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Freakin Hives

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Posted 3/26/2011 3:21 AM (GMT 0)
2 years ago, I got Hives for my 45th birthday. I really think it's hormonal, but I'm pretty sure that they have been lying dormant waiting for a good time to roar it's ugly head.

I always thought that my itchy hands meant "Money", the itchy feet "Possible athletes foot", itchy head "Oily hair" Itchy throat "Allergies". When my ears got hot I thought it was some type of hot flash. When my back suddenly got what I call an invisible rash, I chalked it up to a heat rash. I got every type of hives known, and it lasted for 7 weeks. I was actually writing on my skin. The week of the big gift I felt like I was getting a yeast infection, and my skin was super itchy. By Tuesday my head extremely itchy and on Wed it was overly oily and I took a comb to my scalp, and at one point I felt like I had scratched it so hard that it was bleeding. On Thursday as I took a celabratory shot of tequila it happened. As soon as I put the shot glass down my stomach and back had gigantic wheals. It was so freaky. I just stared at myself in the mirror. I was very non-chalant when my husband asked if he wanted me to run to the pharmacy to get medicine. I took a benadryl and went to bed. The next day I started itching like crazy. That night I took a scrubbing pad to my skin. I used a whole bottle of benadryl on my body. My husband took very good care of me coming home to check on me since I stayed in bed all day and all night either scratching or trying to get some sleep. By the 4th day after trying to act as though it was just a rash I broke down sobbing hystericall after my husband asked if everything was ok, because I knew that I could not control it with benadryl lotion and capsules. My hands swelled up and my throat was swelling up although I did not realize it till later. That day I finally went to the ER who gave me a shot and a pack of pills to take for 7 days. I thought it was Candida and put myself on a diet of only white rice, water and baked chicken. Needless to say I lost a lot of weight going from a 6 to a 3. I was afraid to eat anything for fear of getting the hives again.

Eventually I went back to eating normal after taking loratidine and zantac daily. Should I miss a day I get itchy and it scares the hell out of me. Sometimes my throat feels as though it is numb, as if I sprayed my throat with cloraseptic. During one round of THE HIVES, I got the worst case of heartburn and painful gas that moved from my back to my side. With the heartburn I thought "Great, I'm having a heart attack", With the gas I thought "Super, there's something in my body and it's traveling". Anyway, I get my loratidine at dollar tree cuz or a bottle at Wal-mart as it can be costly. I think that it's hormonal, but I'm also super stressed out so I'm trying hard to quit stressing out. It seems that I'm going to have to take loratidine in the am and benadryl at night since I have been feeling a little hivey around the clock. IT SUX!!!! I hate this. Why me? WAAAAAAAAAA! Seriously.
Posted 3/26/2011 12:30 PM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry you are suffering so. My mother in law had mysterious hives as well. They hit her when she was about 60. She itched horribly, had many doc appts and took a lot of different medicines. She even had biopsies which showed nothing. They disappeared a few years laters just as quickly as they showed up.

Have you seen an allergist yet? Allergy testing?
Posted 3/26/2011 1:34 PM (GMT 0)
My allergist told me I could take two zyrtecs a day (every 12 hrs) with no harm.

Things to do to help you:
1. Switch all detergents, shampoos, soaps, and fabric softeners to hypoallegenic brands.
2. Wash everything you can that you wear or touch in super hot water.
3. Keep all pets off your stuff and out of your bedroom.
4. go see an allergist
Posted 4/7/2011 3:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,

I think you have the same condition I have, Dermographia. It actually literally means 'to write on the skin' as if you take a blunt object and write a word it will show up a little later in a big itchy hive. I have red itchy welts/ hives that will appear at the slightest touch and seem to come out of nowhere. I recommend Zyrtec as my allergy specialist says has been proven to be safe to use even for a longer period of time- even in young children. Mine used to be like mosquito bites, after zyrtec they are still red but they don't have that white centre anymore and are not as itchy.

I think it would be very beneficial to see an allergy specialist as once you figure out what you are actually allergic to, you will know/ learn how to deal with it and hopefully be less stressed. It really helped me. For the longest time I was on a puffer and I thought I had asthma- as my throat would close up as well and I would find it very hard to breathe, especially at night. When I did my allergy test I was told I was not asthmatic at all, I am actually allergic to dust and because so many dust mites live in mattresses I had probably been having an adverse reaction to breathing in dust (yeah that sort of grossed me out). If you have this condition hopefully after you know what is triggering it (usually an allergic reaction) you will be able to stay far, far away from it or at least control how often you are exposed to it.

I am actually 23, I had a sudden onset when I was 17 and it hasn't gone away- but I know that some cases do after awhile- so I guess there is hope. This is a complete oxymoron and I always hated being told it- but if you stress it just exacerbates it more, this is REALLY frustrating but true. I find putting something cold on my hives help if they are super itchy and might calm you down a bit- I always keep an icepack in the freezer.

I have had those horrible nights where you just itch and itch and every time you itch it gets ITCHIER. It makes you want to cry on some occasions I have - but hang in there at least you know it means your immune system is working- which isn't a bad thing when you consider you would be considerably sick if it wasn't.This has actually pushed me to work on developing sleepwear for people with sensitive skin for a college project and I have found that the little things add up so cut off all your tags, make sure you are wearing 100% cotton/ natural fibres. Organic fabric is best if you can splurge and a nice loose fit and the flattest seams possible.
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