New Dermatographia: What is helping you?

Bhsloane -
Clearly your reactions to the vaccines falls into the allergy category. And the use of an antihistamine med has worked well for you.

That said I do have a suggestion about its continued use, if I may.

I too have a long history of high histamine levels. But mine are more in the genetic autoimmune category and caused by Celiac Disease.

My suggestion is actually a caution. Not that you will over use the antihistamine med - rather that by stopping its use prematurely you may eventually develop Adrenal fatigue (AF) and additional symptoms related to AF.

What is Adrenal Fatigue and why does it happen? AF is a condition where persistent high levels of histamine overwhelm your Adrenal glands ability to create 2 important hormones - cortisol the body’s primary anti-inflammation hormone and Aldosterone the body’s way of both maintaining water content by controlling Sodium and maintaining enough Sodium needed for proper nerve function.

Your high histamine is caused by an immune reaction to the vaccines, while mine was to gluten. The causes are different but the results can be similar.

You can continue to monitor your med use and only take the med when you sense the allergy symptoms. Or you might monitor your body’s CRP levels with periodic blood tests. CRP or C-reactive protein is an indicator of a body’s inflammation. And luckily it is treatable with injections of vitamin B12.

Why CRP? Your body’s immune system is under constant attack from minor dings, food reactions, insect bites, etc. That’s its job!

But we often don’t feel the inflammatory histamine levels that these minor attacks cause, because we all have thresholds that if exceeded we will feel or if not exceeded we don’t feel.
Either way, higher than normal histamine levels near your reactive threshold could possibly lead to AF over time.

Basically your antihistamine meds are a supplement to the body’s normally produced antihistamine called DAO. The bulk of DAO is produced in your intestines so as long as you do not have any gut issues the DAO should suffice. But any gut issues that interfere with its production can trigger the return of symptoms.

Clearly the causes of FA can be complex, but as long as the vaccines continue to cause any immune system reactions periodic use of your med could help limit the potential for developing FA and the cascade of other related symptoms.

I sincerely hope that your allergic symptoms do not return and that the immune responses to the vaccines eventually disappear. But, by monitoring your CRP is a good way to find out.
Chris47 -

I was diagnosed with Dermagraphia in 2002. I control it with 10mg Zyrtec at night.
If I carry anything heavy on my arms I will get hives, but I apply ice or a cold compress if the itching gets to bad. If not it goes away on its own.
I hope this helps.

This happened to me too! I am now nearly three months after my second COVID booster (Pfizer) and I still get red and have the skin writing condition. Sometime I just touch my skin and it gets red. My ears get really hot too. It used to happen more on my body — toros and legs now it’s migrated upwards and happens on my face. I have to take Zyrtec every day and that really only helps the itching but barely.

Hello!

I have had the same symptoms since 2 weeks after my first booster Covid shot in 12/2021.
First time when I experienced the hives, it was a disaster!!! It was awfully itchy starting from the belly, then moving to the back, then to my head!.. It was really frustrating!
First, I thought I have food allergy. So day by day I excluded different potentially -allergic products - like eggs, milk etc.
Then I went to see the allergist to make a food-allergy-test.
And that's when I found out I have dermatographia.
I was prescribed Cetirizine and Famotidine twice a day. The pills help, completely blocking allergies.

It's been 9 month I'm taking them...
Sometimes I stop taking the medicine to check if the symptoms still persist or not, but they do.....
As all allergy reducers, you need to take them for a long time to accumulate enough amount of antihistamine in the blood to block the allergies. Once you stop taking the pills, that amount drops down occasionally, and the allergy comes back.

I didn't have a chance to read all of the posts in this thread, but I'm curious, if anyone tried to get the next booster Covid shot made by another manufacturer and that has resolved the problem? Like if most of us here got 3 doses of Moderna, next dose to try to get Phfyzer or JJ instead.

If someone will try to do that and post about his/hers results here, that would be REALLY appreciated!
Good luck to all of us!..

Hello everyone! This forum has been so validating and insightful over the past year since the onset of my dermatographia after my Moderna booster in October of 2021. I am wondering if any of you out there have been brave enough to get the new COVID booster? I am approaching a year since I got mine and want to protect myself from COVID but cannot imagine going through the severe itching and hives again. I, like many others on here, have experienced lessened symptoms over the past year and my dermatographia is now manageable with only a couple Zyrtec a week. I would be devastated to regress.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I now feel a sense of confirmation that I’m not the only one experiencing these symptoms post COVID vaccine. I’m not sure exactly how long after the vaccine I began having the symptoms but my husband brought it to my attention. Sadly, I can no longer where necklaces as it causes whelps and itchiness. Carrying anything that touches my bare skin does the same. When I talked to my dermatologist about it, she said to take an antihistamine. I also have bowel issues and was advised by my GI to take Miralax twice a day which has helped drastically. It’s been over a year since symptoms began and have sadly accepted that I’ll have it for the rest of my life :(!

Hello
I just had the bivalent booster two weeks ago. 6 days after the booster I had my hair dyed and my symptoms started with severe scalp and skin itching followed by this dermatographism. My doc has me on two different antihistamines which helps the itch but when the meds begin to wear off it starts again. I also have esophageal tightness and flushing in different areas. This is horrible.

Hiya! I also had to load up on Benadryl when I went to the salon because of the dermatographia. Also: Zyrtec and famotidine (all H2 antagonists). I did get the bivalent booster (Pfizer this time) three weeks ago and so far the dermatographia has not returned. In November 2021 when I got the Moderna booster, the itching and swelling took two weeks to arrive. It started to reduce in severity about 6 weeks after symptoms appeared, and it was completely resolved by 12 weeks. I hope this info gives you some hope. Hang in there - in theory, as the efficacy of the booster wears off, the symptoms should too.

Hi! I got the Pfizer booster three weeks ago! The dermatographia has not returned. With the Moderna booster in November 2021, it took two weeks to show up. I think I’m in the clear. If that changes, I’ll update.

I've also been thinking about getting the bivalent booster but I'm nervous as well, with neuropathic itching on my arms. I did get an antibody test (I understand that it is not a sub for the vaccine) to see where I am and it was a "very positive" test result with my antibodies being in the >25,000 range. BUT still thinking on the booster. I hate to reverse course. I take a 24 hour antihistamine every day since this started up.