Hives?
deksgrl
Posts: 7,237 Member
This week I have been lowering carbs to less than 100 g per day, landing about 60-90. I have not added any new foods that I don't eat regularly. I'm not allergic to anything. Yesterday I started breaking out in hives on my face and neck, around one eye and on the front of my neck and under the chin. Anyone know if this could be linked to carb levels? I apologize if this has been asked before, I couldn't figure out how to search messages just in this group.
As background, I never had a problem with hives until recent years and I chalked it up to hormones, but I never had them on my face and neck before.
As background, I never had a problem with hives until recent years and I chalked it up to hormones, but I never had them on my face and neck before.
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Could it be a reaction to some kind of insect bite?
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I don't think so. It hasn't been warm enough here for the bugs to be out.0
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Have you not eaten something for a few days then added it back? I had this when I started low carb, I didn't eat any wheat for a bit then I ate a lc wrap and my throat swelled and face went numb. I track whenever this happens to try to see what might be causing it. It does sound like an allergic reaction0
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I keep sneezing after bacon?0
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auntstephie321 wrote: »Have you not eaten something for a few days then added it back? I had this when I started low carb, I didn't eat any wheat for a bit then I ate a lc wrap and my throat swelled and face went numb. I track whenever this happens to try to see what might be causing it. It does sound like an allergic reaction
No, I am eating things I normally eat, except I haven't had any bread since like Sunday, and I have been just making lower carb choices. I haven't dropped down and eliminated things then added them back in. Normally I was eating probably 150+ (occasionally over 200) and I dropped it to under 100.
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Could they be stress related? From someone who regularly gets hives, do you take super hot showers? Do you moisturize? A super hot shower, however nice it feels at the time, will give me hives and cause an eczema flare up. Have you used a different soap/lotion/perfume? What about dish or laundry soap? All purpose cleanser? Try using a gentle soap and moisturizer along with a mild shower and see if that helps. It could be food related, but if you haven't changed anything in your diet recently it could be from external things.0
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Interesting, thanks. I'm going to increase water to flush histamines. I think I wasn't drinking enough anyway.
Another "interestingly", the scale is down 4 pounds, likely water weight. Scale hasn't moved in awhile.
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I've had similiar unexplained hives as well. They came and went for about a week. I was seeing a naturopath at the time and cut out wheat, dairy and sugar all at once. The hives covered my entire body, they were so nasty looking and I even went to my family Dr for an explanation. Nobody had an answer for me. I figured it was maybe a reaction to all the detoxing my body was going through. I took an allergy pill and they eventually stopped!0
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Have you had your vitamin d checked? I suffered through three bouts of chronic hives before I read a study linking vitamin d deficiency and hives. The last time I had them I had blood work and I was deficient. After taking liquid d 3 for a week, my hives went away. It could be coincidence, but I stay on top of supplementing now and I haven't had hives since. Hope this helps!0
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I already take vitamin D so I don't think it is that.0
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I get hives sometimes in localized areas (usually the inside of my arms and the tops of my feet) due to what I can only assume is screwed up hormone levels. The first time I noticed it was in my early 20s when I first went on oral contraceptives (only that one brand did it, though), and then it didn't happen again until a couple years ago near the beginning of my 3rd pregnancy. My doctor thought it was ringworm, as it would show up in a couple ring-shaped hives on my inner forearms, but I KNEW it wasn't ringworm based on its behavior (and this was confirmed by the fact that antifungal treatment did absolutely nothing to help). It came and went all through that 3rd pregnancy, then happened a couple times during my 4th pregnancy. Then, when I started this WOE, I got a couple spots again near my armpits (such a gross word, huh?). I just assumed the low-carb WOE was causing hormone fluctuations. Plus my baby quit breastfeeding around the same time I started low-carbing, so that would also cause hormonal changes. Whatever it is, I hope you get some relief soon. I know it's not fun!0
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Brooke Burke Chavet (?) has a skin condition not hives but related that progressed with each pregnancy that was related to skin discoloration (permanent) and such...
Now I know that dark coloring around the eye socks, underarms, inner elbows, behind knees, neck creases, etc. is a sign of overworked pancreas. One of the first things I noticed on meds and with this way of eating was that some of my darker areas faded almost completely. I still feel like an albino when I look in the mirror sometimes.0 -
Interesting. The pancreas produces insulin, correct? So it would figure that if you are eating lower carb that would result in less stress on the pancreas.
I took a benadryl this morning and upped my water intake and it is a lot less itchy. I'm going to try to hold off and not take any more benadryl and see if the water continues to clear it up. Feeling groggy from the benadryl.0 -
Interesting. The pancreas produces insulin, correct? So it would figure that if you are eating lower carb that would result in less stress on the pancreas.
I took a benadryl this morning and upped my water intake and it is a lot less itchy. I'm going to try to hold off and not take any more benadryl and see if the water continues to clear it up. Feeling groggy from the benadryl.
Yes, the pancreas being overworked can be due to a diet with too much carbs, diabetes, hypo/hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, pancreatic cancer/disease/dysfunction, etc., though that last bit is super rare. My doctor told me a few years ago that my severe discolorations were a sign that even though it wasn't showing up in my bloodwork yet that I was on the road to official pre-diabetes if not the full blown disease/organ failure... He was trying to scare me into going on the DASH/super-low fat diet, which my endocrinologist actually laughed at this attempt when I told him about it. Now, I was on the path at 5'4" tall and 319 pounds, and all kinds of health issues flaring, I'm not denying that, but he tried to make it seem like my pancreas would fail next week if I didn't do something today!
Good luck on clearing it up! Benedryl didn't make me tired last time I took it (I'm guessing due to being adapted or something), but it makes me sleep like crap! LOL0 -
I have a mast cell disease (which results in the release of histamine throughout my body), and I take Quercetin with Bromelain (I use Source Naturals) is a natural bioflavonoid combo that can help inhibit histamine reactions. I need to take it daily, but I've given it to family and friends, who say it helps them within 20 mins - without the foggy groggies.
Quercetin is also found naturally in decent amounts in lots of foods.
http://www.quercetin.com/overview/food-chart
YMMV0 -
Interesting article. Thank you.
More about hives:
https://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-and-treatments/e---h/hives/who-gets-causes
I've had bad cases of hives and dermatitis in the past. Most often, this was caused by the weather - when it got really hot. But there was a time when I was in a really stressful job - a hostile environment - and I got terrible, weeping sores on my hands. So I think cortisol may play a role there.
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I have a mast cell disease (which results in the release of histamine throughout my body), and I take Quercetin with Bromelain (I use Source Naturals) is a natural bioflavonoid combo that can help inhibit histamine reactions. I need to take it daily, but I've given it to family and friends, who say it helps them within 20 mins - without the foggy groggies.
Quercetin is also found naturally in decent amounts in lots of foods.
http://www.quercetin.com/overview/food-chart
YMMV
Thanks for that! I went down the list looking for the foods with the highest amounts and I don't even know what some of those things are. But I can do onions.I've had bad cases of hives and dermatitis in the past. Most often, this was caused by the weather - when it got really hot. But there was a time when I was in a really stressful job - a hostile environment - and I got terrible, weeping sores on my hands. So I think cortisol may play a role there.
Yes, I think cortisol, and perhaps the change in eating patterns tipped me over the edge.
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stevehawkins555 wrote: »
Not sure. It is on my face, not just trunk, and I don't know if my carbs are low enough to be in keto.
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »Brooke Burke Chavet (?) has a skin condition not hives but related that progressed with each pregnancy that was related to skin discoloration (permanent) and such...
Now I know that dark coloring around the eye socks, underarms, inner elbows, behind knees, neck creases, etc. is a sign of overworked pancreas. One of the first things I noticed on meds and with this way of eating was that some of my darker areas faded almost completely. I still feel like an albino when I look in the mirror sometimes.
I have a line of darker pigmentation on my top lip that looks like brown lip liner. It showed up while I was in graduate school and never went away. My doctor at the time dismissed it as unimportant saying, "I'll bet your mother has it. It's genetic. Some people just get it." It's not one of the areas you mentioned, but I wonder if it's related at all...0 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »Brooke Burke Chavet (?) has a skin condition not hives but related that progressed with each pregnancy that was related to skin discoloration (permanent) and such...
Now I know that dark coloring around the eye socks, underarms, inner elbows, behind knees, neck creases, etc. is a sign of overworked pancreas. One of the first things I noticed on meds and with this way of eating was that some of my darker areas faded almost completely. I still feel like an albino when I look in the mirror sometimes.
I have a line of darker pigmentation on my top lip that looks like brown lip liner. It showed up while I was in graduate school and never went away. My doctor at the time dismissed it as unimportant saying, "I'll bet your mother has it. It's genetic. Some people just get it." It's not one of the areas you mentioned, but I wonder if it's related at all...
It might be... Basically, any areas where skin has a chance to touch other skin, so if you have really curvy lips it's possible. And now that you mention it, I always had that lip-liner type look too. I'm going to go look in the bathroom now... LOL
The first place I really noticed it was my eyelids. I always kind of looked like I had a base shadow on, and now I look practically ghostly because I don't have that... I didn't understand why the doctor who explained the pigmentation thing asked me if I was wearing any makeup... Other than eyeliner, I almost never wear any makeup, and only the eyeliner so people can tell I'm awake...
@Dragonwolf, I think, provided a link to me at one point about this pigmentation.... I'll see if I can find it and see about the lip thing...0 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »KnitOrMiss wrote: »Brooke Burke Chavet (?) has a skin condition not hives but related that progressed with each pregnancy that was related to skin discoloration (permanent) and such...
Now I know that dark coloring around the eye socks, underarms, inner elbows, behind knees, neck creases, etc. is a sign of overworked pancreas. One of the first things I noticed on meds and with this way of eating was that some of my darker areas faded almost completely. I still feel like an albino when I look in the mirror sometimes.
I have a line of darker pigmentation on my top lip that looks like brown lip liner. It showed up while I was in graduate school and never went away. My doctor at the time dismissed it as unimportant saying, "I'll bet your mother has it. It's genetic. Some people just get it." It's not one of the areas you mentioned, but I wonder if it's related at all...
It might be... Basically, any areas where skin has a chance to touch other skin, so if you have really curvy lips it's possible. And now that you mention it, I always had that lip-liner type look too. I'm going to go look in the bathroom now... LOL
Well I WAS kissing a lot of frogs in grad school.....
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »KnitOrMiss wrote: »Brooke Burke Chavet (?) has a skin condition not hives but related that progressed with each pregnancy that was related to skin discoloration (permanent) and such...
Now I know that dark coloring around the eye socks, underarms, inner elbows, behind knees, neck creases, etc. is a sign of overworked pancreas. One of the first things I noticed on meds and with this way of eating was that some of my darker areas faded almost completely. I still feel like an albino when I look in the mirror sometimes.
I have a line of darker pigmentation on my top lip that looks like brown lip liner. It showed up while I was in graduate school and never went away. My doctor at the time dismissed it as unimportant saying, "I'll bet your mother has it. It's genetic. Some people just get it." It's not one of the areas you mentioned, but I wonder if it's related at all...
It might be... Basically, any areas where skin has a chance to touch other skin, so if you have really curvy lips it's possible. And now that you mention it, I always had that lip-liner type look too. I'm going to go look in the bathroom now... LOL
Well I WAS kissing a lot of frogs in grad school.....
After checking, yes, my line is almost entirely gone... How funny that I hadn't noticed!0 -
Okay, to close the loop on this, I don't think it is the low carbs doing this..... I was looking up more about hormonal imbalances and hives and I came across this website: https://themenopausehistamineconnection.wordpress.com/
She mentions that bleach is a huge trigger. Guess what I was doing last weekend? Cleaning out a moldy refrigerator with bleach. And that reminded me that the first time I got hives I had been cleaning out a boat with bleach. If I recall, it lasted for a couple of weeks, and it wasn't on my face that time.
She also mentions that she uses Quercetin with Bromelain @nill4me
So, I'm not going to raise carbs in the hopes that it will fix the hives, I will ride it out and supplement.0 -
It seems like you've found the answer, so that's good. Hope they go away soon!
Just to add my experience, both times in my life when I have lost a great deal of weight (30-40 pounds) in a relatively short amount of time, I got hives for a week or two on my neck and chest. I went to several doctors and there was no obvious cause. The only possible conclusion we came to, since it seemed to be linked to weight loss both times, was that hormone fluctuations from fat loss could have been responsible, or the fat loss was releasing toxins/substances stored in the fat cells and my body was having trouble flushing them out quickly enough.0 -
This is perhaps one reason some state after every 10% weight loss then maintain that lost for six months before going for the next 10%.0
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