I have Aquagenic Urticaria does any one else?!

[sonygirl256]

I've had aquagenic urticaria for 2 yrs now and where I live the doctor told me I am the only one that has this in the city.

I was told to do my research on this disease online because my doctor did not have much information about it because its occurance is so rare.

All the medication that was prescribed didnt work. Even using boxes of baking soda  in the bathtub doesnt work and thats what my dermatologist told me would get rid of the hives in the first place.

I'm sick of just dealing with the growing amount of itchy hives. My doctor told me with aquagenic the hives stay on the torso and rarely go anywhere else. After 2 yrs they have spread and go anywhere depending on the amount of time I'm showering/working out/ or even just standing in the sun or wearing my winter coat, and lately i just always have them.


I've dealt with this all alone long enough and I was wondering if there was anyone else who has it? Are there any other tricks of the trade to deal with this awful disease!!??

thanks alot!! <3 lauren

[Irenax]

Well, I have also been suffering from aquagenic urticaria since I was 12/13 yrs old. I am 25 now. I have struggled with it for several years (the unbearable itching and red spots and hives everywhere, every time I take a shower or go to the pool or work out). It started when I lived in Germany, and now I live in Louisville, KY. It has not changed when I moved to KY 10 years ago. I mentioned it to my allergies few years ago, and she prescribed zyrtec (antihistamine). It helps all my allergies, including the water allergy. If I take the zyrtec every day, I do not itch and there are not red spots or hives. Zyrtec does make you quiet a bit tired, but you can take it before you go to bed.

[takari151]

Actually I have the aquagenic urticaria also, And it doesn't just happen in the shower or the bath for me, it happens at lakes and pools, lotin, perfume and even when I sweat, I've had this for at least 2 years. I live in missouri and its usually really humid, And i itch almost all the time frome the little red skin bumps, they usually are from my neck to my lower torso.

[Dr_Aparna]

Hi,
Water urticaria, also known as aquagenic urticaria and aquagenous urticaria, is an extremely rare form of physical urticaria. It is sometimes described as an allergy. In affected persons, water on the skin causes hives to appear within 15 minutes and last for up to two hours.
Water contact can cause aquagenic urticaria, presumably due to chlorine or some other trace chemical in the water, although distilled water has been known to cause this reaction.
The reaction can usually be controlled with epinephrine, antihistamines, or cortisone-like drugs. Itching can be controlled with cold packs or commercial topical agents that contain menthol, camphor, eucalyptus oil, aloe, antihistamines, or cortisone preparations.
ref:http://www.myonlinewellness.com/topic/physicallergy

[alexa5207]

i think i have the same thing because every time i take a shower/bath i get these red itchy bumps scattered on my body (in no particular place), they itch like crazy but if i dont scratch them they go away within an hr or so...it also happens when it rains. i never knew there was a name for it though. years ago i used to getchronic hives all over and my lips and eyes would swell every single day. when i went to an allergist he said that i wasnt allergic to anything in particular but that i had a condition (dont remember the name) that most young people get for a couple of years and then it just goes away. i had to take benadryl, zyrtec and singulair everyday for about a yr...now that doesnt happen to me everyday, but the thing with the bath/shower does. i dont know if thats related...

[rubez]

I am 20 years old and have been suffering from Aquagenic Urticaria since around the age of 13. I break out in the rash whenever my chest or back come into contact with water from any source, at any temperature. I can take Fexotabs (an antihistamine) around an hour before contact with water to stop the break out, however only do this when in public or need to go out as soon as i've showered.
I read on another forum that a few people got piercings around the time of them developing the disorder. I got several piercings at that time and am interested to hear if anyone else did?
I wish someone would reseach this further and some day find a cure to this horrible debilitating illness.

[musicman123443]

I am 18 years old and first started showing signs of aquagentic uticaria 7 years ago. I break out in hives mostly around my torso every time I come into contact with any kind of water--In the sea, in the shower, even my own sweat.

I was wondering whether anyone else who has this allergy has fair skin. I do, and I was curious as to whether this was a common precedent. Please let me know if this is the case.