Chronic hives

[bwb]

I have had hives for almost three years now. Every antihistimine and stomach pill (that has a histimine blocker) has been tried. The only relief I have gotten was when I went on Cyclosporine for six moths. This is an antirejection drug. I do not want to stay on this, but have been off of it for five months now, and hives are starting to return. Sometimes they are red splotches on my skin, other times they are thick welts, both itch unreal. My eyes, lips and feet swell also. My eyes and lips swell till I look like someone has beat me...Any sugestions???

[jdode]

I have had chronic urticaria with angioedema for 15 months.   Blood allergy test was negative.  I did take Celebrex for a few weeks prior to the first hive out break.   My hormone pills had been switched to a different supplier a couple of months before the hives appeared.  Also, prior to the hives, I had a root canal done on a tooth 2 times and it has remained sensitive.   When the sensitivity was at it's highest, that's when the hives first occurred.

Four months ago, I started a regimen of Cyclosporin and 12 hours later, I was hive free and remained that way for four months.   It was at the end of that time that I was reducing the Cyclosporin and was down to 25mg. per day.    Suddenly, the hives reappeared and introduction of high doses of Cyclo everyday didn't seem to help.   I also noticed that I was having extra pain with my root canal tooth.  My next appproach will be to have the root canal tooth extracted.   I'll try to let you know if that helps with the hives.

One thing that does seem to help is to stay on an alkaline diet.   I've actually been hive free for 4 days on an alkaline diet.  Then, on the fifth day, I would eat acidic foods and the hives returned within 3 hours.   I did that test on 2 more occassions with the same results.  My doctor thinks it's nonsense.  He also thinks that infection has nothing to do with hives, but I'm having the tooth extracted anyway.   Btw, I found a list of alkaline/acidic foods on the internet.  My aunt gave me a book called 'Alkalize or Die' by a Dr. Baroody and that was the inspiration for my internet search.   Unfortunately, almost every search turns up tons of sites selling stuff.   Here's a site that has the food chart.   Be sure to type every letter of the address or copy and paste it.  www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm

Good luck with your hives!

[Wendynblaze]

I am a newcomer to the hives as well. I went to the doctor yesterday an was told I had hives she prescribed me medrol which is a steroid. My feet swelled up so bad to the point where it hurts to even walk my feet and palms itch so bad my eyes and lips an the back of my ears itch but not as bad as my palms ans feet. This is crazy the posts I've been reading concern me like the one that says hypothyroidism is a cause of hives my daughter has hyperthyroidism I'm wondering now if I should get tested for that. Then there's this post about the steroids could be bad. It is so hard not itch...

[ItchyAndNauseous]

I don't have a cure to offer, but I have been able to determine that my "ideopathic" chronic urticaria is triggered by inhaled allergens.  I am fine mid-November through mid-February, but as soon as trees begin to pollinate, my nausea and hives begin--despite tons of meds.  I also have systemic allergic reactions during grass pollen season and during ragweed season.  If I stay inside, I don't have hives, as long as I'm not close to the door to outside when it opens.  When I do go out, which is rarely, I add benedryl on top of my regular meds, make it a quick outing, then rush in and immediately shower including washing my hair and using a saline nasal cleanse, then put on fresh clothes.  I'm also allergic to dust, so I have someone else dust and vacuum and stay out of the room for several hours after.  My routine meds for this that I stay on all year are Allegra (Fexofenadine) 180 morning and night (which is twice the regular dose; ranitadine 150 morning and night, and Doxepin 50 mg at bedtime.  Doxepin is an antidepressent but I take it for its antihistamine beneifits.  I've tried every other antihistamine, tried allergy drops and tried allergy shots.  I had to stop drops and shots because I began having reactions to them.  When I'm at the beach on vacation, I'm always better, even during one of my allergy seasons.  I think this is because the breeze coming off the ocean keeps the coast more free of allergens.  Also, the type of grass there is less allergenic.  While it's very sad for me being a prisoner in my house, I am happy to at least have a way to stop the symptoms.  It took me years to be able to figure out what was causing my nausea and itching.  I'm not in a position to move to the coast right now because of elderly family members I must help care for, but that is my long term goal.  I hope this helps shorten the learning curve for someone else with the same issues I have.  Also, I have had this confirmed by allergy testing.  When I first went to Vanderbilt ASAP clinic, they told me it was impossible that inhaled allergens could cause hives.  I think after studying my tests and reactions they changed their minds.  I would recommend Vandy ASAP for anyone with cookie cutter allergies--sneezing, etc.--who wants quick relief, but not for anyone who suffers from hard to deal with allergies.  I was very disappointed with the care I received there.  When I asked for a copy of my records so I could give them to the next doctor I visited, I found my records included several mistakes, including a patient photo that was labeled with my name--but was not me!  One final tidbit I can share, I was concerned about coming off my regular meds for allergy testing.  I convinced one doctor that if I was having hives after taking my daily meds, that he could get reactions on his allergy tests while I still took my daily meds.  That was correct.  I was positive on both RAST tests and interdermal ones.  Vanderbilt on the other hand told me I had to be antihistamine-free for 24 hours before but gave me steroids.  I hate steroids and avoid them at all costs!  The cause me to gain weight and get yeast infections!  I took their advice, and their steroids did not control my hives.  Just know you can to allergy tests without coming off your meds if you're highly allergic.  I'm still looking for a cure.  I plan to try juicing soon.  Please everyone post any success you have with any treatments!

[ItchyAndNauseous]

I don't have a cure to offer, but I have been able to determine that my "ideopathic" chronic urticaria is triggered by inhaled allergens.  I am fine mid-November through mid-February, but as soon as trees begin to pollinate, my nausea and hives begin--despite tons of meds.  I also have systemic allergic reactions during grass pollen season and during ragweed season.  If I stay inside, I don't have hives, as long as I'm not close to the door to outside when it opens.  When I do go out, which is rarely, I add benedryl on top of my regular meds, make it a quick outing, then rush in and immediately shower including washing my hair and using a saline nasal cleanse, then put on fresh clothes.  I'm also allergic to dust, so I have someone else dust and vacuum and stay out of the room for several hours after.  My routine meds for this that I stay on all year are Allegra (Fexofenadine) 180 morning and night (which is twice the regular dose; ranitadine 150 morning and night, and Doxepin 50 mg at bedtime.  Doxepin is an antidepressent but I take it for its antihistamine beneifits.  I've tried every other antihistamine, tried allergy drops and tried allergy shots.  I had to stop drops and shots because I began having reactions to them.  When I'm at the beach on vacation, I'm always better, even during one of my allergy seasons.  I think this is because the breeze coming off the ocean keeps the coast more free of allergens.  Also, the type of grass there is less allergenic.  While it's very sad for me being a prisoner in my house, I am happy to at least have a way to stop the symptoms.  It took me years to be able to figure out what was causing my nausea and itching.  I'm not in a position to move to the coast right now because of elderly family members I must help care for, but that is my long-term goal.  I hope this helps shorten the learning curve for someone else with the same issues I have.  Also, I have had this confirmed by allergy testing.  When I first went to Vanderbilt ASAP clinic, they told me it was impossible that inhaled allergens could cause hives.  I think after studying my tests and reactions they changed their minds.  I would recommend Vandy ASAP for anyone with "cookie cutter" allergies--sneezing, etc.--who wants quick relief, but not for anyone who suffers from hard-to-deal with allergies.  I was very disappointed with the care I received there.  When I asked for a copy of my records so I could give them to the next doctor I visited, I found my records included several mistakes, including a patient photo that was labeled with my name--but was not me!  One final tidbit I can share . . . I was concerned about coming off my regular meds for allergy testing.  I convinced one doctor that if I was having hives after taking my daily meds, that he could get reactions on his allergy tests while I still took my daily meds.  That was correct.  I was positive on both RAST tests and interdermal ones.  Vanderbilt on the other hand told me I had to be antihistamine-free for 24 hours before, but gave me steroids.  This was a bad plan.  I hate steroids and avoid them at all costs!  They cause me to gain weight and get yeast infections!  I took Vandy's advice, and their steroids did not control my hives.  I was so sick.  I couldn't walk across the floor without the bottom of my feet itching and swelling, and I couldn't twist the top on a soft drink bottle without the part of my hand that touched it swelling.  My throat itched terribly and I was afraid I would not be able to breathe.  Just know you can do allergy tests without coming off your meds if you're highly allergic.  I'm still looking for a cure, but I hope sharing this at least helps someone shorten his or her learning curve, and at least know how to avoid an attack if inhaled allergens is the problem.  If anyone finds a cure or good symptom relief, please remember to come back and post it here!  Thank you!

[5shelly7]

Hi Boninclyde, I have suffered with these monsters for 3 yrs now, I don't know how you have gone this long with them!!!. I have, like many people, had all the test done with no result :(...There is a drug that I was put on called Rani 2 ( Ranitidine ) along with the strongest antihistamine I can finfd, without causing drowsiness.
This drug was apparently for stomach ulsers, but they found combined with an antihistamine it works to stop the hives. This was wonderful for about 12/18 months, as long as I took them every day! For the past 12 months I the medication doesn't last the whole day, I get attacts of hives anytime from late afternoon onwoods, but at least I don't have them like I did before hand!
Sometimes i would get them on the bottom of my feet and I couldn't walk, the pain was so bad.I would wake up with what I called "My horse head"...lol
I do hope that one day we will both find a cure for these "monsters!


Good luck and all the best.
Michelle ( From DownUnder )

[Fakee]

My son is 9 years old, he recently started breaking out in hives on his feet, hands, ears and face every day for the past 3 months they put him on steroids  but as soon as he finished them they just came back, they seem to get worse at night before he goes to bed there seem's to be no cause of why this is happening but it's just getting worse as the days go on they put him on zyrtec 10mg once a day, it helped for about 15 days but now even with the meds the hives are coming back they have now gone down his neck and are traveling down his back. I hate making him take medication every day because they cant figure out why this is happening to him he's always been a healthy child and it seems a little strange for this to just come out of no where. Pleas help!!