Urticaria and oesophagal pain

[DemiDee]

Hi all. For eighteen years I've been intermittently getting utricaria all over my body and at the same time, a horrendous pain stretching from my stomach up to my throat.  The only way I can describe it is as if I've swallowed something sharp, like a crisp, and it's cutting all the way down my oesophagus.  The pain and the rash ALWAYS come together, or at least, one directly procedes the other.  I have been keeping food diaries for the last 18 years, to no avail. I've also changed washing powder, clothing materials etc and again, nothing helps. Doctors say that they know of conditions which cause urticaria and they know of conditions which cause oesophagal pain, but never have they seen anything which combines both together, other than a condition called GORD - but this is usually in older people and nearly always people who are overweight, of which I'm not.  The pain often comes on in the evening or middle of the night, usually after or before the all over body rash (from head to the soles of my feet).  What on earth can be causing this??  I can live with the urticaria (hives) rash but I feel as though I will die from this pain one day.  

[darbsllim]

I am curious to know if you consulted a gastroenterologist and whether or not you found out if you had EE.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

I cannot think of any condition associoated with both urticaria and difficulty swallowing except eosinophilic esophagitis. Symptoms of EE can range from severe heartburn, difficulty swallowing, food impaction in the esophagus, nausea, vomiting and weight loss to urticarial rash.Mostly, patients with eosinophilic esophagitis suffer from food allergies also.

Diagnosis is obtained during an upper GI endoscopy where biopsies are taken of the esophagus.Treatment depends on the confirmation of diagnosis.

Pls consult a gastroenterologist and discuss this possibility with him.

Hope it helps. Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries.