Cholinergic Urticaria (heat Hives)

Mine is not really painful, it is more annoying and feels like little needles poking me all over my upperbody. Sometimes if I have not worked up a sweat in awhile my hair on my arms even stands up as I am getting warm. It just feels like an allergy or something. I have been on all the possible meds for this. The best thing I do is try to eat right and limit alcohol intake. I also attempt to force myself to sweat everyday to limit the unexpected outbreaks.

Any updates on the effectiveness of lacitrex???? :?:

Maybe I didn't read somewhere but what does "stamina-rx" have to do with a god damn thing in the allergies topic? Very irrelevent and spam.

Hey guys,

pardon the delay, but i've been going through a lot lately. If I didnt' figure out what it was that was causing my urticaria, I know for a fact now that it's stress that's at the core of all the symptoms. (along with rise in body temperature, physical activity, heat...Etc. For me personally)



in retrospect I guess it all kinda makes sense, because the day I first got urticaria (december 30, 2004: I remember that day vividly for some reason) I was going through a really stressful stage in my life.





Anyway, lacitrex has been working great. I'm still having a few attacks here and there, and they are just as bad as before...But the frequency has been cut down drastically. I haven't had an attack in over *takes a moment to count* 5-7 days. For me, my attacks always occur around 12 o'clock each day, sometimes a little earlier, sometimes a little later. Before lacitrex they occured everyday...Those of you who have it really bad know what i'm talking about. That hasn't happpened in a while, though I can still feel tiny "prickles" from time to time. Either my immune system is finally giving in, i'm recovering slowly (just like any other injury or ailment), or my mind is playing tricks on me. We'll hope that it's not the latter.



Also, my parents just had a fight and split up, and as i'm typing this i'm at my cousin's house becuase I chose to go with my mom. I've had enough of my dad and his tyranny so i'm going to move out. I feel it's the appropriate time in my life to move on, seeing as how now i'm a freshman in college and all. Hopefully that too, will help me along the way in my recovery from urticaria. Big things are on the horizon for me, and I don't need this nuisance known as urticaria holding me back. *note: one of my attacks, which was a bit milder, was during the fight that my parents had about a week or so ago.*

seeing as how I know that it's all stress-related, i'm going to go get some therapy for the stress...Hopefully that will help me along the way to recovery. Maybe not thinking about it (thinking about it seems to make it worse) along with the added effectiveness of lacitrex, will help me further along the road to recovery.


Good luck to you all in your fight against this dreaded affliction. -_-;

Hey cdz,

congrats on the improvement from lacitrex! I'm gonna try some too and also good luck with the therapy and the stress, im sure its all gonna work out.

Thanks

oh, and I forgot to mention that I started taking the medicine on the 1st of march.


So it hasn't even been a month and i'm seeing some good results...I think i'll put in another order or two, especially with summer just around the corner. >:(

i honestly don't know if lacitrex is going to be the final cure, but I know for sure that it can at least be a detourrent and hold the hives at bay for a long while until I figure something permanent out.


Who really knows, I mean it hasn't even been a month, maybe i'm jumping the gun, perhaps lacitrex is the cure i've been looking for. After all i've had this affliction for well over a year...Perhaps my body needs more time to adjust and let the medicine work in, right? Still though, i've gone a long time without having an attack, even if it's cold here right now. I'm looking forward to therapy also.


In any event, i'll try to keep you all posted...Let's hope for the best.

Hey everyone,

i ran across this site of cooling 'vests' made for people with multiple sclerosis. They are pretty expensive, and although I haven't purchased one yet, I believe that they will keep urticaria down for up to three hours due to maintaining a low core body temperature:

http://www.Mscooli ng.Org/coolinggarments.Html

One thing that I forgot to mention in my previous post that really had an tremendous affect on me besides the products mentioned in my ebay auction... Getting rid of flouride and chlorine in your diet. But I dont eat those you say.. You probably do! My body is extremely allergic to both. Toothpaste residue still ends up in your body even after you rinse your mouth out and both are found in your tap water. When you shower chlorine and flouride are both being absorbed into your skin and end up in your blood stream. Drink bottled water, buy a shower filter, and use flouride free toothpaste. If you go to my auction as linked to above, mention this post and I will throw in a free tube of flouride free toothpaste!

First, thanks for everyones post. It is really refreshing to hear everyone elses story, means we are not alone with this awful problem.

For me, I never had a reaction to anything in my life until 1 1/2 years ago. I am now almost 27. I live in ottawa and this place has drastic humidity shifts from summer to winter, and it takes each to the extreme. I moved here a few years ago. I really seem to break out in hives (like small insect bites, that merge together) when sweating, cold-warm transition, spicy foods, etc...

This has been totally life changing. I used to be very active, running on the treadmill everyday, and now I am so worried of a break-out, that I try to avoid all things that cause them. It is a terrible way to live your life.

I do believe, based on my expereince, that food does have some correlation. If I have not eaten anything for many hours before an activity that would cause hives, I usually don't have a break-out. However, if my body temperature gets real high, like a treadmill run, then I think it doesn't matter.

I was taking aerius last year, and it seemed to be controlling it pretty well, but I am afraid of what long term affects this may have on my immune system. I stopped taking them in december, after I was having some stomach problems, and did not have any break-outs until a week ago. It now seems to have flared up again. I am not sure if it is becasue of the humidity changing again, something I am now eating (unknown). One thing that does seem interesting. I recently went to the dentist and it triggered me to brush, floss, rinse a little more. I bought a bottle of flouride mouth wash that I have been using. I saw someone elses post about flouride, this is something I am going to have to test. It may have something to do with my recent outbreaks! I will keep you posted.

Has anyone noticed that you can't really get sick because of cu?

I guess seeing as how your immune system is overractive and resleasing histamines when it shouldn't...It actually made it stronger, so that it makes it so much harder to get sick.

At least in my case anyway. I have yet to get sick all winter...Then again, i'd rather get sick if it means that i'll never itch again.

Actually cdz... Youre right.. I havent been sick in about 3 years.. But I have been taking alot of vitamins and minerals and herbs to combat my other allergies.

Along with the items shown in my other posts... I would recommend trying royal jelly and apple cider vinegar.

Hey guys, I mentioned awhile back that I was getting acupunture to help mitigate the cu. So far, i've found that acupunture has not cured the cu, but it has helped to mitigate.

Next week I start an amino acid supplement that an endocrinologist recommended. This amino acid supposedly prevents the mast cells from degranulating (that's what causes the itching and hives) and i'll let y'all know how that works.

For those of you looking for meds to solve your problems, i've found this leads down a road of disappointment. Antihistamines, steroids, etc will treat the symptoms (most often unsuccessfully) rather than eliminate the root of the problem. Eventually the cu will come back, often worse than before.

I believe the root of the problem is different for everyone. There is no one-cure-fix for cu. I also believe that cu is an indicator that our body is out of balance, and imbalance is most often directly linked to environmental, emotional and/or psychological factors.

Three things that have greatly helped to mitigate my symptoms:

-reduction of stress to reduce cortisol and balance hormones
-healthy diet (keep blood sugar level and eat whole foods)
-live clean (make your living space as non-toxic as possible)

the good news is that cu can and will spontaneously go away for most of us! We just have to be patient and continue to do things that will help mitigate our symptoms so that we can live our lives. I think there are natural cures out there, but the solution is different for everybody.

Have hope!!! This is only temporary for most of us.

I would never believe that so soon I would be completely off everything. Nowadays I only take a very occasional formidium d6 ampul for the night if needed but my body has simply learnt not to react with urticaria anymore. Less than a year ago I was totally tormented, it is so unbelieveble for me now that I was in that shape! All my remidies can be found on www.Mycare.De - that's where I bought the stuff from and I have had no problems with them. I don't speak german though but they are very helpful if you write to them and they will arrange the order.

Make sure you get the spelling and strenght of d6 right, for instance formicium will make the condition worse! Formidium d6 is the right one with 1 ml ampuls.

Hi. It seems like I am the only teenage boy (im 16, turning 17 in june) who has cu. Or that I think I have cu, but I do have the exact same symptoms as everyone else who posted here, except the guy with cold hives. I've had my first symptoms of cu last winter, but they were not as major as it is this winter. Started out as only itchiness on the scalp and now basically on the upper body areas. In late december I decided to research for a cure and found sites that I thoguht were my problems, but in early january, I came to this site and realized this was the problem. I have cu. Been popping in this site once in a while since then and now i've decided to post.


I dont know.. But my redness in my hands came with my cu about the same time. My hands is basically always red unless it is cold and I am calm. Other then that my hands are red. I dont know if it is related to my cu.. But it came with the cu at the same time. But what I know is.. My hands is always red when I have an attack of cu.


Yes, I strongly believe it is related to stress. Since school started, i've been sleeping 1-3 hrs later than the usual last year's school time. And it is even less than the summer time.. So I serisouly had a cut down in sleep time.. And even sundays I have less sleep since I have to wake up early to go to the hospital to volunteer... Stress is definitely the problem. I need to add more sleep.


I heard food is the problem.. But I dont know what I should not eat. Or what I have been eating that is different from long ago.


What is really hard is having an attack during school. Especially during presentations.. It would be hard to explain to teachers that I have cu.. Because its most likely no one have ever heard of it. And they wont understand..

I am also in marching band.. Which if you guys know.. Requires lots of hard work and stuff. I had never had an attack during a performance.. But the very last one I had a mild one.. Which was unbearable how I had to be in attention and resist that itch. But it all went less itchy when I started to sweat.. Which was gladful.. And I remember last year around may.. How I had this parade in my town called the armed forces parade and all the high schools from my school march in it.. As you guys know.. May is pretty hot.. So I had to march in it with that.. Back then it was not as bad as now.. And I was scared that I would get a very mild minor attack from it.. But I did not get an attack.. Or that I remembered.. And that summer I had band camp in san diego, so its pretty hot. I did not experience an attack. So its not bad. But since this year I have way worse cu, I dont know if it'll completely go away as last year. So I am scared for that. Need to find a cure before I go to band camp. Or im gonna have to experience it that will feel like it would last forever, but not really. I can sweat it out.. But I cant socialize or stand in attention to when I am having an attack. And band camp wont give me much sleep either.


And yeah.. Since im a younger.. I cant go buy these things myself. But my mom does know.. And she's gonna tkae me to see my doctor in my winter break which is in like 1.5 weeks. I doubt that my doctor will know since all of your doctors dont know the cures and no one really know the cure..


But all I want to say is.. Thanks for all the posts in helping other people. It is really helpful. Eventually I will do whatever you guys did that made it successfully go away.

Hello everybody,
my names jason and I was not sure that I had cu until I read some of the posts on this fourm, ive been checking back and fourth on this forum for quite some time...

I've had it nearly for 2 years and its hell!! Im also a 16 year old teenger in highschool and I would get cu attacks at least twice a day.For me, it is definatly caused by awkward/stress situations (which would get more awkward because I would be forcing myself not to scratch) and generaly just when my body temperature spiked up fast.. My scalp, hands, chest legs and back would get itchy and unbearable... And my social life is falling apart ! :(

i have some interesting and great news for you guys though..

Last week, I woke up with a sore throat, killer sneeze attacks, stuffy nose.. Just your common everyday killer cold. I dont even remember the last time I got sick. Before school, I loaded up on tylenol, vitamin pills and alot of vitamin c suppliments.. During school I must have filled up my water bottle 30 times and gone to the bathroom 30 times hahaha...
I took a hot bath(first one in years - im a guy, we dont take baths) and went to bed 4 hours earlier then my usual time(10pm)

its been a week and now im completly over my cold, and guess what...

I havent had a cu attack since I caught that cold!!! Last night I even went to my local bar and danced and got extremely hot/sweaty, just drenched with sweat and no signs of cu!!! @ school I had many situations where cu would have definatly kicked in but it was under control and normal.
I am thinking that the cold could have possibly taken out the cu or the amount of water I drank flushed it out???

This could just be a fluke and I dont want to incourage you guys to go catch a cold deliberatly... But you can try drinking alot of water :?

I will definatly keep you guys updated on this...
Take care and good luck!!

For the record, i'm also a teenager of 19 years.


And yes, I contracted this affliction during a stressful time (dealing with a person who I sometimes wish I wouldn't have met, but hey, I guess we all need those types of situations to learn from)

my social life did suffer just a bit, and lacitrex has cut the attacks down a lot, as long as I take it when I should.



Anyway, does anyone else notice that when you eat certain foods like pickles or buffalo wings, your face and scalp starts to get itchy?


Also, what about friction? Does that tingle occur when you, for example, rub your hands on the carpet?


As in response to your story, perhaps it's possible that your immune system just completely gave in?


I'm not sure, but during the winter, i've had the a/c on full blast just go get myself to calm down from a cu attack, and even had to skip class becuase it wouldn't stop.


Obviously that doesn't happen now, but surely at any other time in my life I might have gotten sick.


Also, I learned in psychology class that it's endorphins that are released from your body which bring you relief (perhaps it's that tingle you get when you get a "chill" down your spine, it the positive, good feeling tingle as opposed to that itching tingle from cu)

is there some kind of medicine that increases the release of endorphins? Perhaps that might have a little to do with it...Who really knows, and yes, I do hope that this is temporary.

In any event, i'm going to enroll in some stress-management classes in order to help myself along.

I'll keep you all posted.

It may very well be that it is the vitamine c supplements u took... I have read elsewhere on this site that vitamine b supplements helped...

One thing I have noticed is that static electricity really causes a nice outbreak. So ive stayed away from sweaters for years.