The past couple weeks have been very tough on me physically. I'm suffering from a terrible case of hives. I've had them since mid-August but they've become really unbearable over the last several weeks. I've been to the doctor and he feels I've got "Chronic Urticaria" which is the medical term for "hives". Unfortunately there isn't much that can be done to get rid of this type of hives. He's given me 3 different medications and so far one worked for a couple days but then the effects seemed to wear off. The 2nd one did not lessen their occurrence either.
I've had experience with hives in the past. In 1990 I got them really bad and they lasted for about 6 months. I even went for all the allergy testing, etc but they never found anything to pinpoint as the cause. At the time, the doctor told me that sometimes people get hives for no apparent reason. She also added that if I can get through the next 5 years without a recurrence then I'd probably never get them again. Well, I made it through those 5 years and then another 13. Now here I am, 18 years later (man, I'm getting old!), and they're back with a vengeance. It is completely debilitating. I am fortunate (I guess) that they don't really present themselves on my face or neck. Unfortunately, from the shoulders down my body is basically covered.
So, because there is no cure at the moment, I'm searching for anything that will take the itch away. I've done some online research and found some home remedies I'm trying little by little. Calamine lotion does not really work but I continue to put it on. Funny thing is that it says to apply with a cotton ball or soft cloth. Me? No, I'm pouring it on the major parts of my body like legs and arms and then rubbing it in. THAT'S how bad and wide spread they are! Another suggestion was a cornstarch paste. Well, let me just tell you how uncomfortable and cold I was standing in the tub trying to put that on and let it set for a while. They suggested 30 minutes...I think I lasted maybe 15! Baby oil was another idea...nope, didn't work either. So much for the claims that "I put it on before bed and woke up hive-free".
I've got an appointment with an allergist but that's not until the 20th of this month. I'll continue to try what I can in my search for relief. If any of the 5 or so of you that maybe read this have any ideas I'll gladly take them! I have to say that one surprising short-term help was drinking Chamomile tea. I had a cup last night and I was itch-free for about 1 1/2 hours. Unfortunately, I tried another cup right before bed and it had no effect. It seems that if I do get a little relief from a medicine or whatever, it works the first time and then it doesn't work again.
I get hives ALL the time. It's MISERSABLE! (Sorry for shouting.) Benadryl seems to work for me, but knocks me out. Claritin worked for awhile, then tapered off. Allegra and zyrtec work great for me know though.One gives me headaches though, but I can never remember which one until I take it. They both are antihistamines, so they make you thirsty, but generally work well for urticaria. There is also a benadryl cream, but you have to be careful to not lather it on all of your body, just a part, or you can overdose. But if you have a part of you that is just driving you totally insane from the hives, it can bring some pretty good relief. I hope this helps somewhat. So sorry to hear of the misery...
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