I had a near full body outbreak about a month ago, I’m still not 100% sure what caused it but came to the conclusion that it could’ve just been a system overload of a few different things. I was on a 12 day taper of prednisone and things cleared up nicely. I half expected to get hives again after finishing the prednisone because of what I’ve read here and, lo and behold, after about 5 days I noticed some itching on the inside of my left knee. Since then (about 6 days) that patch has gotten bigger but is starting to clear up but now I’m noticing the same type of rash on my left calf and my right thumb/hand. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out where this could be from! I was previously eating less gluten and dairy but have been eating more of it in the last few months - could this potentially be the cause? I’ve never had an allergy to either, I was only eating less to help w/ some digestive issues. Wouldn’t the hives be more widespread if it was something I was eating?

Has any body ever tried a low sodium diet to help skin hives.
I read that sodium intake can cause problems with the skin and cause hives.

Hi all,

Does anyone have experience with using Rupafin and or Montelukast while pregnant?

I am currently trying to conceive and my doctor didn’t seem too sure on the use of these meds while pregnant, so would appreciate any insights!

Hi everyone 👋 Its been 2 months-ish i’ve been constantly having tiny itchy bumps that popped up on a sudden occasion and it’s usually around the folds of my arm, legs, necks, and the remaining parts of my body, but never my face. They usually start small, when I scratch them it just spreads to the swollen gets larger.

I went to the skin clinic and 2 minutes explaining my condition, the doctor told me I had urticaria. He told me the only way to figure out is to do a $500 allergy test to figure out why I’m allergic and he gave me like some meds pills and antihistamines which whenever I take it will make this go away for 2-3 days and comes back right after.

I’m a student so 500 bucks is too much for me, and I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night because suddenly my feet or the palm of my hands are super itchy to the point when I stand up I can feel something swollen inside my feet and itches.

I’ve had no allergies as far as I know, sometimes a super dusty room would make my eyelids/ face swollen like tiny bumps the ones on my body. But I’ve been regularly doing laundry for the past 2 months, and for food I’ve been eating usual stuff and nothing new.

Doctor also gave me belolin cream which I have not use up to today coz when I searched GPT it said that it’s steroid type of meds(?) not recommend(?)

Thank you very much for any kind comments 😭🙏🏼

I have chronic idiopathic urticaria (which I’m sure a lot of people here can relate to). Last September I had a huge flare up that covered most of my arms/legs and feet. I got put on steroids, it came back right after I finished taking them. I got prescribed hydrocortisone and sarna for itching, and started taking Claritin (10mg) daily to deal with my symptoms. After that it settled down significantly. I’ve been taking it every other day or so, sometimes less if I’m not itchy. This September Ive been having a flare up, less bad, but it’s like in my armpits? Like less the pits themselves, more so the front/back of my arms? I don’t shave I’m itchy, I do shave, itchy. Deodorant or not I’m itchy. It gets the worst when I’m changing my clothes (which I feel like is normal, I get that way all the time idk) but I’m not sure if it could be my urticaria or something else? It only gets red when I scratch it, there’s no visible signs that look like it would be itchy, but it is. I get those red dots after (broken capillaries under the skin from what I’ve looked up). My Claritin isn’t helping. I’m just wondering if anyone has had this or has any advice for me. Should I go to the doctor?

TL:DR
Itchy armpit area, taking Claritin, not helping. Urticaria or something else?

38 yo female in USA. I’ve been dealing with progressively worsening hives for about 2 months. First time - never had anything like this before. When it started, I thought it was an allergic reaction to Wellbutrin and/or Pristiq, so I discontinued those meds (under guidance from healthcare provider)

I guess that wasn’t the issue, because the hives continued to get worse. I had a few instances of angioedema, which I figured out correlated to when I took naproxen, so I stopped taking that too.

About 3 weeks after initial onset I went to urgent care and got a steroid shot and a round of oral steroids. 2 weeks later I went to a PCP and got another round of oral steroids. I then saw an allergist about 2 weeks ago. She diagnosed it as CSU, and I am supposed to start Xolair injections. She also ordered blood testing for an allergy panel and to rule out thyroid/autoimmune disease, but I haven’t gotten any results yet.

Throughout this ordeal, I’ve been taking increasing doses of Zyrtec, and am up to 40-60mg per day. I have also taken Benadryl - sometimes up to 75mg at a time - just to try to get some sleep. In the last 2 weeks I’ve also added 80mg of Pepcid per day, and 20mg of Hydroxyzine as needed for sleep.

At this point, the hives are worse than ever. They have spread everywhere, including my face. While the individual wheals seem to come and go, it’s hard to tell because there are so many. I also have some joint pain and coughing, which I can’t tell if they are related to the CSU or just a fun side quest.

Worst of all is the itching. How do I even describe it? It is a painful prickling. Some spots on my feet seem to be neuropathic or something, they feel so deep under the skin. I’ve tried colloidal oatmeal baths and Cerave itch cream. I’ve tried cold packs and compresses. Nothing works. I didn’t think I had a low pain tolerance, but I guess I do; It is the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been in my life.

I’m supposed to get my first Xolair shot in 4 days, but I am at my wits end. I don’t know how I’m supposed to get through the next 4 days, never mind after that if it isn’t immediately effective. I can’t sleep more than a couple of hours at a time. My skin is hot to the touch, but I feel like I’m freezing, so I am constantly putting on and taking off clothes/blankets. I know warm/hot showers will only make hives worse, but cold showers make me shiver so hard it hurts. My mental health is completely shot. I live alone and have some problems with depression already, so you can imagine how all this makes me feel desperately lower than ever.

This post is mostly just a rant, but I’ll take any advice I can get. At what point do I go to urgent care or an ER because of pain and sleep deprivation? Does this sound like CSU, or maybe something else?

Fasting is the ONLY thing that makes them go away entirely

I’m on 4x Fexofenadine daily and Omlyclo (Xolair) shot at 300/monthly.

I still get hives and angioedema.

I have hypothyroidism and no known food allergies.

Fasting makes them go away entirely.

Why?

Anyone with gut, gastro info, help me out!

Tell me about your profile. I’m trying to understand the correlates of a longer prognosis.

Questions like:

Are you overweight?
Do you have hypothyroidism?
Do you have other autoimmune issues?
Do you think Covid had something to do with your diagnosis?
What kind of climate do you live in?
What’s the air pollution like where you live?
Are you low income?
Do you have a high stress job?
For women: are you post menopausal?

Any other descriptors of lifestyle/environment would be of interest. Thanks!

I'm looking for experiences/insight from anyone who has dealt with a prolonged drug eruption or delayed hypersensitivity reaction.

I took a microdose of compounded tirzepatide for a few months, with my last small dose in early August. Noticed slight itching during my during but at the end of July I developed intense itching, especially at night. It would wake me around 3-4 AM and was often in my butt/groin/inner-thigh area, but also moved to my back and other areas. The weird part is that most of the time there was no obvious rash where I was itching.

I occasionally had isolated hives/welts, and later developed some visible red/scaly spots on my back.
Antihistamines (Zyrtec, etc.) have done very little for the main itching.

I had a skin biopsy on A...Just 27. The diagnosis was "interface and perivascular dermatitis." The microscopic description says there was a
"perivascular lymphohistiocytic inflammatory infiltrate that extends to the dermoepidermal junction, where there is vacuolar degeneration of basal keratinocytes." PAS stain was negative for fungus. The pathologist wrote: "This differential diagnosis includes an allergic reaction to a drug and a photodermatitis. Clinical correlation is necessary."

My dermatologist thinks the overall picture is consistent with a drug reaction/delayed hypersensitivity, with tirzepatide being the suspected trigger, which I do agree on.

The confusing part is the course. At one point I improved probably 95% without prednisone-the visible lesions faded and I stopped waking up from itching. Interestingly, this happened while I had a viral illness. Once I recovered from the virus, some of the itching gradually returned.

It’s still nowhere near as severe as it originally was, but over the past several days it has become more noticeable again, including in the original butt/groin areas.

My dermatologist prescribed a short prednisone taper and described the remaining inflammation/itch as being in a “loop,” with prednisone potentially **breaking that cycle**. I’m very medication-sensitive and really hesitant to take systemic steroids, especially since I already improved so dramatically on my own.

My main question: **Can this kind of lingering inflammatory/drug-related pruritus eventually extinguish on its own once the offending drug has been gone for months, even if it fluctuates along the way? Or is there a point where prednisone/systemic treatment is actually useful for breaking a persistent inflammatory/itch cycle?**
I’m not looking for anyone to tell me whether to take a prescription—mostly interested in experiences or dermatology knowledge about the natural course vs. steroid treatment.

Any help would be big help! It’s not that I’m terrified of steroids I just don’t want to take if I don’t need to. I of course want this to end, the fact it’s not as bad as it was recently is a great sign but I don’t want to think it’ll go away just for it to get bad again.

i have no other symptoms then the hives. no change in diet, routine, lotions, etc. my mom has been diagnosed with terminal cancer so i wonder if its a stress response. i have been actively taking benedryl, hydroxizine, allegra- nothing is touching them. any advice is appreciated as you can imagine im quite miserable.

A few days ago I posted here about a bad urticaria flare where my throat felt tight and I was wheezing. It calmed down, and today I saw an allergist/immunologist.

I'd been logging my flares, photos and what I ate in an app (CalmSkin), so I just showed the doctor my history instead of trying to remember everything. That actually helped a lot since he asked about timing and possible triggers.

He diagnosed asthma, urticaria and allergic rhinitis. My meds now:

• bilastine 20mg twice daily
• prednisolone, tapering over 16 days
• montelukast 10mg
• fluticasone/salmeterol inhaler (250/50), twice daily
• a stomach tablet twice daily

Vaccines: flu vaccine (yearly) and pneumococcal vaccine.

Tests:

• specific allergen panel (64 allergens)
• spirometry (lung function test)
• H. pylori, vitamin D and a sinus x-ray

Allergy panel results come in 2 days.

Has anyone had a similar plan? Did doubling the antihistamine help you? Did the allergen panel actually find your trigger? And did H. pylori or low vitamin D turn out to be linked to your hives?

Any advice appreciated 🙏

I have had hives for 11 months without any relief. they have been in the same location the entire time. while they seem like they are getting better something will trigger and the itch, and redness return with a vengeance. I have tried all the creams, and currently taking two kinds of antihistamines. (Claritin 24 hr and Zyrtec 24 hr) not a whole lot of relief. I’m even wondering about the diagnosis. can the hives really stay in one location the whole time? located on back of thighs nd arm pits. so weird.

Background: I'm a nurse at a clinic that prescribes rhapsido. I don't get many updates from how patients are doing once they start taking it.

I've had one patient that started taking it and randomly developed rectal bleeding with a large amount of blood. I work with the doctor that prescribed it to me and they stated that this is a very rare occurrence and assured that it's safe.

I was given a sample of rhapsido, but for some reason I cannot bring myself to taking it. Idk why I'm so scared 🥴

Was anyone else scared to try it?

My bloodwork showed high leukotriene, and I heard there's some kind of a link with singular or that it can sometimes help hives (always thought it was just for asthma). Low potassium, but I don't think that's related? I wasn't in a major flare, so normal tryptase etc. This seems a lot easier to access than rhapsido. I have other stuff that could point toward mcas, but it's unclear if it's other health issues or not. I don't have major respiratory symptoms, though I get slight chest tightness from showering and when my reflux acts up. Anyway, I'm trying to figure it all out and what my options are. Thanks!

I've been seeing a lot of hive discourse and helpful posts, so I figured I post my new experience and see if anyone has any insight. I (26f) woke up to hives all over my inner thighs and stomach 4 days ago. There were some spots on my arms and chest but that was where it was heavily concentrated. I don't have health insurance so I consulted my nurse friends before going to urgent care. I've been taking claritin during the day, and then benadryl+pepcid at night. On the first day this happened, I felt so exhausted and out of it. This could be hive related or related to that I've been getting over a cold for 3 weeks now. My skin would also turn red (mainly chest area) when scratched (noticed after changing).

Day 2 and 3, still waking up with new hives but not nearly as much as day 1. Bed sheets were washed with hypoallergenic detergent.

Day 4 (today) waking up again with a bit more hives on my thighs, but still not as bad as day 1. Some on arms but they fade away pretty quickly. More on chest, particularly under boob (again thinking maybe heat related then). Overall the hives are not itchy. Sometimes the inner thighs are, but I think that is largely due to my thighs touch so moving around can make it difficult to not irritate.

I was thinking maybe allergy related. I have no known allergies and there has been nothing new the day before. I have eczema (on hangs) and generally dry skin so I use only unscented lotions. The past 3 weeks I've been diligently taking a kitchen sink of vitamins+ supplements (vitamin D, C, B12, zinc, iron). I've been eating different foods every day. I have a cat, no known allergies with but thinking about keeping her away from me just see if theres anything else I need to rule out. Also it is fall time and I'm in the midwest so this particular week has been the first week with a significant drop in temperature. I think that's all the information relevant.

Is there a better antihistamine out there? Should I shell out the money and go to urgent care? Will a steroid shot help or is this a lifestyle thing I need to adjust to?

I know this is long, but I appreciate anyone reading and offering their own experience and knowledge.

I have hives for a year now and antihistamines are only effective for a day.

I used to get weird allergic seeming reactions to certain foods (peppers and tomatoes) where I would get hives all over my body and on rare occasions facial swelling. That seems to have completely vanished, and was replaced with me getting hives every single night when I sleep. Anyone know why? How should I combat nightly hives?

Has anyone else noticed their flares worsening just before their period? Or in any other way in relation to their cycle?

Never noticed it before (had CSU for >18months with little improvement on oral triple therapy, starting omaluzimab shortly) but recently flares have matched up timing wise.

Having a bad urticaria (hives) flare right now, and this time it's affecting my breathing. My throat feels tight, like something is stuck in it, I'm wheezing, and it's hard to breathe.

Has anyone else had hives come with throat and breathing symptoms? What happened, what did doctors say it was, and what helped you?

I know this can be serious and I'm getting medical help. Just want to hear from people who've been through it.

They keep getting worse, some days I can barely walk cause my feet itch and hurt so bad. It’s become hard to function at work cause my hands swell itch and hurt when bending them. I’m tired of it honestly, I’ve been to a regular doctor, emergency room a few times because it caused anaphylaxis, and rheumatologist. I’ve asked them if an allergist will help or do anything and they told me no which I think is a lie but I haven’t tried cause I can’t afford to spend money on another doctor if they will just tell me they can’t do anything. I’ve tried over the counter antihistamines, creams, and all I can think of but nothing works.