If you’re suffering with cholinergic urticaria, you may be wondering which doctor to see. This is a great question, and the two types of doctors that seem to be most familiar with this condition is an Allergist and Dermatologist. Perhaps an allergist would be best, as many people have reported that they were able to diagnose them and were familiar with hives disorders.
However, dermatologists also specialize in the skin, so they may be helpful.
The post below contains a discussion about the matter. You can also watch the video below for a brief overview of which doctor to see:
Which Doctor to See for Cholinergic Urticaria? Dermatologist or Allergist? Post by: dice on April 06, 2009, 06:16:19 PM
I’ll sum up all the relevant points made in our discussion.
– One of the first things I mentioned was candida (the yeast thing – read the blogs made by HivesGuy on the Homepage if you want more info) being a possible cause of the hives. His response was that this was unlikely to be the case, based on past patients trying to reduce the causes of candida (e.g. taking meds to reduce the levels of yeast and taking probiotics) and not seeing much of an effect on their hives – if any. He did say that I could give it a go if I wanted to with the probiotics as they’re (supposed to be) beneficial to the body anyway.
– Something else of interest was his suggestion for me to continue being as active as possible. His explination was that the cells in my (our) body that contain the histamines (which when released cause these hive reactions) are stored and can increase in quantity if not released over a period of time. Therefore meaning stronger itching sensations when they are released.
So this (according to him) means that already mentioned suggestions to continue exericising or having hot(ter) showers can in some way be beneficial towards lessening the strength & effect of the breakouts when they do occur.
My own past experiences do lead me to believe that he’s probably right. I’ve had these reactions on a yearly basis since maybe 2003 with each attack lasting for around 6-10 weeks before going away. This year however, I’d say I’m into my 26th week of having Cholinergic Urticaria. What’s the main difference? Up until now I’ve been in education which requires at least 5 days of me going outside for many hours.
This year I’ve taken a gap year and have for a while now been jobless, meaning that I’m lucky to be outside for a significant amount of time for more than twice a week. That isn’t to say that I do absolutely nothing, I still scratch my butt off on multiple occasions on some days regardless of whether I’m being “active” or not, but I guess I’ll force a reaction more often now to see what happens.
– The dermatologist did a test which involved him scratching a part of my skin (in a noughts and crosses formation – #) and checking if my skin reacted to it, which it did with a bump forming at the scratched areas. He said that my skin had a pretty strong reaction even after I’d taken Loratodine on the same day and so prescribed me “Telfast” which according to him is as strong a med I can get for this without looking into mixing antihistamines ( :(). So I’m now going to have to take these for up to 3 months in order to see if it’ll have any positive effect.
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Title: Re: Saw a Dermatologist today… Post by: HivesGuy on April 07, 2009, 05:49:23 AM
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Hello Dice,
Thanks so much for following up & letting us know how everything went! I am glad your dermatologist actually listened to you and allowed you to express your views. It kind of sucks how the yeast thing may not be the cause after all, as I really was hoping this was something that can be resolved with meds.
The new meds sound interesting, and let us know if you see any improvement in the hives over the next few days. I will try to make a post on the homepage updating a few things that has been going on. Thanks again for the awesome update, and I hope the new meds help!
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Title: Re: Saw a Dermatologist today… Post by: hivesblow on April 07, 2009, 09:34:21 AM
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did you mention anything to the doc about a sweat gland problem? im also trying to get back to my doctor about discussing treatments other than antihistamines, ill let you all know how it goes
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Title: new update Post by: hivesblow on April 08, 2009, 05:58:30 PM
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-in my first visit to the allergist (january),my doctor told me this is something that would go away in time and would not be a big deal, he perscribed me with zyrtec, which has not done much to help. -so yesterday i called my allergist to discuss other treatments, he told me that my options were limited. he perscribed me with another antihistamine called doxepin which i am going to take once every night (it will probably cause drowsiness) he said the difference between the doxepin and zyrtec is that zyrtec only blocks a certain type of histamines called H1. doxepin will block H2 histamines. i told him that i am worried about the upcoming summer and he said that i could take both the zyrtec ( morning) and the doxepin (night). the doctor really could not tell me much more and kind of downplayed my situation(he is the arrogant type of doctor that does not like to be questioned) . im not so sure that antihistamines really are the answer to our problem here but perhaps it could keep the symptoms down.
however, i did mention the not being able to sweat problem and he told me to see a dermatologist. i have an appointment april 20th and i will let you all know what he tells me. this doc is actually a really nice guy and is much easier to talk to then my allergist, so hell definetely be more helpful. hives guy, it will be interesting to compare what your dermatologist told you to what mine is going to tell me. im also very upset to hear about your tragedy, live sucks like that but we gotta keep going. well anyways, ill continue to update you guys because hopefully one of us can stumble upon something and beat this pain in the butt.
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Title: Re: new update Post by: HivesGuy on April 09, 2009, 04:26:57 PM
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Hello hivesblow,
Thanks so much for the great update! I know what you mean about the arrogance of many doctors, and it is really frustrating (my wife is a nurse, and I hear tons of stories about this…). Anyways, it is interesting about the new antihistamines, and I can’t wait to see if they help.
I can’t wait to hear if your dermatologist has anything interesting to tell you about this condition. I always hope to hear that one day one has figured something out that really helps Cholinergic Urticaria people.
Also, I want to thank you for your kind words about the recent loss of a family member. I agree, life goes on, we must keep marching ahead & live while we can.
Thanks again for the great update, and keep us posted!
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Title: Re: new update Post by: hivesblow on April 20, 2009, 02:59:41 PM
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i talked to my allergist about my Cholinergic Urticaria and inabilty to sweat and he referred me to a dermatologist so i just came back from my dermatologist visit…who then told me that Cholinergic Urticaria and inability to sweat is an issue for an allergist! very frustrating, so pretty much that was a complete waste, my doc had nothing to say on the matter. he wants me to get my blood checked and wants me to see another allergist at the university of penn ( i live in philadelphia).
when describing the condition, i might as well of been talking to a brick wall, the doc had no insight for this whatsoever. -As an update i have been starting to get some sun exposure becaue the weather has been warming, i was able to go outside last week in 75 degree weather and didnt have a problem. i did start to feel an attack coming on but i avoided it and cooled off. so well see if getting some sun starts to help the issue. its supposed to be 80 degrees saturday, i dont know if i should be excited or nervous… -Ive also been talking doxepin and zyrtec, both are antihistamines. i feel like the medicines are helping, they do not prevent attacks but i feel like the stinging pain is much less intense. however, they do not seem to stop the hives.
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Title: Re: new update Post by: HivesGuy on April 20, 2009, 03:49:04 PM
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Thanks for the update!
I know exactly what you mean, most people I talk to have no idea what the feeling is like, and it is even more frustrating when doctors don’t understand!
Anyways, I hope the antihistamines continue to help some, and hopefully you will get some relief soon! Thanks again for the update.
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Title: Re: new update Post by: StrongerThanHives on April 21, 2009, 04:16:17 PM
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Quote so well see if getting some sun starts to help the issue. its supposed to be 80 degrees saturday, i dont know if i should be excited or nervous…
Excited, haha.
Here’s my experience with sun: I recently added some details several posts down of exactly what I did and what happened. Maybe your issue is similar.
And if it doesn’t work… another issue crossed off the list. It’s a win-win.
Just have to be able to push yourself through 5-15 minutes of pain (if your Cholinergic Urticaria behaves like mine)
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Title: Re: new update Post by: hivesblow on April 21, 2009, 08:20:00 PM
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thanks for the reply….ive tried to run on a treadmill and fight through the pain in an effort to sweat but once i get the point where i get my heart rate going the pain becomes unbearable and i have to stop…ive never been able to push myself past that point yet, im pretty curious to try and fight through the pain and see what happends. hopefully i would get to sweat and then naturally cool my body down, or worst case scenario ill pass out or something lol
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Title: another doctor visit Post by: hivesblow on May 21, 2009, 07:08:17 PM
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so today i saw an allergist at university of pennsylvania….the visit was pretty pointless, it seemed like i knew more than the doctor because of my research on Cholinergic Urticaria. the visit consisted of the doctor looking up articles online so she could learn herself, and then she would tell me what the articles were saying. the funny thing was, i have already read all the information she has shown me. anyways, i am currently on an antihistamine called doxepin and she wants me to increase my dosage. she said that a steroid called danazol has been shown to possibly cure Cholinergic Urticaria, but she said that this is an absolute last resort for very serious cases because of the dangerous effects possible with the steroid.
i also mentioned the lack of sweating problem, she said she would refer me to an endochronologist (gland doctor, i probably spelled it very wrong). i also mentioned the whole sunlight issue and she wrote an order for me to get blood taken so that she could check my vitamin D levels. to sum it up, another very frustrating visit especially being the fact that i felt like i was more knowledgable on the subject than she was… i have also been getting alot of forced sunlight, it is painful at times but i definetely feel like it helps somewhat build a tolerance but whether or not it will be my cure remains to be known. im also taking a multivitamin every morning. the weather is starting to get really hot so i guess i will have to wait and see.
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Title: Re: another doctor visit Post by: HivesGuy on May 22, 2009, 10:53:55 AM
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Hey Hivesblow,
Thanks so much for updating us on your visit. I know that must have been frustrating knowing more about cholinergic urticaria than the allergist did! I really think Cholinergic Urticaria needs to be researched more, and taught in medical school to people, as many don’t really know much about it.
I agree that the steroid thing is a bit extreme, and I have made up my mind to not mess with any steroids or anything like that. I am just going to try natural remedies/diets/experiments that don’t impact my health in a negative way.
I can’t wait to hear how the vitamin D test turns out. It will be interesting to know if you are deficient, or if you have enough Vitamin D.
I feel you about the weather getting hot. I personally had crazy hives attacks all day yesterday while I was out in the heat. Something has made my Cholinergic Urticaria go way more intense lately, and it is driving me crazy.
Anyway, thanks so much for the great update. I hope you get some relief soon, and please let us know if/when you hear more. Thanks again.
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Title: Re: another doctor visit Post by: jga on May 26, 2009, 10:24:48 PM
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Man, I went to a new doctor recently for a routine check up, I did try to mention I get hives when I get hot/workout/stress/from showers/etc, all he said was “oh it’s just heat rash”. I then even tried to explain I read about this thing called ” Cholinergic Urticaria ” and he was like “uhhh, don’t believe everything you read on the internet, it’s just heat rash”. And then that’s it, he was so convinced it was “just heat rash”. ::)
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Title: Re: another doctor visit Post by: HivesGuy on May 27, 2009, 04:46:55 AM
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Quote from: jga on May 26, 2009, 10:24:48 PM Man, I went to a new doctor recently for a routine check up, I did try to mention I get hives when I get hot/workout/stress/from showers/etc, all he said was “oh it’s just heat rash”. I then even tried to explain I read about this thing called ” Cholinergic Urticaria ” and he was like “uhhh, don’t believe everything you read on the internet, it’s just heat rash”. And then that’s it, he was so convinced it was “just heat rash”. ::)
Yep, that sounds about right. Doctors and their giant egos! At least he got it mostly right. At least he didn’t tell you it was all in your head or something.
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Title: Re: another doctor visit Post by: Joeshep on May 27, 2009, 06:53:31 AM
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I honestly find doctors visits very, very frustaring. The most recent doctor I saw a couple of weeks back was I’d say about 60-70 years (not being ageist), so I obviously assumed he had a lot of experience, which comforted me some what. I went through my usual routine of describing the sensations etc, stating how a lot of the time it is unbarable and is effecting my quality of life. Surprisingly, one of the first things he did was to ask me what I thought it was, which is when I brought up Cholinergic Urticaria. And to be fair he didn’t completely fob me off. Eventually he told me he didn’t think it was Cholinergic Urticaria and basically told me I must have some form of allergy. Not what I wanted to hear, obviously.
Anyway, he prescribed me to Fexofenadine Hydrochloride, which he stated as being a ‘very good’ antihistimine. He also ordered a blood test but everything came back normal. Started taking this new medication and initially I thought it was working although I think that was just the effect of knowing I was taking something that supposedlly should help. A few days in and I’m basically back to square one.
Itching is as horrible as ever (In fact I swear it has gotten more intense than it originally was), and the tablets were making me so drowsy I was literally falling asleep walking down the road. I’ve also had diarrhoea whcih was also stated as a side effect. So basically I have stopped taking them as they are doing me no good what-so-ever. I’ve made another appointment with the doctor but I feel as though it is going to be a waste of time.
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Title: Re: another doctor visit Post by: MoshiMoshi on May 30, 2009, 07:07:41 AM
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I also take fexofenandine, but for me it works quite well, as long as i take it about an hour before im gona do whatever may give me hives.
However, an interesting point, if the doctor says the steroid will actually CURE Cholinergic Urticaria, but it has bad side effects, what are the side effects so bad that would not make you want to take it. Im not very aware about steroids.
Thanks
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Title: Re: another doctor visit Post by: HivesGuy on May 30, 2009, 07:22:22 AM
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Steroids basically mess with your immune system. Some side effects could be cancer (due to lower/altering your immune system), hairloss, acne, increased blood sugar, fat buildup, risk of addisons disease or cushings disease (with prednisone type corticosteroids), and more. And after all of those risks, there is still no guarantee it will cure Cholinergic Urticaria. Some people have been helped by them, others haven’t. Some people’s Cholinergic Urticaria came back after the treatment ended, etc.
Basically, I would never take another steroid for the rest of my life if I can help it. The only way I would do it is if the alternative was worse than the side effects.
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Title: Re: another doctor visit Post by: MoshiMoshi on May 31, 2009, 06:47:29 AM
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Oh my, thanks for the response.
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Title: Re: another doctor visit Post by: billysielu on June 01, 2009, 01:24:06 PM
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My doctor prescribed me steroids. I took a few and then had an appointment with a dermatologist. There were two of them, an expert and a student, and they basically had a little laugh about my doctor prescribing them for me. I didn’t find it that funny, but it shows how ridiculous it is that GPs prescribe steroids when they run out of ideas.
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Title: Bit of an update Post by: Joeshep on March 11, 2010, 04:01:03 AM
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I saw a dermatologist last week in concern on Cholinergic Urticaria. It is the first time I have seen a specialist about this. I have to say he seemed genuinlly interested and conerned about what I was describing him, and was very proffessional with his behaviour, always asking for my input and not thinking I was some kind of nut job.
In his own words he said ‘your symptoms are very suggestive of a form of urticaria called cholinergic urticaria. Unfortunately this is notoriously difficult to treat’.
I was expecting the worst anyway, but it was nice to get some confirmation. He’s put me on a very high dose Fexofenidine. 180mg twice a day. And although they do surpress the symptoms some what, it’s not great.
Unfortunately I suffer from bad acne as well and he prescribed me Isotretinoin for this. Although it isn’t a Cholinergic Urticaria treatment, he said it might help with it, because it pretty much stops sebum production. He said some ther stuff bout this potentially helping as well and I will definately keep you informed of my progress with it.
I am so fed up and stressed out all the time with this thing. If only people could understand.
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Title: Re: Bit of an update Post by: HivesGuy on March 11, 2010, 10:47:35 AM
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Thanks for the update.
I am glad that you got a dermatologist that seems to be nice and serious about trying to help you. That is always a huge help for people like us.
That is funny that he said it was “notoriously difficult to treat.” LOL, lucky us.
Sorry that the antihistamine isn’t helping too much. But that other medicine sounded interesting. I hope your Cholinergic Urticaria improves soon. Keep us updated.
And don’t get too stressed. I get so tired of having this sometimes, but I try to stop every once in a while and remind myself to be thankful for what I do have–itchy or not. It is hard for others to understand what we go through, but at least you aren’t alone and we can all relate to you on this forum.
Thanks again for the update.
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Title: Re: Bit of an update Post by: dice on March 13, 2010, 02:58:48 PM
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Continue to take them for a few weeks, they work great for me and hopefully it’ll be the same for you.
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Title: Suspected cholinergic urticaria Post by: jessamine1 on July 31, 2010, 10:13:46 AM
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Hi there everyone,
I’m a 26 year old Australian girl living in the UK and for the last two weeks I have been having episodes of hives every day. It could be caused by exercise, being on a hot stuffy train, walking around and my body temperature getting too hot or even during intimate moments. I have been to the doctor, but they didn’t diagnose it. I had to do that by looking online and after finding this site I think I have cholinergic urticaria. The doctor told me to just take anti-histamines. Which I am yet to try as I don’t like the idea of taking them everyday. But I think i will have to.
I had to push the doctor to make a referal to a dermatologist. It takes a long time here in the UK to see a specialist and I have actually decided to go back home to Australia where I have private medical insurance and can get tests and investigations done more easily. Here in the UK, you have to be dying before they will do tests. It’s ridiculous. So because of all this I have decided to cut my working holiday short. I can’t keep going like this. I just felt I needed to share my expereince. The posts on this forum have been very helpful.
Does anyone have any advice as to what tests I should request be done by a GP? He was reluctant to do allergy tests because he said they tend to come back inconclusive. I don’t think that’s good enough! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks 🙂
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Title: Re: Suspected cholinergic urticaria Post by: HivesGuy on July 31, 2010, 12:16:26 PM
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Hello Jessamine,
Great post and welcome to the forum =).
I am sorry to hear that you may have this condition. From your description of your symptoms, it certainly sounds like it could be a possibility. I am also sorry that you had a frustrating experience trying to get diagnosed. I think we all tend to have difficulty with it, since so many doctors know little about Cholinergic Urticaria.
I do take antihistamines on occasion, and some people see a lot of benefits from them. Considering the majority of the posts here on the forum, Zyrtec (Centrizine) and Allegra (Fexofenadine) seem to be the 2 most popular ones used by us.
Zyrtec is generally available over the counter at any drug store, whereas Allegra (also calle Telfast) requires a prescription. I have never tried the fexofenadine, but some here get a lot of relief from it, and recommend it over Zyrtec. I take zyrtec when necessary (not all the time), and it does help about 20% or so.
As far as your question about what tests you should have: That is a bit hard because most of us look perfectly healthy when we get tested. You could request a CBC (complete blood test) just to rule out anything else. I suppose you could also have an in-depth hormone test done, but I am not sure if that will show anything either. An allergy test is the other kind you could have done, but again, it is often hard to pinpoint some allergies, and tests are often inconclusive.
There is a lot of great info on this forum on how to manage the hives, so I hope you find some of the posts helpful. If you have any other questions or thoughts, feel free to open a thread for discussion.
Thanks again for the great post, and welcome!
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Title: good news Post by: stacey on July 31, 2010, 08:24:01 PM
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Finally got in to see a dermatologist last monday. He immediately diagnosed it as cholinergic urticaria. He told me the reason why my outbreaks were so bad at nite is because our body temp increases at nite and that is why it is worse in some people at nite. He gave me a cortizone shot and prescribed allegra and cyproheptadine. It disappeared from 3pm monday until 6am tuesday morning. It came back midday tuesday and I had another bad outbreak tuesday nite. It disappeared midday wednesday and has not returned since. The only thing left are the claw marks on my leg from all the scratching. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hope this is permanent!
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Title: Re: Suspected cholinergic urticaria Post by: jessamine1 on August 02, 2010, 03:30:43 AM
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Thanks for the speedy reply. The forum is providing a wealth of information. I am again going to see a doctor and I will insist on blood tests. In the mean time have started with loratadine antihistamine, hopefully it makes a difference. Last nite I had an episode while in bed and just about to doze off.
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Title: Re: good news Post by: HivesGuy on August 02, 2010, 04:18:00 AM
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Great news Stacey!
I too hope they stay gone for you. Let us know if anything changes, and I am really glad you are getting relief from it!
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Title: Re: good news Post by: stacey on August 05, 2010, 04:28:00 PM
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Well, today is Thursday and I wish I could say that they have stayed gone but they did come back full-force monday morning. That was a day after the temp. went up over the triple digits and the management of the building I was working in Monday refused to turn on the AC knowing that it triggered a severe hive outbreak 2 weeks ago. Well, this past Tuesday morning I ended up in the ER with a severe anaphylactic reaction and had to be shot up with epinephrine! Woke up choking, lips and eyes swollen to the point I couldn’t put my contacts in or open my mouth to brush my teeth. Couldn’t even swallow a sip of water.
Body temp. was 101 degrees. 3rd episode of anaphylaxis in 2 months and the worst yet! Have noticed though that each time it occurred, I had taken a dose of pink Benadryl liquid or Pink Benadryl caplets. I never had any problem with the dye-free Benadryl. Just noticed the correlation with the episodes of anaphylaxis. Think I may be allergic to the dye and that it is compounding the cholinergic uticaria. Big bummer and very scary!!!
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Title: Re: good news Post by: HivesGuy on August 05, 2010, 04:48:24 PM
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Hey Stacey,
Oh wow. I am so sorry to hear that. I’ll bet you were really worried during all of that (I know I would be). Try not to get too upset or depressed, because I think you will be able to get them under control soon. They may not go away completely, but I think you will get them under control. At least you are okay now.
I would definitely avoid the pink benadryl if you suspect it could have caused all of that. Some people can have serious reactions to dyes or additives in medications, so it is certainly possible. Plus, there are so many other antihistamines on the market that you can use as a possible alternative if needed.
Thanks for sharing this, and I really hope you are able to get everything under control soonl.
Best of luck to you!
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Title: Which Doctor to See for Cholinergic Urticaria? Dermatologist or Allergist? Post by: HivesGuy on September 03, 2010, 07:54:23 AM
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Hey everyone,
I posted about this on my blog too. I made an appointment in just a couple hours to go to the dermatologist. I am going to request a corticosteroid shot, and possibly try another antihistamine too.
My hives have basically taken over my life at this point. I can do almost nothing.
So I will update later tonight on what happened, and what they said. Wish me luck.
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Title: Re: Going to Dermatologist Today–Hoping for Steroid Shot Post by: MoshiMoshi on September 03, 2010, 11:39:58 AM
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good luck, do post on what happens!
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Title: Re: Going to Dermatologist Today–Hoping for Steroid Shot Post by: HivesGuy on September 03, 2010, 02:15:54 PM
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Thanks Moshi! I appreciate the support.
Here is a recap (I also posted this on my blog):
1. Had a mole removed–I didn’t even go in for that, but I asked him to look at a mole on my back that was a tad irreglar and large. He said it looks somewhat suspicious, but is probably okay. He said he would like to go ahead and remove it to be safe, so I let him. I didn’t feel a thing! He numbed the area (I felt a slight sting then), and then he sliced it right off. If you ever need a mole removed–don’t worry. It doesn’t hurt at all and took literally 1 minute to do. It was a bit odd though, because I didn’t expect to have this done today. But I guess better safe than sorry. I just hope my bill isn’t outrageous.
2. Got a Steroid Shot–The guy I spoke with didn’t really want to give me one, but I explained how my hives just won’t stop, and that in retrospect I think the last steroid shot I had 10 years ago was what put my hives in remission. Finally, he caved in after speaking with the other Doctor who actually gave me the shot 10 years ago. I got a shot in my arm (it was actually more painful than the mole removal). My arm is still kinda sore. It was a corticosteroid, and he quickly mumbled the name, and I didn’t hear him. It may have been hydeltrasol or something that started with an “H”. I am not sure. I don’t know the dosage either. Hopefully this will be on my bill. If not, I will ask him directly if the stuff actually helps in case anyone wants to give it a shot (no pun intended).
3. Got a New Antihistamine–He said he wanted to try me on Periactin (generic name is cyproheptad). According to him, it may be more useful in my type of hives. I looked it up and it seems interesting-it can actually mess with your seratonin and other stuff. So maybe it will work better than others. As of right now, I haven’t taken one. He told me to take 3 a day at 4 mg (note–please only take that on a doctors orders). So I will let you know after I have taken a few on the effectiveness. I have never really heard of this one, and I can’t recall anyone mentioning it on the forum off the top of my head.
4.Got an Epi-pen–He also prescribed me an epi-pen in case I have a serious allergic reation. I didn’t fill the prescription for that though, since my mom has one and my insurance plan doesn’t cover medicine. Plus, I am not that worried about anaphylactic shock.
5.Going Back in 1 month–I am going to go back for a checkup in 1 month. So if I have any new questions, or if anything works, I can find out more about it.
Okay, that is the summary of what happened. Overall, he was a nice guy. I don’t think he was an actual doctor, but rather a physician’s assistant (but I can’t complain because I got what I wanted, and they seen me the same day I called). He didn’t seem incredibly knowledgeable on my specific type of hives (cholinergic urticaria), but then again, most people aren’t. But he seemed somewhat knowledgeable on hives in general. He said I also had mild dermatographia (after he stroked my back a few times).
So now I wait. Hopefully the corticosteroids do something to reduce the inflammation. I am also looking forward to trying this antihistamine, although I will try that tonight. I will wait a day or so before I post on that so I can get a good idea on how it is working. I just hope I don’t get any crazy side effects.
I suppose it will take at least a few days, possibly even weeks before the corticosteroid starts to take effect. So it will be a slow road waiting for that one.
Thats it! If you have any questions, feel free to ask on the forum (see the link at the top of the article). Let’s hope it does something–because I am hating the hives right now.
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Title: Re: Going to Dermatologist Today–Hoping for Steroid Shot Post by: HivesGuy on September 11, 2010, 04:50:51 AM
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Okay, a little update about a week later…
1. Antihistamine did NOT work. It helped mask the symptoms about 5-10%, but I could still easily have a hives attack at will. Zyrtec works a bit better, but it upsets my stomach. This antihistamine didn’t upset my stomach, so that was good. What’s worse—it made me enormously cranky and irritiable. I looked up online, and this seems to be a side effect in some people. I stopped taking it after giving it about a week. I immediately felt less irritable the next day.
2. The steroid shot hasn’t had time to really work yet. When they are injected into muscle, they release into your body over the course of weeks or even months. I have noticed a difference though–my stomach isn’t nearly inflammed, and my hives are maybe 10% less reactive. The cooler weather also helps tremendously. Plus, I do notice that my energy has returned. I am much more energetic and positive about life. This leads me to believe that the steroid shot is slowly helping reduce inflammation and so forth in my body. Before this, I literally had no energy, and I felt very ill.
I will know in about 3-4 more weeks if the steroid shot worked a lot or just a little. I will update every week or so to let everyone know. I am VERY optimistic about the fall weather. Where I live, it was a record hot summer (and dry). This wasn’t a good thing for my hives, because I couldn’t sweat and I broke out every day. But now that it is cool, I will only have an attack if I do something physical. It feels great! I get about 6-7 more months of this, so I am happy.
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Title: Re: Going to Dermatologist Today–Hoping for Steroid Shot Post by: HivesGuy on September 19, 2010, 08:37:04 AM
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Just another update for anyone reading this thread:
1. Hives are a bit aggressive again. The temperature went back up to around 90-ish, and so it has been harder to stay cool outside. So my hives seem to be a but bothersome again, but perhaps not as bad as they were a few weeks ago.
2. The steroid shot hasn’t eliminated them so far. It is hard to say, but it seems it may have helped around 10% so far. I don’t think it has helped a lot at all, but it is still only about 2 weeks, so I will give it more time.
3. My mole biopsy came back. Turns out it had some atypical cells in it. This means it had the potential to later turn cancerous, but at this point it wasn’t yet cancerous. I guess my dermatologist will tell me whether or not they need to take more out. I read online and if there is a lot of atypia, they will sometimes go ahead and surgically remove more to be safe. But he did shave quite a bit off, so it may be good enough. It is a bummer, but at least it wasn’t a melanoma or anything (thank God).
I was considering cancelling my appointment (and still may), but I may keep it since the mole thing was a bit off. I am still debating on this and I will let everyone know if I go back or try anything else.
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Title: Re: Going to Dermatologist Today–Hoping for Steroid Shot Post by: Rogerq23 on September 27, 2010, 05:29:19 PM
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Nice, updating of the events.
So bad that antihistamine didnt work. When i read that they gave you that “new” antihistamine i felt exited to try it hahaha, but 3 per day? that’s a lot… well hope you get well and thanks for the update. It seems like no one is replying but there are a lot of people reading it and learning through this threads…
Thanks for this forum, this is the Cholinergic Urticaria bible! thanks for your dedication and time. This mean a lot to us well at least to me 🙂
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Title: Re: Going to Dermatologist Today–Hoping for Steroid Shot Post by: HivesGuy on September 28, 2010, 12:46:33 PM
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Thanks for the support Rogerq23!
Yes, I know a lot of people on this forum read a lot of the posts, even if they don’t respond. So I always try to post any new info just for those who may be curious. Thanks for the compliments on the site, and I really appreciate it. I am glad you have found it useful, and it makes me feel that all of the time I have put in writing articles and so forth over the past few years hasn’t been a waste of time.
Like I always say, in my opinion, what makes this forum so great is all of the people like you and others who come on and take the time to share your stories and great information, medical trials, and more.
Thanks again!
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Title: Re: Going to Dermatologist Today–Hoping for Steroid Shot Post by: wyattroa on October 11, 2010, 12:10:34 PM
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Thank you for the update. Like you my attacks have taken over my life. I am seeing the doctor tomorrow again.. I am also asking for a steroid shot. My baby is due next month and I want to be in the delivery room. It would just crush me if I couldnt. Robert
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Title: Re: Going to Dermatologist Today–Hoping for Steroid Shot Post by: HivesGuy on October 11, 2010, 12:20:15 PM
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Hang in there Robert. I am sure you can figure something out. Maybe the hospital will be very cool inside, and that along with antihistamines and other things may help. Steroids are serious, but if you get on them for a short period of time, they may knock the hives down. I only got 1 shot, and it didn’t help really. But if I were on them longer, it may have helped. Again, there are definitely side effects, so talk to your doctor.
As far as my hives, here is a quick update on things:
1. Steroid shot appeared to be ineffective. I still have hives just as bad. However, the cooler weather has helped tremendously. We had a very cool week of weather, and I almost felt human again. Then, it shot back up to the 80’s, and I was getting hives very frequently. I almost forgot how much the actual air temperature really affects me. I am very positive though, because I know fall time and winter are around the corner.
2. I cancelled my follow up appointment to the dermatologist. The bill was $300 just to have the mole removed, a steroid shot, and antihistamine prescription. That, to me, is very expensive. It would have been 650 if it werent for a discount given for my insurance company. Yikes. I am in the wrong business. But anyway, I didn’t feel it was necessary to follow up, as there is basically nothing they can really do anyway.
3. I have been trying to take 2 claritin (loratadine) to see if that helps. The good news is I get no bad side effects. The bad news is that it really won’t stop my hives.
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Title: Re: Going to Dermatologist Today–Hoping for Steroid Shot Post by: Rogerq23 on October 13, 2010, 10:15:58 PM
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Yeah, I guess the Hospital will be cool inside. They are usually cold (to kill the bacterias?) idk… take loratadine before going to the hospital… it might help you at least a little bit… It doesnt stop my hives to come out but it helps me to be able to walk longer distance and time without the hives… or it just wont come out so severe.
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Title: Re: Going to Dermatologist Today–Hoping for Steroid Shot Post by: Chrissy on October 16, 2010, 05:19:04 PM
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Bummber Hives Guy! At least you don’t have to worry about that mole anymore. I had skin tags & warts (Yuck!) removed when I went to my dermatologist. Eh… its sorta productive. I have an appointment for my dermatologist this week too & plan on canceling. I just don’t think it’ll help. I also have an appointment for a new allergy specialist… Lets hope he can find something, but I’m starting to lose faith. ugh… I’ll keep you posted though if he says anything new.
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Title: type of doctor? Post by: starz on January 06, 2011, 08:45:36 PM
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What type of doctor is best suited for treating Cholinergic Urticaria?
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Title: Re: type of doctor? Post by: HivesGuy on January 07, 2011, 05:41:21 AM
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Probably a dermatologist. They usually stand a better chance of coming into contact with it (they specialize in the skin). An allergist may be helpful/familiar with it as well. Those are the 2 that could probably give a diagnosis, and may have other patients with it as well.
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Title: Leading Cholinergic Urticaria Dr. Post by: mozartthekat on March 05, 2011, 01:01:46 AM
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Does anyone know of such a person?
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Title: Re: Leading Cholinergic Urticaria Dr. Post by: HivesGuy on March 05, 2011, 06:19:23 AM
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Well, this is a tough question to answer because there are quite a few doctors/dermatologists who are familiar with this and can tell you the treatments or experiment with you. At the same time, there are a couple who have done more research into this, and are problably more familiar than other doctors—BUT–the frustrating part is that it isn’t really going to help much because there really isn’t any new treatments they can do and we still can’t cure this. Even if we know everything there is to know about Cholinergic Urticaria, that still doesn’t guarantee that we can treat it any better than what we can do now.
But, there is one guy who is supposed to be familiar with it from the UK, his name is Malcom Greaves.
And like I said, there are lots and lots familiar with it. In fact, I live in a small place in TN, and even here there is one dermatologist very familiar with it and has treated a few people with it. But his advice is like all the others: Take lots of antihistamines until it gets better on its own. :'(
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Title: Dr Rajesh Shah Urticaria Treatment Post by: tiredofthis on May 10, 2011, 01:35:34 PM
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Hi all, this is my first time here, i have urticaria for first time a while ago..but i saw this Dr Rajesh shah Homeopathy treamtment, do any of you guys ever tried this? What can you say about him?
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Title: Re: Dr Rajesh Shah Urticaria Treatment Post by: HivesGuy on May 10, 2011, 02:13:52 PM
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Hello and welcome to the forum. Please don’t post URL’s to sites selling services/products, especially homeopathy.
My opinion is that 99.99% of all homeopath is nearly worthless. Most of the people selling this stuff are snake oil salesmen/women who will probably not be able to do anything but take your money.
Cholinergic Urticaria isn’t curable–not by homeopathy or anything else. It can be treated/controlled in a number of ways, none of which I have ever been convinced is homeopathy.
I have spent many hundreds of dollars at this point over the past 10 years trying a product here and there, and well… I still have Cholinergic Urticaria pretty badly.
UPDATE: My hives are now under control from my diet, exercise, and other things I posted on the blog. I still strongly urge people not to waste money on homeopaths, and instead see real doctors and take the advice from REAL people suffering from this on the forum and ask if it is safe for you to try things, and get tests, etc.
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Title: Re: Dr Rajesh Shah Urticaria Treatment Post by: tiredofthis on May 10, 2011, 07:38:10 PM
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so there’s nothing to do? what should i do? do i have to stop doing sport because of this? i’m very depressed please help me
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Title: Re: Dr Rajesh Shah Urticaria Treatment Post by: HivesGuy on May 10, 2011, 07:57:15 PM
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No, I didn’t say there was nothing you can do. I said there is currently no known cure for Cholinergic Urticaria. Meaning that a homeopath isn’t likely to provide you with any type of help beyond what you can get via traditional medical treatments for this. Many people on this forum have tried homeopathy, and have had poor results (if any).
There are lots of things you can do to try to manage your symptoms. This entire website (both the home page, and the forum) has loads of information on how to manage this. People on this forum are able to manage it via such therapies as: antihistamines (or combinations of antihistamines), exercise/sweat therapy, etc.
Your body may respond differently to each type of treatment. I recommend you spend some time reading up on some of these pages, and then follow up with a doctor to maybe try some antihistamines and other therapies to get it under control. Many people on this forum are able to avoid symptoms the majority of the time.
I know that this can be frustrating, but don’t give up and keep on trying different things until you find something that works for you.
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Title: Re: Dr Rajesh Shah Urticaria Treatment Post by: tiredofthis on May 10, 2011, 08:16:58 PM
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ok, thank you HivesGuy, i appreciated it a lot! well yes, my doctor gave me an antihistamine cocktail, but i can’t see much difference as when i didn’t take them, i still have hope that one day that horrible and painful experience go away randomly (sorry if i spelled something wrong) (:
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Title: Re: Dr Rajesh Shah Urticaria Treatment Post by: HivesGuy on May 10, 2011, 08:26:55 PM
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Your welcome.
If those didn’t work for you, then you may want to try others, or the same at a higher dose (talk to your doctor first and let them know it isn’t working).
Some antihistamines are nearly worthless, while others can actually help a little. There are a lot of different treatments out there, and most all carry some side effects/risks.
I know it is so hard living with this sometimes, but hang in there. Good luck to you.
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Title: Re: Dr Rajesh Shah Urticaria Treatment Post by: Slick1020 on May 11, 2011, 12:16:24 PM
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In my opinion, use exercise and Allegra (if prescribed) to help. I think I have a severe case but it can be controlled through exercise. I started running this week because I couldn’t stand the itching from walking. In my opinion your body is wanting to sweat when you start to feel the itching, stinging, prickly, and burning sensations. Give the body what it wants by running or speeding up if you are on a stationary bike. After a few days your symptoms will diminish. But this may be different strokes for different folks. Today I didn’t really feel anything except for the wind blowing in my face. Started sweating on my head and the rest was history.
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Title: Re: Dr Rajesh Shah Urticaria Treatment Post by: tiredofthis on May 13, 2011, 05:20:23 PM
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yes, i do exercise, but lately i’ve been feeling a sensation of nonbrething, i mean i can’t breath normaly or deep, i feel like i can have more air but i can’t
——————————————————————————– Title: Which Doctor to See for Cholinergic Urticaria? Dermatologist or Allergist? Post by: HRK on August 07, 2011, 05:51:01 PM ——————————————————————————–
Hello everyone,
I am a latest victim of Cholinergic Urticaria (as per my own diagnosis).After going through the scorching hot month of June and July(I am from TX), once at work i started itching badly on around chest area. When got back to home and looked at it I found several rashes spreded scattered. I went o Walgreen and asked lady and she told me to get Benadryl Itch lotion. I applied it twice a day for about 5 days and all the rashes vanished and I thought it’s all done. But after a week or so, I was strolling out in the heat after lunch with my buddies, and I realized that I am having same itchy sensation and yeah I was sweating too. So after getting back to home I found same rashes re appeared. I start applying same Benadryl Itch lotion again. It helps but what I found is after I wake up from my night/or afternoon sleep, or after any other activity where i am sweating i get this rashes. It states for about 1 or 2 hours and then disappears. While looking to understand what is happening I found myself at this very informative site. And after reading information I concluded myself that i am having “Cholinergic Ulticaria”.
Would any one please guide me that “What specialty doctor i need to visit?” Is it Dermatologist or Allergy/Immunology specialist or some other specialist?
Thanks! HRK
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Title: Re: What speciality doctor I contact for Cholinergic Ulticaria Post by: billysielu on August 08, 2011, 12:07:13 AM
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The standard first step is to see if antihistamines work for you, you can get those from your GP… at least that’s how it works in the UK. You can even order them online, I think there’s some in the shop section of this site.
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Title: Re: What speciality doctor I contact for Cholinergic Ulticaria Post by: HivesGuy on August 15, 2011, 03:38:58 AM
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Welcome to the forum HRK,
With regards to your question about doctors–it depends on your goals. If you suspect allergies may be making the hives come out (or at least making them worse), then an allergist would be a logical place to start. They could help you identify some foods that may be causing inflammatory responses from your immune system, as well as environmental issues that you could maybe alter to give you a little relief.
On the other hand, if you just want a regular checkup, or want to try antihistamines or some medicine regimen, then you may want to try a dermatologist.
So it really comes down to your goals. Dermatologists are “skin doctors,” and they typically know a little more about Cholinergic Urticaria than most others. However, there are still a lot out there who are clueless about our condition.
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Title: Re: Dr Rajesh Shah Urticaria Treatment Post by: homamsy on October 26, 2011, 05:57:58 PM
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All ……….. apple cider vinegar is the solution
should be with its deposits
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Title: My story Post by: jess88 on May 09, 2012, 09:44:13 PM
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Im so glad I found this website and forum. I think Ive finally found what is wrong with me!! FINALLY.
My story:
The first memory I have of feeling the itchy/burn prickly sensation was back around when I was in 8th grade. I was wearing a big poufy coat and I felt the pricks on my back. Thats when it all started. I didnt really notice it was a problem (at first I got them maybe once every few months or less) until the itching and burning became an everyday battle. I dread taking showers. Literally every single shower I take leads to INTENSE pain/ichyness. I get little red dots on my chest and shoulders (and also a ton of blotchy redness) where its mostly itchy, but my legs are the worst. Strangely, there are no visible symptoms on my legs but they start to hurt and sting so bad I want to scream and sometimes I actually cry. All this starts happening about 5 mins into my shower and lasts about 30 mins or so after my shower.
My legs get even worse (doesnt seem possible to get worse!) when I shave. I can barely handle shaving its so intense afterward. I do not use hot water but warm. I also get pretty intense prickling on my legs and back/chest when its really hot outside or I get over heated. I have just finished my sophomore year of college so I have been battling this for awhile and its only getting worse 🙁 I recently went to a dermatologist who told me to try allergy meds. Didnt work. Then he prescribed me this one medicine thats supposed to help with allergies or something. I keep telling him Im not allergic to showers and sunlight….all that did was make me extremely drowsy and hungry (its also used as an appetite stimulant -__- ). I havent went back to my dermo yet because I have been on the new med for about 2 weeks and no result. He told me if this doesnt work then he gives up!!! What a joke. I plan to go to a new dermo soon but now I feel really discouraged. Hopefully Ill get a new caring dermo who can help me.