Sudden Cold Hives

I'm 54 and in the last few weeks, I've suddenly become "allergic" to cold.  I have alot of joint and muscle pain and have used ice packs without any problems for years.  If I use the ice pack now, I get very red, hot, itcy hives and they last awhile.  Also, it was raining around 40 degrees and I brush the rain off car door and within a few minutes my palms of my hands had the same reaction.  I do have asthma and allergies to pets, pollen, tree nuts, & seafood.  I also have hasimoto's hypothyroid and I have had to have 3 ERCP's since January due to severe stenosis of my common bile duct.  I've had no medication changes.   This is driving me crazy since I really rely on the ice for pain relief.  Any suggestions?  Thank you.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
This condition is called cold urticaria. Cold urticaria is a disorder characterized by the rapid onset of itchiness, redness and swelling of the skin within minutes after exposure to a cold stimulus.

Patients typically experience symptoms while outside on cold, windy or rainy days. Diagnosis can be made by an ice-cube test. Place an ice cube on your forearm for 4 minutes and observe the area for 10 minutes afterwards. If you have cold urticaria, the area will become itchy and then swell approximately 2 minutes after removing the ice cube.

Treatment is avoiding exposure to cold stimuli, including swimming or bathing in cold water. You can take antihistaminics like zyrtec or tegamet. You should enroll with Medic Alert and always carry Epi pen (injectable adrenaline) along with you.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.