I have suffered through Cholinergic Urticaria for about 5 years now. This started in my late years of high school till now (22yo). When I found this site and read some of the symptoms, it amazed me how accurate it was to what I was experiencing.
I had been to so many different doctors/dermatologists/immunologists and none of them would flat out give or tell me anything about treating this condition. CU affected my life so much that I became mildly depressed, dropped out of gym training and neglected my studies. I feel sorry for anyone who is suffering through this condition.
After a few days of taking the extract as prescribed I noticed I was having a reduction in symptoms occurring during my regular days. So I decided to test myself and really heat up. At first I still had the uncomfortable feeling that came with every rash however this time I noticed there were no spots. I continued taking the extract and now at 2 weeks I am able to do anything. I haven’t had a CU rash in sight.
So what has “cured’ me?
Simply something known as Stinging Nettle Root Extract. When I found this site I saw a forum post of someone who tried this and saw positive results. So after looking about my family through a friend helped me find a homeopathic pharmacy which could create the extract for me. If anyone is in the Sydney Australia area and interested in this the pharmacy is Newton’s Pharmacy 119 York Street, Sydney. They create a liquid dose that you take 3 times a day before meals.
If anyone reading this tries the extract I wish you the best of luck. This condition is horrible and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. If you are not in Sydney look to your local area or even Amazon, I believe that is where the original post I read about had bought his.
-Paul
Mark says
Hey Paul I’m from Sydney too. I’m really happy that you have found relief. Just a couple questions. How long do you have to use the stinging nettle? And have you had a flare up since using the nettle?
Mark
Paul says
Hi Mark, It took about a week and a half of 3 doses each day before meals before I was clear of all my previous symptoms. Since that week and a half has passed I have been CU free even while jogging which was impossible to not have a flare up when doing. If you mean how long should someone take it for I wouldn’t know that would be up to self experimentation.
Anonymous says
What mg/ ml dosage was each dose that you had? I’m using a 400mg solid capsule once a day and I think they have helped. But I have seen on Amazon capsules for 1000mg so I’m wondering if I larger portion means stronger effects? Thanks.
Paul says
Sorry I’m not sure how strong the dosage is. It is in liquid form and I take 15 drops with a tablespoon of water three times a day.
Mark says
Hey Paul, thanks for the feedback very much appreciated. Just wanted to touch base, are you still taking the extract? Have you still been symptom free? I plan to visit Te pharmacy over the weekend. Did you need to book a consultation? Or did you just walk in and buy the extract? One last question, did you have any prior skins conditions or stomach problems when you were getting hives?
Sorry for all the questions, it’s such a frustrating condition.
Mark
Paul says
I understand ask as much as you want. Sorry for the late reply. Yes I am still taking the extract. Yes I have been 100% symptom free. We knew someone who worked there and was able to prepare the extract for us but I think there is no need for any bookings. I don’t believe I had any prior skin or stomach conditions with my hives just that horrible itch.
Anonymous says
Hey paul, what were the symptoms you were having with cholinergic urticaria??
Paul says
The best way I could put it is:
Hot flushes throughout my body whenever I got too hot or got my blood flowing through exercise or even something as simple as walking to the bus stop.
Sometimes I would have large red patches all over my upper body, sometimes instead of large red patches it would be tiny red spots that would itch like hell for 5-10 minutes unless I rapidly cooled down.
This reaction was also caused by mental stress and anxiety which didn’t help when it happened in public. It also came up when I would laugh too much. A lot of my symptoms are covered on this site if you want a more in depth list.
Anonymous says
So Paul, as of right now, are CU free???
Paul says
Yes. I went from 10/10 suffering to 0/10. Occasionally I’ll see red patches around my chest/neck but I don’t notice them until I look in a mirror because there is no itch associated.
Anonymous says
I have 1 more question paul. So you can exercise and sweat with no problems?
Paul says
For some reason I can’t reply directly to your most recent question. But yes I can exercise and sweat with no issues. I’ve gotten back into jogging for about a week and a half no problems even during some 30 degree mornings. I haven’t been able to sweat like that for so many years.
Anonymous says
I wanted to know if there was a difference between Nettle Root Extract and Stinging Nettle Root. They are the same thing right??
Paul says
I think they are the same in this case. Originally I was looking into Stinging Nettle root extract online but from the pharmacy I mentioned it may be referred to as just Nettle Root Extract. That’s what it says on the bottle too.
Anonymous says
Can you please look at your nettle extract and tell me how many mg or ml it is that your taking? I am so amazed that it worked so well that your 100%. We have the same exact symptoms too. I pray to God that This Nettle root works. Im on the allergy elimination diet, I eat only whole grain, veggies, fruits, chicken, low sugar and sodium, exercise 30min a day, 300mg xolair monthly injections and Godwilling nettle!
Paul says
At first I had a 50ML bottle at the time of writing this post. That ran out so I bought another 100ML bottle which I am currently using.
Anonymous says
Thank you so much for continuously replying. I am going to buy the stinging nettle root in capsule form at 500mg a pill. I pray to God that I have the great success that you have had.
christine says
Hi Paul,
Thanks for sharing the name of the pharmacy in Sydney for Stinging Nettle Root Extract. Going tomorrow for my son who is 17 yrs old and suffering the pain of stings on his skin for a year now. Glad that you are well and that Zane from the US is well too. It gives hope to others that they may be cured from this torture. I was so surprised the cure was so close to home! We have tried Chinese herbs which have helped a bit and dieting- no acidic foods, no processed foods, bottled water, even a water filter on the shower but he still suffers in the summer, even at school in class, he sits and suffers silently from the hot stings- he’s in yr 12. It is affecting his psych but he won’t show.
I will let everyone know how we go. The number of the Chemist is 92677889. I think you need a consultation appointment I will find out tomorrow.
Thanks so much Paul for sharing this.
I have cried myself to sleep bc of my son’s skin attacks. 🙁
Christine
Paul says
I wish your son the best of luck and hope he can be helped. I started getting CU around 17/18 as well during my last years in high school. It only got worse as time went on. I’ve tried some of those diets too and eliminating certain foods. For me a food allergy was not the issue, I’m sure I may have some mild reactions to certain foods but nothing in comparison to CU. Doctors suggested I run all kinds of allergy tests costing a few hundred dollars each but after stumbling across this site I had to try Stinging Nettle before shelling out that kind of money.
Anonymous says
Ok thanks. Is nettle root extract and stinging nettle root extract?
Paul says
I think they are the same in this case. Originally I was looking into Stinging Nettle root extract online but from the pharmacy I mentioned it may be referred to as just Nettle Root Extract. That’s what it says on the bottle too.
Anonymous says
So when you started taking the Nettle Root Extract, how long did it take to completely get you cured? And once your cured, do you keep taking it?
Paul says
I would say after 3-4 days I noticed a reduction in the usual symptoms. After about a week of taking the extract is when I would say all my symptoms were gone. Yes I do keep taking it. It’s not really a cure as much as an on going treatment. You can look this up online, the main effect of the nettle root is to act as a histamine production suppressor and it also has an effect on your mast cells. These are two factors that create the itch reaction we know as CU.
Anonymous says
Oh ok I got it. So what foods do you normally eat? Are you eliminating any foods at all?
Paul says
No changes to my diet other than reducing some carbohydrate intake but that’s for a completely different matter. I’m living the same life I was before just without CU.
Pierre says
I love Paul’s completely unassuming tone. Any spammer with a fake medicine would have made such a fuss about it! That’s what made me think he was on to something. My CU came after I took some chemical medics a few years ago, to fix problems created by other chemical medics taken years before. Since then, as you can understand, I only take medicinal herbs. We had some at home this past summer, I don’t remember which, and reading about it I thought it could help me with the condition. It actually made it worse because suddenly I started getting CU on my forehead as well. It didn’t come there before, which in retrospect was a blessing.
Anyway, that’s when I realized plants could have an effect on the condition. I’m now six days in with this nettle treatment. Doing some research about it I wasn’t sure which of the root or the leaf would be more effective, so I take root pills and drink leaf tea three times a day. I’m not done yet, but I definitely see an improvement. I just got out of a hot shower that would have made me all red in normal times – it looked as if all I had was a light crisis. Same happened yesterday.
I think that in order to make our bodies understand that they can sweat again normally, we will need to do an ongoing nettle treatment for months. When I started getting CU, it was after months of taking this medication that prevented sweat from going out. Therefore, the body found a workaround. I’m no doctor, but I think it takes some time for such habits to become ingrained. It’s no big deal though because luckily we can benefit from the effects extremely quickly!
In any case, a big thank you to Paul for sharing his finding. I hadn’t done research on CU for maybe two years I’d say, but I’m so glad I did when his post showed up in the recent ones. This all coming at a great time for me.
Paul says
That’s grey to hear. Keep going and let us know what changes. The root is preferred for CU I can’t remember exactly why it may have something to do with the strength or just having a different effect. Any improvement is great to hear about I remember when every shower I took would trigger and outbreak.
Anonymous says
How many mg is the nettle root extract pills that you are taking?
Pierre says
I don’t know, and I don’t think it matters. It’s the person who prepares the drug’s role to gauge it and give you the number of times you should take it daily. Perhaps some use a stronger dose than I do, but they have to take it only twice a day. Go ask in a real shop rather than on Amazon, you’ll see that you don’t have to think that much about it. And I’m pretty sure even on Amazon the daily recommended usage is written on the box. Stick to that and don’t overthink it.
Anonymous says
Does the nettle tea leaf taste good? Is it bitter?
Pierre says
It’s alright. Out of the box it’s not particularly bitter, nor sweet. Add sugar if that’s a problem to you, I did once and it made it an easy drink.
Mark says
Hi Paul,
Are you still symptom free?
Just wanted to confirm that you are using the ‘nettle root extract’ from newtons pharmacy?
On the website there is only a ‘nettle leaf extract’. Do you think this will yield the same results?
Paul says
I’ve been 99% symptom free. I had an attack about 5% the strength of a normal one while jogging once since taking the extract. It is named exactly ‘Nettle Root Extract’ and yes from Newtons pharmacy.
DO NOT use the leaf and expect the same results. They have different effects. For CU the root is much more helpful. I also couldn’t find it online only when we called.
Good Luck.
Pierre says
I think some of the confusion regarding nettle leaf may come from me, so I’ll clarify my reasoning. At the time I first saw this post, I was a bit sick. I did some research and became somewhat fond of the nettle. I find it poetic that a plant that everybody hates because it stings is actually so nice on the inside that in the past it’d be the default recommendation when some patient’s condition was unknown: ‘Take that while I’m figuring out what you have, it can only help’, would druggists (or whatever they were called) say. I completely believe Paul and his research, but since I mostly found results about nettle leaf (the fact that I didn’t do the research in English may have contributed), I thought let’s give that attractive plant a thorough try. I don’t plan on taking the leaf tea forever, though, I’ll stop when my box’s finished.
The thing I would like to point out is that while it’s a blessing that some of us got positive results from nettle root, we should really make the solution as easy to find as possible to people who currently suffer from the condition. I thought about calling my doctor to tell her about my experience, however I don’t think she would go as far as making a dedicated publication regarding this. This is what somebody would have to do to tell the international medical community, though. My doctor definitely reads those papers regularly, had she read one about nettle root, she’d have given me that solution when I asked her about my symptoms some four or five years ago. An article on the front page of this website would be of great help, too.
Thoughts?
Paul says
There’s nothing wrong with taking the Nettle Leaf though I believe either its effects are not strong enough or just not right for this condition. The main reason I made this article was to give the people reading something to try and hopefully see their results. If a majority of people are having positive reactions then it would be great to have some mention of the Nettle Root on this site but that’s kind of out of my hands.
Pierre says
Yes, looking around the site I realize there’s not much we can actually do ourselves (I had mostly only visited this page so far). But I’ve just sent an email regarding this post to the webmaster.