After spicy food and rice, "heat rash" appears next day

Still no hives thank goodness! Even over the joyous yet stressful holiday time.

But last night for dinner, I had some spicy Thai food with a little bit of rice. Later last night, my one cheek near nose started to feel a little itchy. I saw that it was a little pink/red but no hives. This morning, it was the same way and still a bit itchy. But it has almost faded now as I type this in the afternoon. Some slight redness but no more itch.

So either the spicy food or the rice are the cause. I think tomorrow I will eat some plain rice, and see what happens. If nothing then it is probably the spicy food. They (medical websites) do say that spicy foods can aggravate heat rashes. I will be surprised if it is the rice, but I suppose anything is possible.

I am back onto my old antidepressant for anxiety, but taking a slightly smaller dose. I have been feeling pretty good overall. Not having the hives outbreaks for some time now has helped my mood and attitude considerably.

Happy new year all! Hoping that 2013 brings better things to come.

No hives appeared, anxiety med change reason?

In my description on my blog, I admit that I suffer from anxiety. At times in my life, it has required me to go onto antidepressant medications to help keep it at bay. Two weeks ago, my doctor wanted me to switch to a different one, because the one I had been taking elevated my glucose levels (to just slightly above normal ranges). So I have been doing that for the past two weeks, and the change hasn't gone well. I have had horrible side effects from the new drug, including insomnia and increased sweating. Yet amidst all of that, I have not had any hives emerge. But the side effects are too much to take, so I am going back to the old one.

I had long wondered if my antidepressant was contributing to my body's over-reaction with the hives and the red flushing issues. I had hoped that by going off it and onto something else, it would help tell me something if the issues went away. But unfortunately, because I am going to be staying on that one vs. changing, we won't know.

I also have been avoiding rice consumption. I haven't had any hives or the red flushing since my last post.

We'll continue to see how things go!  But the hives seemed to have been fading out, and I am thinking that was probably happening on its own -- regardless of the trial with the thyroid hormone or this short-lived attempt to change anxiety medication.

Here's to a Happy Hives-Free Holidays!! :)

A few here and there, so what next?

Over the past week since stopping the thyroid hormone, I have only seen a small "half hive" here and there -- usually on my hands/wrists (seems to be a favorite spot for mine). I have one on my left hand this morning. But no more pressure hives along elastic or waistband areas in many weeks. My anxiety from the suppressed thyroid (due to all the thyroid hormone) is starting to simmer down a bit, slowly.

From the medical research reports that I read, people who saw the hives disappear once taking the thyroid hormone, after stopping the hormone, the hives returned within 2 weeks time. So I am only 8 days out. We shall see what happens.

So still not taking any antihistamine either. It also does make me wonder if the hives are/were tied to pollen seasonality. I know that my allergists dismissed that notion, saying that hives would not come from inhaling pollens, but to have them subside in the wintertime seems like there might be something to that.

I was decorating our christmas tree yesterday (it's a fresh cut tree) and fearing a bit that the needles would give me hives. They are so prickly and itchy! But I am pleased to report that did not happen. :)

Bad news - must stop the thyroid hormone

My latest thyroid bloodwork came back, after being on the thyroid hormone for 4 weeks. My TSH was significantly low (0.05!), meaning going to "hyper-active" thyroid state. It explains also why I have felt more anxious on the past week and had an unintentional weight loss of 2 lbs. So, my endocrinologist's office told me to discontinue it altogether, and that if the hives return, to call them and maybe we can consider a lower dose at a less frequent  interval. Only time will tell.

I can't totally say for certain if it was the synthroid that cleared up my hives. They seemed to have been fading out slowly before I started it, so it could be timing. If they come back in some noticeable way, then I would probably say the synthroid did help.

The heat rash/cholinergic urticaria continues though, more often it seems lately than before. Or maybe I am just paying more attention to it. I had red rashing on my face, mostly forehead this morning after my shower. Last night a bit on my lower legs when getting ready for bed.

I found an interesting blog about cholinergic urticaria and chronic heat rash:
http://www.registerednursern.com/nurse/cholinergic-urticaria/

One of the things it talks about is a reduced or inability to sweat in many people suffering from that type of rash. I don't know if that is me, because I have been avoiding rigorous exercise for many months due to its tendency to trigger the regular hives outbreaks. But I should probably assess if that is the case for me, maybe will do that this evening.

I miss long hot showers! I miss baths! I miss working out!! :(

Cholinergic rash continues

For the past few days, still hives free -- except for Saturday evening, I took a slightly longer shower than usual and ended up with a very bad case of the Cholinergic hives/rash afterwards. All on my lower legs, from kneecaps to ankles. My face was a bit flushed too, but the legs were the worse. And they itched pretty badly, a burning itch. It went away in about an hour, as usual. I did also end up with a few short-lived hives during that as well, one on my right side of belly and a few wee ones on hands, but they all lasted less than an hour. No different soaps or shampoos -- I think it was simply because I was under the water longer than usual.

I don't even dare to try taking a bath, even though I used to all the time as a way to relax and unwind! Grumble!!

So who can tell -- is the thyroid medication helping reduce the hives outbreaks, and when they do appear, reduce in duration and severity? And why would that not also help with the heat-induced rash?

I got my bloodwork done today to re-check all my thyroid levels now that I've been taking the drug for a month. They want to make sure I'm not getting too much thyroid hormone.

No matter what, I am thankful at least that the hives are greatly reduced!

I call them "half hives"

Day 22 on thyroid medication. Over the long thanksgiving weekend, I only got a few "half hives" - the best way I can describe them. As described before, they are reddish blotches, very small in size, but never fully form as wheals. I am very happy about the progress so far. I am still having underlying, low-level anxiety because based on history, I keep dreading that the hives will fully re-appear and it's only a matter of time. But I keep trying to turn my mind back to being/staying hopeful. Next week I have to get my thyroid function tests to make sure that I'm not going "hyper-thyroid", but I am not having any of those symptoms thus far.

Also in the past week, actually it's been 10 days now, I have had none of the red "flushing" / blotching rash after showering.

I hope all of this continues, and I'll keep the updates coming!

Thyroid medication continues, no hives...

So I am day 15 now on the thyroid hormone. In the past week, I've had a couple more occasions where reddish circles form, maybe one or two small ones per day, but never truly become wheals. But for the past 5 days, I have been completely hive free -- not even those reddish circles. I do still get the rashing/flushing now and then. I am getting heartburn and gas pains really bad too, every other day. I went back to eating my regular diet, except for gluten, the same time that I started the thyroid medication. I contacted my dr. about the heartburn, and she said it is not a reported side effect of this drug -- but that the best way to find out is to go off of the drug for a week, and if the issue resolves, it's the drug and if not, it's something else i.e. diet. I am going to wait until after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend to try going off of the thyroid medication. If I remain hive-free through this stressful weekend, then I know they thyroid medication is helping and the question becomes what to do about this new issue of heartburn and gas. :( argh!! Here I am with that whack-a-mole game again.

I got my hair colored over the past weekend, and not a hive to be found this time. I also asked the hairdresser to use lukewarm vs. hot water on me, thinking maybe that will help, since heat seems to often be a trigger for the rashing and sometimes the hives too. But not even a rash this time either, so that was very nice!

I did find this very useful write-up on Wikipedia about Cholinergic Urticaria -- which creates that rashing/flushing and hives with increased body temperature, the part that jumped out at me is that this often co-exists with people who have CIU:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholinergic_urticaria

We have a long car ride for the Thanksgiving trip. Some other sufferers of chronic urticaria say that long car rides, bike rides, etc. due to the vibrations can cause a hives outbreak. Gosh, I hope that won't happen.

Next time I post, the trip will be over and we'll see how things are going with the hives, heartburn, and medication!

Happy Thanksgiving...