I developed cholinergic urticaria during high school. I live in Australia, I remember on hot days when we had to wear our school blazers I’d get terribly and painfully itchy. I asked my General Practitioner what could be done and he suggested antihistamine and moisturizer. I know this is pretty standard advice, but I’m really interested in working out and getting fit so I’m going to the gym regularly. If I didn’t follow the advice 10-20 mins in, I’d probably go crazy in pain from CU and itchiness.
Before I go I take 1 tablet of Fexofenadine Hydrochloride and apply a moisturizer over the areas where it tends to occur (back, torso, neck and face) non-greasy lotion, recommended by dermatologists ect. Lastly, I’m not having caffeine, strictly limiting sugar as much as possible and I’ve found a great deal of improvement personally doing so.
When I exercise and my body is about to sweat then the pain and prickly feeling starts, I’ve noticed with the aforementioned dietary changed that when I recently worked out, that.. feeling of breaking into a sweat with CU symptoms was drastically lower than I had experienced before. I’m so glad I’ve found some relief–cholinergic urticaria makes you feel like you’re allergic to exercise!
Hopefully this can help someone out there if they haven’t already tried this combo (I know it’s nothing groundbreaking, but it’s working for me).
-Edward21
Julie says
Fex didn’t work for me but loratidine (Claritin) and famotidine (pepcid) did. It is acts as a mast cell inhibitor also. Keep going guys till you find what WORKS for you.
Hivesguy says
Thanks for taking the time to share this, Edward.
Anonymous says
aloe vera applied directly to flesh or taken internally with juicei have had this all my life im 50i have been to skin specialistsbut i might as well have gone to a witch doctor
Anonymous says
I’m a 24 year old male, in relatively good health. I have had an issue with CU for the past 4-5 years. My outbreaks never have a noticeable rash/hives or anything, so when explaining it to people they look at me crazy. My first thought was dry skin caused by the dry conditions where I was going to school at the time in West Texas (very dry wind). A family doctor prescribed me anti histamines (zyrtec) which only suppressed the symptoms but did not eliminate them. He also recommend I use vaseline on my skin to keep it hydrated (wanted me to be a living grease ball i guess). I graduated recently and now live in Dallas, Texas. Hoping my symptoms would alleviate themselves with the nicer weather conditions.. it did not. This is a seasonal thing.. and tends to happen sometime in October and lasts till March. I am typically a very active person so CU has made me resort to laziness as I do not want to experience the overwhelming itching sensation this disease causes. My breakouts only happen as my body heats up, leaving me no option to exercise, work in the yard, move furniture.. anything. It wasn’t happening. I had to figure out the issue. I diagnosed myself with CU shortly after reading many of these posts and others on google.. many people have similar issues with heat induced itching. I woke up this morning, feeling like a total fat ass as I have refused to put myself in a situation in which I would sweat. Reading this blog and others, many have found Sweat Therapy to be a solution. I went to the gym this morning, signed up for a 3 day pass to test this out. (I was itching when I walked in and signed up as the heat in the room brought on the symptom). As I walked into the sauna, I mentally prepared for battle, knowing this could be very overwhelming. I closed my eyes and went into a meditating state. The itching actually was not bad compared to ones I would get while exercising.. apparently elevating your temperature as rapidly as possible to break through this barrier is the best thing to do. As to exercise is gradual and therefore an elongated overwhelming itch will happen. The itch lasted no longer than 5 minutes and I was finally sweating. I sat in the sauna for 15 more minutes.. in complete joy that I could see my own perspiration again without an itch. I then went to workout and the itch remained absent. I will continue sweat therapy as I hope to see continued progression.
Another thing I was reading that could be a catalyst for CU was diet. I have been eating very poorly…. fast food, soda multiple times a day. My sodium and sugar intake (if i had to guess) would be through the roof. I am going to start eating healthier, omitting soda and other fast food items in my diet. It makes sense
Hivesguy says
Thanks for sharing your experience. Be sure to keep us updated on how things progress.