Hives?

[ANGELA15]

I've never had allergies my entire life, and Wednesday night my legs started itching so bad, and raised bumps/raised lines similar to the sratching pattern appeared while i scratched. The itchiness lasted for about 15 minutes but once it stops, the bumps disappearand then start appearing elsewhere, on my elbows, groin, back, neck etc. They move to different body parts within hours and then disappear again to different spots without leaving any marks behind. Some left bruises behind. What could this be? The hives come and go. they last about 15-20 minutes. then it stops for an hr then reappears elsewhere. I cant think of anything new im doing, besides a new perfume i bought 3 days b4 this started..i also took flagyl for a week for an infection and my last pill was i think tuesday..nothing else i did was any different than usual

[ANGELA15]

i consulted with an allergist who did billions of tests on me, he said it was definitely an allergic reaction to something he couldnt put his finger on. after he was done testing everything he could think of, i asked him if he thought it could be this new make up i started using about 3-4 weeks before the hives began. So i brought in all the MAC make up i had purchased and it was that that was causing severe hives all over my body. Ever since i discontinued the make up, and started using Chanel, i havent had an issue ;)

[Synique_Jailen]

I myself suffer from severe hives and swelling, Most allergies are caused by food, cats & dogs, certain clothing material, carpet, dust & ect.... You may need to see an allergist and get tested to find out what you are allergic to. If someone tells you its unknown, that is just a lazy answer. And seek help from someone else.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes. They have a tendency to change size rapidly and to move around, disappearing in one place and reappearing in other places, often in a matter of hours.

Many cases of hives are "idiopathic," meaning no cause is known. Others may be triggered by viral infections or medications.

The mainstay of treatment of hives is antihistamines which may be necessary for prolonged periods (in excess of 6 weeks). You can take antihistamines like Cetirizine(Zyrtec) and Loratadine(Claritin) may be needed to get symptom relief. Sedating antihistamines such as Chlorphenamine(Benadryl) is used at night to get urticaria control. Short courses of oral cortisone or steroids are taken for short periods (one to three days) to settle more severe symptoms.
You may take Vitamin C along with the prescribed treatment. Vitamin C is a general anti-allergy supplement. It helps stabilize mast cells so they are less likely to release histamine.

If the symptoms persist, then you can consult an immunologist. He may start with immunosuppressive drugs.

If the hives don’t go after 6 wks of treatment also, then it can be a case of chronic urticaria which needs further evaluation as it may be due to auto antibodies.
Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries.Kind regards.