Severe hives - too afraid to touch anything. Sat on office chair naked and crying

If your skin is raw get Cetraban cream. Having been through a number of creams for the raw skin caused by eczema this is the only one that really soothes as well as moisturises

Hope you get some relief via the GP.

fexofenadine is in Allevia. I take 180g. I have votamin d deficiency and now take vitamin c as my immune system was in over drive too. Had a 6mth warning at work as sick so much. Caught everything so be careful going into authum/winter with sickness around. Also you may qualify flu jab

@Dancerk - please avoid 'self help' anti inflammatory medication.

Specifically, it is advised not take aspirin, ibuprofen (and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or opiates, such as codeine unless essential/prescribed, since these medicines may aggravate the condition.

Get yourself to a doctor. And they'll also prescribe the most appropriate antihistamine(s)

Hello OP, I totally feel your pain with this - two years ago I suddenly developed large, itchy hives spreading all over my body at an alarming rate,
seemingly out of the blue. Cue me having a million different GP and nurse practitioner appointments (I even got so desperate I went to a private GP) who all give me different diagnoses and were largely dismissive (the private GP was great and it turned out her diagnosis was correct, which the NHS GPs dismissed). The issue with skin conditions is there are so, so many so I went though the gamut of diagnoses (at one point even ringworm was touted - that was a horrendous two weeks!!). The only thing that alleviated them was oral steroids; antihistamines (even double doses of fexafenadine) did nothing). After this dragging on for three months, I finally met with a lovely sympathetic NHS GP who referred me to dermatology after she saw the hives ravaging my body and, after attending dermatology 5 months later (waiting list) I got a diagnosis of urticarial vasculitis (the non-hypocomplementemic type which affects my skin only). No known cause, just one of those weird autoimmune things that can come on in your mid-forties. I was put on the correct meds and have been fine ever since. I would insist on a face-to-face appointment with the GP if things don’t clear up for you, so they can see how bad it is and how debilitating it is for your life. It was only me standing crying at the GP’s reception and down the phone that got any results.

Thanks, you mean like xolair? I know it's very expensive so no wonder they aren't handing it out.

I don't like the look of the potential side effects - including cancer which you don't usually see as a listed side effect for medication! Also hair loss which is something I've suffered in the past and have no desire to repeat.

I'm on a couple of chronic hives fb groups and it seems like results are hit and miss for those who do use xolair. Glad it works for you though.

Ask GP for an urgent emergency appointment.

HRTFT but for what it’s worth, I’ve had allergies like this my whole life which were made worse by environmental factors (living in a city which meant lots of pollution and mold in our house). Additionally, certain fragrances can trigger a fragrance allergy sending you into overdrive with reactions.

Most antihistamines don’t do anything for me anymore - Allevia is Fexofenadine (sp?) and you can get higher strength ones via GP as the OTC ones can only go to a certain dose. For skin itching, I used to use Diprobase and Doublebase which did help - one of the best things I found was Sudocrem due to the mild skin numbing effect.

You have my complete sympathies - mine did this out of nowhere moving into a new flat and dust was another big trigger for me. If you can manage, perhaps a proper hoover behind every surface (including sofa, in between cushions and mattress) could help. I wear a mask whilst doing this to help mitigate any additional exposure to allergens. Perhaps washing your sheets on a very hot wash might help - and using vinegar as a PP mentioned.

ETA: Not trying to scare you but there is an illness that can cause extreme allergies to lots of things you weren’t previously affected by - someone I know has this and it’s referred to as a histamine bucket being full, meaning you can only tolerate minimal things without a reaction. I can’t remember the name - think it might be MCAS? Could be worth following up with the doctor to explore this. It’s usually a sudden onset of allergic reactions including lots of hives and flares - I am absolutely not a doctor but it might provide a bit of reassurance to rule it out.

I did find a link also between my hormones being out of balance exacerbating my symptoms - whenever I was due on or ovulating, it would be worse and I could be more sensitive. I did also get achey joints which is common with a Vit D deficiency, as well as the allergies according to my GP, but obviously each individual is different.

Sending you hugs and I hope you start to feel a bit better soon - it’s frustrating when doctor’s don’t take things seriously/give you enough time to explain your symptoms!!!

💐

I would take some photos before the welts and swelling have gone down (if they haven’t already) just in case you need to refer to the date, or compare location if it happens again, or show the dr if you decide to get allergy testing

I suffer from hives occasionally. GPS take them surprisingly seriously. They’re considered to be quite a serious allergic reaction. I do hope you see someone today.

Not great, is it?
DS had a phone consultation last week with gp, obviously from home, complete with noisy toddler interrupting throughout. DS has chronic depression. It wasn't a helpful experience.

OP you need to be seen. It sounds horrendous.

Honestly you need medical assistance- go to A&E or GP and get some serious antihistamines! You need much more than a piriton! Hope you feel better soon xxxxx

See, for me, when I've had urticaria, that makes mine worse! Mine is heat related though, so I have a horrible hot heat rash that makes me want to scratch my skin off. Cold showers and ice packs take the worst of the itching away and I can't put any moisturiser on as it holds in the heat.

OP - hopefully what the doctor suggested will work, but do go and speak with a pharmacist too to ask what combination of things you can take to help.

I’ve suffered with chronic spontaneous urticaria. Yes to fenofexidine but when that’s not working then monteluklast is my go to. Not normally proscribed but was by hospital as I was referred up by gp due to long periods of hell. Funnily enough a few years ago my thyroid packed in and I’m on meds for that and have had low vit D. But came to say monteluklast next step steroids. Good luck.

Just to reassure you Alleva used to be 'prescription only' but is now available in home bargains etc (much cheaper than Tesco!) it's also very good if environmental allergies are suspected as it's stronger than piriton and will get things under control. Also ask to have your thyroid levels checked if they haven't been done, I developed an acute allergy to ibrufen, diclofenac etc overnight with similar blisters etc, my thyroid had almost stopped working . Then after a very bad bout of flu earlier this year they had to change all the thyroid medication as it was totally out of wack again

I'm menopausal and had an outbreak of hives recently.
Pitoton and Calamine did nothing.
Our surgery has an 'out of hours triage' where you can input your symptoms and you'll either get referred to a&e, or get a follow-up from the GP.
My GP asked me to come in, was certain it was hay-fever and menopause related. He prescribed fexofenadine, which was very helpful, and recommended Eurax for topical application.
He said if it hadn't cleared up within the month to come back and they'd do follow up tests, but thankfully the hives have now gone.

Glad to hear you're feeling a bit better. I had a really bad bout of hives last year and I'm pretty sure it was stress related. Massive welts all over my body and unbelievably itchy. It was just after Christmas and I'd had a mega shit and busy December. I'm a bit allergic to lots of stuff but I've never had a reaction like that before or since.

Had the exact same thing a few years back, so I feel for you! Agree with others – definitely push your GP for something stronger, maybe even antibiotics. I still get flare-ups now and then, but Fexofenadine and Eumovate (prescription only) have really helped keep mine under control. Hope you get some relief soon, OP!

It sounds like a manifestation of Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria. You said you used to have the occasional random outbreak of hives before.

That is what happens with CSU. You can have an episode, that lasts as short as a few days, then it goes into 'remission' then when your body is under some stressful event (a cold, an stressful emotional event) it reappears. It can last weeks the next time, or months, or if you're really unfortunate years, then go into remission for years...or not.

I used to have similar, just the odd outbreak and like you I went on an obsessive hunt to eliminate the culprits including elimination diets

For some people there is an obvious allergen or trigger and for others there's a trigger they can never identify.

There's another group which is purely autoimmune and cannot be really solved with diets etc. The immune system is attacking your body, either your own mast cells or something else

Mine started as relatively short benign episodes easily eliminated with an antihistamine or two. Mine is autoimmune exacerbated with external triggers which are temperature changes, pressure, dust mite and exercise

I now have the full battalion of antihistamine plus epi-pens

I didn't take it seriously in the early days when it was easier to control even when I got a diagnosis. So I would dump my antihistamine when it appeared to disappear. I think that contributed to my immune system just getting more and more sensitive and in hindsight I should have continued taking them at a lower dose even during absent episodes

Low iron and low vitamin D are aggravators but not causes, it can be difficult to tell the difference between an aggravator and a true allergy etc. Definitely take a good quality D3 with K2 and an iron tablet with cofactors like zinc, B vits, VIT C and Magnesium if you're not allergic also take flaxseed or cod liver oil. Quercetin is something I highly recommend and you can take daily.

You should request a referral to allergy department for a prick skin test to airborne allergies. It is worth trying to eliminate food intolerances or allergens as they can be intermittent triggers, but usually the NHS won't test for these in adults, as they say they are not the cause of it.

There's also a strong association with thyroid illness, so get yourself checked for thyroid hormone levels including the TPO antibodies. Many people can have them without knowing. Again unfortunately you may have to get the antibody test privately. Your GP can definitely check your thyroid levels though.

I hope this calms down and you get back into control of it. But definitely be alert now and try to reduce your inflammation load.

What is it with the GP services now? It is appalling. I speak as wife of retired GP.

I 2nd this. I take fexofenadine daily and have done for about 15 years now. it has calmed my allergies no end.

My first thought was fexofenadine as well. If that doesn't do the job, ask for a follow up for steroids to help manage.

Just FYI, fexofenadine did not agree with me at the higher dose. There are certain antihistamines that you can take together and certain ones you can't. Please check carefully before mixing with a pharmacist.

Other things to consider, are there any new plants in bloom near you ?
Agree with laundry, that can also be a trigger.

I developed new allergies after giving birth so the body is constantly changing.

what you have described could be something called HSP, especially the unexplained joint pain. It’s an autoimmune condition.