Rashes are driving me to insanity

[Anonymouse2019]

I have loads of different AI symptoms but nobody seems to know what's wrong. The symptoms all point to cancer and I'd have several biopsies and countless blood tests which have ruled out many types of cancers.

For 6 months I've been getting these rashes. I've been seen by a dermatologist and shown him a number of photos but he has no idea what the cause is.

It starts with itchy skin and nothing visible. In less than 1 minute, these lumps like a nettle rash start to appear. Within 5 minutes a whole area is covered in them. They are intensely itchy and the only thing that calms them is a fragrance-free moisturiser like Cetraben. If I put cream on, the rash fades and disappears in minutes.

I've tried antihistamines but they make me drowsy for about 20 hours (even the non-drowsy ones!?) but I have two young children and can't be drowsy all the time. They didn't make much difference anyway. I've tried a steroid cream but it was pointless as the rashes can appear anywhere on my body.

I've tied myself in knots trying to find a cause in my environment. Detergents, shampoos, body washes. I have tried to think of everything. There appears to be no correlation between food/drink and these rashes.

I can't take it much longer. They are driving me absolutely bonkers. Has anyone experienced similar?

There isn't a cause for chronic urticaria. It just appears as mysteriously as it disappears. You can drive yourself mad trying to find a cause. It's just your immune system being annoying.

Which anti-histamines have you tried? Fexofenadine is very popular. At its worst I needed multiple doses a day.

I am also being driven made by intensely itchy rashes and have been back to the docs today as the steroid cream they gave me just isn’t working well enough. Saw a GP with a specialism in dermatology today and he said it’s Nodular Prurigo. This does make sense. I have scratched my skin to the point of bleeding, particularly in my sleep. I’m now on sedative antihistamine to take at night - hydroxyzine hydrochloride - along with more steroids. I’ve been referred to dermatology and he hopes that they will do UV light therapy. Might be worth asking about? Mine is stress related and a weird immune response so I’m also taking loads of vitamins and probiotics.
Din’t know if any of that is helpful but sending lots of empathy!