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jdode

Apr 17, 2012

To: ItchyAndNauseous

After I read your post, two things really stood out.   The nausea and the inhaled allergen aspect.   Last summer I was looking at some properties that were for sale.   The grass and weeds in the back yard were chest high to  me.  I took 2 pics of the yard and had to leave immediately.   My throat became very tight and my voice became high pitched.   I already had hives, but they became twice as bad within 15 minutes.   I immediately took 50mg of Benadryl.

About the nausea; I think you may be having gastrointestinal angioedema with your hives.   It causes nausea.  I have chronic urticaria with angioedema.   However, my daughter has gastrointestinal angioedema associated with her natural hormones.   When she ovulates and when she has her period, she becomes very nauseous for a week with each episode.   Poor kid.  The doctors never knew what she had, but I actually saw it on Mystery Diagnosis on TV.   Since I have angioedema episodes, it's easy now to see that she has it, too, but in a different way.  There are some lab tests that will confirm whether or not it is hereditary or not.

I still don't know what started my hives, and now I've had them for a year.   I have a positive ANA and my immunes system is sort of whachy.  One of the posters on here stated that Maltodextrin in foods is the trigger for her hives.   I eat mostly natural foods, but now and then I eat processed foods.   Last night I decided to test the Maltodextrin aspect, so I looked in the pantry and found some Ramen noodles that have that ingredient.  I fixed them for dinner last night.   Sure enough, this morning my hives were the worst they've been in a long time.   So, now I know to look for that ingredient.... it's in almost every processed food.

I found that eating alkaline foods really helps a great deal.   If I eat acidic foods, the hives pop out all over in about three hours.  So, the Ramen noodles are not only acidic, but they also have the Maltodextrin.  In order to tame the hives, I drink a tablespoon of lemon juice in a tall glass of water with some Stevia sweetner.  I try to stay alkaline in my eating, but I backslide a lot.   Something that helps is to just eat an apple or two every day.   The odd thing is that the apples got rid of my heartburn completely!

I'm glad to read that you don't have troubles at the beach.   Maybe your elderly parents should sell their home and all of you move to the beach right now!  Take care and good luck!

jdode

Apr 17, 2012

To: Wendynblaze

Yes, the itching is a problem.   I do take some medication for the itch, but sometimes it is so bad that I can't stop rubbing the area.  That's when I applied a lotion, by chance and the itching stopped.   I think any lotion would work.   I just happened to have Jergens Soothing Aloe Relief on hand.  In the beginning, I bought some Benadryl Spray and that works, too.

Don't be surprised that when you stop your steroids, the hives will return the next day.  I actually took Prednisone for 9 months and then finally I refused to take it anymore.   3/4 of my hair fell out because of it.  Plus, I gained 30 pounds.   The steroid causes constant hunger pains.  I found myself constantly eating and I couldn't exercise because getting hot makes the hives more irritable.

Keep up with this blog.  I've found more helpful info here than I ever got through my three allergy doctors.   One of the earlier posters mentioned a trial medication that is not approved yet.   She said she gets an injection once a month and is hive free.  I think I'll ask my doctor about it.   I saw him last week and he mentioned trying Dapsone on me.   It's an antibacterial and some patients get relief with it.   Some patients believe an infection is the cause of their hives, but my doctor doesn't believe it.  I told him that I suspected a minor tooth infection and I would be seeing my dentist soon.   I might get lucky and find that extracting the tooth will get rid of the hives.

Good luck!

Clevedelhi

Apr 18, 2012

To: jdode

I am a physician and have felt the frustration of chronic hives myself twice so far, each time lasting around 5 months. I dread the times i used to take 50 mg of benadryl before starting an er shift and repeat the dose 4 hrs later midway into my shifts. All tests were negative.

For everyone on this forum, there is some literature regarding the use of sulfasalazine (an agent used for inflammatory bowel disease) in chronic urticaria showing benefit. I achieved slow remission on this medication and thus far have not had a recurrence for more than a year now since the last episode. It has no bad toxic effects like for cyclosporine or prednisone. Do not take if your allergic to sulfa drugs, other things, can cause photo sensitivity and in some predisposed individuals might result in hemolysis.

Please discuss with your physician about this option.

I understand the frustration of physicians trying to manage symptoms only, but at times it gives us insight into the disease process itself and I really hope we develop better understanding of chronic urticaria.

Hope this helps a few people on this blog.

Thanks

jdode

Apr 19, 2012

To: Clevedelhi

Clevedelhi.... Thanks so much for your input and especially the mention of the sulfasalazine that worked for you. I'll mention it to my Dr. on my next visit. He wants to try Dapsone and I'm not too excited about the side effects that it has. Right now I'm on Cyclosporin (w/o Prednisone this time) and it hasn't helped at all on this 2nd round of treatment. I hope some of the others on this blog get to try the sulfasalazine with good results.

To everyone here.... Today, I've decided to look into doing a parasite cleanse in a few weeks. Yes, I'm grasping at straws. Also, I'm going to DC the hormones that I take. Maybe the hormones are causing the hives; maybe the filler in the pills is causing the hives. And, I'm still looking into the sensitive root canal tooth as being the cause. I really want to be off the 12 prescription antihistamines that I take everyday to no avail...... the wrinkling of my skin from the neck down is noticeable this year. For the first time in my life, I'm glad to have an oily face; which I think is part of the positive ANA (autoimmune problems). I wish I had some of the natural oils on the rest of my body. Who knows, maybe my body lotion is the problem. Most of the time I use a natural oil right after I shower, when I'm still slightly wet and then I pat dry with a towel..... I could probably go on all night with possibilities. Maybe it is stress in combination with the ANA.....

Thanks to all of you

I'm going to make some of the Nasalcrom lotion that was mentioned by a previous poster

jdode

Apr 19, 2012

To: benji58

Ben... I was glad to read your comments about changing to a healthier diet and getting to a more natural Ph state. I notice that on the days that I eat more alkaline (green, leafy veggies... less meat, eggs, milk, no processed foods), I do better with the hives. They are subdued and sometimes completely gone, but I still have to have my Rx meds. My doctor negates the alkaline approach and has added 4 more antihistamines to the other 8 that aren't working..... I'll keep up with trying to stay on the healthy diet, but I do backslide every few days.

For years I was a diet controlled diabetic, which meant that I HAD to eat healthy and no processed foods. Then I got kind of relaxed with watching what I ate and started to eat a lot of eggs and meat. I would also bake cakes and have homemade desserts everyday. After a year of that and some added stress, I suddenly had hives that wouldn't go away. I don't know if eating healthy will get rid of the hives, but it will keep the blood sugar in check.

jdode

Apr 19, 2012

To: Fakee

I hope you're still reading these comments.  Since I had some relief by changing to an alkaline (natural Ph diet), I would think it would be a good thing to try on a child.   You'll have to cut out all processed foods and just go completely natural.  I just recently noticed that I had some sensitivity to maltodextrin and corn starch, which are both found in a lot of processed foods.   You'll have to keep all sweetened drinks away from him.   Even sugar substitutes are very acidic.  I use Stevia, which is a natural plant sweetener and is not acidic.  You can give him lemon juice in water with Stevia, as an alkalizing drink.  Who doesn't like lemonade?  For some reason, the lemon juice becomes very alkaline when it enters the body.  Get him to eat apples as a snack.   Try for a diet that is 80% alkaline and 20% acidic the first 2 weeks and then switch to a more normal ratio of 60% alkaline and 40% acidic.   I posted a site that has a good alkaline/acidic list of foods and you'll have to go back to one of my first posts in order to get it.   It was this month, so you don't have to go too far to find it.  Sorry I can't post it right now.

See if he will allow cool compresses if his hives itch too much.   I'm an adult, so I was able to tolerate using icecubes rubbed over my arms, etc. when I had extremely bad hives.   It stopped the itch right away.  Maybe he could tolerate a slightly tepid bath that has a couple of handsful of oatmeal mixed into it.   I put the oats in a processor and blended until fine.   This might come in handy when he has outbreaks in the summer.

If his hives itch too much, do try applying some Jergens Aloe lotion.  Show him how to put it on his CLEAN hand, rub hands together, pat it onto the hive area and then lightly rub it on until not so wet.    It really does calm the itch without adding another drug to a young system.

Children get cavities about this time of their lives.   Make sure he goes to a dentist in order to rule out any tooth infection.  A couple of the previous posters have said that having a bad tooth extracted relieved the hives completely.  I'm going to the dentist to see about one of my teeth.

I'm so sorry you have a child with this problem..... poor boy must be miserable...... take him to an allergist right away.   At least he can prescribe something that a child can take for relief of the symptoms.

jdode

Apr 21, 2012

To: Fakee

You said that your son's hives get worse right before he goes to bed.  Does he take a warm shower or bath at night?   If so, that might be causing the hives to worsen at that time.  f so, if try the cool compresses after his bath.  Or, it might be what he had for dinner.

I just looked at the chronichives.com site yesterday and it has diet recommendations.  I tried them yesterday and today.  Actually, for the first time this morning, I awoke with minimal hives.   And, they faded and stayed away all day.  Usually, I'm hivey all over when I awaken and they stay with me all day.  So, I will be switching to their diet.   It's very restrictive and it's all about healthy eating.  It's going to be hard to change my way of cooking and eating.... but that's better than being hivey all day.

By the way, has your son been tested for autoimmune problems?  See if his allergist will request an ANA.  How's his thyroid function test?  Some of the posters here have had thyroid problems that caused their hives.

paintergirl9

Apr 21, 2012

To: Clevedelhi

I am beginning to understand how difficult it would be for a doctor to try and find an infection or imbalance somewhere in the body. It seems the cause of chronic hives can be caused by a large number of things, hence a needle in a haystack scenario.

To be honest, my experience leads me to lean more toward herbal remedies.  If researched properly for one's own safety, they tend to be less mysterious and dangerous when it comes to long term negative side-effects.

After just 2 days on a gentle full body detox cleanse, my hives have been reduced drastically. It turns out that histamines rule the digestive system and are directly linked to the immune system.  This is starting to make sense to me. When I am done, I will wait 2 weeks and do a parasite cleanse...and perhaps a heavy metal cleanse down the road.

Careful to do my homework as to not overdo it, I am also taking garlic supplements, goldenseal, and black walnut hull. These are great for fighting fungi, parasites, and infection. Some herbs, such as the later two should not be taken for long periods, and it is crucial to know one's allergies. Cats claw is also wonderful for most parasites and numerous other infection, but cause the worm giardia to thrive.  Most organic herbs do not interact negatively with one another, but again, it is crucial to research them.

paintergirl9

Apr 21, 2012

To: paintergirl9

I must ad that herbal remedies can interact negatively with medications. May the force be with you all!!!

jdode

Apr 22, 2012

This is my third day on the hive diet recommended by the chronichive.com site (International Chronic Urticaria Society).   I haven't been covered in itchy hives for 3 days.  What a blessing.   I do admit that I have a few hives this morning, due to a little celebrating last night.  Also, I wore jeans and the waist band was snug, so I have dermagraphic hives around the waist this morning.   At least they're not itching.  Now, I'm back on the diet.

I decided to change my (HRT) hormone replacement therapy to OTC Estroven.   I never had horrible hot flashes, but I started the HRT due to a lot of hair loss.   Hair loss that was similar to the Prednisone hair loss.   If Estroven can give me the same hair protection, then I'd rather be on it.  So, I'm alternating my HRT with Estroven every other day for a month or so.

One of the posters mentioned that blue dye was one of the causes of hives in her case.  The blue dye in one of my hormone pills concerns me, too.   I checked my shampoo and it, too, has blue dye.  So, out they go!

I think I'll sit down and do some meal planning, so I won't have any back sliding.   I'm more likely to back slide if I don't have anything planned.  Also, I need to make some loose fitting clothing for everyday use.   It shouldn't be too hard to make some tank top shifts with side splits in the skirt area.  Those were popular in tropical prints several years ago.   Wish I could find the two that I had, but I may have given them away.   Now that I'm 30 pounds heavier, I'm desperate for them.

I have ordered a parasite cleanse from Amazon.   I use that site a lot because of the product reviews given by the buyers.  Now, I can't even think of the name of what I ordered.   I do remember that it had three natural ingredients; black walnut, wormwood and cloves.   Unfortunately, I wanted to follow Dr. Hulda Clark's way of doing the cleanse, but the users of the product I purchased seemed very happy with the 'results' they had.   At any rate, I did order her book and I hope to get a lot of use of her info.

Regarding the treatment that doctors give patients, I do have to say that doctors must follow their medical training and continuing education, because it does protect them from lawsuits.  I was married to a doctor for many years, so I understand their situation.   It's always better to follow their training than to be known as the doctor who experiments on his patients.

I do find it perplexing that not one of my allergy doctors has mentioned ICUS to me.    Or even a mention of any kind of diet to ease the symptoms.... what harm could that do?  It reminds me of my early years in the 'doctor community' and there was always a small handfull of younger doctors whose mantra was, 'Never cure them on the first visit; keep them coming back.'   My former husband thought it was a shameful attitude to take.   He was once advised by an older doctor who told him, 'Don't worry about the money.  You take care of the patients and the money will take care of itself.'

jdode

Apr 25, 2012

To: jdode

I had 3 full days of no hives and then, BAM, on the fourth day I had a major break out.... I completely forgot to take my morning meds that day!  It took a few days to get it all under control and then I had two more good days w/o hives.   I'm on the histamine free diet and it's working well when I stick to it.  Last night I back slid and had some marinara sauce.  I also forgot to NOT eat p

armesan cheese.  And, chocolate chip ice cream.   I didn't have my food list on hand, as I had loaned it to a fellow hive sufferer.

Has anyone tried UVB light therapy?  I think I'll try it on non break out days.

My parasite cleanse arrived today.   Yes, I'm grasping at straws on this one.  However, I put 2 drops in a glass of water and no taste at all.   I bet I could put it in the green tea without noticing it.  That reminds me, I did some research on Hulda Clark and it seems she is somewhat questionable.   She's not a medical doctor, that's for certain.   Her claims to cure advanced cancers are even more questionable...... oh, yeah.... she died of cancer; used her own treatments and didn't consult an oncologist for traditional medical treatment.

Looks like I can't use Estroven because it has 2-3 ingredients that are on the 'no' list of the histamine free diet.   So, I purchased the black cohosh  and other ingredients separately.  I talked to the pharmacist about halving my HRT pills, so I'll do that for a while.

My morning hives are now gone.  I hope I can stick to the diet, because it really does help.  I think if I document my meds and what I eat, I'll do better on following the diet.   I do have to agree that eating a peeled, cored apple makes a difference.

I made a Cheerio with real Peanut Butter snack treat and it's sort of good.   I only found one Cheerio cereal that didn't have BHT in it..  All of the puffed rice cereals were loaded with preservatives.

I now have some sack like dresses and when I have hives, they make all the difference in comfort.  I don't know what the solution would be if I had to work outside the home.

If any of you have some comfy clothing ideas, let me know.

jdode

Apr 26, 2012

To: jdode

To all the posters who had hives related to an infected tooth:  today I saw my dentist and sure enough I had a bit of infection at the roots of two teeth; one of which is a root canal tooth done a couple of years ago.  My next appt is two months from now, at which time, he will give me his game plan to save one of the teeth and I will tell him to forget about saving them and to go ahead with extracting them.  I'm not interested in having a bridge put in and I have to clean food out from under it after every meal.   I did that many years ago and ended up, 20 years later, with an infection at the root of the two bridge teeth.   At the time of the first bit of sensitivity, the dentist I had at that time kept telling me there was nothing wrong.   Every 6 months I repeated there was a bit of dull pain and he put me off for 2 years.   I went to a new dentist and he right away pried off the 20 year old bridge, did some x-rays and found the teeth were unable to be saved.  Not only that, but the teeth behind and in front of the bridge were also affected by the infection that traveled along the nerve way.   I ended up having 4 molars extracted on the right side.

Now I have a similar situation on the left side and I'll end up with no lower molars on that side, too.   My main goal is to make sure I get the infection out of my system.  Maybe the hives will go away.   The tooth sensitivity started about the same time as the first bout of hives..... it might be connected.  I'll keep you posted of what happens with it.

By the way, I started some colloidal silver (CS) dosages last week and the tooth sensitivity is now  minimal.   I know that it's important to not have an infection raging when a dentist does an extraction, as it can release the infection into the whole circulatory system.   It's possible that it has already done that.  At any rate, since I'm on Cyclosporin, I may not be able to take conventional antibiotics.

paintergirl9

May 03, 2012

To: jdode

Believe it or not, Walmart and Target carry soft and light summer dresses.  I use them for comfy laundry days, and super hot days.

Most parasite cleanses should contain Wormwood, Cloves, and black walnut hulls.  These are all ancient remedies for many things including parasites. They should be taken together to kill the eggs as well as the parasite.

Parasites can cause hives and are likely to pester 90% of the population at some point in life, especially if you are near any animals that may have a flea or two.

I am in middle of my general cleanse and have noticed improvements with my hives.  My neighbor has a dog wander the halls and I don't think he is very clean.  I will be doing that parasite cleanse soon after this one....Ok, this is gross, but you can see tape worms in poop. They look like little grains of rice.

paintergirl9

May 03, 2012

To: paintergirl9

Prednisone causes hair loss?!?! GOOD GRIEF! Before you said your doctor told you that your hives are all in your head because of stress. Certainly for not such a long time! He sounds like a terrible doctor with no bedside manner and no instinct. I am glad to hear that you found a good diet for this. I will look into that for myself. Thanks!

jdode

May 04, 2012

To: paintergirl9

Thanks for the walmart dress suggestion.... I did see some the other day and I'm hhoping they'll get some more that are 100% cotton.

My parasite cleanse does have the 3 ingredients you listed.  I'm a bit concerned because the histamine free diet does list cloves as a no-no.  I think I'll go ahead with it, though.   Thanks for mentioning that I will be able to see the worms if there are any.   I haven't seen any yet, however, I found out a couple of days ago that I misread the microscopic instructions on the bottle.   I thought I was to take 2 drops 3 times a day, but after reading the instructions a second time, it says to take 2 droppersfull 3 times a day...... yes, now it tastes nasty (a good sign I'm doing it right).

Prednisone affects people in different ways.   My aunt, who took Prednisone for 20 years had no hair loss from it.  I just happen to be susceptible in that way.   When my natural hormones started changing, I had hair loss at that time, too.   Adding Rx hormones stopped the hair from falling out.  I was losing about 450 hairs per day during the morning brushing and shower.   The same thing happened after a few months on Prednisone.   When 3/4 of my hair was gone, I demanded to stop the Prednisone.

I think doctors get bombarded with all kinds of medical related information and in order to not be overwhelmed, they sift through it and only retain what is sanctioned by the AMA.   That's too bad, because they are now in an era of patients being more informed than ever.   These same patients can find sites like this and compare notes with each other, in hopes of finding solutions that work, rather than sticking to the accepted medical practices that aren't working for them.

Yes, I'm sick of hearing that stress is the reason for my hives.  I even hear it from the general public...... do they really think they're telling me something that I haven't already considered?  Besides, everybody has stress and they don't all break out in hives.    Why just a few of us?   I told my doctor of four stressors that happened the month of the first hive outbreak and he automatically decided stress was the reason for the hives.  One of the things he said was not the problem was the sensitive root canal teeth.  I thought he had to be joking when I heard him say that.

I have autoimmune problems and I think that is what's going on with me.   Because of that, the infection related to the root canal teeth is probably too much for my system.  I'm hoping that getting rid of the root canal teeth (there are 3 of them) will solve this problem.  If that doesn't do it, then I will consider hair dye as a possibility and let my hair go natural; which is now gray.

Well, I have an inch of gray roots showing and I have to go dump a bottle of chemicals on my head..... lol.   Something I do that really lessons the scalp absorption of chemicals is to slather on lots of olive to my scalp and hair about an hour before I color treat it..   I used to get chemical burn to the scalp, but not since I started using the olive oil first.   Yes, the hair coloring works just fine with the olive oil.  Hard to believe, but it does.   And, it makes the hair so shiny after I'm finished.

I'm still hivey.... I'm having a hard time sticking to the histamine free diet.  When I feel exasperated, I have a tendency to eat something to make me feel good.  Last night it was pizza and homemade banana cake.   Today the hives have all joined together to make one big connected hive.   I will get back to the diet, as it really does help and I'll have a couple of good days before I back slide again.   My doctor doesn't believe special diets help.    He's in his early 30's and thinks he's right, as he's going by his medical training.  I can't fault him for that.

On my next visit I will ask for a new treatment.   This time it will be Dapzone or Sulfasalazine.   And, we'll be tapering off the Cyclosporin no doubt.

I'll keep you all informed as to what happens.

hellovietnam

May 07, 2012

To: joeyloqiow

Why do you recommend Zitromax? Apparently you have tried it, but for how long had you been suffering with hives before that? Thanks:)

paintergirl9

May 11, 2012

To: jdode

Actually some people show no signs of parasite infection for quite some time and there are numerous types parasites. Canine tapeworms can eventually be seen as tiny grains of rice-shaped pieces in stool. These are common only because fleas spread them. It only takes one floating in your coffee or landing on your salad to infect!. Others are not as obvious. Doctors can run tests, but different worms require different testing and likely different medications. The parasite cleanse should get 'em all. The eggs are the pain. I may do two cleanses just to be sure.

My nurse practitioner friend told me that parasites would definitely cause chronic hives.

miaweiss

May 20, 2012

To: db902

Maltodextrin you say? OK, I'll be on the look out for it - thanks!

flagabears

Jun 01, 2012

To: tuxie21

If you were given Povidone Iodine aka Allegra and are allergic to sea food....you are allergic to iodine and that would be the hive source. Allegra is suppose to be for allergies like other antihistamines but it also contains lactose according to some googled resources. Hope you have figured out the rashes.....Iodine is a mineral that can build up in your system...which means it takes a while for it to leave your system.....

Best Wishes,,,,

iljc

Jun 05, 2012

I have had hives for 2 years and 2 months. At first they were on my legs and then began to move up my body to my arms and my neck and my face to finally land in my nose. I have had a couple of episodes when they were inside causing severe pain that made me double over. My eyes have swelled and my mouth. I have tried changing everything in my life to find out what i was allergic to and didnt seem to find anything. I see an allergist, i do not have insurance so i have not had the testing done because he said it would be $800.00 and 80% of people never find out what they are allergic to. I take Zyrtec just 5 mg a day and it has worked for the past year, until recently. I dont see hives, but I cant breathe, my nose completely swells shut. So...i believe in God, Jesus Christ, and i have prayed and prayed for the Lord to heal me. After so long of not being healed i began to ask the Lord to reveal to me what I was allergic to. About a month ago i finally figured it out..."Sugar". I was chewing Doublement gum and after a couple of minutes each time i had trouble breathing. I ate a bowl of cereal (cocoa crispies) covered in whole milk and within a few minutes felt like I was gonna die. Pain in my chest trouble breathing, took another zyrtec and it went away. The doctor also told me with hives not to take anything stronger than regular strength tylenol and I was taking childrens liquid tylenol to be on the super safe side, but it has sugar in it, and when i took that i couldnt breathe, felt like i was gonna die. With these things combined over a few days and I began to look back over the past 2 years and realized when I had extreme out breaks that i had just eaten sugar. Once, lemon pie and my face began to swell right before our eyes all around my mouth, my husband annointed my head with oil and prayed, and they went away within a matter of seconds we watched them reduce, thankyou Jesus. The Lord never promised that life would be easy, but He did promise to be there to keep us and He has. Another time I ate blonde brownies, I had severe pain in my upper stomach that made me double over it hurt so bad, when i called the doctor they said someone older would have thought they were having a heart attack. Recently i ate a brownie with nuts on it, i blamed the nuts because everybody is allergic to nuts it seemed, but after i ate that my nose swelled shut. So i have called my doctor and let them in on my diagnosis and they said it is possible that you can become allergic to anything you put in your body...WOW, scary thought. To conclude, I love sugar, but I love breathing more. If you are suffering with hives keep notes of your breakouts (note, my hives before zyrtec were worse in the evening and first thing in the morning AND all along just before my menstral cycle (they say women get the munchies just before that time of the month, probably why the hives get worse)...Sugar is in EVERYTHING, read labels...its in bread, in mayo that you get from some restaurants (weird to me), things you would never think. Most of all pray without ceasing and trust the Lord, He will keep you and He is the Healer of all my disease.

Bubbalou57

Jun 05, 2012

To: MCJaust

Hello! I have had the same symptoms for a collective total of over 5 years! I have been to many doctors and taken more prednisone than a body should. What seems to help now is Zyzal, Cyclosporin 200mg daily and trying to relax. And yes, a hot bath helps where as oddly enough a cool bath hurts. I also have had swelling of the eyes,lips and throat. Very important to carry an epi pen at all times. There is a new drug called Omalizumab that is not yet F.D.A approved that is reported to help chronic hives. It is very expensive($750. per shot) and harder still to find someone with experience to administer it. My heart breaks for you as I know how horribly painful hives can be! Best wishes!

sandi42

Jun 06, 2012

To: KAMB01

Wow ... I have had hives for years ... I am getting tested tomorrow by an allergist. What I was wondering was how long an antihistimine stays in the body? And ... did you get tested by an allergist? I experienced all the things you talked about ... mine are HORRIBLE!

jdode

Jun 08, 2012

To: All

I finally had my dental appointment and was eager to have the root canal teeth extracted.   My dentist stood there and told me that he would rather not do extractions.   Can you believe that?   He knew I'd been waiting for 2 months to have the teeth extracted and he decided at the last minute not to do it for me.    He referred me to someone else.   I'm sure the mildly  infected root canal teeth are causing my hives.

I've also found that eating sugar makes the hives worse.   I experimented by eating half a bag of caramels the other evening and the next morning, the hives were as bad as I've ever had them.   So, I'm back to the histamine free diet and the alkaline/acidic diet.   Sugar is extremely acidic.  Instead of coffee for breakfast, I had lemon juice in water with Stevia and ate a couple of apples throughout the day..... by evening I was back with the living.   This morning I had green tea and a couple of apples..... finally the hives were almost gone.   So, for dinner I had some meat, but will probably regret that choice tomorrow morning.   See how it goes for me.   I get better with the diet and then I backslide.

My doctor started me on Dapsone a couple of weeks ago.... I haven't seen any improvement in the hives, however, the tenderness with the root canal teeth is subsiding.  Dapsone is an antibacterial and I expected to feel a difference in the mild tooth infection.

I'll keep you posted.....

pierce687

Jun 21, 2012

To: Clevedelhi

To All Postings. I have had idiopathic chronic uticaria for over twenty years. The word idiopathic means no known cause no known cure. I would say that 80% of the time I itch. I have had all the tests, biopsies and aggressively treat dust allergies. I removed my carpet for hardwood floors, cover my mattress and pillows and purchased a hepa filter. I hoard prednisone so its available if I have a bad episode. My skin looks like tissue paper from all the steriods oral and topical I have used over the years. My skin splits open when ever I am slightly bumped because it is so thin. I take four different antihistimines daily. However, none of these things have provided any sustainable relief. My daily life depends on the condition of my skin. What I wear and where I go depends on how bad the itching and burning is at the time. I am sleep deprived because I spend all night applying ointments, scratching and placing ice packs. True its not life threatening, but it absolutely effects the quality of my life. I try to stay positive and not whine because other people suffer so much more, but I am going to start the journey of trying to find the cause once again. I will let you know if anything interesting occurs. Meanwhile, I use ice packs to keep my sanity and it does help (with the itching) my sanity however, is still in question.

jdode

Jun 25, 2012

To: iljc

iljc...... it sounds as though you have angioedemas of your external and internal areas.  When I get swelling of my airway (in my throat), I take 150 mg. of Benadryl right away and monitor the progress.   If I don't notice a difference after 20 minutes, then I would go to the ER.  So far, I've had good results with the Benadryl.  These angioedema (swellings) are associated with urticaria.   I get them quite frequently.  Btw, you can get blood testing to see if you have any allergen markers in your blood.  I don't know what it costs, but it's more definitive than the skin ***** testing.

After reading your post, I was able to determine that sugar was a problem for  me, too.   I also found, a couple of months ago, that I had reactions to maltodextrin.... it's in a lot of foods.   You mentioned bread and I don't eat a lot of bread, as I'm diabetic and I already have limited a lot of foods due to that condition.  If I were you, I'd be making homemade bread and mayo w/o the sugar...... and, no egg white in the mayo.  I try to stick to the histamine free diet suggestions that are on the chronichives.com site.   The histamine free diet made a big difference for me.  If I have to have sweetened drinks, I use Stevia.   When I make green tea, I put Stevia in it and pour it over ice if I want it cold, as it tastes like ice tea.  I'm trying to stop drinking coffee at breakfast and I've replaced it with green tea.

I'm still taking Dapsone and now that I'm taking 50mg daily, the hives seem to be calmed quite a bit, but I have to watch what I eat.  Maybe my doctor will increase to 75mg a day and that will be the magic number.

I will keep all of you posted.

beanie53

Jun 29, 2012

To: dianatree

Do you take vitamins? A B12 deficiency can cause hives. Also, there are many clinical trials involving hives and vitamin D. (Clinical trials.gov). Diet also can cause problems if you're not getting proper nutrients, especially if you eat a lot of junk. Cleaning up your insides can make a big difference. Eat vegetables, limit carbs, cut out sugar.

lisafrank

Jul 17, 2012

I had hives on and off for years, some outbreaks so intense and covering so much of my body that I could not leave the house. I tried all sorts of treatments - from prescription drugs to over-the-counter remedies to those offered by alternative medical practitioners. Even when I found relief, it was temporary, and I knew I wasn't getting to the root of the problem, but only addressing the symptoms of what was apparently a systemic imbalance.

It was only through trying an "elimination diet" four years ago - eliminating and gradually re-introducing various foods - that I discovered the cause: gluten intolerance. I never had any allergies of which I was aware, so it sort of blew my mind when I discovered that eating a single bite of toast was enough to trigger hives within a day or so - hives that would last for a couple of weeks!

It is not convenient to avoid *all* wheat, barley, and rye and associated by-products (though easier now than it was when I first started, as per the emerging "gluten-free" trend). But in so doing, I have clear skin... no hives in four years. And *that* is worth any inconvenience I have in shopping or eating out or having dinner with friends.

I strongly recommend that anyone with recurrent or ongoing hives look into the gluten-hives connection as a possibility. Since I first discovered gluten as the culprit in my own case, plenty of research on the subject of gluten sensitivity and uticaria has emerged. There is definitely a link there.

Caveat: Gluten, in some form or another, is in most processed foods. To effectively "eliminate" it from one's diet requires knowing it in all its forms and by all its names. Just because a label doesn't have "wheat" listed as an ingredient does not mean it isn't in there. And if you are someone whose skin is wheat-sensitive, it may only take mere molecules of the stuff to trigger hives.

jdode

Aug 07, 2012

Update: I was on Dapsone for a couple of months. Seemed to make a small amount of progress. I am still believing that my root canal teeth are the problem. They will be removed soon. Three weeks ago, I eliminated the daily 9-10 Rx antihistamines that my doctor had me taking and replaced them with Benadryl 25 mg. every 4 hours. I started drinking lots of water with lemon juice in it. I added a teaspoon of Stevia to make it easier to drink. A few days after being on the lemon water, the hives went away. One thing the lemon does is to become very alkaline in one's body. Alkalinity will cause bacteria to die off as they can't thrive in an alkaline system. I still have the teeth problem, but at least the alkalinity has given me a respite of 2 solid weeks without hives. I'm trying to stick to the histamine free diet, but I backslide now and then. Drinking lots of lemon water seems to make up for the backsliding. And, I eat an apple everyday. It's the snack that fits with the alkaline diet. I do seem to have anaphylaxis (airway swelling) quite often, but I treat it with increased Benadryl and that takes care of it. I do have an EpiPen in case the Benadryl isn't effective. I wish I had a magic bullet for everyone here, but we are all different in what causes each person to have hives.

Good luck to you all. I will post again in a month to let you know how my case is progressing.

jdode

Aug 23, 2012

After four weeks, I'm still hive free. I drink a cup of lemon water with Stevia sweetener every two hours (which is the daily water intake required for a person) and I eat an apple everyday. These two things keep my body in a balanced pH. An acidic body will encourage infection. Now, the things that used to bother me and set off the hives, such as maltodextrin, sugar and inhaled irritants no longer bother me. I make the lemon water by putting 1 tsp of lemon concentrate in 12 ounces of water and add 1 tsp of Stevia powder. I think being more alkaline has caused the bacteria in the root canal teeth to subside; the pain has gone away. I'll have them extracted as soon as I find a dentist to do so. That's small town life.

I think when my body is too acidic, it allows infection to grow, which puts a strain on the system and then, every little irritant becomes a big thing.

It seems that alkalinity has been the cure for my hives. Hives that I had every day for a year and a half. Try it. It might work for you, too. Now that I'm used to not eating a lot of processed foods, I'm sticking with more natual foods. Foods that are listed on the histamine free diet on chronichives.com.

If you try this and it works for you, please let the others on this blog know about it.

jdode

Sep 01, 2012

I'm still hive free. I've reintroduced ice cream, bread, wheat products, sugar and maltodextrin without any hive outbreak; during my 18 months of hives, those things would make the hives worse. I plan to stick with food in it's natural form as much as I can. Keeping my body to a normal pH with lemon juice and an apple every day is the key for me. It looks like my search for a dentist will be put on hold for a couple of weeks, due to travel. I haven't had any of the angioedema attacks either. I think I had about 7 attacks in the month prior to starting the lemon water and apple treatment. I did do a parasite cleanse a couple of months ago. Parasites excrete toxins into your system. I think my hives were from a combination of things that caused my system to experience an overload and then every little thing made the situation worse. I'll never really know. All I know is that the pH approach is working for me.

319

Sep 01, 2012

To: Hives or scabies???

Hi. Last year I suffered from skin rashes which were very itchy on consulting doctor diagnosed scabies and my treatmen was successfull, however about a month back same thing happend tha Doctor said its insect bit bt treatment responded a bit tha again i used scabicide nd Ivermectin which gave better resulst bt nw again same icthy rashes are irritating me...Most of all em a hostelite nd my room mtaes are not having such raections so how can it be scabies????? Me thinking that my be its nt scabies but how can i be sure its hives or not...
my rashes are not too mch but very itchy ...
Any solutions please???

jdode

Sep 01, 2012

To: 319

Hi, 319..... Many years ago, I had a bumpy, itchy rash and the doctor said I had scabies.  It was all over me.   I was treated with the recommended creme and it eventually went away.  No one else in my home had it.  Not even my husband, with whom I shared a bed.   Two years later, I had the same itchy, bumpy rash again.   I went to 2-3 doctors and finally it was determined that I had folliculitis.   Doctors rarely see it and don't recognize it when someone has it.  I had a suppressed immune system and the rash occurred exactly 6 weeks after the births of each child.   Our bodies are very complex and folliculitis was a way of flushing impurities from my body.

I don't believe you have scabies, as your roommates would also have it.   Here's how you tell if it is hives.   Use a pen and circle one of the red areas.  The next day the area your circled won't be red, but you will have the hive in another area.   I had hives all over my body and initially I didn't realize the hives would be in a different spot 24 hours later.

For hives, take 50 mg. of otc Benadryl (diphenhydramine; sold by WalMart as Allergy Relief by Equate brand and costs about $4.  You will notice relief in a couple of hours, as it takes some time for the hives to disappear.  If it works, then use it every 4 hours.  Eventually, you can lower the dose to 25 mg.  In addition, try the lemon water and apple a day approach.   I tsp of lemon juice (concentrate) with Stevia to sweeten in a large glass of water (about 12 oz. and don't use real sugar or artificial sweetener).  Eat a peeled apple everyday.  Go to chronichives.com and follow their histamine free diet.  If you don't get relief by doing these things, you might not have hives related to a suppressed immune system.  You might have hives due to an allergy.  My allergist did a blood allergy test and it came back negative, so we knew we were dealing with an immune system related hives.

Keep posting here and I will check in on you.   I will give you as much info as was given to me.  You might want to spend time reading all of the past posts.   There are many hive sufferers here and most have hives that are related to different things.  No two people seem to have the same reactions or results to treatment.

jdode

Sep 01, 2012

To: 319

When I had the folliculitis, my skin felt like it had cornmeal on it and the rash was only at the bump and it itched like crazy because there were 100's of them. I couldn't stop rubbing my arms, knees, etc. I took oatmeal baths everyday and that seemed to help immensely. Put a cup of oatmeal in a blender and blend until it's a powder. Put a cup of it in your bath and stir until dissolved. That is the cheapest way to do it.

319

Sep 01, 2012

To: jdode

Thanks alot for the info nd as u said that pencil thing for confirmationn of hives so i have observed that my rashes are a few nd they are on same points since two days so can i say surely that its not hives????

jdode

Sep 02, 2012

To: 319

Yes, if the red areas are in the same spot for more than 24 hours, then it is probably not hives.

I think you have folliculitis. Does it cover the outer portions of your arms, legs, and back? Does it stop at your neck or chin line? When I had folliculitis, it stopped at my chin line.

jdode

Sep 02, 2012

Also, hives are somewhat raised like a welt.

jdode

Sep 02, 2012

To: 319

Be sure to check your bedding for bedbugs. They hide during daylight hours, so have a look at your bedding around 1-3 a.m. Look under the mattress, too.

paintergirl9

Sep 22, 2012

It has been about 9 months for me now. I get hives every night. They are greatly reduced when I cleanse but come back in full after a month or so. All my vigorous research points to some sort of problem with my intestines or digestive tract. I have no interest in taking allergy meds to cover the symptoms. Further harmful side-effects are sure to accompany that over a long term use, as I have researched them as well.

I recently saw this video at http://geneticroulettemovie.com/
about genetically modified foods. From now on I will only by food from Trader Joe's. Anything with there label is GMO free. Will post any improvements when and if they occur. Any thoughts?

paintergirl9

Sep 22, 2012

Genetically modified food begins with plants that are genetically altered to produce insecticides themselves. The insect that tries eating the GMO plant has a stomach explosion and dies. The FDA has announced humans are not effected, but a lawsuit in 1998 exposed numerous internal memos declaring the exact opposite. These GMO plants are weaker, nutrient deficient, and continue to carry the toxin. Animals are fed the treated wheat and corn and become nutrient defici and sicklyt. Then we eat them and become deficient and sickly. They tribute the astonishing rise of digestive problem, food allergies, and many other ailments to this practice for the last 20 years. This stuff is everywhere.

rubygirl122

Sep 29, 2012

To: 319

yes I have itchy rashes on the sides of my face and jawline. they first get itchy and then leave a red hive like bump that last for a day or so. The redness only fades somewhat and then it will reappear again. Its a rash that never goes away. I have thought I have demodex mites because I have rosacea and the treatment is the same for scabies...Invermectin. Ive heard it can make the mites stir because they are dying and all symptoms get worse. Did this happen on your face?

Tad5057

Oct 07, 2012

To: Everyone

Hello everyone. I am going to help you get rid of your chronic hives. I had them everyday for over 4 years. Prednisone was the only thing that worked. NOW I am on NO meds, and my hives are 80-90 percent better and have been for about a year.

Ladies, stop taking birth control with hormones. I guarantee this is making your hives much, much worse. Try the para guard or do what I do, cycle beads. They work and are what our ancestors used for hundreds of years. Sometimes life requires a little self control, but it's very much worth it.

Next, I did a lot of research to find out about blockers and inhibitors for cells and I came up with a combination that will knock anyone's allergies out. It's called cetrizine with maximum strength ranitidine. Take it EVERY night. Once you see the hives decrease, take it every other night.

Next, you have to cleanse your body. Dr Hulda Clark has a parasite cleanse you should do FIRST, then a liver cleanse, then a kidney cleanse, and especially after being on prednisone, a gallbladder cleanse.

Your body needs reset. This is essential.

Next, look at what your eating. Now open your mind before your answer this question, Is it real food? Cows milk, not meant for HUMANS, meant for baby cows. Bread, NOT food. Man made garbage. 95% of all chronic illnesses today are caused by the weakening of cells from putting garbage into our bodies. Think about it, would you put vegetable oil in your gas tank? It would ruin your car. Dont care more about your car than you do about yourself.

I'd like for you all to check out Ted Slanker and Natural News. Google them.

Now go out and get organic body wash or Aveeno. Dove has one kind that is okay and it has a #1 dermatologist recommended logo on it.

Now in ALL seriousness, you are dehydrated and you don't know it. The only thing you should be drinking right now is water and green tea and you should be drinking A LOT OF WATER!!! I can't stress that enough.

If you do this stuff, the hives will go away.

Tad5057

Oct 07, 2012

To: People with kids esp

For everyone that is wondering why hives get worse at night, it's because our natural antihistamine levels drop at night. It's also common to get fevers. Your body temperature is out if whack and not regulating itself.

Drinking alcohol is a huge DON'T. This will make everyone's hives worse!

If this is happening to your kids, you have got to start feeding them an organic vegan diet and I do NOT mean noodles, oatmeal, etc. No grains! No wheat! No dairy! No flour! No garbage!
The kids need to get used to vegetables and fruits. The occasional fish and rice dinner is good too. Freeze strawberries, blueberries, spinach, and use these for smoothies. Kids love smoothies. Eat RAW as much as possible. We are designed to pull the raw carrot out of the ground which has cancer preventing dirt on it, that you should eat. Snacks should be raw broccoli, raw carrots, and some organic dip. You get the idea.

If you can get the kids to drink lots of water and green tea, that would help. I also believe what I said about cleansing, would be possible and beneficial in child form. For children I strongly reccomend a parasite cleanse FOR KIDS, then immediately after, a liver cleanse. Once that's done, empty the heavy metal toxins from their bodies by, yes you guessed it, a cleanse!

Turn the air down or heat down at night to cool off the house. Take colloidal oatmeal baths in luke warm water, then go take your ranitidine and cetrizine with a big glass of water.

Chhl

Oct 21, 2012

I have been trying to find help for my husband who suffers from this. Nothing has changed in our lives and he gets them every mornig and night. I don't care to put him on western medicine as I am a western practitioner myself and I know that it's just a bandaid for the symptoms. The hives will come back.

I have done acupuncture and also have put him on Chinese herbal medicine. He says he stops itching as soon as I put the needles in the points I chose and that he is 70% better overall. However, he does still itch. His itching episodes have decreased in time as well. He is on no other medication.

I hope this helps someone. I saw how miserable he was when it was 100%. Now he runs after me with the acupuncture needles when it's time for another boost in helping him with his hives.

Chhl

Oct 23, 2012

Update: no hives at all! Gone!

truthserium

Oct 23, 2012

To: jdode

hello! what is the injection called that your friend had?
thank you..

jdode

Oct 25, 2012

To: truthserium

I seem to recall posting that I would get an injection of something that another poster had mentioned.   I don't recall what it was, as I never needed it.  However, my hives were cured by getting on an alkaline diet and drinking lemon water everyday.   I've been hive free for 3 months now.   It happened practically overnight.  As soon as I started the lemon water, an apple a day and staying on the alkaline side of the food chart, the hives went away.

Apparently, my hives were caused by a minor infection in a root canal tooth.   The alkalinity made the infection reduce, therefore, eliminating the hives.  I was on killer antihistamines, Prednisone, Cyclosporin and Dapsone for 18 months with no relief.   Alkalinity was the key for me.  Infection cannot thrive in alkalinity.  Now, I'm back to eating more acidic, but I do keep up with the lemon water (with Stevia for sweetening) and eating an apple a day.

My further plan is to have the root canal tooth removed asap.  Since almost everyone eats processed foods, that may be the whole cause of the hives..... too much acidity in the diet; especially for children.

jdode

Oct 25, 2012

To: truthserium

I looked back through the posts and on 6/512 poster named Bubbalou57 said there is a new injection called Omalizumab and is priced at $750 each injection. I have no idea if it is effective or not.

Try the alkalinity approach..... it's cheap and if you have an infection in your system, it will calm the infection and the hives will go away almost immediately. You will have results right away if it is going to work for you.

Good luck

jdode

Dec 19, 2012

To: jdode

I have been hive free since the end of June. Not one spot. I am still eating an apple a day and my diet is as nature intended. I splurge now and then on something acidic, such as a barbecue sandwhich. Plus, I make a point to stay hydrated. From 8 p.m. until I go to bed, I keep a pot of herbal tea, caffiene free, beside me and I pour a cup to drink every hour. If you go to bed at 10 p.m., you might want to start at 6 p.m. Anyhow, this helps me. If you wait to drink only when you feel thirsty, then you are already dehydrated.

The following is the site I use for my list of alkaline foods:

http://rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm

I hope this has helped some of the sufferers. Btw, my heartburn went away when I started the alkaline diet. It is important to note that one doesn't have to eat only from the alkaline side of the list in order to benefit from it. Just reducing the acidity and keeping in the middle has great benefits.

Good luck to you all.

paintergirl9

Jan 27, 2013

To: jdode

Congratulations!!!! Man oh man, I fell off my wagon and began eating off the lunch truck, while coming home to a couple glasses of wine. I started waking up at 3am COVERED in the worst horrendously itchy welts so far.  They were minimal before when I went organic.

I think you are right about alkaline. Chlorella is on that alkaline list. This vitamin packed stuff is also thought to aid in removal of heavy metals and toxins. All the junk food I ate growing up and all through my 20's is seriously catching up with me!  My love of sushi may not be helping me either. :(

Still detoxing. It will take a few months, but i will try the diet you suggested. It's rough for a serious foodie!  But scratching until I bleed in the middle of the night is unacceptable.

paintergirl9

Feb 06, 2013

To: paintergirl9

Looks like my problem is with parasites. UGH, how embarrassing! It turn out this is hugely common and one of the most undiagnosed, rampant cause for many, many ailments.

Allergy meds and Quercetin work to suppress histamines. However, it is the histamines that rally the body's battle cry to fight foreign intruders. ANTIHISTAMINES SLOW HEALING so if you want to battle whatever is causing your hives for good, get off them!

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