Exercise Urticaria - Anyone?

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katiekrusher
katiekrusher Posts: 143
in Fitness and Exercise
Every leg day at the gym I get hives.. and once my face started swelling up and my throat felt like it might close. I went to the hospital the first time it happened and they didn't say anything was wrong but told me to take benadryl. They were no help. I did a bit of research on what this might be and I found out it might be Exercise Urticaria. I don't want to diagnose myself, and I'm going to see my doctor soon but does anyone have this or have any information on what may be happening to me?

This only happens on leg days...my favorite day at the gym...

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  • squishycow7
    squishycow7 Posts: 820 Member
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    that's very weird...

    I've gotten hives (urticaria is a fancy word for hives) from overheating, maybe it has something to do with that? Maybe on leg days you just raise your body temp more than other days since legs have so much muscle mass... just a guess...

    the throat closing is very concerning though! Do you perhaps have asthma as well?


    edit to add- by overheating I just mean, like, working out and getting hot/sweatty, not like running a fever or whatever
  • cherrytulips
    cherrytulips Posts: 109
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    this happens to my sister! we haven't gone to the doc yet to see why it happens. i thought she was the only one, so i'll tell her that it may be an actual condition that she can get help with. (@squishycow7 - my sis indeed has asthma too) . well, best of luck!
  • TyFit08
    TyFit08 Posts: 799 Member
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    Since early June I have been getting hives several times a week, sometimes daily. When I finish a workout I often have red blotches on my skin. I think it is from overheating because my skin feels very warm to the touch. I also have skin writing, meaning if I scratch my skin I can create words, shapes, whatever. Really weird. Anyway, I haven't been to the doctor for it, but Benadryl does help, as does staying hydrated and taking cool showers, especially after a workout.
  • kristi5224
    kristi5224 Posts: 98 Member
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    Bendryl can make you sleepy. i would try zyrtec or claritn (both ocer the counter and generic available).
    Look at what you ar ewearing. it could be the fabric and softner. what is different on leg day? I could be just from externally irritating your skin...that's what the skin writing is...and it pretty beneign. (RN) also you say its every day and then you say its leg days...
    Maybe its what they clean the machines with. Throat swelling is not good.
  • TyFit08
    TyFit08 Posts: 799 Member
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    I could be just from externally irritating your skin...that's what the skin writing is...and it pretty beneign. (RN)

    I wish you tell my husband that. The skinwriting freaks him out. I wrote his name on my arm and he ran away, compared me to Regan in the Exorcist when she wrote help on her stomach.
  • katiekrusher
    katiekrusher Posts: 143
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    the throat closing is very concerning though! Do you perhaps have asthma as well?
    I don't have asthma, never had any breathing problems.
  • katiekrusher
    katiekrusher Posts: 143
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    And to the benadryl comments, yeah, it makes me very sleepy which is terrible because when it does happen I can never get through my day. I carry around single doses in my gym bag as well as an epi-pen that the doctors at the hospital prescribed me. I haven't had to use the epi-pen yet and I hope I never have to...
  • Levedi
    Levedi Posts: 290 Member
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    the throat closing is very concerning though! Do you perhaps have asthma as well?
    I don't have asthma, never had any breathing problems.

    If it's your throat closing up, it's not asthma. Throat tightening can be a sign of panic attack or severe allergy attack. Asthma affects the bronchial tubes so you'll feel it lower down in your chest.

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