9 months hives free...

I am thrilled to report that I am still indeed hives free.  My heat flushing/skin botching did crop up again when I was on a break between 3 months of continuous birth control pills (I am on 3 months continuous with no placebos, then 1 week break, then start again with next 3 months).  But it was only a day or two and not even the full day that the skin flushing happened. So that has definitely proven to be a hormonal thing.

Am I certain that my birth control pill last year is what was giving me hives? No.  I can't be sure. Honestly, I can't. It's just my current theory, based on eliminating many other potential causes and by applying 20/20 hindsight logic. But, I'm not about to switch back to that one again either to find out!

I still have a small worry every day that the hives will return.  I still glance 1-2 times a day at the "hot spots" where they clustered (wrists, neck, under arms, waistline). 

From many who have commented to various posts on my blog, there seem to be common themes among us:

• Reproductive hormone abnormalities (showing up in other symptoms such as endometriosis, infertility, etc.)
• Thyroid auto-immune conditions
• Seasonal allergies
• Taking a slew of medications -- includig those meant to try to suppress the hives 
• Stress/anxiety even before the hives started

My belief is that all 5 of those things should be looked at thoroughly as potential causes for chronic hives, but in particular, hormones and medications. 

My readers will appreciate this:  I recently had a follow-up with my dermatologist about my keratosis pilaris, and I told him about how the birth control pill change solved my skin flushing, and that I had a theory that the same pill caused my hives last year.

His response?

"Could be. Medications can do all kinds of crazy things.  So is that all for today then?"

Are you KIDDING ME??!! I wanted to shake him and say: "Then whey didn't you have us look at that when I was spinning with distress last year and seeing a different doctor or specialist every week seeking answers and doing tons of diet change experiments!"

We are our own advocate.  All the best to those of you reading who are in an active state of chronic hives, and all the best to those of us in remission that it stays that way!