My story and my help for cholinergic urticaria

I never ever post on these kind of things, but here’s my story. I’m a 20-year-old woman. Three years ago I started suffering with eczema, I would have random flare ups then I would be fine the day after, my skin is naturally dry and still to this day can be extremely itchy. I moisturize twice a day to try to keep up with the dryness.

Last year I went on holiday to Spain with my best friend and her family. Lying by the pool as you do and about 3 days in the to holiday my skin more or less all over my body flared up. Not with eczema with this red rash. This then made my eczema flare up on top. Because of this I was rushed to hospital in Spain, and with them not understanding a word of English, I had no choice but to fly home the next day.

This was the worst time of my life. I was in pain, and I was itching all over. When I flew back to England, I went straight to a hospital, and they gave me steroids. This relieved the problem for a few weeks, yet was I to know it would come back raging when I stopped taking them.

I was sent back to the consultant who I was under for my eczema to see about my flared up and itchy skin. She said its urticaria, sent me away with tablets called levocetirizine hydrochloride. 8 months later still not better. I knew what was triggering it, hot showers, stress and hot rooms.

I went back to my GP, one who I had never met before. He said try these, ranitidine. He said they are used for stomach ulcers. I thought to my self oh just more tablets and creams for me to try. It affected my sex life, my social life, my work life! He also asked me to take 2 ranitidine a day and 1 levocetirizine hydrochloride every morning. And to this day I can speak out and say this is the best I’ve ever felt.

You can imagine the lack of confidence and the depression I was getting. I now feel like a new woman!!! I can go out and wear pretty dresses, I can wear makeup on my face. I feel amazing. It hasn’t cured it, but it’s definitely helped my condition.

I still have flare ups, if my shower is too hot, or stress. But I can live with that, as I used to have flare ups constantly, having them on the odd occasion I can live with. So I just want to reassure you, female or male, young or old, never ever give up hope. If you suffer with this condition ask your GP for this medication see what they say.

Please feel free to email me,

-Sophie
sophie_willetts@yahoo.com