The following article was submitted by a reader:
Just today I had another weird episode where after walking briskly for a few blocks. The painful prickly skin sensation started happening on my legs, and lower back, and sides of my torso. I haven’t had one of these episodes for a few years now. I had NO idea it had a name, as I have been searching some time now and even asking physicians…and they could never assist.
I think they thought I was imagining it or something. After reading a few more post on this forum, as a child, I always got hives when out playing in the sun, little white bumps, itchy on my arms and neck…and my mother always said I was allergic to the sun. But I’ve never heard of anyone else being ‘allergic’ to the sun, in that way. OMG, could I have been living with this all my life, and no one ever knew? Including me?
I know something isn’t right, but wasn’t sure what. NOW, having said all that, a few years ago when I was trying to lose a few pounds, I started using sweeteners instead of sugars, and wondered back then if that may be the cause for me…and oddly enough, I just started using sweeteners for the first time since then, in order to lose a few more pounds, and it happens again. It could absolutely be an ironic sense of timing only, but it makes me wonder, just the same. Needless to say, glad to have found your website, and at least a starting block to figure out how to best live with cholinergic urticaria.
-Anamarmar123
Hivesguy says
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences. I’m glad you found this site too, and I hope you can find some information that helps you manage your hives better. It is interesting about the sugar, and I’d definitely pay attention to possible food allergies/intolerances.
I hope you can begin reducing your symptoms soon,
Hivesguy
mikemorse34 says
It is definitely a multi-faceted condition!
One thing that you mentioned was trying to lose a few pounds. Besides the sweetener in both instances, I imagine you were exercising more? It tends to be that while sunlight does trigger uticarial reactions, internal heat caused by exercise is an even bigger trigger. The same way that emotional reactions or heavy meals cause internal warming. You may be getting a double whammy of aspartame and exercise uticaria.
One thing I learned from my dr was that exercising to the point of overheating causes excess cortisol to build up. Cortisol goes along with dopamine and adrenaline when your body senses stress, even if it’s a good stress like working out or even laughter.
Maybe try losing the sweetener, as it has been proven to not decrease body fat anyway, and see if the exercise is still causing hives. If that’s the case, you can tone down the workouts a bit, and also stay away from the sweetener.
Sometimes we gotta run our own experiments to see what the main culprit is 😉
Mike
Ali says
Yeah I also got glad when I found this site. I did a lot of research in order for me to get here I don’t know why it’s difficult to search about this condition. Anyway if you haven’t tried the sauna treatment then I suggest that you do because it’s the only thing that worked for me.. well it did not work 100% but it brought me relief. When you enter the sauna you force your body to sweat (when you sweat a lot you wont get hives) It will help you lose weight and you will also be able to exercise or do any activity afterwards without getting hives.. Take a shower before entering the sauna but DO NOT take a shower after you’re done.. When I finish from the sauna I lay down on my bed for about 10 minutes and then I continue my day without getting strong hives. Also it’s good to drink water before and after the sauna and that will also help you lose weight.
Ali