I've suffered with it for the last 20 years and I've found that it's disappeared with every pregnancy. However I suffered a 12 week miscarriage in March and it came back for the first time in 7 years and has continued through my next pregnancy although it seems to be going now I'm 13 weeks The only anti histamine that is safe for pregnancy is piriton on a half dose, and I didnt take anything for the first 7 weeks which was as long as I could stand it! Only trouble is that it makes me really sleepy which is terrible when you have two kids and work 6 days a week running a business!
I'm really annoyed that I've been referred for "high risk care" and been told that they dont recommend my planned home birth and have changed my booking grrrrr!! My dermatologist told me that other than being very annoying it's not a risk for pregnancy/birth so i'm preparing for a battle to get my nice home water birth :P

Sorry been on hols do haven't replied. I definitely have a true IgE allergy but nobody has worked out what it is. Stress does make it worse, but do does going from hot to cold, exercise etc... There is no way I can go even a couple of days without medication unfortunately I have done so for tests a couple of times and it was hell. I had to get taxis to ask for hospital and at the end of the test I was pleading for antihistimines as if an addict.

Antihistimines are very safe, I'm about to go for my 20 week scan, a bit nervous but had a private 12 week scan and all looked well.

For me I wouldn't have been able to go through with the pregnancy on Piriton so not a choice. Give Piriton a try and see if it works, its as close to 100% safe as you can get.

At last a fellow suffer. I am just so paranoid that if anything was wrong with the baby i would feel guilty if i took anything. With the 2nd baby i had only just diagnosed with it and it seem to dampen down during preg, so i am hoping it will do this again. I am itching to death at the mo but seem to get worse when stressed and getting worked up. Do you know what caused yours?

Yes i do have had it for 20 years. First pregnancy I switched to Piriton for the first 12 weeks and to conceive (but luckily I conceived the first month), and then back to Zirtek. However, I had terrible side effects from Piriton as I wasn't working it wasn't a huge problem but I was very sleepy and it didn't control my urticaria very well.

This pregnancy I carried on taking Zirtek throughout after some internet research. My first GP said I should take Piriton throughout even though I couldn't have done it with a toddler to run around after. Changed GP and he said he couldn't prescribe me Zirtek for the first 12 weeks but he would do the same in my position. Midwifes didn't seem concerned at my booking in appointment with my decision.

If Piriton agrees with you then I would say stick with it and start now. Not everbody has such severe side effects.

There is no way I could have given up my antihistimines as my urticaria is very severe.

Good luck - GPs have to err on the side of caution they are worried about being sued!

Has anyone out there got chronic idiopathic urticaria and are trying to conceive? Do they give up the daily antihistamine?