Hi guys, I am excited about this post as every reader will actually understand what I am going through with the physical hives and most I’m sure will understand the mental aspect of the hives. I am based in the UK and I’m certain the weather contributes to the following:
In December I entered a body fat transformation 7 week competition. This consisted of weight training 5 x a week and cardio 7 days a week.
I “cleaned” up my diet and eat a lot of meat, walnuts, oats, protein shakes , tomatoes etc as well as ore work out. After around 4 weeks I started experiencing uncomfortable prickly heat however I could work through it. It then progressively got worse to such s extent that I could not exercise around early January.
After a month of feeling sorry for myself and comfort eating loads of rubbish food I went to South Africa for 2 weeks where at times was 40 degrees Celsius. I never had a single problem out there and return in mid February thinking I was cured! I even managed a weeks worth of cardio and weight training again! Then it returned…
Ever since I have been miserable, I am a active person mentally and physically and the hives are destroying my life. I cannot exercise, I cannot have sex, I cannot even walk my dog, I feel like I’m existing and not living of which is making me feel depressed and I do not use that word lightly.
The doctors tell you to do blood tests and take anti histamines but they don’t have a clue and worsen of all they will not admit they don’t have a clue they all think they know better than other doctors, etc.
I then went to a nutritionist/allergy specialist who advised that my get fit diet was extremely high in histamine and this could have sparked it off. She advised me to follow a low histamine diet and purchase fresh meat from the butchers.
11 days in my symptoms are back worse than ever before, I cannot have saunas which I was previously using.
So many of you mention “sweat” to improve symptoms but correct me if I am wrong, hives are sweat that cannot escape? Therefore every time I try to sweat via exercise or heat, I get hives!
I don’t know what to do, I feel miserable, I don’t want to leave the house, my partner tries to understand but without getting the hives yourself you don’t understand the anxiety and stress it brings to your life.
I really feel like I am just existing and not living life. I am prone to go to dark places but over the years instead of moaning about it I learnt what works for me:
-exercise
-positivity
– keeping busy
– routine
The hives have eliminated all my go to tools to cope with being in a dark place and I’m really struggling.
My current diet is
4eggs
Butter
2 x rye bread
Chicken
Seeet potato’s
Vegetables
Oat cakes
Cottage cheese
Steak or chicken thighs
Veg
FYI I did not show up as allergic to anything on the tests including dairy, egg whites, egg yolks, oats, etc.
Thanks,
KentHives
Anonymous says
See an allergist that proscribes Xolair frequently. My son went through all types of antihistamines, he is six month’s on this and is feeling better. If that doesn’t work see a neurologist, his is also on Gabapentin and Cymbalta. I think it is Xolair that is making him feel better, he is afraid to go off neurology drugs. He seems to flair up with Nutella, Strawberries and Indian food, and exercise. Last summer he would have it several times a day lasting 10-20 min with a pain level of 10. He was playing Junior Hockey, and constantly exercises.
Jake says
Cheers for sharing your story kent! I am based in the UK as well. I know exactly the pain and misery cholinergic urticaria brings to your life. Something I realized from reading a lot of peoples story’s on this forum is that the condition affects everybody differently. A lot of information in your story I can relate to. One tip I could give you that I tried was going on a juice fast. It did not help me that much but it may do wonders for you. Go to YouTube and type in Jason vale. He is known as the ‘juice master’ and he will give you a substantial amount of info on the benefits of adding live juices can bring to your body. I should mention beforehand that he has cured his psoriasis from cutting out rubbish from his diet and replacing the nutritional deficiencies via juice fasting and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Also, I cannot sweat either.
KentHives says
Thank you for this, I am 5 days into my juice fast!
Rick says
OK, lets save u some months of pain before you start understanding.
1. This can last up to 4 weeks – 1 year – 3 years – 30 years – Life
2. No it will not “get better” just via time duration, (idiopathic = they dont know what causes it)
3. You need to get on xolair. They will give u 300mg for 6 months ( if they try that 150 weak sauce, tell them u need 300 because its crazy) , then you need to request 450 after 6 months, then 600mg month , if EU can give 600mg at once, or 300 mg in 2 weeks)
– u said u were obese, fat people xolair does not work on properly because we abused our nautral gifts, you probably will need 450 or 600 ( im on 450, since yesterday hope in 6 days or so I see the result) . This is from a recent study concerning xolair meds
– if you cant afford xolair , tell your specialist ( allergy specialist ) , to apply goverment relief , your work insurance might be able to cover it ( if work cover 80 , xolair will cover the rest if u broke asf)
4. Anti-histamines are expensive and dont really work, use them for now, but after 5 months of xolair you will have the basic same effect on and off them, then the xolair can coast u through.
5. No more sugar, only cook your food raw and eat it so. No processed anything, if u must have a treat, once a week.
6. You will lose your friends, and probably your bf/gf , get over it, sorry if this harsh sounding, you better get strong mentally now or you might suicide if it gets hardcore in severity, most people dont have it hard, but I think you might.
7. Good luck and godspeed.
kimmy says
You mentioned that you were ok in South Africa..
Its just my suggestion… You might want to check your water …
My husband travels to different countries for work and found out that it is because of local water.. He was totally ok in some countries but experienced hives in some countries. Lucky we found the answer.. If we live in one same country we would never found the clue…
Someone wrote here earlier that he found the cause. .. its water…and It also helped me to suspect our water.. .. He mentioned that he lives in UK…
Anyway if you happen to travel to different country then observe yourself if you still have hives…
Marcia Hildreth McGrath says
I feel your diet is not helping your situation. Please watch the video “Forks Over Knives.” My son who has CU got completely off sugar, and it was a huge help. He is also a vegetarian. I feel your diet high in meat and dairy is likely contributing to the problem. Many people find that the drugs usually prescribed do not help much, if any, at all. There seems to be a huge connection to diet, and those who get the most relief get it thru trying to clean up their diet and also figure out what they may be allergic to.
KENTHIVES says
Thank you for all your replies,
I am booked in with this gent on Monday who seems to know his onions:
londonallergyclinic.com/dr-rutkowski
Money is no obstacle right now, I just want to exercise and be happy again..
Niicholas says
Hi Kent, I am going through similar problem as you not as severe as yours. I am with cold urticaria for one year and half .now If i go outside for 10-20 minutes i break out with hives. Even in supermarkets where chilled foods are still get reaction. I am active person and like outdoors sports, gardening but now i feel miserable dreaming about old days. I stopped eating gluten and any sugar. I am vegetarian. My diet is very limited now but it didn’t help my condition a lot Recently I started eating fermented food , taking probiotics , digestive enzymes and saw slight improvements. Probably it will take time before i get better if i am on the right track. I live in UK as well . Let me know if that allergy clinic in London you are going to is helpful. Hope you will find a cure there.
Maggie says
Hi , my condition seems to be a lot different than those i have been reading on this site, but every time i look up my symptoms it comes up with Urticaria.
It started about a year and a half ago while i was at the gym, hives after exercising. Since then it has gotten worse.
I cant walk in the heat without getting hives all over my body, feeling very nausea i have even vomited a couple of times, abdominal pain also.
I have seen my doctor who said to try different antihistamines, i though i had found one that worked untill i went out in 27c heat yesterday, covered in hives all over…felt terrible, had to go into public toilets to put cold water all over me, trying to cool my body down.
my Doctor has also done an allergy test, i am due to go back on Tuesday for the results.
I do not sweat much so i dont know if this has anything to do with it.
I need to find some answers as to what is causing this.
Does anyone else have this?