I’m new to this blog, just found it today! I started breaking out in hives about 15 years ago, only when I would exercise. That was the first year, then it started to progress, when I’d go out in the sun, if I got frustrated, or any stress I would get a full blown breakout. Finally I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with cholinergic urticaria. The medicines they gave me didn’t work and still don’t, and my hives now get worse when I attempt to cool my body down. Apparently I now have cold uticaria as well. So anyway, my hives usually show up symmetrically, from the top of my feet all the way to my ears. They aren’t perfectly symmetrical, because I do get larger blotches on my stomach. It also depends how badly I scratch…
I do have the same! I can always tell by the way my stomach feels. My back has uticaria pigmentosa spots that are more pronounced, but the stomach has more tender skin, so I feel it there first. It’s the more itchy of all the areas. My ears just turn red and burn, but my stomach gets really itchy. I have had dermatographism since birth. Any friction will make it get very raised. I do have a cancer that causes an all over flush, but it’s purple and unraised like hives. I can tell if it’s one or the other that flares up by the color.
The medications are totally ineffective for me, but they’re thinking of trying a newer one. Mostly they just prescribe antihistamines, but there are other chemicals that get released as well. I don’t remember the name of this new med, but it stabilizes the entire cell so that the other chemicals that cause the hives aren’t able to release so easily. I’ll post when I try it out and let you all know how it works.
Hang in there, and keep your stress down the best you can 🙂
Best wishes,
Mike
The one medication that helped with the itching was hydroxyzine. Didn’t take away the hives but made them bearable. The only problem is that it made me so drowsy there was no chance I could take it when I actually needed to. I’m a waitress, so I work in a high stress environment where I’m constantly hot, and basically running all day. I’ve learned to deal though. This is a random thought for any women experiencing this, I have 3 children, and with each pregnancy I never had a single hive! I guess it has to do with hormones.
Welcome to the site, Gwen! Several people have reported having both cold and cholinergic urticarial, so you certainly wouldn’t be alone in that. Many of these urticaria disorders occur simultaneously. I hope you find some information on this site that helps!
Regarding the initial question, my hives would always appear randomly in dots all over my body. There was no symmetrical pattern that I would notice.
gwen says
October 28, 2014 at 6:21 amI’m new to this blog, just found it today! I started breaking out in hives about 15 years ago, only when I would exercise. That was the first year, then it started to progress, when I’d go out in the sun, if I got frustrated, or any stress I would get a full blown breakout. Finally I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with cholinergic urticaria. The medicines they gave me didn’t work and still don’t, and my hives now get worse when I attempt to cool my body down. Apparently I now have cold uticaria as well. So anyway, my hives usually show up symmetrically, from the top of my feet all the way to my ears. They aren’t perfectly symmetrical, because I do get larger blotches on my stomach. It also depends how badly I scratch…
mikemorse34 says
October 28, 2014 at 8:45 amI do have the same! I can always tell by the way my stomach feels. My back has uticaria pigmentosa spots that are more pronounced, but the stomach has more tender skin, so I feel it there first. It’s the more itchy of all the areas. My ears just turn red and burn, but my stomach gets really itchy. I have had dermatographism since birth. Any friction will make it get very raised. I do have a cancer that causes an all over flush, but it’s purple and unraised like hives. I can tell if it’s one or the other that flares up by the color.
The medications are totally ineffective for me, but they’re thinking of trying a newer one. Mostly they just prescribe antihistamines, but there are other chemicals that get released as well. I don’t remember the name of this new med, but it stabilizes the entire cell so that the other chemicals that cause the hives aren’t able to release so easily. I’ll post when I try it out and let you all know how it works.
Hang in there, and keep your stress down the best you can 🙂
Best wishes,
Mike
gwen says
October 28, 2014 at 9:07 amThe one medication that helped with the itching was hydroxyzine. Didn’t take away the hives but made them bearable. The only problem is that it made me so drowsy there was no chance I could take it when I actually needed to. I’m a waitress, so I work in a high stress environment where I’m constantly hot, and basically running all day. I’ve learned to deal though. This is a random thought for any women experiencing this, I have 3 children, and with each pregnancy I never had a single hive! I guess it has to do with hormones.
Hivesguy says
October 28, 2014 at 9:11 amWelcome to the site, Gwen! Several people have reported having both cold and cholinergic urticarial, so you certainly wouldn’t be alone in that. Many of these urticaria disorders occur simultaneously. I hope you find some information on this site that helps!
Regarding the initial question, my hives would always appear randomly in dots all over my body. There was no symmetrical pattern that I would notice.
M.S.Uppal says
November 5, 2014 at 6:17 amI have been suffering from Cholinergic urticaria for the last 14 years. Some times it is symmetrical while other times it is not.
UPPAL