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Allergies and intolerances

Chronic Urticaria - Driving me nuts

0 replies

TheSoulCakeDuck · 09/07/2015 14:49

Hi All

I have suffered from chronic hives on and off for about 16 years. I have no idea what causes it and there appears to be no rhyme or reason for flare ups. I can go months and months with no sign of it then all of a sudden "boom" my face is swollen and my body covered in big red hives which itch and itch and itch. Occaisionally I end up in hospital with them giving me steroids and anti histamines to calm it all down and it seems to come up in a couple of days and then take weeks to go down. It also doesnt seem to work like an allergy as the reaction doesnt seem to be instant, it often takes about 24 hours or so.

A few years ago (about 2006) I went for allergy testing at the allergy and immunology centre at Newcastle and the tests came up negative for everything so they sent me away with an epipen and steroids for when I have had a bad reaction.

I am now in week 7 of my latest reaction hives etc with no sign of it abating and me taking ever increasing doses of anti-histamine a day which barely hold down the itching. I dont have a lot of money and buying them is expensive, I could get them from the doctor but appointments are pretty tricky to get where I live and then they only give a month's supply which doesnt make them work out much cheaper. I'm on 180mg of Fexofenadine a day and I generally top that up with anywhere between 20 or 30mg of Cetirizine.

I have tried to keep a diary to pinpoint potential causes and there appears to be no ryhme or reason to it. If I was allergic to something I regularly use, surely I would get the itching all the time and not have the long periods where I dont have any? One thing I think does trigger is fabric conditioner but I have cut that out and know I havent been near anything with fabric conditioner on it.

I am getting really down with the constant itching, the hives on my legs mean I dont want to put shorts on in the hot weather or anything which exposes my legs. I'm also finding that I'm getting paranoid and darent touch anything, even things I have used for years just incase it is causing this.

Does anyone else live with this and have you found a way to manage it and save your sanity?

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