6th January 2003
My fiance has exercise-induced urtecaria. It just stinks, doesn't it?? The follow steps are in the order that my fiance went through them. I don't know if you'll have to do the same things but...
1. The doctors will probably do some allergy skin-tests on you (where they apply common allergens, like cat dander, to tiny pricks in your skin and wait to see if your skin reacts). These tests itch and may mildly burn, but they're not actually painful. This may give your doctors a better idea of your overall allergy profile.
2. I would guess that they will then prescribe a bunch of different allergy medicines. You may have to try a whole list, one at a time, before you find one that works.
3. If you try every allergy medicine, and none of them work, then the doctors might try prescribing a medley of non-traditional allergy medicines. Medicines that are often prescribed for something else (say Amitriptyline, a mild anti-depressant) sometimes also have anti-histamine or anti-allergy effects. My fiance was on a whole bunch of drugs that, combined, stopped his hives. Hopefully, however, you won't have to take such strong medicines. If you do, be very careful to learn of all the side effects, etc. of each medicine before you agree to take the medley. Doctors sometimes forget to explain all the side effects of each individual drug.
:round:
In the meantime, or in addition, I have some hives-tips for you. These are things that I have learned about and my fiance has tried for his hives. Apparently, some of these ideas work for some people some of the time.
1. My fiance swears by cold showers when he's feeling itchy.
2. Try anti-itch creams, like hydrocortisones, commonly found at Walmart, etc.
3. Also, try anti-fungal creams, often used for athlete's foot.
4. Try dabbing cotton balls soaked in red vinegar onto itchy skin (be sure the red vinegar has "mother" in it- it will say so on the bottle- the "mother" is the ingredient that helps the itching- red vinegar that you buy in the grocery store doesn't have the "mother" in it and is purified, so don't use it- you may have to go to a health food store or GNC to find red vinegar with "mother").
5. Try taking Quercetin, an herbal remedy often used for hives.
6. Try soaking in lukewarm bath water with baking soda in it or oatmeal. You can try the oatmeal bath mixes available at Walmart (ask the pharmacist where they are- they're often used for chicken pox, etc.).
One more thing: Like someone else mentioned, the good news is that there is a strong possibility that you will grow out of and/or suddenly stop having the hives. From what I've read, it's very common for people to start having them all of a sudden, and then, after a while (maybe a year or two, even), the hives stop. My fiance has had his over five years, so we don't think he'll outgrow them. We won't lose hope, though!!
I'm not sure about the genetic thing; if that's true, then the gene must be very buried within the DNA structure and very regressive, since none of my fiance's family have hives or even allergies! I guess it'd be good if it were genetically linked, since maybe scientists could figure out where the gene is in the DNA and how to treat/avoid it.
If I think of other tips for you, I'll let you know! Good luck. Let us know how things go!! :)
[This message has been edited by Anonymity (edited 01-06-2003).]
1. The doctors will probably do some allergy skin-tests on you (where they apply common allergens, like cat dander, to tiny pricks in your skin and wait to see if your skin reacts). These tests itch and may mildly burn, but they're not actually painful. This may give your doctors a better idea of your overall allergy profile.
2. I would guess that they will then prescribe a bunch of different allergy medicines. You may have to try a whole list, one at a time, before you find one that works.
3. If you try every allergy medicine, and none of them work, then the doctors might try prescribing a medley of non-traditional allergy medicines. Medicines that are often prescribed for something else (say Amitriptyline, a mild anti-depressant) sometimes also have anti-histamine or anti-allergy effects. My fiance was on a whole bunch of drugs that, combined, stopped his hives. Hopefully, however, you won't have to take such strong medicines. If you do, be very careful to learn of all the side effects, etc. of each medicine before you agree to take the medley. Doctors sometimes forget to explain all the side effects of each individual drug.
:round:
In the meantime, or in addition, I have some hives-tips for you. These are things that I have learned about and my fiance has tried for his hives. Apparently, some of these ideas work for some people some of the time.
1. My fiance swears by cold showers when he's feeling itchy.
2. Try anti-itch creams, like hydrocortisones, commonly found at Walmart, etc.
3. Also, try anti-fungal creams, often used for athlete's foot.
4. Try dabbing cotton balls soaked in red vinegar onto itchy skin (be sure the red vinegar has "mother" in it- it will say so on the bottle- the "mother" is the ingredient that helps the itching- red vinegar that you buy in the grocery store doesn't have the "mother" in it and is purified, so don't use it- you may have to go to a health food store or GNC to find red vinegar with "mother").
5. Try taking Quercetin, an herbal remedy often used for hives.
6. Try soaking in lukewarm bath water with baking soda in it or oatmeal. You can try the oatmeal bath mixes available at Walmart (ask the pharmacist where they are- they're often used for chicken pox, etc.).
One more thing: Like someone else mentioned, the good news is that there is a strong possibility that you will grow out of and/or suddenly stop having the hives. From what I've read, it's very common for people to start having them all of a sudden, and then, after a while (maybe a year or two, even), the hives stop. My fiance has had his over five years, so we don't think he'll outgrow them. We won't lose hope, though!!
I'm not sure about the genetic thing; if that's true, then the gene must be very buried within the DNA structure and very regressive, since none of my fiance's family have hives or even allergies! I guess it'd be good if it were genetically linked, since maybe scientists could figure out where the gene is in the DNA and how to treat/avoid it.
If I think of other tips for you, I'll let you know! Good luck. Let us know how things go!! :)
[This message has been edited by Anonymity (edited 01-06-2003).]