Exercise induced uticaria=DEVASTATION

hobbitses333
hobbitses333 Posts: 524 Member
edited November 28 in Fitness and Exercise
Going along great...back at the gym pumping iron and doing some cardio for several months. The weight was coming off I was on top of the world. Looking forward to reaching my goals.. Then BAM body aches and painful hives all over my joints..even going for a 10 minute walk makes them flare up or spread and get hot then I get chills. I am told by dr I am allergic to exercise!!!! I risk going into anaphylactic shock if I do to much activity...I am devastated...is there a way through it? Anyone?

Replies

  • Evelyn_Gorfram
    Evelyn_Gorfram Posts: 706 Member
    edited September 2018
    Wow, how horrible and frustrating for you :'(

    I don't know: maybe talk to your doctor about taking 5-minute walks, increasing slowly up to 8 or 9, maybe several times per day? Or other low-impact exercise at a lower-than-aerobic level (I know it's not the same, but it's not nothing, either)? Or flexibility and stretching exercises, like maybe Yoga or Tai Chi?

    ETA: I now realize that the above suggestions could be life-threateningly dangerous. Please do not try any of these activities." Thank you

    Good luck, and please don't try anything without clearing it with your doctor first.

    [edited by MFP mods at user's request]
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    hobbitses333 wrote: »
    Going along great...back at the gym pumping iron and doing some cardio for several months. The weight was coming off I was on top of the world. Looking forward to reaching my goals.. Then BAM body aches and painful hives all over my joints..even going for a 10 minute walk makes them flare up or spread and get hot then I get chills. I am told by dr I am allergic to exercise!!!! I risk going into anaphylactic shock if I do to much activity...I am devastated...is there a way through it? Anyone?

    What did your doctor say? No exercise ever, or for a period of time, or...?
  • Snatches2018
    Snatches2018 Posts: 3 Member
    I get this although no longer as badly. I just take anti histamines when I flare up.
    But in your case I would get a referral to an allergy specialist if the Dr is saying there is a risk of anaphylactic shock.
    I just had swelling ( my legs were twice their normal size) and rashes.
  • Idontcareyoupick
    Idontcareyoupick Posts: 2,854 Member
    I suffer from pressure induced uticaria. I also say to see an allergist and get some meds. I'm on a long acting drug suppressing my flare ups but took 3 years to find right combination. Good luck and hope you feel better
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    edited September 2018
    Definitely see an allergist and not just one who usually deals with routine allergies. Try to find one that specializes in autoimmune allergies.

    The immune system is so complex and no one but a very good allergist will be able to help. My aunt had this and she ended up seeing at least 10 before she found one who was smart enough to truly figure out what was causing the issue and help her. I am so sorry you have this.
  • AustinRuadhain
    AustinRuadhain Posts: 2,595 Member
    Oh, @hobbitses333 , I am so sorry. I hope you can get help from an allergist. In the meantime, stay stong with your diet. (You are doing so well at that!)
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    One piece of good news is that you can reach your weight related goals without exercise. That doesn’t help much if you want to exercise, but it’s something.

    I agree with the others that you should see a specialist and find out whether there are any treatments that will help you exercise safely. Since this is a very specialized concern, your regular doctor might not know a lot about it—you really do need to see someone with experience treating this condition. Hopefully, that doctor can help you identify activities that you can do.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Yes, fat loss only requires eating fewer calories than you burn, not workouts.

    Not sure if this applies to you, but something to consider...
    ..ingestion of certain foods or medications before physical activity may be a predisposing factor. Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been the most frequently implicated medications. Foods that have been implicated include seafood, celery, wheat and cheese..
    https://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/1015/p1367.html
    The foods most commonly implicated in food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis are wheat, shellfish, tomatoes, peanuts, and corn. However, the disorder has been reported with a wide variety of foods, including fruits, seeds, milk, soybean, lettuce, peas, beans, rice, and various meats.
    https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/886641-overview

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Suck suck sucky suck suck.

    For the time being you might have to concentrate on dietary goals.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    I would also suggest an allergist and antihistamines. Ask about swimming in cold water and maybe lifting with air conditioning and possibly a fan on you. I've only read about this condition, never experienced it. Hope you and your doctor can work something out that you can enjoy.
  • emajarrett
    emajarrett Posts: 50 Member
    I have had two severe periods of urticaria and angioedeama. I completely understand how dreadful it is particularly the impact on your sleep. Both caused horrendous rashes and swelling. It seems to be triggered by a specific combination of heat, humidity and stress. I ended up trying so many antihistamines and steroids and nothing touched it, until I was lucky enough to see a Professor who was an allergy specialist and he very quickly put me onto a antihistamine called Atarax. I'm not saying that is the one for you as we are all different in what suits us but do see a specialist as soon as you can .....you need to go beyond a GP as it could just waste time. Try and get to the top man or woman in the field. I was so damned relieved to finally get something that worked and get my life back. He said it like putting out a forest fire and advised I take the antihistamine even as a precaution for quite some time afterwards. Best of luck.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Normally I try and take the minimum medication to do the job. I learned the hard way that an allergy storm is the opposite. You want to hit it hard and fast. When I doubled my antihistamines my chronic hives subsided.

    I like that fire analogy.
  • Evelyn_Gorfram
    Evelyn_Gorfram Posts: 706 Member
    Oh, you poor dear! :o It's like you "won" the Sucky MacSuckster lottery.

    I have no proper advice, other than to assure you that you can lose weight through diet alone, but you have my warm and supportive thoughts, and my encouragement to hang in there. <3
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Once you find an antihistamine that works, take as much as needed to clear all symptoms, then very gradually back off over time. If at any time you have a flare up, go back to max dose. I had hives after an allergy to antibiotics and that was basically how it was explained to me.
  • jennywat
    jennywat Posts: 4 Member
    I was so sorry to read this, I have a diagnosed autoimmune condition that basically results in the same type of things as you are describing. Mine is TMEP and results in an excess amount of histamine in my system. It is a form of mastocytosis, but it is mild. I played the denial card for a while and in response to being told I could not exercise I decided to test the limits of it and start training and running half marathons (I would not suggest that anyone else ever do that). It was very dumb and I got very sick. What I did discover over the last 14 years of living with this is that I have to take antihistamines every day and eat a low histamine diet. This approach has enabled me to add back some moderate exercise like walking, hiking, light weight training and yoga. Nothing too vigorous, but it was something and I am losing weight using those things while managing caloric intake. When I was exercising more vigorously I was not losing weight due to the inflammation it created, so you may find as you go along and start easing up and taking care of yourself that all of the sudden a pounds start to drop off. The guidelines are out there for low histamine eating, but beware that there are not tons of information and it can be very confusing because there are some disagreements among research organizations about which foods are high in histamine. I hope that you can uncover the underlying cause for why you are so sick.
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