RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (Full Version)

All Forums >> [Community Discussions] >> Health and Safety



Message

BLGirl -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (12/9/2008 6:09:24 PM)

not sure if this will help but you might wanna see an immunologist if it is an auto immune disease.  I would not think that anti histamines would help if it was autoimmune. dunno just my 2 cents

Daddy of BLGirl  



aravain -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (12/10/2008 3:13:51 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: camille65

Most go by a blood test, ANA test but there is not a single definitive test for it. Usually if a persons ANA level is at a particular and constant level.. Lupus 'may' be the cause. I'm told that I have Lupus and it took nearly 15 years for that diagnosis.  Personally I doubt you have Lupus especially since hives are your only problem.



[:D] If hives were my only problem I would be much better off!

Looking on the web for more general Lupis info (like symptoms) I actually have quite a few, many of which are previously 'unconnected mysteries' that would make more sense with a single diagnosis.

The problem is that it falls into the same category as Thyroid problems... I don't seem to suffer from *all* the symptoms (not that everyone would), and actually seem to have more of the 'rare' symptoms than the usual ones (for both)!

But I understand what you mean. Thanks for the link :)

@BLGirl
The point of the anti-histamines weren't to fix whatever auto-immune problem that I may or may not have, it was to stop the hives (the most aggressive symptom tied to it). Hives, as I understand, no matter what the cause, are created BY histamines, which means that, no matter what, anti-histamines are the way to go to make them disappear.



LadyHibiscus -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (12/11/2008 8:39:13 AM)

Gah!  I woke up with my left eye half swollen shut!  Grrrr!



aravain -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/7/2009 6:53:58 PM)

So I'm back to this again.

I've started steroids (similar to before, a 30-day regimen of decreasing dosages of Prednisone) and I'm supposed to take journal entries as I go gradually down at how little I can take and still not be debilitated (mostly by hives blowing up my lips and joints). I'm going to be on a long-term regimen of the steroids at the lowest dose possible, in addition to the four anti-histamines to 'smoke out' the hives.

All my blood tests (for thyroid-related things) came back regular.

I guess, what I want from posting this here... is a little bit of moral support, in addition to tips and tricks for making prednisone uh... more palatable without ruining it.

Any input would be helpful. Thank you :)



DesFIP -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/8/2009 4:35:24 AM)

I would pressure your doctor about a possible lupus diagnosis. The need for steroids is one of the most telling signs as frequently that is the only thing that will help. Ask for a referral to a specialist in immunology.



sirsholly -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/8/2009 4:41:05 AM)

i agree with Celeste about the Lupus. Also...have they ruled out Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever?



aravain -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/8/2009 9:18:30 AM)

He IS an immunologist.

I show none of the 'gotta have' signs of Lupus, though I do have some of the more rarer symptoms. I talked to him about it and he definitely ruled it out

@sirsholly,

I... don't even know that that is. I'll give it a look-see.



KatyLied -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/8/2009 9:42:37 AM)

Are you also seeing an allergist?  I ask because my son had a terrible episode of hives and after that he was referred to an allergist and found out he has a boat load of allergies and he gets desensitizing injections.  I can't believe you have repeated hives and they can't pinpoint the culprit.



aravain -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/8/2009 10:32:51 AM)

Allergies were determined not to be a culprit. I got a great link from someone in a CMail that says it best (better than my doctor could, to me):

"Occasionally, a person will continue to have hives for many years. These hives, called chronic urticaria, can be one of the most frustrating problems dermatologists see in their patients. This is defined as hives lasting longer than 6 weeks. Patients like this come in miserable and worried with this problem, often having seen multiple specialists. Neither the patient nor the doctor can determine the cause of the hives. Patients will often say, "It has got to be something causing these hives." The truth is hard to accept for some patients.

In the overwhelming majority of cases it is not "something" causing the chronic hives, it is "nothing." That is, in about 95% of chronic hives cases, the hives are "idiopathic" (a medical term that means there is no discernible cause). Because of those 5% of cases with a cause, it is worthwhile to see a physician to determine if any underlying disease is present (e.g. thyroid problems, liver problems, skin diseases, sinusitis) or if there is an allergic cause (i.e. a reaction to a drug, insect, food, etc.). This can be accomplished by a good history and physical, a few blood and urine tests and sometimes a skin biopsy. Some patients with chronic hives and elevated anti-thyroid antibodies in the blood improve when given thyroid supplement even if the thyroid function is normal."

from here: http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/urticaria.html

There's definitely no allergen that causes hives for me. Asthma attacks? Yeah. No hives, though :(



KatyLied -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/8/2009 11:01:17 AM)

Well, the upside is that the prednisone will also help your asthma.




Maya2001 -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/8/2009 11:03:01 AM)

if lupus is suspect ...it might want to ask for a referral to a rheumatologist (sp?)  Do you suffer with joint pain/swelling  as well???

as there are many types of immune and rheumatic  diseases with similar symptoms

and prednisone is not something you want to be on long term if it can be helped ..as the long term side effects from it can be worse that the disease itself which is often standard treatment for lupus.... there are alternative treatments available that are combined with diet change


here is a list of diseases and infections that can cause hives
http://dermatology.about.com/cs/hives/a/hivescause_2.htm




domiguy -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/8/2009 11:19:14 AM)

Yucky, icky....Hives. I personally would never date someone who had them.  But then again, I am delightfully shallow that way. 

I would think that if one were so inclined to actually  compose a song about their hives it would best be served as a country tune.

Perhaps something along the lines of:

"I sleep with them sordid women who hang around them whiskey dives. 
I got the money to buy them drinks but I also got them goddam hives." 

And so on.  Hope this is of some use.






aravain -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/8/2009 11:48:16 AM)

The joint swelling and arthritis-like symptoms (it's been bumped down from arthritis to arthritis-like... I guess that's a good thing?) have been determined as a side-effect of the hives, actually, if I understood my doctor correctly.

He's not *happy* about putting me on steroids long-term, but he's done pretty much everything else to try and suppress the hives, none of which has worked without them. Hopefully it'll be just 10mg a day, that worked just as well as the 50mg a day last time I was on it.

Lupus isn't suspect... not according to my specialist or my primary care doctor (who, admittedly, did refer me to the specialist).

It's also not an infection.


What I'm more worried about is being able to *stomach* swallowing the damned prednisone. I nearly threw up this morning on the third pill :( It's disgusting stuff!



aravain -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/8/2009 11:53:12 AM)

Haha, I was thinking more a 'Screamo' rendition.



subSerena -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/15/2009 10:15:42 AM)

Well, the only thing worse than having hives at 21 is having hives for the next twenty years, This is experience talking. I have been thru the most awful testing (torture!) and still no answers but have finally found the culprits on my own.
Think of it this way: You have a very active immune system that responds full throttle to certain substances. It is a sensitivity more than an allergy, tho allergy is a factor. When you are exposed to one thing, the histamines get busy; but when you are exposed to more, your system reaches a threshold (overload), resulting in hives. So the trick is to keep your exposure to a minimum.
Someone mentioned sulfites (wine, tuna, vinegar) and someone else spoke of iodine in shellfish and seaweed ( also commonly added as a preservative to some medicines ) These two are killers for me, also nitrates found in processed meats. Now surprisingly, IBUPROPEN (Motrin) is a very big hive-maker and so is red dye used in food and medicine !
The most common substance that is difficult to avoid is High Fructose corn syryp ! Something about how it is altered messes with a natural human body, as do artificial sweeteners like nutrasweet.
So my dear, get busy reading labels and avoid all these things like the plague, and keep your stress levels down and you'll be fine.
Ketchup has HF corn syryp, so I use plain tomato paste as a substitute. You'll have to give up balsamic vinegar, and a lot of other good things but it's so worth it !
Lush makes an excellent body wash with camomile, aloe and calamine that has saved my hide in great emergencies. It's called Dream Wash and you just cover the hives, let it stay on a bit, don't rinse hard and pat dry. Pure heaven ! http://www.lush.ca/shop/products/bath-shower/shower-gels/dreamwash
You do not need drugs, except for an occasional benedryl or zyrtac (best for hives) There are many more items in my NO list, but this is the basic template. Preservatives in general are bad, so if organic is possible, go that route. You need to be an OC label-reader !
Smooth fabrics are also preferred, because direct skin irritation will get hives started, too. (including chemical dish soaps and household detergents!)

Good luck and I hope this helps you !



TickledOff -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/21/2009 10:28:06 AM)

This thread is a bit old, but I couldn't resist throwing my 2 cents in...

quote:

ORIGINAL: aravain

He's not *happy* about putting me on steroids long-term, but he's done pretty much everything else to try and suppress the hives, none of which has worked without them. Hopefully it'll be just 10mg a day, that worked just as well as the 50mg a day last time I was on it.


Have you tried any other immuno-suppressive medication? There are other drugs you could take, with fewer side effects (which also taste less disgusting) than prednisone, which if you haven't already tried and found don't work for you, you should talk to your doctor about in place of long term steroid use.

I take mercaptopurine to regulate an auto-immune condition, and it works better for me than pred ever did.

quote:

ORIGINAL: aravain

What I'm more worried about is being able to *stomach* swallowing the damned prednisone. I nearly threw up this morning on the third pill :( It's disgusting stuff!


The best way I ever found to take prednisone was to take a mouthful of something with a strong flavor (grape and cranberry juice worked well for me, but something you like is always best) toss all the pills in and swallow as quickly as possible and then have another drink. This limits both the amount of contact the pills have with your tongue and the length of time any of what you do end up tasting lingers.



aravain -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/21/2009 11:59:34 AM)

Oooh, that's a good idea... I've been taking them with plain water (about the only time I drink plain water)! I'll give it a go tomorrow :) So far it's taken me almost an hour to get down three pills [:'(] I go to two tomorrow.


I have not tried other immuno-suppressants, but that's more related to the fact that the only reason I'm taking the steroids is hives, and he's not sure how they would interact with other medications I'm on, and they cost more, AND we already know that the steroids work. Testing another medication in place of steroids would mean having a chance that I would be out of commission for a day or two if they didn't work. That alone could lose me my scholarship at college, which I need to even be able to attend. It's just not a viable option right now (though it may be in the summer).



angelikaJ -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/21/2009 2:20:20 PM)

IF after taking a sip of juice you tip your head forward when you pop in the pills they will usually go to the back of your throat...and go down first



PanthersMom -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/21/2009 11:01:43 PM)

could stress be a possible cause?  you mentioned you're in school on a scholarship that you could possibly lose if you were out of commission for a little while.  when did the hives start?  have you been under unusual amounts of stress?  you'd be amazed what the body will do if it cannot cope with stress.  might be worth investigating, if only to rule out another possible cause.
PM 



Racquelle -> RE: Hives again (I'm beginning to feel like I should write a song) (2/21/2009 11:30:36 PM)

I get occasional hives, and less now.  Here are some of the things that have made mine worse:  stress, skin products that leave much residue like facial cleansers, dry or cold weather, laundry detergents, strawberries, citrus fruits, staying in wet or sweaty clothes, aloe vera, Lanolin, anything with fragrance in it.  I can't say that any of these actually causes the hives, save for the stress, but they can all make me more sore and irritated.  Some things that have helped are antihistimines including topical Benedryl, sometimes steroids like prednisone and topical steroids, Eladyl cream, dandruff shampoos that are tar based - can use them as a body wash, using plain mild soap like Kiss my Face, using emolient lotions with very mild ingredients such as Curel frangrance free, regular vaseline, oatmeal baths, and sometimes even smearing on oatmeal mixed with warm whole milk (lactic acid seems to help get the redness out), sesame oil in spots where the hives get really bad like inside elbows and backs of knees, avoiding shaving, getting more sleep, relaxing massage with pure jojoba oil, Noxema, and using a vibrator on my skin instead of scratching.  Also look up things people do to soothe dermatitis and psoriasis.  Oh yeah, and self-hynosis can help.  If you are getting them chronically, there is some real cause - allergies, neurological, hormones, emotional - not just a fluke.  Keep working on it with your doc, and until you get it more pinned down, just do what you can to soothe and relax.  I know having a bad case can drive you fricken crazy.  Good luck.



Page: <<   < prev  1 2 [3] 4   next >   >>

Valid CSS!




Collarchat.com © 2025
Terms of Service Privacy Policy Spam Policy
5.859375E-02