Recurring hives, rash

I have always had a strange issue with my blood sugar. I'm diagnosed as mildly hypoglycemic, but any time I wait too long to eat, or if I eat sugary foods (or chew gum, even sugar-free) on an empty stomach, I get hives on my face. I have never spoken to anyone else who has had this happen, but it is like clock-work. Usually one, but sometimes more, small red bumps show up on my face. Sometimes they itch horribly, sometimes they are pain and itch free. They simply show up, make a red spot on my face for about half an hour, then go away. They very seldom leave a mark...

It is a small thing, but its very frustrating! They occasionally signal an oncoming migraine, because if I don't get some other food into my system, I almost always end up with one. I know that the simple answer is to stay completely on top of my blood sugar, but that isn't always realistic, and I'm hoping that there is some sort of anti-histamine that I can take daily to prevent these bumps.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Hives result from dilation of capillaries allowing fluid to leak out into the surrounding tissue, the epidermis. 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 of hives is antihistamine which may be necessary for prolonged periods (in excess of 6 weeks).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.

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.Pls consult an allergist then.

Hope it helps.Take care and regards.