Looking back now, I have 3 current theories on why I had chronic hives:
- They were due to a birth control pill? I started a b.c pill two months before the hives set in. Now, one might think that I would have reacted right away from that, not two months later. But I look at it more as having a "toxicity buildup" effect, meaning if there was something in that drug that my body didn't like, and more of it was built up over time, that's when my body hit a certain threshold and reacted. I also had flushing/rashing/blotching while on it too. I was on that pill until March, but my hives were gone by early December, so how does that make sense? Maybe my body just finally realized it did not need to have an allergic response, much as our allergy responses change all the time. But the flushing/rashing/blotching continued even after the hives had ended, and when I changed to a new bc pill in March, that went away too. I believe that part of it was hormonal.
- They were due to an antidepressant? I started a new antidepressant for anxiety around the same time that I started the bc pill. As one usually does, I started with a lower dose, and increased it over the next 6 weeks. Maybe it was at the higher dose that my body reacted to something in the drug -- and again, it just took many, many months before my body desensitized to the allergen and stopped hiving. I dropped the dose back down in January, which was after the hives had already stopped, and am still on the lower dose today.
- They were from an unknown cause and not from the drugs, for a reason maybe never to be known? Could be that my medication theories are all wrong, and they were just a random occurrence. I have read others' blogs on this topic, and the good news is that most everyone seems to go into remission and stops blogging about it.
If you are currently experiencing active chronic hives, you are not alone in your angst and frustration. But just know that remission will happen at some point, that this will be transient ("this too shall pass"), and that life is constantly changing
My best advice is look at ANYTHING that may have changed in the month or two leading up to your hives. Soap? Meds? Detergents? Fabric Softener? Lotions? Vitamins? I initially was looking on what I ate or used THAT DAY that the hives appeared, not taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture.
As for me, it is nice to now go sometimes even days without scanning my body for those dreaded wheals. I can't help but wonder if it will stay like this though.
Thank you so much for your update!!! I am doing so good so far! I think my hives are going on vacation, I don't want to say the "R" word be ause I fear the worst. I stopped taking my Zantac all together and just on 2 Claritin and 1 singulair. Tomorrow will be the big reveal when I wake up. If all goes well I am going to decrease my antihistamine am see how I do! Best wishes - Christina
ReplyDeleteI wish the best for you Christina! and i dont want to scare you, but i had a break in my hives after 2.5 months. they were gone for 2 weeks then inexplicably came back. i think it was because i was on a break after 3 months of continuous hormone, then when i started back up again, the hives came back. do you think you may have pinpointed a potential cause or trigger? i am curious, and please stay in touch!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started with all this, I was on birth control (a low dose) and gabapentin for what I thought was restless leg syndrome. I came across an blog about a lady who came down with CU after 6 months on the gabapentin, I immediately stopped. I have not identified any trigger except ibuprofen but I haven't touched the stuff since April. Nothing seems to make it better/worse. I noticed recently though I could go longer without meds..it use to be right on time with breakouts at the 12 hr mark. Now I am down to 3 pills and nothing. I know it could def be a temp reprieve I am just excited and praying its longer! I am slotted to see a specialist in August, and I am still going to go because within the last month my hair has noticeable began falling out by more stands than it typically would if that makes sense so I want to retest for thyroid. Far fetched....maybe but it's definitely scary.
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer
DeleteI have just come across your post. I too suffer from Chronic Hives (am in my fifth season) - the seasons started out shorter in length but I now have them June - Feb each year. I also have Endometriosis, IBS, migraine suffer, fertility problems and had the mirena for 4 yrs (the hives started when I had it taken out). My mother had her thyroid taken out nearly 10yrs ago we also just found out she has endometriosis. I have seen 3 allergy specialists the first two told me it was in my head and caused by stress the third one recently told me the hives are from an underlying autoimmune disease duh! They also think I am allergic to dust mites, grass pollen. I take all the antihistamines and steroids, cortisone under the sun with no help. I have had my thyroid tested a few years ago and it is 4.5 on the borderline. I am starting to wonder if I have thyroid and coeliac disease also. Are you still having problems with your hives?
Hello Cara, I certainly understand your frustrations. I would strongly recommend you re-test your TSH and other thyroid hormone levels. TSH changes all the time. They should also check you for Thyroid Antibodies at that time too. It's all easy bloodwork. I would also recommend you look at possible hormonal adnormalities, which I was found to hive. I would speak with your OB/GYN or a reproductive endocrinologist to have your estrogen, testosterone, progestrone, etc. check. I find it VERY interesting that yours started after your Mirena was removed; perhaps it was providing hormonal stability that you needed? I am still hives free. I just recently had my TSH checked again, and mine has always been in the 1.0-1.5 range (except when I took synthroid last fall to see if that would kick out the hives, it suppressed me too much to like 0.03 TSH, too low for me). Please keep me posted, I will be interested in your progress.
DeleteAlso the temp reaction to augmentin when I was sick with a nasty head cold. However; it was angioedema that got the best of me...swelling my lip to comic proportion but I had steroids that I took and was done with after 48 hrs.....this stuff is extremely frustrating.
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ReplyDeletehave you considered switching to a diff low dose bc pill? it might be worth a try since it is so easy to change. might be a common inactive ingredient in some of these meds, you might want to look at that too. good luck!!
ReplyDeleteOh girl I quit all together :)! I only take hives meds and that's it! Practice safe s*x - kind of hard for a married couple lol. Was thinking of getting like Merana <spelling or so,etching that does not mess with hormones. Thanks so much for listening!!
ReplyDeleteChristina