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Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria

So, I've been having chronic hives. Sometimes it's just one, sometimes it's twenty. They usually itch for about an hour or two, then stop itching, and then slowly fade away within about twelve hours. They seem to be a big fan of my lower spine, all around my waist (especially the front of my hips), the front of my knees, and my shoulders. Basically, they're concentrated in areas where my clothing or my joints apply pressure to the skin. (Case in point: today, I wore a watch, and there's a nice-sized hive right where the watch face was touching my skin all day.)

So far, I've talked to my allergist (who has come up with no suggestions except to take my one-a-day Claritin twice a day), my dermatologist (who suggested that I have dermatographia, which a quick Google search tells me I don't; his best guess is that something is stressing out my immune system and that it's causing it to freak out about innocent little things like pressure), and my gynecologist (who doesn't think my hormonal birth control pill that I started taking two months before the hives started caused the hives; I stopped taking it three months ago anyway, and the hives have continued).

In addition to the hives, I have also been getting headaches pretty regularly. I am slightly underweight, and my appetite is minimal. 27 year old female; high-stress job.

I have an appointment with my primary care physician next week and I'm going to ask her to do some blood tests.

Anyone have similar experiences or thoughts on conditions to ask about? Tests to request?

Thank you in advance!
2 Responses
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1530171 tn?1448129593
Also look into high histamine levels.
If histamine is not broken down efficiently it accumulates in the body
Causing havoc.
A trial of SAMe for a few weeks wold help you rule this in or out.
From my experience, most cases like yours
do not get resolved easily, despite seeing various specialists.
My other recommendation is to see a NAET
trained doctor.
They have a better record in treating urticaria.
I hope this helps.
Please keep us posted.
Best wishes from Mexico.
Niko
Helpful - 0
1756321 tn?1547095325
Studies report that as many as 57.4% of patients with urticaria have the presence of thyroid antibodies. Thyroid panel tests include: TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), free T3, free T4, thyroid antibodies -  thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), and thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb).

"In conditions of chronic urticaria, thyroid antibodies are not only indicators of chronic inflammation, but they appear to play a role in the disease process. In most cases, improvement of urticaria with thyroxine replacement hormone suggests that chronic thyroid inflammation may initiate a hypersensitivity reaction and an underlying thyroid hormone deficiency.

However, rarely, patients with chronic urticaria have undiagnosed conditions of Graves' disease. Researchers in the UK have reported two instances in which patients with chronic urticaria and TPO antibodies responded well to the anti-thyroid drug carbimazole." - Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies - TPO Autoantibodies and Their Significance by Elaine Moore.


"In about half of patients with chronic idiopathic hives, the explanation is that body's immune system is, in a sense, overactive. The urticaria is "autoimmune". The immune system is attacking the normal tissues of the body and causing hives as a result. We know certain urticaria sufferers have other signs of autoimmune problems. Some have autoimmune thyroid disease, vitiligo, swollen joints, or certain abnormalities in the blood (especially the ANA test).

A new treatment has recently emerged for autoimmune urticaria. This is the use of hydroxychloroquine, a drug originally used for malaria. In a clinical trial 83% improved or cleared completely when used for three months or more." - American Osteopathic College of Dermatology - Urticaria
Helpful - 0
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