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Peri menopause and hives
I have been suffering with hives for about 4 years now..and have been in peri menopause for almost 10. The hives started on my wrists and the ball of my palm. I blamed it on my keyboard pad at work and just thought it was maybe the rubber.
Gradually, I would be just watching tv or waking up from a nap and I would notice my buttocks covered in hives..raised large and extremely itchy. Gradually, it would break out on my legs. I couldn't really cover that up and it looked gross. It also itched terribly. Driving and running around doing errands made it worse.
I took benadryl, which usually helped, but after a few days it would come back.
The doctor put me on Zoloft for stress and considered the hives a seperate issue. I've been on the Zoloft for 2 years now and the only changes in the hives is that I can tell when they're coming on and I take benadryl or put cream on. My skin crawls and stings.
I've even been to an allergist, who said he didn't know what it was, but I'm allergic to all sorts of things and they are all part of my environment with no sudden reactions. Like lettuce, pets, etc.
I've been tracking the breakouts, they ALWAYS start appx a week before or the day of my period.
I've seen a few articles related to medications and supplements addressing studies that are exploring hives and menopause. Can anyone site an actual study, so I can show my doctor...I am going nuts?
Thanks
Gradually, I would be just watching tv or waking up from a nap and I would notice my buttocks covered in hives..raised large and extremely itchy. Gradually, it would break out on my legs. I couldn't really cover that up and it looked gross. It also itched terribly. Driving and running around doing errands made it worse.
I took benadryl, which usually helped, but after a few days it would come back.
The doctor put me on Zoloft for stress and considered the hives a seperate issue. I've been on the Zoloft for 2 years now and the only changes in the hives is that I can tell when they're coming on and I take benadryl or put cream on. My skin crawls and stings.
I've even been to an allergist, who said he didn't know what it was, but I'm allergic to all sorts of things and they are all part of my environment with no sudden reactions. Like lettuce, pets, etc.
I've been tracking the breakouts, they ALWAYS start appx a week before or the day of my period.
I've seen a few articles related to medications and supplements addressing studies that are exploring hives and menopause. Can anyone site an actual study, so I can show my doctor...I am going nuts?
Thanks
By the way, if you do a search (top right hand corner of this page), on hives, you'll find that you're not alone with this problem. :)
Stress is one HUGE factor in the immune system and the immune system, when low can trigger allergies. Hives CAN be triggered by stress and let's face it, our bodies are going through STRESS during menopausal changes! :)
Allergies are funny things. They can lay dormant, causing no problems until our stress levels are raised. Our moods can also affect stress levels in our bodies and menopause is a time of mood changes. So, it all goes hand in hand with raised reactions to certain things that we'd normally have very small allergic response to. Hives can also simply be the body's way of showing internal stress.
Have you tried relaxation therapies such as deep breathing, yoga, exercise, meditation or simply doing something that you truly enjoy doing more often? Do you have a support system to unload/vent to? Are you keeping your body healthy with healthy foods? Are you taking a multivitamin appropriate to your stage of life? If you're having personal problems that seem heavy on your mind, are you getting help to help you cope better with them? These are all things that can truly help. Hives are a symptom that something is going on within your body that is throwing your immune system out of whack to allergens. Try keeping a log of things that you've eaten, come in contact with etc., along with your feelings, emotions, moods and stress levels. You may find that it's combinations of things that cause it.
Let us know and update us if you find some other answers! It may help others as well.
Allergies are funny things. They can lay dormant, causing no problems until our stress levels are raised. Our moods can also affect stress levels in our bodies and menopause is a time of mood changes. So, it all goes hand in hand with raised reactions to certain things that we'd normally have very small allergic response to. Hives can also simply be the body's way of showing internal stress.
Have you tried relaxation therapies such as deep breathing, yoga, exercise, meditation or simply doing something that you truly enjoy doing more often? Do you have a support system to unload/vent to? Are you keeping your body healthy with healthy foods? Are you taking a multivitamin appropriate to your stage of life? If you're having personal problems that seem heavy on your mind, are you getting help to help you cope better with them? These are all things that can truly help. Hives are a symptom that something is going on within your body that is throwing your immune system out of whack to allergens. Try keeping a log of things that you've eaten, come in contact with etc., along with your feelings, emotions, moods and stress levels. You may find that it's combinations of things that cause it.
Let us know and update us if you find some other answers! It may help others as well.
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