Comments on: Paining Me

By: Paige Jennifer

Paige Jennifer — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:48:18 +0000

Silver lining? You wear those painful welts with the utmost level of sass and class.

I don’t have an answer. Nor do I have a story to share (shocking, I know). All I can say is hang in there, kiddo. And if worse comes to worse, I’ll chip in on your Franzia fund. That’s what good friends are for, natch.

By: Ryane

Ryane — Wed, 13 May 2009 05:34:50 +0000

Totes I’m for the Venti vodka, vanilla, valium latte to cure this problem.

By: courtney

courtney — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:37:58 +0000

I had a similar issue a few years ago. After extensive allergy testing (none) and steroids (didn’t really help), they went away on their own after a few long, agonizing months. Looking back, it was stress/anxiety related. I feel for you. Best of luck. Try to get rid of unnecessary stresses in your life. I know, easier said than done…

By: jenny

jenny — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:50:15 +0000

Oh honey. Yes I’ve had the hives. Had some last weke in fact, because now every time I get a teensy bit of sunburn on my neck and chest, I go hivey. I am allergic to sunburn. Awesome.
You my dear, might just be allergic to heat, because didn’t this happen last time in the summer? I can’t remember exactly now. Don’y you get hivey like some people get heat rash. Which won’t really help you in DC in the summer, I know. I’m sorry. Wine and prednisone will be your good friends, as per usual. Hang in there.

By: gorillabuns

gorillabuns — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:24:09 +0000

i recommend alcohol for a cure-all for all ailments.

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:26:18 +0000

I can totally sympathize. Empathize, even. I, at 21-ish suddenly realized my inherited allergy to Tide, waking up one morning in Ithaca, NY, covered in hives for a five-hour car trip home, with hydrocortizone cream doing exactly, precisely, bupkis. Spent about a month on steroids in the process. Had it handled for most of a decade until it came back after a trip away a couple years ago. And sucked. A lot. Dinner-plate-sized wales, and Benadryl did little but make me feel drunk. Drunk and itchy, which is exactly as fun as it sounds.

All of that to say this: I’m so sorry. But I have one suggestion, that a PA friend of mine made as I was clearing up – one of her PA friends gets the hives with some frequency, and when she flares up she takes Pepcid (or Zantac; one of those reflux-type drugs) which apparently blocks the same receptors that cause the skin issues. So if the oatmeal-bath thing isn’t doing much good, it might be worth trying that.

I hope the allergist can tell you something useful.

By: Whiskeymarie

Whiskeymarie — Sat, 09 May 2009 23:18:31 +0000

Once I was out gardening at dusk- I felt like I has a mosquito bite or two, but nothing major. When I went in the house, I noticed that my arms, neck, and legs were COVERED with them. I started itching uncontrollably and shaking. I filled a bath with cool water and about 10 crushed up benadryl- afterwords I was sleepy, but felt much, much better.
I can’t even imagine feeling THAT feeling for more that 20 minutes- can I send you some Pinot/Whiskey to wash that benadryl down?

By: Kristabella

Kristabella — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:16:08 +0000

I’m itchy just reading thing. Thanks for that.

All I can relate it to is mosquito bites. (I know, not the same.) Which, when growing up as a kid in the Midwest, did not bother me too much. But then I moved to the West Coast for 10 years, where there was nary a mosquito to be seen. Now when I get bit by a mosquito, it’s a welt and itches like…well, like as itchy as I feel after reading this post.

Feel better!

By: Kate

Kate — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:46:13 +0000

Hives are horrible. I had such a bad outbreak a year ago, and I couldn’t sleep because I was so uncomfortable. Of course it happened over a weekend and I couldn’t get to my doctor until Monday. My doctor was like, “It’s a rash that itches, but it’s an itch that rashes.” No kidding, it was ALL OVER MY BODY. Ugh. Do feel better.

By: jordanbaker

jordanbaker — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:30:04 +0000

I had serious hives when I first moved here. The grossest but most effective method of relief I ever discovered was a cold oatmeal bath. Once you get over thinking about the fact that you’re sitting in cold oatmeal, it really helps.

By: -Brad in Texas-

-Brad in Texas- — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:19:54 +0000

Damn, never had hives and didn’t realize they were so bad. Hope you get better soon!

By: Finn

Finn — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:57:32 +0000

Hate the hives. Hate. Love the Benadryl.

By: mysterygirl!

mysterygirl! — Fri, 08 May 2009 11:53:09 +0000

You totally need an apothecary with some special elixirs and tonics for this…

By: Deana

Deana — Fri, 08 May 2009 03:05:48 +0000

SO sorry to hear…

My daughter breaks out in hives with her food allergies. Once at a petting zoo, an overly fed goat spit the milk back at her while she was trying to feed it with a bottle. Her eyes were the size of golf balls & the rest of her was one big hive.

Frickin’ goat.

By: Kenneth

Kenneth — Fri, 08 May 2009 02:05:17 +0000

Mmm…laudanum. I can’t believe you have hives again. I had them in the distant past in reaction to anger. I guess I’m less angry.

By: bostongaljm

bostongaljm — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:39:20 +0000

I feel your pain NYAW…I had these for 2 years straight and finally had to get on steroids and other allergy meds to get them under control. It was a combo of anxiety, stress and environmental, and my body was trying to tell me something. I agree with the “ice” suggestion, wearing as loose clothing as possible so that nothing cuts into your body, silly things that worked included alcohol and/or calamine and/or cortisone for the itching as well as having a discussion with a terrific allergist… I really hope you can get help soon. Best to you.

By: heather

heather — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:04:49 +0000

I understand. and sympathize. I had PUPPS while pregnant BOTH times, and i get hives on my feet almost every month during PMS.

Ice.

That’s the very best thing I have ever found.

I’m sorry anyone else has to feel this.

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 07 May 2009 23:54:00 +0000

Maybe if you try breathing into a diaphragm, that would work?

So sorry – I have had hives before, but it was always a brief experience. This sounds horrendous – perhaps comparable to the time I unwisely chose a patch of poison ivy for some naked time with my college boyfriend (although honestly, he got the raw end of the deal there). I hope the allergist can tell you something to avoid, and I hope it’s not wine.