Hi, I’m a Chinese from Malaysia. I recently moved to Melbourne, Australia two years ago, and during the winter that year, began to have itchy prickling sensation over my body when my body temperature starts to rise rapidly.
I only found out that it’s Cholinergic Urticaria last year, when it became more intense comparing to the first year. Since then, I had been trying to find a reason or a cure for it, but failed to do so. As you know, Malaysia is a very humid + high temperature country, and last year’s December, I went back for holiday, thinking that I’ll suffer a lot from the hives. Surprisingly, it actually disappeared ! I felt so happy that I can sweat without a pain sensation.
I came back to Melbourne on February, and it was still summer, so the hives are not disturbing me. However, as the weather gets colder, the hives came back till today (it’s winter now). I read some posts from HivesGuy from this forum and tried to do an elimination diet, but it didn’t help at all. I also did a blood test recently on Celiac disease, RAST, Vit-D and fibre, still waiting for the result. But, I have a feeling that the cold weather (sweating problem) is causing it. I am planning to try the sweat therapy this two weeks (school holiday) to see if it helps but it’s winter so I think it’s gonna be hard to break a sweat.
P.S. – I used to sweat a lot in Malaysia cause I was very active in basketball but stopped after moving to Melbourne and developed hives.
–Jeremy
Ahmed says
Hi There…
I am very sorry about your urticaria, but I couldn’t help but notice that most of the people who have it was doing excessive exercise before having it.
For example : I was playing soccer a lot before I had it, and some others were playing different sports , and when they stopped or started doing less sports or exercises, the urticaria started with them !
could that be the reason ?! along with other things of course !
Carlos says
Hi, I think it’s so interesting that the hives can disappear while in different climates. I live in The Bay Area of California where it was cold and foggy and went on a trip to Mexico 4 years ago. The weather in mexico was hot and very humid and I was actually sweating for the first time in years. My asthma was bad but I could sweat. I was shocked, no hives and actually dripping sweat. I felt ….. human and amazing!! on that trip as soon as I landed back in to california I got really sick with an E. coli infection in my intestines. maybe my body/immune system was focussing on killing this coli infection and so my CU was not happening… just a theory. I went back again to mexico last year for a vacation, my CU did not disappear like last time, instead I was covered head to toe in hives after a morning walk on the beach. What I would do to sweat again!!!! I think we can still fix this condition, we need to keep researching.You never know it may disappear on us, wouldn’t that be awesome!!!
kevin says
I used to workout 5days a week and then I hurt my shoulder so couldnt go back the gym, I developed my itching a few months after I have stopped working out due to my shoulder injury. Could it be related? I suspect something here because its like everybody who has it used to be very active and then develop this condition once they stop. Smh
Ahmed says
Yea it’s actually an interesting point ! we should have more people share their stories about this point to see if it’s true .
Jeremy Siaw says
Forgot to include my name on this post, the name is Jeremy (Currently 18) and I guess everyone has a different factor to the hives. I guess mine is because of the environment? and lack of exercise? cause the first year I came to Australia, I still played basketball for a domestic team, then the hives are not that serious, but after I stopped in the second year, it became noticeable…
For some people it might be the diet causing the allergic reaction, but for us this might be it. So, if dry weather + lack of exercise is my cause, then :
1) Start to apply a body lotion for my upper body (where the hives always are) and a moisturizing toner on my face.
2) Try to drink plenty of water everyday
3) Start taking a multivitamin and Fish oil combined with Vit.D (cause I didnt get much sunlight at all in winter)
4) Ordered an exercise bike and planning to do a sweat therapy (Unable to jog due to bad weather + winter)
Another theory is might be the stress from Year 12. Let’s just hope that the attack of the hives is not that intense when I sit my exams (on October- November which is the easiest period for hives to attack).
I’ll keep you guys up-to-date after I receive my exercise bike. Come at me hives, and get owned!
Hivesguy says
Welcome to the forum, Jeremy.
Definitely keep us updated on how things progress with your sweat therapy. It’s always a great idea to talk to a doc first and take precautions (such as an EpiPen), just to be safe. But sweat therapy does help a lot of people with CU, as it can lessen symptoms when done regularly, or provide temporary relief due to the refractory period following histamine release. Although I’d also add that this therapy is not for everyone.
You can beat this thing, so hang in there.
Ali says
In 2012 there was an incident that happened that made me VERY ANGRY.. I wasn’t able to calm down for two or three months. And during that time I got Cholinergic Urticaria.. I think that was the reason for me.