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Hello Everyone!
I just wanted to let everyone know how the hives have been doing, and provide some updates. First, the hives:
How My Cholinergic Urticaria Has Been Doing with Sun Exposure
I have now been getting quite regular sun exposure. So far I have gotten a great tan, and no sunburns. I have been doing this very carefully to avoid any sun burn and minimizing skin cancer risks, etc.
Unfortunately, the results on the Cholinergic Urticaria have been mixed. On one hand, the sun helps me to sweat and seems to help the hives somewhat (especially while I am actually in the sun). On the other hand, I have had some reactions in the past few days.
So at this point it seems that the sun is helping some, but definitely doesn’t feel as if it is curing it as much as I had hoped. I am still going to continue with safe sun exposure for at least the next month, so we will see how it goes. So this has disappointed me some, but I am not giving up yet.
Also, I don’t necessarily think the hives are caused by my hard water here, but I am telling you that my water is so hard here that it does make my skin really itchy when I get out. I can’t help but believe that when I move out of this place and get a water-softener, it will help some.
If nothing else, it will make my skin less dry and perhaps the hives won’t be so reactive. Literally every time I get out of the shower my skin is so itchy and hivey feeling. It seems to make my CU worse, and on days when I don’t shower they aren’t quite as reactive.
New Combination of Antihistamines for Cholinergic Urticaria (H2 & H1) Zyrtec Plus Pepcid
As I have often stated in the past, antihistamines are virtually useless on me. Zyrtec does take some of the sting off the hives, but only about 20-50%. And the more I take them, the less effective they seem to be.
So after reading some things online of how it can be useful to combine 2 different antihistamines, I am trying a combo I have never tried before. I am going to take 1 Zyrtec at night since it makes me drowsy (which is an H1 antihistamine). Then, in the morning I will take a Pepcid AC tablet (which is an H2 antihistamine). I want to see if this is a potential way to help in the treatment of cholinergic urticaria.
I strongly recommend that if anyone wants to try any combos to talk to a doctor first. Some combos can be dangerous for some people (especially if you are pregnant, or have other medical conditions).
But anyway, I want to see if this helps stop the hives even more than just taking 1 type of antihistamine. I don’t really like to take antihistamines regularly, and they wear off in effectiveness over time.
So I only plan on taking this combo on days where I will really need it. I did take the combo today, and so I will try to follow-up within the next couple of days to let everyone know my results.
Quick Update on My Stomach and Digestion
I am still taking the digestive advantage which has really worked well for me. I have ate pizzas, cookies, peanut M&M’s, Brownies, and other snacks. It has been great eating these things.
I did get a very slight sensation in my stomach after eating M&M’s and cookies one day. I think I may have slightly over-stepped my bounds and ate a little too much junk. So due to that I have taken it sorta easy for the past couple of days. But overall, it is still doing well, and I still take the digestive advantage stuff.
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Posted under managing hives
This post was written by Ben on July 26, 2009
