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My cholinergic urticaria story (Arik)

January 26, 2015 by Hivesguy

Three months ago I started having painful itches all around my chest and my back. I live in Israel, and I am an IDF soldier. Doctors in the army aren’t really helpful–they question you a lot and refuse to give you “resting days.” Anyway, I was finally diagnosed after a month with cholinergic urticaria.

Nowadays, my urticaria is the worst that has ever been. I suffer mostly from anxiety. Every time I laugh, talk with strangers, meet up with friends, I suffer from itching pain. Sometimes even phone calls give me itches, and the pain is unbearable. My chest gets all warm, and the only thing that helps me is cooling the area and lying down relaxing my breath.

I can no longer leave my house without suffering , or enjoy a conversation with a person whom I am not familiar or feel 100% comfortable with. I tried AERIUS and allergy, but they just made me feel sick and didn’t help at all.

I am really struggling and I really need something to take down the pain even by a little. If anyone can help me, it would be very nice.

I’d really appreciate any help.

-Arik

[This post was submitted by a reader]

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Comments

  1. Janet Ascione LaCroix says

    January 26, 2015 at 3:06 pm

    I am challenged with the same thing for nine years. It is horrible and no one knows what it is like until you have it. Medications and doctors did not help, steroids and anti-histamines make it worse. What you are having is a nervous itch that is originating in the brain with an imbalance in the neurotransmitters. What I have discovered is that it is also related to the endocrine system. I am on a variety of calming herbs and herbs that balance hormones. Also, GABA gamma-Aminobutyric acid, helps to calm the nervous system down, magnesium chloride, baths in baking soda and epsom salts are calming, in my c ase, it stirs it up a bit like a niacin rush and is better taken after my condition is not acute. Also NAC, N – ACETYL CYSTEINE, an amino acid and L- l glutathione. I am also on a holistic diet. You are not easily going to see this disappear unless you are miraculously healed, and I pray for that, but with a rigorous approach to doing something about it, it can be controlled and helped. Stay away from acid forming foods, no soda, caffeine, alcohol, gluten, chocolate, fast or processed foods, etc.. If you are in Israel, get in the Dead Sea and soak. I wish I lived there. Also, drink calming peppermint tea and all sorts of healing and detoxifying teas. I know you are in the army and a lot of this you will not be able to do, but you can start with some of it. There is no other way to get this under control.

  2. Gary says

    January 26, 2015 at 6:10 pm

    Arik, I agree with Janet… You really MUST decide to make changes to your diet. I have found that staying away (totally) from Gluten, alcohol, coffee, soda, etc… (just like Janet said) helps tremendously.

    The other thing that helps me is the use of a sauna. I use it almost every day. It hurts for the first several minutes, but once I start to break a sweat, it goes away. The occurrences during the day is minimized and the severity is greatly reduced with the use of the sauna. I feel like I can actually function in the world again.

    If you cannot get a sauna (or at least the use of one), try doing cardio every day. Again, it is painful for the fist several minutes, but once you break a sweat, it gets better and has the same impact as the sauna. I do not know the science behind it, but I assume that by sweating, you are removing toxins from the body.

    By the way, anti histamines did nothing for me either. Plus, they make me drowsy (even the ones that are not suppose to).

    Hang in there man… CU is really not a great hand to have to play, but I believe it can be minimized with diet and sweat therapy. Do not give up hope!

    Gary

  3. Carlos says

    January 26, 2015 at 8:10 pm

    I agree with these folks too. I would also suggest calming the nervous system with herbs. I take melatonin to sleep, sometimes a special blend of skullcap, valerian and kava. peppermint is cooling and great for expressing the heat and rash from your body. chrysanthemum tea, dandelion tea also to clear heat out of the body. I just tried a sauna for the first time and was terrified and was in there for only 5 minutes (after I did 20 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of weightS, I am soooo out of shape because of this). I then drank a cooling apple and kale juice after. I didn’t have hives for the next 3 days!!! This was a first for me so I want to try this again. Hang in there, be good to yourself and gentle. I have a bad case of this and just take it one day at a time. Also make sure you are having nice big regular bowel movements, if we are constipated we store more heat and it makes it worse. Good luck and let’s continue the self care.

  4. Arik says

    January 27, 2015 at 6:06 am

    Thanks for replying guys, I have to mention i used to be in shape, i exercised regularly (running, weight lifting).
    Also I have gave up Dairy Milk, Alcohol ,coffee about a month ago. I know i need more changes to my diet but i seriously don’t see improvements from giving up on these things, i don’t mind giving up on them so i will continue.
    another thing is i started taking vitamin d3, Vitamin c, and Probiotics, also read that Glutamine is good.
    I ordered a while ago something called “Transfer Factor Plus” by 4life, I read that it helps in many cases of Urticaria.
    I will try the sauna for the sweat but i really have to say i am afraid, i don’t know about the pain for you guys, but for me the pain is very strong, to the point that i have to lie down and close my eyes.

    It’s pretty funny, reading your comments gave me an anxiety attack and the hives broke out, i didn’t use to be like this, i think i have some kind of phobia for this decease at this stage. but it is not only anxiety attacks, i seriously can’t talk to people, whenever i laugh, feel sad,happy, uncomfortable i get hives.
    I don’t know why when i laugh i get hives, i don’t know what kind of medication to take for this, i mean laughter is something good, am i really going to give up being happy and laughing? this decease does not only attack you with physical pain but also with mental pain.

    Anyway i am very grateful for all of your comment, at least i am not suffering alone (:.

  5. SAMPSON says

    January 29, 2015 at 9:21 pm

    please have been following this post for almost a month now,i lived in Hammond Louisiana,and mine started few months ago at first i thought it was dry skin or change of environment because i recently moved from Africa to the united state to complete my studies,but as am writing y’all this,it came worst when i walk in the sun from one class to the other mehn i couldn’t help it,i almost cried in class,please i really need help i cant afford to buy a sauna,and its very difficult for me to sweat because have tried this several time,tried to jug couple of miles but i just couldn’t force the sweat out i had to quit on multiple occasions.have been trying to start dieting but am new to this area i don’t even know my way around to get the required medications,i dnt known if anyone knows someone that wants to sell a sauna,am ready to buy,its really unbearable for me,it makes me feel uncomfortable even in lecture room my mind is never at rest,because i always think my hives could break out at any time…i know noting about this why i was back in my country,there’s no one to tell or talk to about what’s wrong with me i had to do research everyday before i came across this site….i need help on the kind of fool to stop eating and please forward to be anything y’all use to calm or relieve you of yours..thanks #SAMPSON

    • Hivesguy says

      January 30, 2015 at 2:13 pm

      Sampson,
      Sorry to hear that you’ve been suffering badly with this. I just wanted to comment about the sauna treatment. It’s just a form of sweat therapy that people use. If you cannot sweat at all using exercise, then a sauna may not work either. Sweat therapy isn’t ideal for everyone, and it does have some dangers involved. You always want to be cautious and talk to a doctor before trying sweat therapy of any kind. It’s also important to have an Epi-Pen in case you go into anaphylactic shock (but Epi-Pens are not always 100% effective).

      I made a series of videos offering information about this disorder, so you may want to visit the video link from the drop-down menu under “Cholinergic Urticaria” tab. I hope your hives improve soon.

  6. Anonymous says

    February 1, 2015 at 12:46 pm

    Tomorrow i’m going to an Allergist from the Army, hoping he will understand my condition and help me.
    I’ll keep you all updated maybe something he tells me or gives me might actually work.
    I’ve been taking GABA btw, I’m not sure it’s helping i still suffer from hives but i seem to relax faster and i think i actually minimized the amount of hive attacks i get per day.
    I’ve actually read about “Panic Disorder”, i think i might developed it because of my urticaria.
    has anyone tried taking glutamine and probiotics?

  7. Ali Hamdar says

    February 28, 2015 at 4:04 pm

    Shalom Mi Levanon, Arik !
    So , we are neighbors, and also suffering from the EXACT same problem, and we are taking The SAME medicines ! I am taking AERIUS, it’s my third day.
    Try going to Suna, and expose yourself to sun as much as possible, and resist that awkward feeling.
    Today I am much better than before, i’m trying to sweat as much as possible.
    I’m just disappointed because AERIUS has nothing to do with our case, it’s my 2nd pill ! But I’ll continue taking it, maybe it does something.
    I read that Diary products are to be eliminated from your diet.
    Consider decreasing your Salt consumption as well.

    I do suggest the Suna though, and working on your Diet, please watch the videos here on this website.

    Get well soon, all my best
    Ali Hamdar

  8. Ali Hamdar says

    February 28, 2015 at 4:13 pm

    I’ve noticed something:
    All the people who have CU are also suffering from stress,anxiety,mental heaviness, and so on , i’ve been depressed (depression+anxiety) for 3 years, so that’s it, the problem lays in our nervous system, because more than 90% said they are suffering from anxiety and stress.

    God bless you all

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