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Hives during period--- what could this be? I need some HIve opinoins...


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Dd (14 next week) has been dealing with pretty severe bouts of hives for about the past four months. They come and go, but we've been to the emergency room three times because her throat and tongue have swelled. The hives tend to be on the back of her neck/scalp, chest, neck, and face. They tend to be very deep-- she can't straighten out her neck or back because the swelling goes so deep into her tissues. Twice she's had what the allergist called "internal hives" which resulted in severe stomach cramping, nausea, shock-like symptoms-- paleness, shortness of breath, clammy skin, weakness, fainting, etc. Very scary.

 

Two days ago they started again, after about a month in the clear. It suddenly dawned on me that I think they're linked to her period. I googled around and it sounds like there might be some autoimmune component, or thyroid involvement. BUT, she doesn't have any of the other symptoms usually associated with Hashimoto's, etc. No achy joints, no hoarse voice, no muscle weakness.

 

She's the picture of health otherwise. Bright and active, tall and slender, good appetite, healthy diet, plenty of sleep.

 

Any ideas???

 

astrid

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Forgot to add that she saw an allergist and was tested for EVERYTHING from foods, plants, environmental allergies, everything. All negative. And if it's a contact thing, like from her pads (Always brand, I think) would the hives appear on her upper body?

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Sounds like angioedema, which is like hives but occurs in the deeper layers of the skin. There are both acquired and hereditary types of angioedema, and I found the quote below in an article about hereditary angioedema. I don't know if there is an association with acquired angioedema or not.

 

Medscape

Hormonal fluctuations play a role in HAE, and the surges that occur during adolescence are associated with the usual presentation of the disease at that age. Women often have attacks during menses, but attacks may be less frequent in some patients during the later stages of pregnancy. Both estrogen and antiandrogen therapy have been described as precipitators of attacks.

 

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WOW....I read that article, and yes, it does sound very much like what Molly is experiencing. She had one bout of cold urticaria when she was six; it lasted a week and the pediatrician chalked it up to a weird virus. Now I'm wondering if it was related.

 

I"m printing it out to take to allergist/ped.

 

Thanks TONS!

astrid

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WOW....I read that article, and yes, it does sound very much like what Molly is experiencing. She had one bout of cold urticaria when she was six; it lasted a week and the pediatrician chalked it up to a weird virus. Now I'm wondering if it was related.

 

I"m printing it out to take to allergist/ped.

 

Thanks TONS!

astrid

I can't imagine that they are related. But who am I to say. I just wanted to say that the cold urticaria may get worse as she gets older. Mine didn't start getting hideously annoying until I hit 39.

 

Out of curiosity let me know how the doctor treats her. If you want I can tell you what I take for the bouts I encounter almost weekly.

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I can't imagine that they are related. But who am I to say. I just wanted to say that the cold urticaria may get worse as she gets older. Mine didn't start getting hideously annoying until I hit 39.

 

Out of curiosity let me know how the doctor treats her. If you want I can tell you what I take for the bouts I encounter almost weekly.

 

It was something I read on the link Perry sent--- something about one bout around age 5 and then 75% have full-blown symptoms by age 15. She's almost 14. And she never had the cold urticaria again; never had hives again until about three or four months ago.

 

I'd love to know what you use--- and I"m so sorry you are plagued by this weekly!

 

astrid

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I just wanted to say that the cold urticaria may get worse as she gets older. Mine didn't start getting hideously annoying until I hit 39.

 

Did you always have yours? Dd had a bout of it after a virus when she was 2 (lasted about two weeks), and we were told at the time that it would probably never come back. Now you have me worried.

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I hope Molly is on the mend and being treated for this unusual symptom set. Yikes. We have allergies and auto immune disorders here . Being diagnosed is 3/4 of the battle. Please give her hugs and let her know that the problem will be solved. How scary for you as well. Best wishes for a solid dx and treatment plan.

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I hope Molly is on the mend and being treated for this unusual symptom set. Yikes. We have allergies and auto immune disorders here . Being diagnosed is 3/4 of the battle. Please give her hugs and let her know that the problem will be solved. How scary for you as well. Best wishes for a solid dx and treatment plan.

 

Thanks so much, elizabeth--- your kind words mean so much to me!

 

astrid

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Dd (14 next week) has been dealing with pretty severe bouts of hives for about the past four months. They come and go, but we've been to the emergency room three times because her throat and tongue have swelled. The hives tend to be on the back of her neck/scalp, chest, neck, and face. They tend to be very deep-- she can't straighten out her neck or back because the swelling goes so deep into her tissues. Twice she's had what the allergist called "internal hives" which resulted in severe stomach cramping, nausea, shock-like symptoms-- paleness, shortness of breath, clammy skin, weakness, fainting, etc. Very scary.

 

Two days ago they started again, after about a month in the clear. It suddenly dawned on me that I think they're linked to her period. I googled around and it sounds like there might be some autoimmune component, or thyroid involvement. BUT, she doesn't have any of the other symptoms usually associated with Hashimoto's, etc. No achy joints, no hoarse voice, no muscle weakness.

 

She's the picture of health otherwise. Bright and active, tall and slender, good appetite, healthy diet, plenty of sleep.

 

Any ideas???

 

astrid

 

Our dd struggles with a number of different uticarias, pressure, heat, cold, stress, high emotion and she is borderline Hashimotos with no symptoms. She would also get angioedema with her lips, eyelids and hands swelling and once in awhile ending up in the ER when it got to her throat. They started when she was about 12.

Our allergist was worse than useless, tested her with 100's of patch and scratch tests that I would swear made her worse, told us she had no allergies at all but still put her on claritin and prilosec. Told us he had no clue and was only treating the symptoms. 2 years of this crap and we finally found the dermatologist who saved our sanity.

She recognized her issues immediately!!!!

We finally got some diagnoses and relief with an old school antihistamine, after two years on it, her issues are no longer as bad as they were. The dermatologist said she would hopefully outgrow the worst of these and it looks like she may be.

I hope and pray you find some help and relief.

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Thank you, Lizzie. I"m sorry your dd is going through this as well.

 

Molly woke up again this morning with hives all over one side of her body. We're seeing the allergist again tomorrow morning, and since she had a bazillion scratch tests (all negative) last month, I'm going to start insisting on some bloodwork, etc.

 

astrid

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I seem to remember an episode of Mystery Diagnosis with a woman with this same problem. I could be wrong, though. Hope you get it figured out.

 

Eta: I did google this and she had hives and anaphylaxis related to hormones and her cycle. I didn't find all the details (but I only did a quick search).

Edited by Cindy in FL.
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Dd (14 next week) has been dealing with pretty severe bouts of hives for about the past four months. They come and go, but we've been to the emergency room three times because her throat and tongue have swelled. The hives tend to be on the back of her neck/scalp, chest, neck, and face. They tend to be very deep-- she can't straighten out her neck or back because the swelling goes so deep into her tissues. Twice she's had what the allergist called "internal hives" which resulted in severe stomach cramping, nausea, shock-like symptoms-- paleness, shortness of breath, clammy skin, weakness, fainting, etc. Very scary.

 

Two days ago they started again, after about a month in the clear. It suddenly dawned on me that I think they're linked to her period. I googled around and it sounds like there might be some autoimmune component, or thyroid involvement. BUT, she doesn't have any of the other symptoms usually associated with Hashimoto's, etc. No achy joints, no hoarse voice, no muscle weakness.

 

She's the picture of health otherwise. Bright and active, tall and slender, good appetite, healthy diet, plenty of sleep.

 

Any ideas???

 

astrid

 

It might be auto-immune related.

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I developed hives the night I delivered my twins, and they lasted for more than two years. Mine were also the deep painful hives. I saw multiple specialists including two dermatologists, an allergist, and an immunologist. They put me on steroids first which made them worse instead of helping, then we went through a long list of medications they thought MIGHT help, but none did. I was tested for Lupus multiple times as well as everything else they could think to test for and all of my blood tests were perfectly normal. Finally, my OB/GYN decided that maybe I wasn't crazy and it might just be hormone related after all. He gave me progesterone cream to see if it would make me react, and it did. I was allergic to my own progesterone. I was already having to have a hysterectomy/bladder lift so he also removed my ovaries also. I have had maybe 10 hives in the last 8 months since my surgery compared to being covered to in them daily. I realize the radical surgery isn't an option as young as you daughter is, but I would definitely have them check to see if she is allergic to her hormones.

 

I will keep her in my prayers...I know first hand how miserable that is to live with.

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:grouphug:

 

I am actually allergic to progesterone, my allergies are worse when it is high. They tried giving me small doses of it like allergy shots, but even the smallest dose was too much for me. The allergy shots for pollen, cats, mold, etc. have helped some for my other allergies, though. A have a friend who is also allergic to progesterone who was able to be helped by gradually increasing small doses of the hormone.

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please keep me posted! i have a daughter with the exact same problem! hives at 5 years old and then they showed up with puberty when seh was 10. se i now almsot 12 and they come and go. she takes 20mg of zyrtec daily, but if she misses one dose, she flares. we even had an er encounter last month when her tongue and throat swelled....

 

hugs! and please do keep me posted! ;)

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My daughter has had chronic hives since May 2008. She has seen numerous doctors, allergists, and dermatologists to no avail; all of them say, "We can't say what causes it or what will stop it, but at some point it should stop." Our dermatologist said that she has seen it last for a decade+ but eventually go away. For my daughter, Zyrtec has been the most help, once a day; if, after a dose, hives show up again due to stress, it's okay (according to both our family doctor and dermatologist) to take another Zyrtec, which really helps her.

 

Best wishes!

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Thank you, Lizzie. I"m sorry your dd is going through this as well.

 

Molly woke up again this morning with hives all over one side of her body. We're seeing the allergist again tomorrow morning, and since she had a bazillion scratch tests (all negative) last month, I'm going to start insisting on some bloodwork, etc.

 

astrid

 

Poor Molly. It is such a nightmare.

Good start. I really would see what a dermatologist has to say Astrid, after all the mystery here it was such a relief to find someone who knew what they were talking about.

Do keep us posted and I hope she heals soon.

:grouphug:

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