Solar Urticaria /Hives

[rosieposies]

Hello,

I have heard it is quite rare but I suffer from Solar Urticaria, so I basically break out in hives everywhere whenever I go into strong sun light.

I have been prescribed fexofenadine and use Piz Buin Allergy, and they help but I still break out quite badly. It hugely affects what I can and can't do in the summer and is getting me quite down : (

Does anyone have any tips or struggle with this as well?

I have cholinergic urticaria
Have you tried cetirizine alongside?

@Ollivande84

I haven't heard of that - is is an anti-histamine?

It is - Zyrtec! Can get it over the counter, I take 4 a day but used to take it alongside fexofen
Worth asking for a referral if you can, I saw an urticaria specialist

Have you been referred to a specialist? I have PMLE (another allergic reaction to sunlight) and get photo-desensitisation therapy every year. It's a complete game-changer! I still have to be careful, but I can actually go out in the sunshine now.

Antihistamines are also helpful. Before I started PDT I would take loratadine, or any other OTC antihistamine, every day from April to October, ish. If I felt a reaction coming on I would double the dose (on advice of dermatologist). I still use antihistamines if I think I've over-exposed.

@jellyslice no I haven't, they just gave me fexofenadine and told me it would help. I only take them on sunny days, maybe I should be taking them everyday regardless?

I'm going to have to look into that therapy, is it on the NHS? x

I have chronic urticaria (although have been hive free for 3 weeks). As yet I have not found any antihistamine that works. I religiously take fexo, and am on yet another course of steroids after an angiodema episode that landed me in a and e.

I gather that fexo does need to be taken every day in order for it to work.....

The trouble, I found, with only taking the antihistamines on sunny days, is that I would get taken by surprise because the sun suddenly came out, or I spent longer in the sun than expected.

I’d be inclined to try taking it every day but I am not a medical professional, so you need to check this for yourself. My dermatologist told me that I could take loratadine or cetirizine every day, and twice a day if nevessary.

yes, sun therapy on the NHS. Has to be prescribed by a dermatologist.

Hi....i have bad urticaria on my body...it apear on my face too over the night....i tryall the medicine from gp ...non worked....then i found on youtube a doctor who advice to use Zyrtek and Zantac...for me work very well now....i still have few red areas...but tolerated.
I've been to alergology ....useless....he send me home with Zyrtek and a basic allergy test that did not show anything.
After i've been to dermatology....she told me to continue with my nedication.
I told to both of them ...that Youtube was more helpfull then them.
Sorry...but this is the reality.

I get chronic urticaria for a couple of months every year or two. No idea what causes it, but I was finally recommended something that totally knocks it on the head: a combination of cetirizine (antihistamine) and ranitidine (sometimes branded as Zantac). Apparently although ranitidine is marketed as an antacid, it has the side effect of stopping a different set of histamine receptors which don't always respond to normal antihistamines. I was at my wits' end with the hives - nothing worked. Then took first lot of this combo - hives completely gone within the hour.

Ha - cross-posted with Aida!

Have you tried a different sun lotion? I find la Roche possay and ladvidal are much better. My skin reacted terribly to Piz Buin Allergy.

I hope you have some luck in solving it

Dd suffers from urticaria caused by the environment - that said we struggle to find a regular pattern, so it could be a windy day, certain grassy areas, random times being near trees, certain pools....it’s very difficult to establish a theme. We get a prescription of antihistamine prescribed by the gp that really helps.