Hives. I'm so worried.

[missgriss]

I written here before about my DS but I'm worried and need some advice. Every now and again he comes out in hives/red blotches all down his back and neck. It happened again this morning and I don't know what's causing it. He's not had his breakfast yet so it can't be food related.

I've made a doctors appointment for Monday but they haven't been too helpful in the past. It seems to be worse in the heat. Has anyone had this?

I've got anxiety issues and all I can do when looking at him these days is look for red marks on him. It is taken over my life and I'm worried all the time. Please help

My dd kept breaking out in hives for about 3 months, I never discovered what it was, so thought maybe it was something in the garden.

The hives on his back have been happening for a couple of months. He hasn't done anything differently today so I'm at a total loss to what it could be.

He is allergic to cats but he hasn't been in any contact with cats for ages. I just wish I knew what caused it.

Sometimes young children get 'viral rashes' red blotchy things, as part of their body reacting to a normal bug like a cold or cough.
Is he bothered by them at all?
Could it be allergy to washing powder?
Try not to worry too much, if he is well in him himself it is very unlikely to be anything awful.

ds1 has had several outbreaks. When he was 2 he suffered for a few days. I identified the problem as soy milk which he absolutely loved and guzzled. It was a special kids formulation recommended by a pediatrician (stupid cow!). Once I cut it out the hives stopped, but he now cannot eat anything with soya in it.

Last summer (he was 3) he started again and we never really found why. He definitely came up after bathing in cold water, pools or the sea, but it kept going even after bathing season was over. It stopped once the weather got cooler (we were in Spain and it was pretty hot).

This year he seems to be absolutely fine, nothing worse than mozzie bites. A word of warning: he has seen several G.P.'s who have given me STUPID advice including allergy to mozzies (not at all) and banning bananas from his diet (not the problem). Would suggest seeing an allergy specialist if you decide that it needs medical attention.

As FS, Soya is a common cause of hives. It could still be food related as they don't necessarily appear immediately afterwards. DD1 gets hives from raspberries, pineapples and Chloramphenical eye drops - they don't appear immediately and they come and go over a period of about a week until the thing thats causing them has completely passed out of her body. The only way to treat her seems to be dosing her with Piriton over the week (not just when the rash appears) until they stop happening.

My neice developed hives in reaction to soya and it took 2 weeks for them to go after she stopped having it.

Did you introduce something new a couple of months ago that he seemed fine with at first? You also don't have to ingest something - DD1 has to just get pineapple juice on her skin for her to react.

I have also heard that they can be a reaction to a virus.

Thanks for your replies. There is honestly nothing I can think of that he has had new over the past couple of months. He is a very fussy eater and is very limited to what he will eat.

DH and FIL both have sensitive skin. DH had a pinprick test when he was about 17 and he was mildly allergic a quite a few things, although he doesn't seem to have any obvious symptoms. He does come up in red blotches sometimes after being in the shower sometimes though. I wonder if DS is just going to be the same.

Can you push to see an a specialist? None of the GP's I have seen so far seem to be too bothered but I'm frightened that it is going to get worse (I know, I'm far too much of a pessimist)

maybe soap powder residue in clothing? Could be heat rash? Insect bite? It's pretty hard for someone whose child has swollen up to get a referral to a consultant so I don't rate your chance very highly with hives.

Keep a bottle of antihistamine handy and sponge him with cool (not icy) water if heat seems to make it worse.

I know its hard not to worry but he'll probably outgrow it.