Night Elf Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Does anyone have experience with this? How long can I expect this to last? It started last Thursday and the doctor said he believed it was stress. He gave me an injection, put me on Prednisone tablets, and suggested Benadryl and Zyrtec. Today is day 4 of my 6-day medicine regimen. The only med that seems to be holding it at bay is the antihistmines. The hives go almost completely away so my skin looks normal but come back in full force when the antihistamine wears off. The benadryl only worked for 6 hours, but the Zyrtec kept me clear longer. I had taken a Benedryl and Zyrtec at the same time but didn't need to take another one for 24 hours. Last night things seemed fine. I just had some small patches that didn't itch so I didn't take an antihistamine. The antihistamines are making me feel weird. But this morning I woke up with my body covered again and itching. I took a Zyrtec 30 minutes ago and I'm still waiting for relief. Naturally the doctor told me to avoid exposure to the triggers. But I can't avoid my life. There isn't anything particularly stressful I can avoid. The worst thing right now is the impending school start day for dd14 at the local public high school. I'm worried about some of the things probably stupid things, but I'm also really excited that she is going to be a part of this experience like her friends. I don't feel like this is stressing me out enough to cause a physical reaction, but it's the only thing I can think it could possibly be. So how long will I have to deal with these hives? Will they just keep coming back as long as I'm stressed? That would probably be the rest of my life. I have bipolar 2 and the anxiety alone can be stressful. This just seems kind of ridiculous that I would have a physical reaction like hives. Am I doomed to live like this forever now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Does anyone have experience with this? How long can I expect this to last? It started last Thursday and the doctor said he believed it was stress. He gave me an injection, put me on Prednisone tablets, and suggested Benadryl and Zyrtec. Today is day 4 of my 6-day medicine regimen. The only med that seems to be holding it at bay is the antihistmines. The hives go almost completely away so my skin looks normal but come back in full force when the antihistamine wears off. The benadryl only worked for 6 hours, but the Zyrtec kept me clear longer. I had taken a Benedryl and Zyrtec at the same time but didn't need to take another one for 24 hours. Last night things seemed fine. I just had some small patches that didn't itch so I didn't take an antihistamine. The antihistamines are making me feel weird. But this morning I woke up with my body covered again and itching. I took a Zyrtec 30 minutes ago and I'm still waiting for relief. Naturally the doctor told me to avoid exposure to the triggers. But I can't avoid my life. There isn't anything particularly stressful I can avoid. The worst thing right now is the impending school start day for dd14 at the local public high school. I'm worried about some of the things probably stupid things, but I'm also really excited that she is going to be a part of this experience like her friends. I don't feel like this is stressing me out enough to cause a physical reaction, but it's the only thing I can think it could possibly be. So how long will I have to deal with these hives? Will they just keep coming back as long as I'm stressed? That would probably be the rest of my life. I have bipolar 2 and the anxiety alone can be stressful. This just seems kind of ridiculous that I would have a physical reaction like hives. Am I doomed to live like this forever now? Are you convinced it's stress? Sometimes viruses can cause hives. Dd and I both had a mysterious case of hives many years ago. I remember taking Benadryl for a couple of weeks, maybe even 3. I never had an explanation why we had them. Also, are you sure it's the antihistamines making you feel weird. I cannot take Prednisone. It does very strange things to me. Even though we never figured out where the hives came from, they eventually did go away. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 :grouphug: You poor thing. Is it possible there is something else triggering them ontop of the stress like an allergy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I get hives all the time.. They are the worst after I use an antibiotic treatment, the aftershocks from that last for months in the hive department. Stress doesn't necessarily set them off either (physical or emotional stress) - sometimes it's food. I have to eat a mono based fruit diet for a while to counteract it or really suffer. It's quite embarrassing- they can get to the size of quarters and most of the time are on my face and throat; so I have to really watch it. Don't rule out a depressed immune system and/or a food allergy until you know for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I feel so sorry for you!:grouphug: Are you sure it isn't an allergy? When I have had stress induced hives they have improved with benedryl and a good nights sleep. The problem wasn't gone but as soon as I was able to calm my anxiety down a few notches the hives improved. The only way they come back is if I get really upset again. Have you changed anything cleaning or foodwise lately? I hope they dissappear completely soon!:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 Are you convinced it's stress? Sometimes viruses can cause hives. Dd and I both had a mysterious case of hives many years ago. I remember taking Benadryl for a couple of weeks, maybe even 3. I never had an explanation why we had them. It was the doctor's best guess, probably because of my mental state and the meds I'm on for my issues. I didn't exhibit any other symptoms and they just came up really fast. Also, are you sure it's the antihistamines making you feel weird. I cannot take Prednisone. It does very strange things to me. It could be. He started me on what I consider a strong dose. Day 1 was 50 mg, Day 2 was 40, and so on until my last day I will only take 5 mg. I have never been affected by Benadryl but I was taking so much the first couple of days that I spent a lot of it in bed. Yesterday was better, and this morning I haven't felt the need to go lay back down which is an improvement over the past couple of days. I have no idea how much the different meds might be playing in this. But I do know that without the antihistamine, my skin is splotchy all over my body. What is the prednisone supposed to be doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 I have not changed my diet in any way. I'm on medications, but the newest one was started 7 weeks ago. The doctor said a reaction like this would have happened within the first couple of weeks, not 7 weeks later. But still, I guess I'll put a call into my psych doctor and ask her opinion. If she takes me off this med, I'm going to be totally stressed because it was our last resort before doing a complete overhaul on my medication regime since I can't find a cocktail that works. I have no idea how to check for a food allergy. I tried looking up the most common causes for hives but the only item on the list that I've had regularly is some milk each day. Another list mentioned wheat and I have had some bread each day. But it would be so weird to develop an allergy for foods that have never given me any problems before. So I don't know. I'll email my psych doctor right now. I'll start there. This is just so stupid. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Just a thought...I had a friend who went through a long period of hives. She would up at the office of some kind of alternative doctor who did some tests and recommended giving up wheat. Once she did that, the hives cleared. She can eat wheat. It wasn't a wheat allergy. But removing the wheat temporarily helped the hives go away. I think the only thing she notices now regarding wheat is that she doesn't feel great if she overloads on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Dh and youngest dd suffer from stress induced hives. An episode has always been controlled with no more than three doses of Benedryl- so 24 hours or less. You poor thing!!! I'm thinking it might warrant further investigation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 The Prednisone is supposed to be suppressing your immune system to convince it to stop reacting to something, and thus stop the hives. Imagine my surprise when my doctor promised me prednisone would give me enough energy to clean my whole house. I was really excited...but apparently I am one of those people it has the opposite effect on. It made me depressed and weepy instead! Dh couldn't wait for me to be done with it! And I was so disappointed to be sitting in a messy house with no energy crying at the drop of a hat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 Well this is weird indeed then. The Prednisone is definitely not suppressing the hives. They only go away when I take an antihistimine. I asked my psych doctor and she doesn't think it's the medication either because we haven't changed the dosage. I'm going to finish the Prednisone. After that, I will stop my other medication. If the hives go away, it will be the other medication that caused them. If they don't go away, I guess I'll go to my GP and ask him to figure this out. This isn't something I want to live with for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Well this is weird indeed then. The Prednisone is definitely not suppressing the hives. They only go away when I take an antihistimine. I asked my psych doctor and she doesn't think it's the medication either because we haven't changed the dosage. I'm going to finish the Prednisone. After that, I will stop my other medication. If the hives go away, it will be the other medication that caused them. If they don't go away, I guess I'll go to my GP and ask him to figure this out. This isn't something I want to live with for a long time. I don't think the pred is supposed to be fast acting like an antihistamine. But, I always understood it to be an immonosupressive drug. Hope someone will correct me if I'm wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 (edited) I get stress induced eczema. It can be a real pain. I use cortisone on it when it happens. I always take antihistamine due to my allergies. :grouphug: Edited July 31, 2012 by Sis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 This is going to sound odd but add a heartburn medication to it: Ranitidine (Zantac) or Cimetidine(Tagament). Check the active ingredients on the package to make sure it is specifically one of these meds. We have histamine receptors in different locations on our body. There are H2 receptors in you gut. Ranitidine and Cimetidine act on these sites. They are essentially a different type of antihistamine to add to your Zyrtec/Benadryl combo to boost the over all effect on the body. They don't have many side effects for most people so they are easier to take than Benadryl (not saying to stop the Benadryl-just don't worry that they will make you more tired). Take it every 12 hours or according to package instructions. If you think this sounds odd, ask your pharmacist about it. They may not suggest it outright unless you ask, but they will know what I am talking about. :D If they don't....ask another. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Dh has gotten hives when he eats certain foods and is under a lot of stress. For him, it's peppers. Is there a food that you are eating that might exacerbate the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 This is going to sound odd but add a heartburn medication to it: Ranitidine (Zantac) or Cimetidine(Tagament). Check the active ingredients on the package to make sure it is specifically one of these meds. We have histamine receptors in different locations on our body. There are H2 receptors in you gut. Ranitidine and Cimetidine act on these sites. They are essentially a different type of antihistamine to add to your Zyrtec/Benadryl combo to boost the over all effect on the body. They don't have many side effects for most people so they are easier to take than Benadryl (not saying to stop the Benadryl-just don't worry that they will make you more tired). Take it every 12 hours or according to package instructions. If you think this sounds odd, ask your pharmacist about it. They may not suggest it outright unless you ask, but they will know what I am talking about. :D If they don't....ask another. LOL Wow. This is amazing information. Thank you. I seem to react to seasonal allergies in my gut, so I think I'm going to try this next time things act up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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