Random Swelling

[ashlynapple]

In October 2007, I broke out in hives from my neck to my thighs, and my entire face swelled.  I went to the doctor and got a shot, nothing has happend until January 2008.  Randomly my lip will swell, my eyelid, sections of my ankle or elbow.  One nostril has swollen as well.  They don't all of these at the same time, just at random times.  It has even happend when I haven't eaten or drank anything.  Any suggestions/ reasons why this his happening are welcome.

[Babs03]

This is so frustrating!  For the most part, I am awakened in the middle of the night with mine.  I have had a couple during the day, but mine start with a burning sensation everywhere I grow hair:  armpits, the va ja ja, you know the drill...  I immediately know what is about to happen....  I get up and immediately grab my round hair brush.  I scratch my hands like I am trying to literally take the skin off.  RELENTLESS!  The pain is unbearable.  I remember how the chicken pox felt when I was a child because I was one of the few who had it twice.  That is what my hands and feet feel like. Huge whelps (some the size of a silver dollar or larger) and the red flushing of the skin begins to take over.  And now, my tongue and airways are starting to swell.  Now, that's getting pretty darn scary.  What am I to do?  I have told several doctors.  I'm a simple gal.  Nothing really changes with my diet and medications.  I had several episodes this past year prior to Christmas, but before that, it had been probably two years since I had had one.  And then...., there was another last night.  3:30AM.

Reading this thread really doesn't give me hope.  I can tell you that as I age, the episodes seem to get worse.  I have told my family that because now that my tongue and my airways seem to be affected, be prepared to take me to the ER with the next one.  And that's just it.....  When will I have another?  If there is anyone in the medical field that can help us, please do.  Apparently this is a rare condition (maybe not quite so rare).  We need a doctor that can diagnose this.  

Thanks guys!

[AimeeKay1]

OMG!! Thank god for the internet and for the person who started this thread years ago!!!

Since my twenties I've had sensitive skin. I would break out in horrible "rashes". Patches of uber-dry skin that just burned and itched all the time. My doctor at the time finally said it was an allergic reaction due to the ingredients in the hand sanitizers at my work. I stayed away from them and found a moisterizer that helped keep the patches at bay. I was fine for almost 6 years. Then in 2008, after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure I started getting a rash on my arms.I changed meds and it seemed to go away and now it's back. On top of that I get these 'hives' that come outta nowhere. If I don't scratch them they go away after a few hours. My doctor at the time said it was from stress and could possibly be related to my fibromyalgia. Within the past few months suddenly the hives have started to center on my hands and lower arms, sometimes on my feet or ankles. If I scratch them the area where they are swells horribly and is sooo painful! (and I'm on percocets for damage to my back and it still hurts) The only thing I've found that helps is if I take Benadryl tablets. No other creams or pills help. And I have to take 2 which knocks me out. I also have trouble swallowing and breathing sometimes when this happens. Sometimes I have trouble swallowing and breathing without the 'hives', etc.
I've tried cutting out meds, I've tried watching what I eat, where I sleep, anything that touches me. I can't find anything that is the cause of it. It's so stressful. Especially when I have the breathing and swallowing issues because I know that allergic reactions can be deadly.
What I hate the most though is the scars left from the rashes and the rashes themselves on my arms and hands. Even my boyfriend has gotten to the point of saying it looks like I'm a druggie. He even jokes that it's a reaction to the pain meds I'm on. I'm so sick of it. All of it. I read every entry here hoping that at some point someone would say they had finally found a cause or something other than allergy meds that would just make it stop.

Yet still how many years since the original post no one has a definite answer.

I know I sound really depressing and negative right now. But seeing this thread and all the other people who are going through the same things I am ....it helps. Maybe no one will actually care enough to find out what is actually causing this. But at least I'm not alone in being frustrated, embarrassed and scared.

I'm going to look up some of the conditions others have mentioned here and bring them to my doctors on the next visit. And I plan to keep following this thread in case someone out there figures something out.

But I just wanted to say thank you. Thank all of you for sharing. Even if you don't have any idea of anything that will help. Thank you.

It helps to know you're not alone.

[Micribs]

I went through the same experience as most of these people did. I took Prednisone first and the symptoms  went away only to come back a few days later. Went to an allergist and he recommended Allegra. For me with in two hours of taking it all my symptons of the hives and random swelling went away. I took it for two weeks and stopped. About a week later started getting the swelling in my face again. So back on Allegra and within two hours it went away. For now I am on a daily regiment of Allegra until I can figure out the issue. After some blood test I did find out my body is making antibodies against itself so going to look further into that. I hope this helps some people because it is kind of scary when you don't know whats happening.  

[carlpat16]

My doctor told me that anyone with allergies anything can happen, I don't buy this and I'm looking for an answer. I went to my primary doctor. He was concerned that any time from the neck up that swells there is a possibility that my airways could close, I was given a steroid shot and a prescription of steroids for a week, the last time this happened. It was worse than today
thank you Carl

[gcanada]

Hi, i was reading your response

i have had 8years of swelling/puffiness, on my cheeks basically.
It goes on and off throughout the day, i havent found out a root cause for it
my swelling is not exactly painful or swelling type, its alotof puffiness, like my cheeks suddenly look really fat

i was just wondering why you decided to take Roll Aids (or you rolaids?) as it in an anti-acid.

recently ive been feeling that this puffiness issue is connected to my stomach.
so any help in this matter would really steer me in the right direction.

look forward to hearing from you  

Thanks, all your help is truly appreciated

[AllergyMother]

Try the allergy doctors in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, who developed a successful sublingual immunotherapy in which you place a drop of liquid under your tongue three times a day. It is specially formatted based on your specific allergies, like allergy shots. ENT docs especially are picking up on this. It worked for me, although my food allergies caused mucous, not swelling. Traditional allergists think it doesn't work, but I know several people helped by this.