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Horrible Hives
Hello! iv had hives since the beginning of last December and they are absolutly MISSiRABLE!!! Iv been to my regular doc she had given me a steroid shot and pill thought i was allergic to something and had referred me to an immulologist. Later that evening my hives got worse so i just went to the hospital to get it checked out but that was pointless and waste of money i was told the same thing and the doc had given me another steroid shot which i had told her didn't help earlier that day which is why i was there. I ended up never sleeping at night having hot/cold sweats taking alot of antihistamines that felt like forever. Did end up getting an appointment with an immulologist and skin test came out that i wasnt allergic to anything, and blood work was normal. Now i'am taking 2 180mg tablets of Allegra,Montelukast SOD, Ranitidine all TWICE a day and if i skip or if i'm late on a dose i start getting the hives really bad. Iam going to see an Indocrinologist early next week also. I wish i could figure this out!! I cant stand it anymore just wondering if it is caused by an underlying disease? .Thanks for reading any suggestions will help!
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I've had hives for over 2 months now. They came on suddenly and I have been unable to pinpoint an exact trigger. Ive seen a naturopath several times, which after completing sensitivity tests we had treated myself for detergents, pet dander, chocolate, sugar, coffee, hair sprays etc etc etc.
The hives came on after I finished a round of antibiotics (macro bid) and haven't left since. I have seen my GP to complete bloodwork, which also came back clear.
My naturopath is now suggesting LDN which sounds promising. Currently I'm taking antihistamines everyday to cope.
The only other thing that has come up from my past is when I was around 2 years of age, I was diagnosed with HSP. No repeat has ever occured however I have had sensitivies to other substances before like artificial sweeteners.
If there is anything you could recommend please let me know.
About 10 days ago I began to feel itchy and the next day I woke up with hives on my legs and arms and a little on my hip area which got progressively worse. I went to the doctor they gave me methylprednisolone and told me to take 1 Allegra a day. I did that and at first nothing got better but finally after about 5 days the hives began to fade and clear up. Then at about day 7 I got a new batch of them that today are worse than the first round. My chest, and arms are covered as well as some nasty ones on my back. I went back to the doctor this time they gave me a steroid shot and again it did nothing. They seem to be getting worse. I’m trying to track possible triggers and I eliminated my detergent for a hypoallergenic one. I’m supposed to get a call for a follow up with an allergist but I’m incredibly uncomfortable and also very nervous since I can’t seem to nail down the cause. They are worse at night with extreme itching. Benadryl doesn’t help. The Allegra lessens the itching but doesn’t cause the hives to dissapait at all
Hello @bshortle, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I'm sorry you haven't been able to get a diagnosis for the cause of you hives and find something that works for you. While we wait for other members to share what helps them I found some information on Medical News Today that also lists some home remedies to help the symptoms: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320268
Did your doctor suggest a followup appointment with an allergist? Since it might be related to an underlying health condition it would be a good idea to contact the doctor again and ask for some recommendations on a specialist that could help you.
You need a good internist.
I have had Urticaria since 2011, I saw numerous doctors, dematologists and was on a regiment of many different drugs, allergy meds, prednizone that didn't seem to help. I finally went to an allergist and they gave me cyclosporine, along with singular and zyrtek. This helped tremedously but the draw back with cyclosporine is it lowers your immune system. This was not an issue for me fortuenately, I was on the drug for about 6 months. I attributed my hives to stress to begin with but I still have break outs if I go off the Zyrtek. I have seasonal allergies so that may be part of my issue. Im currently taking 20mg of Singular and 20mg of Zyrtek. My hives looked just like your picture, I could also feel them in my chest, which would tighten up. Hope this helps you.
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1 ReactionI have had chronic hives for nearly 2 years now. Prior to this I was perfectly healthy, and never have been allergic to anything! It came out of nowhere. I have done every elimination diet, removed all perfumes and dyes from my life, tried every antihistamine (massive doses) and even the H2s (pepcid, tagamet etc) Nothing touches them except the prednisone which is only a band aid that makes you gain weight over time. Plus it's bad for your liver etc. I did find (by accident) that Ibuprofen reduced my symptoms (but for many with hives this will make them worse, so be careful) I have been to 6 different doctors (dermatologists, allergists, even Eastern medicine.) I went to the Mayo clinic as they are supposed to be the best! They pretty much told me "you have chronic hives and we don't know why" (No kidding?!) I spent thousands of dollars trying to find things that help. So far nothing. My last resort will be Xolair which I have started the process and should start within the next week or so. I hope you find relief soon.
I went to the U of M and pretty much received the same explanation as you did at Mayo. They did tell me at the time though they were doing studies on using Xolair to treat hives. I couldn’t get in on the study and it hadn’t been approved yet so I didn’t get a chance to try it. It was also very expensive if insurance didn’t cover it. I hope this treatment works for you.
You might want to go to a Dermatologist who specializes in contact dermatitis. The dr. will ask questions then give you a lot of chemical and natural patch test to find out what you are reacting to. It could be your laundry detergents, soaps, fabric dyes, I know it really saved me. the Doctor will give your results to Mayo Clinics skinsafe website and you will see all the products that you can use that do not contain your allergy.
Hello @candyce, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thank you for sharing your experience and information on the testing. This is really helpful for members trying to figure out what is going on. Are you able to share what the tests found that was causing your allergic reactions?