Home remedies for itching/hives

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elphie754
elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
edited November 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
So I have hives and itching on the whole top part of my body due to an allergic reaction. Yes I have seen my doctor as well as an ER visit and was given a prescription for steroids. I was also told to continue taking Benadryl and hydroxizine. I have pretty much maxed out (maybe even taken way too much) the antihistamines today, yet still can't sleep due to the intense itching. I was wondering if anyone had some at home remedies that work for them tha they would be will to share. I absolutely cannot take an oatmeal bath or use products with oat due to allergies. I am also pregnant which limits things a bit as well.

Things I have already tried:
-hot and cold showers
-witch hazel
-pine tar soap
-Sarna
-regular lotion
-aloe Vera

Thanks in advance.
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Replies

  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
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    Hi Elphie,

    Activated charcoal works sometimes. If you have any capsules of that on hand you can try two of them. It can be repeated with decent frequency (ever hour if needed) if it works for a short time.

    This is not likely something you'll have on hand but you could get tomorrow. Homeopathic sulfur 30C and/or histaminium 30C will work really fast and really well. Remember to follow the rule to "only redose on return of symptoms." With homeopathy, more is NOT better. Our son got hives and itchy, bleeding eczema for years and these were the only things that would give him immediate relief. Homeopathy is completely safe in pregnancy. The one remedy that you'd have to be careful of is nowhere near what you would need for an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions stink. Sorry you're having to deal with this.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    ronjsteele1 wrote: »
    Hi Elphie,

    Activated charcoal works sometimes. If you have any capsules of that on hand you can try two of them. It can be repeated with decent frequency (ever hour if needed) if it works for a short time.

    This is not likely something you'll have on hand but you could get tomorrow. Homeopathic sulfur 30C and/or histaminium 30C will work really fast and really well. Remember to follow the rule to "only redose on return of symptoms." With homeopathy, more is NOT better. Our son got hives and itchy, bleeding eczema for years and these were the only things that would give him immediate relief. Homeopathy is completely safe in pregnancy. The one remedy that you'd have to be careful of is nowhere near what you would need for an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions stink. Sorry you're having to deal with this.

    This may sounds dumb, but ingesting the activated charcoal or using it as a paste? I know few products that use it as an ingredient in their creams.

    Will look for the other two tomorrow. I have a store nearby that sells tons of homeopathic products, so I'm sure they have it.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
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    You have my sympathies. I went through a terrible bout of hives over several weeks a couple years ago, until we determined that I was newly allergic to polyester, and my mattress pad was causing it.

    The only thing that have me relief was insanely hot showers..not quite scalding hot, but holding the spray on the affected areas through intense pain as the mast cells released all their histamine. That bought about four hours of relief at a time. The discomfort in the very hot water was tremendous though.

    I also got an anti itch lotion at the pharmacy. But mostly the showers were my only relief.

    I hope you have identified and eliminated the source of your reaction. Best wishes!
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    tomteboda wrote: »
    You have my sympathies. I went through a terrible bout of hives over several weeks a couple years ago, until we determined that I was newly allergic to polyester, and my mattress pad was causing it.

    The only thing that have me relief was insanely hot showers..not quite scalding hot, but holding the spray on the affected areas through intense pain as the mast cells released all their histamine. That bought about four hours of relief at a time. The discomfort in the very hot water was tremendous though.

    I also got an anti itch lotion at the pharmacy. But mostly the showers were my only relief.

    I hope you have identified and eliminated the source of your reaction. Best wishes!

    The insanely hot showers usually help, but only for about an hour or two. My fiancé thinks I'm insane because I have been taking hot showers every 2-3 hours lol.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Tea tree oil may help. I find it useful for various skin problems.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,874 Member
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    Calamine lotion?

    Doesn't help me at all, but apparently helps some.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Thank you everyone. Right now doing a combo of the oral medication, topical steroids, witch hazel. It's taking some away, but I still feel like scratching my skin off:
  • Ming1951
    Ming1951 Posts: 514 Member
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    oatmeal baths, and everest cream ( calamine lotion) like you use for poison ivy has always helped me.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    as far as i know you should be avoiding both cold AND hot as they both release histamines. It may feel better at the time, but over the next half an hour or so your body will dump histamines into your system causing a serious lashback.


    Here's what i recommend.
    1.) Take some LUKE WARM shallow baths with some epsom salt in them. You can use a washcloth to gently tap the salty water over your skin allowing it to evaporate off. Better yet, fill your bath until it's only covering your legs with lukewarm water and add a cup of epsom salt and a cup of baking soda.
    2.) Cover yourself in either calamine, aloe (FRESH), or vasoline.
    3.) avoid drinking/eating anything between these extreme temps along with spicy foods, chocolate, or caffiene.
    4.) continue the benadryl and steroids.


    CHILL!

    I know it can be miserable, i've dealt with this before. maybe what you've been doing has been making things worse.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    Ming1951 wrote: »
    oatmeal baths...
    OP has already indicated she is allergic to oats. :)
    elphie754 wrote: »
    I absolutely cannot take an oatmeal bath or use products with oat due to allergies.

  • Ming1951
    Ming1951 Posts: 514 Member
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    Missed that, but also note she is taking very hot showers, while that may feel good and I know from my experience it does it actually makes it worse.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Baking soda- mix equal amounts water to baking soda to make a paste, apply and let sit until it dries. Rinse off.
    It helped me with multiple poison ivy rash when other things didn't seem to help.
    Cool water or ice was also temporarily helpful. Hot water felt good temporarily but made the itching worse after.
  • myfitnesspale3
    myfitnesspale3 Posts: 276 Member
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    If your allergy is by skin exposure then maybe a widespread coating of GlovesInABottle could help.

    Hot showers, urea, hydrocortizone, and distraction also helps me.
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    ronjsteele1 wrote: »
    Hi Elphie,

    Activated charcoal works sometimes. If you have any capsules of that on hand you can try two of them. It can be repeated with decent frequency (ever hour if needed) if it works for a short time.

    This is not likely something you'll have on hand but you could get tomorrow. Homeopathic sulfur 30C and/or histaminium 30C will work really fast and really well. Remember to follow the rule to "only redose on return of symptoms." With homeopathy, more is NOT better. Our son got hives and itchy, bleeding eczema for years and these were the only things that would give him immediate relief. Homeopathy is completely safe in pregnancy. The one remedy that you'd have to be careful of is nowhere near what you would need for an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions stink. Sorry you're having to deal with this.

    This may sounds dumb, but ingesting the activated charcoal or using it as a paste? I know few products that use it as an ingredient in their creams.

    Will look for the other two tomorrow. I have a store nearby that sells tons of homeopathic products, so I'm sure they have it.

    Activated charcoal capsules. Sorry about not specifying that. Taking the capsules internally will often help pull down a histamine reaction. I second the epsoms salts too! I completely forgot about that. They will help pull one out of a reaction too sometimes.

    Hope you get some relief today. Pregnant and itchy us no fun for sure.
  • geneticsteacher
    geneticsteacher Posts: 623 Member
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    You could try something with a topical anesthetic in it, but I don't know if it is contraindicated for pregnancy. Look for sprays or creams that have lidocaine, benzocaine, etc. Americaine and Dermoplast are two I am familiar with. They stop the itching better than anything else I have tried.
  • lizandrashaw
    lizandrashaw Posts: 154 Member
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    Apple cider vinegar diluted in water and spray it on - but not if you've got anything that you've scratched open.

    I also brew a tea (not for drinking!) with calendula, chapparal, comfrey, and chamomille. A local health store sold this to me as "skin tea". Brew it and put in the refrigerator. Then soak a washcloth in it and drape it over the body part for as long as it feels cool. Miraculous. I also keep this in a little spray bottle in the fridge at work for emergencies there.
  • JustSomeEm
    JustSomeEm Posts: 20,197 MFP Moderator
    edited November 2016
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    Be careful with Tea Tree Oil if you're already having an allergic reaction, since it can cause a skin reaction too. If you have access to essential oils, mix 2 drops of peppermint in a tablespoon of Cottonseed or Olive oil, then rub into the affected area. It helps with itching. Try looking on Pinterest too. Sometimes things you find there really truly are actually helpful.

    Also - Calamine lotion, which I see has already been suggested. I hope you feel better, honey. I'm sorry you're feeling so itchy right now.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,210 Member
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    So I have hives and itching on the whole top part of my body due to an allergic reaction.

    An allergic reaction to what? If you're not sure, see an allergist to get tested.

    Regarding homeopathy, there's little scientific proof that it actually works. :+1:
  • HippySkoppy
    HippySkoppy Posts: 725 Member
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    Oh Gawd you are having a rough go of it eh?!?!

    Dilute vinegar, cold black tea and copious amounts of moisturiser maybe with aloe vera/vit E or whatever you can have on your skin due to your allergies.

    Pregnancy itching was a bugger for me, I don't know if this is making yuor current situation worse...sadly it was a case of muddling through as best I could.

    Feeling for you Elphie...take care and I hope you get some relief soon. XX K
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
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    Have you gotten new foam mattresses, foam pillows or new sofas recently? I had a reaction to the flame retardants in some foam cushioning that give "off gas".

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