Just wanted to share my experience. I tried to comment to two existing threads on “Hives after Chemo” to keep information in a consistent place but it appears comments are closed after a certain period.
I was diagnosed with Hairy Cell Leukemia in August ’17 and immediately was treated with a seven day continuous drip of Cladribine. My blood levels normalized, and I was declared in remission. Since leukemia reduces blood counts, it was amazing to go on long rides and runs and no longer feel slow/tired.
On the downside, I started to experience heat hives during the warm up period of any activity. I always attributed the pin prick feeling to dry skin the winter especially at higher altitudes but this season was almost unbearable.
Around January 2018, longer workouts became uncomfortable and I realized I had lost the ability to sweat (hypohidrosis/anhidrosis) over much of my body and I was overheating. The heat hives were still there and I now really notice how my skin gets thick and pores inflamed in spots where I used to sweat.
A reliable dermatologist from UCSF said it’s likely I had suffered nerve damage as a result of the chemo. I have a 50/50 chance of sweating returning as nerves grow back in next 1-2 years.
Also finding Hivesguy’s article about heat hives being an indicator of HCL odd: I wish Cladribine had wiped out my cholinergic urticaria!
Anyway, just getting it out there in case it helps others. HCL is a mild form of cancer that only strikes ~350 Americans a year, and anhidrosis seems equally as rare. As a result, prognoses are hard to come by.
Cheers,
Brian