Hives towards the end of a virus (strep, etc...)

[mikewu]

Last year I got hives towards the end of a strep infection. This year again I was sick and now i am feeling better but getting hives again. The strep test from the doc was negative.

I am wondering, does this happen to anyone else? I am pretty sure it is not related to food or medicine. It seems to happen as my body is fighting the virus. An allergic reaction to...the virus? If so, why towards the end?

Benadryl clears everything up but I am still curious as to why I would only get hives AFTER the main sickness has occurred.

Like I said, no meds, no antibiotics taken.

I am interested in knowing what causes the hives and why the hives only appear later in the infection.

[jentrici]

DianaShea omg. I had several hives outbreak after catching a respiratory related virus too! I am still speculative if this is Southeast Asia prone as I relocated to this region a year ago from Europe, and symptoms oddly subside when I travel (due to work) to Australia and Hong Kong while on the tail end of the illness. I've never had something like this all my life so its frustrating and beguiling to experience it now. While zyrtec works to stabilise the outbreak, it doesn't deal with the root cause. My ENT referred me to a Rheumatologist who basically thinks my body is climatizing to this region and does not give me any further treatment nor take any investigation. My dermatologist on the otherhand is fast and hasty to want to pinpoint my condition as Chronic Hives and Eczema, and doesn't want to order a skin prick test... I'd never felt so vunerable and powerless before of my own body :(

[DianaShea]

This has been happening to me since I was a little kid, but became really severe after I had my second child (my son at 27 years old). I had always had allergic reactions at the tail end of a virus...all of my life. Severe hive breakouts, swollen lips, mouth and throat closure. I never realized that the allergy was caused by a virus until a few years ago, after being hospitalized on several occasions because of these allergic reactions. Up until 2 years ago the reactions to whatever virus I had became increasingly less severe, but have never gone away. I am 33 years old, and currently experiencing an allergic reaction to what my doctor said was bronchitis as I am writing this. Benadryl, prednisone, Sarna, the usual. I had always thought it was strep, but since my last few reactions occurred after a respiratory infection and strep came up negative, I realized that my body reacts this way to respiratory viruses especially when my symptoms are severe chest congestion and cough. So strange, I thought I was the only one this happened to, so many people thought I was crazy when I said I'm allergic to being sick...lol, I guess I'm not the only one!

[DianaShea]

This has been happening to me since I was a little kid, but became really severe after I had my second child (my son at 27 years old). I had always had allergic reactions at the tail end of a virus...all of my life. Severe hive breakouts, swollen lips, mouth and throat closure. I never realized that the allergy was caused by a virus until a few years ago, after being hospitalized on several occasions because of these allergic reactions. Up until 2 years ago the reactions to whatever virus I had became increasingly less severe, but have never gone away. I am 33 years old, and currently experiencing an allergic reaction to what my doctor said was bronchitis as I am writing this. Benadryl, prednisone, Sarna, the usual. I had always thought it was strep, but since my last few reactions occurred after a respiratory infection and strep came up negative, I realized that my body reacts this way to respiratory viruses especially when my symptoms are severe chest congestion and cough. So strange, I thought I was the only one this happened to, so many people thought I was crazy when I said I'm allergic to being sick...lol, I guess I'm not the only one!

[kezzza4]

Thanks for that information.

I'm very careful/cautious when it comes to foods, etc as there's a very strong family history of allergies.

The only substance I'm iffy about this time is a Sandalwood hair conditioner.  But, in having said that, I myself have had 1 or 2 hives too, which makes me think that it's really a viral thing.

The 1st time my daughter had hives we were suspicious she'd been bitten a zillion times by black ants but the 2nd doctors opinion was that it was due to the cold's virus.

It seems very much a guessing/iffy thing re hives?  In my daughter's case, this would be the 2nd time she's had it in maybe 2 years.  So, it doesn't occur very often at all.

thanks again
Kerry

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes. Hives result from dilation of capillaries allowing fluid to leak out into the surrounding tissue, the epidermis.They are of two types:acute and chronic(when hives persist for more than 6 weeks). The most likely triggers for acute urticaria are allergies to pets, horses, latex and foods, such as shellfish and nuts,bee or wasp stings,allergies to medicines,Viral infections, such as glandular fever and herpes, dental and sinus infections, fungal infections, blood transfusions and vaccines.

The cause of chronic urticaria is often more difficult to identify. Most cases are called chronic idiopathic urticaria, which means they're caused by the body's unexplainable development of antibodies to itself (auto-antibodies).
The mainstay of treatment is antihistamine and non-sedating antihistamines such as Cetirizine(Zyrtec) or 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.Also apply calamine lotion and mild steroid cream on the rash.

If the symptoms persist then pls consult a dermatologist.

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.

[Noahmart]

Well that didn’t help because I don’t have tha. I know I don’t. It’s not ongoing for a whi, it’s on and off towards the end of a sickness, end of a sickness as in days. Not weeks and definitely not six.benedril cleared it up after it spread worse than it did yesterday. Also don’t take baths, those made my hives insane. I just took benedril and a hive just popped up, I’m so tired of this. I thought it was my clothes or my sheets which all had been worn before and I felt like I was in a movie where the person is home alone and panicking because I was sitting in the tub crying asking god why this has been happening. It socks and I doubt I will find a solution.

[kezzza4]

I would also love to know why HIVES appears towards the end of a sickness.  In my case & my 4 year old daughters, we've got had the gastro [vomiting & diarrhoea tummy bug] which we're still getting over & now hives!!!  My daughter has had hives before & on that occasion the doctor said it was due to a colds virus she had, cos at the time she had a cold.  It also appears, she may be getting a cold again this time too.

It's annoying to say the least!!  And, am hoping that everytime she gets very sick, she's not going to be getting hives each time?

And what on earth do you do with the hives?  All I find that helps her is to keep her near freezing & considering it's winter isn't exactly an ideal solution, but it's one that helps.

So, yes I'd love to know more about sickness & hives???  What gives????