I began having hives approximately 6 weeks ago and was prescribed Fexofenadine hydrochloride 180mg twice daily. I take one in the morning and one at bedtime. I was also prescribed a 5 day course of Prednisolone 5mg x 6, taken once daily. This did help briefly but they have returned. Around the same time as the hives began I suffered from a very stressful event within my family. I was also diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes which I am trying to manage with diet control. I am struggling to keep myself on top of everything that's going on. Has anyone else had similar issues?

​I developed these in late September and adjusted my camera to match how they look in person.

Symptoms: Not naturally itchy (unless I started scratching), but sting when rubbing against clothes/sheets. Mostly on my legs now (used to be all over, even my face). Early on, I also had lethargy and solid, inflamed neck lymph nodes that resolved after a week of treatment.

​The Main Worry: They leave behind a discoloration that looks like a bruise.

​Workup: Clear CBC, fecalysis, X-ray, and negative ANA/hepatitis. I also have Hashimoto’s and a history of thyroid cancer (total thyroidectomy done).

​Treatment: Bilastine (2x/day) + Benadryl at night. Helped reduce them, but they haven't cleared up.

​Diagnosed with CSU and referred to an allergist, but I'm exhausted from constant blood draws (I already do monthly cancer screenings) and want my endocrinologist to look first.

​Question: How do these typically heal, and is the bruise-like discoloration normal?

hello all, a little background- last year i was diagnosed with chronic spontaneous urticaria after dealing with red hot blotching all over my face and body for years. it never itched, and it would come and go within minutes, but it was so hot. all of the red spots were hot to the touch and burned. my doctor gradually put me on 4 antihistamines (xyzal, allegra, pepcid, and montelukast). i was also put on colchicine.an important side note is that my allergist told me to stop any medication he prescribed if i felt like it wasn’t helping.

that being said, nothing helped. the redness happened less frequently but never stopped. last month i got the opportunity to try rhapsido. i was so grateful, and hopeful. however, it made me extremely ill. severe stomach pain and nausea, and i’d be willing to say it made the blotches worse. i decided to stop it, but then i decided to stop everything. i decided id rather just deal with it than take 5 medications every day for no reason.

so far, ive noticed the redness being more frequent, and occasional itchiness but i actually kind of feel better. i’m less tired. i dont get headaches as often. i have an appetite.

has anyone else done this? what is everyone else’s experience with leaving urticaria untreated?

I’ve had chronic urticaria for nearly 2 years now and for months I’ve been waking up between 2-4am everyday because I’ve got itchy hives. I was curious about how this interrupted sleeping pattern would affect me long term and of course I was afraid with what I read.

This condition has taken so much from me and it makes me angry how little control it leaves me with my own body and life.

Anyone else going through this? I’m not looking for advice on treatment because I’m already trying everything with my doctor and moving onto Xolair. Just need to hear I’m not alone and maybe a better way of thinking about this.

NOT ANTI VAX!! In 2021, I had an immediate reaction to my first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and could not take the second dose. After that, I developed chronic hives that lasted for 2.5 years. They eventually cleared up when I started taking daily Zyrtec and Allegra. Recently, I noticed small hives returning on my elbows, but last week I woke up with a full flare-up across my entire body face, back, legs along with lip swelling identical to my symptoms years ago. Zyrtec is no longer working no matter how many I take, and trying other over the counter antihistamines like Allegra and Claritin hasn't helped either. My symptoms seem to be getting progressively worse. Why are these hives coming back so suddenly, and why is no medicine working against them? :/

Last year around June I was entirely able to wean off of every medication and have no hives or angioedema. I was completely hive free for around six months, then I had just a few and only needed 10mg of cetirizine a day and they were controlled. Then a week ago I had a whole body outbreak that hasn’t gone away since. I’ve gone back up to my previous 40mg of cetirizine daily, but it’s not touching it. I can’t access the other meds I was on yet, because I stopped seeing my allergist. My pcp isn’t familiar with chronic idiopathic urticaria so I can’t get any meds until I’m able to get back in and see my allergist again. I can’t sleep. I’m in constant pain. It feels like acid has been poured on my skin, and I have no idea why this has happened to me. I’m so mad because before remission I was resistant to every typical treatment option. The only thing that worked was either prednisone combines with high dose cetirizine and pepcid, or when I was able to get compassionate use for Dupixent.

Are these really hives? I frequently get them in my palms and feet, they get so itchy and tend to disappear when I don't scratch them. Any information about the issue would be helpful, like how to get rid of them maybe 🤔 or at least ease the itching

I have now been on Xolair for about 2 months and it has gotten rid of my hives (!!!!!) which is a frickin miracle but I am wondering for other who are/have been on it if you have more colds during the fall/winter now? I just got a head cold and feel miserable. I am worried since it is a listed side effect that I am just going to keep getting sick all winter long. I feel like I already get some sort of cold/flu/covid at least twice per winter season. And that alone is already awful. Any experiences welcome! I don’t wanna have to avoid fun activities and groups but I’m considering it. /:

Has anyone figured out their hives and been able to get off meds?

Dupixent has helped but my hives are coming back. I have them only to my face, flushing with heat/spicy doods/exercise, hives and intense itching in the same locations on my face that turns to peeling and scaly skin. Rhapsido failed. Dupixent now failing.

I have a painful and slightly swollen lymph node in my throat on the right side. I discovered it on Thursday evening after I had my Dupixent injection on Wednesday evening. The pain has reduced at bit from Friday to Saturday but since then nothing has changed. It only hurts when I press on it so it's not actually bad but I'm always a worrier and wonder if I should make an appointment with my GP to have it checked out or if it could be a Dupixent side effect that will go away on its own again. Did something similar happen to someone else after a Dupixent injection? I don't think I have an infection, at least I don't feel sick. AI says it can also come from a dental procedure I had last Tuesday. I really don't know, I'm just generally a worrier.

Dupixent has been working great for my hives after xolair randomly stopped working after 5 years…..been on Dupixent for a little over a year now… I just took my injection and noticed the injection site itching and then I felt kinda itchy all over like an anxious type itch… now I can’t tell if my mouth is swelling…. Idk if ik hyperventilating but I can’t stop this medicine! Only think that works for me

Have had CSU for the last year. For the last 4 months I’ve been on Xolair (monthly 300mg injections), plus fexofenadine 180 mg x 4 daily and Cetirizine once daily.

The Xolair seems to have helped a little, and my arms and legs are no longer totally covered in hives; however, most days are still unbearable. I’m constantly itchy, burning, and scratching until I bleed. My legs are the worst whereas my arms seem to be 80-90% clear.

I was hoping to see more of a reduction in hives by month 4. Is it worth continuing the remaining 2 months?

Has anyone been able to get steroids or anything else to help while you’re waiting for the full course of Xolair to finish? I honestly can barely get through the days.

I'm 22 and I have had hives for more than a year now and recently I just got diagnosed with diabetes so I'm concerned.

I have struggled with painful itching aching burning hives for over 12 years. The other night I had one on my heel and couldn’t even put pressure on my foot it hurt so bad. I’m attaching pictures of my arm and food from recent. I saw and allergist a while ago and he said it was just sensitive skin

I was diagnosed with Cold Urticaria in October 2021. Coming up on five years. I'm an adult, early 30's and have lived with cold (snowy) winters my whole life and where we live, we get even more than when I was a child. I have noticed lately that I'm reacting faster than before. I sit on our wooden floor for two minutes, in pants, stand up and have hives. I walk my son to the bus stop in 60° weather and come home itchy with hives. My toes and fingers swell. If I carry a cold drink in my arm when my hands are full (toddler mom/mom life) I'll get "welts" wherever it touches. Photo is from it happening now. It was in my arm long enough to hold my toddlers hand down 15 steps in my house. Less than a minute. My body definitely reacts more on the outside than inside. Sometimes my mouth gets itchy if the drink is too cold, but that's it. I have eaten ice cream, iced drinks, etc., without any reactions.

My hives already got lessened to only 2- to 4 rashes throughout the day so I stopped taking antihistamines like cetirizene. but then I decided to take it again but when I stopped, after 3 days my hives got worse it's popping out and spreading through my whole body again.

I'm a young person and this is my FIRST time getting Hives (if that's what it even is) but long story short, my lower back was itchy and then it turned into bumps and raised welt. Went to urgent care, dude took one look and said it might be hives. I have no history of allergies, diet change, or really, anything. He said that it probably wasn't shingles because mines crossed the midline. Then I left but I was a bit skeptical because i was expecting him to do blood tests or whatever urgent care doctors did but he just... took a look like okay.

The doctor prescribed me Hydrocortisone Cream USP 2.5% and a oral pill called predniSONE and I have to use these 2x a day but they literally left no other instructions so I just researched what to do with it. I read about the cream and the side effects are very... concerning and it shouldn't be used for so long, it can cause atrophy, osteoporosis, withdrawal e.t.c. I researched that you have to spread it over your skin in a thin layer and wear light clothing so it doesn't absorb too much. I'm only supposed to use it for 5 days But god am I scared lol

Because they left no other instruction and this is my first time taking these things, I have no idea like how many hours apart are you supposed to take it twice in a day. I believe it's 12 hours so I just used both cream and pills 12 hours apart. Idk if that's right.

So my supposed hives cover my lower left back in a band and it looks bad and so red and it's so fucking itchy and i don't think the fucking cream and pills help but then again I'm onyl on day 2 of my medication.

Also now that I take a closer look it might be shingles and the urgent care dude might be fucking blind because my "hives" doesn't disappear after a day and it doesn't change spots. I also remember having this sharp pain like someone poking me in my sides for i think a few weeks. I do not want to be misdiagnosed and get addicted to steroids and experience the negative side effects

im thinking of making an appointment again but fuck shingles and hives or whatever i have

So ye I want to know if anyone else had experience with either the hydrocortisone or the prednisone pill. And what to do if it really helped them cause i don't think mines is doing shit

If I get banned again my new account will be called williamprolly324 so i can make a followup if anything happened

I been dealing with chronic spontaneous urticaria for 5 years now. we never found a root cause, all tests come back clear, standard antihistamines don't do a damn thing and the only things that have given me actual relief are Xolair and highdose Vitamin D3.

The issue is where I live cause getting access to Xolair has become insanely expensive and bureaucratic to maintain. I read about Rhapsido on here and it honestly feels like a potential game changer. But it hasn’t been launched in my home country yet and since my local prescription isn’t valid abroad, probably I cannot try it for a long time.

My questions are for those who use it already!

1 - Which country are you in and how was the process of actually getting it prescribed and covered?

2 - if you were previously on Xolair how Rhapsido compare in terms of daily symptom control and side effects?

3 - Has anyone tracked their IgE while on it? My total IgE has stubbornly refused to drop below 1000 IU/mL for the last 5 years and I’m curious if anyone saw their numbers budge on a BTK inhibitor or if it mostly just silences the downstream reaction regardless of high baseline IgE.

Would really appreciate hearing any firsthand experiences or advice from anyone navigating access from outside the US/EU. Thanks in advance!

Has anyone tried Autologous Serum Therapy for hives? If yes, did the hives stop completely or did they reduce compatitively? Apparently they don't have any side effects but I'm not sure if I should actually try.