HIVES!!!!! are driving me insane!!!(update posted)

[goldcupmom]

Back from the dermatologist....she did 2 punch biopsies...one of a hive & another of a discolored area that looks like granuloma annulare which I had about 16 yrs ago from a reaction between a flu shot & allergy shot at the same time. They will call in about 2 weeks with results. She suspects I have the vascular type of hives as there are some areas of residual coloring where hives have been.

Allergist appt is thursday, then get stitches out next Monday.

I've been off Zyrtec since Thursday & the benadryl is making me VERY tires & hard to focus my eyes or my mind. After tomorrow 9 a.m. can't take even benadryl til after allergist. UGH!!

 

[goldcupmom]

Back from allergist. I really liked her - which is a plus! Unfortunately, I am allergic to NOTHING!! Tested for lots including some foods. And did Asthma spirometry testing and my lung function/capacity are about 50% HIGHER than they would expect for someone of my age/height.

Unfortunately, that means that these are likely the chronic idiopathic hives. Had blood drawn for CBC, sed test, thyroid, autoimmune, etc. Should know Mon or Tues, but she doesn't expect anything out of whack. Should know about the biopsy late next week, too.

Said I should take either Zyrtec or Xyzal 2x a day and also 150mg Zantac 2x day until hives have been totally gone for 1 month. But, my hives have been MUCH less since I went off the zyrtec and even less after the benadryl, so she thinks they are going away on their own & advised me to wait a couple of days & see if I'm not too afraid of a breakout if they get worse. I think I'll play the wait & see game as I'm not fond of drugs.

Frustrating, but even she was stunned that my PCP had not drawn blood when they hives lasted more than 2 weeks. At least she is eliminating things, I truly didn't expect them to be able to pinpoint a cause. My theory - God knows I have them & what they're from & when they will go away. I can just deal with them. (but I'd rather not have to!!
)

 

[JandJ]

My theory - God knows I have them & what they're from & when they will go away. I can just deal with them. (but I'd rather not have to!!)

I have to agree! I'm glad you liked your allergist, sorry she didn't find anything, though. Isn't it funny how in a case like this you hope they DO find something! I'm in the same boat - derm said there's no known cause and PCP said she can put me on steroids but it probably won't help and I don't want to be on strong meds. I may switch from the Benadryl to Zyrtec. It will be 6 weeks on Saturday. They're not as bad but still very annoying, especially on my hands and wrists. I got a very bad break-out of hives on my knees at the gym Monday, even after I took the Benadryl. I was embarrassed, but when I pointed it out to my work-out partner she said "where? oh, I didn't even notice" so I think I'm more sensitive to it and think it's worse than it really is. I hope you get the answers you're looking for next week, but if not, you have the right attitude - God knows why you (and I) got them and when they'll go away - just be patient.

 

[goldcupmom]

today is NOT a good day! Last night when I went to bed about 8 (had only 3 hours sleep night before) I had only about 5 small hives. Woke up at 9:30 & had about 40 small on my back + a few others. Woke in middle of night with one inside my lower lip. By 7:30 a.m. only about 5 left + the one in my mouth. But I'm very blue & depressed today as I thought they were getting better.

In reality, the number & size I have is probably very small compared to some, but it is the fear of them popping up that is getting to me. I can't pass a mirror without lifting my shirt & examining my stomach.

Then I found that my Ins won't pay at all for Xyzal or any other supposed non-drowsy antihistamines.

I did take 2 benadryl at 11 p.m. last night.

In the scheme of life, hives are minor, but it would help if my DH would acknowledge that there is something wrong with me that I am trying to deal with. He says Drs told me nothing wrong so it shouldn't bother me. Well, when every inch of my skin makes me want to take the cheese grater to it, it bothers me!!


Guess I will fill the generic Zantac rx today & maybe try it morning & benadryl at night. I really don't want the weight gain I was starting from the zantac. sigh.....

thanks for being here!! Prayers for all!!

 

[luvthatdisney]

Hi,

I am new to this board, but noticed your post about chronic hives. I too suffered from them one stretch lasted about 6 months. I too went to the allergist and was told I was allergic to many things, but not enough to cause the hives, in their opinion. I had thought all along that they were partly stress induced, but it is so hard to tell. My allergist put me on Allegra in the morning, Zyrtec at night and Tagamet 3 times a day. After about 2 weeks I noticed they were not as intense and after about 5 weeks they were all but gone.

I still to this day (8 years later) still get the feeling that they are about to start - just a weird stabbing/tingling pain. I will take a Tagamet and they never start. Around that time I did find that I was becoming senstive to fragrance, but only with laundry detergents. There are some I cant even get near or I feel the hives starting. So now I only use the free & clear detergents.

Not really sure where it all came from, but I can now manage it. Hope you get yours under control. Those of us that have had them, know exactally what you are going through.

 

[acy]

After 2 1/2 years of chronic hives, I recently switched to a new doctor who did a complete blood analysis. I really don't know how extensive it was but he sent me to the hospital outpatient lab instead of doing it in his office because he wanted to test for "anything possible". He found that I have an autoimmune disease that causes my body to attack my thyroid gland. He began treating me with thyroid medication and the hives are almost gone and I feel better than I have felt in several years. Don't give up!!

 

[tabithakp]

i get hives too and my allergist determined that i have dermographism (the skin becomes raised and inflamed when stroked or rubbed with a dull object). daily antihistamines work well for me. he also did blood work and it was postive for antinuclear antibodies. maybe you have more than one thing going on as well????

 

[quasar4legs]

My son had terrible hives when he was younger. His allergist suggested that we try an elimination diet supervised by their clinic staff and we were able determined he had a food intolerance.
He can consume small amounts of food coloring and salyicilates (sp?) but if he goes over his personal threshold he ends up covered in giant hives.
Changing his diet has been tough but it has really helped and his threshold has improved over the years.


Best wishes to all with hives, it can be so hard to get relief.

Hugs
Quasar

 

[dudlee930]

Know how you all feel...my daughter has been fighting severe chronic uticaria (raised, large painful/itchy hives) for 3 months. The allergist did 2 punch biopsies (testing for uticarial vasculitis), came back negative. The only thing that worked was a large dose of prednisone, which was an issue since she is a type 1 diabetic (and her sugars kept running really high). After 2 months on prednisone (every time she came off,the uticaria returned) a friend (nurse practitioner) suggested that her body might be fighting with a herpes simplex virus (she already knew she had a herpes simplex, but it wasn't erupting during the uticaria). We thought she was nuts, but we tried the Valtrex and even after coming off prednisone a week ago, it has been 2 weeks without ANY rash/uticaria. We are cautiously optomistic and wanted to share, since it is a rather unusual diagnosis/educated guess... [keeping our fingers crossed, too!!!].

She also had angio-edema (severe facial/lip swelling) on and off with the rash that hasn't returned either. And she was taking enough antihistimines (4-5 kinds of pills) to fell a horse, but they didn't keep the rash at bay, either.

 

[dudlee930]

 

[kjpotter]

My daughter has chronic autoimmune urticaria. She is on Plaquinil and Zyrtec daily for the condition as well as Benedryl when she has a flare. They have done EXTENSIVE testing on her including a hive biopsy. She is reacting like she has rhematoid arthritis, but she's testing negative for it. She is still taking the medication though.

I recommend chronichives.com

We have seen her pediatrician, an allergist, a dermatologist, and a pediatric rhematologist.

Did I mention that she's just 5 ???

If you have any questions about autoimmune chronic hives, just PM me.

 

[scottmel]

Herpes Simplex virus?? As in cold sores? Last summer I had a TERRIBLE bout with h*&$#s. I can;t even type word orI will itch...Throat swelled, ER visit, steroids it was awful. I too was on a ton of medicaiton but the sleepiness and weight gain were too much for me. Once in a blue moon I do break out in a cold sore on my lip - are you suggesting they are related somehow? As in the valtrax could keep the rash away if it came back?