Urticaria (hives) & pregnancy

[mrspotter]

I am 12 weeks pregnant and for the last couple of days have had hives (cold urticaria I think it is called). I recognise it because the rash and feeling is exactly as it was when I was started taking the contraceptive pill twelve years ago. I stopped taking the pill once I'd realised it was this that was causing the hives all over my body. Now I am concerned that my pregnancy hives is caused by one of the natural hormones oestrogen or progesterone as the levels of these increase during pregnancy I have been told. I think these hormones are also in the contraceptive pill.

Does anyone have any experience of this? I am concerned it will get worse as the hormone levels increase. Currently it is only on my hands but when I developed it before it spread all over my body particularly my thighs but also my face and chest and my hands and feet were swollen and numb.

Any help or advice would be appreciated

[babyboyontheway]

Like some kind of miracle- the hives have passed.  By yesterday afternoon the hives died down.  It was a three day nightmare of rash and itchiness that I thought was never going to end.  I am so fearful that it will come back.  I really hope not though.  If it does I will go straight to your advice.  Thank you for your response.  

[babygirl1025]

Try my combo the dr. recommended of benadryl and Tagamet. The exact amount is in an earlier post on 10/6. Hives may also be from a hormonal shift that occurs at the end of the 2nd and beginning of 3rd trimester. My hives were horrible. Cetrizine is Zyrtec which did little to help me. I also tried Xyzal. Like I said, the only thing that worked was the benadryl and a prescription-strength Tagamet. Tagamet is for stomach problems but it is an H2 blocker which is a different type of histamine blocker than benadryl, that way you are attacking it in 2 ways.

[babyboyontheway]

Hi,
After never having hives before in my life I was alarmed when I broke out in them at 4 weeks preg.  (hives everywhere but my face- the week before knowing I was preg. for sure).  I covered myself in 1/2% cortisone and took benedryl.  Now at 28 weeks I am dealing with these hives again.  Itch-hurt-Itch-swollen-red...horrible!  The only thing worse than having hives is having hives on tight, already itchy, stretched out skin!  
I spoke to a few doctors the first ob in my practice that saw the hives said probably came in contact with something in the environment- Probably not from the Glucose test I took the day before.  Spoke to another ob on the phone who said the yes, probably a reaction to the glucose drink itself- it is the only change in my diet that day.  Spoke to my first born's pediatrician- she felt in agreement with the other two docs that the reaction could be to anything including the glucose drink and there would be no harm to baby by taking benedryl- so when I have help with my daughter so that I can sleep that is what I take.  Benedryl helps a lot.  Once it wears off I am back to the drawing board.  I looked at safefetus.com and cannot find cetrizine.  Does it go by any other name?  Willing to try anything that won't hurt baby.

[nu_mom2b]

Hi,
I'm 5 weeks and suffering terribly with hives.  Are the meds you mentioned ok even in the first trimester?

[babygirl1025]

I was given a prescription for 400mg of Tagamet 4 times a day. Then I took 50 mg of Benadryl at night. Hope it helps.

[Daniele78]

On the hives, I broke out (for the first time in my life) when I was 7 wks along.  They ended up treating me w/an IV of prednazone & then for a solid week w/prednazone & triple doses of Bendadryl.  It worked-they never came back.  I'm now 29 wks. w/my second & am covered in hives again.  Nothing relieved it before until the treatments (which my child turned out fine) so now I'm starting all over again.  They're miserable.  It was nice to see all of the postings.  The docs don't jump to the above treatments so maybe I'll try theTagamet.   Good luck.