Anyone get hives?

tinabell153
tinabell153 Posts: 292 Member
in Introduce Yourself
A couple years ago I started noticing that I get itchy red bumps like a rash and hives mixed when I shower or come in contact with water. It's mostly my chest, stomach, neck and back.

I also break out in this rash and hives when I sweat. It gets annoying but it goes away within a couple of hours. So I cannot shower or exercise without getting itchy and developing hives.

Has anyone else experienced this? My allergist said it was rare and there is no cure.

This picture is not me but this is what it looks like: Ashleigh%20Morris%20WATER%20Allergy%20picture%5B4%5D

Replies

  • Serenstar75
    Serenstar75 Posts: 258 Member
    I do get hives, though it seems in my case more related to soap, ingested foods or stress. This year, I generally tend to wake up with them out of the blue and still have no idea what causes them when it happens. It used to be easier to pinpoint. I don't get them from the situations you're dealing with though. I get eczema instead.
  • juicemoogan
    juicemoogan Posts: 994 Member
    Actually yes i used to get this all the time when i had an excessively sweaty workout or when i had a really hot shower.
    I have always had sensitive skin and just choked it up to that..

    Mine where usually on my chest and upper back.. Thankfully they weren't too itchy,.. but didn't look pleasant.. I think they have pretty much gone away now though...
  • Cyngen
    Cyngen Posts: 557 Member
    I get hives from lobster, crab and shrimp. It's the protein in those that get me. I can eat clams and oysters which I'm fine with.

    In addition to the hives, my bronchial tubes close up and then it's bad news. Hence, have epipen will travel.
  • WhitneyAnnabelle
    WhitneyAnnabelle Posts: 724 Member
    My husband gets them when pollen is high and when he eats tomatoes
  • tinabell153
    tinabell153 Posts: 292 Member
    Actually yes i used to get this all the time when i had an excessively sweaty workout or when i had a really hot shower.
    I have always had sensitive skin and just choked it up to that..

    Mine where usually on my chest and upper back.. Thankfully they weren't too itchy,.. but didn't look pleasant.. I think they have pretty much gone away now though...

    Well, that gives me a little hope since you don't get them anymore. Maybe it is just temporary and will stop eventually! Mine itch like crazy, but I'm so used to it by now I just ignore it.
  • quietlywinning
    quietlywinning Posts: 889 Member
    I am very prone to getting hives. It stinks! I've found that bathing in salt water is my relief - I'm not sure if the salt would counteract the water problem for you or not, since even sweating does it to you, but it might be worth a shot. Though.....I tend to fear the possibilities, after awhile! I refuse to ever try any kind of make up again. I've reacted to SO many "hypoallergenic" ones that it's just not worth it. Not only is it not worth the itch and pain, but a person just really does NOT look better with her face blown up like a balloon and covered in hives!

    Does benadryl help you at all? I have to be sure my benadryl has no red dye in it - or the hives will be worse instead of better - but it does help a bit. It doesn't stop them entirely, but they don't last quite as long. I tend to get hives that stay for months.

    I've never had an allergist actually help me in any way. It's frustrating. Sun and salt help me far more than any meds ever have.
  • momwhosbusy
    momwhosbusy Posts: 154 Member
    I get this too...when my shower is too hot. If I am showering somewhere besides home I have to be extra careful to be sure that it's not too hot because I also react to chlorine in city water and heat makes it worse.
  • Goosiesnougs
    Goosiesnougs Posts: 420
    Does Benadryl help?
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    Is it from sweat or from certain material? nevers? the gym's towels or soap?

    I had a problem a while back and the dermy was no help; i ifgured out myself that it was the gym's soap so i bring my own.
  • JMPerlin
    JMPerlin Posts: 287 Member
    Does Benadryl help?

    I was going to suggest this, I get hives when exposed to a new cat. Benadryl usually takes care of it after a day, after that I am fine.
  • tinabell153
    tinabell153 Posts: 292 Member
    I get this too...when my shower is too hot. If I am showering somewhere besides home I have to be extra careful to be sure that it's not too hot because I also react to chlorine in city water and heat makes it worse.

    Heat makes mine worse too! But I even break out when I'm swimming in a cool swimming pool too. It's so annoying! I am thinking maybe it is the chlorine, but the doc says it's just that I have sensitive skin.
  • TraceyR68
    TraceyR68 Posts: 41 Member
    I use to get them from stress, and I've also had them after coming in from a cold run in the winter. I haven't had them for a long time though, so hopefully yours are temporary!!
  • Dudagarcia
    Dudagarcia Posts: 849 Member
    I get them whn I'm stressed out which is pretty often
  • tinabell153
    tinabell153 Posts: 292 Member
    Does Benadryl help?

    I was going to suggest this, I get hives when exposed to a new cat. Benadryl usually takes care of it after a day, after that I am fine.

    Benadryl doesn't help me. I asked the doctor why and he says it's because the hives aren't caused by an allergy. It's just sensitive skin. So antihistamines don't do much. I usually use Cortizone to calm the itch if it gets really bad.
  • paulasue145
    paulasue145 Posts: 157
    Yes... Just got them yesterday from pulling weeds.

    I wore gloves and long sleeves, but a weed poked through my shirt and i broke out. UGH, I HATE It!
  • quietlywinning
    quietlywinning Posts: 889 Member
    Another thing - heat will make them itch worse, and cold eases the itch. A big towel, slightly moistened and stuck in the freezer can be my best friend when allergy season is at its height and I'm reacting to everything around. I'll pull that out and put it in a pillow case and lean back on it - my entire back gets cooled down at once and the itching subsides. It's not just an allergic reaction, but also an inflammatory reaction.
  • tinabell153
    tinabell153 Posts: 292 Member
    Another thing - heat will make them itch worse, and cold eases the itch. A big towel, slightly moistened and stuck in the freezer can be my best friend when allergy season is at its height and I'm reacting to everything around. I'll pull that out and put it in a pillow case and lean back on it - my entire back gets cooled down at once and the itching subsides. It's not just an allergic reaction, but also an inflammatory reaction.

    That is very true that it's an inflammatory reaction. Ibuprofen usually helps calm my hives, but this reaction is happening to me daily and I know Ibuprofen isn't very good for my stomach so I avoid taking it.
  • vypeters
    vypeters Posts: 475 Member
    It's called chronic urticaria, which is a fancy name for chronic hives. For some people, it disappears as mysteriously as it came. For some like me it just hangs around like an unwanted guest. They can be triggered by heat, damp, exercise tight clothes and sometimes by that time of the month. Dust also seems to trigger them - it's like anything that flushes the skin triggers them.

    It doesn't have a cure, but if they itch there is a treatment. Take one Zyrtek and one Zantac 150 (I use the store brand for both) every morning. It doesn't prevent them, but they're smaller and don't itch.
  • eriemer
    eriemer Posts: 197
    Have you tried curel or eurcerin lotion or hydrocortisone cream or mix both together for after a shower? Or OTC claratin? You may have a contact dematitis from your detergent or fabric softner. It can stay on your clothes and towels, so you wouldn't notice a rash until you sweat or after a shower (the mositure mixes with the product in your clothes or towel) Use the double rinse setting on your wash machine, ditch all fabric softners, and purchase hypoallergic detergent to see if that helps.
  • Jeneba
    Jeneba Posts: 699 Member
    WOW!!! Hope you feel better soon! One of my classmates & I both got some really shockingly bad news about another classmate a few months ago. We were talking about it on the phone & we BOTH burst out with hives at the same time! For me, it's emotions.
  • Mel2626
    Mel2626 Posts: 342 Member
    YES!!! I get them after showering and have every day since I was about 6 years old (I'm nearly 32 now). They have gotten a little better over the years but I'll never be a wash-and-go girl since I'm covered in unsightly spots afterwards! :grumble: I've been prescribed all sorts of meds (usually forms of antihistamines) and all they do it make me sleepy so I just don't take anything. I also get the hives in response to heat and cold in addition to the water~can't take me anywhere!!! :laugh: :laugh: If you get it only in response to water, it's called aquagenic urticaria. The odd thing is that it's supposedly rare but my one sister and I both have it (our other sister and brother do not). Creams and lotions of any sort (including the most un-perfumed kinds) just make it worse so I've learned to live with it. Considering I've had it for nearly my entire life, I doubt it's ever going away. I absolutely hate it but it's part of me!! :smile:
  • tinabell153
    tinabell153 Posts: 292 Member
    YES!!! I get them after showering and have every day since I was about 6 years old (I'm nearly 32 now). They have gotten a little better over the years but I'll never be a wash-and-go girl since I'm covered in unsightly spots afterwards! :grumble: I've been prescribed all sorts of meds (usually forms of antihistamines) and all they do it make me sleepy so I just don't take anything. I also get the hives in response to heat and cold in addition to the water~can't take me anywhere!!! :laugh: :laugh: If you get it only in response to water, it's called aquagenic urticaria. The odd thing is that it's supposedly rare but my one sister and I both have it (our other sister and brother do not). Creams and lotions of any sort (including the most un-perfumed kinds) just make it worse so I've learned to live with it. Considering I've had it for nearly my entire life, I doubt it's ever going away. I absolutely hate it but it's part of me!! :smile:

    I have learned to live with it also! I'm glad I'm not alone. I'm embarrassed to go in public right after a shower or when I go swimming because they are very unsightly!! :laugh:
  • gimedatnow
    gimedatnow Posts: 173 Member
    It's called chronic urticaria, which is a fancy name for chronic hives. For some people, it disappears as mysteriously as it came. For some like me it just hangs around like an unwanted guest. They can be triggered by heat, damp, exercise tight clothes and sometimes by that time of the month. Dust also seems to trigger them - it's like anything that flushes the skin triggers them.

    It doesn't have a cure, but if they itch there is a treatment. Take one Zyrtek and one Zantac 150 (I use the store brand for both) every morning. It doesn't prevent them, but they're smaller and don't itch.

    Same here! It's a pain in the butt, but as long as you don't scratch the hives, you won't have any permanent damage. I suggest working out in very light clothing (wear "sweat wicking" clothing, not cotton, so that your sweat evaporates quickly) and taking a shower right away when you get home. Showering with antibacterial soap (Cetaphil makes a good one) may also help prevent hives from getting worse. As you said, using hydrocortizone cream after your shower might help, but otherwise, just make sure to keep your skin moisturized to prevent scarring. I am allergic to everything under the sun and have severe atopic dermatitis, but I swear by aquaphor (omg I love this product) and aveeno skin relief moisturizing cream. Good luck!
  • Mel2626
    Mel2626 Posts: 342 Member
    Is it terrible that when I saw the title of the post that I sort of wanted you to have the same thing as me?! lol Not that I'd EVER wish that upon anyone but most people just laugh when I tell them I'm basically allergic to water! I know it does sound odd so it makes me laugh a little too when I'm trying to explain it!!
    :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • tinabell153
    tinabell153 Posts: 292 Member
    Is it terrible that when I saw the title of the post that I sort of wanted you to have the same thing as me?! lol Not that I'd EVER wish that upon anyone but most people just laugh when I tell them I'm basically allergic to water! I know it does sound odd so it makes me laugh a little too when I'm trying to explain it!!
    :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

    I feel odd explaining it too! No one believes me! I say I'm allergic to water and they think I can't drink it haha. But I explain that it's only when my skin is in contact with it.
  • arcticfox04
    arcticfox04 Posts: 1,011 Member
    If I get stung by a Bee I'll get hives. That's really it.
  • xxev75
    xxev75 Posts: 2
    I have this hive issue too. I read about aqautic urticaria. Any elevation in body temp causes the skin to swell. Not much you can do I don't think.
  • xxev75
    xxev75 Posts: 2
    http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/hives-urticaria-angioedema

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