Ive been prescibed Atarx for Cholinergic Urticaria (Pruitus), what next though??
Post by: Spanish89 on April 10, 2010, 11:23:16 AM
I started getting Cholinergic Urticaria from August last year (9months ago).
It started when i had to spend 1month working in an underground room where the air-con had broken and so it was hitting 28-30degrees extremely dry heat in the room.
At 1st it was only 1x every few weeks, with no rash just the itchy sensation.
However over the last 2-3months it has gotten extremely intense and even unbearable when hot after excercise/out in sun today/when wakeup in morning in hot bed/when out clubbing.
I finally went to the doctors 3weeks ago as it had gotten unbearable and was ruining my life,
and the doctor prescribed me Atarax.
Basically i had a bloodtest done, and it came back all normal apart from my thyroid level was slightly low.
Which was very odd, as heat-pruitus is a symptom of high-thyroid, not low-thyroid levels where its the opposite affect.
But he said il have the 2nd tests done at hopsital in 2months time (june) to recheck for thyroid, as if it is thyroid problem you are on daily tablet everyday for life, and so they need to check for 100% that its that.
And he prescribed me ‘Atarax’ (antihistamine tablets) for the pruitus.
(What ive got is Cholinergic Urticaria, but is pruitus just another name for it?)
I’ve been having these tablets 2x per day and they have been working very effectively as if i have 1 before i go clubbing or go gym, i will then be ok for 6-7hours providing i dont do too much heating-activity.
However this morning i had 2tablets, walked to the gym (10mins walk), but it was quite hot (18-19degrees) and so by the time i got to the gym the Cholinergic Urticaria had started to happen! 🙁
So i had a 3rd tablet when i got to the gym, went into the gym and just did seated weights for 10mins..,
But then have to leave as i started getting the extreme unbearable itching and the red-dot rash started all over my arms ches and back! 🙁 :-[ 🙁 :'( :'(
And then the walk back home in the run was absolutely unbearable, i actually wanted to be dead just to not have to be feeling that itching it was so extreme!! :'( :'(
I got home and had a freezing shower and managed to cool my down so the rash and itch went away.
And had a 4th tablet 2hours later which has kept me ok for the rest of the day. (ive stayed inside my flat with window open, and very mild humidity inside the flat.
I went out clubbing lastnight and consumed quite alot, (About 6 whisky shots and about 4 bottles of beer),
and so when i wokeup this morning and had those 3 tablets i would have still had some alcohol in my blood-system,
and so im hoping that the ONLY reason why they didn’t work was because they couldn’t hit my body properly as the alcohol already inside made a ”wall blocking the medicine” from reaching the parts of my body that it needed to.
The atarax normally works quite well, as 5-10mins after having it you feel a tingle cold sensation throughout your body and skin, which comes around a few times over the next 20mins,
and so keeps your body coldish and not get the rash or itch even if doing heating activity.
Does anyone know if Atarax will actually ‘make the Cholinergic Urticaria go away’ though??
The doctor mentioned the phrase ‘break the cycle of it’, however that doesnt seem to be happening.
And now that summer has come and its getting very hot outside what is the most powerful medicine which i could get prescibed by the doctor to replace the Atarax if this doesn’t keep it away during the summer heat??
Thanks
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Title: Re: Ive been prescibed Atarx for Cholinergic Urticaria (Pruitus), what next though??
Post by: HivesGuy on April 10, 2010, 12:24:25 PM
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Hey Spanish89,
Excellent post and welcome to the forum.
I appreciate you sharing your experience, and I could relate to much of what you said.
About your questions:
Pruitus simply means itching. Doctors throw that word around for any kind of itch, whether it be poison ivy, eczema, hives, etc.
About Atarax–I have never tried that antihistamine. No antihistamine can cure cholinergic urticaria. They help mask some of the symptoms, and may provide a small amount of relief as you wait for it to go away. But they generally don’t cure it.
Thanks again & welcome
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Title: Re: Ive been prescibed Atarx for Cholinergic Urticaria (Pruitus), what next though??
Post by: Spanish89 on April 10, 2010, 12:59:58 PM
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Hi and thanks for your reply.
Can i ask 2 things please-
Does Cholinergic Urticaria really just ‘magically go away’ 1day?? ???
Like 1day you get it when doing something, but the next day you just no longer get it when doing that same thing?
Or does it go away gradually with it being less intense each time over a few weeks-months, and then just id gone totally?
And if its not medicine that makes it go away what exactly is it that changes in the body that causes it to go away??
And 2nd question is that while currently the antihistamine im on does work quite effectively,
does your body gradually buildup immunity to the medicine?
And so you need a stronger 1 after a while?
Or is it basically just like a towel, that no matter how long you use the same thing for against the same thing, its always the same amount of effectiveness as the water (histamines causing Cholinergic Urticaria) is always the same element no matter how long you have it for.
Thanks
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Title: Re: Ive been prescibed Atarx for Cholinergic Urticaria (Pruitus), what next though??
Post by: HivesGuy on April 10, 2010, 01:06:07 PM
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You are welcome to ask questions, that is what this forum is here for ;D.
1. Does Cholinergic Urticaria really just ‘magically go away’ 1day?? Yep, in many cases is does just that. Some people may go through periods of high intensity and low intensity, but it often does disappear on its own one day. You may suddenly notice you aren’t breaking out and you sweat just fine. Or you may notice a very gradual lessening of symptoms. But in many cases it just mysteriously goes away.
It did the same thing for me for a period of about 1-2 years. It just went away and didn’t bother me. Then, it came back. What causes it to go away you ask? If I new that I wouldn’t still have it ;). We don’t know the answer to that, and I wish we did.
2. And 2nd question is that while currently the antihistamine im on does work quite effectively,
does your body gradually buildup immunity to the medicine? That depends on your body. Some people actually do manage Cholinergic Urticaria quite well with antihistamines. Some of us see little or no benefit at all. I am one of the types that hasn’t seen a huge benefit from the ones I have tried, but I occasionally take them. I do tend to adapt very quickly, and it is usually within a day or two that I notice that the antihistamine isn’t as effective. But again, some people on here see good results with them, so you may want to keep experimenting with your doctor with different ones.