctor is still suspicious, but my test results don't lie. All of my issues have improved since I started my calcium chew therapy.

 

[Stacerita]

I must be having a dyslexic moment.....I thought the title was "Does anyone else high five constantly". Opps!

BTW - I dont get hives so I cant help.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I have an impaired immune system and I used to have hives ALL THE TIME. The doctors called it systemic and said nothing could be done. I doped myself with Zyrtec, Allegra & Benedryl, but I also had to regularly take Epipen injections because my face and throat would swell up. Not fun.

Then I started having leg cramps when I was sleeping. They were unbelievably painful. My doctor put me on several meds, but they really didn't help. The guy at the vitamin store said I may have a calcium imbalance. I got tested and sure enough my calcium was very low and magnesium was high. So I started chomping on calcium chews. I eat about 10 a day. Not only did the leg cramps go away, but I haven't had a hive in months.

People get hives for different reasons, but I suffered for 10+ years and the doctors never did a flippin thing. My doctor is still suspicious, but my test results don't lie. All of my issues have improved since I started my calcium chew therapy.

I have Crohns and am on Remicade so also have a supressed immune system; I wonder if that is playing a role in this? Course they didn't start until about 4 months ago and I've been on Remicade for 2 years. But you never know!

Course to add to that, I'm allergic to anything and everything and already on 8 asthma/allergies meds in addition to the Benadryl. Funny with all those allergy meds, the only thing that makes them go away is good ol' Benadryl.

Guess I'll make a bigger deal out of them next time I see my allergist... with all the other issues, I try to not focus on something silly like hives but they are MADDENING!!!!!!!

Yours are much worse than anything I'm dealing with =(

 

[transparant]

I must be having a dyslexic moment.....I thought the title was "Does anyone else high five constantly". Opps!

BTW - I dont get hives so I cant help.

It's a good thing that I wasn't drinking anything when I read this!!! Cause you just seriously made me LOL!!!!!

 

[Honu]

Really what I was trying to say is that I went through years and years of allergy testing and log keeping until one specialist determined my hives were not an allergic reaction. They were systemic. Which is basically means it's all happening internally. Something was off and this is how my body was responding to it. Since I have several autoimmune diseases the doctors just assumed it was caused by one of them decided to just treat the symptoms.

It looks like the calcium imbalance may have been the culprit though. I am off all allergy meds now. My calcium and magnesium levels are balanced and the hives are completely gone. It's amazing. I hope you find what is causing yours. I know how miserable it is.

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

I was having them on my inner arms near the fold of my arms. Someone suggested a citrus allergy, and sure enough, that's what it is.

I started using Benedryl gel until I found out one of the ingredients was citric acid. I suppose that's why it wasn't working!

I saw a dermatologist who gave me Triamcinolone Acetonide cream. It has worked much better than hydrocortizone creams.

 

[RadioNate]

I have them. Chronic urticaria. It stinks. Like Honu, I have no allergic cause that they have been able to dertimine. I've been fighting them for about 18 months now. Oral and topical benedryl doesn't even come close to doing anything for them.

Zyrtic and atarax usually keep them somewhat under control but for big flare ups a combo of epinephrine, medrol and predisone is the only thing that will bring them down.

You don't even want to know where I currently have a minor flare up. Talk about maddening.

My legs are completely scarred from scraching. I've gain nearly 20lbs in the last 18 months from all the steroids. I just want them to go away.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I have them. Chronic urticaria. It stinks. Like Honu, I have no allergic cause that they have been able to dertimine. I've been fighting them for about 18 months now. Oral and topical benedryl doesn't even come close to doing anything for them.

Zyrtic and atarax usually keep them somewhat under control but for big flare ups a combo of epinephrine, medrol and predisone is the only thing that will bring them down.

You don't even want to know where I currently have a minor flare up. Talk about maddening.

My legs are completely scarred from scraching. I've gain nearly 20lbs in the last 18 months from all the steroids. I just want them to go away.

Oh my gosh, bless your heart! Now I feel bad for whining about my minor case =(

to you!

(may I join you in saying that prednisone is evil? I hate that stuff. Unfortunately, it works miracles at times.)

 

[chell]

Yep, time to find out what you are allergic to. When I first started having them it was from my allergy to eggs. Now I have them constantly because my doctor (previous doctor now) gave me something that I shouldn't have had and that sent my body in a hive fit for over 2 years now.

Anyway, Allegra helps for about 12 hours then Benadryl gets me through the night. Hope you get yours to go away soon!

 

[heathrow42]

I just wanted to post to say, that if you can try to find out what is causing the hives.. especially if you think it might be a food.. because allergic hives can trigger anaphylaxis (where your throat swells shut and you can't breathe)

This is a pretty good article from Aetna's website, with some good resources at the bottom.
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/9434.html

If you are getting frequent/prolonged breakouts or breakouts in certain places.. start looking at all your soaps, detergents, shampoo, fabric softener, maxi pads, deodorant and toilet paper (so, not kidding!) .. have you made any changes? Go back to what you used to use, and if you do remember to rewash all your laundry and bedding. Look for milder, perfume free and dye free varieties... even toilet paper is usually bleached, dyed or scented. You may have to look online or go to a health food store.

I ate strawberries for 20 years, they were my favorite fruit.. and then one day out of the blue, hives! Ever since then, anything with strawberries gives me hives. You never realize how much stuff has strawberries till you can't have them anymore!

--heather

 

[Nancyg56]

I had never had an outbreak form hives until I went back to work. It started the day of my interview, and got worse throughout the training. My job was changed constantly, and you guessed it, I broke out every time I was assigned to a new training program. Thank goodness that I seemed to have them from the neck down, and not on my face. I was a nervous wreck. I used a lotion with tea tree in in, and it worked wonders to control the constant itching.