Hi all,
I’m 22 years old, male, and have been suffering from cholinergic urticaria for around 7 years. Although it does not usually affect me on a day to day basis, I have had to adjust my life for this to be the case. I used to do a lot of exercise and hate leading my mostly sedentary lifestyle. For sure, the disease also affects confidence levels and weight gain has been a consequence.
Anyway, I would like to discuss something particular I noticed. Antihistamines or diets never worked for me, but I noticed the reactions would sometimes go away or weaken for weeks on end. Often, this was on holiday. I’m at home in the UK but lived on mainland Europe until age 13. I have just come back from spending a year in Spain. I was worried about going to a hot country and although in the beginning I suffered, my condition improved. I started doing sport regularly, going to the beach or on walks in the sun. Cholinergic urticaria was never completely gone, but instead became much more tolerable – just a few red spots and hardly any painful itching.
Now, back in the UK, I have started commuting to work walking or cycling. Just after 15 minutes of walking at a moderate temperature, I can feel the horrible itching on its way. Today I went on a run for the first time since in Spain – worst reaction in a long time, I really suffered.
Any ideas why this might be the case? My diets in the two countries were similar, but I never drank tap water in Spain, always bottled mineral water. Could the UK be putting something into the food? Chemical additives?
Where are you all from? I was thinking about starting a survey, asking CU sufferers where they come from and in which, if any, locations they felt the condition improved. This could all be mapped, and might lead to clues or shed light on some sort of pattern.
Let me know your thoughts. Best wishes to all!
-Sam
Hivesguy says
Hello, Sam. Sorry to hear about your hives getting worse again. I used to have surveys on this site, but it didn’t reveal any pattern. There are people with CU in all parts of the world, every race, age group, etc.
Sam says
Hi Hivesguy, OK, thanks for the heads up! Just that I had read a few stories about people noting sudden changes when changing location, then found the same happening to myself and got curious. For sure weather conditions and humidity play a role, but something else, such as food additives or pollution, could also be a culprit.
lukas says
Hey Sam, this is a pattern that I have heard many times, please look into mold illness or CIRS, its been studied by a guy named Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker. Mold causes some weird symptoms and it would explain the traveling hives remission. Check your house for mold!
We have to get to the source of this!
Victoria says
Could it be Fluoride in public water and pesticides?
My ALCAT test came back showing severe reaction to fluoride. I just came back from Belgium a week ago or so – same as your experience in Spain – hardly any spots, no itching, no burning.
1st night back in DC – whole back got covered in red spots. I flew back, took a shower, didn’t even eat anything…
Doing distilled water for everything this week – today my body is almost clear. Stopped drinking green/black tea and wine ( high in fluoride), switched to organic produce. Installed carbon filter – i live just a couple miles down a coal plant that dumps pounds of hydrogen fluoride into the air.
I hope my result can be sustained. Will post a success story if my skin will remain clear.
Sam says
Hi Victoria, thanks for sharing this! Interesting idea, I will explore this and should it lead to anything, I will let the community know. Good luck, I hope you beat CU for good! Sam
Ahmed says
Really not sure what’s causing this. . But some ppl felt a change .. for better or worse .. when they changed where they live .. some of them dven moved to a different apartment in the same city … confusing
Anonymous says
Hello Sam,
Yes I agree with you… It depends on which country you are… I have been mentioning it in this site few times that my husband has skin problem because of local water.. basically he has Ezma ( mild condition) but reaction is vary depends on local water…
I started suspecting local water because someone wrote on this site he has skin problem because of local water in UK.. but he said it depends on the area / location in UK… He said he will install water filter system in pipe for entire water supply for home..
My husband and I travel many different countries due to my husband’s work and we discovered that my husband experienced skin problem in some countries… but he is perfectly ok in some countries. ( just need moisturising cream ..)
Yes you are right… its local water !!
Someone suggested me it is because of high PH level & some chemical for water treatment … but not sure….
We strictly drink bottle water. Also use bottle water for tea/coffee. Suggest you to buy 5L or 3 L and stock up few bottles at home.
For cooking, I use BRITA filtered water. Collect water in many bottles for cooking…
My husband strictly do not use swimming pool… Some chemical in swimming pool water trigger it..
And avoid direct ” Sun “.. Because sun makes skin more dry…
He carrys small spray bottle ( drinking water inside ) and spray whenever his face start drying.. It works very well specially 12 hours long haul flight…
Good luck !
Ethan says
What diet were you on? You should seriously try a similar diet to Bens which could include:
Chicken
Turkey
Sweet potato
Peas
Brocolli
White rice
Bananas
Strawberries
Blueberries
If you stick to this for for 3-6 weeks (no cheating) you will more than likely notice a huge difference in CU.
Sticking to this diet has reduced my cu by at least 80-90%
I’ve also introduced other foods like eggs, gluten free porridge oats, nestlè rice pops with alpro rice milk, mattesons turkey bacon, stick to cider (magners, strongbow). And I’m still 80-90% CU free.
Anonymous says
Hi all, thanks for your kind words and suggestions! I will be trying different things in the next few months as I have become really inspired to get rid of CU once and for all. No more putting up with the symptoms! I have posted again separately with an update. Sam