Breaking Out in Hives Every Day!!!

Updated on March 21, 2012
S.S. asks from Los Angeles, CA
20 answers

omg i'm going crazy. for the past couple of months, i've been breaking out in hives every day. it'll start with an itch somewhere like my arm, i start scratching, the hives pop up and spread to cover my entire arm. as i scratch and scratch, hives start appearing on my back and pretty soon my whole back is covered and i'm wanting to roll around on a giant brillo pad. i have an appt w. the allergist a week from now to get some testing done but i can't think of anything that has changed in my diet or toiletries to make this a sudden problem! any thoughts?? thanks!

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So What Happened?

i am under a lot of stress but that hasn't changed either since i've always been under a lot of stress due to life circumstances. i guess its to the allergist i go! i really hope he can put an end to it. sooo itchy :(

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

In the meantime, you can take Benedryl or a similar antihistamine to help relieve the itching. Try not to scratch the hives. Scratching does cause them to break out more and to spread, as you've found out.

3 moms found this helpful

☼.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

My husband was just dealing with this a month ago and nothing in his life had changed except that he was under tremendous stress. He went to the doctor, she determined that it was more than likely stress and she advised him to stay on Claritin (or something similar) for one entire week, 24/7. After the end of the week, the hives had vanished. So you may try a similar regimen and see what happens. Hope you feel better soon!

3 moms found this helpful

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P.M.

answers from Portland on

Other posters are right – stress can be a big factor in how any allergy exhibits, AND it's possible to develop an allergy at any time.

I crashed with a bazillion chemical and environmental sensitivities over 25 years ago, right after my beloved grandmother died, and my life has really never been the same since. I have had to re-learn what's safe to eat, launder my clothes in, put on my skin, and how to handle stress better.

One thing that has helped me immensely is homeopathy. Only about 80% of people respond to it, but if you're in that large group, you may get relief from one of the several remedies that help with hives. You can buy these inexpensively over the counter (less than $10 per remedy), and they are extremely unlikely to cause any symptoms of their own. They just work, or don't.

You can google "homeopathy for hives" (or for allergy) and get the various remedies that might help. The one that is foolproof for me (may not be exactly right for you) is called Histaminum. It works equally well for me in any OTC strength available. One supposedly important tip is to drop the little tablets directly under your tongue from the lid without touching them first with your fingers.

Good luck – hives can be torment!

6 moms found this helpful
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C.C.

answers from Houston on

How about stress? Can do it....you know?

5 moms found this helpful

R.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

My mother has been having hives, to the extent her entire face swelled up twice last week, and her doctor traced it to anxiety after the death of my Dad almost 4 weeks ago. Yours also may not be an allergy but a stress related reaction, have you been under any?

4 moms found this helpful
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D.M.

answers from Chicago on

I had something like this happen for almost a year. Everytime I got stressed (especially at work) I would break out in hives. Mine was linked to an outbreak I had after taking diet pills with an extremely high nut extract content. I went to the doctor and we cleared it up immediately, but then I kept having these flare ups for months! My dad's ex-girlfriend was really into holistic health and she had me take milk thistle and something else for a while and it's never happened since. It's like I just had to break the cycle.

Another thought, even though you haven't changed your routine, you very well might have developed an allergy to something you're currently using. Once I got into my thirties, my skin became soooooo sensitive I can't use any kind of scented lotion or deoderant. I found that out the hard way after my legs and armpits broke out in horrible itchy rashes. If I spray perfume on my skin, my chest, neck and arms will completely break out.

The allergist should be able to help. Good luck.

4 moms found this helpful

K.M.

answers from Chicago on

I suggest you REDUCE the amt of detergents in your laundry and start there or begin a second rinse. Just because YOU have not changed products does not mean your products have not changed their ingredients.

4 moms found this helpful

T.N.

answers from Albany on

Plus, it's very possible to develop allergies you haven't had in the past. Whenever possible go for dye free/perfume free products. Also dairy eggs and soy are some 'out of the blue' common allergies.

My daughter (15) gets hives regularly. Even after a trip to the allergist, we've been unable to pinpoint her triggers. Personally, I think it's nerves.

I give her a couple benadryl at night when she has a flare up. Usually that does the trick.

:)

3 moms found this helpful
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A.L.

answers from Las Vegas on

It may not be that it's a new set of hives each day but more so that hives tend to run a cycle. a cycle that can last from a few days to a few months...

A few years back, I, too, was suffering from hives over and over... therefore, I began to read up on hives and discovered a few things.. Consider this, while you may not be allergic to specific foods, once the onset of hives, then allergic or not, certain foods can make hives worse.. (for me, egg whites)

also, Chlorine in the water can definitely irritate the hives and even bring a case of them on.. (consider getting a filter for your shower that takes the Chlorine out) since using mine, I even notice that my skin is less dry...
In addition, I use one for our drinking water.

Now, you may have realized this by now.. but the hives get worse at night (the warmth under the covers can spur the hives on) ..... in which case, cotton clothing for bed is essential as it breathes... this goes for sheets.... synthetic ones can also make matters worse..

Also keep in mind that while you didn't seem allergic to certain foods/air pollutants before, could be now your system (constantly being stressed) is now speaking up.. I should also note that sugar , processed foods and other things such as peanut butter, white flour, vinegar and other cured foods can definitely aggravate your system in such a way that hives show up and or reoccurring yeast infections.. I discovered that once I cleaned up my diet , dealt with my stress more effectively that not only did my hives finally go away (and never return I might add) but so did the bouts with yeast... I think if you try some of the things I did that you might find them helpful..

good luck to you!!

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K.C.

answers from New York on

Try changing your laundry detergent---clothes and sheets/pillowcase to a totally chemical/fragrance free one. Maybe rinse them twice.

I had a reaction to yeast that came out of nowhere. I have been completely yeast free and I feel so much better!

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M.R.

answers from Seattle on

I haven't read the other responses.

Your first line of defense is to start pre-medicating yourself with an OTC allergy pill, like Claritin, or Zyrtec, or Allegra-D. Buy a small box because you won't know which one is likely to do the trick.

You can also start a mild OTC acid reducer, like Zantac. This medicine also helps reduce swelling in tissues.

Also start eating organic, local honey.

Isn't it the Santa Ana windy season in LA right now? If my memory serves me right. There would be a lot of dust in the air, and all the pollutants and smog and lawn fertilizers are being spread everywhere.

GL!

2 moms found this helpful
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B.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

I can PROMISE you that hives were never due to t a lack of clariton nor any other drugs! GUARANTEED!

Hives comes from the INSIDE and they want out. They do not start on the TOP of your skin and work their way down, so creams don't work.

I am sending you a private message about something that is almost guaranteed to work, and if it doesn't you can get a full refund after 30 days.

B.
Family Success Coach

1 mom found this helpful
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J.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

did you start using a new soap, lotion, or detergant?

1 mom found this helpful
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T.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

I was one of the ones who answered your question about beta-blockers. This a long shot, but by any chance have you been on Remeron for the anxiety thing? I was on that for about 4 months and when I weaned off it, I had random full body hive attacks for quite some time, that sometimes sent me to the ER for a Benadryl IV. I believe it was because Remeron has a strong anti-histamine component to it. And I would almost always break out in the middle of the night, it was bizarre. I had allergic reactions to things I was not normally allergic to. It took time but eventually that stopped happening. When it did happen and not to an extreme, I immediately took 25 mgs of Benadryl, which I hate, but it got rid of the hives and kept me from vomiting.
I will still get a few hives occasionally when I am under a lot of stress or when I have a virus. I've heard of some people that break out if they have alcohol too.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.G.

answers from Cleveland on

I have the same thing! Mine is a corn allergy. As in I can't eat it, handle it or be any where near any corn or corn derivative. Makes life very interesting. Hope yours turns out to be easier to handle!

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G.B.

answers from Dallas on

Have the doctor check your thyroid with a blood test. This hives thing happened to me several years ago and now my Thyroid specialist says it may have been because my Hoshimotios disease(related to the thyroid) was very active at that tiime. I went to the allergist back then and all they came up with for me was an allergy to heat.(body heat) That's true also for me.

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L.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

I had this happen to me one summer. The whole summer I was breaking out in hives then it went away. I still don't know what it was. Have you made a change to your laundry detergent or dryer sheets? As you get older you can develop allergies to things that you weren't allergic to before. Maybe a product you have been using a long time changed an ingredient? The allergist should be able to help. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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L.F.

answers from Chicago on

I'm going through the same thing. Changing my diet hasn't helped. I'm resigning myself to the fact that it must be some kind of pollen in the air.

I have been taking 1/2 teaspoon doses of children's Benadryl throughout the day to keep the hives at bay.

1 mom found this helpful

S.L.

answers from Kansas City on

This just happened to me recently and I have been taking Zyrtec and it helps. I only take a half pill as they 'bother' me but I want to know what is causing the hives. They start on my hands and like you said if you scratch they start you itching all over and it has to be the mild winter, early spring, etc.

1 mom found this helpful
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E.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

When I was on the mini-pill, after 8 months, I broke out in hives, it took three months of testing to find out I was having an allergic reaction to progesterone. It was worse around my cycle and it took months to build up in my system and only a few months to go away once I stopped taking the pill. Be open to all the options they give you, but go with your gut and good luck! Its not easy, especially wondering what the heck is going on. Let us know if you get a definitive answer. :)

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