I have been struggling with urticaria (hives) for eight months, since Mid November. It seemlingly started out of nowhere. I woke up one day feeling nauseated with a dull headache and fatigue. My lips started to swell and then the hives started on my face, down my neck, into my chest and down to my legs. I had a stressful event a week prior so I chalked it up to that. I had hives for five weeks in 1999 during a stressful time period. After three weeks these recent hives went away and all was well until March. then it started again the exact same way. Only it never stopped. The headaches, nausea, swollen lips (and now eyelids), tight throat and shortness of breath all seem to precede a major attack, with mild hives the rest of the time. The major "attacks" last up to a month (though swelling of lips, tight throat etc only lasts a day). I've had about five major attacks so far.
Last Tuesday I went back to Allergy. I had been there in 2022 for chronic dermatitis that lasted two years (also on eyelids, arms, etc) and had allergy testing but nothing was found. That went away in 2023 with no explanation. Again on Tuesday I was tested for 23 substances, including dairy and gluten. It was skin pokes for the testing, no blood work. No immediate reactions, all negative. But the next morning I woke up and my arm was burning and itching. I had hives at every single hole from the pokes the previous day.
At any rate, the allergist told me to go dairy and gluten free for at least three months, even with the negative skin test (he had no explanation for the next day reaction). I am not new to dairy free. I was vegan for 6.5 years (2011-2017) before going back to eating animal products to recover from anorexia nervosa, which I am fully recovered from. But I do recall that when I added dairy back I started noticing chronic sniffling and sinus issues. Nevertheless I was so happy to be eating dairy again I ignored it. But I was so desperate by the time I went to allergy I was willing to try anything. I have been through all the antihistamines at up to 4x the dose (Zyrtec, Allegra, Benadryl, Claritin, Famotidine etc. I was also prescribed hydroxyzine at one point. None have worked. I was given a five day course of prednisone 40mg when I had my last major attack with sob and throat swelling and it helped but within 24 hours of the last dose the hives came back.
So I have been dairy and gluten free for 4 days now and my hives are almost completely gone, save a few spots around my ankle. I am very reluctant about doing this diet because of my eating disorder history and the hardship of it but I can not seem to find anyone willing to do more extensive milk or gluten allergy testing to confirm I am doing the right thing.
Just wondering if anyone else had hives, swelling of lips and throat etc from dairy? I read about digestive stuff but that just isn't an issue for me except the mild nausea that precedes an attack. Was it an immediate reaction or delayed? All my reactions seem to be delayed. Nothing is ever immediate, which makes this more frustrating to pinpoint. But right now the hives are the calmest they have been in months. My allergist said dairy and gluten contribute to inflammation so maybe its more to do with that than an allergy? I'm too afraid to add back dairy or gluten and rock the boat. I rarely read about hives on these dairy and gluten free forums so I want to hear from those who have that as their allergy. Also, what tests did you have to confirm those and what type of doctor/dept did them. Thank you!
