Postpartum hives

[islandbaby]

Hi, does anyone have any experience of this, that they can talk with me about?

About a month ago I started to get hives all over my body, my lips and eyes have swelled a few times in this period and I'm now taking about three different antihistamines throughout the day just to manage the condition.

I have thought it was a new allergy to various things (shower product, milk), but I've never had an allergy in my life, and I've tried eliminating things and am still getting it. Actually, I'm pretty scared of my throat/tongue swelling up.

Now I've read of postpartum hives, a condition not very well documented officially, but there seems to be plenty of people on the internet saying they've experienced it. I had my son 6 months ago, and am wondering if it could be related.

Am getting quite stressed about this, which isn't helping I'm sure, and would like to know if anyone else has experienced this and how they managed it.

Thanks

I'm not sure if this is the same thing but...

I'm 36 and I never had hives in my life until I had DS nearly 4 years ago. Since then I've had them maybe 6-8 times? Really bad all over the body for 3 days, lots of anti-histamine required. However, mine I think come when I'm sleep deprived/stressed and eat a food to trigger them off (can't figure out which food/additive though. Last time it was after a Malaysian takaway)

I think the immune system changes during/after pregnancy. Are yours persistant or do they come and go? Have you been to GP?

Hey

they're pretty persistant, over the whole month since they first appeared. I'm managing it with three different types of antihistamine, but if I don't take them then the hives come quite quick and strong. I still get patches here and there throughout the day/night even when taking the pills, but they're small patches that fade quite fast.

I've seen a gp twice, but she hasn't been willing to refer me to an allergist until we have given it 6 weeks on the AHs. Unfortunately, I'm leaving england for 6 months in a month's time so will probably not be referred in time.

I'm so freaked out about the possibility of my tongue swelling, or having an anaphylactic reaction.

Actually, I'm just pretty freaked out about the whole thing.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

You poor thing, hives and swelling are horrid.

As I understand it, the anti-histamines damp down your bodies over-reaction by soaking up the stuff responsible (wiki link), so as long as there is some AH in your body and things are pretty much under control, you are not at risk from an anaphylactic reaction or major tongue swelling... these things would have happened at the start of your bodies over-reaction if they were going to happen at all

Thanks TheLemur

I'm feeling slightly less freked out about having an overreaction now.

It's interesting though, I just keep reading about more and more women who have had a rash/hives like this after having a baby, and there's just no medical investigation into the possible causes.

Yes, it happened to me both times after I gave birth. I had twins the second time and was so incredibly itchy. Doctor didn't recommend taking piriton as I was breast feeding but did so anyway and babies didn't seem to suffer any ill effects!

Did it last for long, Nickoka? Was there any food that aggravated it, or was it just totally random?