Urticaria/Hives??

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Hello my lovely fellow Crohnies....

Ok, so my body is covered (and I mean covered :-o ) in Urticaria/Hives rash..... I have taken antihistamines to no avail....

Whilst I am not that concerned with the rash itself... I know it will go in a few days, I am more intrigued by its source.... I have hay fever, but it's nothing serious, a bit of tree pollen each April/May and it's usually done. I have read about it being possibly triggered by having an underlying disorder with an immune system....

I ask whether any of you have every suffered this rather annoying ailment....? I have attached a rather unflattering photo of my face taken about 30 mins ago.... apologies if I scare anyone :-S
xxx
 

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Hi Katie...wow ! I just put a picture of my daughters back in my albums for the exact same reason! We have also been wondering if it's another auto-immune disorder coming on. She is seeing a new dermatologist, but currently has a staph infection on top of it, so we have to wait to try and figure out the other skin issues. :ywow: She has tried benadryl over and over with no help, special soaps, special lotions, etc...nothing works. She takes prescription Atarax for the itch, which does ease that part some, but we have no idea what is causing it.

What meds are you on currently?
I'm just wondering if yours could be a possible (delayed?) allergic reaction to something?

I hope you figure it out quicker than we have !
hugs,
~T~
 
Thank you Tracy for your reply! :-D
It happened last year, but not like this... not to this extent.... Annoyingly I saw my consultant last week for my check up... next one's not for 6 months! Grrrr! My other half took me to a walk in clinic this morning as I think he was a tad worried.... a nurse confirmed it was a reaction, not serious... but wondered a trigger, yet I had done nothing out of the ordinary yesterday... so then it got me wondering about a crohn's link...

I am on:
Azathioprine (have been on it for years), cholestyramine, contraceptive pill, and Cephalexin (for repetitive UTIs, also been on for years)....

Would any of these be related? The only new-ish one is the cholestyramine, but I cannot see how that would react? And I have been on it for a good 6 months now.... hmmm (I am sooo itchy,,... my new name should be scratch-a-saurus)!

:-D xxx
 
I have developed allergies to anti-biotics (such as Cephalexin) that I used to be able to take, and then all of the sudden I am allergic.
However, I see in your first post that you are using anti-histamines, and I am assuming they are not helping ?
In my opinion if it were "hives" or an allergic reaction the anti-histamines should relieve them/lessen them some ??
That's why we're so stumped with Gab...the benadryl does not take them away what so ever.
Her's is really dry and scaly to a point though, so we are thinking possible severe psoriasis.

I wish I could help you more, but hey, maybe two brains are a bit more helpful than one ? LOL maybe someone else will jump in here and be able to help.
I don't want to speculate on your other meds as I really don't have a lot of experience with them, and Gab is currently on no treatments except an anti-biotic for the staph infection, so I know it's not medication causing hers.

Be careful with your hives though, because they are new to you, (Gab has had them for 2 months) and if they seem to be developing in your mouth than you should seek medical help so they do not spread to your throat, which could be very dangerous.

Sorry I am not more help :eek:
 
Many thanks for your kind reply.... they are on my lips, but not in my throat... The nurse did say that I should treat as an emergency if it were to.

Yes, sorry I only wrote my usual meds there, yes I am taking piriton in the evenings and loratadine during the day (so not to get too sleepy).... they don't seem to be doing much...

Hmmm my hands, feet and knees are all 'puffy' (for want of a better word),.... however, I wouldn't say the rash is scaly and is only dry if I scratch too much...

I really hope your Gab gets it sorted soon..... am sure something will work soon.... and if not it sounds like your a brilliant Mum to have around! :-D

And I just hope it clears up so I don't scare the patients on Monday! :-D xxxx
 
Hiya Katie

Don't know if you've told gastro?
Mine was like that, all over my torso and legs, very itchy and bleeding, very sore.
I was allergic to Azathioprine and doc stopped it immediately, he said it was the worst case he'd ever seen. He switched me to Mercaptupurine, and within weeks it happened again. It happened over Winter so I knew it wasn't hay fever. Piriton didn't help, neither did any anti histermines.
I know you've been on Aza for a while, but get it checked just in case. Maybe it's cos of the new med with the Aza, and it's having a dicky fit!
good luck, feel for ya!
xxx
 
Oh Katie

I sympathise with you hunny, I had severe hives as a result of an allergy to the anti D *** when pregnant with my second child. They eventually went away after about 8 weeks. I had to have steroids as well as antihistamines. Ever since they re-occur every now and again for no apparent reason. I saw a skin specialist who prescribed Doxepin to get rid of them, it is a wonder drug for hives, although it is actually an anti depressant, it has very high antihistamine properties and works when antihistamines don't! The only downside is that it can make you very drowsy :(
Also, if you are very itchy, get your doctor to prescribe you aqueous cream with 2% menthol, it makes you feel cold when you apply it but is fabulous for taking the itch out of the hives. Without this cream the itching was unbearable!!! Good luck :)

Paula
x
 
For the majority of people urticarial is idiopathic (aka haven't got a clue), but it can be a result of allergy to medicines... not that likely in view of the fact you have been on them for ages but it would be worth just letting your consultant know.
Antihistamines work well, and also strangely drugs like ranitidine ( for stomach acid) because they are h2 blockers so block the histamine pathway.
 
Thank you so much Joan, Paula and littlemissh!

Joan: Oh dear, bleeding? That sounds awful.... mine is just sooo itchy. I actually woke myself up last night as I had been scratching my hand vigorously in my sleep!! Unfortunately I haven't told my gastro.... annoyingly I saw mine on Thurs.... and he said he didn't need to see me for another 6 months.... and then this started Friday.... hmmm! The antihistamines don't seem to do much like you suggest... so I think I will see what happens in the next day or so, and if nothing changes I will go to my G.P. and see whether she thinks I should see my gastro sooner :)

Paula: I cannot imagine having this whilst pregnant is much fun!! Dearyme, I am glad it's cleared up now for you! Good thinking with the aqueous cream.... If I go to the G.P. I will try and get some of that!! The itchiness is the worst! Am scratching myself to death... feel like I need oven gloves on my hands! :)

Littlemissh: The only thing that may have triggered it is my friend's hamster, however, I have held it many times in the past! So I think the idiopathic route may be only option.... I shall look into ranitidine! :)


Thank you all again..... My joints (esp. wrists and ankles) are very sore at the moment I just hope that this stops soon! :-D
xxx
 
Hiya Katie

Mine bled cos I scratched them so much! The itch and scratch cycle.
I put up with it all over Xmas and only went to see gastro around February, he went mental!
My gastro sees me every 6 months too but would always see me if I phoned up for an appt, so yeah see your doc.
I don't think a little hamster would do that to you! But stranger things have happened!
Hope you feel better soon
xxx
 
Hey Katie

I highly recommend the aqueous cream, but make sure you get 2% menthol put into it, the chemist will have to make this up for you specially, normal cream minus the menthol won't do anything for the itching. I tell you, without it I would have gone crazy with the itching. Yeah it was awful having this while pregnant and to top it off, just as the hives were going, I got chicken pox due to taking the steroids and coming into contact with someone (unknowingly) while pregnant, so the cream came in handly for the chicken pox too!!! :)

The antihistamines stopped working for me which is why I got the doxepin and it is brilliant!

Good luck Katie, keep up informed on how you're getting on :)

Hugs

Paula
x
 
Hi Katie,

i don't have hayfever but i have these hives at the m inute too. Iget them quite regularly but not on my face, just my torso.

They are the dreadful, and the anti-histamines do nothing for them with me either.

hope you get some overdue relief soon

bruscar
 

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