Is it possible to have cholinergic urticaria, even though I sweat profusely when I have an episode? I have all the other symptoms such as pins and needles, extreme flushing, tiny bumps, and the urgency to cool myself off as soon as possible. No one has ever been able to tell me what is wrong with me.
In fact, I am often ignored. However, once someone sees me in the throws of an attack, they quickly understand why I am so concerned. I’ve been living with this for three years now, and it is debilitating, life changing, and isolating. Any insight that you have would be helpful.
When I go from one temp to another, my body begins to sweat profusely. I have tingling, pins and needles, and extreme red flushing. This sounds similar to the symptoms of cholinergic urticaria, except I have intense embarrassing sweating. My hair will become so soaked with sweat that it looks like I just showered. This happens going from shop to shop, just after a shower, from outdoors to a warm car, and from shade to sunlight.
Can you help me?
-Pam
Hivesguy says
June 25, 2014 at 5:25 pmPam,
I’m so sorry to hear of your experience with this. Please know that you certainly aren’t alone in your struggles. I know firsthand how debilitating and frustrating it can be dealing with this. I’m sorry to hear of your troubles with it.
People with cholinergic urticaria can experience strange sweat symptoms. Some have reduced sweating (hypohidrosis). Some have essentially no sweating (anhidrosis).
Off the top of my head, I can’t recall anyone ever posting an issue with drenching sweat as you described. However, thinking back on my own experience, I did have excessive armpit sweat around the time I developed cholinergic urticaria. It would drench the armpits of my shirt constantly, and it would be noticeably wet. They pretty much did this nonstop, but my armpits no longer do this now.
Since cholinergic urticaria can affect sweat functionality, it seems plausible to me that some people may react differently and have hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). I’m no doctor, but your symptoms do indeed sound like cholinergic urticaria to me. Keep in mind that some people don’t get visible symptoms much, others don’t get itching that badly. So symptoms can vary.
Perhaps when an episode begins, your body sends excessive acetylcholine down the chain, and somehow this activates sweat glands excessively AND degranulates your mast cells.
When you abort an attack by cooling yourself off, does the itching and pins/needles sensation stop?
In any event, I surely pray you can get it under control soon.
Sercan says
June 26, 2014 at 1:18 amIt is a realy bad experience. I am sorry to hear that. I was like you as well. Try anti-depressant to get better, at least it worked on me ( it does not treat you completely, but it helps you to control the ilness, if you have cholinergic urticaria).