Greetings to you all,
This is my first post since I was willing to write something that matters, and finally I think I do have something worth telling. Long story made it short: Suffer from cholinergic urticaria since about 16. I am 39 now.
First years were pretty painful until I find a way to cope with it, and that was, like so many of you, working out. Since then I had my ups and downs. Sometimes even cried with despair. Cold weather being the worst. Fast forward and about two years ago I found this site and finally understood what I had, finally had a name for my disease and I knew I was not the only one.
Following everything was being said on this site, I tried for the first time the “food therapy”. That didn’t work. I spend lots of money on “good” food, primary gluten free and bio food, tested removing all types of food, was followed by a nutritionist, but although I think it helped a little still had my urticaria attacks. Winter just sucks.
Then, a few weeks before Christmas time I got the fever. So, what happens when we get the fever? We sweat a lot, all day, get fully dressed with very warm clothes and drink lots of hot tea. So during the fever I got urticaria free. That made me think. Even before finding this site, I always knew the problem should be somewhere around the sweat glands. I always thought they forgot how to work, and the workout made them find the way again.
But sweating 3-5 times a week for 40-60m was not enough for me. I always knew I had to find a way to force sweat more often but didn’t know how or had the time for it. So here we come to my cure/working therapy: Simply, I keep doing what I did when I had the fever. I try to be warm all the time and drink about 3-4 mugs a day of very hot tea.
When at home, I even wear a warm coat whenever I can (I know it looks ridiculous) and specially when drinking the hot tea. I also grab the “very hot” mug with both hands the longest time I can so my hands get very hot and accelerate the sweat. Result: I am now sweating during all day and not just when I workout.
My guess is, on cold weather our body temperature goes down so much that when it´s time to warm up, he just doesn’t know how and then the attacks show up. So, if we teach our body to be warm all the time (with the hot tea and warm clothes) when the time comes (stress, working out, hot inputs, anxiety, little efforts) the sweat will come out naturally and no urticaria attacks whatsoever. Just like on tropical weather were the humidity is so big that makes us sweat all the time, and thus no urticaria. I also do just one more thing, no creams on my body because I tend to think they somehow block the sweat glands.
Right now, I eat about everything I want (I´ve been a sports and healthy guy through all my life but I do eat my sweets and junk food now and then), and live my day-to-day life without worries of urticaria attacks. I don´t know if this therapy is the answer or just a coincidence, but I do know if I stop drinking constantly hot tea I do start feeling the tickling on my hands and feet, and then, as soon as I can, I just grab a hot tea.
I would like to see other people trying this “therapy,” not only because I could check if it really works or is it just a coincidence, but also because I know what it is to live with this problem and can’t bare to read every new post. As always, talk to your doctor before trying anything.
Best wishes to you all,
Tiago
PS: When I say very hot tea, i don’t mean burning tea. Don’t burn your throat or you´ll get a new problem.
Rebekah says
I lived in South Florida and the sweat therapy didn’t work for me. In addition I go into anaphylaxis shock. So happy you are finding relief!!!
Yash Jagdish Shah says
Yaa this can work for me I guess will surely try . Exactly what I can relate with my symptoms. Thanks 🙂
Anonymous says
This works for me. The key is “time sweating per day”. If i can get my body to sweat for 1 hr straight…I last 12hrs without symptoms. When I sweat for 2 hrs I can be assured that no attacks will come for 24hrs. Not everyone can excersise 2hr a day so the way to extend this is to workout for 1 hr (cardio) and then take 20min hot shower..then drink something hot 15mins after the shower as Tiago mentioned above. That wiil get you about 2hr with sweat glands open. I dont know how this works or why…but it is what I have been doing for the past year and has made life manageable. There will be a brief 5 to 20 mins window of time while you are warming up that will suck…itching and stinging may come…but you have to suck it up and bear the pain. The severity is reduced the longer you keep this up and the more consistent you are (dont skip days sweating). I found this to be much better relief over medications, doctors visits and diet change. The upside is I am in great shape. Join a gym and find a group class…wear heavy clothes during the workout and you should be sweating again soon.
Anonymous says
Sweat therapy works for me wnt to gym sat in sauna for 20 mins for months taking lots of antihistamines and year later finally gone. Switched from Hydroxine to Benadryl at night. Worked well