Hives while jogging?

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scurry12
scurry12 Posts: 24 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
When my husband got home last night, I decided to go for a walk/jog outside (I normally would go to the gym). I broke out into hives on my torso and thighs while outside jogging. It was extremely itchy, almost burning. Once I got home, my ears felt like they were going to burst and my jaw was very painful. It lasted about 30 minutes. While walking outside, I am fine (for the most part--I sometimes get a bit itchy, but nothing like last night!) Please excuse the stretch marks.

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The strange thing is that I have been going to the gym since November and I have done the elliptical, weight training, circuit training and spinning and this has not happened to me during any of that. It was 7:30 pm, so it was not too hot. I also have sweat way more in a spinning class than I did last night.

I have googled this, but I have not gotten much helpful info.

Does this happen to anyone else and any thoughts on what I can do about it?

Replies

  • scurry12
    scurry12 Posts: 24 Member
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    I am bumping because it is getting buried and I am hoping that someone might have some insight....
  • ghiagirl893
    ghiagirl893 Posts: 69 Member
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    You might have just run into something you are allergic too - a plant or pollen. Have you changed your laundry soap? If so you might be sensitive to it. No other ideas, sorry! Best of luck
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
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    I don't get hives, but i start to itch all over when i get near forests or swamps, or tall grass, or, or, or, especially in spring and fall...
    It's possible you had an allergic reaction to something that was in full bloom just when you hit the road. IDK, maybe breathing harder got more of it into your system as well... you can try a benadryl or something before you go out next time - it sometimes helps for me....
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
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    I agree, just sounds like you got into something your allergic too. Try it again and see what happens. Did someone just mow their lawn or even weed eat?
  • tobielauren
    tobielauren Posts: 184 Member
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    I do know that itching from running is normal for a bit because of blood flow.

    It seems like your hives could be from that natural reaction bc you haven't ran in a while. To get rid of the itching and hives from running, you need to keep running consistently. Kinda sounds crazy but your body needs to readjust to running.

    I broke out in hives for a while a few years back and went to an allergist. I ended up taking claritin, zyrtec, and an inhaler for a while before I stopped getting random breakouts of hives. I also had to get a special tylenol thing bc of an ingredient in normal tylenol. This doesn't mean that this is what you're going to have to do, but I think the moral is to go see an allergist. :)
  • scurry12
    scurry12 Posts: 24 Member
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    Thank you to everyone for your replies. I have been tested for environmental allergies in the past, but nothing has come up. I checked with some of my siblings and there seems to be a trend...super sensitive skin and issues with exercising and hives/rashes. To throw something else into the mix, my 5 year old son has been having mysterious hives during some unexplained crying episodes (he has autism and does not yet speak, so we don't know what is going on--we just know that he is in pain and we are currently seeking medical treatment for him). The main reason for my post is to see if I could find a link....maybe someone sharing some experience or insight that I can tie back to my son's issue.

    Anyway, this is what I found while searching the topic:


    Some runners break out in red, itchy rashes or hives during their runs. Their symptoms may be the result of one of these conditions:

    Hives Cause #1: Exercise-Induced Anaphylaxis

    Symptoms: In addition to hives, other symptoms of exercise-induced anaphylaxis (EIA) include: breathing difficulties (shortness of breath, wheezing), circulatory problems (lightheadedness, low blood pressure) and gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting and diarrhea).

    Cause: Many people who suffer from EIA have another trigger that, along with exercise, causes the symptoms. These triggers include various medications; foods such as seafood, nuts, or dairy; alcohol; and cold weather. Typically, symptoms are not triggered by just exercise or the specific trigger alone.

    Prevention/Treatment: You should stop exercising immediately. You may need to use an epinephrine injection pen to stop the symptoms, as you would do for an anaphylaxis reaction caused by a food or insect sting allergy.

    People with EIA should avoid: cold weather exercise, exercise on an empty stomach, and eating any food triggers for at least 24 hours before exercise. You should always run with someone who knows about your condition. Talk to your medical care professional for advice and tests so you know what triggers to avoid.

    Hives Cause #2: Cholinergic Urticaria

    Symptoms: Itching, swelling, and small hives on the skin.

    Cause: This type of reaction is caused by the increase in body temperature that occurs while running, most often during hot weather.

    Prevention/Treatment: Medicines, such as antihistamines, can be taken to help prevent symptoms. You should also avoid running on hot or humid days and reduce your workout intensity. Stop exercising at the first sign of itchy skin or hives.
  • lmc8774
    lmc8774 Posts: 129 Member
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    As a person with exercise induced food allergies, you need to take this seriously. Hives can often be heat related, I get those too, but when you mention the burning sensation, that is what I experienced right before serious anaphylaxis. It is not fun. I barely got myself home, and when I did, I was violently ill. If my husband had not been there, I am not sure what would have happened because within minutes I could not walk, sit, crawl or even stay on the toilet. It was probably from a severe drop in blood pressure that can happen during anaphylaxsis. It was not a good scene. This was the second time this happened to me and after a trip to the emergency room the first time, I have an epi-pen. My husband shot me with it and within about 10 minutes I was shaken up, but ok. I would see an allergist asap! It might be uticaria, but if it is allergy based, you need to carry an epi-pen. I have mine with me all the time now.
  • StevenDweeb
    StevenDweeb Posts: 24 Member
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    A similar thing on a much smaller scale happens to my wife while training in warm/hot weather. It happened last night while we were walking in relatively high temps. She has very sensitive skin, but it has never led to much more than itchy hives.
  • scurry12
    scurry12 Posts: 24 Member
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    As a person with exercise induced food allergies, you need to take this seriously. Hives can often be heat related, I get those too, but when you mention the burning sensation, that is what I experienced right before serious anaphylaxis. It is not fun. I barely got myself home, and when I did, I was violently ill. If my husband had not been there, I am not sure what would have happened because within minutes I could not walk, sit, crawl or even stay on the toilet. It was probably from a severe drop in blood pressure that can happen during anaphylaxsis. It was not a good scene. This was the second time this happened to me and after a trip to the emergency room the first time, I have an epi-pen. My husband shot me with it and within about 10 minutes I was shaken up, but ok. I would see an allergist asap! It might be uticaria, but if it is allergy based, you need to carry an epi-pen. I have mine with me all the time now.

    Thanks so much for the reply. I had been screened for IgE related environmental allergies and food allergies in December 2010. I have never been to an allergist though. Are there more extensive tests for something like this?
  • lmc8774
    lmc8774 Posts: 129 Member
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    As a person with exercise induced food allergies, you need to take this seriously. Hives can often be heat related, I get those too, but when you mention the burning sensation, that is what I experienced right before serious anaphylaxis. It is not fun. I barely got myself home, and when I did, I was violently ill. If my husband had not been there, I am not sure what would have happened because within minutes I could not walk, sit, crawl or even stay on the toilet. It was probably from a severe drop in blood pressure that can happen during anaphylaxsis. It was not a good scene. This was the second time this happened to me and after a trip to the emergency room the first time, I have an epi-pen. My husband shot me with it and within about 10 minutes I was shaken up, but ok. I would see an allergist asap! It might be uticaria, but if it is allergy based, you need to carry an epi-pen. I have mine with me all the time now.

    Thanks so much for the reply. I had been screened for IgE related environmental allergies and food allergies in December 2010. I have never been to an allergist though. Are there more extensive tests for something like this?

    No specific tests that I know of. After my incidents I went to an allergist and got the skin allergy test. It is difficult to test for exercise induced allergies because it is the increased body temperature, caused by exercise, that triggers the allergy. For me it was shellfish, but with my skin test, I only showed a slight reaction to shellfish. So there really aren't tests for exercise induced allergies but working with an allergist can get you set up with an epi-pen if needed, and help you determine what is safe or not. I've responded to posts about this topic before and while I'm not saying that I think you have what I have, I just want people to know that these symptoms could be a sign of something more serious.

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