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Original poster

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

190 replies

Dancerk · 01/09/2025 03:43

So for the past three days I’ve had some sort of reaction. I’ve got hives/welts all over (scalp, bum legs, hands) plus blotchy skin. Hands and feet swollen slightly. Mostly it’s a mild nuisance. But a few times a day it just fucking gets so intense that I have my dogs comb brush I am just basically sanding my skin off to keep the itchiness at bay. Talking 30/40 min flare up where my body explodes. My body is so raw from scratching using all sorts. Even used a butter knife and blunt scissors to get a bit of relief

I haven’t eaten anything new and I have no food allergies that I am aware of. I do randomly get hives maybe once a year but normally it goes after half a day.

Just had a flare up which left me crying as it was so uncomfortable. Felt like my whole body was erupting.

I’ve convinced myself it’s either my detergent or dust mites. Im so scared to touch anything so im
sat on my plastic office chair butt naked. Crying. My feet are very itchy. Tbf everywhere is but my feet are so bad that everything pales in comparison

ive taken piriton but nothing helped.

i did have a stubborn cold I’m getting over (chat gpt said it may be linked)

im just hoping for advice. Im so paranoid. Literally shivering from the cold but worried it’s my detergent I have issues with. It’s been 7 days of shitness (period, cold, hives). My joints have also started to hurt,

I’ve got to leave the house in 3 hours. Not slept 😢

x

OP posts:
doubleshotcappuccino · 01/09/2025 08:27

my Dd had this antihistamines will help in the short term - I’m sorry it must be really hard for you - she ended up being treated for a long term condition but in the short term antihistamines helped a lot but she had to take them throughout the day as detailed in the medicine info not more

Phatgurslyms · 01/09/2025 08:27

The tiredness will have made it worse. It sounds to me that you might be run down, burned out? You also sound very hard on yourself. Is something going on?

Whatever, you need to rest.

totalrocket · 01/09/2025 08:25

Are you on mounjaro?

doesanybodyhaveamap · 01/09/2025 08:24

For some relief until you get medical help, wet some towels and pop them in the freezer. Then cover the worst areas. The cold will help reduce the inflammation and will distract from the itching.

cakedup · 01/09/2025 08:20

There is solution...omalizumbab, a course of injections that has successfully cured many. You will probably need do fulfil certain criteria, eg take fexofenadine for a certain amount of time.

Bluesey · 01/09/2025 08:19

OP if you want to avoid nasty chemical laden washing powders in future I use ecoegg:

https://www.ecoegg.com/product/laundry-egg/

SpiralSister · 01/09/2025 08:17

I’m a bit worried about you, OP. You’ve had some brilliant advice here and I’m sure you’ll get the hives under control with the GPs/pharmacy help.

But I notice that you hadn’t picked up some previous meds. Have you got stuck in a place where you aren’t looking after yourself properly? Too busy, doing too much for others, running on empty? Saying yes to everything and putting your health last? If you routinely do this, your body will force you to stop in various interesting and unpleasant ways, which might be what you are experiencing now!

Please take care of yourself. As you can see from this thread, people do care about you - even randoms on the internet!

InfoSecInTheCity · 01/09/2025 08:15

Definitely see a Dr and get some stronger medications. You could also try soaking in a just warm bath, if you have any oats put a couple of handfuls into a sock or pair of tights and swirl that through the water. Oats are soothing without being aggravating to skin, it’s in lots of creams like Aveeno.

Barrenfieldoffucks · 01/09/2025 08:15

Dancerk · 01/09/2025 08:10

Thank you for saying that. I don’t know why I’m being such a poor decision maker!

Caller number 17 in the queue for the gp

Edited
Show quote history

Honestly, I would hang up from the GP and call 111. Tell them exactly what you've told us, all the odd seemingly unrelated symptoms, lack of sleep etc etc and I'm pretty certain they will send you to urgent care of the equivalent.

Clytemnestra21 · 01/09/2025 08:13

OP echoing others. You need medical care. To calm down the symptoms, and maybe something to help you sleep? But only after seeing doc. I have reactions to insect bites that make me rashy all
over and feverish. This sounds worse. Wishing you quick recovery!

EmeraldShamrock000 · 01/09/2025 08:13

Sounds awful. Insist they investigate the outbreak.
Hope you feel better soon.

beAsensible1 · 01/09/2025 08:11

You obviously can’t go into work so call in sick first off then call the GP

Madformaltesers · 01/09/2025 08:11

That bad, you should have gone to A&E, any worsening allergic reaction not managed by anti histamine could develop quickly into anaphylaxis

Covidwoes · 01/09/2025 08:10

OP please go to the GP rather than a pharmacist!

Original poster
Dancerk · 01/09/2025 08:10

Sowingbees · 01/09/2025 08:03

A pharmacy isn't enough, you need to be seen by a doctor.

Thank you for saying that. I don’t know why I’m being such a poor decision maker!

Caller number 17 in the queue for the gp

OP posts:
QuickScroller · 01/09/2025 08:09

Dancerk · 01/09/2025 03:43

So for the past three days I’ve had some sort of reaction. I’ve got hives/welts all over (scalp, bum legs, hands) plus blotchy skin. Hands and feet swollen slightly. Mostly it’s a mild nuisance. But a few times a day it just fucking gets so intense that I have my dogs comb brush I am just basically sanding my skin off to keep the itchiness at bay. Talking 30/40 min flare up where my body explodes. My body is so raw from scratching using all sorts. Even used a butter knife and blunt scissors to get a bit of relief

I haven’t eaten anything new and I have no food allergies that I am aware of. I do randomly get hives maybe once a year but normally it goes after half a day.

Just had a flare up which left me crying as it was so uncomfortable. Felt like my whole body was erupting.

I’ve convinced myself it’s either my detergent or dust mites. Im so scared to touch anything so im
sat on my plastic office chair butt naked. Crying. My feet are very itchy. Tbf everywhere is but my feet are so bad that everything pales in comparison

ive taken piriton but nothing helped.

i did have a stubborn cold I’m getting over (chat gpt said it may be linked)

im just hoping for advice. Im so paranoid. Literally shivering from the cold but worried it’s my detergent I have issues with. It’s been 7 days of shitness (period, cold, hives). My joints have also started to hurt,

I’ve got to leave the house in 3 hours. Not slept 😢

x

i had this a few years ago with no explanation.. horrible! Turned out I had worms!

Mynewnameis · 01/09/2025 08:04

I took my dd to a treatment center for a reaction like this (,were in spain). They gave her steroids, immediate high dose and tablets. Aswell as antihistamine. They come stronger than piriton

Please call the doctors NOW

Mynewnameis · 01/09/2025 08:04

I took my dd to a treatment center for a reaction like this (,were in spain). They gave her steroids, immediate high dose and tablets. Aswell as antihistamine. They come stronger than piriton

Please call the doctors NOW

Whare · 01/09/2025 08:04

I get this. Calamine helps.

Sowingbees · 01/09/2025 08:03

A pharmacy isn't enough, you need to be seen by a doctor.

jeaux90 · 01/09/2025 08:03

OP this happened to me about 7 years ago. Also all over my body. Definitely go to the docs and get Feno. Also ask for a referral for allergy patch tests. I went through this and discovered I had become allergic to MI which is short for Methylisothiazolinone.

It’s in washing powders/liquids, shampoos and shower gels. Even washing up liquid.

When I saw the specialist he said they think about 20% of the population are allergic to it and it should be banned.

Its worth checking your products for this whilst you get an appointment.

SamPoodle123 · 01/09/2025 08:01

I had random hives that lasted a few days and realised it came from some sort of detergent used at the dry cleaners. I could not fit my duvet into the machine so took it there to be washed. It took me a couple days to figure it out. Were you fine with the old detergent?

Original poster
Dancerk · 01/09/2025 08:01

I TRULY cannot thank everyone on this thread enough. Your advice/sharing of similar experiences has helped so much! I didn’t know itching made hives worse. I was in a pathetic state last night with really no one to call in the middle of the night. I was crying out of sheer despair! To find a group of empathetic people offering advice made such a difference. I’ll never forget it xxx

OP posts:
Original poster
Dancerk · 01/09/2025 08:00

Ive called in sick. Im absolutely shattered.

Managed to get 40 winks. Sleep was quite disturbed as I have developed a really sore shoulder, elbow and wrist which really is quite uncomfortable. I have done absolutely no physical activity (dog was walked by a friend) for the better part of a week so I’m convinced it’s connected. Plus I have a tight/pressure sensation in my throat on the same side which is coming and going.

God I just want a break from this body

I would normally take an ibuprofen for the joint pain but I’m bloody terrified to put anything on or near my body.

I have copied all the suggested antihistamines and will ask the pharmacist for the strongest combo. I’m counting down the seconds until the pharmacy opens.

OP posts:
AnnaMagnani · 01/09/2025 08:00

You need to see your GP.

It probably isn't an allergy, unfortunately hives can just turn up because they fancy it - I speak as a chronic hives sufferer.

Piriton is an old anti-histamine which seems to have captured the imagination despite there being a lot more and better anti-histamines out there.

I use cetirizine, in the past I had fexofenadine as well. It may take several times the dose on the packet for it to go away - I think at my peak I was taking 5 fexofenadine and 5 cetirizine a day.