U UUU UUUUU UURRRRRRRRRR RRRRGGG GGGGG GGGG GG DS is covered in Hives - we have done so well lately too :-(

[youarekidding]

FFS. (sorry had to swear to get it off my chest!)

I think due to terrible weather we have escaped bad hayfever. DS been snotty but as bad as usual the past week so started the cetirizine daily.

This morning VERY lethargic and itchy so gave him 5ml chlorphenamine and off he goes to school - fine all day.

But of course 6 hours after chlorphenamine he starts itching so I leave it thinking he'll have cetirizine in a bit so he'll be OK.

Then the hives appear, on his legs, huge patches of welts bigger than he's ever had before. Then a rash spreads to his stomach but less welty more pinprick. He is itching like a goodun - cue 5ml more of chlophenamine.

Ring to ask GP advice and see if cetirizine as normal an hour later is OK - given all clear and she actually recommended it as a good idea. DS had a cool bath with oilatum.

He is still itching like mad but welts seem less red iyswim?

GP advised him sleeping with me so I can watch him due to his severe reactions always building up previously. Advised if welts spread to neck area even if no breathing difficulties and no swelling A&E to be safe.

So nightwatch with torch and epi-pen on hand for me tonight.

putting pics of welts on my profile - just because you've all seen them before and perhaps part of me wants someone to say it's not hives!

doesn't seem ill. no temp etc. worth considering though thanks. hope your DD better now.

Hi again. That's the thing. when DD had that cough, it really was nothing. No temp either and whilst she had the viral urticaria she was fine in herself and not bothered by it at all, apart from being itchy. She's fine at the moment. Has just had another viral thing so will be keeping an eye out for another bout of it but it doesn't always happen after a virus. Just sometimes.
take care.

when did you start the antihistamine? should be started 2 weeks at least before allergy season starts.

what other steps have you taken to keep pollen exosure low?

hives pretty normal for enviromental allergies here, certainly large areas of hives happen for my hubs, daughter and son.

my son takes to types of antihistamine daily to control his all year round enviro allergies. Others in family start it before their own personal season starts.

started AH during first lot of sunny weather. He was OK so stopped it during rain. Started it again 3 days before HW warning!! Normally he takes it end March/April until Sept/Oct.

To try and keep pollen exposure low I have had windows open with blinds down during day when we are out and closing them 4-7pm which seems to be prime time here for us. Hoovering twice daily, changing beds daily, showering after being outside. Hat and sunglasses - although DS wears glasses so that isn't always easy!! I have sheets over sofas during day which are removed when we get home and windows are shut.

I have even taken to tumbling DS clothes after they've been hung up outside in the hope of killing any possible allergens. Possibly not even proven to work but I usually do a quick blast.

Am willing to listen to any advice and/or suggestions though. Rather try and fail than not try at all!

Ooh WhiteTrashed that's interesting! Am now thinking that what I get sounds more like solar urticaria than prickly heat... Off to investigate on Google...

we do all that but add pollen /dustmite filter to add and that seems to work very well in sons bedroom. we have just a cheap ikea one, and that has really helped so when that dies we are buy a more expensive one for him. and perhaps daughter. When my hubby used it for a while his asthma improved, so we need to get him one as well!

we boil wash bedding but thats just to kill the dustmites ....

we dont hang the kids washing or towels on the line any more, (oh the £££ on the tumble dryer!!)

eye drops and nasel sprays, and when my lad was younger i shoved vaseline up his nose!

have you looked in to desensative treatment, which is available on nhs for hay fever only, which is why we cant have it, as the tree pollen is much worse than the hay fever. if you dont ask you dont get!

Eragon, what does a pollen dustmite filter look like? Is it an electronic gadget? I looked on Ikea website but couldn't find it.

Oops. sorry i should have ended that with Thanks. Thanks.

Eragon, don't worry. just found it. thanks again.

Hi, thanks for all the suggestions.

DS is getting better. Went to Tesco tonight to get picnic for tomorrow - we are off to the beach! I stopped at Tesco pharmacy to order his perscriptions in. (repeat service) and before I had even requested the stuff the pharmacist asked if we had seen GP about his allergic reaction!

I did say no, had spoken on phone though and could we please order cetirizine, chlorphenamine, epi-pen and laxido. He smiled bless him and said 'poor fella!'

I think he realised then I wasn't been casual about it but more resigned to it.

Hello again

Hope you all have a lovely relaxing day at the beach tomorrow. :)

I have cholinergic urticaria - brought on my change in temperature but mainly heat
That only occurs on certain parts of my body

Oh that's interesting brighthair DS' worst times of year for unexpected hives rash and unexplained allergic symptoms are when it gets really hot suddenly or we get sudden freezing temperatures. If the weather changes gradually it doesn't seem to have the same effect.

Yep gradual temp changes affect me less - so I am better in summer going from hot to very hot! It is exercise induced too
I take 4 cetirizine a day for it, have tried every other drug but the only one left is cyclosporin

Look up poly moronic light eruption, I suffer and it's mega similar, however I get blisters with mine that last weeks, only thing that shifts them is steroid cream.

I found a new sun cream that for the past two years has worked.

Good luck as its bloody difficult to manage if it is that, but nowim aware what it is i am far better and its usually worse at the beginning of summer when skins not used to sun and not built up photosenstivity thingys in my skin I don't have massively severe reactions though, just the same style rash and blisters.

Moronic = morphic. Doh although I possibly do have moronic skin at times :)

God that was full of typos and no punctuation. Sorry.

Hi you're kidding, (sorry for your name change - autocorrect)! I know we have vaguely talked about this in the past my son is similar to yours he swells up t random and we have epipens etc etc. he has very high eosinophils and Ige. When we get into hay fever season his reactions to food get worse. I think it increases his histamine levels and makes him more reactant (not very technical but it's how i e plain it). He is on a regime of levocitirizine (stronger than cetirizine) and pepsid which is an antacid. It reduces his overall histamine level in his body and since being on them, we have gone from two to three dangerous swelling episodes a week to maybe three or four in the last year. I don't know if it is similar to you but thought it might help.

Hope you are both ok.

Thanks everyone. All this info is great.

So DS has had 10ml of puriton again today as well as his cetirizine (10ml) he takes daily.

texas yes your DS sounds just like mine and although DS has no food allergies other than ketchup (not tomatos though!) I'm sure eating high histamine foods affect him (so tomato based products included - hence the thought originally of tomato allergy) I always explain his allergies as his high eosinophils must just get higher - it seems the only logical explanation!

ratbag interestingly enough DS showed me his arm today which had a few (about 10 only!) very small blistery looking things on it today and said they itched. I have never seen them before and they disappeared after the puriton.

So My plan of action is:......................

See GP. Discuss another AH as I don't think he should be on cetirizine and puriton everyday! and maybe like you say Texas another type may help.

Ask about bath products. He has had oilatum in the past and I know there is aggravation with products, sun and skin problems so think this may help.

Ask about getting a sunscreen on perscription because I think this may be aggravating it more.

Ask about blood tests - see if they can check his eosinophils and IgE. I am unsure how high his eosinophils were (so whether they were raised or high high iyswim?) I guess the amount of AH he's on atm they may not think it's worth it because we may not get a 'true' reading?

The good news is the rash/hives have gone from most of his body now. The only thing I don't know is if it's because everytime he starts to itch (I mean badly not just feeling itchy) I give puriton so it's not getting a chance to appear of if it's going.

GP tonight at 7.30pm - wish me luck!

So back from GP. He has put DS on cetirizine tablets He said they will be better and better as he's older and will go on camps and things that he won't have to carry huge glass bottles. No, only puriton and epipens.

He has prescribed suncream - we are getting Sunsense.

He did a test by scratching DS' back to see 'hoe allergic' he is atm. Apparently the fact he had a huge 'ow' on his back within seconds shows he's very!

Good news is coeliacs blood test came back negative - OK that doesn't explain the tummy issues but we are continuing with laxido and it's assumed it could be allergy related.

Oh and his ears are filled with fluid again hence why he's talking very loudly again - and again guess what............... yep allergy related

hi youare kidding, mine are also allergic to the preservatives in suncream - we use green people - works are treat but very expensive.

Have a look at this site: www.mayoclinic.com/health/chronic-hives/ds00980/dsection=treatments-and-drugs

Have never posted a link before so sorry if it doesnt work. Basically talks about chronic idiopathic urticaria (or in my ds's case - angio-edema - the swelling rather than hives but both similar. They can test for CIU - there is a blood test - it won't give you a cure or even tell you what is causing it , but you know what you are dealing with - ie lots of antihistamines and epipens and lots of vigilance.

My son also carries diphenyhdramine liquid in 10ml sachets - that is his first resort if he starts to swell. I know it is 'drowsy' but it never makes him drowsy = i think thats because its doing its job of reducing the swelling not making him sleepy. he takes that on camp as well as his regular medication and epipens and has been great.

He has oral allergy syndrome as well and just avoids those foods that trigger it - melon, particularly watermelon, peaches, plums, avocado. He is allergic to bananas. I dont know if you also have this problem - he rarely eats fruit - lots of veg though.

It is so frustrating trying to find a cause and I am trying to get used to the idea that we may not get an 'answer' and it is something we have to manage and live with without really knowing why - I always like to know why and understand.

Hope you are all ok tonight and getting closer to some answers.

Thanks texas DS doesn't have angioedema he was tested for this.

He eats loads of fruit and seeming it doesn't have an affect on him.

The GP basically said it's common for children with skin problems - and hives are a skin problem even if the reaction is an internal thing iyswim? - so he'll give a suncream.

Basically he scratched DS skin which welted immediatly so he said it was like doing a control for skin prick - his control would be huge atm.

I never find puriton makes DS drowsy even if he has 10ml in a hit - I guess your right that it works on a reaction so doesn't tire the body!

We are the same - just isn't an answer. Plenty of questions though I am just doing what I can to treat symptoms and prevent reactions.