Hello Everyone!
I just wanted to update on several things. In my last post, I talked about taking some anti-candida treatment, my mom’s visit to the dermatologist, and the passing of my sister-in-law. So here are a few updates:
The Anti-Candida Treatment, Hives, & My Tongue (Thrush)
As I mentioned, I am taking Diflucan (Fluconazole) to treat the Candida on my tongue. I am taking it for a couple of more days, and that will probably be it. I have taken it 4 days so far, so I will have done a total of 6 days of treatment when it is over.
So far my tongue looks a little less white, but still has some Candida on it. I have read online & it does seem to take a few days for the meds to start working, so we will see if my tongue improves within the next few days. It really doesn’t bother me at all, but I would prefer it to clear up a little better. But the main reason I am doing this is to see if it helps the hives.
My stomach feels a bit better, but it is hard to tell if it is from the medicine, or the fact that I have been eating very little over the past few days. I don’t know yet if it will have any effect on my digestion issues & lactose intolerance.
As far as the hives, I still have them. It doesn’t seem quite as intense, but I did have an attack today (I was sitting in the hot car with my wife while doing laundry). But again, it is still a bit early to see if the anti-Candida treatment will do anything at all to the hives. Maybe it will, maybe it wont. I should know in about another week for sure.
My Experience with Zyrtec D Antihistamine for Cholinergic Urticaria
As I mentioned in my last post, I recently tried Zyrtec D for the first time ever. I have tried several other antihistamine’s in the past (Claritin, Hydroxyzine, Benadryl, etc), but I had never tried Zyrtec before this week. Other antihistamines seem to help only a little bit, but always make me so drowsy.
This one did seem to help quite a bit more than the other anti-histamines. Also, I really like the fact that it did not make me drowsy at all. Not one bit. I first tried it when my wife & I went to be with our family, and I didn’t get 1 attack that day.
I also tried it at the funeral. The building was super-hot during the day when my wife & the family went to the family viewing earlier in the afternoon. I was wearing 2 shirts (a dress shirt with a t-shirt underneath), and I stood up front with my wife to greet everyone who came through to view the body. The Zyrtec D helped a lot, and I did feel a few pricklies, but it seemed to make me much less reactive, and I was able to get through it.
Later, during the actual funeral, I didn’t get itchy. I had felt like I had a small sensation for a minute, but it quickly passed, and I was able to get through the whole thing with no hives. I think the Zyrtec D helped quite a bit, but of course, it doesn’t cure it. The real test will come on the graduation party for my wife in about a month, and our trip to Dollywood that we plan to take later this year.
So I did want to share that Zyrtec D may help some of you a bit if you have never tried it before, and they are over the counter. Just make sure you read the instructions & follow doctor’s orders. I don’t plan on taking them daily as the dermatologist recommended to my mom (I will probably only use them on days when I will be in public), but it is nice to know there is an antihistamine I can use that will help some, and not make me drowsy. Come to think of it, it did make my heart beat fast last night though in bed….
I may try the every day antihistamine thing, but I remember when the first time my hives went away for a couple of years, I wasn’t even taking antihistamines at the time, so it may not have anything to do with CU going away. But then again, maybe it does help? Who knows?
Final Words About the Funeral
The funeral itself was very nice. Kayla looked beautiful, and very peaceful. They took a scrap book she had recently made, and displayed a bunch of pictures on a board of her life, friends, & family. It really sparked a lot of memories, and was really hard to look at.
I think it really helped everyone to see her one last time, to say our final goodbyes, and to get some closure. There was a really huge turnout as well, and I know that if Kayla could see the amount of friends, family, and former teachers that showed up to honor her, she would have been so very happy.
Of course it will still take time for us to heal, and as they say time heals all wounds. But she will always be in our memories. My wife is doing much better as well. She is now an only child, and has no other siblings. She said the very last time she saw her sister a few weeks ago, her sister got out of the car & hugged her really hard & told her she loved her. So I am glad my wife will always have that final positive memory between them.
Anyways, I just wanted to update everyone, and as always I will continue to update on the Candida thing & hives. Life goes on. Yesterday was the past, tomorrow is the future, and today is a gift–that is why it’s called the present. Let us make the best of this gift we call life, and our time on this Earth—hives or no hives.
