Cholinergic Urticaria

Antihistamines seem to help A LOT!

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I am using Zyrtec antihistamine which contains Cetirizine, which according to Wikipedia is a key ingredient to fight cholinergic urticaria. I’ve only been on it for a few days, but it seems to have helped immensely.

Sometimes now I will get the “goosebumps” and my hair will stand on end but there will be no (or very little) accompanying pain. Relief starts to take effect about an hour after taking the pill and lasts for 12-24 hours (it’s a 24 hour pill). So far this pill had been a life saver as I don’t know how one could live like this without relief.

I had cholinergic urticaria when I was younger – in my 20’s, and it suddenly came back on (I am now 40). I believe the use of Adderall is what caused it’s return.

Anyway, my symptoms are of course when I get hot I feel like I am being stung by bees all over my arms, head, chest, back, etc. My hair stands on end and I get goosebumps until I can rapidly cool off then it all goes away in a matter of seconds.

-Nick

Comments

  2. I started breaking out October 9. 2016. Not sure why. Blood work is good. I take 1 Zyrtec and 1 Zantac each day as needed. It does the trick for the most part. I would love for hives to go away. Dr says usually in a few months they stop. I hope so. Without out the pills it can awful. Creep crawl feeling and itchy hives.

  3. Just an alert. Last Fall, after visiting allergist, etc., I started taking xyzol at night, Allegra allergy in the daytime. Unfortunately, during the month I took the xyzol, I had vivid, horrible dreams/hallucinations. That ended the xyzol although it did stop the itch. Previous use of the Allegra
    Allergy eliminated it as the cause. I was switched to Zyrtec and took it for about 4 months when I again started having the vivid, horrible dreams/hallucinations. Plus, I had problems with sedation, sleeping very late in the morning, low energy and motivation for life activities, etc, during the months I took xyzol and Zyrtec.l didn’t realize how badly they had affected my life, aside from the dreams. I am back on 2 Allergra Allergy daily and 2 Zantac 150 mg. daily. This seems to be working and is enhanced by the use of a lotion called Sarna……a combination of camphor and menthol. If I start to get itchy, I use some Sarna in the itchy places, and it seems to somehow stop the whole itching process. All nonprescription items…..get them at drugstores.

  4. None of those worked for my son. He tried all the drugs mentioned here, plus Xolair shots, which also did not do any good. There are many things that can cause Urticaria, and the drugs work or don’t work, depending on what is the cause.