dermagraphia

[dermagraphia]

I have had progressively more severe dermagraphia (severe red swollen patches wherever I am touched, generalized itching, sometimes my face will redden in areas of expression, just from moving face muscles)for the past 6 years. I do have seasonal and some mold and dust allergies for which I take immuno-therapy. I have been tested for lupus and thyroid disorders. Any other ideas? I am tired of dosing with ever higher strengths of Allegra and other anti-allergy medications that are of very minimal and decreasing efficacy.

[jifnif]

I have similar symptoms and i am researching uriticaria, my adrenals, as well as liver and kidney function.  See posts below under undiagnosed uriticaria.

[abigee73]

I too have similar symptons and have had them for over 4 years. We have tried the various allergy medicines as well as low doses of doxypin as well as Zyflo. They seem to keep it mostly under control, but I fall into the small group of people who have this for a long period of time. It may go away one day, it may be here for ever! I've had multiple consults with very similar answers, so I feel that I am getting the best treatment out there. One of the problems seems to be that while the medical community knows what happens in the body to cause this reaction, they don't know why. Keep trying, hang in there and any new news, I'll let you know.

[dollybling]

I fall into the had it for years, getting worse, category also.  I believe it is autoimmune disease.  Mine seems to always worsen in the springtime when the pollens start to show up.  I think the body starts to overload.  I take a lot of steroids for asthma, chronic hives, chronic sinusitus and still I get dermagraphia with a lot of itching, just not as much swelling.  I also have a geographical tongue  which nobody seems to know the cause of that seems almost as the same thing as dermagraphia, just of the tongue.  I also have a sister with the same thing.  Her son has it, and his daughter, who is only 2 has it so bad, even if she is touched slightly she gets it......

[saw316]

I have am allergic to wheat and wheat products, I notice this spring
I now have dermagraphia, I itch and when I scratch it leaves large
red marks on my skin. I was taking allergra but it got worse with
the use of allergra,  it got so bad I had welts that burned on my elbows
and stomach, thought it was shingles...........
I stopped taking the allergra and went back to claritin but that doesn't
work either.  Going back to the doctor today will keep you posted.

[MILLSKA]

I HAVE DERMAGRAPHIA AND HAVE HAD IT SINCE I WAS 14 YEARS OLD I AM NOW 35 ,NOTHING HAS EVER CURED MY SYMPTONS .DERMAGRAPHIA CAN BE VERY EMBRASSSING AS THIS CAN APPEAR AT ANY TIME AND ANY WHERE. I WAS TAKING THE MEDICATION FOR MANY YEARS WITHTOUT ANY SUCCESS

[Eurfwurm]

I feel that it is an autoimmune response as well.  I used to smoke back in the day, and during the time that I would smoke, my immunity to sickness was extremely high and my allergies were gone.  Since I have stopped smoking, It seems like my immune system has decreased.  I am 27 years old and about a year ago, I began showing the symptoms of demagraphia.  On peculiar thing that I noticed that is going on with my son, who is my replica, is that he is showing signs of Celiac Disease, which is another autoimmune disease. I also have a cousin who has the dermagraphia.  I think that autoimmunity it a genetic disorder.  For those of you who have this, please read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoimmunity.  

[Kirsten26]

I have had "dermagrahia" for the past couple of years.  I have been on every antihistamine drug out there, seen dozens of specialists and nothing has completely made the hives and sensitivity to heat and pressure go away.  Recently I omitted caffeine from my diet and the skin writing has gone away almost completely.  Please try it, no one has had any answer to this problem and I have done endless research.  I know how you feel, it is so embarrassing and don't forget uncomfortable!

[itchie_itch]

to someone who can help me...

Im lea from philippines and i have dermographia for 2 weeks now.. i want to know if this kind of illness is chronic?

Ive got this hives for maybe eating a milk fish or taking up antibiotics for my sinus and cough.. ive been taking up medicine for almost 3 weeks before for my throat and then this wheals started to appeared on my skin.. i feel stress every time i see my skin like this. sometimes i cry.

[notasitchy]

I've suffered from dermagraphia for 8 years. Recently, I've done everything in my power to try to combat, what I too believe to be autoimmune. I want to get pregnant but couldn't because of the hydroxyzine pills, dangerous to fetus. This past year I also developped severe sinus problems and dermatitis on an embarrassing location - all allergy related issues! I've cured my sinuses and dermatitis. My hives have been reduced by 50% !!!!! I am now down to a claritin pill once every two weeks, as opposed to 35mg of hydroxyzine nightly. (Miracle drug if the average run of the mill allergy pills are inneffective, which they were until... I consulted a friend who is very much into natural health/organics. What to do: take probiotics, quit smoking, exercise, cook all natural foods (FORGET any frozen convenience item/junk food/sandwich meat/pop/fast food/ strong household cleaners/scented laundry soap/bounce sheets/etc. TRY LIVING WITHOUT MANMADE CHEMICALS THE BEST YOU CAN. Best to stay away from: msg (in most frozen or convenience items, even some bread!), soy lecithin (all crackers, cookies and chocolate), minimize yeast, sulphites (very high in sandwhich meats and dried fruits, and in many other products - even bottled water!). There are many more things to avoid, but do your best, you can't do it all. Rule of thumb: If you don't know what is in it, or you didn't make if from scratch - don't eat it. Up your fiber and fruits in vegetables too, oh and water intake as well. Double rinse your clothes after using a dermatolagist recommended detergent, I like Ivory Snow. My cleaning and cooking takes more time now, but I wouldn't trade feeling almost normal for anything. There was a time where my problems combined were so bad I went into a deep depression. Thank god for my friend who showed me the way. Buy organic too (if you can afford it but it's really worth it). Think its important to mention that over the last 8 years I've seen three alergists, a dermatoligist, gynocologist, and about twenty family physicians for my various allergic issues. NONE helped me begin curing myself. They only prescribed meds to mask symptoms. My retarded family docs (many with limited training and from poor countries-as we are so desperate for doctors here, they'll hire anyone) even suggested my physical symptoms were brought on by me having unstable emotions (half the time I was crying in the doctors office because I was SOOOO uncomfortable) They could see my physical reactions, yet tried to tell me I was unstable, Bastards! They would;ve cried too if they itched like crazy, constantly had breathing problems, had chronic yeast infections with dermatitis, etc. So moral is: natural everything is best, clear your home of mold (forgot to mention found tons on mold in my apartment when I moved out), and don't give up hope. It is worth the effort.

[trap0001]

I have had this damned annoying affliction, Dermagraphia since 1999 - just before I got married. I begin to itch starting with my belly then arms then absolutely everywhere! Cetirizine (Zirtec) largely relieves my symptoms, I take half a tab every other day (and by the end of the second day the itching begins as a timely reminder I need another dose). A recent TV campaign is suggesting that ready meals (TV dinners) are possibly to blame with their high levels of histamines. A quick surf of the net to list foods high in histamines reveals that I should perhaps give up eating alltogether and just die! Chocolate is top of the list though, closely followed by mince meat and sausages. Then tinned fish, cheeses, bread, various vegtables and various fruits (which puts that 5-a-day **** to bed then). Source: http://www.nutritionlondon.net/phdi/p1.nsf/supppages/1012?opendocument&part=4

[peppermintp]

I'm 29 years old, and I have had dermographia for about 8 months now.  I really empathize with everyone's stories here.  I was diagnosed by a dermatologist originally, who put me on hyrdoxazine.  It's terrible how foggy it makes me during the day, and I had to do something else.  I recently went to see a top allergist in my area, and he put me on Allegra and Zyrtec.  They seem to be working okay, but the symptoms still aren't completely gone.  It's so frustrating to not know why this is happening or when it will stop!  It goes way beyond being embarassing, the pain from itching and the welts that come after are impossible to ignore.  I'm going to try cutting out caffeine as the person earlier suggested, since that is something that I have on a daily basis, even though both doctors said that it "absolutely wasn't due to anything environmental or food related".  We'll see.  

[Pete154]

I have had dermagraphia for about 20 years, and then 7 years ago I was diagnosed with Polycythemia Vera.
After being treated with phlebotomies for the last 7 years my dermagraphia went away.
I don't know if the two conditions are related but they may be.
Pete

[ukamerican]

I am female, 46 years old and have had dermagraphia for 7 years. Interestingly enough for a while I had mild hypothyroidism - diagnosed from a slightly elevated TSH blood level. While I was on thyroid hormone my dermagraphia went away. Now I am not on the hormone, because my TSH is now supposedly within normal limits, it has come back. I do find that staying away from chocolate helps enormously, as does using a hypo-allergenic laundry detergent free of dyes and perfumes.
I would never have thought that just itching and hives could make a person so uncomfortable. Sometimes it is so bad I want to scream!

[witchypoo64]

I'm an Aussie...Finally got a referral to a Dermatologist who tested my blood. It was she who found I have Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in the blood test. I've had other incidents of inflammation but ...My lower legs and arms have a nasty itchy rash with, after months, deeper lesions. I have tried many kinds of ointments, calamine and lignocaine, Betadine may be the best yet. BUT I also consulted a Dietician and she has recommened the purest foods, lots of fresh fruit and vegies, avoid preservatives. I have also been on a Very Restricted diet (tiring!), now adding back things and observing the results in the rash. I seem to itch every time I eat, so now trying to eliminate dairy for a week to see if that helps, as tea with milk is a staple of mine! The itch seems a bit better already after only 36 hours without dairy. I'm also off white bread, thinking of gluten and other preservatives bread contains, and having rice bread or corn bread as those crusty dry biscuits. Red Meat must be avoided as it contains Phenylalanines which aggravate Lupus. Deep sea fish (salmon, tuna, sardines) have Omega 3 oils naturally, and these are good to replace red meats. Chicken of course, but avoid added MSG as in e.g.much Chinese foods MSG is added. Hope these comments help someone else to ease their symptoms. In addition my depression has lifted. B.V.M.

[BowiesInSpace]

Hi everyone. I've had a bad case of derma (my little nickname I call it) for 2 years now. I got it from a freak serum reaction after my university made me take a meningitis shot so I could live in the dorms.

I've found a natural medicine for our illness. Weed. Don't laugh at me, I'm serious.

At first i was doped up on hydroxyzine and any type of antihistamine I could get my hands on. I hated it and almost had to drop out of school because I felt like an empty dead vessel most of the day.

Then I was put on regular zyrtec, which kinda helped... but I'd get the random breakout every week or so that would cause me to wait in a bathroom for an hour til my hives cleared up.

Then I started smoking weed. I saw a fantastic documentary on it and was curious. Now I smoke weed everyday before I go to bed (or at least once a day) and I haven't had an outbreak in months. Months!! It used to control my life and now it's pretty much gone.

The only times I break out now are when I visit my parents house since I can't smoke weed there. That pretty much erased all doubt concerning the cannabis plant.

[mdesign2009]

I had dermagraphia from the age of 14, it got worse in my late teens/early twenties. It was to the point where I could not play any sports or if something like a paper brushed my cheek there would be a long mark there for a good 20-30 minutes. It was more annoying than anything , but some times bad when I would cough a lot (almost like asthma, because I would swell internally.)

I would never just itch. It was simply a skin reaction to contact, scratches, etc. I took allergy medicine and it did nothing. Really, nothing would work so I just lived with it.

Then, at the age of 30, it just disappeared. I noticed it one day and scratched myself and a welt never appeared! Now, I have developed hay fever. My body has traded one allergy for another!

I think this is very much a heredity issue (my mom had it for a few yrs as a teen)  but I thought it would never go away. There's hope though -mine went away after 16 yrs!

[vsks]

How dangerous is hydroxyzine in pregnancy. Me and my Husband have been trying to get pregnant for a few years now with no success and I have had dermographia for about 10 years now and take hydroxyzine every other day.