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Chronic Hives
About six months ago since I moved across country and suddenly started to experience hives. I have never experienced this ever in my life, the only allergy I have had was to Shellfish and I stayed away from that. The hives seem to be very prominent in the morning and evening. They just don't seem to be going away. I am drinkning hot lemon water to cleanse my system and I was taking reacton but i really don't want to continully take pills like that. Is stress a big factor for these hives? Is six months a long time for them to last? I have seen an allergist but I was allergic to dust mites and still shellfish so should I go back to them and get tested again? What else can I do to get rid of these annoying hives? It's driving me crazy!
Thanks
Thanks
I have found that my hives are hormone related. I tried many doctors who tested me for a variety of conditions, and I seemed otherwise healthy. I suffered with them for 1 1/2 years the first time and nine months the second time. I kept a food journal, changed my detergents, etc. Yet I noticed that the hives were worse during or after hormonal changes. After I stopped taking birth control (I had been on them for 10 yrs), the hives went away. After I had my second child, they came back. Then I read Dr. Lee's book "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause" although I am not menopausal. He gives a long list of symptoms due to hormone imbalance (specifically estrogen dominance) and suggestions about how to restore balance. It was an easy read, and it has worked for me.My hives got better immediately and are either non-existent or minimal. They had been so bad that I could only wear a loose gown as my body was covered. I was also having chest pains. Here is what I am doing:
1) I use a Natural Progesterone cream in a pump at night. You can get it at a health food store, but Swansons on-line is cheaper (life-flo brand). Make sure it is Natural Progesterone and NOT Progestin or any type of Estrogen.
2) I drink more water
3) I avoid milk. I was never allergic to it before, but my worst reactions were after I had some.
4) I take a multivitamin, vitamin E, Flaxseed oil, magnesium, VItex (for gentle hormone balance), B-complex, and Quercetin with Bromelain.
5) He suggests eating more fruits and vegetables- I need to do better here.
It seems like a lot, but it helped me to get my life back. I was so frustrated like so many people on here because the doctors just seemed puzzled as to what was going on. Most said that they would go away in time but mine were not going anywhere. I hope that this helps.
1) I use a Natural Progesterone cream in a pump at night. You can get it at a health food store, but Swansons on-line is cheaper (life-flo brand). Make sure it is Natural Progesterone and NOT Progestin or any type of Estrogen.
2) I drink more water
3) I avoid milk. I was never allergic to it before, but my worst reactions were after I had some.
4) I take a multivitamin, vitamin E, Flaxseed oil, magnesium, VItex (for gentle hormone balance), B-complex, and Quercetin with Bromelain.
5) He suggests eating more fruits and vegetables- I need to do better here.
It seems like a lot, but it helped me to get my life back. I was so frustrated like so many people on here because the doctors just seemed puzzled as to what was going on. Most said that they would go away in time but mine were not going anywhere. I hope that this helps.
I do sympathise as I have been through all this and have Hives, you are taking a lot of powerful drugs and you really need to be off them all, there are side effects with each one, I am going for Natural cures now,to get off these drugs you will have to go slow but you will still get withdrawal, put up with that, it will be worth it and dont let them put you on more put each drug into your Search Engine for side effects and withdrawal symptoms.Prednisone is a drug no one should use the reactions can be long term,My hives arrived Mid May and I am trying to do my own research,Anti Histimines made me ill and I was also given a steroid topical cream, then my hair started to come out. I have stopped that and the Hair loss stopped aswell.I think they are advised by the drug companys to give Xanax and Lexapro, Xanax is addictive so then they switch to Lexapro, which is given for Depression,.Try a Histimine Free diet like I am I cant say it has cured the Hives but its a lot better than it was, you can get a list of foods and a diet from the search engine.Forget the Docs and allergists and all the other stuff go the Natuaral route you will be gald you did, Trust me. PS When the itch is Bad try dabbing on Apple cider Vinegar it soothes it immediatly.
I had chronic hives almost 20 years ago and they're back. It started last March when I had been under tremendous stress for about 2 years dealing with elderly parents. Unfortunately they're back. I've been dealing with them again for about 6 weeks. Originally I started with a medrol dose pack, two 150 mg of zantac daily, two Zyrtec, & 50 mg of Doxepin. Once I was down to the last prednisone in the dose pack they came back really bad. The doc then put me on 20 mg of Prednisone for 1 week, 10 mg for a week, and now 5 mg. As I am writing this my forehead is covered in them. I do fine when I am on 20 mg of Prednisone but I have to get off of it. My blood sugar is high because of it. Doc also put me on Lexapro 10 mg and 1/2 mg of Xanax twice daily. I've only been on them a couple of days. I feel better but I'm still getting hives. Does anyone have any further suggestions? My dermatologist added Tavist, another antihistimine twice daily, but it's not making much difference. I have heartburn so bad from all the meds I am at my wits end. Does anyone know if you can take Prilosec when you're also taking Zantac? Sometimes I just feel so helpless. I'm open to any suggestions! Does anyone know how to rid your body from all these drugs?
Hi,
In doctor speak, hives are known as "urticaria.Hives usually appear suddenly and go away on their own in a matter of days, hours, or even minutes. Chronic hives, however, can last for six weeks or more.
Some causes to consider are.
•Foods (commonly eggs, shellfish, nuts, berries, dyes, or other additives)
•Drugs (any drug can touch off an allergic reaction, although allergies to penicillin, sulfa, and aspirin are especially common)
•Pollens and plants (nettles, poison ivy, poison oak, and so on)
•Animal fur
•Insect bites or stings
•Exposure to heat, cold, or sunshine
Hives are a nuisance, but are not usually dangerous.
Comfort is the main goal of treatment, since most hive outbreaks are relatively minor and short-lived. To soothe itchy skin, try cold compresses, calamine lotion, a cool shower, or a tepid bath with a few tablespoons of cornstarch (the kind sold in drugstores) thrown in. Try an over-the-counter antihistamine to reduce your body's response to the irritant and to relieve pain. Ask your doctor if you should take antihistamine pills.
Ref:http://www.myonlinewellness.com/topic/hivestreatment
In doctor speak, hives are known as "urticaria.Hives usually appear suddenly and go away on their own in a matter of days, hours, or even minutes. Chronic hives, however, can last for six weeks or more.
Some causes to consider are.
•Foods (commonly eggs, shellfish, nuts, berries, dyes, or other additives)
•Drugs (any drug can touch off an allergic reaction, although allergies to penicillin, sulfa, and aspirin are especially common)
•Pollens and plants (nettles, poison ivy, poison oak, and so on)
•Animal fur
•Insect bites or stings
•Exposure to heat, cold, or sunshine
Hives are a nuisance, but are not usually dangerous.
Comfort is the main goal of treatment, since most hive outbreaks are relatively minor and short-lived. To soothe itchy skin, try cold compresses, calamine lotion, a cool shower, or a tepid bath with a few tablespoons of cornstarch (the kind sold in drugstores) thrown in. Try an over-the-counter antihistamine to reduce your body's response to the irritant and to relieve pain. Ask your doctor if you should take antihistamine pills.
Ref:http://www.myonlinewellness.com/topic/hivestreatment
About 10 months ago I suddenly started getting hives. In my case they appear on my cheeks and neck. Being the "I'll figure this out" type of guy, I researched hives online pretty extensively.
One of the best resources I found is a book by an MD in Bozeman, Montana, who researches uticaria, Alan Wanderer, titled "Hives: The Road to Diagnosis and Treatment of Urticaria". Amazon sells it for about $30. It's an extensive workbook designed to help clinicians diagnose and treat hives.
From it I learned that about 1 in 5 people will get hives at some point in their lives. Yet sufferers are able to identify the root cause in only about 1 of 5 cases. And the list of potential triggers are vast, including those I see mentioned in these posts, plus many more.
In my case, I believe my initial symptoms were triggered by stress, as my business partner of 7+ years was dying of cancer. I feel that stress is largely past me now, but my hives remain, triggered I believe by one or more foods. My list of suspects includes strawberries, pineapple, raspberries and possibly blueberries. I eliminated them from my diet months ago. Recently I realized nearly any form of tomato triggers a reaction within minutes. I also suspect diet coke and diet Dr. Pepper (maybe the dyes in them? or the aspartame?), as I recently enjoyed a 10-day period of no outbreaks while drinking only water. Then I ordered a diet coke in a restaurant and the hives returned (but was there some tomato on my plate that day? -- so hard to keep track of it all...).
To treat symptoms, I have found generic Benadryl to be the most effective. I'll take 25 mg each night; 50 to 75 mg if I have pretty bad outbreaks. Often the symptoms are gone by morning, only to surface again during the next day. I also take 75 mg Ranitidine morning and night. And Cetirizine 10 mg (generic Zyrtec) each morning. I'm not convinced the Cetirizine (an H2 inhibitor) does anything. Likewise, Loratadine seems ineffective for me. All of these are available over the counter. If an outbreak is severe, I'll sparingly apply a steroid Triamcinolone Acetonide cream 0.1%, which is by prescription only, which I find highly effective.
Still, the primary causes remain elusive. If I'm like most, I may never know for sure the triggers, but in time my outbreaks might finally pass as quickly as they came.
One of the best resources I found is a book by an MD in Bozeman, Montana, who researches uticaria, Alan Wanderer, titled "Hives: The Road to Diagnosis and Treatment of Urticaria". Amazon sells it for about $30. It's an extensive workbook designed to help clinicians diagnose and treat hives.
From it I learned that about 1 in 5 people will get hives at some point in their lives. Yet sufferers are able to identify the root cause in only about 1 of 5 cases. And the list of potential triggers are vast, including those I see mentioned in these posts, plus many more.
In my case, I believe my initial symptoms were triggered by stress, as my business partner of 7+ years was dying of cancer. I feel that stress is largely past me now, but my hives remain, triggered I believe by one or more foods. My list of suspects includes strawberries, pineapple, raspberries and possibly blueberries. I eliminated them from my diet months ago. Recently I realized nearly any form of tomato triggers a reaction within minutes. I also suspect diet coke and diet Dr. Pepper (maybe the dyes in them? or the aspartame?), as I recently enjoyed a 10-day period of no outbreaks while drinking only water. Then I ordered a diet coke in a restaurant and the hives returned (but was there some tomato on my plate that day? -- so hard to keep track of it all...).
To treat symptoms, I have found generic Benadryl to be the most effective. I'll take 25 mg each night; 50 to 75 mg if I have pretty bad outbreaks. Often the symptoms are gone by morning, only to surface again during the next day. I also take 75 mg Ranitidine morning and night. And Cetirizine 10 mg (generic Zyrtec) each morning. I'm not convinced the Cetirizine (an H2 inhibitor) does anything. Likewise, Loratadine seems ineffective for me. All of these are available over the counter. If an outbreak is severe, I'll sparingly apply a steroid Triamcinolone Acetonide cream 0.1%, which is by prescription only, which I find highly effective.
Still, the primary causes remain elusive. If I'm like most, I may never know for sure the triggers, but in time my outbreaks might finally pass as quickly as they came.
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