Hashimoto and Chronic Urticaria (hives)

[kdcdcd2]

In 1994 I was diagnosed with Hashimotos Thyroidits...then I was told that the Hashimotos turned into Hypothyroid...now for the last 9 months I have been diagnosed with Chronic Urticaria or hives. I will wake up with hives head to toe and am miserable but then by midafternoon the hives go away and come back around 8pm. I have seen a Dermatologist who says I need to accept the fact that I will not know what is causing the hives and to treat the hives (allegra and zantac) I have seen the Allergist who wants to check for an autoimmune disease which I don't understand because Hashimotos is an autoimmune disease or problem I thought. My thyroid doctor says there is no link between the thyroid and the hives and has taken a leave of abscence from his practice. I am now very frustrated and feel like I have to settle with no answers. Does anyone else have these issues?? or does anyone have any thoughts about this??

[Anniegoose]

my endocrinologist told me just the other day that IF i would start taking the synthroid or levothyroxine [its evil twin ::::smile::::: ] then the best way for me to take it would be to smash it up instead of taking it whole and THAT might possibly not cause my esophagus and stomach to react to the medication.

with regards to armour thyroid -- apparently, in order to comply with new FDA ruling, the manufacturer or armour had to change the fillers.  the dextrose was decreased and instead of cellulose as the other filler, microcellulose was substituted.  MANY people have problems digesting the microcellulose - which is why it is recommended to crush the armour thyroid pill now instead of swallowing it whole, like before.


i totally recommend reading mary shomon -- looking at her blog on about.com and also reading dr. david brownstein.

[Rhondan]

I just opened a group on face book. Hasimoto and cronic urticaria( hives). If you would like to join please send a request. The more we all know, the better off we'll be.

[kimmie8770]

I went on Methotrexate about 2 yrs ago for chronic hives while weaning off Prednisone 30mg daily (which was causing horrible side effects) and the hives did go away for about a year. Stopped the Methotrexate after about 10 months or so (didn't notice any bad side effects) and a few months later the hives were back. Eventually had to go back on Prednisone 10mg as needed for the hives. My lips also swell pretty bad. It comes out of nowhere! I have been dealing with chronic hives off and on for about 22 years. I have also been diagnosed with Hashimtos. I take Levothyroxine, Zyrtec, Zantac, Prednisone as needed, and Xanax to help me cope.  Hang in there! I know all too well how hard it is to live with this problem. I would probably say that I am depressed due to having the hives for so long and not ever knowing from one day to the next how I will feel or look, not to mention the side effects from the Prednisone, but I think about other people that deal with much more horrible illnesses like cancer and AIDS, and if they can deal with those kind of diseases I can get through this, GOD willing! Hope this helps :)

[lifeasana]

Ok, I have some theories:

I also have had an incredibly itchy rash that has come and gone and I have Hashimotos.  I go to school for Chinese medicine and am surrounded by naturopaths on a regular basis.  It seems that most people have experienced a rash after going on meds.  I don't however think the meds are what causes the rash directly.  If TPO antibody (thyroid peroxidase) or any other thyroid antibody causes a histimine reaction then whenever the TPOa is stimulated a rash will occur.

This is stimulated for different reasons with different people.  For example most Hashi's people cannot tolerate gluten and it will stimulate an antibody response.  I have heard of milk (casein) also doing this.  Post partum hormones can stimulate thyroid antibody. AND, thyroid hormones will also do this.  I theorize that if you do not have enough thyroid hormone in your system then the antibody response will occur.  This explains why so many people get hives when starting their thyroid hormones- if you take enough it is possible to override the thyroid and provide most to all of your thyroid hormones outside of your body, and not trigger your thyroid to produce more and hence trigger more antibody.

I take armour thyroid which apparently just changed formulations.  I was covered in this horrible rash and going crazy not finding much help from the MD or ND sides when I read on Stop the thyroid madness:

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2010/04/25/how-to-make-reformulated-armour-and-naturethroid-work/

that many people are chewing their Armour up and feeling better.  I started this a couple weeks ago and since day one my skin has cleared and I am just itchy sometimes but no horrible poison ivy like bumps.

Please don't chew up synthroid/levo as these are different, but Armour/ naturethroid can make a huge difference!!!

[kellyj1986]

Im in the same boat. Ive been told everything from "it'll go away when you start having kids" to "you have cancer" to "you're allergic to prescription drugs" to "its stress, its all in your head".  Ive done everything from seeing numerous doctors in emerge, allergists, dermatologists, you name it... no one seems to know why, nor how to figure out how to fix it.  Ive been dealing with this for 8 years and it seems to come in spurts. I wish there was a "Dr. House" around here who could solve our cases.  My hives get so bad that my welts get welts.  Because of this i also have a reaction they call angioedema, where my eyes and lips swell up in minutes.  It takes days for this to go away.  They've put me on prednisone (IV), which is a steroid to apparently help them go away... doesnt work, just takes your mind off the pain....  I dont know what advice to give you.  Polysporn itch lotion really helps numb the skin.  Other then that, benedryl, etc....  
You mentioned that you thought it was related to thyroid issues, which I find fascinating because I have thyroid (hyper and hypo) disorders in my family genes so the doctors monitor my blood every 6 months, but of course havent found anything........
good luck with everything i hope everyone here who suffers from this finds a cure!!

[wendy96]

Wow so many people with Thyroid problems/ Hives! I have been on Levothyroxine for about 10 years now. About 5 years ago, i would randomly have my eye swell up. Sometimes one eye sometimes both. It only happend every few months up until about 5 months ago. Now i get hives everywhere and every day. They seem to be really bad at night for some reason. My whole entire face swelled up 3 days ago for the first time. I've gone to the doctors and they want me to take about 8 different blood tests. However, if it comes out to be Hashimotos as so many of you guys have, it's not curable. I currently take a generic clariton in the morning and at night. Some days are good and some days the hives hit with a vengience.