urticaria or rosacea ? similiarities?

I am 68 years old and have never had a single health problem. Out of the blue, two months ago, I started a tinlgle, itch through out my body. Some strange feelings in my legs with some redness throughout my body as well. I experience flushing, with hot red face, and some rash on my chest.

Blood tests and allergy test show limited allergies to house hold mites and fragrances otherwise all measure within normal except for a high reading of ANA.  Neurolgist says no neuropathy at this point.

Dermatolist says it may be urticaria or it may be rosacea. Symptoms seem to fit both of these. I have tryed antihistamines and they seem to help but I feel like I am drugged for taking these.

I do have slight hypertension. i.e 140 in the a.m. but normal at night with control by cardura. I also take lumenesta to sleep.

Is there really any answer to the misery or is this just something I will have forever. i see the advice that less than 1% of some of the skin maledies are ever associated with a cause. I find it hard to believe with all the advancews in modern medicine that there is not more advice than topical treatement for symtoms (symptoms).

Can you point me to research or professional papers which would help me come to understand the physiology involved and perhaps come to terms with my malady.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Rosacea only affects the middle of the face with pimples and blood vessels, so I'm not sure why that diagnosis even came up.

You are right to be frustrated by our inability to assign a cause to many rashes, including the nondescript one you have.  Frankly, when there is a cause, it is often a disease you don't want to have, and apparently you don't.

If antihistamines make you drowsy, it's better either not to use them or to use a non-sedating one like over-the-counter Claritin 10 mg per day.  Topical anti-itch lotions also help.

Stress can cause these symptoms or at least aggravate them.  (Worrying about the itch produces its own stress.  Combing the medical literature is likely to be a barren exercise that will also induce stress.

In my experience, this sort of itch and redness subsides on its own in many cases after a couple of months, for the same who-knows-why reason that it came.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff